A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance.
An Atlanta teen struggling with her mental health learns to regain control and garners strength through boxing.
Three years ago, Rose Berman, 17, lost her mother, who had anxiety and derealization disorders, to suicide. Afterward, she experienced a blackout-inducing panic attack in front of her class, earning the nickname Psycho. When the star quarterback assaults her at a party, Rose is afraid she’ll lose “whatever fragment of sanity” she has left. Her therapist suggests she join a boxing club, and she hopes the physical exertion will help. At the ring, Rose gets close to Elliot King, a cool kid with his cigarettes, tattoos, and mysterious bruises—and the person who intervened to help her at the party. Even though they’ve been neighbors since childhood, their lives didn’t intersect much, but now he’s becoming a true friend. When Rose discovers the underground fight club that’s the cause of Elliot’s injuries, she becomes embroiled in a violent world she’ll have to fight her way out of. While navigating intense issues, including sexual assault, mental health, and domestic violence, the novel doesn’t lose sight of the intriguing, accessible sports storyline and romance at its heart. The well-drawn and likable characters invite empathy, and the subject matter will intrigue readers who are drawn to edgier works. Rose is Jewish and bisexual; Elliot reads white.
A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance. (discussion questions, author interview) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781956378146
Page Count: 290
Publisher: Little Press Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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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