Charming.
A wish for the perfect boyfriend causes a teen to rethink all her plans.
Seventeen-year-old South Indian American Deepa Josyula is on a mission to have the “perfect Edison High School experience.” She and best friend Lily even have The List filled with items to accomplish. But Deepa’s junior year isn’t going according to plan, thanks to a disastrous day that includes romantic rejection and being paired on a student council project with childhood nemesis (and neighbor) Vikram Mehta. Luckily, Amamma, her grandmother, gifts her the last jasmine bloom from their garden. According to Amamma, it’ll grant her heart’s greatest desire. Skeptical Deepa wishes for the boyfriend of her dreams. Enter Rohit D’Souza, the very handsome new boy next door, who not only looks just like the inspiration photo for her perfect boyfriend but also ticks off very specific details from The List. Deepa might have become a believer. To prove to the universe that she’s “earned the blessing” she’s been granted, Deepa creates a plan to woo Rohit. But is “picture perfect” enough? And what of the boy who’s always been next door? Caught up in her penchant for planning, Deepa will need to live in the moment and learn that a little chaos can be OK—great even. Filled with classic rom-com scenarios, this novel has plenty to delight readers. Deepa makes for an engaging lead, and her journey toward embracing uncertainty is satisfying.
Charming. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780063279155
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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 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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