Category Archives: By Age Range
Review: Untamed by Madeline Dyer
Madeline Dyer
Ineja Press
Available January 9, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads | Author Interview
Seven’s mother is gone. Rahn claims she’s left the Untamed settlement and become a member of the Enhanced. Seven wants to mount a rescue mission to go after her, even though she knows it never works. Once a person has a taste of the augmenters the Enhanced use for supernatural strength and speed, she never comes back willingly. The augmenters are too addicting.
Shortly after her mother’s disappearance, Seven learns that she holds the key to an ancient power that will mean the survival or doom of her people. When the Enhanced begin to target her, she must depend on her friends to prevent her capture. But the greatest enemy she must face may come not from an outside attack, but from within herself.
The fast-paced action of Untamed really drew me into the story. Disaster seemed constantly imminent, and it was difficult to tell who Seven could really trust as friends and allies. The threats of betrayal from within and the feeling that her enemy was closing in around her from the outside really kept the pages turning and me wanting to find out what happened next.
One thing I really struggled with though was the lack of story world development. There are some great elements present (the Gods, the spirits that swarm during these purple sky moments) but they remained undeveloped. Where did the lore come from? What Gods? Do their names somehow tie the story to a futuristic earth or is this a completely different fantasy land? I wanted more information, more weaving in through the events of the story. I loved that the spirits played a role, but I still felt like I didn’t understand how they got there to begin with or what their story was.
Seven has a dog with her for much of the story. A dog without a name. She talks about wanting to give the dog a name but not settling on anything and instead refers to her as “my dog” or “the terrier” for the whole story. I didn’t really have a clear picture in my head of what the dog looked like. But more than that, I feel like she would have called the dog something. A nickname or something at the very least. Terri? Good Dog? Something. But that’s really a minor point in the larger scope of the story.
I wanted more of a sense of how the Untamed and Enhanced fit into the larger story world. I wanted to better understand why the Enhanced were evil. Some things were obvious, but it felt like a whole world existing moment to moment, without a larger scope or goal. I think the conflict between the two groups was easy to understand, but it lacked that epic feel that I think would have come from having larger leaders with world-changing goals.
Other than the issues with story world, I enjoyed reading Untamed. I found it easy to root for Seven as a character and really wanted her and Corin to get together! I liked that she was flawed but still strong and smart enough to work some things out on her own. Readers who enjoy dystopian novels would enjoy this book.
Mild profanity used infrequently.
Sexual Content
Brief kissing.
Spiritual Content
Vague references to the Gods and spirits. At one point it seems that there’s a way to control the spirits. Everything stays very vague.
Violence
The Enhanced leaders torture captured members of the Untamed. Untamed steal from Enhanced cities to survive and kill Enhanced members if necessary. The Enhanced claim to be nonviolent, but they also try to kill the members of Untamed groups.
Drug Content
The Enhanced use vials of liquid with specific purposes, to calm them or enhance speed, etc. The solutions are extremely addictive.
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Review: The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz
Disney-Hyperion
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Two girls, best friends. One is heir to the Lily throne. The other is the daughter of the most powerful mage in the empire.
Princess Marie-Victoria has always been a sick and weak child. As the time comes for her to inherit the throne, her mother and the Mage of England seek an alliance with the powerful, savvy crown prince of Prussia. But Marie-Victoria has other plans for her life.
Aelwyn, the bastard daughter of the Mage of England, has to make her own choice: return to Avalon and live as a magician in exile, or take her vows and join the order who serve the Franco-British Empire. Aelwyn has never desired to serve. In her heart, she has always envied the princess’ life and privileges. When Marie-Victoria approaches her with a plan for the future, Aelwyn’s heart thrums at the possibility and quakes in terror at what her friend is asking of her.
Together the girls have the opportunity to shape the future of the world. Only first they must decide which future to choose.
I was a little nervous beginning this story because I’d read one of her Gates of Paradise books and really struggled with the story and characters. I found myself really fascinated with the set-up of this story. If Merlin were real and his power continued beyond King Arthur’s day, how would that shape the world? In The Ring and the Crown, this means England conquers France. The Revolutionary War? Not so much. The American colonies still belong to the English – er, the Franco-British – Empire. These guys can’t be beat.
I liked the way de la Cruz wove in some French cultural references into the politics and traditions surrounding the royal family. It added an authenticity to the story world in a really subtle way. As strange as the concept sounds, the story world felt totally believable. I loved the idea and it read like the author really thought through a lot of the lore about Merlin and the period of European history.
The characters were fantastic. Each had really distinct personality and voice. It was easy to root for them. I liked that the romance was a bit unpredictable. Several times I thought I knew what would happen and was surprised at the real outcome.
All in all this was a really entertaining read. I would definitely consider following this series, which isn’t something I normally do. The ending really set a great hook for the next story, though, so I’m finding it hard to resist!
Mild profanity used infrequently.
Sexual Content
Leo is a bit of a cad and appears to frequently take ladies to bed with him. He coerces Isabelle into having sex with him. Isabelle’s guardian has been sexually abusing her since she was a girl. Very few real details about it. Her description is more of a flickering memory, so we don’t experience him doing anything in scene, other than kissing her. Aelwyn recalls a love affair with another resident of Avalon. She briefly recollects having sex with him and the heartbreak that followed when the relationship ended. No details describing the sex, just a brief reference to waking up together, etc. There are no rules regarding same-sex relationships, and two very eligible bachelors have chosen one another as lovers. No description of the physical affection between them.
Spiritual Content
Merlin’s order has pretty much taken the place of the church in England. The order appears to operate much like a monastery, and the head rules alongside the queen of the empire. A Pandora’s box is the only weapon that can stand against the power of the magic held by the English.
Violence
Brief references to battle. A young prince takes out frustrations in the boxing ring. A young man defends the honor of his love in a duel to the death.
Drug Content
References to drinking wine.
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Review: Last Year’s Mistake by Gina Ciocca
Simon Pulse
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Kelsey and David were best friends the summer before freshman year. Then a misunderstanding turned the whole school against her, including David. A family move gave her a chance to start over in a new town at a new school, but just when Kelsey thinks she has rebuilt the perfect life, David sets her whole world spinning by transferring to her school. Committed to maintaining a casual peace, Kelsey keeps him at arms’ length… until she can’t. The fierce chemistry between them reemerges, and she finds herself faced with a terrible dilemma: the boy she’s dating isn’t the boy she loves. But is it too late to tell David the truth?
This story is packed to the roof with teen melodrama. She wants him, she doesn’t want him. No, she wants him. But does he want her? Maybe he does, but no, he can’t! He mustn’t! Wait, she mustn’t! If you’re looking for an oozy gooey romance, this definitely fits the bill. While some of the plot twists could be considered a bit farfetched, it’s easier to believe they’d play in the high school arena. Many of the characters outside Kelsey and David were a bit two-dimensional. David’s sense of honor and integrity is refreshing. Their family histories also add a bit of depth to him and Kelsey.
Language Content
Extreme profanity, moderate frequency.
Sexual Content
Kelsey has been having sex with her boyfriend. While there aren’t scenes in which the dirty deed is described, she references her feelings about it and they make plans to have sex while her house is empty. She hears rumors about David with other girls and when he starts dating and being pretty cozy with one of her friends, she assumes he’s having sex with her, too.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violence
One boy attacks another and beats him up. Few details.
Drug Content
Kelsey’s friends do quite a bit of drinking alcohol at parties.
Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
When Princess Levana’s parents are brutally murdered by an assassin, the empire falls to her cruel elder sister Channery to rule. But Channery isn’t interested in the politics of ruling her kingdom. She’s more interested in ridiculing her younger sister, berating her for her unrequieted love and the ugly scars Levana hides behind a glamour. As Levana steps forward to manage the country’s affairs, she finds she has a talent for being in charge. When Channery’s sudden death leaves Levana to rule as regent, her thirst for power only intensifies. If only she didn’t have to step aside when Channery’s daughter Seline came of age…
Fans of Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles will not want to miss this look into what turned a shy, intelligent young girl into the ruthless queen intent on ruling the earth. The plot chugs forward, building momentum and gaining more and more complexity and intensity as it grows. While Levana isn’t the most sympathetic protagonist, we can’t help identifying with her resentment toward her self-centered parents and the terror she feels toward her sister. But it’s not just Levana’s younger self that readers see in Fairest. Many Lunar characters who make an appearance in The Lunar Chronicles are featured in this story. Readers will recognize the Thaumaterge who kept Cress captive on the satellite and the pilot who helped her escape. We also get a sneak peek at Winter, the heroine in the next book in the series.
If you’re new to this series, I would definitely not start with this book, even though it comes first chronologically. I’d definitely start with Cinder so that you understand the significance of events in Fairest. Series fans should definitely give this one a go. I have a feeling even more things from this story will feel significant when reading Winter.
Language Content
No profanity.
Sexual Content
Levana uses her Lunar gift to seduce a man. There’s a brief reference to him waking in her bed and seeing blood on the sheets and being horrified at what he’s done. That’s about the only reference to them having had sex. She later briefly thinks about having a baby with her husband.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violence
Levana bears scars from a vicious attack in which her sister pushes her into a fire. Later, she tries to murder a political rival by having her burned alive. Her parents were murdered by an assassin with a knife. Some brief details – less about the murder and more about the condition of the room afterward. Levana approves some pretty controversial policies allowing experimentation on certain citizens. Not a lot of details given there. Brief reference to torture being used to extract information from a prisoner. No details about any methods used. An assassin shoots a man in the chest. He is shot as well.
Drug Content
None.
Review: The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
Egmont USA
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
A bullying incident leaves Harry scarred and terrified of lightning storms. When a popular boy suggests that he and Harry form a band, Harry jumps at the idea. But as Harry gets to know Johnny better, he realizes that their friendship isn’t the salvation he once thought. As long as Harry is willing to play the role Johnny carves out for him, everything will be fine. When the band’s success takes them all by surprise, Harry’s world opens wider than ever before, and for the first time, he finds he might not need Johnny to bridge the gap between him and everyone else. Stepping into his own spotlight changes his relationships in ways beyond what he imagined.
The story begins as a 250 word essay on a college application that Harry is writing. It quickly goes way beyond the required word count as Harry explains what’s led him to apply for college. I like the way the college essay frames the story. It struck me as vaguely reminiscent of the way S. E. Hinton uses a similar approach in The Outsiders, in which the protagonist writes his story as an English assignment for school. (True story: I once finished reading The Outsiders, which closes with Ponyboy repeating the opening lines of the story as the beginning of his English homework. I then flipped the book over and read it again trying to imagine him crafting it as his school paper. I know. I didn’t get out much.)
From the get-go, Scar Boys is a gritty, brutally honest tale about a boy whose life was irrevocably changed when neighborhood bullies tied him to a tree and left him. The tree was struck by lightning, leaving Harry with terrible scars that even challenge his own father’s love for him. So it gets a bit dark. But at his core, Harry is a pretty sweet guy who wants what we all want: love, friendship, adventure. I liked that the story isn’t strictly about him recovering from his childhood trauma, but that Vlahos takes us so much further into the murky depths of a complicated friendship. What price is Harry willing to pay to continue his friendship with Johnny? I like that Johnny isn’t the selfless charmer that we initially believe him to be. I loved where Vlahos took Johnny and Harry’s relationship – the breaking and redemption the boys both face.
I think I had some really ridiculous expectations going into the story because of the hype I’d seen. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, and I thought it was pretty great. I think I had expected an earth-shattering, life-altering experience, and it wasn’t that for me. While I think it was really well done, it won’t live on in my top favorites, and I’m a little (perhaps foolishly) disappointed because I kind of expected it to. Over all, though, there were a lot of great moments and great lessons about courage, friendship and love. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading Vlahos’ next, Scar Girl.
Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.
Sexual Content
Harry gives a very brief description when he (accidentally) witnesses his best friend having sex with a girl. Harry mentions masturbation.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violence
Bullies tie Harry to a tree and leave him during a storm. He is left with horrendous scars when lightning strikes the tree. Since then, he’s had a lot of trouble with bullies picking on him, but nothing so extreme as that first incident.
Drug Content
Teen drinking and references to smoking pot.