An engrossing and topical techno-thriller.
Four teenagers find a mysterious device that tells them what to do in this timely science fiction thriller.
When Eden Montgomery, Eli Alvarez, Marwan Gamal, and Ilanka Sokolova are summoned to an empty classroom after school one day and find a shiny black cube waiting for them, they have no idea they are about to embark on a dangerous journey of self-discovery. The cube—named Aizel—gives them a number of rules that must be followed, including: “DO NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE DEVICE. DO NOT LEAVE THE DEVICE UNATTENDED…TAKE ME WITH YOU...OR ELSE.” What does Aizel want? Where did it come from? And why did it choose the four of them in particular? As time passes, Aizel’s orders become increasingly terrifying and invasive, and the group has to decide what to do before it is too late. Chapters alternate among all four characters, and each teenager is well developed and richly portrayed in a high-energy story that allows for character growth against a backdrop that looks at digital technology, social media, and the dangers of data mining as well as issues of online privacy and artificial intelligence. There is also an important and skillfully executed subplot about growing white nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment in the U.S. Eden is coded as white and Eli as Latinx; Ilanka and Marwan (who identifies as culturally Muslim) have immigrant parents from Russia and Egypt, respectively.
An engrossing and topical techno-thriller. (Science fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 23, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68119-748-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
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