Title: Crimson Bound Author: Rosamund Hodge Published by: Balzer + Bray Publication date: May 5, 2015 Pages: 448 pages Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat. Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night? Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption. I didn’t like it. Uh! I hate when I’m excited for a book and then…wawawaaa. The concept was interesting, and author, Rosamund Hodge, wrote an intriguing history, but it was all too much darkness and self-hate. Once, my husband was yelled at by an opposing religious group, “You deserve hell-fire, sinner!” His offense? Going to see Billy Graham (a well-known, respected Christian evangelist) speak. Rachelle is her own worst opposition, unable to see beyond her past folly, unable to accept anything but “you deserve hell-fire, sinner.” This is Rachelle’s constant struggle, and religion plays a key role. The book is stocked with religious themes. The church, represented by several characters, is a major player in the story, and Rachelle is deeply affected by it. Rachelle belongs to the Devourer, who wants to rule the world, consume it, and cover it in darkness. And demons or forestborn, like Rachelle, who belong to the Devourer will hunt people for sport (among other evil things). Rachelle has reconciled herself to the darkness while she fights for the good. So she hasn’t REALLY reconciled herself to the darkness, because she sees good and wants to defeat evil, but she’s not worthy of forgiveness or goodness or light, because she “murdered” her aunt who was already clinging to life by a thread (more of a mercy kill, but Rachelle doesn’t see it that way). She’s a terrible person who deserves every evil that comes her way. It’s annoying to write about and it was annoying to read about too. She was uncertain of herself for 85 percent of the book. It was a relief when she found some redemption toward the end, but it was through the words and actions of a man she distrusts the entire book. Because Rachelle looks at the world through her self-hatred goggles, she misinterprets other people’s motivations, and resents and hates those around her who could help her find redemption, like some of the religious followers (who go from enemy to ally within moments during the last 15 percent of the book, because she finally believes herself worthy of penance). Her self-hatred also forces her into the arms of a twisted relationship. And the healthier romantic option is clouded by unrevealed motivations and goals. So, the love triangle is sick and frustrating. Would I let my teen read this book? Crimson Bound does have some redeeming qualities. It’s mostly clean. Sex is referenced, but not detailed. There’s violence, but not graphic bloodshed. There are also some good discussion topics: hope in religion, hypocrisy, power as an ultimate goal, destructive behavior, and forgiveness. Age recommendation: 16 Language – none Drugs & Alcohol— none Sex – A few kisses; references to multiple sexual partners; two characters sleep together, but the scene is skipped with no details; reference to sexual favors exchanged for something a character wants Violence – Sword and knife combat; character gets head chopped off; people are killed, but nothing is graphic My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Buy: Crimson Bound on Amazon.com
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Title: Song of Summer Author: Laura Lee Anderson Published by: Bloomsbury Spark Publication date: July 7, 2015 Pages: 250 Genres: Romance, Contemporary *ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Summary from Laura Lee Anderson’s website: The thirteen qualities of Robin’s Perfect Man range from the mildly important “Handsome” to the all-important “Great taste in music.” After all, Westfield’s best high school folk musician can’t go out with some shmuck who only listens to top 40 crap. When hot Carter Paulson walks in the door of Robin’s diner, it looks like the list may have come to life. It’s not until the end of the meal that she realizes he’s profoundly deaf. Carter isn’t looking for a girlfriend. Especially not a hearing one. Not that he has anything against hearing girls, they just don’t speak the same language. But when the cute waitress at Grape Country Dairy makes an effort to talk with him, he takes her out on his yellow Ducati motorcycle. Music, language, and culture sing back-up as love takes the melody, but just how long can a summer song last? Robin lives for music. Gifted with a melodic voice and a practiced musician of several instruments, she can’t imagine life without music, let alone dating someone who can’t share in her love. So, when Carter walks into her life—wealthy, hot, motorcycle riding, sweetie pie…and deaf—she’s understandably confused. He’s gorgeous and interested in HER, but he can’t hear. You’d think it’d be a deal breaker for the music worshiping Robin, but it’s not, and they begin a summer love with little over a month until Carter has to return home to New York City. Turns out, Robin’s a quick study in ASL (American Sign Language). They communicate easily enough through some ASL, some lip reading, and some written word on notepads. However, Robin’s desire for Carter to hear lingers guiltily in the background. Carter, too, has his reservations about dating a hearing girl, especially a musician. These doubts and hidden desires set their relationship up for a roadblock. The narrative seems to blame Robin for most of the miscommunication between the two, but both Robin and Carter are stepping outside their comfort zone by dating, and both make mistakes. In the end, they both mature through a better understanding of each other. There are some interesting religious themes in Song of Summer. Robin belongs to a church and participates in their worship band, talks highly about the worship pastor, and stops herself from going “too far” physically with Carter because she “just can’t,” but other than that her beliefs are vague. Carter wonders about awakening a “soul sense,” which seemed like a weird, made-up term for soul searching. Ultimately, he is convicted that there is something bigger than him, and a soul sense is composed of “love and beauty and life.” The end of the book took me a little by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to end like it did. I thought some of the revelations both characters had about one another came too close to the end, and I wonder if Laura Lee Anderson will continue Robin and Carter’s story in a sequel. Would I let my teen read this book? I really liked the premise of this book. There are some great concepts for discussion here, about the importance of communication, going outside your comfort zone, the expectations we put on others, and acceptance of our differences. Surprisingly, it’s not always easy to find a contemporary YA romance that does not include sex. This is a clean read (a plus)! I recommend Song of Summer for teens 14 and up, and you can pre-order it before July 7 for only $3.82 on Amazon! Age recommendation: 14 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— none Sex – Several make out scenes where the characters risk getting carried away, caressing backs, heavy breathing, etc; Nothing graphic Violence – none My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy: Song of Summer for only $3.82 on Amazon.com! Title: The Wrath and the Dawn Author: Renée Ahdieh Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Publication date: May 12, 2015 Pages: 416 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction Summary from Goodreads: Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. “You have never understood Khalid. It is not about strength. It is about substance. What follows will destroy all that remains of his, leaving behind a husk—a shadow of what he once was.” For our heroine, Shahrzad (Shazi)—who is strong, passionate, and quick minded—to fall in love with a murderer caliph (king), there has to be more to this story. Everything is not as it seems. This mystery is what drives the book and acts as the linchpin to the success or failure of Shazi and Khalid’s relationship. Even when we discover the truth, it’s rife with complexity. I liked the complexity. I’m glad it wasn’t wrapped up in a neat explanation, and Khalid was not quite the villain, but also not really a hero. I also like that Renée Ahdieh wrote Shahrzad’s journey without taking away her strong spirit. When she makes her final decision about either revenging her friend or loving Khalid, it didn’t feel like a departure from her character. In fact, I think her decision magnified her strength. Meanwhile, others in Shazi’s life take dramatic strides toward war with the caliph (over the injustice of all his dead wives). Among them, Shazi’s father and her first love, Tariq: both are desperate to assert love and protection. Desperation leads one down a dark path of magic. Though the ending was a little ambiguous, I loved this book. Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights (or Arabian Nights) The Wrath and the Dawn has a rich Arabian setting, with bright descriptions and a LOT of Mediterranean food…um, yum. I probably took more joy in reading about what Shazi ate than she fictionally enjoyed it. I also loved the glimpse into a cultural past probably unfamiliar to many teens and adults. It certainly ignited my curiosity about the time. Caliph? What’s that? Why are these suffixes added to the end of names and what do they mean? What is a shamla? Thankfully, Ahdieh includes a glossary for all these questions. Would I let my teen read this book? It’s refreshing to read about a fantastical place that mimics a real time in history, especially when you know little about the culture. If you’re teen enjoys fantasy, than they’re sure to like this story, and it might lead to some cultural research! Death lingers and dark magic plays a role. If these things don’t bother you, than I think you’ll really enjoy unwinding this mystery and discussing the complexity of these characters and the decisions they make. There are some violent and sexual themes, and for those reasons I recommend this book for people 16 and up. Age recommendation: 16 Language –mild Drugs & Alcohol— Characters casually drink wine with meals Sex – Married couple has sex three times–Not graphic, with few details, the first two times is more the knowledge of it–that Khalid came to his wife, Shahrzad, at night; the characters get “lost in kisses”; We also know that other characters are sexually active outside of marriage. Violence – Some violence, most not graphic and in self-defense. Khalid’s wives are being strangled to death; The magic in the book is blood magic, which requires death sacrifices—there is some brief violence to animals. My Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 stars Buy The Wrath and the Dawn on Amazon.com Title: The Corridor Author: A. N. Willis Published by: Alloy Entertainment Publication date: June 23, 2015 Pages: 217 Genres: Science Fiction, Romance *ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Summary from Goodreads: Stel Alaster has never known life without the Corridor. It appeared suddenly seventeen years ago, the only portal to a parallel version of our world—Second Earth. Everyone on First Earth fears Mods, the genetically modified Second Earthers who built the Corridor. They are too smart, too strong, and have powers that can’t be controlled. Any Mod found on First Earth is branded, then detained in the Corridor’s research labs. Only Stel has a dangerous secret. She has a power, too: She can open a portal to Second Earth . . . and several other parallel universes she’s discovered. If anyone ever finds out, she’ll be imprisoned, no better than a Mod or common lab rat. But when the Corridor starts to fail, emitting erratic bursts of energy that could destroy First Earth, Stel must risk everything to save the people and world she loves. With the help of an escaped Mod and an infuriatingly arrogant boy from a third universe, Stel sets out to unravel the mysteries of the Corridor and stabilize it before it’s too late. The fate of every world lies in the balance. . . . I was excited to read The Corridor. Finally, some science fiction! I loved the premise with multiple Earths and Mods (a mutant-type character, but more genetically engineered). Despite my initial excitement, it was really hard for me to get into this book. I still can’t believe it’s only 217 pages…it felt like fourhundredandthirtytwo…thousand, to be exact. Fortunately, the second half gained some speed and the relationships fell into more natural rhythms, but it took a little too much time to get there. I was surprised when there was a six-month time-jump between when Stel suddenly obtained her powers and the story picking up again. It could have been fun to experience some of the uncertainty and discovery with her. And while A.N. Willis explained some things in good detail, other details were lacking. I wanted to know more about the Mods, more about the other Earths, more about the antagonists’ motivations, etc. It’s possible we could get more history in the next installment, which despite my complaints I still might read – there was a nice cliffhanger. My hopes for the next installment would be for more character development and more action. Would I let my teen read this book? If you’re teen likes science fiction, this is probably a good option. Despite my complaints, Stel and her friends are admirable for wanting to save First Earth. They go through a lot of emotions—tempted to hide or just run away, but decide to face the problem courageously. It’s also a pretty clean read. There’s some kissing and a little bit of violence towards the Mods, but nothing graphic. PLUS – it’s only $3.99 for Kindle on Amazon. Age recommendation: 14 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— none Sex – There’s a skinny-dipping scene, while in the water a boy caresses a girl’s back and they almost kiss; An emotionally charged make-out scene (mixed with confusion and grief), a girl crawls into a boy’s lap and they kiss Violence – Some of the Mods are punished by shocks or electrocution; One character get’s his midsection “portaled” out of him (schkump!). My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Buy: The Corridor on Amazon.com for $3.99 Title: Snow Like Ashes Author: Sara Raasch Published by: Balzer + Bray Publication date: October 14, 2014 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own. Snow Like Ashes is compared to Game of Thrones, and though I don’t know too much about GOT, I do know that it has many kingdoms, and everyone is fighting for ultimate authority. Snow is just that, and Meira is determined to be important to the cause—rescuing Winter’s people from slavery and restoring Winter’s kingdom. I liked Meira’s determination. As often as she’s told she’s not good enough, she never wavers in her resolve. The Winterians seem like a hopeless cause; most of the population enslaved by Spring, only Meira and seven others escaped and survived to live as fugitive refugees. They also have no magic, which puts them at a major disadvantage. However, it’s partly Meira’s fortitude (and a well-kept secret) that changes the fate of her people. There are many things I appreciated about Sara Raasch’s story. I thought she designed a creative world and a compelling story. Using the seasons as kingdoms immediately created innate identities, easy to understand and remember among a large cast of players. I also really enjoyed the pace of the story. There’s a battle in the middle of the book, which could have been a final act in a slower version of the story. I’m so glad it wasn’t. I reveled in the excitement and anticipated the next discovery. Though Raasch’s story was a little predictable, I still enjoyed the journey. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll be brief. Another thing I liked–the romance! The triangle, which I usually can’t stand, was tolerable and short lived (hopefully?). Thankfully, we also don’t have to wait long for the sequel; Ice Like Fire comes out this October. (Update: March 9, 2016 - read my review for Ice Like Fire) Would I let my teen read this book? This is a great option for teens who like fantasy. Sometimes it’s hard to find books like this that aren’t graphically violent. There is violence, but it doesn’t get drawn out in detail. When dark magic is mentioned, you never know how dark it’s going to be. Snow Like Ashes has dark magic on what I call the surface level–dark because it’s literally a dark cloud and it can encourage people to do bad things. I recommend this book for kids 14 and up, and even for mature middle schoolers. Age recommendation: 14 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— none Sex – One kiss; (and some admiration of bare chests) Violence – War-related violence; sword and weapons combat; throats slit; guts stabbed; boy gets whipped; two characters are tortured by getting ribs broken and healed multiple times in a row My Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 stars Buy: Snow Like Ashes on Amazon.com |
Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
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