Hits the chick-lit and romance buttons, adding suspense and an intriguing idea as well for nicely rounded entertainment.
The worlds of dreams and reality mix in chem class.
Sixteen-year-old Annabelle can’t believe it when the boy of her dreams—her actual dreams—walks into her chemistry class. Even better, he takes an immediate interest in her and admits he really has come from her dreams. However, the handsome Martin isn’t the only person Annabelle has met there; she also frequently sees a little girl in a white dress who frightens her. Meanwhile, she navigates the usual high school social scene, with her place on the ladder several rungs below the beautiful Stephanie. Annabelle plans to go with Martin to the homecoming dance, but as the nightmare girl becomes ever more threatening, she worries that since she somehow made Martin real, might the girl also make her way into the real world? Crockett and Rosenberg build tension as a confrontation looms between Annabelle and the nightmare girl. The authors keep the story chick-lit friendly, with some common, high school social tension and a bit of girl-girl rivalry. Most intriguing for many readers, however, will be their treatment of the fading line between dreams and reality. Just who is real in the book, and who is a dream?
Hits the chick-lit and romance buttons, adding suspense and an intriguing idea as well for nicely rounded entertainment. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4022-9583-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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