Category Archives: Romance

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

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

Graffiti Moon by Cath CrowleyGraffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

On the last night of her senior year, Lucy and her best friend set out on an adventure. The girls plan to track down Shadow and Poet, a secretive duo who pepper the city with brilliant graffiti and gut-wrenching poetry. Ed, Lucy’s sort-of-ex-boyfriend, wishes she’d see past her prejudices and assumptions. Her obsession with Shadow is sure to lead to disappointment, but it’s like a train wreck from which he can’t look away. As the night progresses, Lucy draws nearer to uncovering the identity of the elusive Shadow, but the closer she gets, the less he seems like the hero she’s built him up to be. Maybe what she’s really wanted has been right in front of her all the time.

Three points-of-view relay the story of a chaotic night: Lucy, Ed, and Poet. Each has a unique voice and identity and bring an essential piece of the story to the stage. Lucy and Ed’s backstory definitely adds emotional depth. Her fondness for classic stories adds a nice flair, since there are definitely some parallels between her story and that of the famed Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Lucy is learning to do some glass blowing. This unusual hobby and the graffiti art add some fresh descriptions and a glimpse into a world of art not often explored within young adult fiction. Lucy and Ed are strong in their own ways. Each brings to the story some biases about the other, which the conflicts in the story begin to unravel. Too often in YA the hero and heroine are not well-matched. Crowley, however, has this one all figured out. Ed and Lucy will have readers rooting for them from beginning to end.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Lucy talks about wanting to have sex with boys, but it’s clear she has high standards of behavior (she breaks a guy’s nose for grabbing her rear on their first date.) She appears to have very limited experience with boys, though her friends try to convince her she’s being a prude. She stands her ground in the face of their pressure.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Lucy broke a guy’s nose while they were on a date. (She elbowed him in the face.) She uses the same move on a thug who tries to hurt her and Ed later. The thug first threatens to pierce Lucy’s nipple, but instead pierces Ed’s ear as a threat.

Drug Content
Lucy, Ed and their friends go to a party. The friends drink alcohol, but Lucy and Ed don’t stay long.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

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

Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Leah Thomas
Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Unusual circumstances lead two remarkably different boys to become pen pals. They’ll never meet, as Ollie is severely allergic to electricity and Moritz relies on his pacemaker to keep his weak heart pumping. Ollie lives in an isolated cabin deep in the woods, longing for people and things he can never have. Moritz lives in a crowded city and longs for nothing more than solitude. As they compose autobiographical letters to one another, each discovers that what he needs most is a true friend.

Don’t be fooled by the mild-mannered premise. This book explodes with sci-fi-esque drama as the boys explore the secret genetic experiments which connect them. Bring your willing-suspension-of-disbelief and be prepared for the reward of a wild ride. What tops the story, though, are its central characters. Thomas has created a distinct voice for each boy. As the letters progress, each boy grows. They challenge one another. They wrestle with the obstacles and losses that life throws at them. They draw us in and move our hearts.

I read somewhere recently that one of the benefits of reading for children (indeed for us all) is that it inspires us to have empathy for those different from ourselves. Thomas succeeds in this venture. Through her words, we share in and sympathize with Ollie’s desperate optimism and Moritz’s fragile first rays of hope. We find ourselves reminded about the power of honesty between friends, about the vital truth that we are all valuable, all human. It’s a powerful, ultimately inspiring story.

Language Content
Profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing – boy/girl and once boy/boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Moritz and another boy suffer at the hands of a bully. Descriptions are short but disturbing. The bully ends up severely injured later.

Drug Content
None.

Soundclip from Audiobook (available at Audible.com)

Review: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

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

Season of Fire
Lisa T. Bergren
Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Andriana and her knight, Ronan, join a team of others set on rescuing the emperor’s twin brother from exile. A surprise attack places Andriana in the hands of her enemies: Sethos, a powerful sorcerer and Keallach, the emperor responsible for imprisoning the man Dri intends to rescue. When Dri witnesses Keallach’s powerful gift and his hunger for companionship with others of her kind, she becomes convinced he can be saved. She blames Sethos’ vile influence for Keallach’s treacherous actions and begins using her abilities as an empath to draw him toward the Maker and the Ailith ways. Her attempt risks everything. To underestimate Keallach could leave Andriana lost to her people forever.

Christian values and beliefs run clearly throughout this tale. Dri agonizes over instances in which her own desires appear to conflict with the Maker’s plans. She receives counsel and prayer from mentors when her thoughts and motives become clouded by anger and frustration.

She and Ronan continue to explore their feelings for one another, but they aren’t able to spend much time together as story events keep them often apart. The rest of the team does discover the relationship and react with fierce condemnation that isn’t really well-resolved. At first the other Ailith and knights are upset and then the issue largely gets forgotten. Other than that, the romantic thread definitely pulls readers through the story. Ronan’s chapters read less smoothly than Andriana’s sections, but the tension between Dri and Keallach will definitely keep readers turning pages.

Though this is the second book in the Remnants series, new readers should be able to follow this story with little trouble. Bergren does a great job filling readers in on past events without slowing the story down too much. Fans of Jill Williamson’s Safe Lands series will enjoy the fast-paced action and revolutionary themes of Bergren’s story.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Keallach uses his ability to manipulate Andrianna into kissing him. It’s clear there’s a strong pull between them that’s got some darkness to it. At one point he seems like he might take advantage of her, but nothing beyond kissing happens.

Spiritual Content
Andrianna and her friends are part of an elite group called Ailith. Each bears a birthmark and a unique gift bestowed on them by the Maker (God.) Characters pray throughout the story, for protection, guidance, etc. Andrianna learns she can’t depend on her own strength in battle, but that when she calls upon the Maker, she’s protected from sorcery and dark powers of her enemies, the Sheolites.

Violence
Battle scenes. Some detailed descriptions of battle injuries.

Drug Content
Keallach gives Andrianna alcoholic drinks that incapacitate her.

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

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

Snow Like Ashes
Sara Raasch
Balzer + Bray

Meira has spent her entire life under the shadow of the Spring kingdom’s oppression. Her own kingdom, Winter, has been decimated by Spring armies and most of her people enslaved. Only a handful of refugees live free, protecting the future king, waiting to execute the plan that will restore Winter’s magic. Only then can the other Winterians be set free and the kingdom restored.

All Meira wants is to fight for her people. Yet every time she tries, it seems someone stands in her way. When she finally finds her own way to fight, she learns a truth that shatters everything she thought she knew about her life, her people, and how to free them.

Readers looking for a strong heroine will definitely find that in Meira. I liked that finding her strength wasn’t as simple as learning to handle a sword or having a chance to go into battle. Though she holds her own in more than one conflict, she learns that there’s more to serving her people than killing some bad guys for them.

I loved the way the romance developed. I kind of thought I knew what was going to happen, and Raasch switched things up, and I found I liked that even better. In other series’ I sometimes feel like the two boys that the heroine has to choose from are not very equally matched. One is really passive or weak and the other is really the strong one. In Snow Like Ashes I felt like Raasch did a great job bringing two strong lads to the table. I’m excited to see how the series progresses and if there are some more unexpected twists and turns in the romance waiting for Meira.

Fans of The Red Queen or the Graceling books will enjoy this one.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
In one scene, Meira’s enemy forces her down on a bed. It’s unclear whether he intends to rape her, but it’s definitely intense. There are a couple of brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
Each ruler has an item which serves as a source of magic for the kingdom. Some rulers use their magic to help promote success among all their people while others use magic to control the people. Magic used to harm increases the power of an evil magic Meira calls the Decay.

Violence
Most of Meira’s countrymen are imprisoned in work camps and terribly mistreated. There’s not a lot of description of this, though. She recalls a memory about a man who escaped from Spring soldiers only to die of his wounds. There are a few battle scenes with some brief but vivid descriptions of war wounds.

Drug Content
None.

Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

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

The Girl at Midnight
Melissa Grey
Delacorte Press

Amazon | Goodreads

For most of her childhood, Echo, a homeless human girl, has lived with the Avicen, a human-like people with feathers instead of hair. When she learns of an ancient prophecy that could stop the war between her adopted people and the dragon-like Drakharin, she sees an opportunity not only to help those she loves but to cement her place among them as a hero.

Caius, the Drakharin Dragon Prince, also knows of the prophecy and seeks its fruition. When his search entangles him with the strange human girl, there’s really only one choice: work together to solve the puzzle and find the firebird. Even if doing so destroys his place among his people.

I absolutely devoured this book. I loved the descriptions of the Avicen and their feathers, though I felt like the Drakharin deserved a little more in the way of interesting comparative descriptions. I liked the feel of these strong racial divides being crossed for the first time in the uneasy alliances between characters. There’s a lot of snarky dialogue that keeps the emotionally intense scenes from becoming melodramatic. I was a little disappointed in the climax – there’s a big scene change at kind of an awkward moment that left me wanting a recap that I never really got. Despite that, the ending was very satisfying.

Aside from that, though, the characters and plot made this well-worth the experience. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Laini Taylor will definitely want to read this novel.

Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Echo offers herself to a would-be lover, but is gently refused. Caius remembers times shared with Rose. His memories often involve being in bed or wrapped in sheets, but nothing further is discussed. Dorian, the captain of the guard who serves the Dragon Prince, harbors deeper affection for Caius than is appropriate for his post. Caius remains unaware of his feelings, but another man notices and attempts to steal his heart. There’s a brief kiss from one to the other’s hand and some obvious desire.

Spiritual Content
An oracle reveals what Caius and Echo must do.

Violence
Tanith uses her fire gift to burn her enemies. She also assassinates other Drakharin who happen to stand between herself and her goals.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, New Adult 18up, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Zeroboxer
Fonda Lee
Flux

Seventeen year-old Carr Luka is rocketing his way to the top of a hot new sport. Zeroboxing takes place in an enclosed arena, the Cube. Opponents face off in hand-to-hand combat in zero gravity. Winning fights is the only thing that will save Carr from being sent back to earth to work clubs as a low-rent fighter, scraping through the muck of poverty. When an opportunity to become an elite Zeroboxer, a poster child for the sport complete with endorsements and his own marketing team, Carr seizes the opportunity with both fists. His exotic Martian marketing manager steals his breath and then his heart. Just as his dreams of stardom and a glorious future seem to be within his grasp, a stranger corners Carr with a devastating secret, one that will shatter every one of his dreams and ban him from the only life he’s known. Carr must choose to bury his secret or forsake his dreams.

Honestly, I was a little nervous about reading this book. Its sci-fi elements intrigued me, but I’m not a big fan of boxing as a sport, so I wasn’t sure if the terminology would be confusing or the topic uninteresting. Plus, boxing in space? How does that work?

However – Lee totally delivers. It’s like Ender’s Game style training matches meets boxing. I loved it. Lee’s clear writing paints great visuals of the boxing matches and really drives up the intensity of those scenes.

In addition, there’s a complex story world in which Mars has been colonized and is now occupied by humans who are genetically altered for life on the red planet. Generations after the colonization, deep animosity exists between Martians and Terrans (people from Earth.) Which really seems so true to human fallibility: both groups came from the same people, but now their differences divide them. Really fascinating stuff.

Lee also explores the morality of gene therapy and genetic manipulation. We’ve seen this where it comes to clones and soldiers, but how cool to bring these issues to the sports arena. If someone is genetically enhanced, does that offer an unfair advantage in sports competition, the way that the use of steroids does? Great theme.

All-around, this was a deeply thought-out, well-executed story. Though Carr is seventeen at the start of the novel, to me it reads more like new adult than young adult literature because of the issues Carr faces. He’s a career man, not a student, living independently and making all adult choices. High school aged readers would probably still enjoy the story.

Language Content
Extreme profanity, infrequent use.

Sexual Content
Kissing and brief references to sex – commenting on past experiences and brief description of present sexual situations.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Carr fights several other zeroboxers during the course of the story and KO’s one very rude civilian. Descriptions of the fights are not super gory – you definitely know what’s happening, but there’s not a lot of glorification of the injuries or pain or anything like that.

Drug Content
Carr attends some pretty wild after-parties following victorious fights. Usually he doesn’t drink alcohol and avoids a lot of the crazy stuff, so there’s not much description there. He does lose it and get drunk alone one night, but regrets it later.