A crash landing at hyperspeed.
A freshly recruited gunner and his unwilling fighter pilot partner team up to uncover the truth about a deadly threat to the galaxy.
Three years ago, Keller Hartman ran away from an orphanage on the volcanic planet Venthros to pursue his dream of joining the Legion as a gunner. For Keller, earning a spot in the elite Sixth fleet means more than fame or a high-profile career—he yearns for a family of his own. His expectations plummet when his new partner, Lament Bringer, refuses to fly with him. After his last gunner and best friend died during a mission five months prior, Lament doesn’t care about orders from their sergeant or even Keller’s ARCAN Aviation Academy records. Recklessness and desperation to belong thrust Keller into Lament’s under-the-table investigation of the mysterious toxic mist that killed Lament’s friend. Meanwhile, the spread of the controversial movement called Determinism occupies the Legion’s attention; the leader of the Determinists, Ran Doc Min, is dropping hints of a galaxy-wide catastrophe. This story starts off with suspense and a fast pace, but lackluster characterization, thin worldbuilding, and a villain whose motivation and influence strain believability all detract from the initial appeal and intrigue. Additionally, a stock side character’s fixation with the romance between the leads, who are cued white, veers uncomfortably toward fetishization, and some of the in-world references evoke real-life racial stereotypes.
A crash landing at hyperspeed. (Science-fiction romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781250406460
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
