Fans of funky unconventional fantasy will lap it up and roar for more.
Life was bad enough for Canadian teen Ricky Fallon; who knew death came with pink spandex?
Fallon actually planned to off himself. He was on the Pape Street Bridge ready to jump because his girl dumped him, his dad was a prick and his “best friend” Susan was the most clingy, depressing person on the planet. He changed his mind…and slipped. Fallon wakes to find Bud, a Soul Reaper, ready to take him to—his new job. Souls with Karma to work out become Cupids, genital-free, Love-eating spirits who exist to increase the supply of Love in the world by getting the living to couple-up. Fallon’s new boss Louis is a huge jerk. Bad enough that he’s got to suffer that (and the heart-emblazoned spandex), but, with little training, Fallon also has to avoid Suicides, the dangerous, misery-eating antitheses of Cupids. When he finds Susan has attached herself to a new unfortunate, Fallon suspects there’s something more than meets the eye to that downer-girl. Can he save her new target (and maybe the world)? Carter’s newest is a darkly humorous, fantastical frolic. Fallon’s snark is tempered by his conflicted feelings about his runaway mother. Other characters aren’t as well-rounded, but the unique afterlife and a surprisingly spiritual twist will keep pages turning.
Fans of funky unconventional fantasy will lap it up and roar for more. (Humorous fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7387-2614-4
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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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