Persephone—who reinvents herself as Sophie—tries to maintain a low profile after her father is jailed for murder. However,...
Revenge and romance abound between warring families.
Persephone—who reinvents herself as Sophie—tries to maintain a low profile after her father is jailed for murder. However, when a family with five, young roguish Italian brothers moves into an abandoned mansion in her neighborhood, her world is turned upside down. She is immediately drawn to Nicoli, with his "dark, almond-shaped eyes flecked with gold" that strike her as somewhat familiar—though of course, she can't quite place how. As their relationship intensifies, the couple is warned that they must not be together. Puzzled, Sophie very, very slowly begins to sleuth out their link as she discovers the brothers' shadowy past and Mafioso connection, as well as the truth about her father and his shady brother. Readers will most certainly swoon over Sophie and Nic's ill-fated romance with its stolen kisses and gazes liberally slathered with angst-y longing. Unfortunately, though, it takes Sophie entirely too long to tease out her family's connection to Nic's; most readers will have figured it out early on and will resent having to plod through her dawdling and navel-gazing. Once she finally does manage to unearth the truth, the tense, page-turning conclusion should entice readers enough to at least seek out the next installment. While the romance sizzles, the mystery fizzles. (Romance/thriller. 14-18) .Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-69982-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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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