A moody tale of family secrets that stumbles at the end but will still draw in fans of dark academia.
Tara Gupta was a mystery to everyone who knew her—and then, seven years ago, in 1906, she disappeared.
Now, Tara’s daughter, Sana, is turning 18. She returns from staying with relatives in Canada to the Guptas’ Parisian home, Razorthorn Manor. Expecting a simple homecoming to claim her inheritance, she instead finds herself invited to enter a high-stakes competition to determine the next heir to the manor—and to a razorthorn seed, a magical relic gifted to the Gupta family (whose “ancestral home” is in Punjab, India) by the goddess Flora. Sana must team up with three other young people from around the world: Korean Kim Minho, Filipino American Isabelle Flores, and English Richard Fox. Together, they race to solve riddles and unravel the manor’s secrets. But for Sana, the game becomes personal. Temperamental and vulnerable, she’s still haunted by the loss of Maman. Unlocking the riddles means winning the prize and uncovering “spotty” childhood memories and the truth behind Tara’s disappearance. Set in an alternate belle epoque France where people worship Roman gods, the novel maintains a steady pace and a richly mysterious atmosphere. Razorthorn Manor, with its gothic architecture and rumored hauntings, is as much a character as the people within it. While the final reveal borders on a Scooby Doo–style confession, the journey there remains engaging and immersive.
A moody tale of family secrets that stumbles at the end but will still draw in fans of dark academia. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780823460427
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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