A raucously entertaining examination of feminist principles.
Activism and laugh-out-loud hijinks abound in this diary-format novel about an aspiring teen journalist with anxiety.
Kat Evans, nearly 16, lives in a quiet English town and worries a great deal, especially about being left behind by her friends, who are pairing up with romantic partners. Kat’s three best friends work hard to support her: Millie is an actress who’s determined to be cast as Juliet in the school play, Sam is a talented artist, and Matt is Kat’s neighbor and a popular out gay classmate. The story opens in early September. After learning more about feminism from Kat’s and Matt’s mums, Kat, Millie, and Sam decide to spray-paint “#TimesUp” on the tarmac at school to commemorate the 2018 Golden Globes #MeToo protest. Unfortunately, they’re caught by the principal after only having completed “#Tim,” giving their creepy classmate Tim Matthews the wrong idea. Mishaps and feminist acts of rebellion continue throughout. The humor is well done, featuring over-the-top yet believable scenarios and Kat’s relatable and detailed inner-monologue responses. Kat’s family is warm and supportive, especially once it becomes clear that she needs mental health intervention. Her diary poses authentic questions that interrogate the tenets of feminism in a thought-provoking, accessible way that never feels preachy or overwrought. Sam is Black; other major characters read white.
A raucously entertaining examination of feminist principles. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781665937948
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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
SEEN & HEARD
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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