A sweet coming-of-age story that provides important representation.
Returning home after 18 months away at university, a neurodivergent girl discovers herself amid the chaos of a family wedding and the filming of a documentary.
Jasper Montgomery is Lake Pristine’s golden girl, a label her influential family adores, especially after working hard to hide Jasper’s autism. Jasper agrees to help cast and direct her mother’s ballet company’s production of The Nutcracker and plan her often tyrannical sister’s wedding, all while trying to explain to her family why the life they’ve planned for her doesn’t make her happy. Oddly, the only person who seems to understand her emotional and sensory needs is Arthur Lancaster, a former classmate who’s always been a bit short with her. Arthur accepts a plea from Marcus, his cousin, to join him in creating a documentary on their small town to enter in a contest for a cash prize—a short film that will expose “the rigid oppressiveness” beneath the shiny, respectable surface of the town and families like the Montgomerys. Arthur films and interviews Jasper for the project, and the two form a bond that breaks through their usual brusqueness. Jasper’s interactions with her family are often troubling, highlighting her self-awareness and grit in the face of their unkindness, while Arthur is lovably quiet and gruff. Readers will appreciate the thoughtful examination of social dynamics and expectations. Main characters read white.
A sweet coming-of-age story that provides important representation. (author’s note) (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781250335517
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 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 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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