A fun but insubstantial genre mashup.
Amateur archaeologists race to claim an allegedly magical Roman relic.
Margot Rhodes isn’t exactly famous for her follow-through; she’s quit activities from watercolor painting to taekwondo. So it’s no surprise that her snooty boarding school classmates are more than a little skeptical when she impulsively applies for and is accepted into a six-week archaeology summer class in southern Italy. Armed with a special volume from her school library—the personal journal of archaeology wunderkind Van Keane, who tragically died in a 1932 dig site collapse in Pompeii—Margot is determined to find the missing pieces of the Vase of Venus Aurelia that Van was searching for. But when she stumbles upon a marble statue that eerily resembles the boy whose words have captured her heart, she gets more than she bargained for. Her discovery awakens the long-frozen Van, who’s decidedly less poetic and a great deal surlier than his journal let on. The two become unlikely partners in the hunt for the vase and must prove themselves worthy of the treasure by completing tasks that test their wits and courage before their competitors—and the curse that turned Van to marble to begin with—beat them to it. Unfortunately, Moore neglects the setting’s potential, and the story's minimal attention to detail undermines its rich historical aspects. Plot holes and unconvincing villains also weaken the story, but Margot and Van’s banter and chemistry are engaging. Main characters are cued white.
A fun but insubstantial genre mashup. (Romantic adventure. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780063284685
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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