An irresistibly charming forbidden romance.
A plucky vampire hunter teams up with a bookish, recently turned vampire to stop bloodthirsty monsters in this paranormal romantasy set in 1830.
After Lalo Villalobos, 19, tracks down the vampiro who killed his parents, he ends up being turned into one himself rather than enacting the revenge he wanted. Using his newfound supernatural strength, Lalo escapes and returns home to Los Campos and his younger sister, Fernanda. Together they flee the busy city for the remote pueblo of Del Oro, which reportedly had a 200-year-old case of a vampiro that Lalo hopes holds the key to reversing his condition. Meanwhile in Del Oro, 18-year-old Carolina Fuentes wants to prove she’s just as capable as her father and older brothers of slaying sedientos, or “thirsty ones,” as the vampiros are also known—but only Abuelo believes in her. Four weeks after a tragic sediento attack on her family, Carolina stumbles upon Lalo. He’s feeding on an animal, and she’s determined to kill him, but she’s confused about why he seems so human and not the “abomination” she expected. Instead of slaying Lalo, Carolina eventually agrees to work with him to figure out whether they can unlock the secret to restoring his humanity. Montoya adeptly weaves elements of Mexican history into her sophomore novel, which features delightful supporting characters and lovable protagonists who have fantastic chemistry. The Spanish-speaking cast members are diverse in skin tone.
An irresistibly charming forbidden romance. (family tree) (Fantasy romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780593643372
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
BOOK REVIEW
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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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