A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance.
An Atlanta teen struggling with her mental health learns to regain control and garners strength through boxing.
Three years ago, Rose Berman, 17, lost her mother, who had anxiety and derealization disorders, to suicide. Afterward, she experienced a blackout-inducing panic attack in front of her class, earning the nickname Psycho. When the star quarterback assaults her at a party, Rose is afraid she’ll lose “whatever fragment of sanity” she has left. Her therapist suggests she join a boxing club, and she hopes the physical exertion will help. At the ring, Rose gets close to Elliot King, a cool kid with his cigarettes, tattoos, and mysterious bruises—and the person who intervened to help her at the party. Even though they’ve been neighbors since childhood, their lives didn’t intersect much, but now he’s becoming a true friend. When Rose discovers the underground fight club that’s the cause of Elliot’s injuries, she becomes embroiled in a violent world she’ll have to fight her way out of. While navigating intense issues, including sexual assault, mental health, and domestic violence, the novel doesn’t lose sight of the intriguing, accessible sports storyline and romance at its heart. The well-drawn and likable characters invite empathy, and the subject matter will intrigue readers who are drawn to edgier works. Rose is Jewish and bisexual; Elliot reads white.
A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance. (discussion questions, author interview) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781956378146
Page Count: 290
Publisher: Little Press Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 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
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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