Directionless dips into the far-flung past don’t allow the underlying mythology to sing as it did in the previous...
To stop the Sorceress and save Sempera, Jules must unravel the tangled web of her past lives and keep those she loves at arm’s length.
Framed for the murders of the queen and her childhood friend Roan, Jules Ember is on the run. She is the Alchemist—the reborn ancient nemesis of the Sorceress, who is the true murderer, hiding in plain sight as Caro, the queen’s lady-in-waiting. Now Caro is bent on breaking Jules’ heart by killing everyone she cares about: If she succeeds, she believes she’ll take back the heart Jules stole from her centuries ago, restoring her full power. Jules embarks on a quest to unearth memories from her past lives, hoping to find the key to defeating Caro. Liam, Roan’s brother and an expert on the Alchemist, wants to help. But Jules, who is drawn to him, is torn, not wanting to risk his life. Each recovered memory leads Jules toward a weapon that could end this centuries-long battle, but finding out the truth proves as difficult as keeping her loved ones safe. Jules’ journey at first feels aimless, and her pursuit by the Sorceress far removed, lessening the tension. The reveal at the end returns the focus to the lore, where the story really soars, but it’s a too-winding road to reach it. All main characters are white.
Directionless dips into the far-flung past don’t allow the underlying mythology to sing as it did in the previous installment. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Dec. 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-265369-7
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2019
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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