A breezy, queer teen romance that is Wilde-inspired but not Wilde-an in execution.
Eighteen-year-old New Yorker Janey is blindsided by the possibility of contact with her biological family while also trying to win over the girl of her dreams.
It’s the end of senior year for Janey and her wealthy best friend, Algie. For years, Janey has been totally smitten by Gwen, a cousin of Algie’s who will be visiting for spring break. Meanwhile, Algie is pursuing Janey’s wide-eyed cousin, Cecil. Janey’s life is complicated by her notoriety as former viral internet sensation “Bag Baby,” so called due to her adoptive father’s finding her abandoned in a Gucci handbag in a train station in Poughkeepsie. Janey was happy not knowing anything about her biological family until a DNA test—submitted without her consent by Algie, a violation that is treated relatively lightly—reveals an aunt and a cousin whom Janey is not sure she wants to meet. The story, inspired by The Importance of Being Earnest, is a lighthearted romance with just enough drama and some sincere exploration of familial and romantic relationships. However, Oscar Wilde fans should be aware that it only really offers the window dressing of the play that inspired it—names, a top hat, a baby left in a handbag—and not the farcical plot, witty dialogue, or social satire. Readers who can accept that will find this to be a fun, easy, and romantic read. All of the characters read as White.
A breezy, queer teen romance that is Wilde-inspired but not Wilde-an in execution. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-56613-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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 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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