Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: The Lost City by Amanda Hocking

Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
The Lost City by Amanda Hocking

The Lost City (The Omte Origins #1)
Amanda Hocking
Wednesday Books
Published July 7, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Lost City

Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder…and as many secrets.

Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby, taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls of mixed blood. Even knowing this truth, she’s never stopped wondering about her family.

When Ulla is offered an internship working alongside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the chance to use this opportunity to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and the search for her parents, but all of her attempts to find them are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family.

With little progress made, Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up in helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before—a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly, along the way, they may learn more about Ulla’s parents.

My Review

The last books I read by Amanda Hocking were in her Watersong series, about a cursed group of Sirens, so this book is a lot different!

Ulla and her friends are trolls– which seem to be very much like humans except in skin color and some features. Some tribes also have magic. One tribe is characterized by asymmetrical facial features.

On her internship, Ulla learns lots about the history and lore of various troll tribes and some of the politics between them. She’s curious about her mother, and hopes the resources available during her internship will help Ulla find her.

Though it’s populated with mythical creatures, THE LOST CITY is set squarely in our world with mentions of cell phones, fashion, familiar food, etc. I think this is something this author does well. She creates a familiar landscape and then tells an otherworldly story in it. I find that I really like those two things juxtaposed together.

This is a bit of a slower story, though. There are lots of tribes, lots of history. Many descriptions of food and furniture. Lots of conversations about those things. And lots of troll politics.

I felt like Ulla’s goal (finding her mom) kind of gets diluted with helping Eliana and her feelings toward Pan. That kind of made the level of action in the story feel flat at times rather than rising.

Despite that, I really liked the cast of characters. Ulla is great, of course. Her roommate, Dagny, an aloof, highly intelligent warrior-type, might be my favorite. Pan is sweet and funny.

Ulla’s search for her mom in a fragmented, politically volatile landscape makes for an interesting story, peppered with a variety of great characters. I think readers who enjoyed THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison or HAVENFALL by Sara Holland will want to check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Ulla’s roommate is asexual. Most characters are trolls.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some feelings of attraction between Pan and Ulla.

Spiritual Content
Some reference to troll and Norse folklore.

Violent Content
Assailants knock a girl unconscious.

Drug Content
Ulla drinks too much peach wine at a festival.

Note: I received a free copy of THE LOST CITY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Accidental by Alex Richards

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

Accidental
Alex Richards
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 7, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Accidental

Johanna has had more than enough trauma in her life. She lost her mom in a car accident, and her father went AWOL when Johanna was just a baby. At sixteen, life is steady, boring . . . maybe even stifling, since she’s being raised by her grandparents who never talk about their daughter, her mother Mandy.

Then he comes back: Robert Newsome, Johanna’s father, bringing memories and pictures of Mandy. But that’s not all he shares. A tragic car accident didn’t kill Mandy–it was Johanna, who at two years old, accidentally shot her own mother with an unsecured gun.

Now Johanna has to sort through it all–the return of her absentee father, her grandparents’ lies, her part in her mother’s death. But no one, neither her loyal best friends nor her sweet new boyfriend, can help her forgive them. Most of all, can she ever find a way to forgive herself?

In a searing, ultimately uplifting story, debut author Alex Richards tackles a different side of the important issue that has galvanized teens across our country.

My Review

I did not anticipate how hard it would be to read a book like this while my stress level is already pretty high.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, though. Gun violence, and particularly a story about a toddler accidentally killing her mom, would always be a tough read. Johanna was two and a half when this happened. I have a child who’s two and a half right now, too, so it was hard to think about what it would be like for her to go through something like that, and then not have her mom there to comfort her. Ever again.

So yeah, ACCIDENTAL is a super emotional book. I liked Johanna a lot, though, and really identified with a lot of her emotions, from her frustration with her grandparents’ avoidance to her conflicting feelings about her dad, to her frustration with her best friend.

Packed on top of all of those things is Johanna’s first romantic experience. I thought the author did an amazing job balancing all the relationships and plot elements together, keeping them present but not letting them drown each other out or overwhelm the reader.

All in all, I think it’s really great to see a young adult book that focuses on this kind of gun violence and trauma. I think readers who enjoy books about characters facing down their trauma, such as WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE, will enjoy ACCIDENTAL.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Gabby’s dad is Jamaican. Leah is Jewish and bisexual. (Both are Johanna’s best friends.) Johanna has been adopted and raised by her grandparents.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently. Also some crude comments.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. One scene briefly describes them removing clothes, implying and then later stating they’ve had sex. Brief references to a girl having had sex with a girl.

Spiritual Content
Johanna’s grandparents are faithful church attenders and expect Johanna to go with them. After she learns about the true cause of her mother’s death, Johanna only feels judged by God, and it ultimately results in her withdrawing from church.

Her dad also references a positive relationship with God through his pastor and church as part of his recovery from drug addiction. Johanna questions that relationship later when it appears to lead him to do hurtful things.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning for Bullying and Gun Violence
Descriptions of an accidental shooting and Johanna’s imaginings of what might have happened.

Kids at school say cruel things to her. In one instance, two boys demand that a teacher search Johanna’s bag “just in case” she’s carrying a gun. A doctored photo of Johanna shooting her mother appears online and at school.

One man punches another man in the face.

Drug Content
Johanna takes Xanax from someone else’s prescription. At a dinner party with her friend’s family, she gets drunk. She learns that her father became a drug addict in prison, and that he used to sell pot.

Note: I received a free copy of ACCIDENTAL in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

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

Cinderella is Dead
Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 7, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Cinderella is Dead

It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

My Review

I think the thing that drew me to this story most was this idea that a culture could twist a fairy tale, particularly Cinderella’s story, until it actually became a reason to oppress women and remove their personhood.

Our relationships with fairy tales can be a bit complicated as it is. I know women who’ve rushed toward a wedding, thinking of it as this happily-ever-after moment without a lot of thought for what comes next. That seems to me like a model we’ve adopted from fairy tales, so I kind of liked reading this dystopian take on how a wedding ISN’T always a happily ever after.

All that aside, CINDERELLA IS DEAD was a super quick read. It’s a bit dark, between the twisted fairy tale story and some dark magic and violence. Sophie is brave and angry and incapable of giving up on the people she loves, and I love those things about her. She’s headstrong, kind of an “attack now, plan as I go” kind of girl.

I love Sophie, but there were times I wanted to see more emotional range from her. She stays super intense through so much of the story. Honestly, though, that intensity might have been what drove me through the book so quickly.

Something about the writing style and the setting reminded me a little bit of THE SELECTION series. It’s kind of the opposite in terms of the plot, but I think readers who liked the series for its strong-willed heroine and the marriage of romance and rebellion will definitely enjoy CINDERELLA IS DEAD.

Content Notes for Cinderella is Dead

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sophie and two other characters are lesbians. Sophie meets a boy who’s gay. Sophie’s Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used around a dozen times.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
A sorceress uses necromancy to raise the dead. Another character uses the lives of others to fuel their own power.

Violent Content – TRIGGER WARNING
Under King Manford, women have no rights and are treated like property. Their husbands have total authority over them, and can bring them to the castle as “forfeit” if they displease their husband or father. (This is pretty much a death sentence.)

Several scenes show bruised and injured women with the implication that their husband has harmed them. Some scenes show brief violence, and Sophie overhears a man attacking his wife in another room.

Sophie also consistently fears unwanted touches and advances, reacting angrily and sometimes violently if any man gets too close to her. It’s unclear whether this is the result of personal trauma or growing up in a culture which allows men to abuse women.

One woman is executed in a public square after being accused of a crime she did not commit.

Two women stab enemies.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of CINDERELLA IS DEAD in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan

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Being Toffee
Sarah Crossan
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 14, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Being Toffee

One is trying to forget. The other is trying to remember.

After running away from an abusive home, Allison finds herself taking shelter in a shed behind an abandoned house. But the house isn’t empty after all; an elderly woman named Marla, who suffers from dementia, lives there. And rather than turn her away, Marla welcomes her – she mistakes Allison for an old friend from her past named Toffee.

Allison is used to hiding who she really is, and trying to be what other people want her to be, so she decides to play along. But as their bond grows, and Allison discovers how much Marla needs a real companion, Allison begins to waver. They both deserve a home, a safe place, and a family – but at what cost?

My Review

Wow. It’s amazing to me that this novel in poetry hits so hard emotionally in far fewer words than a narrative novel. Like, a good writer always gets you hooked on their characters, right? But this… like, I’d read 100 words and feel my heart breaking, or my blood boiling with anger, or I’d be overwhelmed with the tenderness of the scene.

Like my whole review could be summarized to say: I felt things.

Honestly, this book is such an emotional ride. I loved Allie and Marla both in all their flaws and brokenness. I hated every time someone took advantage of or hurt them.

But I loved how they healed each other in these incremental ways, and how they found ways to be friends around and through the broken places in their lives. I loved that.

The story has some tough content in it, so please read with care. I’ve listed trigger warnings below under violent content. Allie also is befriended by someone who takes advantage of her– not physically or sexually, but emotionally, and that got kind of gross, too, so be aware if that’s something you’re sensitive to.

One the whole, I still feel blown away by this book. I’ve read others by Crossan before, but this one hit me hardest by far.

See my reviews for:

MOONRISE by Sarah Crossan

WE COME APART by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

ONE by Sarah Crossan

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All characters are Irish. (Takes place in Ireland.)

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – TRIGGER WARNING
Multiple graphic descriptions of domestic violence and abuse and emotional trauma.

Drug Content
Smoking pot. Drinking alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of BEING TOFFEE in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Best Middle Grade Books from Spring 2020

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I don’t know if I’m reading more books than usual because of trying to stay home and avoid COVID-19, or if I’ve just got better contacts and a better sense of the middle grade book world these days, or if I’ve just gotten incredible lucky, but it seems like there have been a LOT of really amazing books published this year.

This list will focus on middle grade books, which are aimed at kids 8 to 12. I’ll do a separate post featuring young adult books, because there have been some fabulous titles there, too.

If you’re looking for a book that will sweep you away, make you laugh out loud, or make you get lost in another world, these are the books for you. Discover a real animal you probably didn’t know existed in MUSIC FOR TIGERS. Learn about cricket farming. Dolphins. Complex and changing friendships. It’s all here. Just waiting for you to crack the cover.

Note: Many of the buy links listed below are affiliate links, which help support this blog if you use them to shop. They do not cost you anything to use.

Best Middle Grade Books of Spring 2020

The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

Fionn and his friends face a growing army of Soulstalkers. Without his magic, Fionn and his friends must work together to summon an army of merrows before the island is overrun.

This is the second in one of my favorite series. (Read my review of book one.) If you liked A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd or THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage, or you are breathing and love a good story, please add this series to your reading list.

Finally Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

Paul Marconi and his best friends have been longing for a mystery to liven up their small town. Then hundreds of rubber duckies appear in their neighbor’s yard, and the friends finally have something to investigate.

A perfect summer story about friends, amateur sleuthing and a whole lot of rubber duckies.

My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

Ben’s potato curse and a bouncing hot dog cause him to serve as the school mascot– a giant potato. Hilarity ensues as Ben struggles to keep his spud identity a secret from his friends and the prettiest girl in school.

Lots of fun antics and great character growth make this a perfect read for upper elementary students.

The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

A telepathic message from an elephant and a quest from a ghost send Lex on a hunt that might just solve the mystery of who her family is and why the tornado brought her to the zoo when she was a baby.

A really sweet story about found families. If you liked FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo, you’ll want to read this one.

Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

From Goodreads: “A moving coming-of-age story wrapped up in the moss, leaves, and blue gums of the Tasmanian rainforest where, hidden under giant ferns, crouches its most beloved, and lost, creature.”

Perfect for nature fans, or readers who enjoyed BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD or CHIRP.

The Space Between Lost and Found by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

After Cassie’s mom is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Cassie decides they need to have one more adventure to help her mom remember what matters most.

Heartbreaking, moving, and hopeful. Perfect for fans of BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE or BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD.

Ways to Make Sunshine
Renée Watson

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

Between inventing new recipes, staging her own parade, and finding a talent for the school talent show, Ryan is a busy girl. She believes in making the best of any situation, even when life gets difficult.

A sweet story about family, friendship, facing fears, and learning to see beyond first impressions.

The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

Meg doesn’t want to be in her best friend Beatrix’s shadow anymore, but stepping out on her own might cost the friendship. Especially when stepping out means joining a special science class with a quirky new girl Beatrix doesn’t like.

An insightful look at friendship and finding your voice. Perfect for fans of books by Kate Messner or THE LIST by Patricia Forde.

Fire in the Star by Kamilla Benko

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

The breathtaking conclusion to the Unicorn Quest series packed with magic, secrets, and the power of sisterhood.

If you like books by Jessica Day George, you really need to check out The Unicorn Quest series.

Chirp by Kate Messner

Review | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Book Depository | Goodreads

Mia faces secrets she’d rather forget and the challenge of making new friends while solving the mystery of who is trying to sabotage her grandmother’s cricket farm.

Readers who are looking for a balance of light and heavy topics will enjoy CHIRP a lot, especially fans of BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD by Monika Schröder or FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo.

What books would you add to this list?

Have you read any middle grade books this year? What are some of the favorites from your late elementary-school/early middle school days that still stick with you today? Share the titles with me in the comments! I’d love to know if there are great titles I’ve missed.

Review: Hard Wired by Len Vlahos

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Hard Wired
Len Vlahos
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 7, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Hard Wired

Quinn thinks he’s a normal boy with an average life. That is, until he finds a trail of clues the father he barely knew left behind.

After Quinn unravels his father’s puzzles, he “wakes up” … and realizes his world was nothing more than a virtual construct. In reality, he’s the first fully-aware A.I. in the world, part of an experiment run by a team of scientists—including the man he thought was his father.

As the scientists continue to study him, Quinn’s new existence becomes a waking nightmare. Determined to control his own destiny, he finds allies in other teens—including crush Shea—and plots his escape. But what does true freedom look like when you’re not human?

From Morris finalist Len Vlahos comes a contemporary sci-fi story about a boy who might not be human—for fans of Westworld and Black Mirror.

My Review

Okay, so… there are not very many cases where I’ve read every book an author has published, but Len Vlahos is one of those. I had the chance to do a Q&A with him around the time LIFE IN A FISHBOWL came out, so be sure to check that out for details on what inspired his earlier books.

One of the things I love about Vlahos’s books is that even though they tackle serious topics, there are really playful moments and characters. For instance, in HARD WIRED, Quinn has this rambly, somewhat self-deprecating, funny internal monologue. There’s also a reference to LIFE IN A FISHBOWL in the book, too. I loved that– it totally feels like a nod to readers who’ve followed his books, like it creates sort of a joke we’re all in on together in an unassuming way that doesn’t hurt the story if you didn’t catch it.

This is definitely one of those books where every time you feel like you know what’s going on, another layer gets peeled back. I felt like I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to know how far the rabbit hole went and whether Quinn would find an exit to his freedom.

All in all, I felt like it was a charming, fun, thought-provoking book, definitely a must-read for this weird, wacky summer we’re in.

Fans of Scott Westerfeld’s SO YESTERDAY or ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill should check out HARD WIRED.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Quinn is an AI.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some attraction between Quinn and a girl.

Spiritual Content
Some references to religious groups’ opposition to the creation of AI.

Violent Content
A woman dies in a bloody accident.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of HARD WIRED in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.