Review: Last Year’s Mistake by Gina Ciocca

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

Last Year's Mistake by Gina CioccaLast Year’s Mistake by Gina Ciocca
Simon Pulse

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Kelsey and David were best friends the summer before freshman year. Then a misunderstanding turned the whole school against her, including David. A family move gave her a chance to start over in a new town at a new school, but just when Kelsey thinks she has rebuilt the perfect life, David sets her whole world spinning by transferring to her school. Committed to maintaining a casual peace, Kelsey keeps him at arms’ length… until she can’t. The fierce chemistry between them reemerges, and she finds herself faced with a terrible dilemma: the boy she’s dating isn’t the boy she loves. But is it too late to tell David the truth?

This story is packed to the roof with teen melodrama. She wants him, she doesn’t want him. No, she wants him. But does he want her? Maybe he does, but no, he can’t! He mustn’t! Wait, she mustn’t! If you’re looking for an oozy gooey romance, this definitely fits the bill. While some of the plot twists could be considered a bit farfetched, it’s easier to believe they’d play in the high school arena. Many of the characters outside Kelsey and David were a bit two-dimensional. David’s sense of honor and integrity is refreshing. Their family histories also add a bit of depth to him and Kelsey.

Language Content
Extreme profanity, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Kelsey has been having sex with her boyfriend. While there aren’t scenes in which the dirty deed is described, she references her feelings about it and they make plans to have sex while her house is empty. She hears rumors about David with other girls and when he starts dating and being pretty cozy with one of her friends, she assumes he’s having sex with her, too.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
One boy attacks another and beats him up. Few details.

Drug Content
Kelsey’s friends do quite a bit of drinking alcohol at parties.

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

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

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends

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When Princess Levana’s parents are brutally murdered by an assassin, the empire falls to her cruel elder sister Channery to rule. But Channery isn’t interested in the politics of ruling her kingdom. She’s more interested in ridiculing her younger sister, berating her for her unrequieted love and the ugly scars Levana hides behind a glamour. As Levana steps forward to manage the country’s affairs, she finds she has a talent for being in charge. When Channery’s sudden death leaves Levana to rule as regent, her thirst for power only intensifies. If only she didn’t have to step aside when Channery’s daughter Seline came of age…

Fans of Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles will not want to miss this look into what turned a shy, intelligent young girl into the ruthless queen intent on ruling the earth. The plot chugs forward, building momentum and gaining more and more complexity and intensity as it grows. While Levana isn’t the most sympathetic protagonist, we can’t help identifying with her resentment toward her self-centered parents and the terror she feels toward her sister. But it’s not just Levana’s younger self that readers see in Fairest. Many Lunar characters who make an appearance in The Lunar Chronicles are featured in this story. Readers will recognize the Thaumaterge who kept Cress captive on the satellite and the pilot who helped her escape. We also get a sneak peek at Winter, the heroine in the next book in the series.

If you’re new to this series, I would definitely not start with this book, even though it comes first chronologically. I’d definitely start with Cinder so that you understand the significance of events in Fairest. Series fans should definitely give this one a go. I have a feeling even more things from this story will feel significant when reading Winter.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Levana uses her Lunar gift to seduce a man. There’s a brief reference to him waking in her bed and seeing blood on the sheets and being horrified at what he’s done. That’s about the only reference to them having had sex. She later briefly thinks about having a baby with her husband.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Levana bears scars from a vicious attack in which her sister pushes her into a fire. Later, she tries to murder a political rival by having her burned alive. Her parents were murdered by an assassin with a knife. Some brief details – less about the murder and more about the condition of the room afterward. Levana approves some pretty controversial policies allowing experimentation on certain citizens. Not a lot of details given there. Brief reference to torture being used to extract information from a prisoner. No details about any methods used. An assassin shoots a man in the chest. He is shot as well.

Drug Content
None.

Review: The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos

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

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
Egmont USA

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A bullying incident leaves Harry scarred and terrified of lightning storms. When a popular boy suggests that he and Harry form a band, Harry jumps at the idea. But as Harry gets to know Johnny better, he realizes that their friendship isn’t the salvation he once thought. As long as Harry is willing to play the role Johnny carves out for him, everything will be fine. When the band’s success takes them all by surprise, Harry’s world opens wider than ever before, and for the first time, he finds he might not need Johnny to bridge the gap between him and everyone else. Stepping into his own spotlight changes his relationships in ways beyond what he imagined.

The story begins as a 250 word essay on a college application that Harry is writing. It quickly goes way beyond the required word count as Harry explains what’s led him to apply for college. I like the way the college essay frames the story. It struck me as vaguely reminiscent of the way S. E. Hinton uses a similar approach in The Outsiders, in which the protagonist writes his story as an English assignment for school. (True story: I once finished reading The Outsiders, which closes with Ponyboy repeating the opening lines of the story as the beginning of his English homework. I then flipped the book over and read it again trying to imagine him crafting it as his school paper. I know. I didn’t get out much.)

From the get-go, Scar Boys is a gritty, brutally honest tale about a boy whose life was irrevocably changed when neighborhood bullies tied him to a tree and left him. The tree was struck by lightning, leaving Harry with terrible scars that even challenge his own father’s love for him. So it gets a bit dark. But at his core, Harry is a pretty sweet guy who wants what we all want: love, friendship, adventure. I liked that the story isn’t strictly about him recovering from his childhood trauma, but that Vlahos takes us so much further into the murky depths of a complicated friendship. What price is Harry willing to pay to continue his friendship with Johnny? I like that Johnny isn’t the selfless charmer that we initially believe him to be. I loved where Vlahos took Johnny and Harry’s relationship – the breaking and redemption the boys both face.

I think I had some really ridiculous expectations going into the story because of the hype I’d seen. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, and I thought it was pretty great. I think I had expected an earth-shattering, life-altering experience, and it wasn’t that for me. While I think it was really well done, it won’t live on in my top favorites, and I’m a little (perhaps foolishly) disappointed because I kind of expected it to. Over all, though, there were a lot of great moments and great lessons about courage, friendship and love. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading Vlahos’ next, Scar Girl.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Harry gives a very brief description when he (accidentally) witnesses his best friend having sex with a girl. Harry mentions masturbation.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Bullies tie Harry to a tree and leave him during a storm. He is left with horrendous scars when lightning strikes the tree. Since then, he’s had a lot of trouble with bullies picking on him, but nothing so extreme as that first incident.

Drug Content
Teen drinking and references to smoking pot.

Review: Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

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

Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
Blink YA/Zondervan

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After tragedy turns Summer’s life upside down, a summer in Belize caring for a charming young boy seems like the perfect escape. Then she meets her charge’s older brother, Bray. His smooth talk and good looks only remind her of everything she wanted to leave behind.

Bray doesn’t get Summer. He doesn’t understand why she hides herself beneath miles of ugly flower print dresses and avoids fun like it will bite. He resents her assumptions about him, even if some of them may be true.

When a boat tour and a terrible storm leave the two stranded on an uninhabited island, they have only each other to lean on for survival. Summer must learn to trust Bray and depend on his strength. As they grow closer, Bray must decide the kind of man he wants to be. When hope for rescue fades, the island give up a dangerous secret. Summer and Bray risk their lives to find a way home.

This book is every bit a romantic fantasy. A handsome guy and a heart-wounded girl trapped alone on an island. Let the romantic tension begin! While Summer and Bray keep boundaries on the physical part of their relationship, the struggle is pretty plain, especially for Bray. Despite the romance being decidedly in the forefront, some unexpected twists in the plot keep the pages turning.

The emotional journeys of the characters are a bit juvenile, which is probably okay since it’s YA… still, I wanted more depth from the characters. Sometimes it seemed as if I was getting the prettied up version of things rather than a deeper, realistic expression. I tend to enjoy grittier stories, so it could just be that personal preference rather than any flaw in the story. Either way it’s a great, light, summer read. Perfect for the beach, reading poolside or curled up next to a sunny window.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Bray has a history of hooking up with girls at parties, but he doesn’t mention details other than not being a virgin. Things between him and Summer get pretty steamy. There’s a lot of tension between them, but they commit to waiting until they are married to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Summer wrestles with some major doubts about her faith since the death of her best friend. Bray doesn’t seem to have a spiritual background but they do discuss what she believes and how important it is to her.

Violence
A man is shot, and it appears a woman may be held against her will.

Drug Content
Bray and his friends drink alcohol at a party. The legal drinking age in Belize is 18. Summer reflects on how drinking alcohol destroyed the life of someone she loved.

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

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

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Little, Brown and Company

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Nothing ever changes in Ethan’s small hometown. That is, nothing until the day the girl who’s been haunting his nightmares walks into the halls of his high school. Lena Duchannes is every bit as beautiful and tragic as she is in his dreams. As the two fall in love, the weight of the curse hanging over Lena threatens to tear their worlds apart. On the sixteenth moon of her sixteenth year, Lena will be chosen by light or darkness as payment for the sins of her ancestors. Nothing can stand in the way of her fate, not even Ethan’s love for her.

It’s a familiar setup: one normal high school student and one bearing some kind of supernatural power. What’s less common, though, is that Garcia frames her story around an ordinary hero. Ethan’s an average guy surrounded by supernatural power, but kept apart from it. Lena bears a supernatural gift as a Caster, someone with power to perform magic spells. Ethan’s family housekeeper also possesses some supernatural gifting in her ability to create charms and contact dead spirits.

I liked that Ethan had only his humanity, his wits and affections to guide him through this labyrinth of a story. Sometimes his self-righteousness bothered me, though. He’s got very little to say about his town or his friends that’s positive or endearing. I get that he’s kind of a diamond in the rough, but that song and dance got old after a while. Still, his actions made him respect-worthy and much more likeable as the story progressed.

Lena definitely worked as a complex, tragic heroine, but some of her emotional motivations confused me. Sometimes she made decisions that didn’t seem to make sense in light of the rest of her character or in light of her relationships with other characters. She doesn’t trust her uncle, yet the guy is pretty consistently showing up to save her from disaster. She refuses to ask him for help, but it was unclear why she wouldn’t do that. I felt like I was missing some explanation there. Maybe it’s revealed later in the series.

Beautiful Creatures had some plot twists that took me completely by surprise, so I enjoyed that unpredictability. I wished I liked the characters more. Lena’s uncle was a definite favorite of mine, as was Ethan’s housekeeper. I liked the tension in the backstory between them, too. If you like paranormal high school stories, this is definitely one to check out.

Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Some pretty intense kissing, but nothing beyond that.

Spiritual Content
Lena’s family are casters who use magic and have varying abilities. (Sort of witch versions of the X-men.) Some family members use their powers for evil.

Ethan’s housekeeper uses charms and contact with spirits to protect Ethan’s family. It’s got a very voodoo flare.

Violence
Lena and Ethan witness a Civil War skirmish in which a man is shot. Casters engage in a battle that causes injury to several people. It’s intense but not gory.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

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

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Disney Hyperion

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Eighteen year old Rose Justice volunteers as a civilian pilot in England during World War II. She works alongside Maddie and other young female pilots transporting planes and personnel to assist military forces. When an enemy aircraft draws Rose off course during one of her transport flights, Rose finds herself captured in enemy territory. Her troubles have only begun. Soon after German forces arrest her, she is sent to Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp. Rose faces brutal treatment at the hands of her captors. Her love for poetry and bonds with other prisoners challenge her to survive.

Readers of Wein’s novel Code Name Verity will recognize Maddie and Jamie. Their story continues in Rose Under Fire, though neither are main characters. The use of poetry and song quoted throughout the story add even more beauty to what is already a poignant, rich tale. The poetry Rose shares as a prisoner of Ravensbruck offers an intense contrast: the beauty of the words and the stark horror of the concentration camp.

Wein’s cast of characters evoke both wonder and grief. Yet again readers will find themselves wrapped up in a moving tale that educates about a lesser known group of people during World War II. This time Wein introduces characters representing young Polish girls whom the Nazis used for medical experiments. Through this story, we are again reminded of the value and beauty of each human life. I loved that Rose wasn’t perfect, and neither were the other prisoners. Each character bore deep complexities.

I kept hoping for more connection between Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, particularly through some other minor characters appearing in both stories. It’s been so long since I read Code Name Verity that there really could be more overlap than I noticed. I’d be interested to know if other readers have made additional connections between the two stories. Over all, I really enjoyed this story. I’d like to learn more about the Polish girls imprisoned at Ravensbruck, and I look forward to more fiction from Elizabeth Wein.

Language Content
The first half-ish of the book is pretty clean, profanity-wise. Then Rose meets a saucy young Polish girl who has quite a foul mouth. Extreme profanity with mild frequency through the second half of the story.

Sexual Content
Brief reference to Maddie’s wedding night. Not at all explicit.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Rose is captured by German soldiers and transferred to Ravensbruck where she and other prisoners are brutally mistreated. Brief descriptions of violent treatment and humiliation appear throughout this portion of the story.

Drug Content
None.