Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

How We Fall Apart
Katie Zhao
Bloomsbury
Published August 3, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About How We Fall Apart

Students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets when their ex-best friend turns up dead.

Nancy Luo is shocked when her former best friend, Jamie Ruan, top ranked junior at Sinclair Prep, goes missing, and then is found dead. Nancy is even more shocked when word starts to spread that she and her friends–Krystal, Akil, and Alexander–are the prime suspects, thanks to “The Proctor,” someone anonymously incriminating them via the school’s social media app.

They all used to be Jamie’s closest friends, and she knew each of their deepest, darkest secrets. Now, somehow The Proctor knows them, too. The four must uncover the true killer before The Proctor exposes more than they can bear and costs them more than they can afford, like Nancy’s full scholarship. Soon, Nancy suspects that her friends may be keeping secrets from her, too.

My Review

One of the things I feel like this book captured really well or conveyed really well is the high-pressure experience of being a student at an elite school. Nancy not only feels the pressure of her school program and being a scholarship student surrounded by rich kids from privileged families, but also feels intense pressure from her parents to do well and make all their sacrifices worth it.

At first I found it difficult to connect with Nancy because she’s bitter and aloof. As I started to see more and more of her life, I felt like it made a lot of sense that she acted the way she did. Her relationship with Jamie was complicated and pretty toxic, but it made sense that they stayed kind of bound up in each other. So that was another thing that I ultimately felt was strong about the story.

Some of the scene changes felt abrupt to me. It sometimes felt like the writing was a little rushed, so I read the beginnings of scenes sometimes more than once trying to figure out if I’d missed something. Or maybe there was a flashback or timeline change that happened quickly. Sometimes I struggled to follow those, but maybe that was just me.

I think all in all there are some really strong things about the story– and I really enjoyed the experience of reading a suspense story with an Asian cast. Hopefully HOW WE FALL APART does really well and paves the way for other books like this!

I think readers who enjoy suspense stories will like this one, especially early high school readers, like freshman and sophomores.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are Asian. Two female characters are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of bullying. References to a girl found murdered. Description of a confrontation that leads to a head injury. A fire causes injuries.

Drug Content
A girl offers her friends a drink of juice and puts vodka in it without telling them. They realize what she’s done and drink the juice anyway.

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

Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

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

Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson
Delacorte Press
Published September 24, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Steelheart

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.

Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

My Review

The thing that drew me most to this story was the concept of it. Humans begin to have superpowers, but all of them become evil. How do ordinary humans fight back? It’s a great underdog, keep the hope in hopeless circumstances kind of tale, and I really liked those things about it.

The only thing that tripped me up at all were the characters. Several of the male characters have accents and interesting backstories. (One was kind of odd, but okay.) There are only two speaking female characters in the whole story, and I don’t think we learn much if anything at all about their backstories. They are beautiful but a bit flat.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed reading STEELHEART. I got it years ago as an audiobook to listen to on a road trip, but never actually listened to it until recently. It’s the first book by Sanderson that I’ve ever read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. More often, faux swears like calamity and sparks are used.

Romance/Sexual Content
David clearly has feelings for a girl on his team.

Spiritual Content
Some Epics style themselves as gods, demanding service.

Violent Content
In the opening of the story, an Epic uses his power to turn workers, customers, and a baby in a bank to ash and bones. There are other scenes of battle between the Epics and David and his allies.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Song of the Forever Rains by E. J. Mellow

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

Song of the Forever Rains (Mousai #1)
E. J. Mellow
Montlake
Published July 1, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Song of the Forever Rains

The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?

From the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.

My Review

I liked a lot of things about SONG OF THE FOREVER RAINS. One is the way both central characters wrestled with guilt over a parent’s death. The other is how things happened to challenge what they believed to be true about their own role in those deaths. I found those emotional journeys pretty compelling.

Another thing I liked was the constant banter between characters– especially Larkyra and her sisters, but also between Larkyra and Darius, too. I thought the dialog as a whole was really sharp and well-crafted.

It took me a little while to get into the story, though, and I’m still not totally sure why. The prologue is interesting, but doesn’t intersect the story for a while. So, maybe I was distracted trying to figure out how things pieced together? I didn’t expect the story to be told from the youngest sister’s perspective based on the prologue. The prologue was in an omniscient viewpoint, so maybe it just took me time to adjust to that.

Darius is a strong character and so determined to do what’s right, which I really liked. I think I would have liked his character more if he’d had some kind of flaw, though. Sometimes I had a hard time really believing in him because he just seemed so perfect.

Once I hit about the 25% mark, though, I was really invested in the story. I read the rest of the book probably more quickly than I read that first 100 pages. I liked the first part, but once I got into the story, I definitely invested a lot more time and energy into reading all the way through to the end. When I had to stop and take breaks, I kept thinking about it in between.

I think readers who enjoyed DOWN COMES THE NIGHT by Allison Saft or THE WAKING LAND by Callie Bates will want to check this one out for sure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Some minor characters are described as having black or brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between man and woman. One extended explicit sex scene and several references to it afterward.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic.

Violent Content – Trigger warning for self-harm and torture/abuse.
A character uses magic to control the actions of another person, including using them to harm the person. Some scenes show or reference graphic self-harm.

Drug Content
People without magic sometimes become addicted to a substance which gives them false magic for a short time. Even the good characters in the story, while acknowledging how destructive the addiction becomes, ignore the issue as long as using the false magic only happens under certain controlled circumstances.

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

Review: Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Girl on a Wire (Cirque American #1)
Gwenda Bond
Skyscape
Published October 1, 2014


Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Girl on a Wire

Sixteen-year-old Jules Maroni’s dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps as a high-wire walker. When her family is offered a prestigious role in the new Cirque American, it seems that Jules and the Amazing Maronis will finally get the spotlight they deserve. But the presence of the Flying Garcias may derail her plans. For decades, the two rival families have avoided each other as sworn enemies.

Jules ignores the drama and focuses on the wire, skyrocketing to fame as the girl in a red tutu who dances across the wire at death-defying heights. But when she discovers a peacock feather—an infamous object of bad luck—planted on her costume, Jules nearly loses her footing. She has no choice but to seek help from the unlikeliest of people: Remy Garcia, son of the Garcia clan matriarch and the best trapeze artist in the Cirque.

As more mysterious talismans believed to possess unlucky magic appear, Jules and Remy unite to find the culprit. And if they don’t figure out what’s going on soon, Jules may be the first Maroni to do the unthinkable: fall.

My Review

So I guess it’s been more than four years since I read the companion novel to this one, and when I reread my review, I said it would be smarter to read this one first so you didn’t get any spoilers. Fortunately for me, my reading brain is so porous that I have zero memory of anything that I read in GIRL IN THE SHADOWS that might have spoiled GIRL ON A WIRE for me. (In fact, I kind of want to go back and reread it to see what happens to Jules and Remy after this story ends.)

First of all, I loved the circus setting. It felt live and exciting and full of adrenaline and I had no trouble picturing the scenes or imagining the smells and sounds of the circus performances.

I thought the nod to the story of Romeo and Juliet was fun and sweet– Remy’s full name is apparently Romeo and Jules’s is Julieta, and they’re from families with a long history of rivalry and distrust. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense as they learned how to trust each other and work together to figure out who was trying to sabotage Jules and her family.

I thought the story was a really fun adventure to read and a nice escape from reality. I’m only sorry it took me so long to read it!

You can check out my review of the companion novel, GIRL IN THE SHADOWS here.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jules and her family are Italian Americans. Remy and his family are Latinx Americans.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used once.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Jules wonders about sex and how to know when she’s ready for that kind of intimacy in a relationship.

Spiritual Content
Jules’s grandmother reads Tarot cards and believes she can perform magic. She also believes that certain artifacts contain a kind of bad luck curse that will hurt anyone connected with them. One item contains good luck for whoever possesses it.

Violent Content
Two boys square off to fight. A performer is killed in an accident during a performance.

Drug Content
Jules (and other performers) drinks champagne to celebrate her success.

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

Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

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

Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1)
Amanda Foody
Harlequin Teen
Published April 10, 2018

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ace of Shades

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

My Review

I started listening to this book because it was included in my Audible membership, and I was really impressed with the performance of the narrator. Within a few minutes, I was pretty hooked on the story world of ACE OF SHADES, with its maffia-esque gangs and fancy casinos and clubs. It’s not a type of story that I usually seek out, but I was intrigued enough to give it a shot.

Some bits of it reminded me a little of SIX OF CROWS— in terms of the gangs and clubs, but I loved that the story had this very late 1800s feel to it, with the addition of an unusual magic system based on family lineage.

I really like that while Enne is challenged by the city, the secrets she uncovers, and the things she must to do survive, she doesn’t lose herself. She finds talents and strengths that she didn’t know she had, as well as a confidence she never believed possible.

The second and third books in the series are available on Audible, too, but they’re not included with membership right now, so I’d have to pay for them to continue reading– and I think it’s so worth doing that! I have a few other things on my listening list to get to first, but then I really want to get back to The Shadow Game series and find out what happens to Enne and Levi next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Levi is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. Other made up curses are used more often.

Romance/Sexual Content
Enne is tasked with poisoning a man who is a known pedophile who goes after underage girls and has sex with them. He makes a clear pass at her, which terrifies and disgusts her.

Some descriptions of attraction between characters. At one point Enne sees a brief vision of herself in bed with another character.

Spiritual Content
Characters possess magic abilities that give them advantages or supernatural abilities.

Violent Content
One character curses others, binding them to her so they must do as she orders or else die.

Some scenes show battles between gang members with knives or fists.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol. One character offers another an alcoholic drink even though he believes her to be under age. Poison and other drugs are used to harm others.

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

Review: Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliot

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

Pretty Funny for a Girl
Rebecca Elliot
Peachtree Publishing Company
Published October 1, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pretty Funny for a Girl

Haylah Swinton is an ace best friend, a loving daughter, and an incredibly patient sister to a four-year-old nutcase of a brother. Best of all, she’s pretty confident she’s mastered making light of every situation–from her mom’s new boyfriend to unsolicited remarks on her plus-sized figure. Haylah’s learning to embrace all of her curvy parts and, besides, she has a secret: one day, she’ll be a stand-up comedian star.

So when impossibly cool and thirstalicious Leo reveals he’s also into comedy, Haylah jumps at the chance to ghost-write his sets. But is Leo as interested in returning the favor? Even though her friends warn her of Leo’s intentions, Haylah’s not ready to listen–and she might just be digging herself deeper toward heartbreak. If Haylah’s ever going to step into the spotlight, first she’ll need to find the confidence to put herself out there and strut like the boss she really is.

My Review

Okay, so when I first asked to review this book, I had it mixed up with a different book that I’d wanted to read. Then when I got the book and read the cover copy, I realized it was not the book I’d been thinking of, and I was a little disappointed. Then.

I started reading. And I found that I really liked Haylah’s voice. She’s blunt and pragmatic and, as the title hints, hilarious. I loved her relationship with her mom and little brother. I also loved the way she leaned into her awkwardness. Her way of dealing with kids picking on her is as genius as it is heartbreaking. I wanted to stand up and cheer for her when she changed the name she wanted to be called.

Haylah wrestles with a lot of things on her journey, from finding confidence to believe she can be a comedian to wrestling with how she feels about her body and how to be beautiful in a way that’s authentically hers and stays true to her feminist values. I loved that the story tackled some of those nuanced issues in this really frank, believable way, and in a way that made me laugh out loud and cheer.

If you’re looking for a book packed with humor and personal triumph, PRETTY FUNNY FOR A GIRL needs to be on your shelf.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Haylah is a self-described fat girl. Leo is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a few times. Some crude language used throughout.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some bullying and name-calling.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of PRETTY FUNNY FOR A GIRL in exchange for my honest review.