This novel won’t gain the Egyptian gods many new worshippers.
The relationship between a teen and her parents is complicated—especially if that family is full of Egyptian gods. Despite the promising premise, this latest from White achieves only demigod status at best.
Isadora is the daughter of Isis and Osiris, who are unusual parents, and she’s not your typical teen either. Her days are an odd combination of interior design and god worship. But although her parents are immortal Egyptian gods, they will let her die instead of keeping her with them forever. This discovery launches Isadora on a petulant, stubborn journey. When Isis gets pregnant ahead of the normal schedule, Isadora won’t tell her mother about her dark prophetic dreams. Sent to San Diego to stay with her older brother, Isadora tries to get some distance from her mother while struggling with her feelings for the beautiful, much-too-perfect Ry, a boy who writes epic poetry. Meanwhile, Isadora doesn’t pay attention to the signs that someone is after her, not until it’s nearly too late and her mother is in danger. It’s never clear just who Isadora is; her voice never fully jells into her own, neither modern girl nor ancient child of the gods. Supporting characters such as Ry are flat and two-dimensional, and the danger to Isis is not compelling enough to catch readers up.
This novel won’t gain the Egyptian gods many new worshippers. (Fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-213592-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
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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