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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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