Neatly wraps up the romance, too neatly wraps up the plot.
In the sequel to Of Metal and Wishes (2014), Wen faces an impossible choice—betray her country or let her beloved be slaughtered?
One year has passed since Wen and Melik parted following the destruction of the Gochan One slaughterhouse. Wen and her father now practice medicine at a weapons factory, while Bo, the former Ghost, has built a new lair beneath it. When Bo confirms Wen’s suspicions that the government is sending war machines to crush the Noor rebellion, she is horrified. Melik has joined the rebels, and innocent civilians will suffer if there’s any attack. So Wen runs away to warn the Noor, but nothing goes as she hopes. That includes her eventual reunion with Melik, who seems deeply changed by his experiences as a soldier. Most of the action takes place far from the grim factories that provided the memorably Gothic backdrop of the first novel, but the brutality of industrialized warfare provides more than enough darkness for the story. Also, in removing Wen from that setting, Fine gives her more agency as a protagonist than she had in the previous book. However, given the deep-seated racial tensions between the Itanyai and the Noor, the ending feels overly tidy, and that unfortunately lessens the emotional impact of the climax.
Neatly wraps up the romance, too neatly wraps up the plot. (Steampunk. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8361-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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
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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