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.

Avoiding disability inspiration tropes, she is a fallible, well-rounded character who fights for the vulnerable and resists being labeled as such herself despite how others perceive her.Ī fast-paced, richly detailed feminist epic. Refreshingly, Harper is the undisputed hero and also not the only significant character with a disability. The book follows a white default for main characters, although Jake’s boyfriend is black and Harper’s best friend in Emberfall has brown skin. Rather than acquiesce to fate, she calls Rhen’s attention to more immediate, practical actions they can take to protect his kingdom.

He believes falling in love is the only way to save his kingdom, and his guard commander travels to Harper’s universe to find matches for him. She meets blond Prince Rhen, who reveals that the beast killed his family. Harper intervenes-and is magically transported to Emberfall, a kingdom abandoned by its rulers and beset by both a mysterious beast and attacks from a neighboring country. Harper, who has cerebral palsy, is standing lookout for Jake when she sees a man carrying an unconscious woman.

Harper’s life in Washington, D.C., hasn’t been easy: Her mother is dying of cancer, and her father’s only legacy is the loan sharks her brother Jake works for to pay off his debts. A cursed prince and a high school dropout become unlikely allies in this ambitious “Beauty and the Beast” adaptation.

A curse so dark and lonely box set