Familiar bad boy–meets–good girl—but it’s complicated—romance.
A teen from a rough neighborhood is taken in by a wealthy family and falls for their daughter.
Six months ago, 17-year-old Trice’s abusive father shot him, killed his mother, and then committed suicide. Trice was left in the care of his grandfather, but when he dies, his former employers, the Smith family, became Trice’s legal guardians. Trice moves from Lindenwood, where he was secretly involved in a car theft ring, to the affluent Pacific Hills, getting a fresh start. Although Trice and the Smiths’ popular teen daughter, Nandy, used to be childhood playmates, when he moves in she’s rude because she thinks he is going to ruin her summer. They spend the summer fighting, although their mutual attraction is almost immediate. Debut author Grandison returns to the emotional fallout from the death of Trice’s family and his new beginning ad nauseum, testing the patience of readers. Fans of the TV show The O.C. and author Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry trilogy will recognize both the characters and plot. Nandy and Trice are black, and while there is a multicultural cast of supporting characters, including Nandy’s brother who was adopted from Thailand, they are not well developed and their issues feel generic. The final drama that brings Trice back to Lindenwood is hard to believe, but the wrap-up is exactly what readers will want.
Familiar bad boy–meets–good girl—but it’s complicated—romance. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-335-01604-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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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