Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: Dead Ringer by Jessie Rosen

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

Dead Ringer by Jessie RosenDead Ringer
Jessie Rosen
Full Fathom Five

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Laura Rivers arrives at her new school in a small East Coast town, she’s not prepared for the fear-stricken looks from the other students. A little searching reveals the reason: Laura looks just like a girl who died last year. Though the death was reported as a suicide, a mysterious hacker keeps sending notes reminding Laura’s boyfriend of the fateful night. Notes that indicate Charlie and his friends keep a secret between them, one they tried to bury the night Sarah died. As the hacker closes in on revealing the truth, Laura struggles to determine who Charlie really is: the monster Sarah believed him to be, or a reformed boy trying to put the past behind him.

I had sort of a love-hate relationship with this novel. I really enjoyed several things about it. The plot was unpredictable. I felt like going in I knew where the story was going, and I was confused about how quickly some of the details unfolded. Long before reaching the halfway point, I felt like the course I expected the story to take had already been taken. From there, I had no idea what to expect, and I enjoyed that sense of freefalling as each new event occurred. I really liked the character Sasha. I felt like she was one of the only characters that I could really empathize with and really get behind. I wanted to like Charlie and Laura, but there were some really ugly moments that just kept me from really investing in them.

I felt like the story ended in a really weird place, too. I guess I kept waiting for this moment where justice would be served, and instead the story focused a lot on vengeance, which I didn’t find very satisfying. There’s a definite cliff-hanger at the end, so maybe book two will further explore the issues and deliver some well-earned justice.

Despite my issues, Dead Ringer may appeal to readers who like a dark mystery with a strong hand of vengeance and some unexpected twists.

Language Content
Moderate profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Some description of kissing/making out. Reference to sex, but no description of the exchange. A girl briefly describes her first relationship with another girl (references kissing.)

Spiritual Content
There’s not a lot of discussion about God or the universe in the story, but one thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on vengeance rather than justice.

Violence
Brief description of a boy taking advantage of a girl. She reports that he raped her, but doesn’t describe the incident.

Drug Content
References to underage drinking.

Review: The Last Faerie Queen by Chelsea Pitcher

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

The Last Faerie Queen
Chelsea Pitcher
Flux

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After a brutal battle left her without wings, dark faerie princess Elora begs the queen of light to heal her. Elora and the queen share an uneasy alliance, promising to work together to stop Elora’s mother from harming humans and end the monarchy of faeries forever. But the light queen may have bigger plans than she’s sharing with Elora. Elora’s boyfriend Taylor may have made a promise to the queen, as mortals do, without understanding the ramifications. His word may place him and his friends in peril from which not even Elora can protect them. The Light and Dark Queens move their pawns toward war, but only one can be victorious. One will enslave humanity. The other, free it.

The romance is probably the strongest thread in the story. It’s tempered by the looming war between the faerie groups, but it definitely felt like the focus of the story. I liked the human characters and the unfolding of their stories. I felt at times like I just didn’t get Elora. There were some references to the fact that she’s a dark faerie, and therefore evil, but other than one specific instance, the inner battle that she supposedly should have been having wasn’t really apparent. I think more of that inner conflict would have added more depth to the story. (In fairness, it may be that the first book had a LOT to do with this conflict, and maybe would have scratched that itch for me, had I read it.)

The moment where she does something really evil, the other characters kind of glossed over it. There’s a brief moment where it looks like she might be called to account, but then it passes with little to-do about it. The ending of the book was a little bit disappointing, too. One really complex character (one of those that you love to hate) kind of just shrugs and instantly resolves an issue. I don’t know, I felt like it was a bit of a letdown. I had really liked that she was such a complex character whose loyalties I could never really pin down. I wanted her to have one final political twist or something before just fading out.

Readers who like Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series will probably enjoy Pitcher’s take on the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Fans of The Lost Princess by Dani-Lyn Alexander may want to give this series a try.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently. Also some crude language.

Sexual Content
There are several really steamy suggestive scenes. There’s not a lot of specific description of each event, but some very detailed moments leading up to them are included. While erotic language isn’t used, the effect is pretty erotic. Elora and Taylor’s love-making appears to have a sort of superpower that strengthens them. Two girls also engage in some heavy kissing.

Spiritual Content
Faeries exist to protect the earth and nature. Light faeries believe in not harming humans. Dark faeries have no qualms about enslaving humans and causing direct harm to them.

Violence
Brief battle violence.

Drug Content
None.

Review: The Sister Pact by Stacie Ramey

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

The Sister Pact
Stacie Ramey
Sourcebooks FIRE

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They were supposed to do it together. Allie and Leah had made a pact that if their parents’ failing marriage destroys their home life, they’ll escape into death together. Only, Leah makes the jump without Allie. And Allie is left behind to pick up the pieces.

So many things happen to this poor girl. Her best friend Max, who she’s in love with, totally doesn’t deserve her. But she can’t seem to get into the sweet boy who treats her well. Her painting massively suffers in the wake of her sister’s death. It’s like the colors have gone out of her world. No pressure. Just that whole art school portfolio deadline. On top of it all, her parents have split, her mom is nursing her Xanax addiction and Dad is shacked up with his new young girlfriend. It’s a pretty big mess, and understandably, Allie’s pretty much drowning.

I liked how the story unfolded in ways that challenged how I felt about each character. Often I would learn something that maybe didn’t reverse my feelings on a character, but showed some new insight that changed how I felt and also altered the course of events in the story. For the most part, I thought the characters themselves were fantastic. The one exception for me was John. I felt like he was too benevolent or something? I mean, he’s basically a drug pusher and something of a bully from the sound of things, but somehow he’s also the good guy? It just felt off for me. Like the balance was missing from his character.

The drug content and sexual content make this a pretty intense read. I liked that Ramey showed consequences to the drug abuse and that Allie really wrestles with how she feels about having had sex. I get tired of the portrayal of teen sex as this problem-free, everyone-is-doing-it-and-it-always-goes-well-unless-it’s-rape experience. I know not all teen books are like that, but it’s definitely a pet peeve of mine when they are. While I’m not a huge fan of sex in YA, I appreciated that Ramey related the experiences briefly and focused on the emotional fallout surrounding Allie’s decisions.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently.

Sexual Content
Allie worries that being a virgin is preventing her from having a relationship with the boy she loves. She decides to have sex with a random boy to get it over with (the event is only briefly described) and afterward wonders if now sex is what boys will expect to get from her. There is another brief scene in which she has sex.

I loved that Ramey didn’t shy away from the pressure that Allie felt. She wanted to please everyone and be pleasing. She thought she could be desirable by having sex with a boy. It didn’t really work out that way, though. She had a lot of confusing feelings to work through. She does a lot of soul-searching through the story and definitely has more self-respect and confidence by the end. I thought the whole experience was very relate-able.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Allie’s mom is addicted to Xanax. Her sister Leah overdosed on meds when she killed herself. Allie drinks alcohol at a party. Her friend and Leah smoke pot together. Leah bears some heavy consequences for this behavior. After Leah’s death, Allie begins experimenting with pills. One of Leah’s friends offers to supply her with whatever she wants for free. There are consequences condemning Allie’s behavior, and eventually she does promise to quit.

Review: How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras

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

How to Be Brave
E. Katherine Kottaras
St. Martin’s Griffin/St. Martin’s Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

In the wake of her mother’s unexpected death, Georgia struggles with the advice her mom left behind. She told Georgia to be brave and do everything, and with the help of her friends, Georgia sets out to do just that. She makes a list of fifteen things she wants to do, ranging from trapeze classes to kissing the boy she’s had a crush on forever. As Georgia pursues checking the items off the list, she learns that loss is a part of life. That she’ll have to fight for happiness and push through adversity, even when sometimes it’s of her own making.

I loved the descriptions of Georgia’s exploration of painting and how that was such a cathartic experience for her. It made me want to take up painting myself or spend many long afternoons wandering art museums. I liked Daniel, Georgia’s crush, and thought he was definitely worthy of her. Her relationship with her dad felt so authentic – this suddenly single dad dealing with a teenage girl in the midst of his own grief and just so lost on what to do. I also felt so sad for Georgia as she struggled to be patient with him but also to find ways to express her needs. Not an easy time for a girl to be without her mom.

Georgia definitely proved her bravery in her ability to rise to challenges life brought her. I loved that she was compassionate and had these moments of real insight into the girls around her. It’s definitely something I wished I had during my own high school experience.

I liked that Georgia wasn’t the typical girl. She was very real about her insecurities over how she looked and even about her embarrassment over her mom being heavy. She wanted to embrace valuing a person for who they are rather than how they look, but it wasn’t like this easy thing, even though she loved her mom. Her experiences felt authentic and yet they didn’t take over the story. Georgia’s journey isn’t about shedding pounds and becoming the popular girl with the hot boyfriend. It’s about self-discovery and what brings value to our lives: friends, love, art.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. One of Georgia’s friends plans to have sex with her boyfriend. (The event is not described.)

Spiritual Content
Georgia’s father is Greek Orthodox but the family rarely attends. Georgia describes art as her mother’s god.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Feeling justified by her mother’s counsel to “try everything,” Georgia and her friends experiment with marijuana (shown in several scenes), cigarettes and alcohol. The consequences, particularly of the pot, lead Georgia to regret her decision.

What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

So… I don’t like spiders. I’m not as terrified as some, but I’m NOT a fan. My best friend called me one night in a panic over a huge arachnid in her apartment. I drove over to help her hunt the critter down and destroy it. I remember arriving, stepping inside and looking at the gargantuan thing and then looking at my friend and saying, “I don’t think I can kill that.” (What IS it about large spiders that make it so much more than a bug? It’s like a strange intelligence or more-than-animal-ness or something totally creepy.) Anyway, after so much wailing and screaming that I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t call the police, we killed the beastie, and peace was restored. (Love you, Beth!!)

My Favorite Books from 2015 (January to October)

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My Favorite Books from 2015 (So Far…)

So these are not guaranteed to be clean teen reads. This list is made up of the stories and characters which most captured me, deprived me of sleep or free thought until I’d finished the very last page or beyond. Read my reviews (click the book title) for more information on content of each novel. Enjoy!

1. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman – I loved that Shusterman took us on this journey through mental illness and it felt so authentic. At the same time the metaphorical structure made it easy to follow the story and added to its complexity.

2. When You Leave by Monica Ropal – This was one of those books that I read in one sitting and thought about for weeks afterward. I loved the characters and the way Ropal explores the unanswered questions left behind when we lose someone.

3. Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas – I was a little bit torn between this book and Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon, but the tie breaker for me was the fact that I loved both the boys in Because You’ll Never Meet Me so incredibly much and couldn’t stop rooting for them. I didn’t realize until just now that both books feature boys named Ollie/Olly, but also deal with a person who is unable to be around others for medical reasons. Both were great books, but BYNMM takes top prize for me.

4. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey – I loved the fantastic story world in this book. It definitely reminded me a bit of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but it wasn’t quite so dark, I thought. I loved the romance.

5. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella – This book made me laugh so hard I had tears streaming down my face. The relationships between characters is absolutely great, and the way Audrey’s illness affects each family member is really well-explored. I think it takes a truly amazing writer to take a hard topic like mental illness and yet relate events to us in such a way that we can still laugh. Kinsella definitely has the knack for it.

6. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow – Right from the very beginning, I was completely hooked on this story. Such high stakes! And I loved that they AI character(s) didn’t follow all the stereotypes about how AI would behave, etc.

7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – Are you tired of hearing about how much I like this book yet? I feel like it’s all I’m talking about right now. Totally immersive story world. Characters that I just can’t stop thinking about. And an impossible heist to keep me on the edge of my seat.

8. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – This book is like World War Z meets 2001: A Space Oddyssey. Some nights I could not go to sleep for thinking about this book. The dialogue and the unique presentation are definitely among the book’s strengths. I would definitely pick up a follow-up story to this one.

9. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly – If you’ve been around TSS much lately, you know I LOVE me some books by Jennifer Donnelly. This book really scratched an itch for me. It’s a historical set in the 1890s and touches on some feminist themes about that time. It’s also a murder-mystery and has a really intense (but not explicit) romance. Loved it!

What’s your favorite?

Have you read any of the above books? What are your favorites so far this year?

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt & Co./MacMillan
Published September 29, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Six of Crows

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My Review

This book is a bit longer than my usual read, I’d heard so much buzz about it that I couldn’t resist giving it a shot. It’s also the first book by Leigh Bardugo that I’ve read.

Now, after I’ve recovered from sleepless nights huddled in my bed reading far too late, I can say it was absolutely worth it. Not since reading THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak have I read a novel that has affected me so.

The characters immediately hooked me. Each one of the heist members is unique and has so much to lose if the job goes wrong. I loved the way Bardugo set up the romantic tension. I was absolutely dying for the couples to find their way through the conflict to at last reveal their true feelings for one another. Totally swoon-worthy. Wow.

At its heart, SIX OF CROWS is a pretty simple story about a team who get hired to steal something valuable. What makes it so truly spectacular is the complex story world in which the characters exist and the relationships and experiences that bind the characters together or drive them apart. The narrative is also fantastic. Fantasy lovers absolutely need to give this a read. Even if you didn’t enjoy Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone Trilogy, trust me and give this one a go. This was my first experience with her writing, and afterward I went back to read the first in the Grisha series. The style and the story are so different. It took me a lot longer to get into SHADOW AND BONE. Not that it isn’t good, I just feel like it’s a mistake to compare them.

Now I’m off to scratch another mark on my wall counting down to the release of CROOKED KINGDOM next year. Must. Have. More.

Content Notes

Language Content
Infrequent use of profanity.

Sexual Content
While there’s no explicit sex, there are some intense moments. Nina and Inej both have a history working in a brothel, though very few details are given about that, and Nina uses her Heartrender gift to soothe and calm the minds of her patrons. Inej was trafficked as a sex worker. Nina and Matthias have a history and she makes a couple of crude comments about his arousal, but there is no description of sex.

Spiritual Content
SIX OF CROWS includes some fantasy story world lore, especially Fjerdan traditions.

Violence
Fight scenes, references to torture, some moderately gory battles. Also, one character has a bit of a gruesome backstory in which he was trapped among dead bodies.

Drug Content
Grisha are vulnerable to a highly addictive drug which grossly amplifies their power. Exposure to even one dose can turn them into desperate, terrorized addicts.

What’s the last book you read that left you totally breathless?

When I finished this book, I just sat speechless for a few moments. Then I honestly had to stop myself from turning the book over and starting again! I loved loved loved it and cannot wait for the sequel.

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