A funny romp with a lot of heart.
Fantasy author Sutter’s first foray into young adult romance follows former best friends in Seattle who reconnect and become something more.
World-famous Korean American rock star Chance Ng and David Holcomb, who is White, are reunited after the recent death from alcohol poisoning of mutual friend and band mate Elijah. David’s departure from the band before it became famous is a source of conflict between them, and they have not spoken in years. In the meantime, David has found comfort in his friend Ridley as well as in his new woodworking hobby; he intends to pursue carpentry as a career. Despite the heavy opening scene at Eli’s funeral, this story sparkles with laugh-out-loud dialogue and well-drawn secondary characters, especially movie fanatic Ridley, a confident, sexually liberated Black girl who is an aspiring film critic. Several intimate scenes between Chance and David are tenderly written and exceptionally sweet, while David’s ruminations on his sexuality feel natural and appropriately complicated, contributing to the fun and impressively sex-positive vibe. Unfortunately, clumsy, odd phrasing occasionally detracts from the otherwise charming dialogue. Several instances in which the boys’ different body shapes are contrasted and stigma around fatness is brought up could have been more clearly unpacked. The positive representation of pursuing a trade is a refreshing, much-needed addition to books about teens that too frequently focus on college as the only goal.
A funny romp with a lot of heart. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781250869746
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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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