A cute, if lightly developed, queer friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance.
Ivy is obsessed with the television show Hot, Magical, and Deadly, and she has a huge crush on Mackenzie, who, due to a recent argument, is unfortunately now her ex–best friend.
After she became captain of the volleyball team, Mack no longer seemed to have time for Ivy; now, she has absolutely zero patience for Ivy’s obsession with the H-MAD fandom. But when Ivy’s home alone during a thunderstorm, she manages to magically manifest Weston Razorbrook, the dreamy main character from the show, directly into her bed. She’s forced to team up with Mack and Henry, a new fandom friend, to figure out what to do next. The trio soon learns that this version of Weston is directly taken from Ivy’s self-insert romantic fanfictions, tropes included. Unfortunately for Ivy, the tropes she loves in her stories are a lot less romantic in real life. Despite Weston’s volatile nature, Ivy wants to keep him in her life, against Mack’s constant insistence otherwise. This nerdy love story with queer protagonists is enjoyable, although at times it feels superficial: The plot-driven story would have benefitted from further development of the characters and setting. Ivy’s reactions to the manifestation of a turbulent man from her fanfictions doesn’t always seem believable. Ivy is cued white; Mack reads Black.
A cute, if lightly developed, queer friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781250819185
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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 delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization.
Ellis Mitchell has her whole life planned out.
Heading into senior year, Ellis plans to study hard and crush it at the journalism internship her media executive dad got her, paving the way for her acceptance to Columbia University. But then Ellis’ parents announce they’re separating—and that Ellis and her mom will be heading to Bramble Falls to stay with her aunt and cousin. Furious that her careful plans have been upended, Ellis struggles to settle into the small, charming Connecticut town even as everyone around her gears up for the annual Falling Leaves Festival. Ellis runs into Cooper Barnett—her long-ago summer friend from visits to Aunt Naomi and cousin Sloane—who’s grown up to be very handsome. But Cooper isn’t pleased to see Ellis; he’s cold and curt, and she has no idea why. Wilson’s YA debut is chock-full of charm. Readers will swoon at Cooper’s and Ellis’ developing feelings following their frosty reunion and sympathize with Ellis’ difficulties even as Bramble Falls grows on her. She must choose between small-town community ties and big-city ambitions—between what her dad wants for her and what she really wants. Ellis’ relationships with her mom, aunt, and cousin are lovely and aspirational. The depiction of Bramble Falls is evocative, and the book contains enough seasonal delights to satisfy even the most devoted pumpkin spice latte lover. Main characters are cued white.
A delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665975209
Page Count: 352
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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