A fast-paced, enticing blend of urban fantasy and queer romance.
A demon-hunting war god in a teenage body falls in love with a human.
Until she crosses paths with Alexandria, a newcomer to their Massachusetts town, Neve never saw the point of making connections with humans. Neve is a Morrigan; she and her older sisters are a triad of Irish war gods living life after life as they fight demons at the entrance to Hell. However, only 17 in this current incarnation, Neve is still mostly human. She won’t be granted access to her full powers or memories of past lives until she turns 18. Alexandria isn’t scared off by Neve’s sullenness and accepts the existence of demons with surprising ease, even as one is apparently out to get her. As Neve falls in love with Alexandria and makes human friends, the secrets begin to pile up. But when the truth begins to unravel, it’s not anything the sisters ever thought possible. Neve is a refreshingly prickly character. She softens somewhat as she forms human connections and experiences gooey love feelings, but she always maintains a fiery demeanor. She and Alexandria, both White, are a delightful romantic pair with charming chemistry. Their diverse group of friends is a fun bunch who will hopefully be more developed in the second installment of this duology. Irish lore is naturally incorporated as the straightforward story becomes increasingly action-packed.
A fast-paced, enticing blend of urban fantasy and queer romance. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66590-529-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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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