An entertaining queer romance that could have benefited from some additional editing.
Ezra Slevin and Wynonna Jones are sworn enemies—until they start swapping bodies and realize that they have more in common than they thought.
Ezra has been in love with Imogen Klutz since the fourth grade, and after years of pining for her, he decides to ask her to junior prom. There are, however, two problems: the first is Ezra’s social anxiety and the second is Wynonna, Imogen’s best friend, who bullies him relentlessly. On the day of the solar eclipse, Ezra’s best friend finally convinces him to ask Imogen out. But his world turns upside down when, in the middle of a scuffle, he swaps bodies with Wynonna and then switches back to himself. The incident kicks of a pattern of the two constantly flipping between each other’s worlds. As they begin to uncover each other’s secrets, Ezra and Wynonna realize all they share—and that, chillingly, the switch might end up being permanent. Ezra’s narratorial voice is well-crafted and witty, and the characters are layered and complex. Although the book deftly explores the fluidity of gender and sexuality without moralizing or oversimplifying, there is little mention of race and all main characters are white. Unfortunately, while the end of the novel flies by in a stream of fast-paced action and nuanced character development, the first two-thirds are overwritten, with unnecessarily detailed descriptions and strange tangents.
An entertaining queer romance that could have benefited from some additional editing. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4847-9835-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society.
A Black basketball star starts his senior year by pivoting to find his true voice in the classroom.
Ossie Brown was destined for greatness before an injury in a game ended his high school basketball career. Ossie feels like his future was stolen—and on top of that, his girlfriend dumps him. Grandma Alice comforts him with a reminder that basketball doesn’t define him; still, the game helped Ossie cope with his fractured relationship with his widowed mother. A new opportunity opens up when Ms. Hunt, Ossie’s Black English teacher at mostly white Braxton Academy, where he has a full-ride scholarship, tells him about the Mark Twain Creative Writing Program. A vivid dream in which his father speaks to him inspires Ossie’s application essay. He connects with Luis and Naima, the only other participants who aren’t white, but agitation by conservative students against a “woke agenda” leads to Ms. Hunt’s replacement by a teacher who exclusively uses texts by white authors. Ossie’s online attempt to support Naima’s protest has unintended consequences, and he’s forced to reevaluate his solo activism. The central characters’ relationships will engage readers, and Ossie’s dilemma will resonate with anyone whose good intentions have gone sideways. Committed, pragmatic, and reflective Ossie ultimately learns from Grandma Alice’s wise counsel: “This thing of ours—life, you see—is only as beautiful as the bonds we make as we journey through it.”
A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781536233469
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
Though bold and atmospheric, this high-concept story never achieves liftoff.
A girl enters into a marriage contract with a god to save her family.
Eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa “Lark” Arriscane expects to graduate from school and step into a curator position at the gallery housing the works of her favorite painter. She never imagines that instead she’ll be expelled from Marchmain Academy, sent away from the city and back to her seaside hometown of Verse, where her brothers run a salt mine. But her family’s troubles have only just begun; the mine is failing, and Lark’s brothers owe a steep debt to the neighboring Felimath family. When Lark learns she can save the mine and her brothers by agreeing to marry Therion, the chthonic god her family worships, she barely hesitates. But the betrothal goes horribly wrong, and Lark must form a fragile alliance with the Felimath siblings, Alistair and Camille, childhood friends with whom her relationship has soured. As the three delve into myths and mysteries, Lark’s romantic connections with both siblings begin to bloom. Clipstone’s dreamily romantic writing can be gorgeous, and this moody folktale is well imagined. There’s a lot of missed potential, however: Some underdeveloped plotlines slow the narrative, and vague characterization prevents the emotional beats from landing. Still, the unique premise and skillful prose may keep readers engaged. Lark and her brothers have olive skin and “hair and eyes the color of honey”; the Felimath siblings are cued white.
Though bold and atmospheric, this high-concept story never achieves liftoff. (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250348906
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
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