An interesting story unfolding in an unusual setting.
In a world inspired by prehistoric Europe, a teen girl is stripped of her status when she insists that her people must change their traditions in order to survive.
Nahia, who’s proud of her “first daughter” status in the Sea People’s matriarchal culture, struggles to remain silent as food grows scarce and people repeat tales of violent bands of strangers. Despite her twin sister Izara’s pleas, Nahia questions their mother the headwoman’s leadership and is sent to live with shaman Eneko on the camp’s fringes. Heartbroken Nahia grows to admire Eneko and travels with him to his home in a mountain valley. Eneko and Hodei, a woman shaman from the Salamander People, teach Nahia to use vision-inducing plants. When one of her visions reveals that the Sea People may have been taken by marauders, Nahia knows she must return to the coast even though she’ll desperately miss Eneko. But upon finding her band, Nahia is astonished to discover her sister is happy living among the agricultural invaders, and she must reassess her judgment of what’s best for the Sea People’s survival. Archaeologist Jones’ fiction debut incorporates details about the material culture and practices of the peoples of the European Mesolithic–Neolithic transition. Nahia’s first-person narration brings immediacy to the narrative although some dialogue feels calculated to educate readers, slowing the pace. Nahia’s people typically have brown skin, blue eyes, and dark hair.
An interesting story unfolding in an unusual setting. (family tree, historical notes) (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780823458356
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
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 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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
