An otherwise intriguing twist on the paranormal is let down by forced melodrama and inexplicable secrets. Goth girl Eden—ignored by her mother, forgotten by her friends— is contemplating suicide when she meets the boy of her dreams. Luscious Az makes life worth living, and Eden spends an idyllic summer with Az and his gay best friend, Gabriel. Unbeknownst to Eden, Az is an angel, or at least used to be one. Now he's half-Fallen, caught between heaven and hell, holding onto Upstairs through painful effort and the assistance of the still-holy Gabriel. Az’s enemy, Luke (three guesses as to his true identity), wants to drag Az fully into the ranks of the Fallen, and he will surely torture Eden if he finds her. But Eden's no ordinary girl. After an apparent tragedy breaks her spirit, Eden becomes a Sider, an undead suicide non-survivor, wandering the boroughs of New York in Goth finery. She makes both friends and enemies among the Siders (although the motivation of both is thoroughly unclear) and gains notoriety as a sort of afterlife Jack Kevorkian, helping failed teen suicides to a more successful death. Eden struggles to survive with the help of her potty-mouthed celestial posse. Those enamored enough of troubled-but-cute heroes won't mind the chaotic prose, plot holes and unlikable side characters—and will be thrilled by the setup for volume two. (Fantasy. YA)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-200499-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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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