Fast-paced, well-plotted, frequently hilarious—as delicious as the finest French pastry.
Following the success of their Lady Janies books, the trio of Hand, Ashton, and Meadows enter the world of early modern shape-shifters.
It’s 1560 Paris, the royal court of King Henry and his queen, Catherine de Medici (described by the modern authorial narrators, who use the royal we, as “a playful sort of evil”). Seventeen-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, has lived there for 12 years, is betrothed to Francis, the French dauphin; is supervised by her powerful French uncles; and is attended by four devoted ladies-in-waiting, all also named Mary. But the religious wars in this version of history aren’t Protestant versus Catholic—they’re between Verities, humans who cannot shape shift, and Eðians, who can. In Scotland, John Knox is publishing pamphlets denouncing Verities and casting doubts on Mary’s fitness to rule while in France, King Henry threatens to persecute all Eðians. Francis knows his beloved can change into a mouse—but so does his mother—and when King Henry dies in a jousting “accident,” Catherine threatens the new queen with a mousetrap. Meanwhile, Ari, daughter of the prophet Nostradamus, has visions that strongly resemble blockbuster movies, and Francis and Mary satisfy the too-curious court on their wedding night by enthusiastically jumping up and down on their bed. Three narrators seamlessly tell the tale, which includes a gentle queer romance. Everybody’s White.
Fast-paced, well-plotted, frequently hilarious—as delicious as the finest French pastry. (Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-293004-0
Page Count: 512
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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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