Lushly written and full of emotion.
A Providence, Rhode Island, teen who sees spirits senses something supernatural is happening with her former best friend.
High school senior Aria Cayetano, who is of Filipino and Cape Verdean heritage, drinks special tea concocted by her grandfather to dull her connection to the spirits she sees at night. Lately, she’s also been secretly watching her neighbor and ex–best friend, Derek Johnson, who is cued Black, wondering where he mysteriously goes off to in the dark. When Derek suddenly starts talking to her again after two years of silence, Aria hopes it means their friendship can be repaired, but there’s something different about him. She discovers he’s being possessed by a spirit who sometimes takes control. Aria stops drinking her tea to uncover the extent of her abilities—which she’ll need in order to save Derek, for whom she’s developing feelings. This dreamy and ethereal story combines mystery and romance with the paranormal world of magic and spirits. It’s atmospheric, evocative, and just the right amount of chilling. Patience is required of readers as the world slowly unveils itself, especially as Aria’s family has many closely guarded secrets. Aria’s detective work to discover the truth keeps the momentum going, but it’s the examination of relationships and human nature that makes the book sparkle. The tale weaves in grief, empathy, and how far people will go to protect the ones they love.
Lushly written and full of emotion. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9781250788535
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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