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 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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