An easy, comforting read.
Four sisters, two fathers, many relationships.
Nidhi, Rani, Avani, and Sirisha—the Indian American Singh sisters whom readers met in 2022’s Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things—are back together. Well, almost. Oldest sister Nidhi’s on her way home from New Delhi to Orcas Island in Washington state when she bumps into Grayson, the boy she’d been dating, at LAX. Meanwhile, Avani is still writing her poetry (some of it steamier these days, thanks to boyfriend Fernando) but also wondering about her future as she tries to figure out her college plans—but none of her sisters seem to have time for her. Meanwhile, youngest sister Sirisha is reeling from her breakup with girlfriend Brie, but she’s invited to an interactive murder-mystery costume party that pushes her out of her comfort zone, and things start looking up. However, the star of this story is aspiring filmmaker Rani, Avani’s twin, who’s shooting a short movie for a festival inspired by her relationship with boyfriend Raj, but her plans go awry right from the start. The fathers—Dad and his new husband, Pakistani Amir—play less of a role this time around, and they’re sorely missed. Oscillating between past and present timelines, the story is punctuated by group chat messages offering insights into the family’s warm, poignant relationships. As a windstorm picks up, so does the story’s pace, as it traces the ebb and flow of the ties among the members of the charming ensemble cast.
An easy, comforting read. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781368081245
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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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