The Cupid War is intended for a YA audience, so only tweens on the more mature end of the scale will probably appreciate it. On the surface, it has a lot in common with Heck in that it’s an irreverent story that takes place in the afterlife and therefore has young death at its core, […]
Crossed
September 30, 2013 by 3 Comments
In Crossed, the sequel to Matched, the dystopian love triangle continues. Cassia has left Society to search for Ky who was sent out to fight against the Enemy. The point of view alternates between Cassia and Ky, although it’s always in first person present tense. Occasionally I found myself forgetting whose point of view I […]
The Wolf Princess
September 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The novel reads like a fairy tale, where atmosphere overrides logic, even though Russian history plays a big role in the plot. The descriptions of the landscape and the Palace are straight out of the Nutcracker’s Snow Forest…all white drifts, slender birches and pines, and diamonds in the air.
A Mango-Shaped Space
September 12, 2013 by 3 Comments
There are a lot of issues dealt with in A Mango-Shaped Space. It won the ALA Schneider Family Book Award which honors “artistic expression of the disability experience.” Mia has synesthesia, which means that she sees sounds, numbers, and letters in colors. The novel covers the several months during Mia’s 8th grade year when she’s […]
Matched
September 3, 2013 by 1 Comment
One of the review blurbs for Matched reads “If you like a ton of romance with your totalitarian government, this novel is for you!” Out of context, I’m not sure if that’s from a positive or negative review, but it’s certainly appropriate to this book.
Hope Defined
August 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Hope Defined follows the intertwined stories of girls from two different worlds. In this case, really really different worlds. The two girls have to learn to come to terms with themselves and figure out what they value, and somehow the fate of the world rests in the balance.
The Demon King
July 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jennifer Lewis. The Demon King is the first of four books in the Seven Realms series. Raisa is heir to the Gray Wolf Throne of the Fells. After returning from 3 years with her father’s family in Demonai Camp, Raisa discovers that Queen Marianna has become something of a pawn in the […]
Seeing Redd
July 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Seeing Redd is the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars. It is very much a sequel, and requires that you read The Looking Glass Wars first for this book to make any sense. Alyss has returned to Wonderland, resuming her rightful place as queen. Things are beginning to get back on track and the land […]
Etiquette & Espionage
June 26, 2013 by 4 Comments
Etiquette & Espionage is a novel for younger readers that takes place in the world of Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series (I highly recommend that series to teens and adults who wish Jane Austen had a more supernatural and steampunk flair). It’s a Victorian setting in which vampires and werewolves live, more or less peacefully, […]
The Wells Bequest
June 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Wells Bequest is a companion to The Grimm Legacy. “Companion” is a deliberate word choice, rather than sequel, because while there is overlap, you could easily start with The Wells Bequest and not be at all confused. You will, however, have missed a wonderful book—The Grimm Legacy was one of my favorite books that […]
