Category Archives: Clean Fiction

Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

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Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon HaleBook of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 1, 2007

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Dashti, a mucker maid, follows her lady into imprisonment in a lonely tower. Lady Saren’s father vows to lock her up for seven years after her refusal to marry the powerfuls but vile Lord Khasar. When Lady Saren’s love, Khan Tegis visits the tower, she begs Dashti to woo him in her place. Dashti complies, unwillingly at first, until the kindness and good humor of the gentle prince stir her own heart. Lord Khasar also visits the tower, demanding that Lady Saren emerge and marry him. Dashti must use all her wits and bravery in order to protect her lady and herself from the monster inside the evil lord.

In a dramatic retelling of the familiar Brothers Grimm tale Maid Maleen, author Shannon Hale introduces a humble maid through journal entries kept through the long tower imprisonment. Dashti relates her story in lyrical prose strewn with cultural references and songs reminiscent of an ancient Middle-Eastern or Asian land so realistic it’s easy to forget it’s fiction.

The expert writing and diary format make it feel like a historical account written by a member of some ancient kingdom. Dashti’s goodness and loyalty make her an easy character to admire. Though she never takes up weapons made of steel, her cunning and bravery in the face of powerful enemies place her among the greatest heroes, a worthy role model for young readers. The writing style and setting reminded me of another childhood favorite, Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy. I highly recommend both stories.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Polytheistic religion incorporated into the story.

Violence
A girl very briefly tells her maid that she witnessed a man brutally murder another man.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry

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All the Truth That’s In Me
Julie Berry
Viking Children’s/Penguin Group
Published September 26, 2013

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Judith returns to her small Puritan community at Roswell Station after a two year disappearance. She remains unable to speak, since her captor removed half her tongue. Her mother grudgingly allows her to live in her home, but rumors about Judith are whispered along the edges of her hearing. No one seems able to believe that she returned with her virtue intact.

Despite the murmurs and dirty looks, Judith tries her best to be kind to the townspeople, especially to her childhood friend Lucas. When an attack by Homelanders threatens to destroy the village and Lucas’s father, believed to be dead, returns to save the settlement, suspicion falls on Lucas. Has he known that his father lived all this time?

As the community begins to ostracize Lucas, Judith realizes she cannot stay silent and allow blame to fall on him for his father’s sins. She works with an unexpected ally to regain her voice and clear Lucas’s name.

The topic of abduction and the stark image on the cover of the book create the sense that this book will be filled with dark scenes and recollections of terrible abuse. In fact, that’s not so. There are a couple of very brief references to terrifying moments in captivity experienced by this young girl, but details are scarce and the author quickly moves on to other topics, leaving a strong sense of angst without the stories of abuse that some readers may not be prepared to handle.

Instead, Berry’s novel is a story of unexpected hope and heroism. A young girl struggles to regain her voice and to make herself heard in a community that has long overlooked and misjudged her. Her bravery and her unwavering love for her brother and her neighbors is inspiring and wholesome. The author’s use of prose and imagery bring to life the small Puritan town and its varied members.

As a lover of angsty teen novels, I found it refreshing to read a historical novel so emotionally charged and yet so hopeful. How many times have we read novels which ultimately condemn the rigidity of the Puritan culture? I loved that this novel didn’t go that route. Not that the leadership were without fault, but that hope, forgiveness and love – which believes the best – ultimately triumphed. Great story. Highly recommended.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Brief references to men’s lustful comments or actions toward Judith and discussions about whether her virginity is intact.

Spiritual Content
Judith finds comfort in a passage of scripture about captives grieving for their homeland. The pastor uses various verses to condemn a young man who is believed to have harbored a fugitive from the law.

Violence
Brief references to battle and battle-related injuries. A boy must have his leg amputated, but Judith doesn’t witness this. Judith briefly recalls an incident during her captivity where a man began to attack her, but quickly stopped. She also remembers seeing her friend choked to death. Very few details are given in these scenes.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

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The Geography of You and Me
Jennifer E Smith
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014

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On a hot summer night, the lights go out on the east coast, dropping Manhattan into an unfamiliar blackness. Sixteen year-old Lucy and seventeen year-old Owen, strangers who live in the same building, share a few moments trapped in an elevator which blossoms into hours spent talking under the night sky.

Just as the two begin to connect, their lives propel them apart: Owen to the west coast and his father’s unending job hunt and Lucy to the Europe she’s coveted the last sixteen years. Only postcards span the distance between them until the night they can’t bear to be separated any longer.

The usual romantic formula has the hero and heroine in the same room (or at least the same city) a high percentage of the story. Smith’s bold departure from the expected routine of romance is a risky move that absolutely pays off. As Owen and Lucy explore the new terrain of their lives, their shared longing for one another anchors the story together.

One of the pleasant surprises in the story was the growth in the relationships between each character and his/her parents. Without violating the sacred teen need for privacy, Owen’s dad and Lucy’s mom reveal that despite their issues, they’ve been paying attention. In a genre cluttered by too many flaky caricatures of parents, it was refreshing to see such human examples of loving parents.

The sweet romance and witty banter between Lucy and Owen make this a charming story. It’s a pretty clean read (see below for details) and probably best suited to readers aged fourteen to seventeen.

Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Sexual Content
Limited kissing. Brief references to a girl wondering why she hasn’t brought her boyfriend home to her parents’ empty house for some unsupervised time.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Cigarettes/smoking is blamed for Owen’s mother’s fatal car accident. Owen treasures a cigarette that belonged to his mother, but he is not a smoker.

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

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Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

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PIE
Sarah Weeks
Scholastic
Published October 1, 2011

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Beloved Aunt Polly’s death leaves Alice miserable and the small town of Ipswitch floundering. Her world-famous restaurant serving free pies must close, but as the will is settled, everyone wonders who will get Polly’s award-winning pie crust recipe? No one is more surprised than Alice when Aunt Polly’s attorney presents her with Lardo, her aunt’s grumpy cat and sole inheritor of the coveted recipe. News ricochets through town. In its wake a mysterious villain vandalizes Polly’s shop and catnaps Lardo (in case the rumors that the recipe is tattooed on the feline’s enormous belly are true.)

Alice’s mother refuses to listen to Alice’s claims that the cat has been abducted and instead rages against her sister’s leaving her out of her will. It’s up to Alice and the local grocery delivery boy to solve the mystery and rescue Lardo amid the whole town’s frantic attempts to recreate Polly’s famous pies.

An unexpected guest reveals the final pieces of Aunt Polly’s will, leaving Alice and her mother dumbfounded. While Alice knows the knot of grief inside her will never fully disappear, she finds a way to cope with the loss and keep her aunt close in her memory and in her sweet baked treats.

Though it grapples with a young girl’s first experience with grief, PIE is an overwhelmingly sweet story, packed not only with tender moments and humor but over a dozen pie recipes, ranging from the all-American classic Apple Pie to the unexpected Green Tomato Pie. This is a great story to read aloud – with frequent breaks to do a little baking! What a great opportunity to bond with middle readers both in literature and in the kitchen.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Who Could It Be at This Hour by Lemony Snicket

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, , ,

Who Could It Be At This Hour?
Lemony Snicket
Little, Brown and Company
Published October 24, 2012

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Thirteen year-old Lemony Snicket is ready to begin a thrilling adventure as an apprentice to a detective. His first assignment leads him and his confident companion to the small town of Stan’d-by-the-Sea. Snicket soon discovers the object he’s been hired to recover is part of a complex plot which will risk more than his apprenticeship to solve.

As Snicket works to uncover clues with the aid of his bungling mentor, he often finds himself asking the wrong questions, and later regrets the consequences. His partner, though more experienced, often overlooks evidence or logic, and though Snicket disagrees with her decisions, he remains positive and respectful toward her. The story maintains the 1950s feel of a classic spy novel.

Fans of Snicket’s earlier infamous series will find a slightly more sophisticated tone draped over the same tongue-in-cheek humor and playfulness in the first volume of the series All the Wrong Questions. Recommended for ages eight to twelve.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Snicket discovers a woman tied up in a basement which is filling with water. He frees her.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Of Triton by Anna Banks

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

Of Triton (Syrena Legacy #2)
Anna Banks
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 28, 2013

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When her Syrena boyfriend Galen recognizes her mother as the long-lost princess promised to his older brother, Emma realizes her life just got way more complicated. With a Syrena mother and human father, Emma is a half-breed. Humanity would label her a freak and Syrena law demands that she be put to death. Galen and his sister work to reunite their brother Grom with Emma’s mother, but none of them realize the tidal wave of repercussions the return of the lost princess will cause.

Fans of Banks’ earlier novel exploring the world of the Syrena will only find more to love in this upbeat romance jam-packed with royal political intrigue and forbidden romance. Some of the scenes involving the underwater Tribunal meeting, a trial which will decide the fate of the Syrena royals, do tend to drag on with little action and much dialogue, the story otherwise moves quickly and tensions between characters run high making this a great summer read. Of Neptune,the final chapter of the Syrena Legacy hit stores early this month and promises to be a thrilling conclusion to Emma and Galen’s story.

Language Content
Mild. More often, Emma uses terms like “flipping” or “shizzle” rather than profanity. Fits her character and spares readers looking for a cleaner reading experience.

Sexual Content
It’s clear that Emma feels deeply attracted to Galen and wants to consummate that attraction, but the two have little opportunity. Sirenna law prohibits mating between partners who have not been paired at a proper mating ceremony, and despite the force of his attraction to Emma, he is committed to respecting the traditions of his people.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Conflicts between hot-tempered Sirenna sometimes become physical altercations, though few weapons are used and few details embellish the violence. A fisherman harpoons a young whale. A young girl is stabbed with a spear. No graphic details.

Drug Content
None.

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