Scattered Showers

September 15, 2022
Romance blooms even during turbulent winters. Missed chances on New Year's Eve, a Star Wars movie premiere, the soundtrack to grieving a breakup, breaking traditions for a school dance, celebrating holidays amid a pandemic, a modern fairy tale, stark realizations about life passing by, the awkwardness of bringing a boyfriend home for Christmas, and characters in limbo, waiting to be written into the story: Rowell weaves these scenarios into nine short stories, some realistic and some fantasy and most taking place during the winter or relating to holidays. A number are set in the author's home state of Nebraska. Fans will recognize a few familiar characters, including Simon and Baz from Carry On (2015), the sole queer couple in this collection. All but one story ends in a definite romance, but they are all about the honest, layers-peeled-back connections by which people feel seen by one another. With this volume, which includes four previously published entries, Rowell offers more of what she does best: character-driven stories interlaced with a healthy dose of nerdiness and a little sappy indulgence thrown in as a treat. It's easy to get swept up in these tales and root so passionately for the protagonists that it almost hurts, but readers will close the covers feeling satisfied. Except for one Vietnamese American protagonist, the cast is predominantly White. Each story is prefaced by an attractive mulberry- or mint green-and-white, full-page illustration that helps set the mood. A treat. (Short stories. 14-18)

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September 26, 2022
Fangirl’s Reagan, Simon and Baz from the Simon Snow trilogy, and protagonists from Attachments feature alongside new Rowell characters in this frothy, genre-spanning short story amalgam. Tierney’s silhouette illustrations, rendered in energetic teals and magentas, precede the tales, introducing each story’s individual theme and central couple. In collection opener “Midnights,” reserved Mags recounts four New Year’s Eve parties over the course of her developing relationship with laid-back jokester Noel. College student Summer contends with a contentious neighbor while mourning a breakup in “Winter Songs for Summer.” In “Kindred Spirits,” a romance unfolds in a queue for the newest Star Wars release, and Reagan navigates family drama against a Covid-19 backdrop in “If the Fates Allow.” While most of the stories employ contemporary settings, others embody a more fanciful approach: “The Prince and the Troll” takes place in a world seemingly on the edge of ecological disaster, and “In Waiting” is set in a land of authorial imagination, where characters wait for the author to stop fiddling with the backstory to finish their novels. A playful mash-up of new fare and fan favorites for Rowell completists, and an inviting introduction for new readers. Most characters read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Christopher Schelling, Selectric Artists.

November 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Nine romantic short stories set predominantly during the Christmas season will delight fans of Rowell's previous work. Four stories have been previously published; all are driven by the author's talent for clever banter and infused with her characteristic tenderness. Common themes include anxiety and opposites-attract romances with overlooked people-in "Winter Songs for Summer," a college student gets over her breakup with the help of mix CDs from a gym-rat neighbor, while in "Kindred Spirits," Elena camps out in line for the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and falls for a boy her friends bully. Older versions of characters from some of Rowell's earlier work reappear, including adult Reagan (from Fangirl) coping with PTSD during the Covid-19 pandemic and Beth and Jennifer from Attachments confronting aging and fertility issues. "Snow for Christmas," a relatable look at the anxieties of enduring family homophobia at the holiday season, catches up with Simon and Baz after the events of Any Way the Wind Blows and offers a rich combination of expanded backstory and emotionally rewarding character development that is sure to satisfy the "Simon Snow" readership. A relatively even mix of adult and teen protagonists across stories makes this collection best suited to high school collections. Most protagonists are white or presumed white; Elena is of Vietnamese descent. VERDICT A heartwarming collection filled with Rowell's signature wit and charm that also hits some heavier notes; a must-purchase where the "Simon Snow" trilogy has been popular.-Elizabeth Giles

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
Teen readers of Rowell's (Eleanor & Park, rev. 5/13; Fangirl, rev. 11/13) first short-story collection will relish spending time with her nine distinct narratives about love (four previously published). The author taps into her literary sweet spot of complex and memorable romance, including a friendship that evolves over multiple New Year's Eves; a Star Wars movie premiere that brings two teens together; a college breakup healed by mixtapes from an unlikely source; and an invitation to a school dance that changes everything. New beginnings and longstanding relationships are staples, as are wintertime, Christmas, and Rowell's home state of Nebraska, but variety in plot and characterization keep pages turning. These riveting character studies (including one of Simon and Baz from Carry On, rev. 1/16) often lead to truthful and profound conversations; within this mix of realism and fantasy (including the pandemic, a contemporary fairy tale, and a bit of metafiction), Rowell always addresses how love -- in its many forms -- is a fundamental aspect of life. Happy endings are in no way guaranteed (though they're often implied), but every tale concludes with some degree of connection while leaving room for contemplation about what might happen next. There is a mauve and teal color palette in the text's fonts, in scene-setting full-page illustrations at the beginning of each story, and in occasional spot art throughout. Cynthia K. Ritter

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from October 1, 2022
Grades 10-12 *Starred Review* The remarkable Rowell offers readers a generous serving of nine exemplary short stories that are, from the first to the last, romances of a sort. In the first, the sweet-spirited "Midnights," best friends Mags and Noel realize, over the course of four New Year's Eves, that they are more than friends. The last, "In Waiting," is a fine fantasy, featuring two characters (Anna and James) who exist in a kind of limbo and fall in love while waiting to be made characters in a book. Several of the stories feature characters who have previously appeared in novels by Rowell, including Attachments (2011), Fangirl (2013), and the Simon Snow Trilogy. Also, four of the stories have been published previously, but they remain as fresh and as riveting as in their first appearances. Finally, the fact that five of the stories feature adult protagonists signals this collection's crossover appeal for twentysomethings in addition to teens. In fact, the appeal of these enchanting stories is universal, and their publication provides an occasion for celebration. Lots of love has gone into the bookmaking as well, with the text printed in teal and aubergine, interior illustrations, a ribbon bookmark, and stained page edges all creating an appealing package.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling and beloved, Rowell's writing will entice readers to the library in droves, whatever the weather.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Teen readers of Rowell's (Eleanor & Park, rev. 5/13; Fangirl, rev. 11/13) first short-story collection will relish spending time with her nine distinct narratives about love (four previously published). The author taps into her literary sweet spot of complex and memorable romance, including a friendship that evolves over multiple New Year's Eves; a Star Wars movie premiere that brings two teens together; a college breakup healed by mixtapes from an unlikely source; and an invitation to a school dance that changes everything. New beginnings and longstanding relationships are staples, as are wintertime, Christmas, and Rowell's home state of Nebraska, but variety in plot and characterization keep pages turning. These riveting character studies (including one of Simon and Baz from Carry On, rev. 1/16) often lead to truthful and profound conversations; within this mix of realism and fantasy (including the pandemic, a contemporary fairy tale, and a bit of metafiction), Rowell always addresses how love -- in its many forms -- is a fundamental aspect of life. Happy endings are in no way guaranteed (though they're often implied), but every tale concludes with some degree of connection while leaving room for contemplation about what might happen next. There is a mauve and teal color palette in the text's fonts, in scene-setting full-page illustrations at the beginning of each story, and in occasional spot art throughout.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)