A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic.
Fantastical romances are as diverse as their protagonists in this collection of 15 stories by YA favorites.
Maria has finally found Ethan, the ghoul who turned her into an undead creature. When the moment comes to take her revenge, she instead finds herself taking his disembodied head on one last walk around the city in “Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute” by Kendare Blake. Tally Qiu, the protagonist of “A Thousand More” by Chloe Gong, is confronted by Nate Zhou, a new student from Shanghai who claims that they are soul mates, destined to find each other in every reincarnation. Despite her lack of past-life memories, she finds herself growing closer to him as they are partnered for a history project. In Julian Winters’ “Who Will Save Me,” guardian angel Micah struggles to choose between his duty to his 13-year-old charge, Eli, and his love for Eli’s older brother, Zion. Meanwhile, Eli has his own struggles with his identity in the wake of his parents’ negative response to Zion’s coming out. Featuring mystical beings galore, this volume is filled to the brim with enchanting fantasy backdrops and romances both straight and queer and is perfect for sampling or reading straight through. The tone ranges from soft and sweet to terrifying and thrilling, ensuring there is something for nearly every reader and mood. Additional contributors like Sandhya Menon, Adib Khorram, Melissa de la Cruz, and Anna-Marie McLemore add to the appeal.
A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic. (author biographies) (Paranormal romance anthology. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-20687-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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