Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson

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

The Princess Spy by Melanie DickersonThe Princess Spy
Melanie Dickerson
Zonderkids
Published November 4, 2014

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Despite her romantic dreams and wishes, Margaretha is determined to wed a man who will secure her family’s future as well as her own. When a handsome though bedraggled stranger warns her that Lord Claybrook, her latest beau, is a fraud, Margaretha at first thinks him delusioned by fever.

Gradually she comes to accept and respect Colin, the English stranger and even volunteers to spy on Lord Claybrook for him. When Claybrook’s men seize her castle at Hagenheim and threaten the lives of her family members, it’s up to Margaretha and Colin to stop the evil plot.

Hagenheim castle is a familiar setting to fans of Dickerson’s novels. Some of the characters in The Princess Spy will be known to her readers as well. The connection to the other novels is nice and adds kind of a consistent story-world background without being necessary for understanding this novel on its own. In this loose retelling of The Princess and the Frog, the hero is dressed in an ugly green outfit and referred to by other castle servants as “frog boy.”

The writing is simple and a bit stilted, but the plot is pretty solid and moves forward at a steady pace. Romantic tension is expertly built and definitely scratches that fairytale-love-story itch. It wasn’t until the romance really started to take off that I felt myself really lost in the story. It’s a light, easy read and a great option for families looking for that fairytale type of story without the magic elements and with chaste but fervent romance.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. Margaretha and Colin travel alone and spend several nights together in traveling. Colin is conscious of Lady Margaretha’s station and virtue and protects both as a gentleman.

Spiritual Content
The hero is a Christian but wants revenge on his enemies. He learns that he must trust God to punish evil men in His own time.

Violence
Brief descriptions of violence and reference to a woman’s murder (she is pregnant and unmarried, and the father of her unborn child apparently strangles her.)

Drug Content
None.

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

 

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Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

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

Since You’ve Been Gone
Mary Jennifer Payne
Dundurn
Published February 17, 2015

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Edie has to be ready to run at any time. Even though it’s been years, he still chases them. She and her mom move again and again, trying to stay ahead of him, but somehow he always finds them. The most recent move takes them to London, where her mom grew up. It’s a foreign place to Edie, who struggles to grasp the slang and hide within the shelter of a clique of girls.

When her mother disappears, Edie has two choices: find Mom herself or trust the police, who may send her straight into the waiting arms of the man from which she’s been hiding. With the help of an unlikely ally, Edie charges into the unfamiliar streets of London, searching for clues about her mother’s disappearance.

The spectrum of characters in this story is broad and dynamic. Each one reads like there’s been a lot of thought put into development, and like he or she marches off scene to continue with an imagined life. Jermaine was definitely my favorite character. I liked the play of his bad-boy reputation against the kindness of his true character.

The plot is pretty simple, and Payne avoids some of the potential pitfalls of a young sleuth narrator. Edie’s decisions and experience seem pretty plausible for a teen would-be detective. It’s a pretty quick read. Though some plot elements are a bit predictable (like who’s after them and why they are running from him) there were other unexpected moments (which I won’t spoil) that added interest to the tale.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate profanity and crude language used with mild frequency.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. Edie discusses her lack of experience with boys and tells an interested boy that she will not have sex with him. She worries about her reputation when he offers to let her stay with his family for a few days while she figures things out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief descriptions of domestic violence and an accident which claimed the lives of several children.

Drug Content
Brief reference to someone smoking marijuana in the street in London.

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

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Review: Scents and Senses by Loren Secretts

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

Scents and Senses
Loren Secretts
Astraea Press
Published April 15, 2014

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Starra never asked for an invisible guardian to step in and make her life extraordinary. Yet when Joy began watching over her, she just couldn’t help herself. How can Starra not want the world to know how amazing she is? Unfortunately, Joy’s aid brings Starra more attention than she ever wanted. But when some serious creeps try to shut down her island home, Starra depends on Joy and her friends to bring help before someone gets hurt.

Joy is a mysterious three-toed Deeem. She has the ability to control the movements of humans and remain unseen. She hopes Starra will become a friend not only to herself but also to a young girl who is part Deeem and part human, who needs a friend more than anything else. Becoming their friend may turn out to be the most dangerous thing Starra has ever done.

The idea of these two vastly different creatures living side by side is pretty fascinating. Joy is a perky, cute character and Starra is very empathetic and caring. Especially in scenes with a lot of dialogue, the narrative sometimes gets confusing. It’s as if the author was writing so quickly that a lot of clarifying details got skipped. It’s hard to know who spoke which dialogue lines or what’s happening in the scene. There were a lot of passages I had to go back and reread several times and sometimes I had to just guess at what was happening.

The plot itself feels like two separate stories strung together to make a longer novel out of two novellas. Each had a good set-up for conflict and an interesting twist (the second resolved a little abruptly.) They weren’t really deeply tied together as one story, though.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
In this story, humans live alongside invisible creatures called Deeems. Those with one human parent and one Deeem parent are referred to as Deeemans and sometimes possess special powers.

Violence
A team of men infiltrate Starra’s hometown and hold the people hostage. Gunshots are fired in a confrontation, and a teenager ends up in the hospital. A boy with abnormal strength beats up other young men who attempt to assault a young woman. A woman tries to kill a teenaged girl and is killed as a last-resort effort to stop her. Scenes are brief.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Both of Me
Jonathan Friesen
Zonderkidz Books
Published December 23, 2014

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On the run from a past she can’t bear to face, Clara retraces her the journey outlined in her father’s journal. Then a captivating, broken boy derails her. He sketches things he shouldn’t know. Images from memories she wants to forget. And she can’t let him out of her sight until she understands how he knows these things.

But following Elias means a trip into fantasy. The boy has two parts – the gentle Elias who soothes Clara’s fears and the rough, unpredictable one who lives in an imaginary world called Salem and a great evil to the east. As Clara falls ever deeper in love with Elias, she vows to follow his quest to the end, hoping it will unite the two versions of him.

I’m a huge fan of Friesen’s writing. Jerk, California pretty much blew me away, and I really enjoyed Aquifer as well.

This story, unlike the others, is written from a female point-of-view. Friesen does a great job bringing Clara to life – she’s spunky and fierce and knows how to manipulate people, but there’s a softer side of her, too, and Elias brings that out in her. There was one moment in which I was a little disappointed by Clara’s response. Something huge happens and she sort of calmly responds. I was waiting for the realization of the greatness of the loss she’s experienced, and I felt like that didn’t really come.

I really enjoyed the way that he brings Elias and Clara’s stories together. It wasn’t what I expected – it was far better. Much like Friesen’s debut, Jerk, California, the journey Clara and Elias take is spiced with interesting characters and events. This author has a great eye for character and for taking small moments and making them really memorable by delivering them via those unexpected bystanders to the story.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. It’s clear Clara is a sexually experienced girl (no details offered), and she offers herself to Elias, but he puts on the brakes pretty quickly.

Spiritual Content
Clara has a lot of bitterness toward God. In a moment in which she feels she’s lost everything, she begins praying. Instead of the usual suffocating feeling of guilt about her past, a peace envelops her. She begins to pray with more confidence.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Forgive Me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

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

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
Matthew Quick
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published August 13, 2013

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate, Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school’s class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting look at a day in the life of a disturbed teenage boy, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out.

My Review

As Leonard delivers the presents, it’s clear there are people who care for him and who suspect that Leonard has chartered a short, one-way ticket to self-destruction. They plead with and encourage him to have hope, to think of his future.

While the story by its nature is pretty grim, Leonard manages to relate events with some wry humor and an appreciation for the ridiculous. Though it’s clear his family life is awful and his school life a torment, an impossible thread of hope remains deep inside him. He wants to believe that a better future exists, and we see that hope at war with the depression and fury within. That’s the real beauty of this story.

One thing that sets this novel apart from others featuring a teen shooter is the letters from the future featured at intervals during the story. I loved that the letter-writers related this dystopian, post-apocalyptic world and that despite the whole world falling to pieces, Leonard had found the people who loved and understood him.

It’s always tragic to see a teen give up on life – and everyone always wants to tell the kid, hey, think of your future! Here, in this novel, instead of some well-meaning adage, Quick paints this fascinating picture of the future Leonard could have. I loved that unique touch.

This is a heavy story and very grim in moments. I think despite those things, this novel carries an important message and was bravely written.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme word choice, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
A young man alludes to an abusive relationship in which he was raped. His descriptions are vague but powerful. It’s his mentor later who, upon hearing about it, labels the incident as rape. A teenaged boy is caught masturbating. It’s brief, but explicit.

In letters from the future, Leonard’s wife briefly relates that they have an amazing intimate life. She hopes that having this to look forward to will help him fight through his depression and turn away from his intentions of murder and suicide.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief references to rape (see above.) A teenaged boy plans to shoot another boy and then kill himself.

Drug Content
Leonard references his father’s drug problem and events from his childhood. He remembers his dad being high and how that disappointed him.

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