Category: Teen/YA Fiction Review

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Elementia is a trilogy of fantasy books written by the late M. E. Thorne. They’re like a female-led Lord of the Rings. The fandom is just as robust and outspoken. And they aren’t sold on the movie version being filmed in Ireland and directed by a woman.

Iris and Ryder Thorne may be the grandchildren of M. E. Thorne, but they didn’t really know her. As far as their dad is concerned, the books are garbage and they should have nothing to do with them except to bank the royalties as they roll in.

But Ryder fell in love with the books. And after a traumatic run in with a fan, the books seem to help him with the emotional fall out. So he begs their dad to go to Ireland for the filming. Since their dad is on a book deadline, he sends Iris to keep tabs on young Ryder.

Iris would love nothing more than to watch the movie crash and burn. She resents having to parent her younger brother, and she’s terrified of another fan making their family a part of his or her psychotic episode. As Iris gets to know the director and actors for the film, she starts to see Elementia, her family, and herself in new ways.

Review

I stumbled across this one at the library and decided to give it a try. What an unexpected delight! I loved the idea of this – the fantasy book series, the siblings in Ireland, the family drama, and the filming. Iris is awesome – so complicated. The development of her character across the book was one of my favorite things about this. She grows and tries and fails and tries again. She struggles to find her own voice under the barrage of her father’s criticism in her head. It was a terrific journey to watch unfold.

There are so many factors stacked against the movie that there were a lot of roadblocks to keep the story in the book moving forward. The actors, director, and film crew made a little temporary family for Iris and Ryder. Their real family – the off-in-her-own space mom and the angry dad with mother and grief issues of his own – were yet another layer to the larger story.

All of the pieces of this worked for me – the two kids finding their way together in their own lives and with their parents, the romance, the fantasy story in the filming, the feminist threads, and the fandom issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Hand this to kids who love fandoms or fandom stories. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi

REVIEW: Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Negalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When every high school senior in New York gets a fancy silver invitation, Hope wonders if it is a joke. But she’s the only one of her friends who can see the words of the invitation – an invitation to a secret journey. All Hope has to do is face her fears, and she might have her most “precious wish” granted.

Of course if it was real, Hope would wish for full health for her mom. Hope’s mother is slipping farther into dementia. The most they can hope for these days is that she can continue to live at home, but eventually that won’t be possible. Unless this “precious wish” thing is real. But surely this is some sort of joke.

After hearing rumors of kids all over the city doing crazy things like robbing stores or scaling the sides of a building, Hope hears a boy throw himself into the river. She puts herself at risk and dives in to rescue him and finds herself  in an unexpected place, surrounded by other teens who took risks and faced their fears.

Hope is in Olympus. Yep, as in Zeus and Hera and Poseidon and the rest. Hope and the other teens there are descended from Olympian gods and goddesses long ago in their ancestry. Not close enough to be true demigods, but enough to have some untapped power. Each of the teens will be trained and then compete in a series of quests. The last teen standing will be the gods’ new hero.

Review

This is like a mash up of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games. There’s a reluctant hero who fights because of her love for others. She cares about doing the “right” thing more so than winning. She’s strong and principled – the type of hero you want to cheer for. The Greek gods are just as flawed here as they are in the Riordan books. Arrogant. Vicious. Self-consumed. There can only be one hero, one winner, so Hope suffers losses along the way. Those help shape her character and push her forward on her quests.

And of course there is also a love story with a god whose past and present are as complicated as you can imagine. There’s magic and secrets and prophecies and quests to tie the whole story together into  something I didn’t want to put down. This was great! I loved the characters and the action. The ending sets up a sequel – Olympian Heritage – for later this year. I already have it on my wish list. I can’t wait to see what happens for Hope next.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Ruined by Amy Tintera

REVIEW: Ruined by Amy Tintera

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The people of Ruina are feared because of the magic they wield. And their queen has taught them to use their powers and brutally exert control over others. But the king of Lera is determined to exterminate the Ruined and their magic. He kills the Ruined queen himself. He even convinces the Vallos princess, Mary, to cut off the Ruined king’s head as part of the agreement to marry Lera’s Prince Casimir. The king also captured the powerful Ruined princess, Olivia. Her powerless sister Emelina is presumed dead.

But Emelina is very much alive – and very dangerous, even without magic. Her plan is to pose as the Vallos princess, marry Prince Casimir, find her sister, and get a front row seat to the destruction of Lera. Her plan does not include Prince Casimir being somewhat reasonable. He questions his father’s policies about the Ruined. He’s not at all what Em expected. But none of that matters. Recovering her sister is her primary aim. Destroying Lera and the royal family is revenge for everything they took from her and from her people.

Review

I loved the complicated and conflicting motives and interpretations of war in this book. It reminded me of Ash Princess in that way except this is a more active story right from the start. The author does a great job of letting the book jacket summary tell the back story initially so that the action starts immediately on the first page. Em and Cas both feel like their side of the war is justified because of what the other side did first. Violence and fear and vengeance perpetuate it. But the prince and his deceitful bride slowly see glimpses of the other perspective and how complicated it is to find a way to peace.

I loved the characters. Em and Cas are terrific together, even when they are bitter enemies with swords pointed at one another. The secondary characters – with their own goals and priorities – add some nice complications as well as depth to the story.

This is more violent than some other books in the displaced-royalty-fighting-for-their-place collection of stories. (A collection I love!) And that violence pushes the tension and action right to the last page. The tension at the end made me happy I picked up the second book a few days before I finished this one so I can dive right in. I highly recommend this for older teens and young adult/adult readers who are comfortable with the level of violence. This story and the characters are terrific.

In the interim between writing this review and posting it, I have had time to read the other two books in the series – Avenged and Allies – and I enjoyed the entire trilogy. Is it perfect? No, but I found the story and the characters to be compelling. I had to know what was going to happen, and I was satisfied with the wrap up.

Rating for Ruined: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Almost Impossible by Nicole Williams

REVIEW: Almost Impossible by Nicole Williams

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

After 17 years of homeschool and life on the road with her mom’s band, Jade is ready to try something different. The band has hit the big time and is going on tour, but Jade wants to experience a “normal” teenage summer. So she moves in with her mom’s older sister and her family in California, gets a job at the local pool, and hopes to make some friends since she’ll be staying in one place for a couple months.

Jade’s Aunt Julie is the antithesis of her mom. Jade’s mom was a teenager when she had her, so she’s young. She lives the nomadic lifestyle of a musician. Her parenting style is pretty “free range.” In some ways, Jade is more like the parent in their relationship. Aunt Julie, on the other hand, is pretty over protective. While she has the best of intentions, she can be overbearing – especially to someone used to the freedoms Jade usually has. So, rather than fight her aunt, Jade sneaks out when she needs some space. She knows her own mind and trusts her own boundaries.

Jade never expected to meet a guy like Quentin. She wants to play things cool around him, but he’s charming and handsome. Before she knows it, she’s falling for him. But Quentin has secrets he’s reluctant to share. How can she really trust him when he won’t tell her the truth?

Review

This was a delight from start to finish. The relationship between Jade and Quentin is one of my favorite sorts of romances in YA literature. Less brooding, more banter! They’re flirty and funny, and I loved them.

For me, the big “reveal”/climax wasn’t as big as I was expecting. This was more a fun relationship story than a big, angsty teen drama. And while I enjoy those, too, I also love light, fun relationship stories like this. This was a perfect summer romance story for me.

In addition to the main romantic story line, this is also a story of family. Jade and her mom. Her mom and Aunt Julie. Aunt Julie and her husband. Jade and her dad. This touches on a lot of relationships, some more deeply than others. I would have liked to see some of them developed and explored even more, but that wasn’t the story this book set out to tell.

I really enjoyed spending time with Jade and Quentin. I enjoyed the relatively light tone of this. It was a perfect summer read for me!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Fall of Grace by Amy Fellner Dominy

REVIEW: The Fall of Grace by Amy Fellner Dominy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

MAY – Grace’s world falls to pieces when her mom is served with an FBI warrant for financial fraud and then collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Grace is 17. Her mom is in a coma. And everyone from the FBI to Grace’s classmates to the staff at her school is screaming for answers. Where’s their money? And did Grace know her mother was a thief?

AUGUST – Grace has a one way bus ticket to Colorado. She’s going to the one place that was special to her mother. At least, that’s what her mother always told her. But Grace isn’t sure what she can trust anymore. Yet she needs answers. One of those angry classmates has followed her, determined to get the truth from Grace about the money.

Two timelines weave together to tell the story of the original fall from grace and the story of Grace’s plan to sort things out once and for all.

Review

This was terrific! The plot was brilliant. A fraud scheme where the one person who can tell everyone the truth is in a coma, trapped in her own body, unable to lie or come clean. Her teenage daughter is left holding the bag. Grace was the face of the fund, and now she’s the face of the scandal. People want answers, and Grace is the target for their rage.

The two timelines are a great format. It allows the author to dole out the story of Grace’s summer exploring the past and trying to uncover the truth. The August timeline points to the future. What will happen to Grace now? What has she discovered, and what might she learn in Colorado? And how will any discovery change the situation for her?

This was engrossing. I read it in one sitting. A great read! (Some language. Trigger warning: attempted assualt)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

REVIEW: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Ever since her brother Nick’s death, everything in Brynn’s life has been falling apart. Once a strong student, Brynn’s grades have dropped so low she can’t do the school newspaper, the only school activity she ever really cared about. Brynn’s girlfriend broke up with her, citing “too much drama.” And she can’t do anything right at home. Her step-father is horrible, her mom never stands up for her, and her father is so disconnected he didn’t even show up for Nick’s funeral.

Brynn’s focus is mostly on getting to her 18th birthday so she can move out of her house and maybe even quit school.  But some local events have her longing for the days she was working on the paper, reporting on the truth.  To get that back, she has to get her grades back up. Towards that end, Brynn starts writing emails to TV personality Rachel Maddow for a school assignment. At first she picks Maddow because it infuriates her conservative mom and step-father. But Brynn finds comfort in composing the emails though she only sends the first couple for the official school assignment. She knows that she feels better when she can write out her thoughts. But the exercise awakens new skills and passions in Brynn that take the school – and Brynn – by surprise. And nothing at Westing High will ever be quite the same again.

Review

This book was not a great fit for me as a reader. If I had not committed to reviewing this, I probably would not have finished. But then I would have missed a few great moments, so I am glad I stuck with it.

I enjoy the email storytelling format; I’ve seen that used a lot lately, and when it is done well, it’s lots of fun. And this book used the format fairly well. There were occasionally some emails thrown in that were not between Brynn and Rachel, which was jarring to the reading process – I had to stop and figure out who was writing to whom because the voice and tone changed – but it ultimately helped tell the larger story. I also enjoyed watching Brynn get fired up about school politics and being a voice for the voiceless at her school. This was the piece that made the reading time worthwhile for me.

Unfortunately I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this except for the English teacher and the janitor. And characters are everything for me as a reader. The romantic storyline wasn’t a good fit for me. It wasn’t any different than a heterosexual romance in another book except when the characters in this one tried to make Brynn’s sexuality scandalous. The matter-of-fact nature of Brynn’s sexuality will be affirming to readers looking for books with gay romance in the storyline.

This is a well-written story that will really click with the right audience. There is a lot of foul language – both swearing and crass references – that may impact some readers (although the English teacher’s response to the language is amusing).

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Loser's Bracket by Chris Crutcher

REVIEW: Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Annie’s almost a senior in high school, but she’s experienced a lot in 17 years. She bounced from home to foster care multiple times before her mother’s rights were terminated. Annie knows her family is toxic, but she’s tied to them too tightly to turn her back on them. Her foster father would like nothing more than for Annie to cut all ties to her biological family once and for all. But she can’t bring herself to do it. Most of the times she sees her mother or her older sister, the meet up ends in disappointment for Annie. But they are still family.

When Annie’s biological family shows up for her last swim meet of the season, her mother picks a fight with Annie’s book club friends over a misunderstanding. In the ensuing chaos, Annie’s nephew disappears. Her family may be a hot mess, but they are her hot mess. Annie will do whatever it takes to find her nephew.

Review

The characters in this are outstanding! I loved Annie from the beginning. Even though her biological family is trapped in horrible cycles of abuse and drug use, Annie sees the dysfunctions and can keep some distance from them. After Annie, her foster brother, her best friend, and her book club are my other favorites from the story. In a different book, the book club would have made an excellent story all on their own, with each character telling his or her own story.

While Annie’s foster family is safer and more healthy than her biological family, it’s not perfect. And in the story we get to watch Annie negotiate the various dysfunctions and find her own path through them. The revelations she experiences as the foster family situation is more out in the open were fascinating.

I loved everything about this. I would read more stories with these characters in a hot minute. And the author’s style and insight really clicked for me. I’d read more of his work and will be checking out his other stories.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: #PrettyBoy Must Die by Kimberly Reid

REVIEW: #PrettyBoy Must Die by Kimberly Reid

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Peter Smith is a senior at Carlisle Academy in Colorado. On a late night run, his best friend tries to jump out and surprise him, but the pizza smell gives him away. Yet a freshman girl can jump out and take a picture of him shirtless, that she then posts online. #PrettyBoy is born.

In anyone else, this might be flattering. But Peter is a teenage CIA operative. That girl never should have been able to sneak up on him like that – and he does NOT need his face on social media! After an operation in the Ukraine went south with Peter stuck on the inside, he’s been sidelined at Carlisle. He’s supposed to be finishing his last year of high school and gathering intel on some of the bigwigs who send their kids to the school. But in reality, Peter has traced the hacker from the Ukrainian op to Carlisle. He’s perfectly placed to observe and ferret out the hacker. Unfortunately, it looks like the hacker might be Katie, the gorgeous girl with the British accent that he dumped before Homecoming. High school and spy work sure can make life complicated.

And it’s about to get worse. The Ukranian mission may seem over to the CIA, but someone has seen Peter’s picture online and decided #PrettyBoy must die.

Review

Reviews for this online are really low, and I just don’t understand it. I thought this was great fun! The mystery/spy pieces were twisty. Peter was always wondering (though not always guessing correctly) whom he could trust. There’s a steady supply of action and tension from start to finish. I would read more books like this if this ever becomes a series.

The whole #PrettyBoy premise was fun. This was a light yet suspenseful story. The book didn’t take itself too seriously. I enjoyed the characters a lot. There’s a little bit of language, but no detailed violence, so this easily works for middle school as well as older readers who want a fun, fast-moving adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Spark by J. M. Hackman

REVIEW: Spark by J. M. Hackman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Brenna set a school display aflame with fire from her hands, it was a surprise to say the least. But that surprise was small compared to the news that her mother was really from a parallel universe – an “alternity” called Linneah. Her Linnean heritage gives Brenna her power with fire. Brenna is required to visit Linneah by her 16th birthday – and today is that day. The only problem at the moment are the four monsters blocking the portal.

Brenna, her dad and her grandma manage to make it through the portal after some peril. But things aren’t all peaceful in Linneah. Brenna’s mom is missing. No one has heard from her in weeks. She’s somewhere in the Jasper Territory, possibly captured by the enemies of Elyon, the Most High God. And Linneah’s leadership and way of life is under attack as well. Brenna’s powers mark her as the possible subject of an old prophecy which starts to come true, regardless of Brenna’s resistance. She will have to choose her priorities – save Linneah or save her mother – and figure out what she is willing lose in order to save anyone.

Review

I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this fantasy world and the faith pieces that were woven into it. The characters were good, and I cared about what happened to them. There were hints of Narnia in the story, I thought, which I enjoyed.

My only disappointment in an otherwise terrific book was the climax. There were several lovely, highly suspenseful moments throughout the story that were totally satisfying. But when the final battle came, it fell a little flat in comparison. I read the entire wrap up of the book waiting for one last twist or an unexpected betrayal to give the ending a satisfying punch, but that never came. So after enjoying 85-90% of the novel, the ending fizzled a little for me.

I will happily recommend this to Christian young people – really, any young people – looking for a new fantasy series to enjoy. But I will include the caveat that the ending might be a little low key compared to their expectations. Book 2, Flare, will be out in the fall, and I will totally be checking it out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

REVIEW: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In a world that has conquered mortality and possess all knowledge, the Scythes hold the power of life and death. While accidents still occur, people can be healed and resurrected. They can choose to have their bodies modified to make them younger. Hardly anyone dies outside of “gleaning.” Only the Scythes can glean. Gleaning keeps the population in check. The Scythes work within their own guidelines against bias or profiling. They offer one year immunity from gleaning to the families of those they glean. Death is sometimes as unemotional as a business transaction. Sometimes.

Scythe Faraday meets Citra and her family when he comes to their building to glean. Her mother feeds him dinner. But Citra is bold and brash, questioning his actions and motives.

Scythe Faraday meets Rowan when he gleans at the high school. Rowan insists on staying through the gleaning, supporting a kid he barely knows, just so he won’t be alone.

Intrigued by their character, Scythe Faraday invites both Citra and Rowan to train as apprentices. This invitation will set into motion a chain of events that will challenge and change both teens – and the scythedom – in ways they can’t imagine.

Review

Wow! This was stunning. The premise is smart and creative and unique. The world-building to set up this dystopian system is stellar – simple on the surface, with far-reaching implications. The pacing is perfect. I was hooked by the first couple of chapters, and I didn’t want to put the book down until I was finished.

The characters are nuanced and complex, from Citra and Rowan to the Scythes that train them to those who want to use them. There are twists and turns that happen in the story because of the character of each of the major players. The whole thing is woven together perfectly.

This is a dark story because it deals almost exclusively with death. There’s violence along the lines of The Hunger Games or similar stories. It’s not spelled out in excessive detail, but it’s jarring. And it should be jarring. This is definitely for mature readers who can roll with the subject matter and the violence. But the storytelling is exceptional – a treat for those who brave the darkness to explore this fascinating story. [I’ve read the second book, Thunderhead, and it is just as well-written. The pacing is a little slower, but the twists and turns are even bigger.]

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥