Nuanced characterization and unexpected twists make for a deeply intriguing read.
A sheltered but wise maiden makes a bargain for her safety—and risks losing her freedom in the process.
Believed to be creatures of myth, veritas swans are “breathtakingly beautiful” women who relinquish their freedom and hearts when they fall in love. Demelza is a veritas swan whose unpleasant but magical song compels those around her to tell the truth. Unlike her sisters, flightless Demelza hasn’t developed wings, and she’s kept in the nest by her mother, who’s also a veritas swan, and her wizard father, Prava the Sly. When the pale-skinned, red-haired Demelza learns of a threat to her life, she flees her home for Rathe Castle to compete against other maidens for Prince Arris’ hand in marriage. Prince Arris is cursed through his father’s line to be murdered by his wife, and he forms an unlikely alliance with Demelza, who’s disguised herself with mud and brambles and a dress made of reeds. They both hope to find freedom from their predetermined fates, but their partnership is threatened by their growing curiosity about one another—and both parties risk losing their hearts. Chokshi balances her sometimes vicious characters with inventive, whimsical elements. Her lyrical prose builds a world that’s reminiscent of tales from the Brothers Grimm and populated by complex, well-developed characters of fantasy races who are varied in appearance. This fantastical spin on a classic storyline is threaded with feminist themes.
Nuanced characterization and unexpected twists make for a deeply intriguing read. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781250873101
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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