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COOL FOR THE SUMMER

A welcome addition to the small but growing canon of questioning queer fiction.

A high schooler tries to keep her summer fling—and questions about her sexuality—a secret.

After spending her summer in the Outer Banks thanks to her mom's job, petite, blond-haired Lara is back in New York and ready to take on her senior year with a fresh haircut and newfound confidence. She’s finally caught the eye of her longtime unrequited crush, Chase, and as they start dating, she knows she should feel that her dreams have come true. But Lara’s secret summer fling, Jasmine, has moved to town, and as Jasmine infiltrates Lara’s friend group, Lara feels increasingly unmoored. Lara had only ever been attracted to boys before, but now she can’t stop thinking about Jasmine and wondering what that means. If she's always dreamed about dating Chase, who would she be without that dream? And was she just “cool for the summer,” or are her feelings about Jasmine something more? While some readers will be frustrated that the plot hinges on simple miscommunication and a love triangle, the thoughtful representation of a questioning teen's struggle to understand herself—and avoid labels for the time being—is sorely needed. Lara is a Jewish second-generation Russian American; Jasmine is a Jewish Syrian American, and supporting characters have a range of racial, ethnic, and sexual identities.

A welcome addition to the small but growing canon of questioning queer fiction. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 11, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-250-76582-6

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

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

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

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

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