Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Attitude by Robin Stevenson

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

Attitude
Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishing
Published October 1, 2013

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Fourteen-year-old Cassandra travels from her home in Australia to a highly competitive summer ballet program. At first Cassie tries to befriend girls who’ve been in the program for years, but it soon becomes clear that Melissa and her pals don’t stop at dancing your best in order to win. When Cassie gets blamed for a prank she didn’t commit, it becomes clear the girls mean to get her disqualified from an important audition. Cassie refuses to back down, though, and soon learns bigger lessons than dance technique.

Cassandra battles homesickness and bullying, making her an extremely relatable character. As a talented young ballerina, she faces big choices about her future and discovers that even the hesitation her parents feel about her future as a dancer can be a blessing. This is a short but nicely paced read which can most easily be enjoyed by someone with at least a cursory knowledge of ballet, though this knowledge isn’t necessary in order to follow the development of the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very light.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
A girl is prescribed a pain killer for a dance-related injury.

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

 

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Review: Cut the Lights by Karen Krossing

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

Cut the Lights
Karen Krossing
Orca Book Publishing
Published October 1, 2013

Amazon | Goodreads

Young first-time director Briar can’t wait to put her ideas onto a real stage. When she is chosen for a real chance to direct a student-written one act play, she soars. But working with real live actors proves to be more difficult than Briar imagined, and she’s forced to navigate everything her crew throws at her, from absence to bold-faced narcissism to outright boredom. With the date of the performances just a few days away, Briar is desperate to pull her disaster of a show together. Just as she begins to turn things around, disaster strikes, fragmenting the cast and leaving her without a lead. What now? Faced with the choice to cancel or muster through, Briar learns there’s a lot more to being in charge than telling everyone else what to do.

Each chapter begins with italicized notes setting the scene, adding to the stage-like feel of the story and Briar’s director-focused mentality. While the background conflict between Briar’s practical parents and her whimsical, often unemployed aunt adds to the story’s tension, it’s a little hard to swallow that a couple so concerned that their daughter pursue a “normal” career would send their daughter to a school for fine arts. Beyond that, however, this novel is highly entertaining and fast-paced. It’s a great read for anyone curious about performance art.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very light.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.
Violence
A boy attempts a dangerous stunt involving skates and a large ramp and winds up with a broken arm.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

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Review: It’s Over by Laura L. Smith

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

It’s Over
Laura L. Smith
Playlist Fiction
Published April 14, 2013

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Tragedy greets Kat when she arrives home from college for fall break. Though her three roomies band together in support, Kat can barely find the strength to move through the motions of her life. Claire, still reeling from her own injuries of heart, seems to be the only one who can reach Kat. As Thanksgiving draws closer, each girl faces a shift in an important relationship, and as Claire suggested, each attempts to discover something to be thankful for amidst the rubble that remains. Palmer fields not-so-subtle comments on her waistline from her mother and expertly blocks her boyfriend’s attempts for sex. But can she stay pure and stay with Keegan?  As in the first book, the four roommates draw strength from one another, support each other and encourage each other in faith.

Smith carries readers through a rainbow of expertly rendered emotions, from happy holiday celebrations to the deepest of heartache and the purest dawning of hope. Each of the girls has a distinct voice with a different perspective. This is a great series for the reader looking for some fun, lighthearted moments and open to the deeper lessons life has to offer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A short but steamy make-out session between a girl and her boyfriend. A discussion between two sisters about making a commitment to save sex until marriage.

Spiritual Content
Following an unexpected tragedy, Kat wrestles with feelings of anger and betrayal toward God. Palmer struggles to maintain boundaries with her eager-for-sex boyfriend, and faces the possibility that perhaps this relationship isn’t God’s plan for her life after all.
Violence
Brief references to injuries sustained in a car accident.

Drug Content
Kat smells pot smoke in her cousin’s room.

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

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Review: Canary by Rachele Alpine

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

Canary
Rachele Alpine
Medallion Press
Published

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Sixteen year-old Kate still reels from the recent loss of her mother. Now she and her brother Brett communicate with their emotionally-absent father through a series of post-it notes. When Dad lands a new job as basketball coach at a ritzy private school, he opts to transfer both kids to the new school.

Kate, determined to adjust and desperate to reconnect with her father, begins attending basketball practices and cheering from the stands. That’s when she meets Jack, a gorgeous and popular star player and boyfriend of any girl’s dreams. But the thrill of being Jack’s girlfriend soon loses its shine when she discovers several unsavory habits of his. Jack pressures and Kate bends, pressing herself into the mold he expects her to be. Then with one drink, everything changes. Those who should protect her wound her instead, and Kate begins to unravel.

But beneath her tumultuous emotions and failing hope, Kate finds a steel resolve within herself. Instead of being destroyed by bullying, she finds her voice and dares to make herself heard, no matter the consequences.

Canary is a raw and beautiful story. At intervals, Kate’s often poetic and poignant blog posts appear, adding another layer of depth to an already fascinating story reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak or Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen. Fans of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher may also enjoy this novel and its bold attention to the devastating problem of bullying in schools and communities today.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No F-bombs, but regular use of other swear words.

Sexual Content
Several references to sex and some jokes about aberrant sexual behavior. A girl discusses pressure to engage in sex with her boyfriend. She succumbs to his persistent requests. At a party, a boy drugs and attempts to rape a girl who is barely able to fight him off. The scene is pretty brief and without a heavy number of details. The instance sparks rumors, rude comments, and general mistreatment toward the victim.

Spiritual Content
Brief reference to heaven in the context of a funeral conversation.

Violence
During the assault, the boy shoves the girl, bruising her. Several boys bully another boy in the cafeteria. Students also harass the assault victim.

Drug Content
Several scenes features parties at which teens consume alcohol. A boy slips a drug into a girl’s drink, rendering her disoriented and helpless.

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

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Review: Perfect Glass by Laura Anderson Kurk

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

Perfect Glass
Laura Anderson Kurk
Playlist Fiction
Published June 1, 2013

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About Perfect Glass

Henry begins his year-long trip to Nicaragua, leaving Meg behind in Chapin to finish her senior year. Henry faces the challenges of assembling a new building for his sister and brother-in-law’s orphan home in a country with limited supplies and deep distrust toward Americans. Meg meanwhile finds herself the center of affection for the new and fascinating Quinn O’Neill and the unlikely companion to a feisty elderly woman wielding a shotgun.

Meg wants desperately to secure admission to the University of Wyoming, so she and Henry can stay together through college and she can pursue a degree through the writing program there. Quinn helps Meg put together a video about the deadliness of texting and driving. She wants to believe his interest is only friendly, but she seems to be the only one who thinks so. Henry’s plans unravel quickly and governmental changes put the ministry he serves at risk of closing completely. While privately he is nearly falling to pieces, he must maintain a brave face for the children in his care. Even when his girlfriend seems to drift dangerously close to cheating on him with Quinn.

My Review

Fans of Kurk’s first novel, GLASS GIRL may find it to be a story difficult to beat. The intensity of Meg’s journey of loss and love in that novel makes it difficult to imagine creating a follow-up that can match, but PERFECT GLASS does just that. Henry continues to be the strong yet gentle man in Meg’s life, but adversity brings his flaws to the surface. Meg returns to salve the wounds of a dynamic older woman, demonstrating the beauty of character that can bloom after suffering. This is a fabulous novel and a worthy read for teens interested in missions overseas or looking for a classy romance.

Content Notes for Perfect Glass

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Very brief references to a past rape, very limited details.

Spiritual Content
Both Henry and Meg face startling failures. Each falls back to regroup, but must learn that sometimes one’s personal strength isn’t enough, and only dependence on God can suffice. Meg befriends a boy who has many questions and little faith and a woman with deep anger toward God. Both challenge her to justify her faith.

Violence
Men surround a boy in Henry’s care and threaten to attack him, until Henry gets involved. Henry witnesses a man slap a teenaged boy on the back of the head and confronts him about it. Brief references to a past murder and rape, very limited details.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: White Lines by Jennifer Banash

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

White Lines
Jennifer Banash
G P Putnam’s Sons
Published April 4, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Cat slogs through school days, waiting for nighttime, when the flashing lights and pulsing music of New York’s hottest clubs to bring her to life. Waiting to float away on the little white lines. What started as a dream, an unending party, twists into something more sinister. Cat can feel her life rocketing out of control, but she feels powerless to stop it. As pressure from her boss and her abusive mother pile on top of her, Cat wants to retreat further into the haze of anonymity in the club scene. All that holds her back is the mysterious boy who makes her want to experience life and feel things that ordinarily terrify her. As the pull of her night life and her attraction to Julian yank her in different directions, Cat must make hard choices and force her fears into words before she fractures completely.
In a genre already crowded with stories of teen drug experimentation, self-destruction, and recovery, Banash boldly writes with equal measures grit and empathy. Cat’s battle extends far beyond drug addiction into issues of abandonment and abuse, which only adds to the believability of her plight. Though the end was a little too neat and tidy to fit the rest of this dark tale, the message of hope and recovery is sure to be encouraging to readers who’ve struggled with addiction personally or through a friend or family member.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent but severe.

Sexual Content
Brief but intense kissing scene. References to sexual encounters that happen off-scene.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
One boy attempts suicide publicly by first trying to throw himself out a window and then cutting himself. Another boy eggs him on. Cat’s mother physically and emotionally abuses her. A few scenes contain brief but strong descriptions of this abuse. She suffers from a violent recurring nightmare in which her mother brutally murders her.

Drug Content
Cat and her coworkers frequently abuse drugs like cocaine and extasy. Consequences for the behavior are severe and while the abuse is pretty thoroughly described, it is not condoned in any way. This is a cautionary tale of disaster averted by rehab and therapy.

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

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