Aside from a splash of politics, pretty much what readers expect of the subgenre and author.
In this Lux spinoff, Evie continues grappling with her identity.
Still coping with the big revelation from The Darkest Star (2018) that Evie was Nadia before losing her memory, Evie struggles with who she is and against her attraction to Luc—she’s unsure if he loves her or if he loved a Nadia who’s gone for good. Meanwhile, April’s still involved in anti-Luxen protests while politicians attempt to pass laws to restrict Luxens’ rights and freedoms, a storyline with clear parallels to real-world situations. The anti-Luxen camp is also pushing a narrative that sporadic outbreaks of a deadly flu are caused by Luxens. The prose suffers from repetition, with detailed recaps coming sometimes in intervals of only a few pages—but at least that means the expanded worldbuilding (and the distinctions among Luxen, hybrids, Origins, Arum, and another new type of superbeing) is easy to keep straight. Storylines heat up—romances involve nongraphic physical intimacy, and the conspiracies-and-aliens violence hammers in the stakes. As an added treat for loyal Lux fans, characters from the original series appear. Gay and nonwhite characters are nominally present. In typical middle-book fashion, the ending does little in the way of resolving storylines; instead, it involves a character giving pages of exposition confirming characters’ theories and explaining a setup for the next book.
Aside from a splash of politics, pretty much what readers expect of the subgenre and author. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-17574-8
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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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