Another success.
The authors of Blackout (2021) return with a new collaboration.
YA stars Clayton, Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon’s second novel covers the same theme—Black teens falling in love—with two big differences. This story is set not during a sweltering New York City summer but a historic winter storm in Atlanta, and rather than each author’s penning a separate chapter focused on one couple, they all worked together on the snowy romance. The authors’ note explains why they decided to take on this challenge, with intriguing clues pointing to which author wrote which characters. The characters are all well written and perfectly flawed as they navigate the complexities of love. After conducting experiments on the biochemistry of teenage love for her AP Chemistry project, Stevie posits that love is simply a biological response built into human brains for the survival of our species. Her girlfriend, Sola, feels angry and hurt, and when Stevie is pedantic and arrogant, ruining their coming-out dinner with her Nigerian family, Sola gives Stevie an ultimatum: Stevie must explain what happened at dinner and show Sola that she feels something for her and believe in love—or it’s over. With the help of her friends, Stevie hopes the perfect romantic gesture can win Sola back. The scheme is a fun adventure, bringing various couples together. Each relationship has friendship at its foundation, and the different journeys result in something of interest for every reader.
Another success. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308814-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
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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