Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Park Davis

Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Map to Everywhere by Ryan and DavisThe Map to Everywhere
Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis
Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Published November 4, 2014

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Master Thief Fin is used to being forgettable. Moments after meeting him, no one remembers who he is. Until he meets Marrill, that is. Danger lurks around every turn when the two are swept up in a daring quest to find the missing pieces to assemble the Map to Everywhere. Fin hopes the key will lead him to his mother. Marrill simply wants to escape the fickle Pirate Stream and get back to her blessedly normal Arizona home. In order to find the map, they’ll have to outsmart a treacherous villain who sees the future and keep him from using it to end the world.

As a fan of an earlier series by Carrie Ryan, I looked forward to reading this book. Since her other book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth was more of a dystopian zombie story – super well-done, by the way – I wasn’t sure what to expect from this very different tale.

This novel is light and playful, full of mischief and warmth. The use of the Pirate Stream was particularly clever, I thought, and added a sense of unpredictability to the story but also made it feel connected to our own world. The unlikely friendship that develops between Fin and Marrill is really charming.

The wordplay is fun and quirky. Fans of Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga will enjoy this book. Because of the light content, it’s a great read for older elementary school-aged readers.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief battle scenes. Nothing graphic or gross.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: A Different Me by Deborah Blumenthal

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

A Different Me
Deborah Blumenthal
Albert Whitman & Company
Published October 14, 2014

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Allie has only one wish for her birthday this year. She wants surgery to fix everything wrong with her. Specifically, to correct the huge problem in the middle of her face: her nose.

Through an online forum, she meets two girls also waiting for nose jobs. Together they form a sisterhood, sharing insecurities, secret hopes and dreams, and crossing off the days until their procedures.

Then a mentoring project challenges Allie to look past her initial perceptions of people. She learns that there’s more to a person than the way they look, how they dress. And she’s forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about herself – and everything she thought would make her happy.

Blumenthal explores the world of insecurities swirling through high school hallways, exposing them with surgical precision. Each character is presented in layers, complexities deepening as Allie gets to know him or her. She’s moved by compassion for the hurts and fears others face, and through them begins to face her own. In a world that prizes the perfect exterior, A Different Me is a breath of fresh air, a trumpeting voice bringing us back to the core truth that beauty is borne of kindness, compassion and sincerity. It’s a great story and a lesson we all need to hold dear.

Profanity or Crude Language Content
Moderate profanity, mild frequency.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

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: Zac and Mia by A J Betts

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

Zac and Mia
A J Betts
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group
Published July 24, 2013

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Trapped in the ICU at a hospital near Perth, Australia, Zac is desperate for any distraction. Anything that will get his mum to leave him alone for a little bit. Anything new to ponder. When the newest patient on the adult cancer ward turns out to be a surly but gorgeous girl, Zac attempts to reach out to her. Mia is all fire and fury, but Zac doesn’t give up. He remembers those early days of denial and anger. All he can do is tell her it’ll get better and hope he’s right.

The bond between the two seems dissolved when Zac is discharged, but still he can’t help thinking of her, hoping she made it through her recovery. Mia emerges in his life once more, still the angry, frightened girl. Zac’s desperate attempt to reach her changes his own life.

While a contemporary novel about two teens battling cancer probably sounds eerily similar to another popular story, Zac and Mia bears some surprises. Far from the supportive, team-oriented family one expects to surround a cancer-diagnosed protagonist, Mia’s single mom is as angry and resentful as she is. Zac’s own loving family comes with a few fabulous quirks, not least of which is the ownership of a popular olive farm and petting zoo.

I liked the off-beat nature of the narrative. Betts ignores stereotypes of kids-with-cancer stories and plows new ground. This is a story which delves deep into what it means to be a true friend to someone experiencing cancer treatment and the life-altering outcomes. It’s packed with warmth and heart, a great choice for readers who enjoyed The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
References to sexual behavior, but no details.

Spiritual Content
Characters briefly discuss what happens after death. Zac is a pretty staunch atheist, but Mia believes there must be something more, that our souls continue after death, perhaps in heaven.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Brief references to teen drinking – though since the story is set in Australia, it’s legal to drink alcohol at age 18.

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

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Review: The Manager by Caroline Stellings

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

The Manager
Caroline Stellings
Cape Breton University Press
Published October 1, 2013

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Convinced an experimental surgery will solve her problems, Tina drags her sister on a wild journey from Nova Scotia to Boston. Along the way, Tina finds a gem of a boxer and convinces him to let her operate as his manager. Though skeptical at first, Jesse Mankiller begins to respect Tina’s unorthodox style. Together they hope to prove they have what it takes to win the big fight.

Like its protagonist, Tina MacKenzie, this is definitely one of those books that you might overlook at first. But while the cover won’t reach out and grab you, the story certainly will. Whip-quick narrative and dynamic characters make this novel a one-sitting read and one of the best I’ve read this year. It’s not often that an author assembles the perfect mixture of heroism and flaw in her characters, but Stellings really does it this time. It’s absolutely fabulous. Sports fans will love the journey of an unknown fighter going for a major title and readers looking for a heartwarming tale will fall in love with Tina’s sharp mouth and soft heart. It’s a beautiful story.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
Mild profanity, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
References to sexual behavior, but no details. Brief nudity.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Descriptions of boxing matches. Limited details about injuries, etc. A character is threatened at gunpoint by mafia thugs.

Drug Content
None.

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

Update – 1/15/15
The Manager by Caroline Stellings has just been honored with the 2015 Hamilton Literary Award for fiction. The novel is also a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction at the 2014 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards.

 

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Review: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold
Iain Reading
Published November 30, 2012

Amazon | Goodreads

Teen adventurer Kitty Hawk’s dreams come true when she receives funding which allows her a chance to study the behavior and habits of humpback whales in waters off the coast of Alaska. Aboard her trusty De Havilland Beaver, Kitty observes and documents information about the whales from the air. The altitude gives her more than a bird’s eye view of the whales, though. When she spots a suspicious boat she fears may be carrying stolen Yukon gold, she stops to investigate – and gets swept away in a conspiracy stretching all the way back to the gold rush itself.

The story begins a bit slowly – Kitty’s whale-watching venture, while fascinating, doesn’t translate to text with a lot of power and excitement. The early chapters are peppered with flashbacks, which also slowed the story and muddled the timeline. Once Kitty becomes involved in the gold theft scheme, the author’s ability to lace history and fact in with the story becomes a lot more engrossing. As Kitty traverses the territory so long ago walked by hopeful miners, she learns a bit of the area’s history from an unlikely source.

The timing during which I read this book couldn’t have been more perfect. I read the last page aboard a cruise ship sailing the inner passage on my way to Juneau. Like Kitty, I saw humpback whales (from a boat rather than plane, though) and later had the pleasure of taking a train up through White Pass. I enjoyed having some background and a little bit of fantasy about the area on my visit. Young readers interested in Alaska and the history of the gold rush would enjoy the balance of history and fiction in the story.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
Mild profanity throughout, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
A man threatens others at gun point. No shots are fired.

Drug Content
Men drink beer around a campfire.

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

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Review: Rebels by Jill Williamson

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

Rebels (The Safe Lands #3)
Jill Williamson
Blink – Zondervan
Published January 1, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Mason and Omar’s friends helplessly watch from their hiding places as the brothers face liberation, a process which remains a mystery to all Safe Landers. Once the boys learn what it is to be liberated, they begin plotting to bring the truth to all the people of the Safe Lands. After all, the only way to bring freedom to the Safe Lands is to expose the horrible secrets that fuel the leadership’s power.

From his place in hiding, Levi continues to pursue his one goal: getting his people free of the Safe Lands. Before he can make his move, though, his wife Jemma is captured and forced to serve as a Queen, a woman carrying a child for the Safe Lands. Levi vows to rescue her, but each day’s broadcasts seem to show Jemma slipping further into the ways of the Safe Landers.

Series readers will not be disappointed in this thrilling conclusion to a fascinating series. As her readers have come to expect, Williamson delivers an immersive story world. Each major character faces a great challenge to his or her beliefs or expectations about life and really wrestles through the disappointment. Romances are kindled and fears conquered.

Some of the drug content and concern about the thin plague, which is often transmitted sexually (experiences are not described) make this series a bit too heavy for younger readers. This is a novel more suited to readers ages fourteen and up.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A few kisses. Brief, vague references to sex.

Spiritual Content
Many characters wrestle with bitter disappointments which threaten to damage or destroy their faith in God. Though the threads of faith are a little more subtle in this story, there are some really deeply spiritual moments. My favorite moment is when Shaylinn attempts to explain the mystery of faith versus the law to a group of highly disciplined and judgmental people. The conversation doesn’t roll as perfectly in the scene as it did in her mind, which is just so true to the experience so many of us have had in trying to explain the deeper things of faith. Her courage despite the difficulty is heartwarming.

Violence
Mason and Omar face multiple opponents. Both are severely beaten. Details are minimal.

Drug Content
Omar continues to use drugs and alcohol as an attempt to relieve emotional pain.

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

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