An action-packed story with slow-burn romantic tension.
Thirteen years after the battle between Heaven and Hell, an 18-year-old girl accepts her unique powers and begins navigating her way between angels and demons.
When the war between Heaven and Hell spilled out onto Earth, powers were unleashed that “mutated humanity,” but until their Awakening ceremony, most people don’t know which side they’re affiliated with. But Brielle Atwater knows she’s demon-bound, having been sold into demon slavery years ago in a bargain to save her terminally ill father’s life. His untimely accidental death didn’t erase her contract, and at her Awakening, she expected her “slave mark.” But when her powers emerge, they reveal something far more extraordinary: She’s a celestial, gifted by the archangels themselves—a rare and powerful being. As her new life unfolds, Brielle is assigned to be trained by fellow Celestial Lincoln, who’s harsh and judgmental toward her. Strong-willed, impulsive Brielle is unwilling to back down—and when demons threaten to drag her into eternal darkness, it’s Lincoln who steps up, fighting for her freedom. In this series opener, sparks fly between the white-presenting leads, mixing heat, tension, and petty grievances with high stakes that propel the plot. The juxtaposition of the real-world and magical elements of the story at times feels jarring, and the characters spend little time on introspection, but readers seeking light escapism will be pleased.
An action-packed story with slow-burn romantic tension. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781464218927
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 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
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