by Roshani Chokshi , Evelyn Skye & Sandhya Menon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2022
Charmingly fun.
Three friends search for love on an auspicious Halloween night.
Legend says that every hundred years, magic awakens in the town of Moon Ridge, and this Halloween marks 400 years since the town’s founding. For Apollonia “Onny” Diamante, this is the perfect time to use her late grandmother Lola’s last gift: her notebook. It contains a recipe for a love potion that awakens the possibility of love. Onny hopes it’ll bring her together with her crush, Alexander Abernathy—if only she could stop getting sidetracked by her skeptic of a lab partner, Byron Frost. Meanwhile, her best friends, gifted with shares of Lola’s potion, are a little less sure of its magical efficacy. For shy Ash Lee, this night might spur him to make a bold move on his crush, Cassidy Rivera. Burned by an ex and a believer only in the concrete and rational, love is not on True Tandon’s agenda, but a meet-cute with uber-friendly Orion Parker, a paranormal phenomenon enthusiast, may test her (dis)beliefs. The authors imbue their characters with genuineness that makes the narration engaging and the romances a delight. The three intertwined stories, each following one member of the trio, play with beloved romantic tropes. By the end of the night, each protagonist has met their match and, more importantly, found confidence and a new outlook. Onny is Filipina American; Ash is cued as Chinese American, and True is biracial, with German and Indian heritage.
Charmingly fun. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-79723-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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by Lynn Painter ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
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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