Category: Teen/YA Fiction Review

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Monica knew it was probably a bad idea to hook up with a guy so much older than her. It didn’t take long to get pregnant. And even less time to end the pregnancy. And that’s what started it all. One time rifling through her step-father’s desk, looking for painkillers for the cramping. That’s when she found the letters. One for each year after her sister’s death. “It wasn’t him. Connect the dots.”

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died within weeks of each other. Two in a horrendous car accident. Two were murdered. And one committed suicide. Monica’s sister, Jen.

But the letters in her step-father’s desk call all of Monica’s assumptions into question. And finding Jen’s old cell phone stashed in the desk, too, raises new questions. Why would her step-father keep the old phone? Are there secrets on it that explain what might have caused five girls from the same squad to die so suddenly? Monica is determined to keep digging, no matter what, until she finds the truth.

Review

Wow! This was stunning. A start-to-finish read in the spirit of We Were Liars or One of Us Is Lying. Tightly plotted and suspenseful with fascinating characters. This is the sort of book that will hang with me, every time I see that cover.

My heart broke for Monica. She and her family are still grieving the loss of her sister – after the losses of four of her friends in tragic circumstances. Monica seems to be going through the motions of her life to the point of sleeping with this adult as maybe a way to shake things up. But her investigation takes over in a similar way, changing her behavior and her relationship with everyone around her. She’s desperate for answers, for the truth, and it’s compelling.

When all the pieces of the story were finally laid out in front of me, I was pleasantly stunned. I put pieces of it together, but the full picture was a satisfying surprise. This is an author I would read again.

(Lots of mature content in this one – suicide, statutory rape, abortion, etc., and some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

REVIEW: The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Abby Hamilton knows more about the superheroes around the town of Morriston than most people. And she’s not impressed. When you’ve known the Red Comet your whole life, because he’s your older brother, some of the mystique is lost. Rather than an awe-inspiring superhero, he’s just the same goofball she’s always loved.

But there’s a new superpowered guy in town. The Iron Phantom. At least that’s what they are calling him on the news. After finding video of him setting fire to the mayor’s office, they’re also saying he’s a supervillain. Abby’s not sure what to believe.

Iron Phantom saved her from a mugger with a knife. He fed a homeless guy. How can that same guy be this awful villain the news says he is?

Iron Phantom insists he isn’t a villain. He was in the mayor’s office because he thinks the guy is up to something. (The mayor happens to be Abby’s dad.) But the other things he’s being blamed for weren’t him. Abby wants to believe him. She even thinks she might know who he really is! But the sister of the city’s biggest superhero really shouldn’t be falling for a villain.

Review

This was fantastic! This lived up to and exceeded all my hopes for this based on the description. I love superhero stories and teen romances, and this was a great example of both. It’s smart, funny, romantic and engaging.

Abby is awesome. She’s bright and strong yet cautious with this new super in town. But the chemistry between them is too strong for her caution to hold out for too long. I enjoyed the puzzle of Iron Phantom’s true identity. The author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing, although I think most will have a favorite they hope it will be. I loved that Abby is a hero in her own way without any of the powers the other supers around her have.

The mystery/conflict is not complex or especially intricate. The first question is who Iron Phantom is and if he is a good guy or a bad guy. Then it’s what’s up with the city government. Finally it’s the kids’ efforts to foil the bad guy plot. But I was along for the ride with these terrific characters no matter what happened.

Aside from a couple minor plot questions and my frustration with the cover photo (which doesn’t match Iron Phantom’s description at all), everything else about this was perfect for me. Highly recommend. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman

REVIEW: The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Vanessa is attending the We Treasure Fandom con where she is hoping to enjoy some fanfiction with her fellow Wonderlandia fans. It will also be her first chance to meet her fanfic writing partner – and online girlfriend – in person.

Phoebe is attending the Indoor Percussion Association convention with her percussion team from school. While they don’t have the resources that their competition does, the team is really talented. They have a chance to perform really well this week – until a mishap in the hotel lobby with a xylophone.

Callie and her dad are at the World Taxidermy Championships. Things have been rough since Callie’s mom left.  But Callie keeps hoping that by working together her dad will remember she’s his daughter and not just his assistant.

All three conventions are happening in the same convention center at the same time.

When the convention week becomes a disaster for each of the girls, they find each other. And when their relationships from their regular lives are at their worst, this new friendship  may be what each girl needs to redeem her convention experience.

Review

What a fun story! I loved the three girls. Each one was distinct and yet all were endearing in their own ways. Their interpersonal issues – Vanessa with a “girlfriend” who is flirty online but distant in person, Phoebe whose friendships are changing, and Callie who wants to feel like she matters to her dad – are rich and complicated and realistic. I can’t even pick a favorite. I loved each of them for different reasons.

My favorite feature of the book was the way each of the girls found her voice or her place. Vanessa found the confidence to confront the mixed messages. Phoebe’s injury early on opened up an opportunity to find out she’s gifted in a way she never recognized before. And Callie asks for what she wants and needs (after trying a more passive-aggressive approach first). And when each girl finds her voice, she has something to contribute to the new friendship that is developing between them.

Con stories are my new favorite theme in books for teens and young adults. Our family loves going to cons, and I felt at home in the setting the author created for this book. There’s a fourth con interwoven in the story which made for a fun ending. I love what these authors created with these three characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Copycat by Hannah Jayne

REVIEW: Copycat by Hannah Jayne

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Addison is one of the world’s biggest Gap Lake fans. The book series by R. J. Rosen completely captivated her from the first book. Addison’s blog, which started as a place to share her thoughts and theories as she read through the books, has become one of the larger fan sites for the series. Addi even writes her own fanfic on the site.

In advance of the next book’s release, Addi receives an email from the mysterious R. J. Rosen himself! He loves her site, and he wants her to be part of the pre-release marketing events for the book. He even sends her excerpts of the book to post on her blog.

When Addi and her best friend Maya stumble across a dead classmate at school, it’s obviously disturbing. But it’s even more troubling because of the parallels with the book excerpt Rosen sent Addi. His messages to Addi make her uncomfortable. Is her favorite author connected to this death? Or is there something even creepier going on?

Review

I recently read another book about a popular author and an “art imitates life” sort of connection to her readers, and it didn’t click for me. I was really disappointed. THIS is the sort of story I was expecting – the suspense, the twists, the mystery! This was far more satisfying.

There’s a lot of action and suspense in this. It builds slowly through the whole book. There are some nice twists and surprises. I could not figure out what was going on or what might happen next. I had to just enjoy the ride. The author/book tie-in was a great hook.

This wasn’t a strong character-driven story for me. The characters were fine but there weren’t any I loved and really clicked with. This was an action-driven story instead. Who had something to lose or gain? What could happen next to ramp up the danger? This was a great suspenseful story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Eden Conquered by Joelle Charbonneau

REVIEW: Eden Conquered by Joelle Charbonneau

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Andreus survived the Trials of Succession and has been crowned king. But he is still heartbroken at the death of his beloved and the betrayal of his sister Carys. And things in Eden and with the Council seem… off in various ways. The winds don’t blow, the lights that protect the city seem to flicker in ways that make Andreus nervous. He is starting to wonder if the things he has believed about the people around him were ever really true.

Carys is actually alive and relatively well. She and Larkin and Garret and Erick are in hiding but on the move in search of answers and the truth about what happened to the king and crown prince. Erick and Garret are both working angles, and she’s not sure she can trust either of them. Other than Larkin, there’s no one Carys trusts completely. And throughout her hunt for the truth, the wind whispers to her to let go and loose her powers against her enemies once and for all.

Review

I read book one, Dividing Eden, last year and really enjoyed it. I also read the novellas – Forbidden Fruit and Into the Garden. About half way through this one I stopped to re-read the novellas again. They are really helpful for rounding out the story!

This book was immensely twisty. There are so many schemes and side plots to work through, so many characters pulling strings to achieve their own agendas. It made for an exciting reading experience.

I really enjoyed the core characters, especially Carys and Andreus in this book. I was pleased with how the pieces all came together in the end.

I’ve been a Joelle Charbonneau fan since I first read The Testing (book one in a dystopian trilogy). She consistently delivers a great story! Be sure to read this duology in order and don’t forget the novellas.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Giant Days by Non Pratt

REVIEW: Giant Days by Non Pratt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Susan, Daisy and Esther are in their first year of college. As neighbors, it was natural that they would become friends.

Susan is studying medicine. She also has background as a non-licensed private investigator. She has a strong personality and no patience for bullies.

Daisy was raised by her grandmother and home-schooled. She’s sweet and naive and eager to try new things and find her place at college. Although signing up for 32 extracurriculars might be going too far.

Esther comes from money. She’s officially an English major but she never goes to class. She’s used to BSing her way through things but college students are more savvy than she realized. She’s desperate to be friends with a Goth-looking girl she’s seen glimpses of on campus.

While the girls care about one another, they get sidetracked by their personal drama. And while they are focused on themselves, one of the girls walks into a situation she might not be able to get out of.

Review

This is a quirky story. It took awhile for me to get the feel of the girls and for the story to build to the main crisis. But the girls and their friendship is really the point of the story. So once I had  sense of each of the girls, I was on board for the rest.

I don’t know that I had a favorite among the core characters. I loved Susan’s strong personality. I wish the private investigator pieces were a little bigger because that was a fun twist to her character. I cracked up at Daisy’s 32 clubs and her inability to choose what to keep and what to leave. Esther wants so desperately for Vectra to like her that she puts up with Vectra’s appalling behavior. I was so sad for Esther. I was cheering for her to dump Vectra and stick with her true friends.

The climax at the end was terrific. It made the rest of the book come together, and the characters got to be the best versions of themselves. The source material for this is a graphic novel series. I’m curious to see how similar the graphic novels are to this and how the different format changes or enhances the story. (Some mature content and adult behavior.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

REVIEW: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Daisy’s life in Florida is relatively normal. Sure, her parents are from England, and her dad used to be a rock star. But Daisy is just a normal high school kid with a crappy job (grocery store clerk), a best friend, and an ex-boyfriend. What makes Daisy stand out from the crowd is her sister Ellie – who is dating the crown prince of Scotland.

When Ellie and Alex get engaged, things get a lot more complicated for Daisy. Her ex has already tried to sell the paparazzi their prom pictures. And then he sells them a lie that Daisy broke up with him because she has her sights set on bigger fish – Alex’s younger brother, Prince Sebastian, the wild child of the royal family.

Daisy is whisked off to Scottland – under protest – by “the crown” so they can control the media around Daisy’s family and the upcoming wedding. But Prince Sebastian and his friends – the “Royal Wreckers” – may be a bigger risk than Daisy or her American family.

Review

When I first read the description for this book, I thought it sounded a lot like one of my favorite books from 2017, Prince in Disguise. I approached this with some reluctance because of that. I didn’t want to read anything that might feel like a copycat of one of my favorite stories. But once I got the flavor of this on its own merits, I really enjoyed it!

Daisy is fun and sassy. She tries to hold herself back for the sake of her sister, but her true nature still comes through – and it’s awesome! Prince Seb and his crew are fun, although I would have enjoyed even more time with them. The interpersonal parts of the story were where most of the humor came in. There are many LOL moments in this one!

The story was fun and light. I enjoyed the setting. The uppity royals and high society folks needed to be put in their places. I would have enjoyed even more of it, but what is there is satisfying.

I’d still rank Prince in Disguise higher than this one, but this was a great book in its own right. Read BOTH for a lot of royal romance fun! I know I plan to read both of them again… and again.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

REVIEW: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Serina has trained all her life it seems to be a Grace. The Superior of Viridia has chosen three women of beauty and refinement to be his Graces every three years for ages. And now it is his oldest son, Malachi, the Heir’s turn.

Nomi is wild where her sister is meek. Their culture holds little value for women. They aren’t allowed to go to school or learn to read. They have no real choices in their own lives. And Nomi hates it. How could Serina choose the empty, shallow life of a Grace? Nomi has a duty to her family to be Serina’s handmaiden, but she doesn’t have to like it or do it without complaint.

Things with the Heir don’t go at all like Serina expected. One heated exchange in a hallway with Nomi and he chooses HER to be one of his Graces. Serina is relegated to handmaiden status. And if that’s not bad enough, Nomi is keeping a secret that could get their whole family in trouble. But Serina is caught and blamed instead.

Now Nomi is alone at the palace, unsure of who she can trust and desperate for any scrap of news about what happened to her sister. And Serina has been given a punishment usually reserved for the worst female offenders – prison on the volcanic island Mount Ruin.

Review

This was excellent! Initially I wanted more world building and character development up front. The rules for the world were unclear, and the action starts immediately. But I only felt off kilter for a couple chapters before everything was clear. And once I hit that point I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished.

The characters are great. I was furious with Nomi whose own carelessness and rebellious nature ruined her sister’s life. But the evolution of Serina through her trials was fantastic.

The story was riveting – the fight for survival, the alliances and betrayals, the secret source of the misogynistic culture of Viridia. And the action runs clear up to the final page with no happily-ever-after in sight. I loved it!

I saw one of the twists coming only because it’s been done before in another series I read. But the author really did a great job setting it up. Readers who have read that other series might recognize the set up, too. But others will be delightfully caught off guard. I have no complaints for this – just praise. This is fantastic. I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel! (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: So Glad to Meet You by Lisa Super

REVIEW: So Glad to Meet You by Lisa Super

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Diversion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After Emily’s suicide with her boyfriend Jason, her family has not fared well. Her mom went back to work and threw herself into trying to protect other families from  her experience. Her dad lost himself in alcohol. And her sister Daphne tries to tiptoe through her life without her big sister while her parents barely acknowledge she exists.

Jason’s family took a different path, idealizing everything about him after his death. It drives his younger brother Oliver crazy. They try to have Oliver do the exact opposite of what Jason did, hoping that will be enough to keep him from the same fate.

Daphne stumbles onto a bucket list Emily and Jason created. It dredges up questions and memories and feelings no one else really understands. Except maybe Oliver. They’ve never met, but Daphne gathers her courage to track him down. Nothing can bring Emily and Jason back, but maybe if Oliver and Daphne work on the list together they can find some of the things they have lost.

Review

This is a story of two families still reeling from a loss that happened seven years ago. And the two teens are living in the shadow of that loss, full of questions for which there are no good answers.

My heart broke for Oliver and Daphne. They are getting ready to graduate from high school and head off to college, but this loss still hangs over them along with questions of their own mental health (Daphne) and complicated rituals for relationships (Oliver) showing how this loss still impacts them. Oliver’s relationship strategies seem especially unhealthy to me. They complicate his relationships with the women around him in ways that seems especially unfair to the women.

It was hard to “enjoy” this one. While I understood and empathized with the characters, this is a sad story. There are no great revelations to find out about Emily and Jason. And no quick fixes for the troubled families.

I prefer my entertainment a little lighter than this. I think this will be a better fit for readers who enjoy stories with somewhat “tortured” characters trying to find their way through tragedy. (Mature content including suicide and sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

REVIEW: The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In a dystopian future, the president is running for her fourth term (she had term limits canceled) after Russia destroyed our economy in retaliation for us winning the Sino-Russian War. The president has made it so people can be jailed for calling her names and she controls the media. She markets everything from champagne to steaks to energy drinks with her name and likeness on them. The world is corrupt and everyone knows it.

Theo had the idea first – a cheap, portable lie detector that uses brain imaging to know definitively when people were lying. Sam, Molly, Basquiat, Boob (it’s a long story), and Rebe were the team of teens helping him develop the prototype.

When a man offers the kids $8.5 million for all their research and designs (as well as a non-disclosure agreement), the dollars dace around in Sam’s head for awhile. He’s basically been in this for the money they could make since the beginning. The government has shut down his school and fired their teacher. They also stopped providing bionic upgrades for his mom, a war vet who lost her legs. The only reason they haven’t lost their house is that there’s no one around who could buy it from the bank if they foreclosed. But Sam and the rest are afraid the ones wanting to buy the device could use it for their own dishonest purposes. So they aren’t selling.

When Theo is killed and the buy out offer starts to sound like a threat instead of an opportunity, the kids trace the money back to its source. They discover they are in way over their heads. Powerful people with unlimited resources will do whatever it takes to get the device, even if they have to eliminate a handful of kids.

Review

This was fantastic! The dystopian world is absolutely believable if you watch the news today. The kids are smart (although their characters aren’t developed a whole lot – the focus of this is more on the action of the story) There’s a ton of action as the kids are fighting to stay alive. The people who use lies to get power and money won’t roll over when all of their lies are in jeopardy.

The book exposes the fact that we all have secrets – sins and shame – and some of us lie or hide to protect those things. Others lie in pursuit of wealth or power. The kids in this aren’t squeaky clean either. Some readers have had strong reactions to what they confess (including sex, voyeurism, an eating disorder). The flaws or secrets of the characters are part of why I enjoyed this. It doesn’t shy away from some of the harder pieces – the trauma of war, facing your own shameful choices, confessing them to others, and hopefully learning from them.

The fall out of what happens in the story when the device goes public was far more interesting to me than anything else. If a culture and society goes so far down the path of dishonesty and self-interest and manipulation where no one is held accountable, how can it ever turn back to integrity? This is an important question to me. I expected that the whole story would be about the quest to take the device public and not die. But this was even better than that! The real drama kicked in for me when the device was public and everything fell apart. I’d love to dig into this with some teens and hear their thoughts on this engaging story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥