Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: The Pledge by Cale Dietrich

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,
The Pledge by Cale Dietrich

The Pledge
Cale Dietrich
Feiwel & Friends
February 14, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Pledge

Scream meets Clown in a Cornfield in this young adult horror novel by bestselling Cale Dietrich featuring a masked killer who targets frat boys.

Freshman Sam believes that joining a fraternity is the best way to form a friend group as he begins his college journey – and his best chance of moving on from his past. He is the survivor of a horrific, and world-famous, murder spree, where a masked killer hunted down Sam and his friends.

Sam had to do the unthinkable to survive that night, and it completely derailed his life. He sees college, and his new identity as a frat boy, as his best shot at living a life not defined by the killings. He starts to flirt with one of the brothers, who Sam finds is surprisingly accepting of Sam’s past, and begins to think a fresh start truly is possible.

And then… one of his new frat brothers is found dead. A new masked murderer, one clearly inspired by the original, emerges, and starts stalking, and slaying, the frat boys of Munroe University. Now Sam will have to race against the clock to figure out who the new killer is – and why they are killing – before Sam loses his second chance – or the lives of any more of his friends.

Elements of horror, mystery, and a gay romance make this a story readers won’t want to miss.

My Review

I received this book as part of a package of books from the publisher, and I was the most nervous about it of all the others in the set. I’m still pretty touch and go with horror, so it’s always hard to tell from the cover or cover copy whether something is going to be a good pick or end up being too much.

Ultimately, I didn’t think the horror elements were too much for me. In some ways, THE PLEDGE reminded me of some of the R. L. Stine or Christopher Pike stories that I used to read. I also enjoyed that it was a story centered around a gay character– something different from the romance or contemporary stories I often read with LGBTQ+ protagonists.

It’s definitely a slasher story– so expect lots of scenes showing a masked assailant with a knife overpowering their victims and stabbing them. I’m a bit of a wimp about that stuff, but I didn’t find the descriptions overly graphic or gross.

The part of the story that really hooked me, though was the mystery element. Some people suspect Sam of being the killer, and he ends up getting involved in trying to figure out who is hurting people. He works with the police, trying to stop the killer before they strike again. I definitely got wrapped up in trying to guess who it was and what their motive was. I didn’t guess either one.

The story also includes Sam’s relationships with his family, which drew me in. He has issues with his mom, and he has a younger brother he loves a lot. I liked both those relationships and the way they impacted the story.

All in all, a slasher book is never going to be my go-to, but I enjoyed checking this one out. I think fans of THE WHITE RABBIT by Caleb Roehrig will like the mystery elements and romance of THE PLEDGE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sam and some other characters are gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to Sam’s past relationship with Eli. He’s attracted to a new guy at college. In one scene, they kiss and retreat to a bedroom to have sex. The scene shows them naked together and vaguely describes that they have sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
It’s a slasher, so there’s a bad guy with a knife who stabs some people in some scenes.

Drug Content
Sam attends parties with the fraternity brothers and drinks alcohol. One of the boys in the process of joining the fraternity smells like pot.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE PLEDGE in exchange for my honest review.


Review: Pauli Murray by Rosita Stevens-Holsey and Terry Catasús Jennings

Biography, Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , , , ,

Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist
Rosita Stevens-Holsey and Terry Catasús Jennings
Yellow Jacket
Published February 8, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist

Pauli Murray was a trailblazer who spent her life fighting for civil rights and women’s rights. Writer, lawyer, activist, priest, Pauli was a champion for justice. Her life is immortalized in this biography told in verse.

Pauli Murray was a thorn in the side of white America demanding justice and equal treatment for all. She was a queer civil rights and women’s rights activist before any movement advocated for either–the brilliant mind that, in 1944, conceptualized the arguments that would win Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and in 1964, the arguments that won women equality in the workplace.

Throughout her life, she fought for the oppressed, not only through changing laws, but by using her powerful prose to influence those who could affect change. She lived by her convictions and challenged authority to demand fairness and justice regardless of the personal consequences. Without seeking acknowledgment, glory, or financial gain for what she did, Pauli Murray fought in the trenches for many of the rights we take for granted. Her goal was human rights and the dignity of life for all.

My Review

First, this is a biography told in verse, which I loved. It contains quotes from Murray herself as well as some samples of her poetry.

I hadn’t heard of Pauli Murray despite the fact that she did incredible things. This biography covers her early life, her journey through college where she faced discrimination not only due to her race but also her gender, and her later adult life.

This is the kind of story that can’t help but inspire readers. Wherever she went, Murray spoke up and challenged unfairness. I’m really disappointed that I didn’t learn anything about Pauli Murray in school. Her work made a huge impact on civil rights and women’s rights. I’ve ordered her autobiography, SONG IN A WEARY THROAT because I want to know more.

In the book, we learn that Pauli tried to convince her doctors to give her hormone treatments. The aunt who raised Pauli referred to Pauli as her “little boy-girl.” Today, Pauli would have had the language to identify as transgender.

The author describes Pauli as “A woman / who felt herself a man / trapped / in a woman’s body.” I’m not sure if that description is the author’s words or if it’s how Pauli Murray described herself. The idea is mentioned a couple of times.

Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how indomitable Pauli Murray was. Over and over, doors seemed to slam in her face, and she kept knocking anyway. Kept using the power of words to knock down barriers and change minds. I’m in awe of this incredible person.

I think this is a fantastic biography for young readers who want to know more about the Civil Rights Movement or the Women’s Rights Movement and its contributors, especially its unsung (at least in my public school education) heroes. Fans of LOVING VS. VIRGINIA by Patricia Hruby Powell need to add PAULI MURRAY to their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Pauli is Black and attracted to women.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to relationships with women.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of PAULI MURRAY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Long Run by James Acker

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

The Long Run
James Acker
Inkyard Press
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Long Run

“A boldly authentic new voice in queer fiction.” —Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book Like a Love Story and The Chandler Legacies

Two track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut.
 
Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being “Bash the Flash,” fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.
 
Sandro Miceli is too nice for his own good. The middle child in an always-growing, always-screaming Italian family, Sandro walks around on a broken foot to not bother his busy parents. All he wants is to get out and never look back.
 
When fate—in the form of a party that gets busted—brings these two very different boys together, neither of them could’ve predicted finding a love that they’d risk everything for…

My Review

I was excited to pick up THE LONG RUN in large part because it’s the first time I can remember a big Italian family being featured in a young adult book. I’m from a big Italian family, so I was really excited to see that portrayed on the page.

It was a little disappointing that they were kind of the bad guys in the story. Like, it was very believable, though heartbreaking, that the brash, high volume, high intensity behavior was ultimately weaponized against Sandro. It left him feeling completely bowled over and like it would never be safe to be himself. Which made sense considering how the family treated him. I did like the conversation he had with his mom late in the story and the things she said to fill in some of the reasons behind why things happened the way they did.

I also really liked Bash’s emotional journey, going from someone who couldn’t seem to get through a conversation about his feelings, to someone who was learning to do it, and trying to build his own support network.

Sandro and Bash are both notorious athletes at their school. I thought the decision to feature two athletes in a M/M romance was cool, too– again something I haven’t often seen. Early in the story, during the time that Bash is standoffish and emotionally closed, I had a harder time getting into the book. It was hard to find things about his character that I liked at that point.

But as I read, and as I watched Sandro and Bash grow, not only in their exploration of a relationship together, but pursuing their own personal growth, I felt more drawn into the story.

On the whole, I would say I enjoyed THE LONG RUN, though it didn’t scratch the “big Italian family in YA” itch for me in a satisfying way. I think fans of BEATING HEART BABY by Lio Min or OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Bash is biracial and bisexual. Sandro is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently. Bash’s friend and Sandro’s family use the F-slur. Bash and Sandro talk about it at one point and use the word back and forth with each other, as though reclaiming it.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. In more than one scene, they undress together. Some brief or vague descriptions of them having sex.

Spiritual Content
Bash adds a prayer bead to his necklace every year since his mother died. References to prayer.

Violent Content
Bash and another boy get into a fight.

Drug Content
Bash and Sandro go to a party where teens are drinking alcohol. Bash gets drunk and sick. Bash’s friend smokes pot, but Bash doesn’t join him. Bash and Sandro drink alcohol together in a couple scenes. Sandro’s mom and Bash’s stepdad both serve alcohol to them with a meal.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE LONG RUN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: My Name is Hamburger by Jacqueline Jules

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Poetry, , , , , , ,

My Name is Hamburger
Jacqueline Jules
Kar-Ben Publishing
Published October

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Name is Hamburger

Trudie Hamburger is the only Jewish kid living in the small southern town of Colburn in 1962. Nobody else at her school has a father who speaks with a German accent or a last name that means chopped meat. Trudie doesn’t want to be the girl who cries when Daniel Reynolds teases her. Or the girl who hides in the library to avoid singing Christian songs in music class.

She doesn’t want to be different. But over the course of a few pivotal months, as Trudie confronts her fears and embraces what she loves–including things that make her different from her classmates–she finally finds a way to say her name with pride.

My Review

I recently read another historical novel in verse by this same publisher (not on purpose, just the way things worked out). It looks like they primarily publish picture books with a few middle grade titles. Another novel I read earlier this year, THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER, is also by Kar-Ben Publishing.

I really enjoyed MY NAME IS HAMBURGER. Some historical events are hinted at but kept really within what a ten year-old would ask or understand, which I also really liked. I absolutely adored Trudie. She’s driven and smart, but she has such a big heart, too. I especially loved her friendship with Jack and the way that she began to think differently about the way kids spoke to her and treated her because she saw it from the outside. It also gave her courage to stand up not only for herself but someone else, too.

I felt like this book had really deep characters. Like, Trudie’s parents were both super different, and had obvious strengths and weaknesses. Each character was really well-developed. I’m always blown away by that in a novel-in-verse because there are so few words on the page. It’s amazing to me when authors deliver such rich characters in a story with so few words. It’s so cool.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading MY NAME IS HAMBURGER. I loved the small town and all the relationships between people. I loved Trudie’s strength and courage and her love for others. This is a great book for fans of Jacqueline Woodson or Tricia Springstubb.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Trudie and her family are Jewish. Her dad came to America as a child to escape Nazi Germany. His family was not able to escape and did not survive. A new boy at school and his family are Korean Americans.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Kids in Trudie’s class make racist comments about her and about a Korean American boy who joins her class. They comment on her facial features, belittle her intelligence, or say she’s only smart because she’s Jewish. She’s excluded from a school music class because she objects to Christian songs, and the principal felt it wasn’t fair for them to change the program for one student. There are no slurs spoken or written in the text.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Trudie looks forward to Shabbos with her family and especially the prayers with her dad. She attends a synagogue and enjoys services there.

Violent Content
Other kids make racist comments or bully Trudie for being Jewish. A boy kicks her ankle as she walks past and makes cruel comments. A man is injured in a fall.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MY NAME IS HAMBURGER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

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

Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns #1.5)
Margaret Rogerson
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published January 17, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mysteries of Thorn Manor

In this sequel novella to SORCERY OF THORNS, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’s occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas – along with their new maid Mercy – will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

My Review

I didn’t even realize this book was happening until I saw it for sale online. I spotted it while browsing a pre-order sale and immediately ordered it. I loved SORCERY OF THORNS– and Elisabeth especially– so I was super excited to see that there would be more to the story.

It was super fun revisit Nathaniel and his weird house. And Silas and all his careful preferences. And Elisabeth, charging into whatever trouble came her way. I loved it. It was also fun to read a book where the romance was already established and they faced challenges together as a team. I liked that a lot more than I expected I would.

The only thing I didn’t like about MYSTERIES OF THORN MANOR is that the chapters are super long. They do have some scene breaks, so that helps a little bit. I think there are nine chapters total in the 184 page book.

Other than that, though, I loved it. I loved the way the characters interacted with one another and the capricious, unpredictable magic that saturated everything. There were so many great moments. The armor! I think that was my favorite– though Aunt Clothilde’s dressing gown was also pretty great. Ha!

I’m super glad I stumbled onto the book and was able to read it. I hope the series continues beyond this, but I haven’t seen any news on that.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Nathaniel is bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Obvious attraction between them. They spend some nights together, sleeping. References to a past kiss between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Silas is a demon (here, a being from another realm with great magical power and no moral hindrances) who is bound to the service of Elisabeth and Nathaniel. Nathaniel has the ability to perform magic through memorized spells and incantations.

Violent Content
Elisabeth battles animated topiaries, other household objects, and nightmares.

Drug Content
Nathaniel drinks from a glass of champagne at a party.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Architect by Jonathan Starrett

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

The Architect
Jonathan Starrett
Tyndale House
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Architect

There’s a golden rule in Phantom City: “No one about when the Zeppelin is out.” But one night, twelve-year-old Charlie Crane comes face-to-face with the Zeppelin, and instead of finding trouble, she is awakened.

Determined to find the truth in a city plagued with lies, Charlie, along with a quirky band of unlikely heroes, works to free the people of Phantom City from the clutches of a shadowy, evil villain. Helped by a mysterious Architect who only communicates over radio and telephone, Charlie wrestles with two big questions: Can she trust a guide she can’t see? And is the truth actually worth the trouble?

Filled with sinister schemes, bumbling superheroes, unexpected friendships, and plenty of humor and plot twists, THE ARCHITECT keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Boys and girls alike will be fascinated by the unique world of Phantom City, with its steampunk and Gotham City-type elements and will quickly find themselves cheering for our heroes in their fight against evil.

My Review

I thought at first (from the cover) that this was a young adult dystopian novel, so I was a little surprised when I started reading and learned it’s middle grade. The cover is so dark, I think I just assumed it was young adult? At any rate, it’s definitely middle grade! Ha.

I really liked the Gotham City feel the story has with its bizarre hero/villain types and strange happenings. The point of view is mainly split between two characters: Charlie, an orphan girl living on the street who doesn’t buy into the glam and glory surrounding the city’s “superheroes”, and Sneed, a boy responsible to create special effects for the heroes as they act out daring rescues in front of their adoring fans.

The story has a quirky, silly sense of humor and a playful tone in the vein of Andrew Peterson’s ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS. I enjoyed that playfulness and the way that Charlie, who was a loner at the start of the story, was able to build a community around herself full of people she could depend on. I really liked that, too.

If you’re curious about the author’s journey to writing this book, he has an interesting blog post about it on his website.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Few character descriptions or details. I’m not sure of the race of the characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The children receive instructions from an “Architect” who has a blueprint for the way the world should be, an oblique allegorical reference to God and the Bible. The story never overtly states this, though.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Bad guys tie up characters and kidnap them, at one point threatening to have them killed. A villain kidnaps people and forces them to work for him. At one point it appears a character has died from a fall.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE ARCHITECT in exchange for my honest review.