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!
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Title: The Season Author: Sarah MacLean Published by: Orchard Books Publication date: June 1, 2010 Pages: 352 Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction Summary from Goodreads: Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? If you love Jane Austen, then you’ll enjoy The Season by Sarah MacLean. Set in the early 1800s, Season follows three friends as their forced into the London season to find husbands. But these smart, independent friends aren’t won over to the traditional view of marriage easily. Unlike most of the ton, Vivi is encouraged to marry for love, Ella prefers spinsterhood as a writer to the marriage mart, and Alex wants to be known for her intelligence instead of her pretty face. Though the book is a romance, its story is also about this band of faithful friends, who love and encourage and trust one another. Gavin, the Earl of Blackmoor, is Alex’s brothers’ closest childhood friend. Alex and Gavin share a close friendship, but as Alex begins her first season and enters society as a woman, both are surprised by a blossoming attraction. To be clear, espionage and murder set this story apart from Austen’s heritage, so don’t expect many comparisons. If you’re looking for a lighthearted regency romance, you’ll probably enjoy The Season. Would I let my teen read this book? I picked up this book because I hadn’t read much (if any) young adult, regency-era literature. It was a nice change of pace from all the dark, dystopian novels I’ve recently read. It’s fun, clean, and features independent girls who want more out of life than what society demands. I think this novel could even be a nice introduction to Austen if your daughter hasn’t discovered her yet. If your teen already loves Austen, she’s sure to enjoy The Season. * Warning note: I looked up Sarah MacLean’s other books to see if she had any more like The Season. She has plenty of regency romance novels, but they are adult romances. It looks like The Season is the stand-alone young adult novel in MacLean’s library. Age recommendation: 14 Sex – 2-3 kisses Violence – The antagonist briefly threatens Alex with a weapon My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy: The Season on Amazon.com Buy: Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Series Book 1) on Amazon.com Author: Gail Carriger Books: Etiquette & Espionage; Curtsies & Conspiracies; Waistcoats & Weaponry; Manners & Mutiny (pub Nov. 2015) Published by: Little, Brown and Company Genres: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Paranormal, Historical Fiction At the age of 14, Sophronia is recruited for a finishing school – Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Little does she know that she won’t only be learning to pour tea and host a dinner party, but she’ll learn the arts of an intelligencer – lady spies hidden in society. Sophronia also doesn’t realize she’s going to be very good at intelligencing – one of the best. It’s 1851 in the British Empire. Mechanicals serve households and humans live alongside vampires and werewolves. All under the Queen: vampires, werewolves, and Picklemen (human evil geniuses) fight for power. Meanwhile, girls are trained at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Academy for Young Ladies of Quality and will someday have to choose patrons or sides in this power struggle. The finishing series is set in the same world as Gail Carriger’s other series – Parasol Protectorate. I haven’t read it, which may be why the details of this world’s society was confusing. It wasn’t until the third book that I started to understand the politics behind the story. However, that also may have been intentional, as the themes and topics of the books get more mature as Sophronia grows into a woman intelligencer. Despite the confusion, Carriger is a clever, imaginative writer who created a smart, capable heroine. Although the content of the books sounds dark, it’s remarkably lighthearted, especially in the first two books. Sophronia may combat a crazed werewolf and up-to-no-good flywaymen, but she also skirmishes with a mechanical chaise lounge guard dog (it’s exactly as it sounds). There are actual characters named Mrs. Barnaclegoose and Lord Dingleproops. If you’re disappointed Sophronia's world includes vampires and werewolves, you’re not alone. I resisted the series for that reason. I’m tired of the Twilight-induced obsession. However, I was able to enjoy the series, maybe because these characters don’t take center stage (at least not in the first book). One thing I loved about Carriger's series: there's an overarching story woven through, but each book has an individual story with a conclusion. No cliffhangers here! If you prefer to read a series all at once, this is a good year to pick up Finishing School. The final, fourth book, Manners & Mutiny, comes out in November. You can pre-order it on Amazon. Would I let my teen read this series? Like Harry Potter, this series matures with the age of the character. While Harry might be 10 in the first book, I’d take some time to consider if my 10 year old should read the whole series. Sophronia is 14 when the story begins, but she’s 16 by the third book. The third book is more mature, as the girls are introduced to lessons of seduction and Sophronia becomes more physically aware of her love interests. The publisher recommends 6th grade and up for this series, which is appropriate for Etiquette & Espionage (Book 1). If your teen is going to read the whole series, I recommend waiting until they’re 15. Age recommendation: 15 Sex – There’s some innocent kissing, and noticing of muscles Violence – Some fist and weapon fighting; violence associated with werewolves and vampires— In Curtsies & Conspiracies (Book 2) you read about a vampire feeding from several people to revive himself; In Waistcoats & Weaponry (Book 3) one of the characters is transformed into a werewolf (to save his life) which includes a violent bite to the neck. My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy: Etiquette & Espionage (Book 1) - on Amazon.com Title: Geek Girl Author: Holly Smale Published by: HarperTeen Publication date: January 27, 2015 Pages: 385 Genres: Contemporary, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Harriet Manners is tired of being labeled a geek. So when she’s discovered by a modeling agent, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. There’s only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Does she have what it takes to transform from geek to chic? I picked up this book from the library hoping for a light read. I was also curious how the book would handle the subject of body and self-image. I wasn’t disappointed. Harriet Manners would win at Trivial Pursuit. She’s an expert in trivia, randomly pulling obscure references like “chewing gum is banned in Singapore” into awkward first introductions. One thing I really like about Harriet, she’s a self-realized Geek. “Did you know that in the old days the word geek was used to describe a carnival performer who bit the head off a live chicken or snack or bat as part of their stage act? Exactly. Only a geek would know a thing like that. I think it’s what they call ironic.” She knows she’s a geek, she’s just not sure how to be different. Because according to the other kids at school, a geek is a bad thing. So when she’s accidentally discovered by a modeling agent, she thinks this is her big opportunity to transform. Throughout the book we watch Harriet stumble through her new carrier, break and mend relationships, and finally come to realize she likes herself after all. Would I let me teen read this? There’s nothing questionable in this book. It’s a fun, clean read with a smart protagonist. The author is also British, so characters say things like, “Harriet, are you studying maths in the middle of my photo shoot?” Can’t you just hear the accent? Love it! Age recommendation: 12 Sex – One kiss My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy: Geek Girl - on Amazon.com Title: The Young World Author: Chris Wietz Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication date: July, 29, 2014 Pages: 384 Genres: Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Adventure, Romance The Young World is New York City run by teenagers. It’s been two years since the Sickness wiped the world of adults and children, and the only people left are the ones with the right hormones to make them immune. Once you turn 18, you’re dead. Jefferson (a brainy, philosophical, good-hearted hero) reluctantly takes over the Washington Square tribe after his brother dies. They do their best to defend their territory, treat each other fairly, and help everyone survive. But when Jeff gets a clue to save teen-kind, he sets out with Donna (the snarky girl he’s secretly loved since Kindergarten) and three others to find the one cure to save them all. The journey to the cure is a cruel one as they defend themselves from chauvinistic, white supremacists, a group of cannibals, tween fashionista tunnel rats, and even an escaped polar bear from Central Park Zoo. This is Chris Weitz's first book, but you might recognize his name from directing movies like The Golden Compass, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, About a Boy, and American Pie. Well versed in the juvenile arts, Weitz creates a dystopian story as cruel and relentless as the mean girls from high school. Actually, it’s totally worse. The New York teens have resorted to violence to protect the short years of life they have left. This means the tribes spend as much time scavenging for firearms and bullets as they do for food. When Jefferson, Donna, Brainbox, SeeThrough, and Peter adventure out to find the cure, they repeatedly have to defend themselves. The first threat comes in the form of a baby bottle Molotov cocktail and Dora the Suicide Bomber – a doll with an unexploded M-80 in her backpack. This is just a taste of apocalyptic New York City. I was entertained for the first half of the book, along for the ride no matter what the kids faced and appreciating the comedic relief when delivered. Peter, who joined the journey because he was SO bored, had one of my favorite lines, “Um, I would just like to say that I signed on for a good time? And so far, I barfed, I got shot at, and somebody tried to feed me human flesh.” After what they’d been through, it was a welcome laugh. In the second half, I started to feel weary of the dark world Weitz created and sad that this was supposedly the world teens today created when everyone else died. The killing, the meaningless sex, the continued loss of loved ones, the abuse of the weak – it left me feeling less excited to pick up the book and generally like Ugh. Then there’s the end. I didn’t realize this was a series. After feeling a little downtrodden by the story, I was disappointed with how it ended and felt kind of emotionally blank. According to Goodreads.com, the second installment is scheduled to publish this year. Between cannibals, fistfights, and shoot-outs, Jefferson and Donna question whether it’s worth loving anyone during such a short duration on earth. Love vs emptiness, God vs nothing, sameness vs change – these are some of the major themes of the book. Weitz also hits on now pointless cultural obsessions like Adderall, Cell phones, and “spreading words sideways” (which is Facebook and Twitter – information concerned with the present instead of the future). One thing The Young World does is offer a wealth of relevant discussion topics. In fact, if I recommended this book, it would be in a group setting, which brings me to the following question. Would I let my teen read this? Our Facebook status = It’s complicated? I liked some things about this book. It’s clever and funny, and it delivers so many subjects to talk about that I really could offer many more pages of analysis. Peter could have his own page; the African American gay Christian who poses questions about the presence of God during hell on earth and is also the comic relief. I wish more YA books had this analysis-worthy quality. The underside is the heavy language, the hard topics of abuse of women and youth (12-13 year olds), and the unrelenting violence between kids. I also think sex is misrepresented. Jefferson says at one point that “boys are born easy,” that simply because they’re male they’ll have sex with anyone willing, which is a myth. It’s also another example of a good discussion topic. The content of the book is not necessarily unrealistic to the teenager experience today. Sure, if it were a movie it’d be rated R, but as I recall, the same would be true for the hallways between classes in high school. So, I think this would be an interesting group discussed book in a senior lit class, or if you’re looking for a book to read with your teen (maybe especially your son). Age recommendation: 17 Swearing – Heavy: swears and derogatories Drugs and Alcohol – References to addicts; some alcohol drinking Sex – Many references to sex – the teens discover they can’t get pregnant. Between that and their short life span, they do it a lot; a make out scene; a sex scene (not detailed, you just know they’re going to and then they’re laying on the cold floor together); offers of prostitution, references to girls being owned for sex Violence – Hand to hand combat; Sword combat (close range stabbings, cutting off hands, through necks, in the ribs); boy strangled in public; boy stabbed to death; teens mangled by bullets; reference to cannibalism My Goodreads rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars Buy: The Young World - 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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