Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch Rising
Sarah Henning
Kathering Tegen Books
Published August 6, 2019

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About Sea Witch Rising

“The Little Mermaid” takes a twisted turn in this thrilling sequel to villainess origin story Sea Witch, as the forces of land and sea clash in an epic battle for freedom, redemption, and true love. 

Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds? 

Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption.

My Review

I forgot how much I like the way Sarah Henning writes. Her characters are compelling and complex. They’re the kind of characters who are somehow both hero and villain. You don’t agree with all their choices, in fact, some of them you wildly disagree with, but you understand the desperation and the love behind them.

The story world is also rich and imaginative. The magical system feels well-developed, too. I liked the cross-generational element to the story, where Evie, the protagonist from Henning’s first book, SEA WITCH, is now the age of Runa’s grandmother. Runa’s sister becomes human because she’s in love with the grandson of Evie’s best friend. It gives the story an interesting circular feel.

I think I expected the Little Mermaid retelling to be the whole story. (Spoiler: it isn’t. It’s about 25% of the book.) On the one hand, I liked that SEA WITCH RISING went much broader into this political conflict and the collision of merpeople and humans. On the other hand, sometimes the story felt rushed because so much was crammed into the pages.

A few elements challenged my willing suspension of disbelief. I’ll try not to include spoilers. At one point Runa takes a serious action that I felt didn’t get the proper horror from her new allies. They kind of face-palmed, told her she did a stupid thing, and sort of moved on.

They had other, more pressing issues, so in some ways it made sense that they put Runa’s actions aside, but it didn’t seem like she paid a social cost for her behavior, if that makes sense.

I kind of also wanted SEA WITCH RISING to have a little more of a nod to true love toward the end of the book. The story definitely isn’t about romantic love. It’s about sisterhood and also the kind of love you have for your people. But it would have been really cool to juxtapose the part of the story which is the retelling of the Little Mermaid against Runa’s own journey toward love.

On the whole, I still really enjoyed the book. Like I said, I love the way Sarah Henning writes and I love her complex characters. I’m a huge fan of the duology, and I hope Henning writes more fantasy in the future.

If you like twisted fairy tales, also check out the duology SPINDLE FIRE and WINTER GLASS by Lexa Hillyer, which are kind of a Sleeping Beauty/Alice in Wonderland/Cinderella mashup. Also, if you’re fans of those books, you definitely want to read SEA WITCH and SEA WITCH RISING!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Runa and her sisters have blond hair and pale skin. The humans in the story are from Denmark.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to the sea goddess, Urda. Use of magic.

Violent Content
The sea king uses a violent magic to harm the sea witch. In an intense scene, a someone stabs another person. Witches use magic to incapacitate and burn enemy soldiers.

Drug Content
The sea king uses nectar from a rare flower to amass magical power. He’s become addicted and withdrawals from the nectar may kill him.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of SEA WITCH RISING in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Ever Alice by H. J. Ramsay

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

Ever Alice
H. J. Ramsay
Red Rogue Press
Published August 1, 2019

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About Ever Alice

Alice’s stories of Wonderland did more than raise a few eyebrows—it landed her in an asylum. Now at 15 years of age, she’s willing to do anything to leave, which includes agreeing to an experimental procedure. When Alice decides at the last minute not to go through with it, she escapes with the White Rabbit to Wonderland and trades one mad house for another: the court of the Queen of Hearts. Only this time, she is under orders to take out the Queen.

When love, scandal, and intrigue begin to muddle her mission, Alice finds herself on the wrong side of the chopping block.

My Review

I think the idea of EVER ALICE is really clever. It seems completely plausible to me that if the Alice from the original story came back from Wonderland and tried to explain her adventures to her family and friends, they would send her to an asylum.

That premise also gives EVER ALICE a darker, creepier feel. This Wonderland feels much more like something created by Tim Burton rather than Lewis Carroll. Several scenes show victims of the Red Queen’s conspiracy theories getting beheaded. She chooses food and drinks that become increasingly gross.

Something felt missing for me in reading the book, though. I wanted more from Alice. She’s a passive character, constantly getting caught up in other people’s plans. Even when she finally (about 60% of the way through the story) commits to a course of action, she still relies on others to lead her to the solution to her problem.

I liked that the story isn’t as simple as a girl falling through a rabbit hole into another world. (Though I guess that doesn’t sound all that simple.) I liked that it left me with questions about what Alice really experienced. All in all, I’d say EVER ALICE wasn’t the best fit for me as a reader, but it was an interesting leap from the original story.

If you’re looking for a reimagining of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, I recommend Umberland, the second book in the series by Wendy Spinale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Alice and her family are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
One character reads cards, tea leaves, and palms to predict the future. The Cheshire cat appears and disappears. Ghosts appear and speak to living characters.

Violent Content
Several descriptions of beheading.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Start Here by Trish Doller

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Start Here
Trish Doller
Simon Pulse
Published August 13, 2019

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About Start Here

Two teens go on a life-changing sailing trip as they deal with the grief of losing their best friend in this heartwrenching, hopeful novel from the author of Something Like Normal and In a Perfect World.

Willa and Taylor were supposed to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West with their best friend, Finley. But Finley died before graduation, leaving them with a twenty-five-foot sailboat, a list of clues leading them to destinations along the way, and a friendship that’s hanging by a thread.

Now, Willa and Taylor have two months and two thousand miles to discover how life works without Finley—and to decide if their own friendship is worth saving.

From acclaimed author Trish Doller comes a poignant tale of forgiveness, grief, and the brilliant discoveries we make within ourselves when we least expect it.

My Review

You know that feeling you get when you follow an author and read multiple of their books, and then a new one comes out and you feel like it has a special kind of magic the others (while they were great!) didn’t quite have?

I felt that way reading START HERE. The story seemed to come alive as I read it. I connected with the characters immediately. The “trapped on a sailboat with your frenemy to honor your best friend’s dying wish” plot was amazing and unique. I loved all the sailing stuff!

I sobbed with Finley as she made the video for her friends about the journey. Then I sobbed with Taylor and Willa as they grieved through that terrible loss. And, as the girls began to find themselves through the trip and learn to appreciate one another, I cried for how far they’d come.

This is the best kind of book to finish your summer with. It’s full of the kind of hope that only comes from grief transformed. It’s real and moving and full of surprise sweet and funny moments. I loved it. I read an electronic review copy, but I’m definitely ordering a finished copy of the book because I suspect it’s one I’ll return to again.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Willa isn’t sure of her ancestry. She has brown skin and curly hair. Taylor is white and bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point, one couple are discovered in bed together partly clothed. Kissing between two girls.

There are also a couple of sexual references, like a boy making comments about his physical desire for sex. Ultimately, I thought it was cool the way the author juxtaposed this boy’s behavior (which left a girl feeling a lot of internal pressure) and a different boy’s behavior(which left her feeling protected and cared for).

Spiritual Content
Some references to magic, as in that sort of serendipitous thing that happens where you end up finding exactly what you need when you need it. Both girls express some anger at God for Finley’s death as a part of their grief.

Violent Content
Both girls face situations where men make unwanted, insistent advances. They handle the situation, but it’s still obviously stressful and scary.

Drug Content
Willa and Taylor use fake IDs to get into a bar and drink alcohol. They attend a college party where there’s lots of drinking. They drink alcohol legally outside the US.

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

Review: The Heir of Ariad by Niki Florica

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

The Heir of Ariad
Niki Florica
Elm Hill Publishing
Published August 13, 2019

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About The Heir of Ariad

The weight of a vanished father’s legacy and the secrets of the past have forced Kyrian to carve a place among his people at the price of his own sweat and blood. Ariad is withering. The Skies seem a strange place to die of thirst, but no one can fetch the Rains against the tyrant king’s will, and no one but the Creator who has vanished into legend can kill an invisible king.

But there is a force at work beyond Kyrian’s sight. A powerful, masterful will. Suddenly there is blood on his hands, the Skies are filled with enemies, and the only way to escape a dark end is to flee the clouds forever. But there in the Lands waits a powerful prophecy, along with a powerful weapon, and now as Ariad withers to dust all hope may rest with the one young mortal who fled his home a fugitive and must return to it a king.

My Review

THE HEIR OF ARIAD pretty much hooked me as soon as I realized it was a retelling of the biblical story of Moses but set in an unusual fantasy world. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse linking to the next scenes. I thought framing the “chosen one” story as a retelling of the story of Moses was a clever idea. I haven’t seen that done before.

I also enjoyed the story world in which people are divided into races– referred to as colors like Green, Grey, and Silver– based on where they live. Kyrian and his people live on clouds. Other, lesser humans live on earth.

The plot does require some willing suspension of disbelief. Some of the things that happen don’t get explained right away– like why the king still holds such power over his people if he hasn’t been seen in twenty years. Other things don’t get explained at all. Characters sometimes held grudges long past what seemed to make sense to me. Sometimes the plot got bogged down in what felt like a side quest.

Over all, though, I really enjoyed the unique, rich story world, and Kyrian and his sister Salienne were easily my favorite characters. I’m glad I read the book. THE HEIR OF ARIAD makes a good pick for readers who are looking for a more classical Christian fantasy novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Main characters have pale skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Characters use swear-like expressions such as “Oh, skies.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lots of biblical and Christian symbolism or allegory. There’s some reference to a Jesus-type character, an innocent man killed as a sacrifice for the sins of others. The original king of Ariad is said to be the Creator. Many characters still believe he’s the rightful king and he appears in different forms throughout the story.

Violent Content
One soldier holds another at knife point. A soldier torments an elderly man. A young man beats a soldier to death. Some description of the fight. Some descriptions of a group of children attacking another child and severely beating him. A monstrous creature attacks Kyrian and his allies. Tree-like creatures attack Kyrian and his ally.

Drug Content
Some references to adults drinking an alcohol-like substance.

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

Review: How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

How We Became Wicked
Alexander Yates
Atheneum Books/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Published June 23, 2019

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A plague, called Wicked, is pulsing through the world; and in its wake, it’s dividing the population into thirds:

The WICKED: Already infected by the droves of Singers, the ultraviolet mosquito-like insects who carry the plague, the Wicked roam the world freely. They don’t want for much—only to maim and dismember you. But don’t worry: They always ask politely first.

The TRUE: The True live in contained, isolated communities. They’re the lucky ones; they found safety from the Singers. And while the threat of the Wicked may not be eliminated, for the True, the threat has certainly been contained…

The VEXED: The Vexed are the truly fortunate ones—they survived the sting of the Singers, leaving them immune. But they’re far from safe. The Vexed hold the key to a cure, and there are those who will do anything to get it.

My Review

This book is sooooo creepy! The Wicked say some really violent things but in this cheerful, artless, innocent way. The juxtaposition of those two things gave me chills in lots of scenes.

HOW WE BECAME WICKED is told in two different viewpoints, from characters in two different situations that don’t, at first, overlap. One section follows Astrid’s point-of-view.

Astrid isn’t a super girly heroine. She’s very smart and practical, and almost detached from her emotions. I liked her, but sometimes that detached feeling kind of kept me from feeling like I understood or empathized with her. Astrid is the town leader’s daughter. She’s got an Ariel complex– you know, wants to be part of someone else’s world. Mainly she wants to escape the walls of her town and go somewhere else, find other True survivors.

The other point-of-view is Natalie’s. She lives with her parents and Wicked grandfather on an island with a lighthouse, too far from the mainland to be a temptation for other Wicked. The only thing that keeps Natalie and her family safe from her grandfather is the fact that he’s imprisoned inside the lighthouse.

Natalie’s point-of-view was easier to connect with, for me. I liked her courage and her loyalty to her family as well as her quick thinking.

Despite the separate storylines, I found the plot of HOW WE BECAME WICKED to be really easy to follow (And mostly not too predictable. I did guess one major twist, but only shortly before it was revealed.) and nicely paced.

Because of the nature of the Wicked, the story does show some violence. I know I mentioned this already, but it’s very creepy the way they talk about and commit awful violence with this innocent childlike glee. They don’t understand what it is they’re doing, which is one of the things that makes them so dangerous.

If you liked THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan, definitely check out HOW WE BECAME WICKED. (Also, if you like zombie or post-apocalyptic stories, go read THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH because it is awesome!)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used not very frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A brief, unwelcome kiss from a boy to a girl (he immediately apologizes for misinterpreting the situation). Some references to past intimacy between Astrid and Hank (the only two teens in their settlement).

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The Wicked turn violent and talk about the violent things they want to do. They don’t seem to have any grid for the awfulness of what they’re saying. Wicked characters try to murder others using a wrench, guns, knives, a tank, and other items. There are some violent descriptions. They’re usually fairly brief, and more horrible because of the horror of the True witnesses and the Wicked’s inability to understand what they’re doing.

Drug Content
The town plans a celebration which includes drinking champagne.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of HOW WE BECAME WICKED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Impossible Music by Sean Williams

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

Impossible Music
Sean Williams
Clarion Books
Published July 2, 2019

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

About IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC

Before the stroke that left him deaf, music was Simon’s life. Now, his band breaks up and even his future college career studying musical composition is in jeopardy. How can a deaf student study music?

The only bright spot in all of it is a fierce girl Simon meets at Auslan class, where he learns sign language to communicate. G seems just as angry to be there as Simon feels, and the two strike up a friendship that inspires Simon to find new ways to pursue music. He begins developing ideas that would allow Deaf and hearing audience members to experience music in the same way, desperately hoping to impress a music professor in a composition program that Simon hopes to enter.

My Review

The concept of IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC totally hooked me. I love books about angsty musicians, so I knew I’d like Simon. I like fierce female characters, so I suspected I’d like G and Simon’s little sister, Maeve, also stole my heart. She’s strong and sometimes pushy, but you really get the sense that underneath that is a lot of love for her family.

In terms of the plot, this must have been a tough book to write. I felt like it dragged sometimes, but I don’t think that actually had to do with the pacing of the plot. I think it had more to do with the stakes. Simon’s goal is to find a way to celebrate/study/participate in music as a young deaf man. If he fails, he’ll be very sad. It’s not that that isn’t compelling. But I didn’t feel like the stakes ratcheted up as the story progressed.

I like the way the story braids together Simon’s love for music and his love for G. In lots of ways her emotional journey seems to be a mirror of his, sometimes revealing things to Simon that he wasn’t ready to face about himself. But she also calls him out on things he’s not ready to face, too. They make a good pair.

Readers who liked THE SCAR BOYS by Len Vlahos will like the gritty, emotional writing and the “diary of a band boy” style of the story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Simon and G are Deaf. IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC is set in Australia.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently. I struggled with the amount of swearing in the book, I think because it really felt gratuitous to me.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Simon and G spend nights together, and it’s hinted that they’re having sex but not explicitly described.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to a suicide attempt.

Drug Content
Simon and his friends drink alcohol, which is legal at eighteen in Australia.

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