A valiant effort that attempts to wrap up the series but overreaches its mark.
Jimi Corcoran once again finds herself embroiled in the conflict between chimeras—or modified people with animal DNA—and their allies and ultraconservatives who see chimeras as no longer human. This time, a militant chimera organization called CLAD is amping up the violence and may be responsible for recent terrorist acts. As the evil Howard Wells announces his bid for the U.S. presidency, Jimi and her boyfriend, Rex, try to discover who is behind CLAD. During their investigation, the teens discover that Wells has created a flu virus that will affect everyone who hasn’t inserted his Wellplant into their heads. The device is a souped-up smartphone connected to the wearer's brain. The themes of sentient technology, climate change, intense hatred for nonconforming people, and a scarily true-to-life pandemic often clutter a plot that moves forward at a jarring warp speed. Details from the Philadelphia setting center the story a bit, and the frankness about teens’ sexuality is refreshing. Gasp-inducing reveals and heart-rending deaths near the end come a little too late in the game. The final chapter ties up things so neatly that fans might come away underwhelmed. Minimal physical descriptions of nonchimera humans make racial diversity difficult to determine.
A valiant effort that attempts to wrap up the series but overreaches its mark. (Science fiction thriller. 14-adult)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4091-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
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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