Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

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Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns
Margaret Rogerson
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published June 4, 2019

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About SORCERY OF THORNS

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

My Review

Wow wow wow. SORCERY OF THORNS is one of those books you could eat with a spoon. The story world feels rich and totally immersive. I loved the library where Elisabeth grew up. A library full of books that are literally dangerous?! So cool.

Elisabeth makes for a truly compelling heroine, too. She’s smart, loyal, and clever. She cares very much about doing the right thing, even when her heart and her head war with each other over what that right thing is.

Okay, and this is very weird, but I loved the demon character, Silas. In SORCERY OF THORNS, demons are creatures from another dimension who wield great power. Elisabeth has been taught that demons are evil, untrustworthy creatures, and yet she begins to suspect that Silas cares for Nathaniel and protects him, which should be impossible. I loved watching her hunch play out, and waiting to see if she’d be proved right, and to what extent. Also, OMG the end of this book! I have so much love for the ending.

Thinking about Nathaniel, I’m kind of burned out on the bad-boy-you-shouldn’t-love-because-he-isn’t-capable-of-returning-your-affection kind of thing lately, so I feel like Nathaniel had a pretty high hill to climb with me in terms of whether I’d actually like him. And honestly, by about the middle of the story, I really started to like him a lot. By the end, I was a true fan.

I haven’t read Margaret Rogerson’s first book, but you can read Gabrielle’s review. And after reading SORCERY OF THORNS, I absolutely have to get my hands on a copy of ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS. If you liked the Thickety series by J. A. White or The Great Library series by Rachel Caine, you definitely want a copy of SORCERY OF THORNS in your hands as soon as possible.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nathaniel briefly mentions that he is attracted to both men and women.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point it seems like the kissing will go further but the couple is interrupted.

Spiritual Content
Sorcerers have the ability to summon demons (here seen as powerful monsters from another dimension). They bargain for the service of a demon, but receive no guarantee that the demon won’t double-cross them in some way to get their payment early.

Grimoires, books of magic spells, can transform into monsters if not stored properly. Even in their book form, they seem alive.

One character is a demon summoned to service by Nathaniel.

Violent Content
Lots of battle scenes in which characters face monsters and mortal peril.

Drug Content 
A few scenes show social drinking as would be appropriate for the culture.

Note: I received a free copy of SORCERY OF THORNS by Margaret Rogerson in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.

Review: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

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

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful
Eric Lindstrom
Harper Collins Publishers
Published December 29, 2016

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About A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL

For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm’s length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

As the walls of Mel’s compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst—that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she’s been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?

My Review

So many thoughts on this book keep rattling around in my head. On the one hand, I loved that A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL shows a positive representation of medication to regulate mental health issues. Mel wants to be on medication. She recognizes that it helps her be more herself and helps keep her safe.

Also, Mel’s a fixer. She likes everyone to get along. She soothes people, avoids conflict, and will take herself out of a situation if she feels like her presence is only adding conflict to it. I really identified with her in that regard. My favorite parts of A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL are about Mel learning how to fight– for herself, for her friends, for permission from herself just to be. A lot of those struggles hit home in a big way for me.

If you know anything about books, you probably guess that while Mel wants to be on her meds and is in regular therapy appointments, she has a pretty big crash. I feel like I’m not qualified to speak to the authenticity of her experience, but it felt very real reading each scene where she unravels. The writing allowed me to feel both in her head and like an observer, watching and hoping someone noticed what was going on before she completely spiraled out of control.

It’s weird– I keep noticing the presence of community in stories lately and the message that we need a community around us, and often, our community will stand by us through things we sometimes thought would scare them off. I loved those elements of A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL, too, from the sweet watchful residents of the nursing home where Mel works to her friends and even her mom.

There are a couple of rough scenes that might be difficult for sensitive readers. I’ll include some notes on those below in the content section, so be sure to check those out.

If you loved STARFISH by Akemi Dawn Bowman or THE UNLIKELY HERO OF ROOM 13B by Teresa Toten, you will want to check out A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL by Eric Lindstrom.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
One of Mel’s best friends is Japanese. She makes friends with a Chinese boy at the nursing home where she works. Mel has bipolar disorder. Her brother had the same diagnosis and Mel’s aunt has many of the same symptoms, though she’s undiagnosed and refuses medication.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
At least a dozen instances of profanity, including f***.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy and girl kiss. A girl and girl kiss and grope each other under their shirts.

Spiritual Content
Brief reference to Buddhism. Mel plays piano with a retired reverend. Sometimes they play hymns together. He asks her to play as his way to lift her up.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning and Spoiler
Mel resists memories of her brother’s death, something she witnessed that’s obviously really traumatic for her.

He did a super dangerous thing and died doing it. She wonders if he did it on purpose. Then she returns to the scene of his death with the intention of repeating what he tried to do. She isn’t thinking of killing herself, but she repeatedly does things which behaviorally are suicidal.

Drug Content 
Mel drinks alcohol with her friends and ends up with a terrible hangover.

Note: I received a free copy of A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL by Eric Lindstrom in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.

Review: No Place Like Here by Christina June

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

No Place Like Here
Christina June
Blink/Zondervan
Published May 21, 2019

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About NO PLACE LIKE HERE

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She’s just spent a year at boarding school and can’t wait to get home. But when Ashlyn’s father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for “exhaustion,” a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down.

The cherry on top? Ashlyn’s father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn’t even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed “indoor girl,” not even Ash’s habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes—inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere—can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad’s marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

My Review

My favorite thing about Christina June’s writing is the way she voices her characters. I found Ashlynn, the main character in NO PLACE LIKE HERE, cute and funny and awkward, all super endearing qualities. She shows a lot of growth through the story, too, which I enjoyed.

I thought having her domineering, perfectionist dad in jail for tax fraud was an interesting element to the story, too. While I’ve read a couple other young adult books featuring characters with a parent or loved one in prison, it’s always for murder. I thought it was cool that NO PLACE LIKE HERE follows a family dealing with white collar crime and all the shame and weirdness that a kid might feel when she has a parent involved in something like that.

If you’re a big fan of summer camp stories, you’ll probably like this one. While it’s not a camp for kids, the retreat center where Ashlynn and her cousin work for the summer creates a lot of the same vibes as summer camp counselor stories. Ashlynn and her friends watch over kids in the pool and supervise activities like a zip line course and scavenger hunt. They develop a team spirit and share inside jokes.

NO PLACE LIKE HERE is the third novel in the story world created by Christina June. Each book features a different character from the first book, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, but you don’t have to read one before another, so if you’re unfamiliar with the collection, you can start with any book you want.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Ashlynn is Italian. Most other characters are white and straight.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl and boy kiss.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content 
None.

Note: I received a free copy of NO PLACE LIKE HERE by Christina June in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.

Review: The Queen’s Secret by Jessica Day George

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Queen’s Secret (Rose Legacy #2)
Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published May 14, 2019

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About THE QUEEN’S SECRET

Bestselling author Jessica Day George continues her heartfelt fantasy series about a girl who can communicate with horses and a kingdom on the brink of collapse.

Anthea knows the truth about horses. They’re not carriers of deadly disease like everyone in their kingdom thinks; they’re majestic creatures who share their thoughts and feelings with her through The Way. Anthea has convinced the king of this, but at a cost–he demands that horses and riders with The Way do his bidding.

But when a deadly plague breaks out, the people believe that horses are the cause. As more fall ill, it’s up to Anthea and her friends to transport medicine, all while keeping out of reach from Anthea’s wicked mother. And when Anthea discovers a secret that could change the kingdom forever, she must risk everything to reveal the truth before it’s too late.

Continuing the sweeping storytelling of The Rose Legacy, bestselling author Jessica Day George delights readers–especially horse lovers–once again.

My Review

I’ve been a Jessica Day George book fan since DRAGON SLIPPERS, so following the Rose Legacy series has been kind of a no-brainer for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a girl-and-her-horse book, but THE QUEEN’S SECRET definitely scratches that itch and brings back all the fond memories of those horse books I loved when I was younger.

THE QUEEN’S SECRET picks up near where THE ROSE LEGACY left off. With Anthea and her friends now in the service of the queen, they work to reintroduce horses to the people of the south kingdom and dispel the myth that horses are extinct or diseased.

I love the strong female characters in the cast. Jilly, Anthea’s best friend, is fierce and a bit snarky, but with a heart of gold. Anthea herself is smart and a great leader. And omg the mothers in this book. From the queen, who works as hard as she can for the good of her people, to her Rose Maidens, who may also be spies, to Anthea’s mother, the spy with her own agenda, women definitely pull the strings throughout the book.

All the great things in THE ROSE LEGACY continue on in THE QUEEN’S SECRET. If you enjoy horse books or middle grade stories with strong female characters, I recommend getting your copy of this book today.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The story takes place in a sort of re-imagined England. Most characters are white or lack race descriptions.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl and boy exchange kisses on the cheek.

Spiritual Content
Anthea and others have the ability to telepathically communicate with horses, called the Way.

Violent Content
References to villagers shooting at Anthea and her friends. It happens off-scene.

Drug Content 
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THE QUEEN’S SECRET by Jessica Day George in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.

Review: Bright Burning Stars by A. K. Small

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

Bright Burning Stars
A. K. Small
Algonquin Young Readers
Available May 21, 2019

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About BRIGHT BURNING STARS

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

My Review

I’m a total sucker for a good ballet book. This probably shouldn’t be surprising, since I took ballet lessons for more than six years and at one time, wanted to pursue dance professionally. So I’m always on the lookout for stories featuring ballerinas because I enjoy reading about dance and all the nostalgia that comes with it.

The ballet terminology runs a bit thick in some places. I’m not sure how this would impact a reader unfamiliar with dance. Sometimes I think it would make certain scenes confusing because without a mental visual of what the characters are trying to do, it would be hard to grasp the significance of the scene. Thankfully, with Google and YouTube at our fingertips, it’s pretty easy to look up the terms and see what the moves look like.

BRIGHT BURNING STARS totally immerses its readers in a high-stakes world where only the top ballerinas remain in the elite program. An injury or indiscretion could mean the end for any student. So could gaining a few pounds too many. Pretty much any bad thing that could happen to a dancer, happens in this book. Pregnancy? Yup. Drug addiction? Check. Weight gain? Eating disorder? Yes. Heartbreak? Injury? Mental health issues? It has those, too.

One thing that was challenging for me reading this book was the way one character reacts to becoming pregnant. She feels it’s a career-ender for her, doesn’t want the baby, and takes some drugs while pregnant, too. While I know unwanted pregnancy is a real issue for some, it was hard for me to read after my own struggles with infertility.

It probably didn’t help that I read those scenes while holding and nursing my baby, the one that for a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to have. So really, that’s just one of those experiences where my story runs very contrary to the character’s journey. I respect that not everyone feels the same about babies or pregnancy. And I’ve learned I probably need to update my mental list of things I can read for now. I had a really hard time connecting with Kate as a character, and I suspect that at least part of it came from my reaction to this part of her story.

But I loved Marine, though– she’s totally the best friend everyone wants to have, and the girl who carries too many burdens until they bowl her over. I definitely connected with her, and found myself really rooting for her to succeed and to stay smarter than some of the games happening around her.

Though the plot isn’t very similar (beyond a bright young dancer reaching for stardom), BRIGHT BURNING STARS reminded me a little bit of the movie BLACK SWAN with Natalie Portman. It had the same kind of intensity and pressure and strong, talented character driven to the edge.

All in all, I’m glad I read BRIGHT BURNING STARS and particularly enjoyed Marine’s character and her story.

Cultural Elements
All characters are French except for Kate who’s American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief but graphic descriptions of sex. It’s clear that the boy is using her, but she thinks this is true love. She makes this mistake more than once.

A girl trades sexual favors for drugs.

At one point, a pregnant character purposefully triggers as miscarriage.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – TRIGGER WARNING
Students talk about a girl who died by suicide after not being chosen to go on to the ballet company. Includes some graphic descriptions of how she killed herself.

One character intends to die by suicide, taking all preparations to do so.

A girl battles anorexia and ends up nearly hospitalized. Some eating disorder behaviors are normalized by the girls—there are lots of weigh-ins, and the girls are required to keep their weight below a certain point or risk being asked to leave the dance academy.

Drug Content
One dancer is known to have a stash of drugs and alcohol that he sells to the other dancers (or trades for sexual favors). Kate depends on drugs and alcohol in multiple instances to amp her up for rehearsal or drown her sorrows after a heartbreak.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which cost you nothing but, when used, help support this blog.

Review: Get It Together Delilah by Erin Gough

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

Get It Together, Delilah
Erin Gough
Chronicle Books
Published April 4, 2017 (orig Feb 1, 2015)

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About GET IT TOGETHER DELILAH

Seventeen-year-old Delilah Green wouldn’t have chosen to do her last year of school this way, but she figures it’s working fine. While her dad goes on a trip to fix his broken heart after her mom left him for another man, Del manages the family cafe. Easy, she thinks.

But what about homework? Or the nasty posse of mean girls making her life hell? Or her best friend who won’t stop guilt-tripping her? What about her other best friend who might go to jail for love if Del doesn’t do something?

But really, who cares about any of that when all Del can think about is beautiful Rosa who dances every night across the street. . . . Until one day Rosa comes in the cafe door. And if Rosa starts thinking about Del, too, then how in the name of caramel milkshakes will Del get the rest of it together?

My Review

The very first thing about GET IT TOGETHER DELILAH that hooked me was Delilah herself. I loved her spunky, quirky voice. It was easy to feel that sense of being overwhelmed and struggling to juggle all her responsibilities even as the weight of them was crushing her. I loved that the story pulled me in so quickly that way.

Delilah’s relationships felt real and complex, too. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of them, but others were totally endearing. I loved Lauren (the guilt-trip queen) and Charlie (who loves to be in love) and enjoyed watching both of those relationships evolve in the course of the story.

Some moments got a little weird for me. At one point, Del gets super drunk and stoned and tries to hook up with a guy, but it just gets awkward and weird and literally going up in flames.

But I loved the messages about community. Del realizes the only chance she has at saving the cafe will come from pulling together her people, depending on each other, and working together. That message absolutely resonated with me and made the book really satisfying, too.

Recommended for Ages 17 up.

Representation
Del’s friend is Asian. Del herself is a lesbian.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. One reference to reaching under each other’s shirts. Kissing between a boy and girl and some fondling each other.

Spiritual Content
None.

Some battle sequences with situations of peril.

Drug Content
Charlie smokes pot, and Del occasionally joins him. They drink alcohol, too.

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