Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: Fall by A. K. Morgen

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

Fall
A. K. Morgen
Curiosity Quills Press
Published October 5, 2013

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Arionna wakes in a hospital bed, wisps of memory from a brutal attack still clinging to her mind. Her wolf form lacks the strength to emerge, and Arionna isn’t sure she, her partner Dace and his wolf form will be able to survive when their enemies, Skoll and Hati, next appear. If they should fail, Skoll and Hati will free Fenrir from his chains and send the world spiraling into destruction unto its end. They must not fail, but at every turn, it seems their enemy is one step ahead, and Arionna’s injuries leave Dace nearly paralyzed with fear that he will lose her, a fear that only adds to Skoll and Hati’s advantage.

Dace and Arionna scramble for information, knowing they fight a battle ultimately doomed. One day they will fail and Fenrir will be unleashed. But now they fight to preserve the world they know and the lives they’ve created together. If only Arionna could piece together the memories of her past lives, she might be able to understand how to free the wolf inside her and beat her enemies back for another generation.

This second book in Morgen’s Ragnarok Prophesies series is laced with Norse mythology and supernatural beings. In the wake of the vampire/werewolf fan-craze, it’s refreshing to experience werewolves explored through a different framework, pushing toward a less common goal – saving the world – rather than struggling to survive and be understood.

Like many series seconds, Fall has moments in which characters wallow in the past or over-analyze the present, wondering what to do over and over. As the story threads weave together in the last fifty or so pages, Morgen regains strength and momentum and pulls out some pretty compelling twists for the story’s climax, making it likely that readers will be eager for the next installment of Arionna and Dace’s story.

Language Content
Extreme word usage but moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Several heavy make-out scenes and references to sex in the past.

Spiritual Content
Main characters were created by the god Odin to protect earth and its inhabitants. In order to do this, they must fight powerful enemies Hati and Skoll and keep Fenrir from escaping his chains and destroying the world. The heroine reflects briefly on spirituality and the existence of one god or many and wonders what this means to her.

Violence
Wolf attacks and battle scenes appear throughout the story, sometimes told in detail. Descriptions are not overly gory, but the scenes are important to the story, so they are not usually brief.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Attitude by Robin Stevenson

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

Attitude
Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishing
Published October 1, 2013

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Fourteen-year-old Cassandra travels from her home in Australia to a highly competitive summer ballet program. At first Cassie tries to befriend girls who’ve been in the program for years, but it soon becomes clear that Melissa and her pals don’t stop at dancing your best in order to win. When Cassie gets blamed for a prank she didn’t commit, it becomes clear the girls mean to get her disqualified from an important audition. Cassie refuses to back down, though, and soon learns bigger lessons than dance technique.

Cassandra battles homesickness and bullying, making her an extremely relatable character. As a talented young ballerina, she faces big choices about her future and discovers that even the hesitation her parents feel about her future as a dancer can be a blessing. This is a short but nicely paced read which can most easily be enjoyed by someone with at least a cursory knowledge of ballet, though this knowledge isn’t necessary in order to follow the development of the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very light.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
A girl is prescribed a pain killer for a dance-related injury.

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

 

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Review: Cut the Lights by Karen Krossing

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

Cut the Lights
Karen Krossing
Orca Book Publishing
Published October 1, 2013

Amazon | Goodreads

Young first-time director Briar can’t wait to put her ideas onto a real stage. When she is chosen for a real chance to direct a student-written one act play, she soars. But working with real live actors proves to be more difficult than Briar imagined, and she’s forced to navigate everything her crew throws at her, from absence to bold-faced narcissism to outright boredom. With the date of the performances just a few days away, Briar is desperate to pull her disaster of a show together. Just as she begins to turn things around, disaster strikes, fragmenting the cast and leaving her without a lead. What now? Faced with the choice to cancel or muster through, Briar learns there’s a lot more to being in charge than telling everyone else what to do.

Each chapter begins with italicized notes setting the scene, adding to the stage-like feel of the story and Briar’s director-focused mentality. While the background conflict between Briar’s practical parents and her whimsical, often unemployed aunt adds to the story’s tension, it’s a little hard to swallow that a couple so concerned that their daughter pursue a “normal” career would send their daughter to a school for fine arts. Beyond that, however, this novel is highly entertaining and fast-paced. It’s a great read for anyone curious about performance art.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very light.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.
Violence
A boy attempts a dangerous stunt involving skates and a large ramp and winds up with a broken arm.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

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Review: Merlin’s Blade by Robert Treskillard

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

Merlin’s Blade
Robert Treskillard
Blink YA
Published April 16, 2013

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Scars from a wolf attack leave young Merlin’s eyesight damaged almost to the point of blindness, making it difficult for him to assist his father the blacksmith or find his way around the small village alone and leaves him an easy victim to trickery. When two druid leaders bring a glowing stone into the village, Merlin’s blindness saves him from falling into the stone’s enchantment. As the druids whisper sweet lies to the townsfolk, further bewitching them, Merlin must find his courage and stand up to the powerful men, even if he is forced to stand alone.

The druids’ plans are far more nefarious than to distract a few poor farmers, however. Merlin uncovers a terrible plot meant to murder and betray Arthur, the future king. As Merlin braces for battle, he is faced with a terrible choice: with the lives of his love, family and the king in jeopardy, he must choose whom to save.

The story of Merlin and Arthur is retold as a tale of battle between druid and Christian. Instead of the mighty sorcerer, Merlin emerges as a Christian prophet, one voice shouting against a bewitched and angry crowd. In this first book in The Merlin Spiral, Merlin meets Arthur as a very young child and only begins his journey as a part of Arthur’s life. Treskillard weaves a fascinating tale and leaves the reader piqued for the next installment in the series. The last hundred pages moved especially quickly, pulling the reader through the tale with scarcely time for a breath. Readers who enjoy Christian fantasy will likely enjoy the fresh retelling of this familiar story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A powerful druid leader uses a magical stone to enchant the people and turn them away from Christianity. Several scenes describe various druid rituals or sacrifices. Merlin passionately opposes the power of the stone and clings to his Christian beliefs in the face of threats and injury from the druids. Angels visit and speak with one character. Another character reveals prophecies.

Violence
Wolf attacks and battle scenes appear throughout the story, sometimes told in detail. Descriptions are not overly gory, but the scenes are important to the story, so they are not usually brief.

Drug Content
A man betrays another by placing poison in his mead.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Review: Aquifer by Jonathan Friesen

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, , ,

Aquifer
Jonathan Friesen
Blink YA
Published August 6, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Fifteen year-old Luca has grown up with a heavy burden of responsibility on his shoulders. In a world plagued by drought, only his father has the knowledge and ability to journey deep underground and negotiate with the fearsome people known as water rats for another year’s supply of water to be pumped up to earth’s surface. Luca painstakingly memorizes his father’s instructions to navigate the caves below, for one day it will fall to him to make that lonely, life-preserving journey as the Deliverer.

Life on the earth’s surface is carefully monitored and controlled by the Council of Nine and their representatives, called Amongus, who sniff out any dissenters or citizens who cannot master their emotions. Those who cannot obey the law are “undone,” taken out to the middle of the ocean and drowned.

As the day approaches for Luca’s father to make the long journey into the dark, Luca discovers a hidden treasure, one the Amongus would surley destroy. Luca’s father begins his trek to negotiate for water before Luca has a chance to show his father the secret treasure. When his father does not return at the scheduled time, Luca’s world is thrown into chaos. Suddenly he is the new Deliverer and he does not have his father to guide him any longer. But it seems the Amongus have other plans for Lucas and the future water supply, and Luca must move quickly if he is to escape entanglement in their deadly traps. In order to flee, Luca must embrace a faith which doesn’t make sense to him, and dare to behold a world beyond the one the Amongus have confined him in. One in which water rats are not twisted monsters and beauty is not a thing to be feared.

In this novel Friesen brings powerful prose to a story that is sort of Waterworld meets The Giver. Aquifer allows readers to experience a raw longing and searching for faith and universal truth. At every turn, Luca experiences the struggle to sort allies from enemies, and as chaos and desperation bring out both the best and worst in those around him, discerning friend from foe is no easy task. Over all this is a really enjoyable story with a lot of suspense and a little bit of romance. Fans of dystopian fiction will find this one a worthy addition to their reading lists.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A few brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
Religion is outlawed, but some citizens (referred to as Wishers) secretly pray to a Creator and believe they hear guidance and direction from him.
Violence
Brief battle scenes between Amongus enforcers and Luca and his supporters.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: It’s Over by Laura L. Smith

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

It’s Over
Laura L. Smith
Playlist Fiction
Published April 14, 2013

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Tragedy greets Kat when she arrives home from college for fall break. Though her three roomies band together in support, Kat can barely find the strength to move through the motions of her life. Claire, still reeling from her own injuries of heart, seems to be the only one who can reach Kat. As Thanksgiving draws closer, each girl faces a shift in an important relationship, and as Claire suggested, each attempts to discover something to be thankful for amidst the rubble that remains. Palmer fields not-so-subtle comments on her waistline from her mother and expertly blocks her boyfriend’s attempts for sex. But can she stay pure and stay with Keegan?  As in the first book, the four roommates draw strength from one another, support each other and encourage each other in faith.

Smith carries readers through a rainbow of expertly rendered emotions, from happy holiday celebrations to the deepest of heartache and the purest dawning of hope. Each of the girls has a distinct voice with a different perspective. This is a great series for the reader looking for some fun, lighthearted moments and open to the deeper lessons life has to offer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A short but steamy make-out session between a girl and her boyfriend. A discussion between two sisters about making a commitment to save sex until marriage.

Spiritual Content
Following an unexpected tragedy, Kat wrestles with feelings of anger and betrayal toward God. Palmer struggles to maintain boundaries with her eager-for-sex boyfriend, and faces the possibility that perhaps this relationship isn’t God’s plan for her life after all.
Violence
Brief references to injuries sustained in a car accident.

Drug Content
Kat smells pot smoke in her cousin’s room.

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

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