A quietly thoughtful and romantic bildungsroman.
A jilted teenager must face the unintended consequences of a curse in Sensel’s YA historical fantasy novel.
In Amity, Ohio, in 1909, 17-year-old aspiring actor Gethsemane “Geth” Jones was supposed to marry Will Cogglesmith, but he broke off the engagement at the last minute. On the day of the proposed wedding, she wakes up before dawn, sneaks out to the local cemetery, and curses the young man who broke off their engagement: “May the unfaithful wretch who sullied this day find disaster before the week’s out. Make his bed crawl with bugs, bring shame to his name, and, and...let his underwear itch.” Geth is more humiliated than heartbroken—it was never a love match—and the curse is just a childish ditty, although it makes her feel better. But after the sentient spirit of Wind hears the curse and acts on it, it expects swift payment: Specifically, it wishes to make Geth its bride. Now she must not only live with the shame of her actions, but also the unthinkable prospect of becoming the Wind’s wife. Outsmarting the spirit will take a cunning plan and the help of steadfast allies that include her best friend, Sarah Brannon, and her old school friend Aaron Holmes, the gravedigger’s son. Above all, Geth will need to reassess who she is and what she really wants. Overall, this is an atmospheric, richly developed, and ultimately romantic read that’s full of surprises. No character is who they seem to be at first, and Geth’s coming-of-age arc offers a story of feminist empowerment and rebellion against familial and societal expectations. Geth yearns to act, and, as such, the tale’s purposeful focus on the power of words and storytelling is fitting and poignant. The protagonist’s relationships with family members, friends, and the Wind give the work a strong narrative structure, and over this framework, Sensel’s gorgeous prose takes flight: “Under the costume of good girl, good daughter, she yearned to be fearless, uncommon, and yes, dramatic. To reach for her desires instead of dreaming, and to win praise for originality, not compliance.”
A quietly thoughtful and romantic bildungsroman.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5092-4282-5
Page Count: 290
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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