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: Vengeance Road Author: Erin Bowman Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers Publication date: September 1, 2015 Pages: 336 Genres: Historical Fiction, Western Summary from Goodreads: Revenge is worth its weight in gold. When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal. I’m not overly fond of revenge stories, but I’ve been looking forward to this western for months. I anticipated a rough landscape and a determined heroine with similarities to True Grit. I mean, look at that cover! While Kate Thompson sounds a little like a broken-revenge-record at times, her vengeance rides on the back of her grief as she launches into this journey hours after she buries her father. The Colton brothers, when they first meet, take to calling her deaf, because she has a red haze around her, out for nothing but blood. Expect violence and a stonehearted girl, who makes her first kill in the first chapter of the book: “That sounds real nice, boy,” he says. “Now for the love of God, lower that damn pistol.” The Colton brothers, Jesse and Will, bring some lightheartedness to the story. They’re taken in by Kate’s disguise as a boy, and decide to follow her as a promise to their father to watch out for the Thompson kid. However, as the mission of revenge against the Rose Riders turns towards the promise of gold, even the Colton boys can’t resist the temptation of quick wealth and comfort. In Vengeance Road, the bad guys are really bad, and the good guys are pulled by revenge and greed. While Kate’s thirst for revenge doesn’t dampen (but justifiably grows), she begins to process her grief and remember the sweetness of companionship. She doesn’t want to be alone, and finally recognizes the danger of wallowing in hate. “I want him to burn for eternity. I should carve a damn rose in his forehead first so he knows just how rotten he is. It’s a book about revenge and it’s a book about healing, about learning to lean on others—not letting hate fester. I really enjoyed Vengeance Road. The grammatically incorrect language might be exhausting for some, but I adjusted quickly and it didn’t distract me from the story. Would I let my teen read this book? Vengeance Road has dark themes more appropriate for older teens. There’s some language, talk about “poking whores,” remains of burned children, and a lot of shoot-outs. Liluye’s Apache character introduces themes about judgment, stereotypes, spirituality, culture differences, and how respect garners respect. These topics along with revenge, forgiveness, greed, God, and community make for some great thought-provoking ideas. With the knowledge above and below, I’d recommend this book for everyone 16 and up. Age recommendation: 16 Language – Moderate, including the use of Jesus Christ as an expletive. Drugs & Alcohol— Characters drink alcohol in the saloon as appropriate to the time Sex – References to whores working; sex referred to as a “poke,” a common, encouraged activity; a few kissing scenes Violence – Lots of characters get shot; burned family in a carriage; two characters are hanged; several characters hit with shovels My Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 stars Buy Vengeance Road 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 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 |
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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