A promising series opener that’s sure to please adult readers of young adult novels.
A forbidden attraction and explosive secrets set a city aflame.
Eighteen-year-old Seraphine Marchant’s mother manufactures Shade, a dust sourced from the boneshade plant that’s imbued with the power to manipulate shadows. Shade magic is used by the rival guilds that rule the city of Fantome’s underworld—Cloaks swathed in Shade-infused garments blend into the shadows to commit thievery while Daggers ingest it and acquire the ability to kill with a single touch. When her mother is murdered, Seraphine flees from the countryside to Fantome, seeking sanctuary among the Cloaks. But she’s the Daggers’ newest mark, tailed by talented Ransom. The two are recklessly drawn to one another as a new danger emerges from the darkness and surprising discoveries upend the rules of Shade and shadows. The lush worldbuilding of cobblestones, catacombs, and saints includes a richly crafted history that’s deftly introduced and ripe for continued exploration in the next installment. While the first third of the novel is well paced and tenderly developed, the quality of the remainder is uneven. The juvenile, innuendo-filled taunts lack charisma, although the more sincere exchanges and reflections achieve sultry depths. The repetitive overuse of expletives becomes tiresome, cheapening the dialogue. A steamy encounter that lacks verbal consent and contains power dynamic–coded language feels reminiscent of romances written for adults. Main characters are cued white; the strong supporting characters add racial diversity and elevate the narrative development.
A promising series opener that’s sure to please adult readers of young adult novels. (map, character list) (Fantasy. 16-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665955119
Page Count: 512
Publisher: McElderry
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
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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