Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.Ī grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than 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 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. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends.

But the romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable, well plotted (elements from the first two volumes play a role in the conclusion) and populated with slightly-too-earnest but consistent characters-anyone who has read the first two won’t mind the deficiencies in this one and will enjoy the epic battles (including a dragon in Central Park) and ultimate love-conquers-all resolution. The flaws that plagued the first two novels are still there: The prose never soars, dialogue is often clunky and the flashes of genuine humor (“New Otherworld Order”) don’t actually suit the rest of the story. Raised-as-a-mortal Kelley’s parents, King Auberon and Queen Mabh, are both mysteriously ill, boyfriend Sonny thinks Kelley doesn’t love him anymore and Auberon’s elite guards are killing Fae who live in New York City.

The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange (2008), this ends the story just right.

Tempestuous lesley livingston