Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

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

golden-daughterGolden Daughter
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Rooglewood Press
Available November 25, 2014

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A Dream Walker with legendary power returns from a dream marked by an enemy hand and lost in a trance. Hoping to buy time for her healing, the high priest places her in the care of a cunning protector. As one of the emperor’s famed Golden Daughters, Sairu vows to serve her mistress on a dangerous journey from the emperor’s palace to a remote temple. They are accompanied by an orange cat and a slave boy with unexpected abilities. A dark enemy seeks to eliminate the Dream Walker in Sairu’s care.

Fans of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series will recognize the cat as the indomitable faerie poet, Eanrin. His presence adds spunk and humor to this more serious story. Unlike the other Goldstone Wood novels, this one has much more of an Eastern feel. Sairu and her mistress both share more reserved character qualities. Reserved but very deep and definitely complex.

One of the other great surprises in this tale is the thread that bears similarities to the biblical story of Joseph. Stengl does a great job weaving that story into the larger tale without letting it become too predictable or stealing the show from the other characters and plotlines.

My only complaint as I read this story is that I often found myself wishing for a map. (I own the kindle version, and it does not include one that I could find.) Three kingdoms feature in the telling of Golden Daughter and I often found I had confused two of them. I also wanted to see the path of Sairu’s journey mapped out on the larger story world.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
The people of Noorhitam worship the sun and moon personified as deities. The Chhayan people believe their goddess, the moon has forsaken them.

The Song Giver, or Creator rules over all, even the sun and moon goddesses. (In a dream, the moon goddess tells Jovann not to worship her, but instead to worship the Song Giver.) A wood thrush and a Man of light, (Lumil Eliasul, a Jesus-like character) guide Jovann and Sairu through a realm of dreams on a Path.

In each of the Goldstone Wood books, Stengl does an excellent job creating parallels to Christian theology that are not overbearing or which overly interfere with the story.

Violence
Sairu comes upon a group of slavers who’ve captured innocent people and cruelly mistreated them. A brief battle ensues. Later a woman is bound and killed by her captors in front of her adult son. A dragon uses his fire to destroy anyone who opposes him.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

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

Where Things Come Back
John Corey Whaley
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published May 3, 2011

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The summer before his senior year, Cullen Witter’s sleepy Arkansas hometown implodes with changes. His cousin dies of a drug overdose. An extinct woodpecker is spotted by a smarmy nature enthusiast. And Cullen’s sensitive, insightful younger brother goes missing.

Woven through this summer tale of loss and love is another seemingly unrelated story about a missionary just returned from Ethiopia, his jaded college roommate and a girl who returns to Cullen’s town following a failed marriage. These threads loop together forming a story as unexpected as the sighting of a bird thought long-dead.

I found Cullen’s character to be alternately charming and obnoxious. His relationships with his family members and best friend were sweet and warming. Outside those treasured few he cared about, he seemed frustrated and judgmental. Protagonists should, of course, have flaws, but I was disappointed that he didn’t seem to grow beyond those in any sense. Cullen’s brother was probably my favorite character. He added brief insights into the things going on around him in this simple, organic way.

The parts of the story about the missionary and his experience were really interesting and always turned in a direction I wouldn’t have predicted. I liked the way Whaley would take familiar story elements (a Christian missionary, a small southern town) and spin them into something unexpected. This is a novel with some dark moments but also some real mystical beauty. This is, above all, a story about finding hope in the most unlikely places.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used moderately. Main character frequently refers to people on his nerves as an “ass-hat.” While at first this seemed different and maybe a bit clever, it was kind of overdone.

Sexual Content
Brief references to sex. Cullen spends the night at a girl’s house and has sex with her – the event isn’t described. He does offer a short description of an intense sexual exchange with a girl along a riverbank.

Spiritual Content
A bright-eyed missionary becomes frustrated when it turns out the bulk of his work is providing food for the needy rather than collecting salvation prayers. His partner tries to reassure him of the importance of feeding the hungry.

After coming upon a passage from the book of Enoch in the Ethiopian Orthodox bible, a seminary student believes angels would teach humans how to be like God if they hadn’t been stopped by the angel Gabriel.

Violence
A young man dies by suicide by jumping from a bell tower. No details of the act or immediate aftermath. A kidnapped boy is held hostage by a violent, unpredictable man. Very few details of actual violence on the boy.

Drug Content
At the opening of the story, Cullen’s cousin dies of a drug overdose. He identifies his cousin’s body. Brief details given.

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Review: The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White

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

The Thickety: A Path Begins
J A White
Katherine Tegen Books
Published May 6, 2014

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On the day of her brother’s birth, six year-old Kara witnesses her mother’s sentencing and execution as a witch. Branded as outcasts, Kara and her sickly younger brother struggle to scratch a living out of their failing farmland. Then the forbidden forest known as the Thickety begins calling to Kara. Hidden in the dark soil beneath the trees, Kara finds a powerful book of magic.

Though she’s determined to be a good girl, Kara soon finds herself caught in the pull of the strange book. Tapping into its power awakens a terrible thirst in her. One which is only quenched by using more magic. If anyone discovered her, she would surely share the same fate as her mother. But is all magic evil, as her village believes, or is it only that which is used to harm which should be condemned?

Kara is an immediately likeable character. She divides her time between school and caring for her father and brother as well as managing the finances and limited resources of their small farm. Her fierce love for her family is evident in her watchful care of them.

The story is a bit dark – from the terrifying creature which emerges to discover whether Kara is a witch to the dark ruler of the forest, Sordyr, who calls to Kara, desperately seeking a bargain with her. The village lives under strict rules passed down from an ancient leader. While the rest of the world has moved on, forgetting the existence of witches and magic, the people of Kara’s village subsist on an island plagued by magic and constantly reminded of its evil.

As Kara experiments with various spells, she sometimes causes harm to the animals she summons and the people against whom she uses them. She experiences brief moments of shame or guilt over this. Ultimately there’s not a lot of clarity on which of her actions should be judged evil versus which were good. A bit more self-examination would have made it a more satisfying story for me.

As far as a story goes, the writing is top-notch. Solid characters. Exciting plot with some intense, unexpected moments.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Villagers follow the oft-quoted teachings of Timoth Cray, a famed man who fought and saved his people from powerful witches in a time of dark history. Witches are said to serve the Forest Demon, a creature of evil who lives in the dangerous wood called the Thickety.

Kara wrestles with some dark feelings – mostly wishes for revenge on those who’ve tormented her family – which only get stronger as she begins to experiment with the magic available to the keeper of the grimoire. She has the power to command animals, even unto their deaths. With each spell she casts, Kara burns to cast another.

There’s some discussion throughout the story about whether it’s possible to be a “good” witch. Certainly, Kara’s thirst for more and more magic and spells which cause harm seems to fall under evil magic. But Kara is a good girl. Can she use magic for good and does that make the magic good, too?

Each spell uses a page in the grimoire book. Kara knows when the last spell in the book is cast, the Forest Demon will extract a heavy price, one worse than death.

Some families may really take issue with the good-magic idea. The lines get pretty blurry.

Violence
Kara’s mother is publicly sentenced to execution and a terrible creature comes forth to test whether Kara herself is a witch. Definitely a creepy moment. Later, Kara uses animals to harm some village teens who’ve been picking on her family. No graphic descriptions or anything. A man gives his life to help Kara escape from prison. Kara battles a powerful witch. Brief descriptions of the battle and injuries it causes to participants and bystanders.

Drug Content
None.

 

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Review: The Amaranth Enchantment

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

The Amaranth Enchantment
Julie Berry
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published

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After the unexpected deaths of her parents, young Lucinda is thrown on the kindness of her uncle and his second wife. She spends her days as a servant in their jewel shop, ducking her aunt’s wrath and dreaming of a different future.

Three visitors to the shop change the course of her life: a prince, a wealthy woman rumored to be a witch, and an overconfident young thief. In different ways the visits inspire Lucinda to try to reclaim her lost family home. She will need help from all three if she is to succeed in her venture.

It’s been called a loose retelling of Cinderella, but there are enough unexpected characters and threads of story to give the novel added depth. The young thief and his antics bring welcome humor. The Amaranth Witch and her tale are not what one expects to encounter within this sort of fairytale realm. Lyrical prose and sweet romance also add a sense of enchantment to this story.

After being swept off my feet by Berry’s debut novel, All the Truth That’s In Me, I think I expected a bit more angst and inner conflict from these characters. The conflict was there, but much more subdued. The Amaranth Enchantment is a much gentler story, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After the power and strength of her first novel, I expected more bite and found myself a little bit disappointed.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
A strange woman rumored to be a witch seeks to recover a magical stone she claims contains her soul and a vast power to its wielder. She comes from another planet. Not much information is given about her home. When asked if her home is heaven, she says it is not, nor is she a witch.

More than one character learns about accepting responsibility for one’s actions and seeking forgiveness.

Violence
A young thief befriends Lucinda but also relieves her of some of her belongings in the process. Lucinda uncovers a dark secret about her parents’ deaths. An evil man attacks Lucinda to kill her. Descriptions of his attack are brief.

Drug Content
None.

 

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Review: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson

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

The 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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