In the end, a disjointed and unrealistic effort—and not because it takes place in a world where no one ages past 17.
A modern-day Peter Pan plucks a girl and her brothers from the Upper East Side.
Wylie Dalton lives a busy and complicated life. Observing the chaos of her parents’ marriage, she has no desire to fall in love and does not dream of fairy-tale endings. On her 17th birthday, which is also the night before her brother is to be sent off to juvie, olive-skinned Wylie meets white redhead Phinn, a real-life Peter Pan. To say she is swept off her feet is to put it lightly. Phinn sails off with Wylie and her brothers to Minor Island, off the coast of their native New York, where no one ages beyond 17, thereby giving Wylie her true desires: to be free from her everyday responsibilities and to keep her brother from jail. But as she spends time in this magical place, which seems like heaven, with this boy she begins to fall for, she soon realizes that this newfound freedom comes with hidden terms and conditions—ones she may not be in agreement with. In her debut, Saedi too often tells rather than shows, and the story suffers as a result, especially in the inconsistency and quick deterioration of the relationships among the siblings. Pedestrian writing sucks the magic out of scenes that should be thrilling and makes unfilled plot holes and authorial manipulation glaringly apparent.
In the end, a disjointed and unrealistic effort—and not because it takes place in a world where no one ages past 17. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-451-47576-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
A coming-of-age story best appreciated by fans of genre romance.
Told she resembles one of Jane Austen’s least likable characters, an aggrieved, self-doubting teen strives to change her ways.
Marnie Barnes, 18, a wealthy senior at an upscale San Francisco boarding school, feels pressured. When her older sister Lindy was a senior, her project won the school’s prestigious Hunt Prize. Now Marnie’s desperate to win it herself—her Stanford ambitions and family’s appreciation ride on it. The third of five daughters, Marnie feels slighted by their mother, who comments unfavorably on her weight. Facing the deadline to submit her project proposal (having children read to dogs at an animal shelter), she’s neither gracious nor grateful when her roommate, Adhira Fitz, introduces her to friends with animal-shelter contacts. When exasperated Adhira compares her to Elizabeth Bennet’s awful sister, Marnie realizes she needs to change, a challenge made easier by Eugene “Whit” Whitlock, the cute boy volunteering at the animal shelter who helps get her project on track. But Marnie’s still crushing on hot venture capitalist Hayes Wellesley, Lindy’s best friend’s fiance.Unlike Austen’s Mary, Marnie is redeemable—refreshingly imperfect, her characterization mostly rings true, and it’s her struggles that will keep readers invested as the plethora of largely familiar character types move through the unruly plot. Marnie is White; Canadian Adhira, who largely functions as the supportive BFF, has relatives in India; and Whit has a White American father and Japanese mother.
A coming-of-age story best appreciated by fans of genre romance. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-306013-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A fun, fast-paced coming-of-age story with an unusual twist.
High school senior Cameron keeps telling himself that he is over Allison Tandy, the ex-girlfriend who broke his heart, but after being prescribed fictional painkiller Delatrix for a basketball injury, he is not so sure.
After taking the drug, Cam is astounded to find himself conversing with Ally in his bathroom. This should be impossible because she was in a car crash months before and is hospitalized, lying in a coma. While Cam is at first disbelieving, suspecting this is a side effect of the drug, Ally slaps him and he passes out, coming to with a tender cheek, making the encounter feel real. With just two weeks until high school graduation, Cam has to cope not only with the confusion caused by Ally’s ongoing spectral visits, but with pressure from Chevy and Lisa, his best friends, to date again. The pair, dubbed The Happy Couple by Cam, even create a dossier of options for him to consider. Is he ready? What do his visits from Ally mean? Cam’s wry first-person narration and witty banter with Ally perfectly match the lighthearted mood of the book. Giving the novel some weight is its thoughtful exploration of the fate of high school relationships after graduation as couples negotiate their commitments. The affluent Illinois suburb setting allows for some exploration of characters’ awareness of relative socio-economic diversity. Cam and Ally are White; Chevy is Black, and Lisa is Jewish.
A fun, fast-paced coming-of-age story with an unusual twist. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-984812-94-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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