A thoughtful exploration of rebuilding life after death, told in grave and tactile verse.
A German Australian girl discovers a path toward resurrection in the wake of several family deaths.
Lottie feels lonely at school, where peers accuse her of loving Hitler because of her German heritage, and in her family, where the three caring adults in her life—her emotionally absent father, rigorously traditional Aunt Hilda, and ageing, mournful Oma—all struggle under the weight of the family’s multilayered grief. Lottie’s parents and grandparents faced internment camps and isolation during the Second World War and were still working toward recovery when Lottie’s older sister accidentally drowned; afterward, her mother died following a stillbirth. Lottie begins collecting the bodies of dead birds and other creatures, a hobby that horrifies and unsettles those around her. The only understanding soul she finds is an Indigenous boy named Jeffrey; they bond over their shared ostracization, and he helps her find animals for her collection. Lottie and other major characters are white, and the discrimination German Australians faced during the war is thoughtfully addressed. Lottie’s family worries that her new interest betrays morbidity or violence, but as Lottie’s steady, naturalistic verse narration shows, it truly centers on a longing for resurrection, manifested in her dream of becoming a museum taxidermist. The ample backstory is sometimes muddy and slows the pace, but vivid descriptions and Lottie’s confident, complex voice atone for this.
A thoughtful exploration of rebuilding life after death, told in grave and tactile verse. (Verse novel. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-925603-74-3
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Text
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Disappointing.
Unlikely friends fight their growing feelings for each other while placing bets on other people’s love lives.
Bailey met Charlie while flying from Alaska, where she grew up, to Nebraska, where she and her mom would be living after her parents’ divorce. Although they briefly bonded over their parents’ divorces, Charlie’s cynicism grated on the rule-following Bailey, and she was thankful to part ways with him. Three years later, to Bailey’s dismay, she runs into Charlie when they both land jobs at Planet Funnn, a mega-hotel that’s “like a giant landlocked cruise ship.” This time around, Bailey and Charlie begin to get along better. To entertain themselves during their long shifts, they observe and make bets about the hotel guests. But they risk taking it too far when they bet on whether their co-worker Theo will end up with Nekesa, Bailey’s best friend, who’s in “a perfect relationship with the perfect guy.” The book explores Bailey’s conflicted feelings toward her mom’s new relationship with Scott (who doesn’t “do anything wrong” but whose presence changes “the vibe” at home), but it does so in a way that diminishes a primary source of conflict. Bailey's and Charlie’s feelings become even more complicated when Charlie helps Bailey with a fake-dating scheme intended to scare Scott off. Some of the banter between the leads, who are coded white, feels more aggressive than playful, detracting from their intimacy, and the circuitous plot may fail to sustain readers’ interest.
Disappointing. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781665921237
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Summery fun and games with feeling.
A summer trip helps break 18-year-old Meredith Fox out of a haze of mourning.
Her cousin’s wedding means a return to Martha’s Vineyard, a well-loved destination but one filled with bittersweet memories. It’s been a year and a half since the sudden loss of Meredith’s sister, Claire, and the grief remains strong. Meredith, though, resolves to take this time to celebrate family and bridge the rifts resulting from ghosting friends. She didn’t plan on a meet-cute/embarrassing encounter with the groom’s stepbrother, Wit. Nor did she expect a wedding-week game of Assassin, a water-gun–fueled family tradition. What starts off as a pact of sharing strategic information with Wit grows into something more as the flirting and feelings develop. Only one person can win, though, and any alliance has an expiration date. To win and honor Claire, who was a master of the game, Meredith must keep her eye on the prize. Taking place over the course of a week, the narrative is tight with well-paced reveals that disrupt predictability and keep the plot moving. Early details are picked back up, and many elements come satisfyingly full circle. The short time frame also heightens the tension of this summer romance: What will happen when they leave the bubble of the Vineyard? The mix of budding romance, competitive hijinks, a close-knit circle, as well as dealing with loss make for a satisfying read. The main cast is White.
Summery fun and games with feeling. (family tree) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-029-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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