Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Viola Doyle or an Unconventional Gift by Amy Lynn Spitzley

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

Viola Doyle or an Unconventional Gift
Amy Lynn Spitzley
Curiosity Quills
Published March 3, 2014

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Viola Doyle, who rides about town on her bicycle, a feat her mother thinks unbecoming to a young lady, loses a precious jewel when she collides with a young professor’s assistant. Mikhail, the young man she plowed into, returns the jewel and offers to help Viola and her grandmother research the mysterious gem’s origins. Together they learn that the gem is more than simple jewelry and is instead a powerful stone entrusted to a long line of protectors. But its keepers aren’t the only ones interested in the stone.

Another group seeks to find the stone and use it to gain power over all others. When a mysterious accident nearly costs Violet her life, she and her grandmother realize they must learn the identity of the would-be assassin and stop them before they steal the jewel.

An ancient creature senses the location of the jewel. With only her mother’s memories to guide her, she pursues the gem’s keeper without knowing if she will find friend or foe.

Viola’s high-spirited exuberance is guided by her firm but proper mother and her twinkle-eyed, understanding grandmother. When Viola’s heart leads her to the penniless orphan scraping by as a professor’s assistant, her mother is deeply concerned. For even a chance of a future, Mikhail’s ingenuity and devotion will have to win her family’s affection as surely as her own.

In her second novel, Spitzley demonstrates power and pizzazz as a storyteller. Readers of Scrapbook of My Revolution will find in this story a stronger, brighter voice and a broad cast of fabulous characters. The tale maintains a Victorian feel and is told in a lively, upbeat voice that both promises and delivers fantasy and fun. The close of the story leaves readers with plenty of mysteries still to solve and high hopes for a sequel.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very mild and infrequent.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
A girl suffers a suspicious bicycle accident. No graphic details.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: The Harder the Fall by Lauren Barnholdt

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , ,

The Harder the Fall (Girl Meets Ghost #2)
Lauren Barnholdt
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Published September 3, 2013

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Twelve year-old Kendall has a small problem: she sees ghosts, and she can’t tell anyone. Especially Brandon, whose mother has not only been haunting Kendall, but who begins pulling some creepy stunts in an effort to keep Kendall away from her son. So, there’s that. Kendall is also haunted by a girl named Lyra with an attitude whose flaky mom and flirtatious brother have opened a nail salon. Kendall and her bestie endure horrible manicures more than once while Kendall attempts to gather info on Lyra’s death so she can find out how to help Lyra move on. The problem? Lyra’s brother’s hand massages get a little out of control, and now Brandon, Kendall’s almost-maybe-hopefully-soon boyfriend gets jealous.

Now Kendall has to avoid Brandon seeing her with Lyra’s brother and avoid Brandon’s mom seeing her with Brandon, all while she avoids that awkward convo with her dad about his new serious girlfriend. Talk about a juggling act. When it all comes crashing down, there’s only one person Kendall can turn to for help. If she dares.

Barnholdt perfectly captures the zany fun tone of her middle school heroine, keeping what could be a spooky tale solidly grounded in all things bright and cheery. Kendall is a chipper, loveable narrator, though she seems more like fourteen than twelve. While this second novel in the Girl Meets Ghost series is long on fun, not much is resolved between the first page and the last. Budding readers of paranormal stories will like the ghostly elements and latter elementary school readers will likely be charmed by the upbeat voice and attitude of the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kendall sees and interacts with ghosts. They follow her around until she can sort out whatever their unfinished business is and help them bring closure to their lives so they can move on. On to where, Kendall doesn’t know and doesn’t spend much time considering.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: The Four Seasons of Patrick by Susan Hughes

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

The Four Seasons of Patrick
Susan Hughes
Red Deer Press
Published March 15, 2014

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Nine year-old Patrick faces troubling changes in his home. Since his mom’s death, Patrick, his brother Trevor and his dad have been on their own. But now Dad’s friend Linda and her pesky daughter Claire keep coming to visit. Worse still, Patrick learns that Dad is going to marry Linda, and she and Claire are moving into the house with Patrick.

Frustrated and unsure, Patrick retreats, spending time away from the family with his best friend. Together they build a treehouse, a safe place to hide away from Claire the pest. But before long, Patrick suspects that Claire isn’t happy about her new home either. As he works through his own unhappiness, he begins to wonder if Claire is unhappy, too.

In the course of Patrick’s journey through the year, he begins to see Claire as more than the annoying little tag-along. This transition from self-pity to empathy is the turning point which makes the story so much more than a tale of adjustment to blended family life (a valuable lesson on its own) and pushes further into not only peace with new housemates, but compassion, love and understanding.

The narrative is straight-forward and easy for children to follow, yet fun and tender as well. As a single parent facing this very transition, this is a book that makes my reading list of stories to share with my daughter. The way it’s written easily opens conversation topics about the coming changes and allows opportunity to discuss the fears and frustrations as well as to begin to explore the positives as the new family is built.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None

Sexual Content
None, though Patrick’s father and fiancée move in together after becoming engaged. No romance between the two is featured in the story.

Spiritual Content
Patrick’s brother Trevor tells a story about their mother pointing out a star and naming it as their star. No matter what happens, she tells them, the star will always connect them. Not really a spiritual theme per se, but a sweet moment.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

Disclaimer
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Legend by Marie Lu

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

Legend (Legend #1)
Marie Lu
G. P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group
Published November 29, 2011

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About Legend

Fifteen year-old Day’s life as a fugitive becomes complicated when his younger brother is diagnosed with a deadly plague. Instead of petty pranks for cash, he must use his skills as a thief to secure the heavily guarded, highly expensive cure that will save his brother’s life.

When word of her brother’s death reaches fifteen year-old June, she earns a promotion out of school and into action as a soldier and prodigy. The general expects immediate results, and June wants nothing less than to be responsible for the capture and demise of the rebel terrorist and murderer who calls himself Day.

Though at first June believes they have nothing at all in common, she soon learns there’s much more to the Republic of America’s most wanted criminal than the JumboTrons indicate. As June closes in on her target, the situation spirals out of her control, and she learns unexpected information about the Republic darkest and most terrible secrets. If she accept the information as truth, she can’t stand idly while innocent people die.

My Review

Right from the opening scenes, Legend launches readers deep into a world of secrets and danger. Day is exactly the outlaw with a hero’s heart that none can resist, and June proves herself worthy to be called a modern heroine, able to strategize and battle her way through the thickest mayhem.

I really enjoyed both their points of view, and I especially loved them as characters. I really liked the messages about questioning the information you’re told and learning to make judgments for yourself. Learning to take a stand for what you believe in, even if it’s unpopular.

This is a great start to what promises to be an excellent series. I think readers who enjoy dystopian fiction will find a lot to love in this book. I’m excited about reading the rest of the series.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild word choice, mild frequency.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
June’s brother is killed, and she is asked to examine the crime scene and determine the identity of the attacker. She participates in a street fight against a girl a little older than she is. Soldiers shoot Day’s mother in front of her family. A terrible plague with gruesome side effects spreads among the poorer sectors. These scenes are brief.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, ,

Shadow Hand
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Bethany House
Published March 4, 2014

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Prince Foxbrush of the Southlands is devastated when he learns that his bride-to-be has fled the castle on the very day they were to wed. Lady Daylily was last seen walking toward the Wood Between, descending into a dangerous gorge into which few enter and none return. Provoked by his cousin Lionheart, whom Daylily once loved, Foxbrush charges into the woods after his lost love, determined to rescue her from whatever peril may befall her.

But Daylily is no helpless princess in distress. She carries a powerful force inside her that may prove the worst enemy her people have ever faced, and running away may be the only way to protect them. A small bird calls to her, asking her to lay down her burdens, but Daylily refuses to be swayed. She doesn’t want to die at the hands of the thing inside her.

With both Foxbrush and Daylily missing, the Southlands falls into turmoil. Lionheart halts the rise of a new king in his cousin’s place, but doing so brands him a traitor.

Foxbrush pursues Daylily out of the Wood and into the past, to a land he knows only from legend and story. Armed with a faerie scroll bearing mysterious instructions, Foxbrush determines to rescue his ladylove, even if it means skipping a few baths and eating food prepared in questionably sanitary circumstances.When Foxbrush reaches the end of the scroll’s instructions, he’s left with only his determination and love for Daylily to lead him into a battle that will change him forever.

The sixth novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood, like its predecessors, packs quite a spiritual punch. The story reminds us reminding us to trust God’s plan as the best one, and that he created us the way we are on purpose, and we can celebrate that. This story is a little darker than the other novels in the series. Earlier stories boast hilarious characters and situations, while this one delves deep into Foxbrush and Daylily’s inner and outer turmoil. Series fans will love the appearance of familiar characters such as Prince Felix, Eanrin and Imraldera, the beautiful descriptions of the story world, and the exploration of deep spiritual themes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Faeries who’ve ventured to the human world from the Wood Between demand tribute from villagers in exchange for peace with them.

Over and over the voice of a small bird calls to Daylily, asking her to “let it go”. This so reminded me of the way the Holy Spirit calls to us and asks us to lay down things in our own lives (fears, sins, etc.) Daylily fears that her natural personality is all wrong for the life she’s been tasked to live. She learns that the identity she embraced for herself is the wrong one. She begins to believe her Creator meant for her to be something different than she imagined, something wonderful and powerful.

Violence
Wasps mercilessly sting a boy. Children are carried away from their homes and villages and flung into a pit. The scene itself makes this fairly sterile, as the children are in a sort of trance. Despite that of course, it’s sad and terrible simply by virtue of what’s happening. A lioness attacks two warriors. A prince grasps a melting piece of metal, causing irreparable damage to his hands.

Drug Content
None.

Disclaimer
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

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

Don’t Even Think About It
Sarah Mlynowski
Delacorte Press
Published March 11, 2014

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It all starts with a simple flu vaccine. One by one, the students in homeroom 10-B discover they have telepathic abilities as their minds become filled with voices of other students, teachers and even their parents.

At first, the students revel in the secrets they learn about one another: who cheated on whom, the identity of a secret crush, the test answers recorded by the smartest kid in class. But they also learn things they didn’t want to know. For one boy, it’s that Dad is having an affair and Mom has a divorce lawyer on retainer. For one girl, it’s that her parents are very much in love and, er, having sex. Would you want to know every time your girlfriend thinks about another guy? Would you want to know your crush is secretly crazy about someone else?

Should others be judged by what they say or what they think? Mlynowski explores this idea with humor and heaviness. As the group of teens struggle to navigate with their newfound ability, they must decide for themselves how to exist in a world in which people often think things far different than they say, and in which their deepest secrets become known to twenty other students. While some characters are a bit shallow and plastic, others really shine as moving, empathetic creations. The lesson that appearances often deceive is well-integrated into the story, and the author delves into possibilities both positive and negative. Ultimately, the kids must decide individually if this ability is a blessing or curse.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme word choice, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Several discussions about a boy who often “accidentally” has inappropriate physical contact with girls’ boobs. One girl makes plans to have her boyfriend over to her empty home during school lunch break. She also thinks back on summer escapades with a boy. Few details are given, but the reader is told they “didn’t have sex, but they did everything else.”

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
At a birthday party, one boy punches another in the face.

Drug Content
Brief references to teenaged drinking, smoking pot and taking Adderall without a prescription.

Disclaimer
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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