Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
Worldwide Crush Kristin Nilsen cover shows a girl sitting on the back of a leather couch looking up. Behind her is a giant poster of a boy with a guitar.

Worldwide Crush
Kristin Nilson
SparkPress
Published July 11, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Worldwide Crush

Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn’t mean her heart doesn’t break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or have faked a fascination with whale migration for a chance to visit his hometown? Millie may not be Rory’s only fan at Susan B. Anthony Middle School, but she’s convinced she’s the biggest—and the best.

Rory’s new song “Worldwide Crush” is climbing the charts, and his lyrics are he’s looking for love—and he’s looking in the audience. Meaning Millie’s secret fantasies of running in the surf and eating waffles with him may not be crazy after all . . . she could be that girl! But first she has to get to his concert—his completely sold-out concert in a city nowhere near her home for which she does not have tickets or a ride. She just has to figure out how.

My Review

Probably the best thing about this book is the voice. Millie is bright and self-conscious as she chatters about middle school, her family, and her crush on teen superstar Rory Calhoun. I felt like the snippets of media and song lyrics felt like they could be from any boy band or teen icon, so that fit the story really well.

The only thing that made me feel a little weird was the part of the performances where Rory would bring a girl onstage and sing a song to her about falling in love. In the book he is fifteen, and the girl he brings up onstage is maybe twelve? Later, he sees a tween girl lying on a couch crying and kisses her forehead. I think it was supposed to be sweet, but I couldn’t really get into it because the difference between twelve and fifteen seems like a lot to me, and it bordered on creepy just a teeny bit for me.

Beyond that, though, I liked the frank, unapologetic take on tween celebrity crushes and the way that Millie’s family finds ways to both set boundaries and support her or celebrate her crush with her. Millie’s relationship with her mom felt pretty realistic. I appreciated the nuance and layering there, and the way that sometimes even Millie recognized she was being hurtful or unfair, but was having a hard time navigating strong feelings. That absolutely resonates with me when I think about my own middle school days!

On the whole, I enjoyed the perky, upbeat voice and the positive depiction of girlhood and growing up.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Millie is white. Her best friend is biracial: white and Filipino. A minor character has a panic attack and other characters briefly discuss anxiety disorders and mental illness.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used a little frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy kisses a girl on the forehead.

Spiritual Content
Millie prays to whoever might be listening and notes that she’s never attended Sunday School, so she isn’t sure how prayer should go. She attends a seminar for mothers and daughters that takes place at a church, but doesn’t appear to be a church-sponsored function.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Millie hears about a girl who was caught smoking pot. Rumors circulate that a musician canceled a performance due to drug problems.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WORLDWIDE CRUSH in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Shadow of the Bird (Lightfall #2)
Tim Probert
HarperAlley
Published April 26, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird

In the second installment of the Lightfall series, Bea and Cad continue their quest to stop Kest, the mythic bird who stole the sun.

After a battle that nearly cost them their lives, Bea and Cad awaken in the hidden settlement of the Arsai, mysterious creatures who can glimpse into the future. The Arsai’s vision paints a dire picture for their planet, as the bird Kest Ke Belenus–now awoken from a restless slumber–threatens to destroy all the Lights of Irpa. Desperate for a solution, Bea and Cad seek out the help of a water spirit known as Lorgon, whose ancient wisdom may help them find a way to take down Kest and save Irpa from utter destruction.

But when their time with Lorgon presents more questions than answers, Bea and Cad must decide what’s more important . . . stopping Kest or uncovering the truth.

My Review

After I finished the first book in the Lightfall series, I couldn’t WAIT to read the second one. Originally I bought the first one to share with my nephew and niece who are into graphic novels. My nephew read the first one and was pretty excited about it. He is looking forward to reading this one, too.

I thought SHADOW OF THE BIRD was a little scarier than the first book in the series. There are some scenes that are a little more intense where Cad and Bea confront a powerful enemy. Just as with THE GIRL AND THE GALDURIAN, though, Cad’s upbeat attitude keeps things lighter than they might be otherwise. Bea continues to wrestle with fear and anxiety, shown in the panels as a dark cloud that wraps around her when she gets scared and anxious.

There’s a great balance between Cad and Bea, too. Though Cad is the intrepid explorer and warrior, Bea is the one who thinks things through carefully, the one who notices things Cad would otherwise overlook. Also, I love that her cat Nimm comes along on the journey with them!

I’m a big fan of this series so far, and really looking forward to the release of the third book. Since book one came out in 2020, and this one in 2022, I’m guessing book three won’t be out until next year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cad is a Galdurian, which means he looks a little bit like a giant axolotl?? There are minor characters with brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Cad and Bea search for a spirit of the sea to ask for his help. They learn some information about another spirit, too.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

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

The Vermilion Emporium
Jamie Pacton
Peachtree Teen
Published November 22, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Vermilion Emporium

The heart-wrenching story of The Radium Girls meets the enchanting world of Howl’s Moving Castle. Jamie Pacton’s fantasy debut is a story of timeless love and deadly consequences.

It was a day for finding things . . .
 
On the morning Twain, a lonely boy with a knack for danger, discovers a strand of starlight on the cliffs outside Severon, a mysterious curiosity shop appears in town. Meanwhile, Quinta, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary circus performer, chases rumors of the shop, The Vermilion Emporium, desperate for a way to live up to her mother’s magical legacy.
 
When Quinta meets Twain outside the Emporium, two things happen: One, Quinta starts to fall for this starlight boy, who uses his charm to hide his scars. Two, they enter the store and discover a book that teaches them how to weave starlight into lace.
 
Soon, their lace catches the eye of the Casorina, the ruler of Severon. She commissions Quinta and Twain to make her a starlight dress and will reward them handsomely enough to make their dreams come true. However, they can’t sew a dress without more material, and the secret to starlight’s origins has been lost for centuries. As Quinta and Twain search the Emporium for answers, though, they discover the secret might not have been lost—but destroyed. And likely, for good reason.

My Review

I really enjoyed Jamie Pacton’s contemporary novels, especially her debut, THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY, so when I saw that she had written a fantasy novel, I knew I wanted to check it out. An ARC copy of the book recently arrived in the mail, and I could not wait to read it.

Both Twain and Quinta pretty much had me from the first page. I wasn’t sure from the first scene how things were going to tie together, but it was definitely a compelling place to begin a story! In that opening chapter, Twain is climbing a deadly rock face in search of highly sought-after feathers he can sell for passage on a ship away from his hometown and all his memories of loss.

His meeting Quinta isn’t exactly instalove, but it’s pretty close. Instalove usually requires some suspension of disbelief on my part, but I actually loved the way that the two were drawn to one another and the way their feelings heightened on their adventure through the Vermilion Emporium.

The only thing that surprised me a little was how far into the book I was before the comparison to RADIUM GIRLS became clear. I think I was maybe 75% through the book before the plotlines that draw the comparison became clear.

The late entrance of that theme did make sense in the context of the story that was being told. I guess I was a little surprised because it’s highlighted in the back cover copy, so I expected a RADIUM GIRLS theme or parallel to emerge earlier.

The late arrival of that plot didn’t harm my appreciation for the book in any way, though. The love story absolutely captured me, especially because both Twain and Quinta were so lonely and adrift in their own lives. I think the book totally delivers on the feelings of finding your person and how magical that can feel.

On the whole, something about THE VERMILION EMPORIUM reminded me of STARDUST by Neil Gaiman. The fantasy world definitely had that kind of whimsical, wide-open magical world feel to it that I remember from reading STARDUST. I think readers who enjoyed that one or CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber will love the high-stakes magical quest and the powerful romance of this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both Twain and Quinta are described as having brown skin. Quinta has had romantic relationships with boys and girls in the past.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene they sleep curled up together. In one scene, a boy and girl kiss and then make clear their intention to have sex. The scene ends before they do any more than kiss. Both Twain and Quinta reference having had past relationships and sexual encounters (no details).

Spiritual Content
Long ago, there were people who could weave starlight into magical lace that could enchant others. A magical shop appears, selling oddities and magical items. One character discovers the secrets of how starlight is made and how to create the magical lace. Characters encounter a strange creature that may be from another world or a fae creature. Another character reveals a different magical skill made with other magical threads.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Twain’s brother died after a fall from a dangerous rock face. Two boys who were his brother’s peers chase Twain and try to harm him. Someone holds another person at knifepoint and threatens to kill them. Boys beat up another person, rob them, and leave them for dead. Someone kidnaps someone else and threatens to kill them if they do not meet certain demands. They later do the same to other people as well. References to torture. In one scene, a man tortures a prisoner, cutting her with a knife. Someone uses an otherworldly weapon to kill two other people. A battle in the street leaves someone fatally wounded.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Maybe There Are Witches by Jude Atwood

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

Maybe There Are Witches
Jude Atwood
Fitzroy Books
Published June 13, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Maybe There Are Witches

“I can’t think of a better fate for young readers.” -Steven T. Seagle, co-creator of Ben 10, Big Hero 6, and Camp Midnight.

After moving to the tiny village of Biskopskulla, middle school student Clara Hutchins discovers that her family has a history in the region: one hundred forty years ago, one of her ancestors was hanged as a witch from the white oak tree on the edge of town. When Clara finds a mildewed diary in the basement, she’s even able to read the rambling thoughts of her long-dead relative.

But when the book’s predictions about Clara’s own life start coming true, she wonders if those 19th-century villagers had a point: maybe her great-great-great grandmother really did have unearthly abilities. Now, a break-in at the tomb of the town’s founder means a great evil has returned to Biskopskulla. Clara and her newest friends— two of the weirdest boys in school— must join forces to decipher the messages of a murdered witch and stop an unnatural catastrophe. But as they quest through historic cemeteries, backcountry libraries, and high-octane scholastic bowl tournaments, something sinister is lurking, watching, and waiting…

My Review

One of the things I liked about this book is the way that Clara’s quest to discover what happened to her ancestor leads her to a new group of friends. At first, on her own in a new town, she feels pretty isolated. The discovery of her great-great-great grandmother’s diary could have been something she kept to herself and which further isolated her from others. Instead, it becomes a vehicle through which she builds a new community around herself. She makes friends, like Gary and Chris, and even comes to connect with a mentor of sorts.

In terms of pacing, the story begins slowly, but the tension and speed at which things unfold gradually builds until, by the end, it’s a pretty wild ride!

There was really only one thing that I have mixed feelings about, and I don’t think I can talk about it without spoiling a couple of things, so I’m going to leave that all the way at the end, after the content summary.

On the whole, though, I think readers who enjoyed THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will enjoy the eerie supernatural storytelling of this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Clara is white. One of her friends is Vietnamese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Clara finds a diary that appears to predict the future and responds to her actions and questions. She and her friends encounter other artifacts that have supernatural abilities. Clara and her friends try to complete an elaborate ritual they believe will banish evil from their town.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone tells Clara macabre stories of the town’s history, including the story of a cult leader who was murdered by gun violence and a woman hanged to death for being a witch. References to a teenager killed in a car accident. More than once, people enter Clara’s house without permission. (One person mistakes it for a bed and breakfast establishment, and another appears intent on harming her and her friends.) Someone chases Clara and her friends and locks them inside a garage. A person uses a cattle prod to incapacitate someone else. Someone stabs another person through the heart.

Drug Content
None.

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

SPOILER

The only thing I had mixed feelings about is that the woman who was murdered by the townspeople does turn out to be truly evil. There isn’t really any examination about whether, since she was evil, her execution was justified. One character comments that, basically, there are good witches and witches who cause harm, the same way that there are in other groups of people. So it is obliquely addressed, but it did leave me feeling a little weird because maybe the book implied that not all of the witch trials/murders were a bad thing (in a made-up world in which magic and witchcraft really do exist).

It’s possible that I’m reading way too much into the story and feeling weird for no reason. I liked a lot of other elements of the book, so I’m glad I had a chance to read it.

Review: Andy and the Extroverts by Jessica K. Foster

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

Andy and the Extroverts
Jessica K. Foster
Winding Road Stories
Published May 16, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Andy and the Extroverts

Seventeen-year-old bookish Andy has no friends. When her over-involved mother has the audacity to ship her off to summer leadership camp, she’s thrust into an introvert’s nightmare. Everyone is a Communicator with a capital C, icebreaker activities are scheduled into every waking moment, and horror of all horrors: there’s no coffee. Even the girls who take her under their wing are the kind of self-assured people Andy could never dream of becoming.

Then she meets Lucas‐‐hot, attentive, and everything Andy reads about in her books. Though the girls in her cottage try to warn her about him, she’s swept into the first romance of her life. But when she discovers her friends may be right, she’ll have to find her inner confidence to save her summer and become the leader she was always meant to be.

My Review

I’ve been in the mood for a good summer camp book lately (probably since I posted this list of ten great summer camp books). This book had all the things I was looking for: summer camp nerves, goofy group activities, unexpected but wonderful new friendships, and a summer romance!

As an introvert, I really appreciated a lot of Andy’s experiences. I especially appreciated her need for alone time and how often she felt like that was brushed off or negatively viewed. The scenes where people treat her as if her problem is simply shyness and that the solution is to push her “out of her comfort zone” also really resonated with me.

I think my favorite moments were the ones in which people quietly noticed or praised her leadership style, recognizing that it was different than the louder, rah-rah style of some of the other campers and counselors but often equally effective. I loved that. It made me feel like the author had some expertise or knowledge about ways that introverts lead versus extroverts. It made me think of QUIET by Susan Cain, which I heartily recommend to any introvert or person connected to one.

Anyway, I stayed up way too late finishing this book because I really wanted to know what would happen. I was a little disappointed in the ending simply because I hoped for a different outcome. I can really see how the ending fits and centers Andy’s character.

Would I read a follow-up to this book? Definitely. Because of the way it ends, I’m hoping there will be one. If you’re looking for a fun summer camp read, check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. One of Andy’s friends appears romantically interested in people of more than one gender. Andy has anxiety/panic attacks.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used pretty infrequently. In one scene, someone starts to say the F word but is cut off.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, a girl removes her shirt and states that she’s interested in doing more than kissing. What exactly she does is left vague beyond that, though.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Andy experiences anxiety in a lot of situations at camp, including being forced into public speaking and during a swimming test. She has a panic attack while climbing a rock wall.

Boys prank a girl by pretending to be a bear while she’s out in the woods in the dark. A boy throws a girl into the lake while she’s asking him not to. He knows she’s not a strong swimmer. In both instances, the boys are confronted and apologize.

Drug Content
In one brief scene, Andy walks past some kids who are using a vape pen to smoke weed.

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

Review: Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

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

Sing Me to Sleep
Gabi Burton
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 27, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Sing Me to Sleep

In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn’t struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren’t for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom’s brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they’re forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who’s plaguing the city. There’s only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A SONG BELOW WATER and TO KILL A KINGDOM.

My Review

I have mixed feelings about siren stories. DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE QUEEN made me uncomfortable with its casual description of sexual assault by sirens. But I loved the way sirens were included in A SONG BELOW WATER. The opening scenes of SING ME TO SLEEP only made me more nervous because right away, it started with a description of a man touching Saoirse without her consent and then progressed to her using her ability to control him and force him to do things without his consent.

Once the story developed more, and I got to know Saoirse outside the context of her role as an assassin, especially as I got to see her relationships with Jeune and Hayes, I started to enjoy the story a lot more. I especially thought it was interesting when Saoirse began to want or need things that stood in opposition to what her siren nature wanted or needed her to do.

I think having a female character (as a siren) who can take back power in a sexual space is awesome. It does make me uncomfortable to have that happen in a way that ignores consent, though. I think I wish Saoirse had at least considered whether she was doing the same thing to the men who treated her so wrongly. There are some moments where she comes right up to the edge of considering it but then retreats to justifying herself.

On the whole, I think the strength of the book is in the relationships between characters and in Saoirse’s quest to protect her identity while figuring out who is trying to harm the people she loves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are described as having brown or dark brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Saoirse uses her siren abilities to excite lust in her victims and then controls them before killing them or forcing them to kill themselves. Sometimes before she begins using her abilities, they touch her without her consent. Sometimes she feels justified in killing them because they violated her this way.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Saoirse works as an assassin for an unnamed employer. In several scenes, she murders men her employer hires her to kill. A couple of scenes show sparring or battles. In one scene, an official executes a prisoner. In another scene, a man kills someone with a knife. Several people drown or nearly drown.

Drug Content
Some scenes show social drinking. Hayes takes two guards with him to a pub with the intent of getting drunk. Saoirse refuses to drink alcohol.

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