A disappointing vampire romance with no bite.
A vampire prince goes to boarding school.
Perpetually 17-year-old Casper was adopted by the Belamys after being found newly turned and abandoned. Now he’s part of the wealthy and powerful “royal vampiric family of the American East.” He’s been promised a trip to Europe to see the way other vampires live—if he can spend one year at Mockingbird Prep without revealing his true nature. Senior Rowan Young is the campus golden boy, football quarterback, fencing team captain, and son of the headmaster. This is his year to shine and uphold his family legacy—until Casper becomes his roommate, and everything falls apart. Rowan is frustrated by Casper’s rudeness and weird habits, like running barefoot in the woods and sleeping in a wardrobe. Casper isn’t ready to be in such close quarters with mortals, particularly Rowan, who smells delicious. Trying to avoid each other while sharing space is difficult, and Rowan can’t help but notice how beautiful he finds Casper. Despite being filled with popular romance and vampire tropes, the novel lacks nuance and the characters are underdeveloped. The uneven pacing contributes to the confusing timelines and a mystery that lacks tension. Even though the cute moments between the leads are promising, they can’t overcome the inconsistencies in the plotting. Both main characters are cued white.
A disappointing vampire romance with no bite. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781915585226
Page Count: 284
Publisher: Tiny Ghost Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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
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