This exhilarating tale of survival and acceptance hits home even at its most supernatural.
A banshee living among humans evades threats and struggles with her deep connection to a boy in Alvarez’s YA paranormal-romance.
Seventeen-year-old Sadie Anderson’s life with her single mother, Rose, teems with hardships. They’re both banshees who take human form, keeping their identities secret from humans and enduring animosity from other “Paras” (like vampires and witches). When human hunters attack, they flee their Texas home and take refuge in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Sadie, who’s been deathly sick for the entire trip, believes she’ll find her “cure” in this town and, indeed, she gradually recovers. She and Rose let Great Barrington “claim” them and, as banshees do, they secretly take on human charges, delivering warning keens (a “mournful lament” or wail) for those soon to die and helping others manage overwhelming grief. Unfortunately, hunters in the area may have spotted the mother-daughter banshees. But Sadie’s greater concern is warmhearted Nathan, a teen with whom she shares an unquestionable bond. For a banshee who may have to run from hunters, that attachment means danger, though Sadie still hesitates to break it. Alvarez’s novel is jam-packed with curious backstory, from the banshees always ready to hightail it out of town (complete with go-bags) to Rose clocking in at over 300 years of age. The worldbuilding never slows down the impressive pace; it’s not long before Sadie and Rose are battling hunters and on the run. Even in Massachusetts, they’re constantly on guard, handling charges, and eying a Para ally or two. Sadie, who takes the narrative reins, engages in a refreshingly understated romance with winsome Nathan; her tentative friendships with local peers like Christi are just as impactful. The story, which kicks off a series, boasts a superb ending and sequel tease.
This exhilarating tale of survival and acceptance hits home even at its most supernatural.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9798988687955
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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