A light read with all the magic and monsters.
Werewolves, manticores, and mermaids? Nothing compared to a bitter blonde TV host, a bigoted dad, and the pressures of prom sex.
By nature, Bridger Whitt is anxious and awkward. By choice, he’s assistant to an intermediary between humans and cryptids. NBD. Having acclimated to his after-school job, he’s also happier in his skin as the bisexual boyfriend to the hottest boy in school, Leo. But all the magical activity within his small Michigan town has been a magnet for telejournalist Summer Lore. She descends, ready to pick, poke, and prod until she gets what she wants: a breaking story for the supernatural-themed show she hates hosting. As Bridger strains to keep her from stumbling across ghosts, creatures, and unicorn poop, he walks the line between dedicated employee and liability. Lore isn’t the only challenge: Bridger’s toxically masculine, homophobic, deadbeat dad is ready to reconnect. Plus there’s the whole awkward expectation of prom night delights with Leo. It’s enough to give a boy more buckets of anxiety than he already has. Sexual orientation and gender identity are layered freely within the narrative. Bridger is open about his commitment to his boyfriend and his attraction to women. An interesting parallel to Bridger’s openness is the closeted existence the magical community has to lead as a matter of self-preservation. By and large the cast is white; Leo is Puerto Rican and white.
A light read with all the magic and monsters. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-945053-82-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Duet
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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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