A pensive depiction of young love and endurance amid wartime uncertainty.
Hope and affection bloom between a schoolgirl and a pilot in this bittersweet narrative set in Japan during the final months of World War II.
Fifteen-year-old Hana is a member of a youth war group that tends to the tokkō, or special attack pilots, stationed at the Chiran Army Air Force Base. The girls do the pilots’ laundry, serve them meals, and line the runway to send them off on their deadly flights. Since nearly being buried alive during an air raid, Hana moves through each day as though already claimed by death—until one afternoon when she hears the sound of a violin for the first time. Seventeen-year-old Taro is a tokkō committed to defending his country at the cost of his own life, but he cannot abandon his love of music and takes comfort in practicing his instrument. Despite the traumas of war and the demands of duty, a chance encounter between the two leads to a connection that tethers them to each other. Smith’s (Pasadena, 2016, etc.) thorough research is evident in the details that immerse readers in Hana’s and Taro’s lives. Their stories unfold at a measured pace; short chapters build readers’ anticipation and keep the pages turning. Romanized Japanese words are used throughout the text, grounding the novel in its setting.
A pensive depiction of young love and endurance amid wartime uncertainty. (map, author’s note, glossary, selected bibliography) (Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-3790-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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 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
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