A plodding tale with some enjoyable highlights.
A teen’s Disneyland graduation celebration leads to reliving the same experiences until she discovers how to change the path she’s on.
Cass Issac, a recent graduate of Harbor Cove High, has attended 16 schools, making her a pro at goodbyes. Three weeks before graduation, her dads (who run a house-flipping business) announced that they’ll be moving to Oregon, making Disney Grad Nite her last in California. Cass has learned it’s best to leave when things are “at their peak,” so she doesn’t tell her best friend, Bryony Tsai, the news, choosing instead to focus on making the party an epic final memory. But once they’re inside Disney’s California Adventure, nothing goes the way Cass planned. Despite a meet-cute and instant connection with cute British bass player Freddie Sharma from boy band Eton Mess, Cass tries to flee after coming face-to-face with angry friends she’s ghosted. Cass’ wish to have “a chance to do things over and make things right” thrusts her into a time loop. The Disney backdrop is as important as the characters, with each iteration of the time loop feeling like an ode to a restaurant, ride, or character. Despite some entertaining moments and the meaningful central message of appreciating the time we have and the people in our lives, Cass’ slow growth makes the reading experience monotonous, impeding readers’ connection with the characters. Cass presents white, and the supporting cast contains ethnic diversity.
A plodding tale with some enjoyable highlights. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368097420
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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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