A lush and romantic escape.
No matter which direction Romeo runs, the dreaded shadow of his family’s expectations follows him, and the walls of Verona block his path to freedom.
“Ancient animosities” between the Montagues and Capulets divide Verona. Seventeen-year-old Romeo, heir to the Montague fortune, frets more over his destiny—a loveless marriage and a forced choice between apprenticing with his silk merchant father or joining the army—than the increasing provocations of Tybalt Capulet. Secret romantic feelings push him ever further from his two best friends, cousin Benvolio and unrequited crush Mercutio, who don’t understand why he refuses to pursue the women they introduce him to. But one night, at a masquerade at the Capulets’ house, an unexpected encounter with a mysterious boy ignites Romeo’s hope for a bright future. Vivid, poetic prose and snappy banter bring to life this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet as a drama of burgeoning adulthood, queer romance, and found family. Set in 14th-century Italy, the book presents both Romeo, who is awakening to his attraction for boys, and Juliet, who firmly has no interest in romance at all, with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Written in the first person from Romeo’s perspective, the plot follows the original closely enough to build tension and an expectation of tragedy before veering toward its own satisfying resolution. The characters are predominantly white.
A lush and romantic escape. (author’s note) (Historical romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781250828484
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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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