by Sean Olin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 24, 2015
It’s far from a must-read, but it's not without some appeal for readers looking for a romance with slightly higher stakes...
When friendship turns into love, the path is rarely smooth—especially when there's a third party involved.
Best friends Jake and Elena are facing big changes. Thanks to the remarriage of Jake's mom, he's moving into the mansion of his stepfather, Cameron. He's also realized he's fallen in love with Elena. Using advice offered by his stepbrother, the reckless Nathaniel, Jake confesses how he feels to Elena. But Elena doesn't want to ruin their friendship—and she thinks of Jake like a brother. On the anime Web forum she visits, Elena meets Harlow, a bad boy who sweeps her off her feet. Jake has a bad feeling about this guy, but Elena refuses to listen. Even when Harlow convinces Elena to help him strike against his enemies, she doesn't realize the consequences of her action. And Jake, who knows the truth about Harlow, will get everything he wants but potentially could lose it all. While Jake and Elena are well-rounded characters, Nathaniel is all mustache-twirling evil. Too much time is spent setting the stage, which leads to a rushed plot resolution and an open ending that feels unnecessary. Olin’s prose style is flat, which doesn’t help matters.
It’s far from a must-read, but it's not without some appeal for readers looking for a romance with slightly higher stakes than the usual. (Romantic thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-219241-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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