Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published on January 29, 2018

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

My Review

I love the way some of the elements of Beauty and the Beast were reimagined in A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Instead of appearing as a monster 24/7, Prince Rhen relives the same season over and over knowing that at the end of the season, he’ll turn into a bloodthirsty monster and have no memory of himself. The monster will kill anyone in his path, so even while Rhen is human, he’s tortured by the guilt of what he’s done as a monster in the past and filled with dread at what will happen the next time.

Rhen’s only surviving companion is Grey, the last surviving member of the Royal Guard. I loved Grey. He’s sharp, focused, and loyal. The only thing that worried me about him was how much I liked him—I worried he’d steal the show. (Looks like he’ll get his own chance to tell a story, though. I wasn’t expecting a sequel to this book, but the ending definitely sets up for one.)

Let’s talk about Harper. She’s spunky. She’s brave. She loves her family with her whole heart. She’s so moved by the suffering of the villagers in Emberfall that she begins to find ways to fight for them. And her compassion wakes Rhen’s passion for his people. I loved that.

One of the cool things to me about A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY was the way the genres collided. The contemporary parts set in present-day DC really read like contemporary YA. The fantasy parts had a really distinct fantasy feel to them as well. I thought that was really well done and maintained perfectly through the whole book.

The end threw me a little bit, though. I don’t want to give away details. But it’s unclear which actions change things—even the characters seem unsure. I’m hoping that the second book makes all of this clearer.

All in all, A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY is a must-read for fairy tale lovers. It’s a rich, beautiful re-imagining of the story packed with great characters. Great for fans of Robin McKinley or Wendy Spinale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Harper’s brother is gay. He’s in a relationship with a young black doctor. Harper has Cerebral Palsy.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Harper finds pictures of her brother with a boyfriend she didn’t know he had. The way they look at each other tells her they’re in love. Before the curse, Rhen slept with a young woman. (No details.)

Spiritual Content
A powerful curse transforms the prince into a monster at the end of each season. The sorceress visits him throughout the season to gloat and punish him using her magic. The prince’s remaining guard has the ability to cross into present day Washington DC for one hour each season to bring back a girl who can hopefully break the curse.

Violent Content
The sorceress tortures Rhen and others, causing a lot of pain and sometimes leaving wounds. The monster has killed many people and left a lot of carnage behind. Some scenes include brief graphic descriptions of blood and gore left behind or of battles with the monster.

Drug Content
The prince and others drink alcohol.

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

Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

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

Sea Witch
Sarah Henning
Katherine Tegen Books
Published on July 31, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Sea Witch
Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

My Review
Even though the description kind of tells where this story is headed, I felt like so many things about it took me completely by surprise. I liked the fact that it was set in Denmark and really felt anchored in the setting, from the village’s dependence on fishing to the climate to some of the cultural elements. I thought the way beliefs about the goddess of the sea were woven into the story was great, too.

At first I wasn’t sure if the characters would really draw me in. Something about Evie didn’t immediately hook me. I think I felt like she was well-intentioned but a little bit oblivious to the feelings of the people around her. She really grew on me, though, the more I read. I loved that her good intentions ended up being a huge driving force in the story, but not always for good. I don’t know if that makes sense. Sometimes she did things meaning to help but they backfired. Every time that happened, I felt myself only get more deeply invested in the story.

I think Sea Witch is perfect for fans of the movie Maleficent or really any fairytale origin story. I enjoyed it and found it to be a pretty quick read.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. The story takes place in Denmark.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The town celebrates rituals honoring the goddess of the sea, Urdu. When someone dies, everyone considers it because Udru takes what she will. A king some years ago burned witches, and public feeling is very strongly against them, so Evie and her family keep their power secret. Evie uses her power to try to bring more fish to the fisherman so the people in her village don’t go hungry. Evie befriends a mermaid who has been transformed into a human girl.
Magic always demands a price, such as a life taken for one saved. This means when someone’s life is saved, someone must die instead. In one instance, the sacrifice is willing. In another, the life is unwillingly given.

Violent Content
A woman gives her life for a spell to save her child. A child drowns in the ocean while her friends try to rescue her. A man is speared through the chest. A boy and later a young woman are injured in the water. Violent storms threaten the lives of those at sea.

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at a festival.


Review: Athlanmara by J. M. Burrows

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

Athlanmara: Seaborn Series 1
J. M. Burrows
Published on September 1, 2018

Amazon | Goodreads

About Athlanmara
The beautiful Florida Keys is the setting for love, adventure and a family secret that will affect every creature on earth.

When timid misfit Brooke is rescued from drowning by a handsome merman, Adrian, her eyes are opened to a world she didn’t know existed.

Adrian can’t stay away from the human girl he rescued, even though he faces certain death if their relationship is discovered. He is torn between his desire for love and his desire to save his people.

The two teens join forces to save both races as illegal pollution threatens to destroy Adrian’s people and the Athlanmara are planning to fight back against the human threat. Brooke and Adrian’s forbidden relationship will change both worlds, but not without a cost.

My Review
I’m kind of a sucker for stories about mermaids or mer-people, so I was pretty intrigued when I heard about this book. The way it’s written is a bit unusual as it shows a lot of direct thoughts of different characters, but they’re not in italics. I found it a little confusing at first. The story mostly follows the point of view of Adrian and Brooke, but other characters have scenes or moments from their perspectives, too.

The Athlanmara (mer-people… maybe just mermen?) had an interesting culture and the author included some language and history, which were cool and fit with the story pretty well. I wasn’t really clear on whether the genders live separately all the time or part of the time or how that worked. I enjoyed some of the goofy moments between Adrian and his best friend Maksim and some of the inevitable faux pas that happened when they tried to pass for human.

I really liked the way the plot explored pollution and its effect on marine life and thought it was a great message. I also thought the Athlanmara were a neat take on mermaids even if I didn’t fully understand all the elements of the culture.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Brooke is white, and her best friend is Latina. Other characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Most often the characters say things like, “oh my gosh,” or “dang it,” or “shoot.” There’s one instance of a crude word for female anatomy.

Romance/Sexual Content
When the boys transform from Athlanmara (mer-people) to human, they appear naked. Brooke feels embarrassed by this and unsafe especially before she knows them well. Kissing between boy and girl. One scene shows a girl and boy lying in the sand together making out.

Spiritual Content
The Athlanmara have magical artifacts which have certain powers. Adrian is hoping to find one which has the ability to heal so he can save a family member.

Violent Content
A man threatens people with a gun. More than one scene shows giant crabs brutally killing people.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Delusion by Laura Gallier

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Delusion
Laura Gallier
Tyndale
Published on October 3, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Delusion
By March of Owen Edmonds’s senior year, eleven students at Masonville High School have died by suicide. Amid the media frenzy and chaos, Owen tries to remain levelheaded–until he endures his own near-death experience and wakes to a distressing new reality.

The people around him suddenly appear to be shackled and enslaved.

Owen frantically seeks a cure for what he thinks are crazed hallucinations, but his delusions become even more sinister. An army of hideous, towering beings, unseen by anyone but Owen, are preying on his girlfriend and classmates, provoking them to self-destruction.

Owen eventually arrives at a mind-bending conclusion: he’s not imagining the evil–everyone else is blind to its reality. He must warn and rescue those he loves . . . but this proves to be no simple mission. Will he be able to convince anyone to believe him before it’s too late?

Owen’s heart-pounding journey through truth and delusion will force him to reconsider everything he believes. He both longs for and fears the answers to questions that are quickly becoming too dangerous to ignore.

My Review
One of the reasons I’ve moved away from calling this blog a Christian blog is that there really aren’t a ton of Christian YA titles (and there shouldn’t be a great need for a content breakdown on Christian books, as I would think they would be clean, but that’s another conversation for another time.). It’s still important to me to review the Christian titles I come across, and as is the case with this one, I find don’t necessarily agree with the worldview in them. I’ll talk about this more under the Spiritual Content breakdown below.

In terms of the story, though, I thought the premise—a boy suddenly able to see into a spiritual world has to decide what to do or how to fight spiritual battles—was very cool. I’m not a fan of narrators who come across like they think they’re smarter than everyone else, even though I know this is a pretty popular young adult theme. So I found it hard to like Owen because he just seemed to me like he thought he was better than everyone else (partly because he saw them with chains around their necks and he had none).

I guess that sums up my feelings about the whole book, actually. The idea is very cool, but I had too many issues with other elements of the story.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple references to swearing (no profanity shown in text).

Romance/Sexual Content
Some references to sex. For instance, Owen thinks about how nice it would be to have a girl on top of him. He also thinks about kissing a girl. He kisses a girl on the cheek.
A teenage girl is pregnant.

Spiritual Content
Owen drinks water from a strange well and then begins to see spiritual beings he refers to as Creepers and Watchmen. Creepers, dark, vile creatures, attach themselves to humans using chains only Owen sees. Watchmen, beings of light, are able to chase Creepers away. Some other people don’t have chains, but instead emanate light themselves, which the Creepers avoid.

Though he isn’t a Christian himself, Owen’s visions serve as a view into a spiritual realm. He wrestles with anger at how freely the Creepers move about, harming people, and even at one point believes they must be God’s servants since He’s not stopping them. He meets a Christian girl who gives him a little perspective on what’s happening, but Owen mostly explores what he believes on his own.

Near the beginning of the story, the man who introduces Owen to the well tells Owen that suicide never happens unprovoked. To be honest, I found this implication that depression/suicide attempts or ideation are always caused by some sort of demonic presence troubling. I do believe there are spiritual happenings around us, and certainly some of our struggles arise from them. But I think characterizing mental health issues as always having a demonic root cause grossly oversimplifies a complex issue and ignores the existence of mental health problems as a biological or biochemical issue. I don’t think it’s a good idea, especially in literature aimed at teens, to have this blanket position that all suicide attempts are caused by demons. Where does that leave us with issues requiring medication or counseling? I’m just really uncomfortable with the position the book takes on this topic, and to be really frank, I’m disappointed in that it’s been chosen as a Christy Award winning title.

Violent Content
Some references to teen suicide. Several scenes show teens intending to die by suicide. One shows a girl dying following an overdose. Demons rip her spirit from her body. One scene shows several teens being shot with a rifle.
If you’re struggling with depression, I wouldn’t recommend reading this book as some of these scenes have some graphic descriptions and may be triggering for some readers.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Snow Witch by Rosie Boyes

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , ,

Snow Witch
Rosie Boyes
Published on October 1, 2018

Amazon | Goodreads

About Snow Witch
A GRANDFATHER CLOCK. A GLASS LOCKET. A POWERFUL CURSE UNLEASHED ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

Twelve-year-old Kitty Wigeon can’t wait for Christmas at St Flurries, a grand old manor house in the countryside, until one chilly night she vanishes without a trace.

One hundred years later… Still grieving over the death of their mother, Kes Bunting and his younger sister Star, are sent to live at St Flurries. They find a house steeped in mystery and brimming with secrets.

Who, or what, is making footprints in the snow?

And what evil force is taking a cold grip on Star?

Wrap up warm as you join Kes, and a cast of eccentric snow creatures, in a race against time to solve a hundred-year-old curse. Will he succeed? Or will the fate of his sister be decided by a shivery kiss from… the Snow Witch?

My Review
I enjoyed a lot of things about this story: the brother/sister relationship, the family history and how it tied in with the current mystery, the fun English setting. Snow Witch has a lot of good things going for it. I want to call it a really cute story, but I’m worried that will backfire! Haha. I really just mean that it’s a sweet, fun winter tale with some mystery and magic.

I liked Kes a lot. He has such a big heart and has clearly been through so much already. His relationship with his sister is really sweet. I wasn’t as deeply moved by the section of the story from Kitty’s point-of-view. It’s kind of a long flashback, and I totally get why the story follows her memories. I think I just liked Kes so much better and wanted the story to get back where he has a chance to piece everything together and save the day. I liked both of the older ladies in the story, too. Honestly, I should just say it had great characters! Some, like the older ladies, were quirky and surprising. Others, like Kes and his sister, had so much courage.

If you’re looking for a book to read on a winter night with a cup of cocoa, check out Snow Witch. I think it would also appeal to fans of The Griffin of Darkwood by Becky Citra. For more about this book, check out my interview with author Rosie Boyes.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described. The story is set in England.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A traveling fortune teller casts a curse on a young girl she believes stole something from her.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Some references to a man drinking too much alcohol. At one point, a child nearly drowns while the man is supposed to be watching him.

Review: Christy by Catherine Marshall

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

Christy
Catherine Marshall
Turtleback Books
Published June 27th 2006 (first published January 1st 1967

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Christy
At nineteen, Christy Huddleston left home to teach school in the Smokies — coming to know and care for the wild mountain people, with their fierce pride, terrible poverty, dark superstitions…and their yearning for beauty and truth. But in these primitive surroundings, Christy’s faith would be severely tested by the unique strengths and needs of two remarkable young men — and challenged by a heart torn between desire…and love.

My Review
Christy is one of those books I’ve read probably almost a dozen times. I think I first read it at thirteen or fourteen years old. Most recently I listened to the audiobook version, which I enjoyed, too. I’ve been meaning to actually post a review of it for years, though, since I still talk about it pretty regularly. I’ve mentioned it in several list posts.
So what makes it so special? Wow. Well, I love the spiritual journey. Christy relates her faith in this unassuming, humble way, and it comes across so genuinely. I feel like you could argue that the whole young protégé learning from an older, wiser woman has been done lots before, but for some reason, it never bothered me in this book. I think because it just feels so organic to me. Every time I read the book I get lost in Christy’s journey, and it makes me want to love others more and open myself to a deeper spiritual life.
I love the colorful cast of characters, especially the people of Cutter Gap. Fairlight Spencer, Christy’s best friend in the Cove, and Ruby Mae, with her chattering and adoration for Christy. I always catch myself grinning in the scene about Creed Allen and his raccoon and when the doctor gives Christy a hard time about her overly keen sense of smell.

For me, listening to the story gave me a little more distance, so for the first time I feel like I was able to step back and see the story as a whole a bit more. Usually I’m so caught up in each moment and each relationship that I feel like I don’t get to see the Cove as a whole and the arch of Christy’s journey that first year as a teacher. I still wish there was more to the story. I still cry every time the typhoid epidemic begins. I still get all teary at the end. Every. Time. Can’t help it, I guess.

Maybe because of the age that I was when I first read Christy but I feel like this is a great book for kids in seventh and eighth grade. Certainly it’s a great read for teens and adults alike, but there’s something about those early teen days that make me feel like this story is a great fit for the age. I guess it’s because Christy is very much on the journey toward understanding who she is and how she fits into her larger community, and that journey seems to begin for a lot of people in their early teens.

I absolutely recommend this book. As I’ve said, it’s one of my favorites, and has been for years (let’s not say how many). I love it so much. If you’ve read it and want to chat about it, YES! Let’s. If you haven’t read it, then go read it. And then let’s chat about it! Haha. But yes, read it.

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some brief kissing. Christy attends a Cove wedding at which the bride and groom celebrate with a couple of more crude traditions – descriptions are brief and very vague.

Christy learns about one woman’s past in which she was sexually abused and assaulted by a family friend. Details are vague, but sensitive readers may still find this triggering.

Spiritual Content
Christy volunteers to teach school in Cutter Gap after hearing a missionary speak at her church. She believes she’s been moved by God to be part of the mission school, but learns through her experience at Cutter Gap how little real love and selflessness she possesses on her own. Through mentorship with Alice Henderson, another mission worker, and her experience with the mountain people, she begins to develop a deeper faith and spiritual life which overflows into the way she loves and serves others.

Violent Content
Christy witnesses and deals with some schoolyard fighting in which children get injured, sometimes by bigger kids. A couple of people get shot, one fatally so.

Drug Content
Men create a moonshine still in the Cove, which is against the law. A few scenes show people drinking alcohol or drunk. In one scene, a teen bride and groom drink alcohol with their friends. Christy feels very negatively about this and does not drink alcohol herself except at one point when the doctor offers her brandy “medicinally.”