Category Archives: By Genre

Review: Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
Knight's Ransom by Jeff Wheeler

Knight’s Ransom (The First Argentines #1)
Jeff Wheeler
47North
Published January 26, 2021

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About Knight’s Ransom

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.

When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he journeys along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.

Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the Queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers—abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.

My Review

Once again Jeff Wheeler returns to the world of the Kingfountain books, this time to tell a story of knights and lords and ladies in the vein of King Arthur tales. KNIGHT’S RANSOM follows the boy Marshall, nicknamed Ransom for his childhood spent as a captive of the king, from his boyhood into his middle twenties. Chapters are from his point-of-view, but between them are journal entries from Claire, his childhood companion and the woman he grows to love.

Other than the obligatory battle scenes, the story is pretty gently told with a lot of narrative and internal monologue keeping us pretty close to Ransom’s view of things. From early on in his life as a knight, Ransom experiences the sound of rushing waters when he fights. He begins to be more curious about the source of that experience and what it might require of him, but the story doesn’t really center around that. It’s more about the politics of the kingdom and Ransom’s role in the events unfolding, but it seems as though the series might pursue Ransom’s gift more in a follow-up book.

I think my favorite parts were the journal entries by Lady Claire. She’s feisty and frank and smart. I think she’s perfect for Ransom, who’s steady and often outwardly very calm.

Fans of Wheeler’s books will love visiting the world of Kingfountain again, and new readers who enjoy King Arthur-esque stories will find a great story landscape within KNIGHT’S RANSOM.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Takes place in a country similar to UK. Few race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Ransom uses a two-handed sword called a “bastard” sword, so that word appears regularly.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kiss between boy and girl. A woman tries to seduce a man.

Spiritual Content
Ransom’s people worship the Lady of the Fountain. Ransom himself hears rushing water in battle or feels a warning when danger is near.

Violent Content
Several scenes show graphic battles.

Drug Content
Ransom accompanies a prince and his friends to a tavern where they drink alcohol. Ransom stays sober to protect the prince.

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 KNIGHT’S RANSOM in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School by I. M. Maynard

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , ,

Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School
I. M. Maynard
Taft Publishing
Published February 1, 2021

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About Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School

Fresh off achieving middle school greatness, 11-year-old Roger Tarkington sets his sights on something bigger than himself. He plans to use his magic calendar to help the powerless at Jefferson Middle School and turn the tables on the school’s powerful bullies.

Just call Roger a modern-day Robin Hood!

But Roger’s very first attempt could be his last, as he uncovers a secret at the school so big that even his magic calendar may not be able to fix things!

Is Roger’s plan to right the wrongs at Jefferson Middle School foolproof or foolhardy? Are some middle school wrongs impossible to be righted?

My Review

More goofy antics, time traveling adventures, and grand schemes begin immediately in this second book in the Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar series. This time, we get to know Roger’s best friend, E3, a bit better, as she works with him to solve a mystery about cheating on homework among the football players. She’s a smart girl, piecing together things that Roger sometimes overlooks, and pretty much keeping laser-focused on solving the case.

The story also forces Roger to recognize his dependency on the calendar and find ways to achieve his goals without solely using the calendar, which I thought was really cool. A couple of the people who he has “protected” end up being able to help him, too.

To be honest, though, I was a little disappointed with the Robin Hood theme. I kind of felt like Roger didn’t really GET Robin Hood. Robin Hood was about justice and protecting people who didn’t have the ability to protect themselves. Roger seemed to want to protect people he thought were cool from people he thought were annoying. He also has snarky nicknames for so many people, and I guess that got a little bit old after a while. It made him seem like a jerk sometimes.

He does learn some lessons about truth and justice, and his own misjudgments, though. I liked the way the mystery unraveled and the way Roger couldn’t solve everything on his own. All in all, this was a fun, goofy story that will appeal to fans of the first book in the series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Most characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Roger holds hands with a girl.

Spiritual Content
A calendar gives Roger the ability to time travel to the date or event he’s touching on the calendar.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying, including trapping someone in a locker.

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 ROGER TARKINGTON AND THE MAGIC CALENDAR: SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Pets of Elsewhere by Jaimie Engle

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

Pets of Elsewhere (Ghost Dog #1)
Jaimie Engle
JME Books
Published March 3, 2021

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About Pets of Elsewhere

Haunted by four-legged ghosts in St. Augustine, a 12-year-old must help vengeful shadow-pets find rest or watch them pick off his family one-by-one.

Colten never wanted to leave Satellite Beach. His dad, a now retired Air Force Captain and his mom, a homemaker, couldn’t wait to open a bed and breakfast in St. Augustine, in a gorgeous Victorian that once belonged to a world-renowned veterinarian. Only, Colten sees things, hears things, and his sister almost dies—twice. Animal ghosts are reaching out from the other side with hints that the doctor may have been hiding things behind the Victorian’s closed doors, leaving Colten with two choices: help them or watch his whole family die.

PETS OF ELSEWHERE is a haunting middle grade thriller that blends elements of Pet Sematary with The House on Haunted Hill for kids who have outgrown Goosebumps and become die-hard fans of Supernatural.

My Review

I’m a little bit of a ‘fraidy cat when it comes to books like this, but I had a lot of fun reading PETS OF ELSEWHERE. I liked the sibling relationship between Colten and his sister Kennedy. It felt spot on from the way they picked at each other to the loyalty and protectiveness underneath. I liked the mystery elements and the way the ghost animals drove Colten toward the clues. The added element of danger, because the ghosts could cause real harm, was an interesting twist that I didn’t expect, and it really boosted the intensity and stakes.

PETS OF ELSEWHERE reminded me a little bit of THE DARKDEEP by Brendan Reichs and Ally Condie. I don’t know if it’s because I kept thinking of that book, but I kind of wanted a team or more of a solid friendship to emerge in PETS OF ELSEWHERE. Colten does make a couple friends and they sort of float in and out of the story, believing him about the ghosts, but no one really sticks with him to solve the mystery. I think having a friendship develop through the story like that would have been cool, but I still enjoyed it a lot just as is.

The descriptions of St. Augustine were also great. I felt myself nodding along to some of the descriptions of different places and the commentary on the way the town is. It was really fun to read a book set in a place I’ve been. Readers who enjoy creepy paranormal stories will definitely want PETS OF ELSEWHERE on their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white. There are a couple of minor characters that are POC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Colten sees and interacts with ghosts of dead animals. He figures out that he has to help them resolve unfinished business so they can move on to their afterlives.

Violent Content
Ghost animals attack Colten and his sister in a couple of scenes, leaving them with real injuries.

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 PETES OF ELSEWHERE in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

Review: The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep by Laurie Faria Stolarz

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

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep
Laurie Faria Stolarz
Wednesday Books
Published March 16, 2021

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About The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep

Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a thrilling novel where an eighteen-year-old girl’s search for answers lands her in one of the most terrifying situations imaginable.

Four days…
Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls trying to find a way out.
Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.

Six months…
Since my escape. Since no one believed I was taken to begin with – from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…
Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.

One month…
Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgment, provide advice, and console each other when needed.
A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m searching for.

Three days…
Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?

My Review

One of the things I really liked about this book is that there is no sexual trauma in it. I was nervous at first, picking it up, because I like this type of suspense, mystery, trauma recovery story, but I’m just really sensitive to sexual trauma, so I didn’t want to end up in over my head with this book. The good news is, I didn’t.

It’s an interesting story. For a long time, I felt unsure about Terra. It seemed plausible that what happened to her was in her head– not on purpose, but that it was the result of previous trauma. Even Terra herself sometimes doubted what she’d experienced. So I felt like the story kept a really good balance there, keeping me really uncertain where it was headed and what would be around the next bend, as a good suspenseful story should.

I also thought the timeline– some sections from the present and others from the past– added to the scattered feel of Terra’s mind. Her chat logs on the Jane Anonymous site added a lot, too, from giving her a safe space to share her feelings to also creating a strong support network.

I read THE LAST SECRET YOU’LL EVER KEEP pretty quickly, only stopping once (because I got food poisoning, gross). I think readers who enjoyed PAST PERFECT LIFE by Elizabeth Eulberg or THE LOST AND THE FOUND by Cat Clarke will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white or not described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used just over a dozen times through the story.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Descriptions of kidnapping. Graphic descriptions of hunger and severe thirst.

Drug Content
Terra attends a college sorority party held by one of her friends’ older sisters and drinks punch, probably containing alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of THE LAST SECRET YOU’LL EVER KEEP in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Fragile Remedy
Maria Ingrande Mora
Flux
Published March 9, 2021

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About Fragile Remedy

Sixteen-year-old Nate is a GEM—Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue created by the scientists of Gathos City as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, he was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and into the Withers—a quarantined, lawless region. Nate manages to survive by using his engineering skills to become a Tinker, fixing broken tech in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep. When he meets Reed, a kind and fiercely protective boy that makes his heart race, and his misfit gang of scavengers, Nate finds the family he’s always longed for—even if he can’t risk telling them what he is.

But Gathos created a genetic failsafe in their GEMs—a flaw that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. As Nate’s health declines, his hard-won freedom is put in jeopardy. Violence erupts across the Withers, his illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay — and die — with the boy he loves.

My Review

So much happens in this one story that I’m having a hard time knowing where to begin.

I loved Nate’s character. He’s young and inexperienced and fierce and hopeful and a little bit self-loathing. I also loved the characters in the gang. Reese is loyal and true, always sticking to his values. Pixel is adorable. And the rest of the girls made it feel like such a little family.

Nate also has a relationship with Alden, a curio shop owner, drug addict, and man with connections. And Remedy, which Nate needs to live. It’s a complex relationship. I feel like I’d need a psychology degree to pick it apart. There are some really unhealthy elements to it, and yet somewhere in there is a protectiveness and loyalty and maybe even friendship? But it’s pretty enmeshed with the other elements, too.

The story itself moves forward pretty quickly. In Nate’s dystopian city, it’s dangerous to stay still too long, and that sense came through in the plot. Though it’s not a story about addiction, the story explores some of the damage that addiction causes, not just to the individual with the problem, but to the family and community. It also explores darker ideas, like using drugs to create dependent people and maintain control.

It’s been a while since I read a good dystopian story, and FRAGILE REMEDY definitely hit a lot of good notes for me. It made me uncomfortable sometimes, but usually in a way that made me think more deeply about the issues at hand. I think readers who enjoy books that explore addiction or dystopian stories will want to add this one to their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nate and several other characters are gay. One member of the gang is transgender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used maybe once or twice per chapter on average.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to arousal.

Spiritual Content
Some people worship the Old Gods. Others have no spiritual beliefs.

Violent Content
Scenes show kidnapping and a mob attacking someone. Other scenes show the aftermath of characters injured by others.

Drug Content
One character is a drug addict. Others find the properties of GEM blood addicting.

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

Review: Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore

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

Can’t Take That Away
Steven Salvatore
Bloomsbury YA
Published March 9, 2021

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

About Can’t Take That Away

An empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration.

Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. They can hit every note of all the top pop and Broadway hits. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother’s spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice.

Then Carey meets Cris, a singer/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey’s tormentor and others in the school. It’s up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights–and they refuse to be silenced.

Told in alternating chapters with identifying pronouns, debut author Steven Salvatore’s CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY conducts a powerful, uplifting anthem, a swoony romance, and an affirmation of self-identity that will ignite the activist in all of us.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading this book, but I’m not going to lie– some parts were hard, not because of the storytelling, but because they were hard things. I cried more than once. But I laughed a lot, too. Carey has the best friends. I loved how they rallied around them and offered support and solidarity.

This will surprise exactly no one who knows me, but I LOVED the relationship between Carey and their grandmother. I was super close to my grandmother who also had a form of Alzheimer’s Disease, and the feelings of support and that intergenerational connection totally resonated with me.

Also the food! I’m the most curious about the mint in the meatballs and sauce– which is apparently totally a thing! I also grew up with (and now make) homemade marinara and meatballs, but I’ve never used mint in them. Now I want to experiment.

Also the music. I loved the homage to Mariah Carey and the way that music is such a huge part of this story. I also loved that while Carey’s audition for Wicked was important, the story didn’t center around that moment. Rather, I felt like it elevated Carey’s participation in the musical to be a part of something so much bigger and really, more essential: their right to respect and equality.

Books that craft a meaningful community always seem to stick with me, and I think CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY will be no exception. I loved that Carey’s what began with Carey’s friends and family expanded to touch their whole community. I felt like the book ended on such a huge high note, and really left me feeling inspired and hopeful.

I think readers who enjoyed MUSIC FROM ANOTHER WORLD by Robin Talley or books about theater and music will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Carey is genderqueer. Another character identifies as bisexual, another as lesbian, and another as pansexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used regularly through the book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a genderqueer teen and boy. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
One character talks about a person who has died watching over them, feeling them present at a significant moment.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
References to queerphobic terms a few times without the words being named. In one instance, a slur is used.

There are also some instances of bullying and physical assault.

Drug Content
Carey’s mom offers Carey’s friend group small glasses of champagne to celebrate a victory.

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