An overdue and welcome ingénue.
Debut author Maldonado brings charming Charlie Vega to life as an endearing rom-com protagonist.
At 16, Charlie, who has a White mom and Puerto Rican dad, has never been kissed. This is just one of the many reasons she views herself as second fiddle to Amelia, her charming, confident, pansexual best friend who is “the walking embodiment of Black excellence.” Another big reason is that Amelia is beautiful—and Charlie is fat. Though Charlie is working to inculcate the body-positive messages of the #fatfashion influencers she follows, she cannot deny that classmates, especially boys, and even her own mother seem to prefer Amelia to her. She cannot blame them. To her, Amelia is perfect too, as well as being an amazing best friend. When Brian, her Korean American co-worker and classmate, begins to pursue Charlie, it is a dream come true. But a dark seed of mistrust lies buried within her. Before Charlie can truly love herself, let alone others, she has to address insidious self-doubt about her own worth caused in no small part by the constant comparisons she makes. Though readers will expect a happy ending, it is not a foregone conclusion. Charlie’s struggles are authentic and raw while Maldonado’s bright prose makes for a page-turner. Charlie inhabits an inviting, diverse world in an unnamed Connecticut town.
An overdue and welcome ingénue. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4717-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 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
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