An intriguing supernatural tale that raises more questions than it answers.
Think high school is hard? Try dating a werewolf.
In this YA fantasy, Clarissa Harris is your run-of-the-mill high school senior until she becomes the unwitting recipient of “the sight.” Despite her newfound gift, there is no way for Clarissa to predict that her new love interest, Damien, will turn out to be a werewolf. Suddenly, she’s navigating high school drama while trying to adjust to life with a supernatural being. And Damien, as a newly born wolf, is a little intense. But Damien isn’t the only complicating factor in Clarissa’s life; there are other werewolves in school and at least one of them means her harm. Damien, Clarissa, and their circle of friends attempt to discover the identity of the other wolves and protect their lives. And Clarissa must decide if a life with Damien—and all that it entails—is really what she wants. Thompson’s novel follows a well-trod path: a teen fantasy with plenty of angst. Clarissa is far less worried about her boyfriend’s wolfish tendencies that she is about their love life. The supernatural elements of the tale—such as Clarissa’s powers of prophecy—are captivating, offering rich details. But the author fails to truly utilize them. No one seems overly shocked by the existence of werewolves. Clarissa even tells a friend that the werewolf part of Damien will be “separate” from their relationship. Where is the backstory or social structure of these unique beings? If horny teenage werewolves can create new ones so easily, it seems as if these creatures might take over the world. In addition, the only real baddie of the tale is banished two-thirds of the way through the novel, leaving nearly 100 pages of excess story. Thompson crams several decades worth of wrap-up into the final third of the book, but it feels way too rushed and lacks any real contribution to the narrative.
An intriguing supernatural tale that raises more questions than it answers.Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73588-533-9
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Shadowswept Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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