A sexy, irreverently witty, gay romance that takes teen issues seriously.
Former friends reunite for a revenge plot—and rediscover that their differences may be why they love each other.
At New Jersey’s Moorestown High, Jackson Pasternak is the golden boy from the town’s most affluent neighborhood. Phil Reyno is the antagonistic punk living with his “very fun alcoholic” mother in a dingy apartment. They have nothing in common, but they were best friends until a few years ago. When Phil’s boyfriend, the milquetoast yet strangely conniving Cameron Ellis, publicly outs him at the school dance, Jackson knows something is up. Now an internet-famous, picture-perfect gay icon, Cameron unceremoniously dumps Phil but makes him out to be the villain on his popular vlog. So Phil decides to get even by taking down Cameron and the Skwad, his frustratingly woke friend group. Throw in Ronny DiSario (Cameron’s jilted ex-girlfriend) plus Jackson (the respectable boy no one would expect to be involved), and the revenge is on. As they hatch their plans, Jackson’s and Phil’s latent feelings for one another bubble up into a steamy and touching romance. With just enough plot twists to maintain interest without becoming disjointed, this enjoyable novel places readers in the minds and contemporary world of its protagonists while exploring the tempestuous nature of teen identity. Many central characters are white or racially ambiguous; Jackson is Jewish.
A sexy, irreverently witty, gay romance that takes teen issues seriously. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781335009968
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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 heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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