A blood-soaked, heart-filled homage to slashers.
Scream gets a gay romance makeover.
Sixteen-year-old Sam survives the Lake Priest massacre by doing the worst thing he can imagine—killing someone in self-defense. In the process of coming to terms with these violent events, Sam loses part of himself, no longer playing lacrosse or writing. His life includes a supportive, divorced father with a new fiance, Peter (whom Sam does not like); little brother Gus; and mostly absent mother who exploited Sam’s tragedy for her latest novel. Two years after the tragedy, Sam is entering college, hoping that joining a fraternity will lead to friendship. He finds a mutual attraction with charming resident adviser Oren, a sophomore journalism student. Before long, students start to die at the hands of a masked figure dubbed The Freak. All too quickly, Sam finds himself in the center of another massacre, and suspense grows around who might be hiding behind the mask. Sam and Oren try to unravel the mystery while the body count rises and the killer closes in. Kill chapters are spliced with their investigations as the boys explore their connection, yielding odd narrative diversions that sometimes hinder the pace of this queer-affirming narrative that will appeal to readers who appreciate stories propelled more by action than character development. Most main characters read White.
A blood-soaked, heart-filled homage to slashers. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-18697-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 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
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