An uneven yet cozy queer paranormal romance with moving mental health representation.
As if being a depressed college student weren’t hard enough, one day Brennan wakes up as a newly turned vampire.
After a suicide attempt in his freshman year, white 19-year-old Brennan did a lot of therapy and is now back at Sturbridge University. Becoming a vampire wasn’t part of the plan, but the self-sufficiency he honed in childhood still runs strong, so he tries to figure out what this new life means and how to obtain what he’ll need—namely, blood. With no interest in harming anyone, he steals donated blood, only to be caught in the act of drinking it by Cole, the cute white student library worker who’s known for his skills in comforting others. Surprisingly, Cole agrees to keep Brennan’s secret and even wants to help him. Their flirtatious friendship blossoms into more, but navigating a new relationship is tricky while Brennan is dealing with a memory gap and questioning if he had anything to do with a student who’s been missing since the day Brennan turned. An overarching plot about a vampire clan provides drama but sometimes feels shoehorned in alongside the more compelling romance arc, which is full of adorable moments and relatable uncertainty. While Brennan’s pretentiousness can be off-putting, Cole is incredibly charming, and their mutual support is lovely. Brennan’s anxiety and depression are thoughtfully and gently interwoven in this ultimately hopeful story.
An uneven yet cozy queer paranormal romance with moving mental health representation. (content notes, author’s note, discussion questions) (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781250321206
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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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