A smartly plotted end to an emotionally engaging fantasy.
Magic and the bonds of friendship are put to the test in this conclusion to a trilogy set in the town of Kilbeg, Ireland.
Having figured out the evil workings of the cultlike fundamentalist Children of Brigid, Maeve, Lily, Roe, and Fiona are still uneasy with Aaron, one of the Children’s former leaders, even as first-person narrator Maeve is continually aware that she seems to be bound to him through her magic. This strains her relationship with Roe, her genderqueer love interest, just as their music career seems to be setting off on a promising trajectory (and as Roe begins to embrace using they/them pronouns). Further, Maeve’s overwhelming bouts of rage, in which she seemingly loses control of her magic, lead to problems between her, Fiona, and Lily. Readers will be swept up both by interesting magical elements, such as Fiona’s communication with her familiar, a magpie named Paolo, and the more ordinary, recognizable details of the changes experienced by a group of teens on the cusp of adulthood. This appealing blend of realism and the paranormal and the evolution of each of the characters in their own rights is as satisfying as the final reckoning with the Housekeeper, the seemingly malevolent magical entity that has plagued them from the beginning. Most main characters are White; Fiona is Filipina and White.
A smartly plotted end to an emotionally engaging fantasy. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2840-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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
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
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