A character-driven story with touches of mystery and romance that builds toward an engaging ending.
A tragic event offers a second chance at love.
Mara Malakar’s friends think she should give up on Nico, who runs hot and cold, but Mara can’t seem to let go. Last summer, she met Nico, who was busking in the Brighton train station, and was instantly drawn to her artsy and mysterious persona. Now it’s December, and Mara often shrinks herself down so as not to upset Nico and drive her away. Nico asks Mara to meet her at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and Mara jumps at the invitation. But when Nico doesn’t show, leaving Mara heartbroken, it’s Michelle, Mara’s best friend, who’s there to pick up the pieces. Although Michelle tells Mara she really needs to let Nico go this time, Mara believes there’s something suspicious about the last text Nico sent. Both girls are shocked by a news report of a teenager rescued from the sea by fishermen on New Year’s Day: The girl is Nico, and she has no memory of what happened or who she is. Her amnesia means she and Mara could have a fresh start, but Mara is afraid there’s more to Nico’s story. The book, which centers Mara’s journey through loss and love, has a slow beginning, but Nico’s history unfolds with a poetic tenderness. Mara, Nico, and Michelle are British girls of Asian descent (Indian, Korean, and Chinese, respectively).
A character-driven story with touches of mystery and romance that builds toward an engaging ending. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781250865595
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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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