by Shannon Duffy ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2015
Loving, imperiled teens on a quest to topple big bad government, with a few good action sequences and a somewhat familiar...
Duffy’s (Spectral, 2015, etc.) novel sees teens combating evil in a futuristic age.
Desiree Six Haven, 16, lives in Tower, run by The Protectorate, which implants sensors in all citizens. “Six” indicates that Rae was born on the sixth day of the week, with a predetermined life span of 50 years (barring any difficulties). Her parents—Fours with a 40-year life span—are just months from mandatory termination. At bedtime, Tower’s residents enter the Dreamscape, which produces restful sleep free of nightmares associated with an era called the Manic Age. Though Desiree can’t stand the sight of blood, she is a “nurturer” in training to be a nurse and will soon be bound to her designated life mate, Asher, a former bully destined for civil service. After a power failure, Desiree’s childhood friend and protector, Darian One Sterling—who allegedly broke into a head Protectorate office and stole government files, then murdered his parents—escapes from Olympus Jail where he was to be punished for life with unending nightmares in the Terrorscape. On the run, Darian contacts Desiree. Initially resistant, she comes to trust him and question the status quo involving The Protectorate’s harshly unyielding stance, the brainwashing of citizens, and the fates of those known as the Unwanted. Though there are some intense scenes—as when “Noncompliant” neighbors Coral and Owen are strapped to stretchers in the Terrorscape—the novel shares elements with The Hunger Games: a supposedly benevolent government, manipulation and control of its citizenry, and televised punishment in an arenalike setting. Brave Darian and earnest Rae are a likable couple, and their rekindled affection takes a tenderly romantic turn as they struggle to survive and uncover the fates of “stolen” siblings (The Protectorate mandates one child per family). The story lacks the amperage and compellingly defiant heroine of The Hunger Games; instead, to move things along, it relies more on technological gadgetry (e.g., menacing fighter bots) and a budding romance. Though a sequel could be on the way, it’s unclear how and why an entire populace ceded personal freedom to avoid bad dreams when a sleeping pill would do.
Loving, imperiled teens on a quest to topple big bad government, with a few good action sequences and a somewhat familiar storyline.Pub Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1622665228
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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 ‧ 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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