A somewhat uneven but undeniably beautiful fantasy.
Things are not as they seem in the yaksha kingdom.
Nature-loving Ridhi Kapadia, who finds joy in telling stories through natural perfumery, has never fit in. In a nearby forest, Ridhi has visions of an enchanted realm, and after concocting the perfect fragrance and performing a special ritual, she’s granted entrance into the magical home of her dreams. Nilesh Batra’s comfortable life is turned upside down when he’s the last to discover that his parents’ seemingly perfect marriage is a facade. After he’s suspended from school, his mother takes him to family friends the Kapadias’ house to stay over spring break, much to Ridhi’s displeasure—cool Nilesh dropped Ridhi as a friend. Nilesh has derided Ridhi for her belief in magic, but when he encounters a pretty yakshini, or nature spirit, named Kamini, he’s happy to enter her world, especially if it means escaping his family’s problems. Meanwhile, yearning to remain with the yaksha, Ridhi negotiates with noblewoman Sulochana to become a yakshini herself. But when she learns that Nilesh has intentionally trapped himself in the yaksha kingdom, Ridhi begins to unravel a troubling story that the leaves may have been whispering about all along. Divided into three parts, Thakrar’s Hindu- and Buddhist-inspired story with a primarily Indian cast is overflowing with lush, sensual imagery. Unfortunately, the gorgeous worldbuilding can’t camouflage the weak characterization, which is especially evident in the self-serving Nilesh, whose later reconciliation with Ridhi is unconvincing.
A somewhat uneven but undeniably beautiful fantasy. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063255265
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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