An engrossing but uneven mystery.
To fulfill the final wish of her late twin sister, a girl embarks on an adventure to find buried treasure.
After Sadie’s death, white teen Ruby Caine flounders. But she has one thing left: the promise she made to Sadie that she’d find the buried treasure on Gray Wolf Island. Ruby has no intention of fulfilling the request, until one day at the library she stumbles upon a poem hidden in a copy of Treasure Island—a map to the treasure that enthralled her twin. Despite her protests, a ragtag group forms to hunt the treasure. Elliot Thorne, the white nerd–turned–bad boy, Gabe Nash, the white heartthrob born (as local legend has it) from a virgin mother, Charlie Kim, the Korean boy with visions of his own death, and Anne Lansing, the Native American (nation never named) girl who hardly sleeps, make up Ruby’s merry band. But they discover that not only is Gray Wolf Island perilous, it also causes, even exacerbates mental anguish. They begin hearing whispers, urging them to speak their truths. But Ruby’s secret is too damning, and her need to conceal it may cost them more than treasure. Rich in atmosphere and characters with real depth, Ruby’s adventure sings. But an alternating perspective from an amnesiac boy whose story is connected to the origin of the treasure cuts the tension, and the reveal of the boy’s past feels far-fetched.
An engrossing but uneven mystery. (Paranormal mystery. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1530-4
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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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