A winning debut: the perfect blend of hilarious and heartfelt.
A gay, British 16-year-old decides that this school year, it’s time to get a boyfriend.
Patrick Simmons has rebranded himself as Patch (“more characterful and mysterious”), taken wisdom from his single mum’s self-help books, and is determined to have a boyfriend before Prom (which is really just an after-party for the Drama Club), all with his incredibly supportive best friend, Jean, by his side. Drama Club is the perfect place to find potential prospects, and although Patch’s mood is soured at first by the arrival of his former-friend-turned-nemesis, Tessa, it perks back up when two new boys, Sam and Peter, join as well. Both seem like good options to Patch at first, but as the club’s production of Sweeney Todd gets underway, Patch’s usual exuberant confidence is shaken by shifting friendships and crushes. Patch’s first-person narration is laugh-out-loud funny, and although he can be self-involved, his big heart shines through, making him an endearing and engaging lead as he learns and grows. The story succeeds as a sweet romance while also subverting expectations and giving equal weight to the importance of friendships in a thoughtful and moving way. This tale is distinctly and charmingly British, yet it's an ode to queer theater kids everywhere—particularly those with big personalities. Main characters present white.
A winning debut: the perfect blend of hilarious and heartfelt. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781250366788
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
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
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