Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Peter Green and the Unliving Academy by Angelina Allsop

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , , , , ,

Peter Green and the Academy of the Unliving
Angelina Allsop
TCK Publishing
Published November 20, 2018

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About PETER GREEN AND THE UNLIVING ACADEMY

Fourteen-year-old Peter Green can’t remember how he died. 

All he has are his pajamas, a silk tie, and a one-way bus ticket to Mrs. Battisworth’s Academy and Haven for Unliving Boys and Girls, a strange and spooky school for dead orphans like himself. But that’s all he needs: the Unliving Academy has everything, from vampires in the hallways, to monsters in the cafeteria, to ghosts in the basement. 

And that’s just the teachers; the students are far stranger.

As Pete learns to fit in with his new supernatural schoolmates, he starts to discover his own uniquely undead abilities, and even begins enjoying his life after death…but he just can’t shake the feeling that he’s forgotten something (or somebody!) important. 

Somebody he left behind in the land of the living. 

Somebody he loved very much. 

Somebody who’s in terrible danger.

My Review

PETER GREEN AND THE UNLIVING ACADEMY is filled with an imaginative story world. The dead have their own school, their own frustrating government forms to fill out, and all sorts of rules for staying safe. At certain moments, it felt like a lot to digest, but for the most part, the story world feels crisp, fresh, and packed with spooky fun.

The most challenging part for me was the number of named characters popping up everywhere. Sometimes Peter would meet someone only to have that person be like, actually, you need to meet this other person and their two friends. Or someone would go on to name and describe professors that never appeared in the story. This made it difficult for me to keep track of who was who and figure out which names were important, because a lot of them were only mentioned one time.

Other than that, though, it was a pretty fun read. I liked that Peter sees visions of a girl who needs his help and has to figure out who she is before something bad happens to her. I enjoyed his band of friends, especially Charlie and Scoot.

Readers who enjoy dark fantasy (think Tim Burton’s NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS or SHADOW MAGIC by Joshua Khan) will enjoy the spooky creatures and afterlife story world.

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Representation
I think all the major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Peter has a bit of a crush on one of the girls in Charlie’s entourage.

Spiritual Content
After Peter dies, he appears in Purgatory, a realm for people who have died but need some closure on a particular element of their lives. There are a few references to other realms of the afterlife, and some reference to having the option to be reincarnated or to have children in the afterlife. People go on to choose careers, including becoming a werewolf or ghost.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Peter faces various monsters, like a werewolf, a large snake, and battles them with the help of his friends.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of PETER GREEN AND THE UNLIVING ACADEMY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost readers anything but help cover the costs of my blog and help me purchase more books.

Review: Forsaken by Gina Detwiler

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

Forsaken
Gina Detwiler
Vinspire
Published September 2017

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About Forsaken

He was forsaken but not forgotten.

Nine months have passed since Grace Fortune saw the boy she loves, Jared Lorn, die before her eyes. But Grace’s suspicions have her wondering if Jared really dead. Along with her friends, she sets out to find answers, and the investigation leads to an unexpected place: Silo City, an abandoned silo complex that houses as many dark secrets as it does forsaken people.

Very much alive, Jared’s on a mission to save the girl he loves by collaborating with the enemy—a young, brash rock star named Lester Crow who fronts the punk metal band Blood Moon. Jared’s “deal with the devil” will take him on a cross-country journey into the heartland of darkness. The music of Blood Moon is a weapon against God, and Jared must wield this weapon while trying desperately to preserve his mind and soul from its power.

Jared and Grace are desperate to be reunited, but first, they must defeat the demonic forces arrayed against them. And pray that Jared, a Nephilim forsaken in God’s eyes, has a chance at a future.

My Review

I feel like I had a lot of strong thoughts about this book. Some things I really liked a lot. The way the author describes music really pulled me into each scene. I loved that so much of the story followed Grace’s singing (or her inability to sing) and Jared’s talent with the guitar. I wanted to sit in on their jam sessions. The big concerts felt very realistic.

In terms of the spiritual elements, I struggled with some of the doctrine. Jared, the son of a powerful demon and a human woman, had a lot of questions about his value and identity. I like that he’s a complicated character, that he wants to do good and be good despite his origin. Honestly, I think that’s pretty relatable. I don’t think it’s something that’s within the bounds of Christian ideology, though.

Music in the story has a strong spiritual component. I thought this was also pretty cool to show this spiritual component to songs depending on who’s playing them, what the songs glorify, and the motives of the musicians playing them. Early on in FORSAKEN, a mentor character shares a theory that the Beatles and the Rolling Stones artists were Satanists. He cites some interesting evidence.

I looked it up because I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be an in-the-book thing or a this-is-real thing. The individual things the character points out are true (an occult founder being pictured on an album cover and some lyrics about Lucifer), I felt like those were probably things the artists used for their shock value. I didn’t see any indication that the artists themselves had any real love or worship for Satan, so I had a hard time following that thread of the plot.

Sometimes I felt like I had missed something – I think because I started reading this series with book two. I think FORSAKEN makes a good choice for TWILIGHT or BEAUTIFUL CREATURES fans or readers who like a sweet paranormal romance. I’d recommend starting with the first book, FORLORN.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
I think all the major characters were white and straight.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to two characters having sex (off-scene).

Spiritual Content
Jared is the son of a demon and human, but he wants to be worthy of God’s love, and seems to be part of God’s plan as he has visits from other angels. Grace has a guardian angel who tries to keep her safe. At one point, characters start talking about a church where the pastor preaches that God wouldn’t send anyone to Hell because he loves us so much, and that Hell doesn’t really exist. One of the girls scoffs and responds with something like, “Why would anyone believe in God if there’s no Hell?” From a Christian perspective, I didn’t think this made any sense. I could see not believing in Jesus if there was no Hell, since his death and resurrection are the reason people don’t have to go there. I didn’t understand the point being made there, maybe?

See my review for more on the spirituality of FORSAKEN.

Violent Content
Jared has some anger issues and gets into fights when provoked. At one point, the girls venture into a dangerous part of town and a man attacks one of them. At another point, one character stabs one of the girls.

Drug Content
One of Jared’s companions uses a lot of drugs and is very often drunk. He has a girl with him who’s often high or drunk as well. Jared doesn’t participate in any of that.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing, but help me buy more books.


Review: Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

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

Girls with Sharp Sticks
Suzanne Young
Simon Pulse
Publishes March 19, 2019

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About GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS

The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardians, the all-girl boarding school offers an array of studies and activities, from “Growing a Beautiful and Prosperous Garden” to “Art Appreciation” and “Interior Design.” The girls learn to be the best society has to offer. Absent is the difficult math coursework, or the unnecessary sciences or current events. They are obedient young ladies, free from arrogance or defiance. Until Mena starts to realize that their carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears.

As Mena and her friends begin to uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations will find out what they are truly capable of. Because some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns.

My Review

GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS is the first book by Suzanne Young that I’ve ever read, and now I’m thinking that’s a mistake. I liked her storytelling and the way she gets us inside Mena’s head so much that I really want to read more of her books. I’ve heard great things about The Program series, but I’ve just never read them.

One of the brilliant things about GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS has to be the way that at the beginning, Mena believes the staff of the academy are looking out for her, that any negative feelings she experiences are because she’s in the wrong. As the story progresses and her understanding changes, her interactions with teachers and staff morph into something sinister and sometimes cruel. The way it’s written makes it feel like Mena’s slowly waking up, slowly realizing things aren’t right. I loved that element.

The only thing that gave me any pause at all is a line from a poem Mena finds and which gives her courage and makes her feel empowered. I loved that it makes her feel empowered and talks about girls who were once oppressed taking ownership of themselves and rising up. But the poem ends with this part about the girls then taking boys hostage and basically doing to them what men had done to them as girls. Having revenge on the next generation.

The thing that bothered me is that revenge element. First, I don’t think revenge really solves anything or is right. But more than that, when I’ve talked to people who oppose the idea of feminism, most often it’s because this is what they perceive or fear the real feminist agenda is: taking revenge on men, oppressing men in some way to make up for the way women were oppressed in the past. (I know that’s not what true feminism is.) Anyway, I guess I worried that people would read just that far in the book and think, hey, this book is advocating for something ugly and wrong, and then walk away thinking this is evidence of the dark feminist agenda creeping into teen fiction. I don’t think the series is going for a revenge-positive message, though. At least, that’s not what I got from the set-up for and hints about the next book revealed in the final chapters of GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS.

In the context of the story, the poem is kind of foreshadowing in a sense. When Mena first reads the poem, feels like she idolizes this idea of punishing men as a gender. Through the story, though– and I don’t want to spoil anything– it seems as though there are a lot more layers still to come. Let’s say that the academy aren’t the only ones who want to use the girls for an agenda. So I’m withholding my judgment about the poem until I see where the series goes with this idea. I’m pretty intrigued, to be honest. I love when a story explores an idea through a bunch of layers, and it seems like that may be just what we get with this one

GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS is perfect for fans of GIRL PARTS by John Cusick or UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Two of Mena’s friends (both girls) are in a relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently. Most of the swearing comes from one character, and it’s mostly f-bombs.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mena wonders what it’s like to kiss a boy she likes. She wants to at one point. We see some tender exchanges between Marcella and Bryn, the two girls who are dating. Hand-holding, embracing, that sort of thing.

At one point, one of the girls buys a women’s magazine and they read an article in it about how to please men sexually. Most of the information remains pretty vague. They giggle and tease about whether a certain boy would like “number four” on the list and things like that. At one point, a girl makes a reference to oral sex. Another girl asks why the women’s magazine is about pleasing men instead of about women.

Some of the things the teachers or staff members say and do toward the girls become pretty creepy. They have so much power over the girls. Mena feels terrified at more than one point. Definitely a trigger warning for anyone who’s sensitive to that feeling of panicked helplessness.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some of the staff members become increasingly rough with the girls. One altercation becomes fatal. It’s described in pretty graphic detail.

Drug Content
Staff members give the girls pills every night which they call vitamins. Mena quickly begins to suspect that they’re much more than that. One character poisons others with plants from the garden the girls care for.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Secret in the Stone by Kamilla Benko

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Secret in the Stone (The Unicorn Quest #2)
Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury Children’s
February 19, 2019

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About SECRET IN THE STONE

Claire Martinson and her sister Sophie have decided to stay in Arden–the magical land they discovered by climbing up a chimney in their great-aunt’s manor. If what they’ve learned is true, the sisters are the last descendants of the royal family, and only a true heir of Arden–with magic in her blood–can awaken the unicorns.

Since Sophie has does not have magic, the land’s last hope rests on Claire. The sisters journey to Stonehaven, a famed Gemmer school high in the mountains of Arden, so Claire can train in the magic of stone. As Claire struggles through classes, Sophie uncovers dangerous secrets about the people they thought they could trust. With Arden on the brink of crumbling, can Claire prove she is the prophesied heir and unlock the magic of the unicorns before it’s too late?

My Review

Sister books are so much fun. Sophie and Claire’s relationship felt super realistic to me. There’s a bit of a competitive edge. Sometimes Claire feels caught in Sophie’s shadow, or like Sophie doesn’t believe in Claire’s ability to be a hero in her own right. And Sophie pressures herself to be the leader and have all the answers because she’s the oldest.

SECRET IN THE STONE took some interesting turns. I don’t want to give things away, but there were two things in particular that I didn’t see coming at all, and they changed the book. I would have been curious to read the next novel in the series, but after those two things happened, I’m super interested to see where the story goes.

I liked that there’s a theme about trying new things and how harmful it can be to make assumptions about other people or hold on to grudges or judgments about others. Generally, each magic group remains separate from other groups in the story. Romances or relationships between people of different types are strictly forbidden. Under this system, magic has started to fade or die, which makes Claire wonder if isolating each type of magic has something to do with its diminishing. I thought that was a cool element to the story and a neat way to start conversation about how valuable it is to have relationships with people who are different than we are.

Overall, I enjoyed reading SECRET IN THE STONE. I liked the sister relationship and the unexpected twists the story took. Click the link to check out my review of THE UNICORN QUEST (book one in the series)

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
None.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
I think all the characters are white/straight.

Romance/Sexual Content
Sophie and a boy like each other and blush and act a bit awkward around each other.

Spiritual Content
A unicorn healed Sophie and saved her life with its magic in the first book in this series, and that moment is referenced in this one, too. Other characters have magical abilities as well. Claire learns to make gems glow with her magic. Other characters can manipulate plants or metals. Deep shadows called wraiths chase the girls and try to overwhelm them.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. One of Claire’s friends is convicted of a crime, and Claire believes she may be sentenced to death. Some characters seem to be plotting to go to war

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince
Liz Kessler
Candlewick Press
Publishes March 12, 2019

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About EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE PIRATE PRINCE

Emily Windsnap ends up surrounded by pirates — and on a life-changing adventure — in the eighth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

Traveling home by cruise ship should be a relaxing break after Emily’s latest adventure, but things take a turn when the ship is overtaken by a pirate king and his crew. After the pirates collect everyone’s riches, they steal something even more valuable: Aaron. The pirate king’s eldest son takes Aaron captive, forcing him to help guide the pirates to the mythical Trident’s Treasure.

So Emily dives into action and joins the younger son’s crew in hopes of saving Aaron. But while experiencing life on the waves, Emily is surprised to find herself not only enjoying the pirate life, but actually bonding with the crew — especially Sam, the pirate king’s son. Between helping Sam unravel riddles to beat his brother to the treasure and making sure that her friends are safe, Emily realizes that she needs to be true to herself. Will she cast aside her mermaid life to join her new friends, or will she find a way to follow her own path?

My Review

EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE PIRATE PRINCE is the first book in the series that I’ve ever read. I think I own a couple of the others, books I bought when my own older reader was the right age to enjoy them, but we never got around to reading them. I enjoyed the book. It was a super quick read, and even had a few unexpected twists. Emily makes a spunky, fun narrator and the plot moves quickly through a series of challenges as Emily and her team of pirates race toward the treasure and Sam’s chance to be the next pirate king.

I think the series is a great fit for fans of The Frog Princess books or CLIFTON CHASE AND THE ARROW OF LIGHT by Jaimie Engle.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
No race details.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl. (like, a peck on the lips brief.)

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The pirate king and his older son play by pirate rules — hurling tricks and insults at each other and the crew.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

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

Fallen Kingdom (The Falconer #3)
Elizabeth May
Chronicle Books
Published on June 13, 2017

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About Fallen Kingdom
The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series. Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her. Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer’s story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.

My Review
Have you had the experience with a book where you get so invested in a certain outcome that you really might give up the book if a certain thing happens (or doesn’t happen)? I felt that way about this book. I felt like I’d been through so much with these characters, and I needed to know that at least one thing in particular was going to be okay. It didn’t happen the way I expected, but it did happen.

This is a pretty dark series, but this book is the darkest of the three. Kiaran’s Unseelie curse has returned, making him dependent on biting humans to survive. The world has begun to fracture, which can only be remedied by him or his sister being killed unless Aileana can find the ancient book in which the original curse pitting Seelie and Unseelie fae against each other was written. The story world is rich and dark, as it is in all three books in the series. The earlier books have a little more banter and fun between characters. In this one, things are very tense, though there’s still some banter.

I’m glad I finished the series—I really wanted to know how it all ended—but this wasn’t my favorite book of the three. There were some really satisfying moments where people get their due, and some heartbreaking moments where beloved characters breathed their last. I totally bought in and was hooked on the characters, especially Aileana, Kiaran, and his sister.


Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described. One character reveals she’s a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of extreme profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Intense kissing between man and woman. Some scenes show them having sex with brief descriptions.

Spiritual Content
Faeries have magic which they use to attack others. Aileana has the magic a dying faerie gave her, but using it will kill her eventually.

Violent Content
Aileana is caught in the middle of a fae war. She battles and kills fae enemies as well as some creepy undead things. Some fae must bite humans in order to survive (sort of like vampire faeries).

Drug Content
Once a human is bitten by a member of the fae, they’re addicted to the venom.