by Una LaMarche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015
This story of teen resilience will resonate with readers.
Five young people drive cross-country seeking to reconnect with the father that had abandoned three of them.
Michelle Devereaux may be only 17, but she has long been caretaker for her two younger siblings. Her mother, a chronic substance abuser, is often unable to care for 13-year-old diabetic Cass or 6-year-old Denny, who does not share their father. Michelle has done well in school, and she holds down a much-needed after-school job. It’s there that a young man approaches her with news of the father who abandoned them and a half sister named Leah she’s known about but has never seen. Propelled by Tim’s insistence that her dying father has something of value for her, Michelle concocts a plan to travel cross-country and convinces Tim and Leah to join them. Complicating this scenario is the divide between the privileged white suburban lives the latter two have led and the hardscrabble lives of mixed-race Michelle and Cass. The journey is fraught with mishaps, including near tragedy for one of them. In spite of the implausible road trip, there is a likable quality to the narrative, primarily due to narrator Michelle. Her determination to survive in spite of everything is convincing, and her voice rings true. The inner-city Baltimore setting lends authenticity, but there is too little nuance in the depictions of the adults.
This story of teen resilience will resonate with readers. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59514-817-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by Una LaMarche
BOOK REVIEW
by Una LaMarche
BOOK REVIEW
by Una LaMarche
BOOK REVIEW
by Una LaMarche
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.