A refreshing tribute to all the young women who are changing the story.
An ambitious teen lands a summer internship with her favorite film director.
Seventeen-year-old Hayley Saffitz feels destined to be in the world of animation despite her parents’ wish that she pursue a more practical career like her pre-med brother, Zach. When she is selected to intern at BB Gun Films, she is one step closer to achieving her goals: impress Oscar-winning director Bryan Beckett and secure a job in the industry after high school. Only four out of the 41 interns will be selected for a directing opportunity, and Hayley is confident she will be among them. But when all the positions are given to boys, including Bryan’s apathetic son, Bear, Hayley’s awareness of the absence and mistreatment of women at the studio heightens. Tired of being belittled by her male peers, Hayley teams up with the five other female interns to create their own short film to prove their worth. Hayley is passionate and oftentimes arrogant, but when the systemic misogyny in the studio becomes palpable, she learns to be a better team player and friend without sacrificing her self-belief. An enemies-to-lovers romance offers dimension to Hayley’s growth as an independent young woman. Sussman purposely creates a cast that reflects the lack of diversity in the animation industry: Most characters are White; Hayley is Jewish, and there is a smattering of Latinx and Asian characters.
A refreshing tribute to all the young women who are changing the story. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9297-4
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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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