A beautifully realized addition to the genre.
What do you do when the world ends? Maybe just keep going to work.
Almost a year after The Storm, Liz still works alone in a bookstore in suburban New Jersey, although now customers only wander in occasionally to trade various supplies for books. She moved into the apartment on the floor above the shop, took on the role of an informal post office, and started recording the stories of regular visitors in a journal. In some ways, Liz finds this existence a relief; she hardly ever has to bother with people and all the stressors of her old life (like choosing a college major) have been washed away. But now, with another Storm coming, Liz realizes how precarious her situation really is, with dwindling food supplies and a building in desperate need of repairs. One night, she’s awakened by a creaking noise from downstairs. Armed only with a hardcover edition of Anna Karenina, Liz confronts the intruder—a girl about her age, Maeve, who’s in need of a place to stay and happens to be good at fixing things. The two form an uneasy alliance. This stellar debut is filled with cynical and witty characters who are exploring the nature of and need for human connection. The story contains just the right amount of action, balancing the introspective scenes, a blossoming queer romance, and a well-executed slow doomsday reveal. Main characters present white.
A beautifully realized addition to the genre. (Post-apocalyptic. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593899489
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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