Notes For Readers and Parents
Welcome to The Story Sanctuary! I hope that browsing reviews here will help you find new books to read and share with others. On this page you’ll find information on how and why I write reviews including what’s included in the content section of my review and some basic information on how books are divided up by age range.
Mission
The reviews posted on The Story Sanctuary are intended to assist teachers, parents, and readers in making confident, informed decisions about when a book is appropriate for them. My purpose is not to dissuade anyone from reading a particular book or series but rather to help readers discover new books and offer a quick guide to the content of those novels. All reviews and comments will be respectful to readers and authors.
My reviews tend to focus on the positives, but I also try to be frank about content or writing that doesn’t suit me. I’m always open to questions or added insights on my reviews.
Searching for Book Reviews by Title, Author, Genre, or Keyword
If you’re looking for a specific title or author, try the search bar below the blog header (or at the bottom of the page if you’re viewing this site on your phone or tablet).
Type in an author’s last name, book title, genre, or keyword, and hit search. Voila! If I have a review that meets your criteria, it will be listed in the results.
Guide to Age Range Categories
Middle Grade: Readers 8-12, Grades 4-6
Middle grade stories usually feature characters in the preteen age range. Often, the main character’s family members play an important role in the story, as do the relationships between them. This is where you’ll find classic stories like Bridge to Terabithia and Because of Winn-Dixie.
Young Adult: Readers 12-18, Grades 7-12
Young adult literature often centers around a character searching for a personal place in the world, figuring out who she is, developing relationships with friends, and finding first love. With some exceptions, the main character is usually between 15 and 18. The Twilight series, books by Sarah Dessen, and the Lunar Chronicles are some examples of young adult fiction.
New Adult: Readers 18+
In my experience, stories in the new adult market seem to have one of two audiences: adult women looking for steamy stories featuring younger characters (which I usually do not review) or upper young adult readers and college-aged students.
Though I do not review erotica, I do review other new adult stories, such as stories about college-aged kids navigating life on their own for the first time or young couples beginning a marriage in a historical novel.
Coming of Age: Readers 14+
Technically, coming-of-age is a genre of adult fiction. Stories usually feature a youthful narrator who often watches larger events unfold around them. Think To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Life of Bees, or Peace Like a River.
Because I have a soft spot for coming-of-age tales, I do review them here sometimes.
About the Content Warning Section of My Reviews
Since I started blogging more than ten years ago, I have offered content warnings in my reviews. I’ve struggled with whether to continue doing these as sometimes the information can be weaponized to support book challenges or harm marginalized authors. Because of that, my content warnings have been a somewhat evolving section of my reviews.
As a parent of sensitive readers and a sensitive reader myself, I believe content warnings are important. Books should offer a safe space for us to experience other lives than our own. I love that we live in a time in which the stories offered at our bookstores and libraries represent a diverse world.
Recommended for Ages
This heading will be followed with a recommendation for what age the book seems best suited to. I’m not an expert in childhood development, so this is definitely a suggestion. I take into account the content, the publisher’s reading level recommendation, and the interests of the teen and preteen readers in my own life. Every reader is different. This is merely a suggestion, definitely not a rule.
Representation
After reading about the review policy at Kirkus Reviews regarding race of protagonists, I’ve decided to add a section to my reviews that explores what types of characters or situations are represented the books I’m reading. This can include race, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodivergence, etc.
The goal is to make it easier for parents, librarians, teachers, and readers to find books with specific kinds of characters and books with diverse casts of characters.
Profanity and Crude Language
I do not offer a count of how many times particular words are used. I will note the kind of language used, especially racist, homophobic, or transphobic slurs. Otherwise, there will simply be a general note as to profanity.
Sexual Content
My reviews include a brief summary of the romantic or sexual content, so be aware of that in case you’re trying to avoid spoilers! I do try to keep it as vague as I can while still posting content. So it’ll likely say “kissing between boy and girl” or “references to having sex in the past” without specific character details.
Spiritual Content
This includes any religious affiliation or rituals/traditions celebrated within the story.
Violence
Here, you’ll find a summary of violent content, including content warnings for things such as slurs, racism, homophobia, abuse, assault, etc. I’ll try to avoid spoilers whenever possible and avoid specific details that might be triggering to those checking out my review.
Drug Content
Any alcohol or drug references or abuse will be summarized in this category. I also try to specify whether the characters experienced consequences for their actions and whether the main characters participated in or witnessed drug or alcohol abuse.
Spoilers
Occasionally, a book contains romance, violence, or other content that can’t be noted in a spoiler-free way. For this, I’ll usually put a reference to it in the appropriate section and then write the spoilers in a separate section at the end of the review. More recently, I’ve started changing the text color so that you need to highlight the text to reveal the spoilers.