Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

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

Blood for Blood by Ryan GraudinBlood for Blood
Ryan Graudin
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published November 1st, 2016

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About Blood for Blood

There would be blood. Blood for blood. Blood to pay. An entire world of it.

For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hitler’s army, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.

But in the midst of the chaos, Yael’s past and future collide when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths and one question hangs over them all—how far can you go for the ones you love?

My Review

Since Wolf by Wolf was such an amazing novel, I was very curious to see how the sequel compared. Though still being a very engaging book, I found it to be much darker than its predecessor (which is saying something, considering the content and plot of the first). Graphic and disturbing violence–along with more and more deaths–lead me to recommend this book to more mature teens (though those on the sensitive side will want to skip this one).

In the first book, the narrative switched between Yael’s past and present. This style of story telling was a bit confusing at times, and becomes more so in the sequel, as we are no longer firmly rooted in Yael’s point of view. Several of the other main characters share the stage and we witness several scenes from inside their head instead of Yael’s. While I did appreciate getting to learn more about the other characters, I felt like it disconnected the reader from Yael. It was harder to engage with her character in this book than it was in the first.

Something I again appreciated in this book was how the author kept Yael’s humanity intact. Yael experiences horrific things in the course of her journey, and yet still retains her sensitivity and conscience. Yael is not a heartless assassin, as is becoming more common in YA literature. Instead, she is a human being that has lived through and been forced to commit atrocities without letting her light go out. She still has a heart, and that was beautiful–if sometimes painful–to see.

Overall, I’m rating Blood for Blood 4 stars out 5. After reading Wolf by Wolf, I couldn’t wait to see what happened to Yael and her friends as they sifted through the aftermath of the conflict in the first book, and Blood for Blood did a great job of keeping that tension going. However, it contains considerably more graphic/disturbing violence than the first book, causing me to deduct one star from my rating. If you love reading high-stakes action books or thrilling revolution novels, then consider picking up Blood for Blood and its precursor for one wild, heart-breaking story from beginning to end.


Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
The main characters are from Germania. Several characters are of Jewish descent. Some of the side characters are from Soviet Russia. Those of Aryan race (pale skin, blue eyes, blond hair) are given special status under the Third Reich. Non-Aryans are often considered less than human. One mention that the victims of concentration camps include homosexuals.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Frequent cursing in German.

Romance/Sexual Content
One kiss, not described in depth.  

Spiritual Content
One character prays in Yiddish to God. Memories of observing the Passover. Mentions of Norse mythology. God’s name is used for emphasis in phrases (“God knows,” “act of God,” “For God’s sake,” etc). Attempts at remembering how to observe Shabbat and other Jewish practices.

Violent Content
Death again plays a big part in this story, and the author doesn’t pull any punches. Another assassination, victims of concentration camps, and other deaths hit close to home for Yael. Disturbing medical procedures are also performed, and their aftereffects are not pleasant. Graphic torture (and mangling of limbs) is also included.

Drug Content
Characters use morphine for pain relief. Some characters smoke, though this is presented in a negative light.

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Review: A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

A Single Stone
Meg McKinlay
Candlewick Press
Published on March 14, 2017 (Orig. May 1, 2015)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About A Single Stone
Every girl dreams of being part of the line—the chosen seven who tunnel deep into the mountain to find the harvest. No work is more important.

Jena is the leader of the line—strong, respected, reliable. And—as all girls must be—she is small; years of training have seen to that. It is not always easy but it is the way of things. And so a girl must wrap her limbs, lie still, deny herself a second bowl of stew. Or a first.

But what happens when one tiny discovery makes Jena question the world she knows? What happens when moving a single stone changes everything?

My Review
The harsh circumstances of life and Jena’s utter devotion to her people make A Single Stone a captivating story from the first page. I liked the unusual story world and Jena’s journey struggling to make sense of her community as she discovers some dark secrets about the way the leadership operates. I loved her friendships with Luka and Min, and the snippets about the mysterious outsider girl.

I loved the way the metaphor of a single stone being moved or stirred could cause a whole mountain to collapse. It created this sort of knife’s-edge feel to the whole story that’s echoed in every uncovered secret and every moment where Jena faces a difficult choice. Will she be the girl who brings down the mountain or her community in ruin or will she free them? Great tension there.

The story ended a lot differently than I expected. At one point, Jena makes an important confrontation, but I felt like her accusation gets lost in the confusion as a lot of other things happen suddenly. Her choice at the end of the book is a lot more personal rather than community oriented (though it still affects the community), and I guess I hoped for more? Maybe how it affects her other relationships or just a revisiting of the closeness she had with some of the other characters.

On the whole, I really enjoyed reading A Single Stone, and especially loved Jena’s character. This is a great pick for readers looking for dystopian stories but not yet ready for the likes of The Hunger Games or Divergent.

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Characters appear to be white. The village is small and cut off from any other known cities or human populations. Women lead the village. Girls are the more highly valued children because of their size and ability to navigate small spaces.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The village has some call and response types of rituals, but they don’t seem to be based on worship of any particular deity.

Violent Content
Female children wear tight wraps on their limbs and torsos which limit their growth in hopes that they’ll grow up to be small enough to climb through the tight crevices of the mountain. Jena learns that the mothers manipulate other elements of growth, sometimes with fatal consequences, in order to try to create a generation of smaller girls to support the village.

When one girl becomes trapped in the rock, the others pull her out, knowing this could cause her thin bones to break, possibly even cause her death.

A girl falls from the top of a rock and dies.

Jena recalls a memory of her own mother’s death following childbirth.

Drug Content
The Mothers use various drugs and medicines to cure illnesses, reduce pain, and at times alter their patients.

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

 

Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Wolf by Wolf
Ryan Graudin
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published October 20, 2015

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About Wolf by Wolf

Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

My Review

Wow! This book was an incredible look at what the world might have been like had Hitler and Hirohito succeeded in conquering the Eastern Hemisphere. It had a lot of emotional depth while still being full of action. One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that while it didn’t gloss over the horrors of the Holocaust, it didn’t overwhelm the reader with graphic details either. Instead, Wolf by Wolf focused more on how those horrible events affected Yael personally–physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The narrative switches every chapter or so between the present and Yael’s past. While some readers might find this transition distracting, I felt like it was pretty seamless as a whole. I enjoyed learning more about Yael’s backstory and motivation as the story progressed, and this style managed to keep me informed while avoiding any info-dumps.

I loved how sensitive Yael was as a character as well. It’s something you don’t see very often in YA these days, where characters are all too willing to kill and murder “for the greater good.” Instead, Yael felt each death deeply. Even after going through such atrocities, and witnessing the despicable acts committed by the Third Reich, she was not numb to violence. I really appreciated her character in that respect.

My one criticism is that I would have liked to see more of what was going on in the Western Hemisphere (specifically the Americas) during this time. They were only mentioned in passing. Being an American myself, I am very curious to see how the author would have pictured American culture in such a time period. Perhaps in the sequel we will learn more.

I’m rating Wolf by Wolf 5 out of 5 stars. It is such a well-rounded novel, and I highly recommend reading it. Fans of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer who are looking for a revolution story with more of a historical bent will love this book, as will fans of WWII fiction wondering what the world would be like had Fascism won the day.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
The main characters are from Germania, and some of the secondary characters are from Japan. One main character is of Jewish descent. Some of the side characters are from other cultures (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Soviet Russian, etc). Those of Aryan race (pale skin, blue eyes, blond hair) are given special status under the Third Reich. Non-Aryans are often considered less than human.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Frequent cursing in German.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two kisses, not described in depth. One rumor of an attack, possibly sexual in nature. One older character hints at desire for another, much younger character. Mention of the Lebensborn–the Third Reich’s human breeding program. 

Spiritual Content
One character prays in Yiddish to God. Memories of observing the Passover. Mentions of Norse mythology. God’s name is used for emphasis in phrases (“God knows,” “act of God,” “For God’s sake,” etc).

Violent Content
Many of the racers fight dirty, and attempt to attack, drug, injure/incapacitate other racers. Death plays a big part in this story–an assassination (fairly graphic), deaths in concentration camps, and another racer’s death all affect Yael. Disturbing medical procedures are also performed, and their aftereffects are not pleasant.

Drug Content
Characters attempt to drug each other (not lethally.) Some characters smoke, though this is presented in a negative light.


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Review: Reintegration by Ashley Bogner

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

Reintegration
Ashley Bogner
Createspace Self-publishing
Published on August 18, 2017

Author Website | Goodreads

A perfect citizen. A captured rebel. One decision could destroy them both…

As a Regulator, seventeen-year-old Katherine Holliday’s duty is to protect the people of the Federation from a group of violent rebels who have exiled themselves to the mysterious wilderness. When one of these rebels is captured within the Federation, the government leaders propose an alternative to execution, a procedure they call Reintegration. The procedure involves erasing the rebel’s memory and attempting to make him a member of society. The rebel, a young man named Matthew, is not the violent criminal Katherine expects, and she can’t help but befriend him. A few weeks after Matthew’s Reintegration, Katherine realizes the procedure failed and she is now presented with a choice no one else can help her make. Can she warn her superiors that Reintegration failed, which could mean death for Matthew? Or will she defy everything she knows to help him escape—and risk her own execution?

My Review

Ashley Bogner’s debut novel, Reintegration, calls to mind some of the best dystopian books of our age–books such as Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy, Nadine Brandes’ Out of Time Trilogy, and The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. It also follows the dystopian pattern of three, being the first of a trilogy. The sequel is set to release in 2018.

Reintegration‘s strongest suit is its characterization. The reader is deeply immersed in Katherine Holliday’s point of view, and experiences the entire plot through her eyes. It was impossible for me not to connect with Katherine on some level, because while reading this book, I was Katherine. I was thinking her thoughts, feeling her emotions, and following along with all of her actions and reactions.

The deep characterization did lead to some drawbacks, however–for the first 60% of the book or so, I felt like the plot was spinning its wheels a bit. Katherine rehashed the same issues over and over, without coming to any real conclusions. It wasn’t until she decided to stop worrying and start acting that Reintegration hit the ground running. Once the plot stopped revving its engine and got started for real, it took off at light-speed and never looked back.

The last quarter or so of Reintegration was especially phenomenal. I could not read fast enough to find out what was going to happen! Bogner packs a lot of punches into those last few pages, making up for the slow beginning several times over. There are a lot of secrets hinted at through out the book that weren’t explained by the final page, and some major surprises that I wasn’t expecting. Miss Bogner has chosen to play her cards close to her chest, and there’s no telling what will happen in the following books.  I’m rating Reintegration 3.75 stars out of 5. While Reintegration dragged some through the beginning and middle, the end made up for it with non-stop action and surprises. I’m hoping that the sequels will keep the action going, and get off to a flying start.

Recommended for Ages 13 and up

Cultural Elements
None.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None. 

Romance/Sexual Content
Some light kissing, hand-holding, and hugging. 

Spiritual Content
Matthew is a Christian, and shares his faith with other characters in the book, resulting in one or more conversions. The Federation teaches relative morality (that there is no “right” or “wrong,” and everything is a matter of opinion), and intolerance is a punishable crime under the Federation.

Violent Content
One violent death. Several injuries (some by  use of a “stunner”–a taser-like weapon, and others by fist fights.)

Drug Content
Matthew is drugged to forget his past. A character takes a medical drug later, and experiences painful side effects.

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

Review: The Waking Land by Callie Bates

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

The Waking Land
Callie Bates
Del Rey Books
Published June 27, 2017

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About Waking the Land
Lady Elanna Valtai is fiercely devoted to the King who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder and must flee for her life.

Returning to the homeland of magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition powers that suddenly stir within her.

But an all-too-human threat is drawing near, determined to exact vengeance. Now Elanna has no choice but to lead a rebellion against the kingdom to which she once gave her allegiance. Trapped between divided loyalties, she must summon the courage to confront a destiny that could tear her apart.

My Review
By far my favorite thing about this book is the rich imagery of the setting and the complex politics driving the story. The writing is excellent and the characters so easy to fall in love with.

That said, sometimes I did feel like, though the politics were really intriguing, sometimes the explanations went on a little long. It also gave the story much more of an adult fiction feel than a young adult feel, because while Elanna is caught up in finding her place among her people—adopted or biological—much of the story has to do with the political ramifications of her alliances and actions. The romantic relationship in the story also had more of an adult relationship feel to me than a teen relationship in the way the characters related to one another and how Elanna thought of her love.

Those things didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book, though they might make it less appealing to young readers. Hard to say. If you liked Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword or Leah Cypess’s Nightspell, you may want to snap up a copy of The Waking Land.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Elanna and her people have kind of a Scottish feel to them. Jahan is described as having dark curly hair and olive skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Sensual kissing between a young man and woman in her bedroom in one scene. Explicit sex in another scene. Other scenes include brief kissing. In more than one scene, Elanna is dressed only in an undergarment (though usually not for sexual reasons.)

Spiritual Content
Elanna has a magical connection with plants and the land. Ghosts of her ancestors visit and aid her in part of her journey. She briefly reflects on the difference between the gods worshipped in her adopted country versus the gods of her true homeland. She participates in a blood ritual several times as a part of trying to find her place among her people. She learns of another ritual, a legend in which a woman was said to “wed the land.” She participates in a celebration during which she and other participants become sexually aroused (they’re clothed and dancing around a fire.) She also learns of other mystic countrymen who travel large distances by walking “folds” of the land, which enable them to sort of jump from one place to another, skipping over the terrain between the two places.

Jahan and Elanna use magic to fight their enemies and rescue allies.

Violent Content
A poisoned mushroom kills the king, and his daughter plans to execute Elanna for his death. Several scenes include bloody clashes between soldiers of two groups. In at least one scene, soldiers attack young boys, gravely wounding one. Some battles prove fatal.

Drug Content
A poisoned mushroom kills a man. Brief references to alcohol. At one point, the prince becomes drunk and embarrasses himself with rude behavior.

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

 

Review: Unraveling by Sara Ella

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

Unraveling (Unblemished #2)
Sara Ella
Thomas Nelson – HarperCollins
Published July 11, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Unraveling
Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After defeating her grandfather and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about–like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

Now that the Verity is intertwined with her soul and Joshua’s finally by her side, El is ready to learn more about her mysterious birth land, the land she now rules. So why does she feel like something–or someone–is missing?

When the thresholds begin to drain and the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, begin to fail, El wonders if her link to Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. For light and darkness cannot coexist. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections–and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

My Review
After reading Unblemished, I was super excited to get into this book. I liked the fresh story world and the spunky voice of Eliyana and all the musical references. All those great things continue in this second book. I loved the way some of the characters evolved– Ebony, especially– and enjoyed seeing Eliyana gain some confidence and independence of her own.

On the guy side… You know, in the first book, I was really rooting for Joshua and El to be together. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ky’s cockiness and attitude, and I liked Joshua’s self-sacrifice and commitment to do what was right no matter the personal cost to him. In this book, I found myself struggling to like either guy. I felt like they both had agendas, and while the story vilified one guy for his, I didn’t feel like I bought into the idea that the other guy should get off the hook because his motives were supposedly so pure.

I didn’t mind the lack of Christian worldview, but I felt like Unraveling confused some Christian concepts and warped them into a lot of gray morality. Everything seemed to come down to human strength. The good guys fight the Void and the bad guys simply aren’t strong enough to do so or flat out choose the darkness. I don’t know. It felt empty, I guess, and kind of arbitrary, if that makes any sense.

Despite my reservations about the characters, I definitely bought into the romance and want these guys to figure out some way to be happy. All of them. Some of Eliyana’s moments of comparison between how she feels about Joshua versus Ky made a lot of sense to me in terms of growing up and learning about love.

If you liked Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series, you might like the world-jumping, star-crossed love elements of Unraveling. Definitely start the series with Unblemished, as it introduces a lot of characters gradually, and Unblemished kind of throws you right into the middle of a huge group of them without a lot of preamble. You can read my review of Unblemished here.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters appear to be white. Some minor characters have darker skin tones.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Story-centric curses, like crowe and Verity or Void.

Romance/Sexual Content
Eliyana is engaged to Joshua, but still has strong feelings for Ky. She exchanges kisses with the young man she loves. In one scene, it’s unclear how far the physical love goes. The man describes walking and kissing and ending up on his back, drawing her to him before the scene ends.

Kisses also create bonds and promises. A kiss to the heel of the palm can bind someone to a promise they’ve made, and cause their death if they break that promise. A Kiss of Infinity binds the soul of the giver to the receiver.

Spiritual Content
While the story flirts with some Christian concepts, occasionally referencing Proverbs or spiritual concepts, I wouldn’t say it holds a truly Christian worldview. The Verity represents light and good, and the Void represents darkness and sin, but each character who interacts with them makes choices based on his or her own strength to battle or join with those forces.

Many characters possess Callings, or special abilities, like healing or shape-shifting.

Violent Content
Eliyana, Joshua, and Ky’s bonds mean that when one experiences pain, the others often feel it. Battles include gunshot and arrow wounds as well as physical fights. Eliyana notices scars Ky carries and has a brief flashback about the torture he endured receiving them. She also experiences pain when she uses some of her gifts.

A young man kills a sleeping woman, justifying the death as self-defense, though it clearly isn’t. A soldier stabs a child through the heart with a sword. Another soldier dies protecting his wife.

Drug Content
Brief reference to a character who appears to be drunk.

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