Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Darkwater by Catherine Fisher

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

Darkwater
Catherine Fisher
Dial Books for Young Readers
Published September 27, 2012

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With her famed family estate lost to a mysterious stranger, Sarah and her father have been forced on the kindness of a former servant and her family. When Sarah loses her job, she swallows her pride and accepts a new position assisting Azrael, the owner of her former home. A job isn’t all the strange man seems interested in. Disturbing rumors about how he acquired the estate buzz around Sarah’s head, and his question lingers in her mind: for what price would she offer him her soul? She resists, but tragedy forces her hand. All Sarah can do now is try to save the next desperate person from sharing her fate.

While the concept of the story is very intriguing, the most interesting part is left out of the story. She makes an agreement in trade for her soul and then the story cuts ahead to the future, to the next fly caught in Azrael’s trap.  As Sarah tries to help this next victim, the intensity builds to a mighty climax that is resolved too simply and easily. The author does, however, make excellent use of unexpected twists in the plot which repaint all the reader thinks he knows about the story. Darkwater is packed with elements of intrigue and mystery.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild.

Sexual Content
Very mild.

Spiritual Content
There is some allusion to the idea that the character Azrael has supernatural abilities that seem to have no direct connection to God or any particular religion.

Violence
A few suspenseful moments, but no real graphic violence.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Scorch by Gina Damico

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

Scorch
Gina Damico
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published September 25, 2012

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Going home after her sister’s death is the hardest thing Lex has ever had to do. But life in Croak isn’t getting any easier for the teenage Grim Reaper. Though her friends stick with her, the rest of the town blames Lex for Zara’s murderous rampage. After all, Zara wouldn’t be able to Damn souls if Lex hadn’t somehow transferred that ability to her. That Zara killed Lex’s sister doesn’t seem to matter either. Irrational fear and poor leadership whip the town into a frenzy of paranoia until Lex and her friends have no choice but to flee to the Grim capital, DeMyse.

Distracted by the glitz and glam of the Vegas-like town, Lex and her friends teeter between concern for the innocents Zara continues to murder and enjoying the city’s night life. Zara will only stop killing when Lex gives her the secret book that will grant terrible power to anyone who reads it. Lex is sure she is the only one who can find it, but will she find it before another innocent soul is Damned?

Readers who missed the first book in this series will find Scorch a little hard to follow. The rules of the story world are confusing and not well-explained. The plot meanders forward with frequent pit stops for parties and make-out sessions despite Zara’s promise that an innocent person will die every day until Lex gives her what she wants. While she is a bit shallow, Lex’s struggles with guilt and insecurity are very real and relatable. The appearance of Poe and other famous people of the past were a clever addition to the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate. Some swearing and lots of uses of various forms of “douche” insults.

Sexual Content
Heavy. Characters frequently sneak off to make out and hope to progress further.

Spiritual Content
The central characters of the story are Grim Reapers. Human characters experience an afterlife which is more or less wonderful, unless their soul has been Damned by a Grim Reaper. One rogue Grim Damns souls who are undeserving of such punishment. No real connection to Christian world-view.

Violence
Some battle violence and an explosion.

Drug Content
Grims enjoy a special drink that seems to have the same effect as beer. Young characters are depicted drinking it at bar and nightclub type settings.

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

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Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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

The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published March 14, 2006 (Orig. published 2005)

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A mysterious narrator gives an account of a young girl who has an unusual vice: she steals books. Death comes for the girl’s brother as she and her mother wait for a train to take them to a foster home where the children will be safe. It is he, the collector of souls, who is the only witness to the girl’s first thievery, and he begins to follow her story.

Life in Liesel’s new home is a difficult adjustment, plagued with nightmares, but through them, she and her foster father form a bond through reading the book Liesel has stolen: a grave-digger’s manual. As Liesel grows, over and over written words touch her life: a book stolen from the embers of a Nazi bonfire, from the mayor’s library, written to her by a man in hiding.

Death follows her story as a foreigner in her world, relaying the sequences of events with raw imagery and striking language, often creating the feel of a black-and-white picture with one color highlighted through it. Liesel’s journey is both joyful and heart-rending, harsh and beautiful. This is the most unusual World War II story I’ve ever read.

Okay. Honestly, the above is kind of an understatement. The Book Thief claims the top spot as my favorite book. I loved it so much that I called friends and family members, like listen. Then I made them listen to me read a passage of the book. The language, the use of metaphors totally blew me away. The characters and the emotions between them absolutely leapt straight off the page. I loved them all. Rudy. Oh, gosh, Rudy.

Seriously. Trust me. Read this. And call me when you find those passages that demand to be read out loud. I’ll be right there with you.

Update 2017: Check out this costume with book pages from The Book Thief as the skirt! You know you’re jealous….

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity. Leisel’s foster mother calls her a saumensch, which basically means pig. It becomes a term of endearment between characters.

Sexual Content
Very mild. A boy kisses a girl.

Spiritual Content
The story is told from the viewpoint of a spirit-being who collects the souls of the dead.

Violence
Some war violence – not hugely graphic or explicit.

Drug Content
None.

Watch the trailer that won the 2006 Teen Book Video Award below…


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Review: Beyond Corista by Robert Elmer

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

Beyond Corista
Robert Elmer
Zondervan
Published May 1, 2009

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After a narrow escape from an intense battle on her home planet Corista, Oriannon and her friends head toward a way station, guided by the mysterious pilot stone. Oriannon’s mentor, Jesmet, appears to her and instructs her to take word to each way station, warning the people of an impending attack by the merciless Troikans. Oriannon wants to obey, but there are two problems:  she is saddled with the presence of their enemy, Sola Minnik, blinded in the attack on Corista, and no one seems to believe her visions of Jesmet and his message about the doom to come. Is Oriannon wrong? Are her experiences with Jesmet mere hallucinations? Can she lead her friends in her holy quest or will she have to face this task alone?

Beyond Corista is the third book in the Shadowside Trilogy. The story follows Oriannon, a young girl with a special gift to remember anything she reads, and a love for the Owling people– a humble group who dwell on the dark side of her home planet, Corista. In the footsteps of her father’s leadership, she struggles to make choices that protect the innocent, even in the face of great evil.

I liked this book better than the first book in the series, The Owling. Oriannon remains a sympathetic character, and the story world continues to be interesting. I like that it has kind of a Jesus thing going on with the Jesmet character. Sometimes it felt a little bit like a Star Wars derivative to me, which could be good or bad, depending on your feelings. I wanted some more original spark. But over all, I did enjoy reading the book and would recommend it to fans of light sci-fi.

Profanity/ Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Oriannon learns that trusting God and following His instructions is not always easy. Nor does it always look like she expects.

Violence
There are some battle and capture sequences, but those are not graphic or explicit in nature.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Me, Just Different by Stephanie Morrill

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Me, Just Different
Stephanie Morrill
Revell
Published July 1, 2009

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About Me, Just Different

Senior year should be everything beautiful Skylar Hoyt can hope for. She has popular friends, a hot boyfriend. But a terrible experience gives her a late summer wake-up call, and for Skylar, it’s time to make some changes. No to parties, and yes to youth group top her list.

Until her family begins crumbling beneath her. Her parents seem to be moving opposite directions, with Skylar and her sister caught in the middle. Then Skylar discovers her sister’s secret. Should she tell? Can her parents’ fragile marriage handle a blow like this one?

With Skylar’s best friend acting weird and her boyfriend’s jealousy skyrocketing, she doesn’t have many places to turn for support. She finds herself lonely, troubled and in need of a real friend. Where can she find one of those?

My Review

ME, JUST DIFFERENT is the first book in the series The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt and author Stephanie Morrill’s debut novel. Morrill authentically tackles the drama of high school and a troubled home life, balanced with questions of faith. This is a clean, real look at surviving high school and the challenges a new Christian teen faces.

Morrill has this amazing sense of dialogue and always manages to write these quick one-line descriptions of things that leave me saying things like, “I know, right?” This book made me laugh but it also pulled my heartstrings. I loved Skylar and her sister and needed them to come through the difficult parts okay. This is a great pick for fans of Sarah Dessen or Sara Zarr. Definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Mild. Some kissing. References to other behavior that has occurred, but nothing explicit.

Spiritual Content
Skylar begins to attend church and youth group again as she tries to reforge her faith.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Some references to alcohol.

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Review: By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson

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

By Darkness Hid
Jill Williamson
Marcher Lord Press
Published April 1, 2009

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About By Darkness Hid

Achan has known nothing but the life of a stray, lower even than that of a slave. When a mysterious knight, rumored to have once been a stray himself, makes an offer to Achan to train him as his squire, despite laws that should prevent it, Achan finds himself trapped between two lives. In this midst of this, a strange gift seems to wake inside him. But isn’t bloodvoicing just a myth?

When an evil prince seeks her hand in marriage, Vrell hides behind the orange tunic of a stray and masquerades as a boy to conceal her identity. At the same time, her own newly discovered gift brings her to the attention of those in power despite her disguise. As they seek to exploit her gift, they draw dangerously close to uncovering her secret. As the prince’s coronation approaches, Achan and Vrell’s troubles only increase. Will Achan’s gift uncover his true identity? Can Vrell quell her gift to protect hers?

My Review

BY DARKNESS HID, the first novel in Jill Williamson’s Blood of Kings trilogy, is fast-paced, intriguing, and full of clever characters. I loved both Achan and Vrell (though their names are a little tough to say) and the story world contains some really different elements. I’m always a sucker for political intrigue, and By Darkness Hid had a little bit of that happening, too, which kept me guessing. This is one of those books you need to own two copies of: one for yourself and one to lend out to others. Great summer read!

Content Notes for By Darkness Hid

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Er’Rets is a kingdom half in darknes. The people worship many gods, but some believe there is one god, Arman, the creator, above all others.

Violence
Some battle scenes, but gore is minimal.

Drug Content
None.

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