A high-speed queer romance.
JoJo Emerson-Boyd and Eliana Blum have both lost someone close to them.
JoJo is dealing with the recent tragic death of her world-famous mother, NASCAR champion DeeDee Emerson, who died in a crash, and Max, El’s beloved older sister, was kicked out of their parents’ house and has since disappeared. Not only that, Max mysteriously left her treasured R1 motorcycle and riding jacket behind. Thankfully, JoJo and El have two other things in common: an all-out obsession with the Fast & Furious film franchise and an intense love for racing. Just like her mother, JoJo races cars, and El’s sister supported her in learning to race bikes. When El, looking for information about her sister, stops by the garage owned by JoJo’s grandmother where El used to work, the chemistry between the two girls is instantaneous. As friendship and romance begin to grow, they execute a small-scale heist and embark on a wild motorcycle road-trip adventure in search of Max and a possible future together. The chapters switch between JoJo’s and El’s voices, which are sometimes difficult to distinguish. The plot-driven story contains some clunky language, and those not well versed in the film series’ mythology may find the frequent Fast & Furious allusions tiring. The authenticity of the characters’ emotions and the sweetness of their romance will surely capture many hearts, however. The main characters are white; El is Jewish.
A high-speed queer romance. (authors’ note) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9798890030160
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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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