Much deeper than the pretty cover lets on.
A teenage girl struggles with class divisions, sex and the tricky art of communication.
Gwen, whose family struggles to make ends meet, is an islander, while Cass Somers is a rich boy who lives across the bridge on the mainland. The two have had some romantic moments, but miscommunication, misinterpretation and fear keep them from moving forward. Complicating things is the well-known fact that Gwen has had sex with Cass’ best friend. Despite Gwen’s deep regrets, the damage has been done. But now it is the summer before their senior year, and among Gwen’s hopes for the summer is to forget Cass. But it seems fate has thrown them together: Cass’ father has ordered him to do yardwork on the island, while Gwen has been hired to care for a funny, feisty elderly woman whose lawn needs tending. On her first day of the job, Gwen discovers Cass is also there for the duration of the summer. What starts out as snappy chick-lit writing quickly becomes deeper and more complex, as Fitzpatrick beautifully portrays a teenager’s wobbly foray into sex as well as her dawning awareness of the power that actions and incautiously chosen words have to hurt others. A late revelation will surprise readers as much as it does Gwen; natural dialogue and authentic characters abound.
Much deeper than the pretty cover lets on. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3909-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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