Knowing that Charlotte doesn’t really face obliteration disappointingly defuses the suspense for all but the most avid fans.
High-school student Elise begins experiencing some very odd things that make her feel like some stranger is beginning to occupy her body.
That’s not surprising in this sequel (that can’t stand alone) to A Need So Beautiful (2011), which chronicled the poignant situation of angel-like being Charlotte, who had the need to intervene in troubled people’s lives but at the ultimate cost of both her own existence and all memory of it. Now readers discover that she’s back, not only greatly diminishing the impact of the first tale, but also limiting the threat of any perilous choices she now faces as she occupies the hapless Elise’s body and gradually rediscovers herself. Hunky romantic interest Harlin also returns, having conveniently been drawn to the love of his life in her new form, but he faces handsome potential rival Abe, who draws Elise into some believable teen situations. Onika, the evil temptress housed in an immortal—but nonetheless badly decayed—body, haunts Elise’s dreams and then turns up in the (decomposed) flesh, as well. Elise’s rebellious older sister Lucy, initially angst-ridden about her own issues, adds to the now-predictable conflicts that Charlotte/Elise must resolve before Charlotte can move on to a potential third book in the series.
Knowing that Charlotte doesn’t really face obliteration disappointingly defuses the suspense for all but the most avid fans. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 26, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-200826-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 10, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 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
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