Something Strange and Deadly Author: Susan Dennard Published by: HarperTeen; Reprint edition Publication date: June 25, 2013 Pages: 416 Genres: Historical Fiction, Steampunk, Horror Summary from Goodreads: Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city. Welcome to a whole different kind of zombie book. Something Strange and Deadly is great for those of you who like historical fiction and steampunk. Throw in a little voodoo and necromancing and - KAPOW - you've got the perfect niche Halloween series for Zombie Week. Eleanor is a brave heroine, who has a sense of humor about herself and can fight off a zombie with her parasol (with no combat-parasol training at all!). She's determined to find her missing brother and faithful in her pursuit, no matter what social rules she might break. Her pursuit leads her to the Spirit Hunters, who are trying their best to rid the city of supernatural danger. If voodoo themes and reanimating the dead are not your thing, than this series is not for you. I only read the first book. I think I just wasn't in the right mood. However, besides some violence against zombies (nothing graphic), this book is nice and clean. Age recommendation: 13 Language – Mild to none (maybe an old-fashioned Damn) Drugs & Alcohol – none Sex – It's been a while since I've read it. There might be a kiss. Violence – They fight zombies, but it's not gory My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy Something Strange and Deadly on Amazon.com
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Title: The Carnelian Legacy Author: Cheryl Koevoet Sold by: Abbott Press Publication date: February 4, 2015 Pages: 458 Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Mystery *ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Summary from Goodreads: Marisa MacCallum always believed that the man of her dreams was out there somewhere. The problem is—he’s in another dimension. After the death of her father, eighteen-year-old Marisa's life is on the verge of imploding. She seeks comfort on her daily ride through the woods of Gold Hill, but when a mysterious lightning storm strikes, she is hurled into the ancient, alternate dimension of Carnelia where she is discovered by the arrogant but attractive nobleman, Ambassador Darian Fiore. Stranded in a world teeming with monsters, maniacs and medieval knights, Marisa is forced to join Darian on a dangerous mission to negotiate peace with his cousin and archenemy, Savino da Rocha. Along the way, she starts to see Darian's softer side and finds herself falling in love. But once she learns that he is locked into an arranged marriage, her heart shatters. When Savino falls for her charms and demands her hand in exchange for peace, Marisa is faced with an impossible choice: marry the enemy of the man she loves or betray them both and become the catalyst for a bloody war. In the midst of grief, Marisa is literally thrown into a parallel universe. Understandably, she’s a little emotional. On one hand, I liked that Cheryl Koevoet addressed Marisa’s grief in the story, but on the other hand it felt like Marisa spent the whole book in confusion and tears. We hear about how she was a leader in her high school, and was always a good student, but the evidence of that is hard to find in the book. It was difficult for me to understand why all the men keep falling in love with her, except that she’s supposed to be beautiful. I liked the male roles better. Darian is a good guy, chivalrous, caring, and trying to do what’s best for his country (though I’m unconvinced he needed to keep some important things to himself for so long). Arrie is a great example of a male friend who doesn’t need to be a love interest. He’s funny, lighthearted, and generally the cheery-relief needed in an otherwise somber atmosphere.
The love triangle with Savino felt a little silly. While Marisa is drawn to his magnetism, it’s obvious he’s not a good person. Marisa’s decision about marrying Savino is more of a political vs personal choice in the end, so it never really felt like a real “love” triangle. The mix of medieval and syfy is a fun combination. I enjoyed Koevoet’s world building – parallel universes, knights, beasts, and royalty were all fun elements. The story concentrates more on the romance, which is ok, except that the book is 450 pages. The first half was exciting, while the second half was drawn out with romantic misunderstandings, misgivings, and a strange turn with Marisa attempting her life (Because she can’t be with the man she loves? I don’t think Marisa was actually this unbalanced. The suicidal thoughts felt more like a plot vice to include some faith-related revelations). I think some content could be cut to make the book more compelling. While I enjoyed the book, it was difficult for me to like Marisa, the twist at the end was not really a surprise (Koevoet hints heavily to the conclusion), and some elements of the love story suspended belief for me. So, I’m a little torn with this one. Would I let my teen read this book? The Carnelian Legacy is really clean with Christian themes. Marisa has a return to faith in the book, and Darian depends on his faith and trust in God to help him rule his kingdom. There are some nice discussion topics about grief, faith, and trust. I might have some complaints, but there are good elements that make it a nice recommendation for teens. Age recommendation: 13 Language – none Drugs & Alcohol— Characters drink wine and ale in a medieval-like tradition - it’s not abused Sex – Several “passionate kisses” – that’s exactly how their described Violence – Characters fight off big-foot and yeti-type beasts My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy The Carnelian Legacy on Amazon.com Title: Like Candy Author: Debra Doxer Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Publication date: July 28, 2015 Pages: 299 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery *ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Summary from Goodreads: Candy Seaborne knows she’s badass. She takes after her father, an assassin and possibly a spy, although he won’t admit to either. She idolizes him. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps. But first, she has to finish high school. Biding her time, waiting for real life to begin, Candy craves drama and isn’t above manufacturing some. If you’re a classmate who wronged her or a boyfriend who cheated, watch your back. She’s no pushover, and revenge may be her favorite pastime. Jonah Bryson is the senior class heartthrob who breaks all the stereotypes. He’s a jock, but he isn’t the typical player. He’s moody and antisocial. No girl has gotten anywhere with him since his last girlfriend broke his heart. Candy sees Jonah as a challenge and the perfect distraction. But she may be in over her head because unlike everyone else, Jonah isn’t buying her tough act. He sees the lost, lonely girl inside. He sees too much. When he looks at her that way, she wants to let her guard down and be vulnerable. But that’s the last thing she should do because her father’s world is spilling over into hers, and life is about to get real much sooner than Candy expected. Self-published author, Debra Doxer, writes a building, page-turning mystery in Like Candy. From the summery, I expected this book to be adventurous and fun, but the themes are more serious. Candy says she’s tough, and I think she is, but it comes from a need to protect herself. She’s lost her mom, lived with relatives who mistreated her, has an emotionally disconnected, hit-man father, and her best friend is terminally ill. When she dishes out revenge pranks (some extreme) her “successes” come off as more immaturely ruthless. I couldn’t decide if I was cheering for her or not. She comes off as a character misguided. Her father’s profession continues to be cloaked in mystery. Should Candy look up to him? Candy is determined to believe he’s one of the good guys, but is her opinion swayed by her need for his approval? Her budding relationship with Jonah proves that she longs to be truly cared for and seen. If she had an attentive relationship in her life, would she feel the need to take revenge on those around her? Jonah also hides behind a façade, protecting himself from getting hurt by a relationship (so we think). The more time Candy spends with him, the more she discovers he’s compassionate and kind, utterly charming—opening doors for her and carrying her books. But as Candy discovers a threat to her father, and said threat targets Candy as a way to get to her father, she realizes Jonah might not be as trustworthy as he seems. This has happened to me a lot lately: Start book engaged in book and characters excited for the reveal get to 10% left on my Kindle in particular book and realize “oh no, this can’t possibly be resolved in the allotted time” realize I’m reading a series instead of a stand-alone novel… Doxer leaves us with one intense cliff-hanger. The good news: according to Goodreads.com the next book, Sweet Liar, comes out in October! If this story appeals to you, it’s only $2.99 on Amazon.com. Would I let my teen read this book? Some people might think Like Candy idolizes revenge, and maybe Candy’s strengths do play a little heavily into her ability to manipulate and carry out pranks. However, Candy is emotionally dealing with so much in her life that, as the reader, it’s hard to trust her judgment. Overall, it’s a clever mystery and romance with themes of grief, love, sacrifice, and trust. Also, expect the teens in this book to act like teens. There’s some language. The boys are full of sexual innuendos. There’s an unsupervised party with alcohol. Despite these things, the book felt relatively clean to me. If you don’t remember high school, than you might disagree, but compared to the real high school lunchroom, Like Candy is tame. Age recommendation: 16 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— Underage drinking at party Sex – There’s some references to sex, like I said, boys with innuendos; Several kissing scenes Violence – Candy’s father gets strangled; Candy fires a gun My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy Like Candy on Amazon.com for $2.99 The Splintered Series Author: A. G. Howard Books: Splintered Unhinged Ensnared Published by: Amulet Books Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance “I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick.” The bugs and flowers whisper to Alyssa Gardner. Alyssa is an artist. She creates imaginative landscapes with the bugs she collects and pins to her pieces. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s recreating images from the real Wonderland—not the cutesy Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Everyone knows that Alyssa is related to Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Carroll’s story. But what people don’t realize is that she also comes from a long line of women plagued with Wonderland delusions. Her mother, Alison, has been mentally unstable since she was a little girl. Alison even warned Alyssa about the day she would “become a woman” and the whispers would follow. Alyssa tries to ignore the whispers, but worries she’s going to end up committed like her mother. These whispers are part of a curse that was put on the Alice line of women, and when Alyssa sets out to break the curse, she discovers there’s much more to the story. Wonderland is a simultaneously dark and vibrant place. You’re introduced to many familiar characters from Carroll’s story, but their true characters are more freakish than the fairy tale. Madness still reins in Wonderland and Alyssa finds herself drawn to it. Her childhood friend, Jeb, who she loves, and a new mysterious acquaintance, Morpheous, accompany Alyssa on her journey. Jeb is a faithful protector. Morpheous is a deceiving, self-serving, snarky-snark. Throughout the books Alyssa is drawn to both men. Jeb appeals to her human side, and Morpheous ignites her wonderland side. It’s a love triangle. I don’t really like love triangles, and I was frustrated with this one. I thought that Alyssa could actually easily give up one of them and still manage to balance herself, but you’ll have to read the series to find out how this web is unraveled. Did I mention that Morpheous is a bug? This series totally reminded me of this song: I'm not sure how I even know Ugly Bug Ball, but I REMEMBERED THE WORDS. I feel so old. I borrowed these books from the library, but I just noticed that the first book in the series, Splintered, is only $3.99 on Amazon for Kindle now. Would I let my teen read this series? The Splintered series is imaginative, mysterious, and exciting. I liked A.G. Howard’s unique take on the Alice story. I would’ve preferred a little less romantic tension, and I thought the books dragged in some areas, but I like the series overall. I think these books are appropriate for high school students. There’s some sexual content. Most of the sexual content is referenced to, and there’s a few heavy kissing scenes. Age recommendation: 14 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol – none Sex – Morpheous, particularly is a fan of sexual innuendos; Alyssa and Jeb plan to do “it.” Several heavy make-out scenes where characters are pressing up against each other; Sex is often referenced Violence – Some, mostly referenced with little graphic detail Buy Splintered on Amazon.com, now only $3.99 Title: The Heir Author: Kiera Cass Published by: HarperTeen Publication date: May 5, 2015 Pages: 373 Genres: Dystopia, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. Eadlyn is a princess of contradictions. She wants to be seen as capable and strong, but also resents her responsibility of being groomed for queen. One thing she’s certain she does not want: a husband. Eadlyn has trouble letting in other people. She is so used to putting up her guard that she has few friends outside her family, and has never been in a real romantic relationship. When the Selection begins, she’s skeptical at best. She’s a difficult character to like. Disconnected with her people, and more self-centered than she realizes, I have a feeling Eadlyn will have a lot of growing to do in this series. If you haven’t read the other books in The Selection series, then you don’t know the process is the Bachelorette for royalty. Prince Maxon (now the king and Eadlyn’s father) was the Bachelor in the first three books. There are recurring characters from the original series, but it’s not necessary to read it if you want to start with The Heir. I was a little disappointed in the adult versions of Maxon and America (Eadlyn’s mother). It was difficult for me to see their personalities beyond “paternal figures who went through the selection.” When it comes to the men fighting for Eadlyn’s affections, there are a few front runners. A quirky foreigner and his translator make one of the most interesting options. A childhood acquaintance-enemy-friend (they’re confused) is also a growing relationship. I really don’t know where Eadlyn’s affections will alight in the end. For a sample of the entire series, you can download this free Kindle Selection Series Sampler. Would I let my teen read this book? The Selection series and The Heir are fun, clean romances for teens who like royal romances and independent women. Eadlyn, in The Heir, is also a great example of a heroine whose faults are easily visible. Readers can recognize those faults and hopefully invest in her maturity through her experiences. I recommend these books for middle-schoolers and up! Age recommendation: 13 Language – none Drugs & Alcohol— none Sex – A few kisses, one a little more heated than the other. Violence – little to none – Eadlyn finds herself in danger, but angry villagers tossing tomatoes is only bruising. My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy The Heir 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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