This genre-bending novel is for the true romantics at heart.
Soul mates fight to be together over centuries.
The pandemic brought unspeakable tragedy to Tamar and her family—her mother died, Tamar survived but now has a deteriorating lung condition, and her sister, Aabidah, was forced to make personal sacrifices in order to serve as family caretaker. Aabidah finally convinces Tamar to pursue her last option—cryogenics. As Tamar and her love, Fayard, spend their last minutes together before she sets off for the overseas cryogenics center, an explosion goes off at the airport, killing everyone but the two of them. They wake up in the hospital with no memory of who they were and what happened, but they recognize a deep connection with one another. As they struggle to remember their present life, they dream of the other lives they spent together. Time, space, and place are important pieces of the storytelling, and Miles expertly provides enough details about contemporary Columbia, South Carolina; Gao, Mali, in 1325; 1920s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Alpha 9, Lunar Base in 2260 to truly transport readers. The main characters are Black, and their identities are central to fully understanding each time period; historical details, such as information about the Pullman porters, add layers of depth. Tamar and Fay’s relationships throughout the ages and the mystery behind how their story ends are revealed with a satisfying slow burn.
This genre-bending novel is for the true romantics at heart. (discussion questions) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8597-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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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