All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: The Universe is Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn Mackler

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Universe is Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn MacklerThe Universe is Expanding and So Am I
Carolyn Mackler
Bloomsbury
Published on June 5, 2018

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About The Universe is Expanding and So Am I
Virginia Shreves’ world implodes again in this long-awaited follow-up to Printz Honoree The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.

Sixteen-year-old Virginia Shreves’ life is finally back on course: she’s accepted who she is inside and out and is rebuilding her relationship with brother Byron, whose date-rape charge shattered everything.

But just as she adjusts to her new normal, her world turns upside down again. Sparks with boyfriend Froggy fade, her best friend bombshells bad news, and then the police arrest Byron. As Virginia struggles to cope, she meets Sebastian, an artist with his own baggage. The pair vow not to share personal drama. But secrets have a way of coming out, and theirs could ruin everything.

My Review
In the opening scene, Virginia is making out with her boyfriend. Because the story starts there, I wasn’t sure what kind of content it would have, but that’s the most explicit scene in the whole book. Mostly it shows her conflicted feelings about her relationship. She feels that, because she’s overweight, she should be grateful to have a boyfriend and shouldn’t risk breaking up with him and being alone forever. But she’s definitely not into the make-out session like she would have been on another day.

I like Virginia. She’s smart and self-contained and independent. I love that she was taking a kick-boxing class! Somehow that made total sense for her, and it was a neat, unusual thing in the story.

Ultimately, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I is about relationships. Virginia’s relationships with her parents, her siblings, her friends, her boyfriend Froggy, and her new friend Sebastian all change through the course of the story. I loved the way that redefining those relationships showed her own personal growth, and that some of the relationships that affected her most, like the tree lady, were ones she might once have dismissed. Fans of The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras should add this one to their reading lists.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
In the opening scene, Virginia is making out with her boyfriend. She mentions that they’ve had shirts off together before, but nothing further. This time, though, her boyfriend wants to do more. She stops him.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Virginia’s brother is accused of rape. We don’t learn the details of the incident, but it’s referenced a number of times.

Drug Content
Virginia’s brother is only 20, but her parents have allowed him to drink in the past. He was drunk the night he’s accused of raping a friend. (Sometimes Virginia’s parents seem to lean on this as an excuse for his behavior. Virginia makes it very clear she doesn’t buy that.) Byron gets drunk another time and Virginia has to take him home.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: You Are Mighty by Caroline Paul

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, , , , , , ,

You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World
Caroline Paul
Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki
Bloomsbury Children’s
Published on May 15, 2018

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Being a good citizen means standing up for what’s right-and here’s just the way to start. From the author of The Gutsy Girl comes a book for those with a fierce sense of justice, a good sense of humor, and a big heart. This guide features change-maker tips, tons of DIY activities, and stories about the kids who have paved the way before, from famous activists like Malala Yousafzai and Claudette Colvin to the everyday young people whose habit changes triggered huge ripple effects. So make a sign, write a letter, volunteer, sit-in, or march! There are lots of tactics to choose from, and you’re never too young to change the world.

My review
You Are Mighty drew me in with its upbeat tone and practical steps for how to make a difference in your community and even in the larger world. I loved all the true stories about famous and little-known activists who stood up for causes they believed in and saw amazing results. More than that, I loved how simply this book breaks down the process of fighting for a cause. It makes me want to sit down with my own kids and encourage them to take action on causes that are important to them and to us as a family. I’m actually hoping to do some of that this summer, and we’ll definitely be using You Are Mighty as our guide. I highly recommend it.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Cultural Elements
Discusses social justice issues across lines of race and sexual orientation.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Moonrise
Sarah Crossan
Bloomsbury Children’s
Published on May 8, 2018

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About Moonrise
‘They think I hurt someone.
But I didn’t. You hear?
Coz people are gonna be telling you
all kinds of lies.
I need you to know the truth.’

As Joe’s older brother nears his execution date, Joe journeys to visit him before the end. He struggles to understand what happened from the night Ed’s accused of murder through the twists and turns in the justice system. Now, barely able to provide for himself, Joe tries his best to support his brother and hold onto the hope that his brother will have justice before he dies.

My Review
Moonrise shines a light on some cracks in the criminal justice system. I feel like cracks isn’t the right word. Holes? Canyons? I’m not sure. Nevertheless, reading a story about someone who seems to have been wrongfully convicted can’t be easy.

Joe’s whole life is a struggle, but his brother Ed was one of the brightest spots in it as he grew up, fatherless, and with a drug-addicted mother. That changes when Ed goes to prison for murder, even though there isn’t much evidence to support the conviction. Now he tries to be a support to his brother in what may be his final days, even though he has no idea what to say or how to say it. Even though he can barely afford to survive on his own in the small Texas town where Ed’s imprisoned.

The story has a lot of grim moments, but it’s not without hope. Joe befriends a young woman who teaches him about forgiveness and love. He meets a Chaplin who challenges him to be strong. His sister and aunt find ways to love one another despite the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.

Did I like the story? For some reason, I find it tough to answer that. It’s an uncomfortable read in some ways. I found I couldn’t read it without examining my own thoughts on issues like the death penalty and police procedures surrounding suspects and pressure to elicit a confession. I think this was the author’s point, so in that way, the story must be a success. Was it a comfortable read? No. Not at all. But there are a lot of books worth reading that aren’t comfortable. I have to call this one of them.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used moderately frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Joe and his brother meet with a Chaplin who brings them comfort.

Violent Content
Joe’s brother has been accused and convicted of shooting a police officer. No descriptions of the officer’s death.

Drug Content
Joe and a girl smoke pot together in one scene. In another, they drink alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Crossed (Matched #2)
Ally Condie
Dutton Children’s
Published on November 1, 2011

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About Crossed
The Society chooses everything.

The books you read.
The music you listen to.
The person you love.

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems…

A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

My Review
For me, Crossed has that droopy feel of a second book where it’s all about setting up the final story in the series. I wasn’t hooked by the journey from the Carving to look for the Rebellion. I think I wanted the stakes to be different. Cassia wants to find the Rebellion to join them, and while I understood Ky’s reason for opposing her, I didn’t really find Cassia’s curiosity very compelling.

I liked the part of the story where Cassia has to navigate the river. It’s dangerous and foreign to her. The stakes are high. But it’s a short piece of the story.

The characters hooked me enough that I still want to finish reading the series. I also love that the story is pretty clean other than some brief violence. See below for content information.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing and embracing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Ky witnesses the deaths of his family and friends. The Society sends boys into battle with faulty weapons.

Drug Content
Red pills from the Society are supposed to cause someone to forget what has happened to them. Blue pills may aid or inhibit survival (different characters believe different things about them.).

Review: The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

The Rose Legacy
Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury
Published on May 1, 2018

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About The Rose Legacy
Orphaned Anthea Cross-Thornley has been shuttled between family members her whole life. When she receives a letter from a long-lost uncle, she dares to dream that she will finally find a home. Upon her arrival she is shocked to learn that her uncle secretly breeds horses–animals that have been forbidden in their kingdom for centuries. More alarming is Anthea’s strange ability to sense the horses’ thoughts and feelings, an ancient gift called The Way. Confused and terrified, Anthea is desperate to leave, but when dangers arise that put her family and her kingdom at risk, she has no choice but to embrace The Way and the exciting future adventures it will bring her.

My Review
I found myself both intrigued and hesitant about this story. I’m a huge fan of Jessica Day George after reading Dragon Slippers and Tuesdays at the Castle, but something about this premise didn’t make me want to drop everything and leap into the book.

However, once I started the first chapter, I got lost in this fascinating, well-developed story-world where a young girl raised with a very specific sense of propriety gets tossed into a rural farm life with a family who have totally different values to her own. Anthea proves a strong heroine, facing each new challenge with determination and poise. I love her horse, Florian, too, and the relationship they develop.

The whole story is filled with great characters—Jilly is my favorite. I liked that the story also follows the hierarchy of the herd of horses and shows some elements of the story from their point-of-view.

The Rose Legacy is a great start to a series perfect for middle and late elementary-aged readers. I loved it so much, and I can’t wait to find out what Anthea and company do next.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
The story has an English/Scottish feel to it. I don’t remember racial descriptions of the characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
One brief kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Anthea and some other characters can communicate with horses via thoughts.

Violent Content
A horse gets caught in a hunting trap. Two horses fight for dominance. A horse nearly injures a girl and threatens to kill another animal.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, New Adult 18up, , , , , , , ,

Song of Blood and Stone
L. Penelope
St. Martin’s Press
Published on May 1, 2018

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About Song of Blood and Stone
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive–an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack’s mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it’s people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda’s Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

My Review
Song of Blood and Stone has a lot of interesting elements woven together as far as its story world. I liked that it had a sort of turn-of-the-century feel to it—with cars and telephones—but also felt very much like a world different than ours with its harsh landscape, magic elements and legends.

The storytelling reminded me a little bit of The Blue Sword, in the way military and magic play interesting roles in the story. It also reminded me a little bit of Children of Blood and Bone in the way race and racial tension are featured.

I liked both Jasminda and Jack’s characters. You know me—totally a sucker for a good guy who has to make hard choices and is willing to give up everything to do the right thing. Jasminda is a strong woman who is desperately trying to balance independence with pragmatism, and she appealed to me very much as well.

I didn’t expect the amount of sexual content in Song of Blood and Stone. It’s very explicit and takes up several pages of the story. More on that in the content section of my review.

The racial tension in the story feels extremely well-developed and relevant to some of the things we face in the world today. Those themes were well-balanced with the plot of the story, and because the characters are so easy to empathize with, they had some real power to them. If you liked The Waking Land by Callie Bates, you would probably enjoy Song of Blood and Stone. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the amount of sexual content is really more than I enjoy reading.

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Cultural Elements
Two races dominate this story. One has darker skin and magic. The other is pale-skinned and has no magic. A female minor character is in a secret relationship with a woman– something her family would cast her off for if they knew.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Explicit scenes showing sex between a man and woman. One scene lasts several pages. Another is shorter but still very explicit. Some sexual comments in other scenes about arousal or lust. At one point a guard threatens to rape a woman, and when that doesn’t seem possible, he plans to sexually assault a man.

Spiritual Content
Characters worship/pray to a legendary woman called the Queen Who Sleeps. She remains in an enchanted sleep, but legend says she’ll awaken at need and can speak to her people through their dreams. Worship of another god is mentioned.

Some characters also possess magic referred to as a Song.

Violent Content
A few violent comments in which a man threatens to and tries to rape a woman. Some descriptions of battle scenes. Some racist epithets directed at the darker-skinned and refugee characters.

Drug Content
Alcohol served at the palace.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.