A wild cliffhanger ended the first, so readers will definitely want to get their hands on this sequel, but the suspension of...
Two teens afflicted with a rare medical disorder continue unraveling the mystery begun in What We Saw at Night (2013).
Rob and Allie, bound together since childhood due to their diagnoses with a life-threatening allergy to sunlight called Xeroderma Pigmentosum, are deeply in love. They are also both convincingly bereft as they mourn the death of Juliet, the former third of their trio. Less believably, Allie is convinced that Juliet’s suicide was actually a murder perpetrated by an undetected serial killer, who she suspects is a member of the wealthy, powerful family that founded the clinic in her town that treats XP. When Rob introduces Allie to free diving—which involves descending under water to great depths with no oxygen source—she discovers bodies the killer has hidden in Lake Superior. While each of these plot points is fascinating, their combination strains credulity and eventually weighs down the narrative. Unlikely coincidences also abound, including the fact that the land that bears the den of horrors and burial ground of the villain was originally owned by Allie’s pal Gideon, so he’s able to give her plenty of tips about it.
A wild cliffhanger ended the first, so readers will definitely want to get their hands on this sequel, but the suspension of disbelief it demands is mammoth. (Thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61695-143-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Soho Teen
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
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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