Light and sweet.
Two late bloomers try fake dating to gain confidence and skills for the real thing.
Reluctant basketball superstar Bethany Greene might once have been so repelled by boys that she publicly burst into tears at the revelation that one of her besties had done the deed. That was before Oliver Gutierrez opened her eyes to “how truly hot boys can be.” But when both Oliver and her backup plan turn her down for homecoming, Bethany knows she has to find a way to get some experience and shed her “Crybaby Bethany” reputation. Enter Jacob Yeun, aspiring filmmaker and the reticent boyfriend (and then ex-boyfriend) of another of Bethany’s besties. In her first young adult novel, established adult romance author Weatherspoon gives readers what they want as Bethany and Jacob are thrown together, enter a secret dating pact, and eventually fall for each other. The Los Angeles teens are wholesome and appealing and just a touch more glamorous than real life: Both of Bethany’s moms played in the WNBA, and Jacob’s parents are tattoo artists. Bethany is a confidently fat Black girl, and Jacob is a lightly tattooed Korean American skater. Each is surrounded by their own racially mixed crews, which also include gay and nonbinary representation. The characterization of the sprawling cast of friends and family members is cursory, but the love and affirmation between them carries the day.
Light and sweet. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9780593465301
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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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