Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Historical, Magical Realism, , , ,

The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste LimThe Crystal Ribbon
Celeste Lim
Scholastic Press
Published on January 31, 2017

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About The Crystal Ribbon
In the village of Huanan, in medieval China, the deity that rules is the Great Huli Jing. Though twelve-year-old Li Jing’s name is a different character entirely from the Huli Jing, the sound is close enough to provide constant teasing-but maybe is also a source of greater destiny and power. Jing’s life isn’t easy. Her father is a poor tea farmer, and her family has come to the conclusion that in order for everyone to survive, Jing must be sacrificed for the common good.

She is sold as a bride to the Koh family, where she will be the wife and nursemaid to their three-year-old son, Ju’nan. It’s not fair, and Jing feels this bitterly, especially when she is treated poorly by the Koh’s, and sold yet again into a worse situation that leads Jing to believe her only option is to run away, and find home again. With the help of a spider who weaves Jing a means to escape, and a nightingale who helps her find her way, Jing embarks on a quest back to Huanan–and to herself.

My Review
I tend to like genre-blending books, and since The Crystal Ribbon mixes a historical setting with real cultural issues with some magical elements, I found it to be a really unusual, interesting read. The story itself reminded me a teeny bit of Disney’s Mulan, in that it follows a strong heroine through a time period and culture where she feels entirely out of place for her strength. While Jing doesn’t join an army or literally fight as a soldier, she does challenge enemies and use her cleverness and strength of heart to overcome difficulties. I liked her character a lot and enjoyed reading about her.

The story itself feels like it should be more of a middle grade book, since Jing is about twelve as it begins, but the tone is much more mature. I’d probably call this one a coming-of-age tale rather than middle grade, though that label doesn’t feel perfectly right either.

Readers who enjoy history and foreign settings will like the careful attention to setting and culture in The Crystal Ribbon. Readers who enjoy a taste of magic lurking beyond the ordinary will find Jing’s adventures engaging as well.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
The story takes place in China. One character is described as having golden hair and pale skin, and Jing wonders if he’s from some faraway place.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
During her time in the city, Jing encounters some men who solicit the company of women. They tease the girls and pat them on their behinds. Jing feels totally creeped out by the whole idea.

Spiritual Content
Each city has its own spirit worshipped by the people who live there. In Jing’s hometown, it’s the Great Huli Jing, a five-tailed fox who saved the village from disaster.

Jing meets some other spirits (jing) through the course of the story. A spider weaves a magical ladder to help her. A woman with skeletal hands visits her in the night. Jing visits and prays to altars for various jing and at her mother’s gravesite altar.

Violent Content
Jing’s in-laws punish her by caning her or using a torture device which severely damages her fingers. Some details included. Sensitive readers may find that part especially difficult to read.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published on October 16, 2016

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About Gemina
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

My Review
One of the really fun things about this book (both books in the series, actually) is the unusual way the story is told. Instant message transcripts and transcripts of video footage make up the bulk of the story with some additional notes, like memos, journal illustrations, and emails sprinkled in.

Hanna’s a tough cookie, and a bit spoiled. She won me over because she quickly put aside her infatuation with fashion and her dreamy boyfriend to take on the task of bringing down hostile invaders.

Nik is basically your typical bad boy with the heart of gold. Maybe a little trope-y, but to be honest, I never mind that kind of a hero, so I was totally in—even though it did take me a while to get past his rough edges.

The story moves fast—lots happens and the stakes pretty much constantly jump higher and higher. Some of the twists caught me completely unprepared. I liked how things dove-tailed together to complete the arc.

Readers who enjoy quick dialogue and banter as well as somewhat gritty sci-fi will want this one on their lists. Gemina makes a great follow-up to the series debut, Illuminae, and I had no trouble following it even though I’d forgotten a lot of pertinent details to that first book.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. Nik’s cousin has some physical disabilities as a result of her surviving a plague illness.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Another clever thing about this story is it censored most of the profanity, as if someone went back and blacked out the words from the record. A couple words did not get blacked out.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Also several scenes contain some sexual innuendo. At one point, Hanna ends up in her bra and underwear for non-romantic reasons, and has to find another outfit. There are a couple of references to her being in bed with her boyfriend, but they focus on either falling asleep or waking together, etc, rather than sexual details.

Spiritual Content
A couple of “Oh my God!” – “No, it’s just me,” kinds of comments.

Violent Content
Strong violence in several scenes. A man executes a hostage by shooting him in the head. Creepy descriptions tell of a parasite capable of attacking others which renders its victims sort of braindead and helpless. A couple gory descriptions of animal deaths.

Drug Content
Nik’s family deals a powerful drug referred to as dust. He’s involved in the manufacturing of the drug and in selling it. Hanna purchases it for friends and parties, but maintains that her own use is minimal or under control. She seems to have extreme familiarity with the effects of the drug and uses it for other purposes as the story progresses.

Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

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

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)
Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published on March 8, 2016

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About Lady Midnight
In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

My Review
I have so many conflicting feelings about this book. Some things—the relationships between the Blackthorn siblings and descriptions of especially Mark and Julian as well as all the tension between Faeries and Shadowhunters—I loved. Other things—the overall size of the cast (huge), the darkness of the plot, and the spans of info-dump in the narrative—were not my favorite things.

Emma’s character is super different than the heroine of Clare’s earlier Shadowhunter series. I liked The Mortal Instruments (okay, I think I only read the first three, but I liked them) and I liked Clary, the heroine of that series as well. But where Clary’s the emotionally sensitive, thoughtful leader, Emma’s all action and impulse. I liked that contrast and the way Emma’s character paired with her parabatai and bestie, Julian.

The story deals with a lot of demon-y stuff. Dark rituals, battles with demons, etc. I feel like The Mortal Instruments focused a little more on vampires and werewolves, but honestly, it may have been just as dark as this book was. I felt like Lady Midnight had a LOT of spiritually dark content. Enough that I probably won’t finish the series, to be honest.

I did really enjoy the references to the Faerie realm and the group Mark was bound to and all of the politics between the Shadowhunters and Faeries. It wasn’t the main focus of the story, but I found it to be one of the most fascinating parts of the overall tale.

On the whole, this is a tough one for me to review. I really liked some things and really struggled with other things. I think this series is probably not one I’ll continue with.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Cristina and Diego are Mexican. Other characters are white. Mark and his sister Helen face prejudice from both fairies and Shadowhunters because they are half-descendants of each. Mark is also bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Intense kissing between boy and girl or boy and boy. At one point, a montage sort of sequence fills readers in on the romantic relationship between two boys. There’s very little graphic sexual description, but we’re in no doubt of their level of intimacy.

Another scene describes a couple on the beach. The description leading up to their sexual encounter is intense, but we’re spared a play-by-play of the actual sex.

Spiritual Content
Dark (blood) rituals, demon battles, sorcery… this story has a lot of things some conservative readers might object to. Vampires deliver pizza to Emma and her allies. They stumble onto a cult in which it appears one member is chosen as a sacrifice.

Shadowhunters are said to be descendants of angels and humans. Some seem to worship or pray to certain angels. Some special knives have connections to angels and their powers are “activated” when the user says the angel’s name.

Violent Content
Lots of battle scenes, some pretty gory, some fatal.

Drug Content
Julian’s uncle relies on a drug/potion to restore his mind for short periods of time. The drug leaves him with terrible headaches once it wears off.

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Review: The Griffin of Darkwood by Becky Citra

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

The Griffin of Darkwood
Becky Citra
Coteau Books
Published on August 15, 2016

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About The Griffin of Darkwood
After 12-year-old Will Poppy’s mother dies, he finds himself moving to a run-down castle with an aunt he loathes and servants who are up to no good – and that’s just the beginning of his troubles.

Will Poppy has always been fascinated with writing – he thinks there’s something almost… magical about it. But when his mother dies, Will finds himself stuck living with his awful aunt, unable to write a single word (despite the fact that two Muses will not leave him alone) and handed a mysterious package which includes an old picture of his grandparents and a piece of cloth with the words “The Griffin of Darkwood” on it.

When his aunt decides to move both of them to a small village, Will is excited for a new adventure – in a castle no less! But after a rude welcome to the town that includes stories about a curse, and an introduction to the servants of the castle who evidently mean to cause him harm, Will’s sense of dread about the whole village rises.

What is the curse the villagers claim has been on the castle for hundreds of years, and what does it have to do with the disappearance of a young girl forty years ago? More importantly, what’s the Griffin of Darkwood, and what does it have to do with Will and his family?

My Review
My favorite thing about this book was the small town where Will and his aunt move after Will’s mom dies. I liked the sense of mystery and magic the town had and the connections between Will and the town the story revealed. Will’s friends made a fun cast of characters, too. I liked the way he related to each and the surprises that came from those relationships.

The Griffin of Darkwood is a pretty quick read with a nice balance between its more sinister elements of mystery and its themes of courage and community. After the heartbreak of losing his mom and being thrust into the care of his cruel aunt, Will finds comfort in new friends and mentors in the small village where he and his aunt move. At the same time, Will struggles to dodge his aunt’s schemes and the disdain of the two castle servants, who seem to wish him ill.

In Will’s grief over his mom’s death, he gives up writing. He learns, however, that telling stories is a powerful ability, and may be something of an inescapable gift. I liked the way his writing fit into the story as a whole.

Readers who enjoy fantasy stories and mysteries will find The Griffin of Darkwood a great addition to their bookshelves and reading lists. See below for content information.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
No real cultural information or descriptions given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Will and his mother see literal representations of their Muses—companions who visit them as they write. After his mother dies, Will continues to see his Muse and hers.

At a local bookstore, Will briefly spots literary characters like Gandalf. The shop owner doesn’t seem surprised. The castle where Will and his aunt move is haunted by ghosts. Rumor says there’s a curse on the castle.

An old woman shows Will a crystal ball and he has a terrible vision. She tells him it’s because he “fell into” the crystal ball.

Will meets with a friend who uses Tarot cards to check her future. She suggests they consult a Ouija board for more information about Will’s quest.

Someone tells Will about a legendary tapestry weaver whose tapestries changed the future. Whatever he wove came to be.

Violent Content
A man threatens to kill Will. Will and his friends hear rumors of someone once tortured in the dungeon of the castle where Will lives.

A Sparrowhawk (bird of prey) catches a pigeon. A man tells Will that the bird will kill its prey.

Will finds tapestries depicting a group hunting for a griffin.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl by John Putnam Demos

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

Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl
John Putnam Demos
Amulet Books
Published on October 31, 2017

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About Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl
Inspired by Demos’s award-winning novel The Unredeemed Captive, Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl will captivate a young audience, providing a Native American perspective rather than the Western one typically taught in the classroom.

As the armed conflicts between the English colonies in North America and the French settlements raged in the 1700s, a young Puritan girl, Eunice Williams, is kidnapped by Mohawk people and taken to Canada. She is adopted into a new family, a new culture, and a new set of traditions that will define her life. As Eunice spends her days learning the Mohawk language and the roles of women and girls in the community, she gains a deeper understanding of her Mohawk family.  Although her father and brother try to persuade Eunice to return to Massachusetts, she ultimately chooses to remain with her Mohawk family and settlement.

My Review
Though this book is classified as historical fiction, I thought the style of the writing was much more like a biography or nonfiction narrative. The story follows a much more bird’s-eye view of Eunice’s life and sometimes jumps away to catalogue her family’s reactions to various news and moments. That said, I found the story captivating as it followed a girl so young and the transformation of her ideas and identity as she grew up. I liked that the author clarifies in a note at the end of the book which parts were based on true historical documentation and which were filled in using traditions of the English or Mohawk at the time the events took place.

I think Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl would make a great supplement to a U.S. History curriculum for fourth or fifth grade readers. It focuses on some interesting relationships—not only the English versus the French, but Protestants versus Catholics and settlers versus Native American ways or beliefs.

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Eunice is an English girl. A Mohawk family adopts her. She marries a Mohawk man. Though the story follows much of her time in a Mohawk settlement, the story remains from Eunice or her biological family’s perspectives.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Brief, mild profanity used very infrequently to reference someone being cursed by God.

Romance/Sexual Content
Eunice feels attracted to a young Mohawk man.

Spiritual Content
Eunice was raised by a Protestant minister who values preserving her faith. At that time, Protestants and Catholics were at war (the English were at war with the French) and there was a massive campaign to convert any prisoners captured as part of the war. Eunice’s father worries terribly about her becoming a Catholic and that such a conversion would damn her soul.

During her life with the Mohawks, Eunice learns both Catholic ways and the traditional beliefs of the Mohawk people. She listens to stories about how the world was made and the afterlife from an elder of the tribe.

Violent Content
Eunice and her family are captured initially as part of a battle between the English and French, with whom the Mohawk have allied themselves. She witnesses the dead body of her servant and a baby—killed by Mohawk warriors. Later, Mohawk take her mother into the woods to kill her when it’s clear she is unable to keep up with the party as they travel. They return alone, and Eunice understands what has happened and grieves.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

Review: In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

In a Perfect World
Trish Doller
Simon Pulse
Published on May 23, 2017

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About In a Perfect World
Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

My Review
I am so in love with this book. The romance and the vivid setting and the relationships between Caroline and her parents (who were cool, but still parental–not the easiest balance to strike, but I thought they were awesome!) made this an unforgettable story. I liked the way Caroline’s experiences in Cairo made her think about the way women get treated, but also made her separate individuals from culture.

In writing this book, Doller doesn’t shy away from some of the political and cultural issues an American might face in moving to Egypt. In a Perfect World, despite the rosy glow of its title, explores a Cairo still in the aftermath of a revolution. While women are free to choose what clothing they wear, many face cruel or gross comments by some men even if they’re dressed modestly by Western standards. The story shows more than those extremist views, though. Caroline meets several devout and incredibly kind and giving Muslims. I liked that such a broad spectrum of people was represented in the story and felt like it added a lot of value without adding a lot of preaching.

Some readers may be uncomfortable with the idea of romance developing between a Muslim and a Catholic. I always feel like I can’t really pass judgment there since my own family crosses lines of faith. So that’s going to have to be something readers feel out for themselves. I liked that Caroline and Adam approached the possibility of their relationship knowing how serious those differences were between them, as they both highly valued their faiths. That totally resonated with me in my own life and relationship.

I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Trish Doller at ApollyCon last spring, and we talked a bit about this book (which wasn’t out yet at the time). I remember being totally intrigued and pre-ordered myself a copy after I got home. I’m SO glad I did, and so glad I was able to spend time with such a thoughtful, amazing author who challenges her readers to think even while telling deeply moving stories.

In a Perfect World is a great fit for Sarah Dessen fans as well as fans of romance or cultural stories in general. It’s a pretty quick read, and still a pretty new release, so keep this one in mind for the holidays, either as a fireside read or a gift for the reader in your life!

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Caroline and her (white Catholic) family move to Egypt for a year. Adam and his family are Egyptian and Muslim. Caroline meets lots of Muslims of varying practice and beliefs. Some are kind to her and some judge her pretty harshly.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently. Maybe four or five times through the whole book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. One brief reference to a boy putting his hand up Caroline’s shirt. (It’s implied he had her consent.) In Cairo, some men (strangers) make lewd comments to her and one unknown man touches her butt in a crowd. Caroline describes her frustration and humiliation at the experiences as well as her frustration at the men she talks to about it who sort of shrug and say, that’s just how it is here. (Not everyone responds that way.)

Spiritual Content
References to Catholic prayer and traditions. Caroline talks openly about her anxiety about living in a Muslim country and wonders how women who wear the hijab feel. She listens to the call to prayer—her mother explains what it means.

Caroline visits the church supposedly set on the place where Jesus once was. She thinks about him and his family as people who, like her, traveled to Egypt as foreigners.

Violent Content
Caroline hears about a bomb destroying an area of Cairo. At one point, she knows at least one of the victims killed in the blast.

Drug Content
Her parents make a comment about not being able to bring wine as a gift to dinner hosts who are Muslim. School friends invite Caroline to a beach trip in a place where there are bars. Her parents don’t allow her to go.

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