A contemporary white teenager becomes obsessed with a 1987 murder after she discovers that she is the reincarnation of one of its principals.
All her life Lily Bennet has had violent nightmares. It is only when she moves back to her dad’s hometown that she realizes through a hypnosis session with a local therapist that she is the reincarnation of Amber Greeley, a girl who supposedly murdered her boyfriend and then killed herself. Amazingly, her new crush, Cole, has learned that he is the reincarnation of Amber’s boyfriend. He is also, helpfully, a future FBI agent–in-training with (highly contrived) access to the original murder file, so with him, Lily tries to clear Amber’s name. The investigation turns deadly when the two learn that their own family members may have been complicit. Alternate chapters from Amber’s point of view reveal what really happened in 1987. The occasional 1980s clothing and movie references are the only bright spots in a cliché-ridden text in which this is a representative exchange: “He’s trash. His whole family is trash, and I will not have my granddaughter associating with the likes of them!” Even if readers can get past the boilerplate dialogue and convenient coincidences, the identity of the killer and circumstances of the murders are so preposterous that no amount of suspended disbelief will help them ring true.
Skip . (Paranormal thriller. 12-16)Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0009-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
Categories: TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN MYSTERY & THRILLER | TEEN PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL
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In an imagined setting evoking medieval England, King Jameson of Coroa pursues Hollis Brite.
The independent teenager makes Jameson laugh, but she lacks the education and demeanor people expect in a queen. Her friend Delia Grace has more knowledge of history and languages but is shunned due to her illegitimate birth. Hollis gets caught up in a whirl of social activity, especially following an Isolten royal visit. There has been bad blood between the two countries, not fully explained here, and when an exiled Isolten family also comes to court, Jameson generously allows them to stay. Hollis relies on the family to teach her about Isolten customs and secretly falls in love with Silas, the oldest son, even though a relationship with him would mean relinquishing Jameson and the throne. When Hollis learns of political machinations that will affect her future in ways that she abhors, she faces a difficult decision. Romance readers will enjoy the usual descriptions of dresses, jewelry, young love, and discreet kisses, although many characters remain cardboard figures. While the violent climax may be upsetting, the book ends on a hopeful note. Themes related to immigration and young women’s taking charge of their lives don’t quite lift this awkwardly written volume above other royal romances. There are prejudicial references to Romani people, and whiteness is situated as the norm.
Skip this uninspired entry into the world of medieval love and court intrigue. (Historical romance. 13-16)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-229163-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
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Jessie’s unassimilated grief over her mother’s death makes her dad’s abrupt marriage to Rachel, a wealthy widow he met online, and their subsequent move from Chicago to her mansion in Los Angeles feel like betrayal.
Rachel’s son wants nothing to do with Jessie. Her first week at his private school is agonizing. When she gets an email from “Somebody Nobody,” claiming to be a male student in the school and offering to act as her “virtual spirit guide,” Jessie’s suspicious, but she accepts—she needs help. SN’s a smart, funny, supportive guide, advising her whom to befriend and whom to avoid while remaining stubbornly anonymous. Meanwhile, Jessie makes friends, is picked as study partner by the coolest guy in AP English, and finds a job in a bookstore, working with the owner’s son, Liam. But questions abound. Why is Liam’s girlfriend bullying her? What should she do about SN now that she’s crushing on study-partner Ethan? Readers will have answers long before Jessie does. It’s overfamiliar territory: a protagonist unaware she’s gorgeous, oblivious to male admiration; a jealous, mean-girl antagonist; a secret admirer, easily identified. It’s the authentic depiction of grief—how Jessie and other characters respond to loss, get stuck, struggle to break through—devoid of cliché, that will keep readers engaged. Though one of Jessie’s friends has a Spanish surname, rich, beautiful, mostly white people are the order of the day.
Within the standard-issue teen romance is a heartfelt, wryly perceptive account of coming to terms with irrevocable loss when life itself means inevitable change. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-553-53564-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
Categories: TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN FAMILY | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
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