Category: Teen/YA Fiction Review

REVIEW: Running by Natalia Sylvester

REVIEW: Running by Natalia Sylvester

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mariana Ruiz’s father is running for president. He’s been in the state legislature before, and he’s currently a US Senator for Florida. Mariana knows what politics means for their day-to-day life. But she hasn’t really registered that his run for the Republican nomination means this election is at a whole new level.

Joe, her father’s assistant, is dictating her comments for TV spots and interviews. Her bedroom gets made-over like an elementary school classroom, complete with motivational posters, against her will because reporters are going to be seeing it. The whole family will be interviewed. No matter how many times Mariana asks to be left out of things, no one listens. So she disappears before the interview and goes to a friend’s house. That’s the first time Mariana pushes back. But it won’t be the last.

Review

This was excellent! No only does the book look at big issues like politics and the environment and activism, but it also drills down to interpersonal issues like family unity, teenage autonomy, family obligations, and political identity. For most of Mariana’s life, politics was just what her father did. It was background noise like other parental jobs might be for teens. But her father’s run for president amps up all the pressure over appearances and media scrutiny. Mariana’s discomfort starts there.

Then, a school assignment converges with a friend’s personal issues and raises her awareness about real life factors – things that impact people she loves. Things that used to just be political talking points. Mariana connects with students at her school who are more politically aware and engaged. She sees her father’s voting record, and it doesn’t line up with what he’s always said he believes. The more she learns, the more the idealized picture of her father fractures.

There are no easy answers offered, which I loved. This is Mariana’s coming-of-age story where her assumptions are torn down and what she rebuilds is a new comprehension of not only her family but also the larger world. And she realizes she has a place in it, and she has a unique platform where her voice can be heard. I loved this! (Language, LGBTQ+, TW: gaslighting)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

After the Twenty-Five Year War, Emperor Atar Faroshi unified the quadrant. All of the prime families came together in peace. While the Emperor has never had children, he has also never named a successor. And now he is dying.

Captain Alyssa Farshot of the Vagabond Quest is an explorer. In fact, she just received accolades from the Explorer’s Society. Hungover from the celebration, she wakes to a communication from her Uncle Charlie, the envoy to the Emperor, also known as “Uncle Atar” to Alyssa.

Atar cannot name Alyssa Empress – even if she wanted the job, which she absolutely does NOT. Instead he names her crownchaser for the Faroshi family.

There hasn’t been a crownchase in hundreds of years. When there is one, a royal seal is hidden somewhere in the empire. Each of the prime families chooses a crownchaser to hunt it down. Whoever finds the seal and returns with it will be crowned.

While a religious zealot Alyssa trusts about as far as she can throw him holds the throne, six crownchasers, childhood friends and rivals, begin their quest to explore a 1,000-planet area, solve puzzles, meet challenges, and find the seal in order to become the new leader of the quadrant.

Review

Outstanding. Stunning. Perfect. Magical.

This could well be my top book of 2020. I loved every moment with this book. I would start reading it again right now if I didn’t have 70 ARCs waiting for my attention.

This is a science fiction story, which is the first mark in its favor. I love sci-fi. There are interesting planets, space battles, aliens, and futuristic technology. It was awesome!

The characters are another mark in the book’s favor.  I loved Alyssa. The early chapters of this have a Polaris Rising feel to them. (Another mark in the book’s favor.) The biggest difference is that while Ada (Polaris Rising) is all about masking her emotions and controlling her responses, Alyssa is more what-you-see-is-what-you-get. She’s just as smart and strong and skilled. But she’s more irreverent and impulsive than Ada. I love both characters.

Then there’s the stellar (pardon the pun) plot. It felt familiar, but I never could place what this reminds me of. There’s a reluctant royals piece – something I love and read often. Then there’s a competition. It’s not meant to be a last-one-standing deal like The Hunger Games, but the stakes are high. There’s also the fact that Alyssa doesn’t want to win. She competes out of obligation. She’s more focused on the process than the end goal. She wants a good outcome for the future of the quadrant. She cares about how people are doing and about fixing the problems she can. But she isn’t a win-at-all-costs sort of person. She mostly just wants to get back to her life.

The ending is excellent! I wanted book 2 in my hands immediately, but since the book just released two days ago, that is not going to happen for awhile. I had to settle for having my own print copy, which I ordered immediately after finishing this.

Science fiction fans, YA fans, reluctant royal fans, and competition story fans should snatch up a copy and clear their schedules for a few days (or a few hours) to dive into this one. I could go on and on about how much I adored this book! (Language, LGBTQ+, science fiction violence – blasters, space battles, etc.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best

REVIEW: Daphne & Velma: The Vanishing Girl by Josephine Ruby

REVIEW: Daphne & Velma: The Vanishing Girl by Josephine Ruby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The town of Crystal Cove counts on their mysterious history (the disappearance of most of the town founders) and the Haunted Village attraction to bring tourists to town.

When a teen gets locked in an attraction at Haunted Village, and she blames ghosts, there’s tons of fresh attention on the town. Unfortunately, the girl’s story could cost Velma Dinkley’s mom her job at the Haunted Village. The Village has already taken so much from her family. So Velma is determined to get the girl, Marcy, to recant her story so Velma’s mom can get back to work.

Instead, Marcy goes missing. Daphne Blake is Marcy’s best friend. She does NOT believe the lame story that Marcy ran away to Mexico. Finding Marcy is a bigger job than Daphne can tackle on her own. But the only other person who questions the story is Velma. Maybe they could have worked together when they were 10. But the two girls have been bitter enemies for years now. Could they put aside their history to find out the truth about Marcy?

Review

This was great! I loved watching the girls work through their history as well as the mystery. Shaggy and Scooby play a role, and Fred is around, but the girls are the stars here.

I’m not certain if this is an alternate universe from the TV shows I have enjoyed for years, tracking it’s own independent course, or if it is an origin story for the Mystery Inc. gang that will develop over time. I’ll have to keep up with the series to find out. And I plan to! This was so fun.

I had thought this was going to be a graphic novel, but this is a prose novel instead. The history and angst between Daphne and Velma is a significant part of the story. It’s mostly resolved by the end, and I’m eager to see how they move forward in future books. There’s also family stuff going on for both girls that added some nice layers to the story.

The mystery was terrific. It felt like an episode of Scooby Doo in all the best ways. I’m eager to dive into book 2, The Dark Deception. A third book is currently scheduled for spring, 2021.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would read again

REVIEW: Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale

REVIEW: Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Josie used to be “kind of a big deal.” Her choir director told her she had “star power.” She knew how to light up a stage. And her talent and some connections got her a Broadway audition. She left home – and quit high school – with a one way ticket to New York.

When the audition doesn’t go as planned, Josie decides to stay in New York, crashing wherever she can find a spot. She eventually starts nannying part time, going to any casting call she can find. Nothing clicks. How awful to discover your best moments were in high school. When her nanny job moves to Montana, Josie goes, too, for lack of any other plan.

On a trip to the park with her charge, Mia, Josie stops in a local book shop. And everything changes. She picks up a book, and as she’s reading, she falls into the story, becoming one of the characters. It’s like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. All of the people in Josie’s life play the characters in each story she falls into. Each time she dives into a book, she has a harder time remembering her real life and pulling back. What would happen to Josie – or to Mia – if she fell into a story and never came back out?

Review

This one didn’t click for me. Spending time with Josie felt like going to a high school reunion with someone who had never moved on. It’s tragic in a 40-year-old, and it’s tragic in an 18-year-old. Josie believes she peaked in high school. She puts everything into a shot at Broadway, and when it fails, she has no direction. She is lost, desperate. And she doesn’t know how to bounce back.

To Josie’s – and the book’s – credit, she doesn’t stay stuck. She starts to develop some insights, and she gets a better understanding of herself and the relationships she has been relying on. She sees the toxicity in some of her relationships as well as in her perceptions of herself and her life.

The jumps into books, and the big climax for that part of the story, while effective for producing some change in Josie, didn’t work for me. I skimmed over most of the book jumping. Josie’s a lot to take at times. In these passages especially, she was exhausting for me. I was more interested in the things going on in her real life. Josie’s charge, Mia, and her transgender friend Nina were the characters I most wanted to see. In the end it felt like the story I wanted with the characters here and the story the author wanted to tell with them just weren’t the same story. And the climax, while an interesting twist, felt a little too out of left field for me.

Readers who enjoy angsty teens (who feel like realistic teenagers) and fantasy stories centered around books might give this one a try. Some readers have really enjoyed this one. (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥½*

*♥♥½=mostly solid to solid

REVIEW: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

REVIEW: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Pepper’s parents started Big League Burgers when their whole family still lived in the same town. Now, Pepper’s parents are amicably divorced. Her sister, Paige, is away at college, and Pepper is trying to survive her senior year at an incredibly competitive private school. Her life revolves around her school work, staying ahead of her academic rival, and swim team responsibilities as the captain. When she’s not consumed with all that, she bakes to let off steam. Her mom, in a bit of tone deaf parenting, also expects her to help with the business’ Twitter account. While there’s an employee assigned to it, she doesn’t have Pepper’s instincts or snark.

Jack’s parents run the deli Girl Cheese which was started by Jack’s grandmother. Jack’s parents seem to assume Jack will take over the deli some day, although they don’t make those assumptions about his twin brother, Ethan. Jack would rather design apps. In fact, he’s the secret designer of Weazel, a wildly popular social app at his private school. He also sometimes tweets things on the deli’s Twitter profile.

When Big League Burgers announces a new line of grilled cheese sandwiches, Jack and Ethan realize one is a direct rip off of their grandmother’s secret grilled cheese recipe at the deli. Their dad wants to ignore it, but Jack fires off a tweet. And Pepper, not knowing who is on the other side of the Twitter war, fires back.

Let the games begin.

Review

“You can’t just casually tell someone you carry caramel sauce around and walk away like that’s a normal thing. What other emergency condiments do you have stashed in your bag?”

This is delightful!! Sharp writing – and so funny! I loved Pepper and Jack! There are tons of levels to this – their assumptions about each other from school, their anonymous conversations on Weazel, their face-to-face interactions, and then the Twitter war. And it was all so fun!

There’s a lot of depth to the characters and the relationships amid the banter back and forth. Both teens are thinking about their futures. They’re struggling under expectations, and they’re trying to discover who they are. There are also some fascinating family dynamics for both teens.

And all of that – along with some mouth-watering food descriptions – is woven together so well. I loved it. The only thing missing is some recipes. Do not miss this fun novel! The paperback of this will release after the first of the year along with the author’s second book, You Have a Match. I’ll be reviewing that one in 2021. (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would read again!

BONUS REVIEW: Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

BONUS REVIEW: Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Shoshanna adores her job at the mall bookstore, Once Upon. Her boss is a mentor, and she loves her co-workers. And it’s a good thing she loves it because it’s the holiday season which means the mall is crazy busy, and she is working double shifts until Christmas.

Shoshanna needs those double shifts. Her car has become unreliable, and the repair is expensive. Her moms don’t have the money, and they are fighting enough already. She doesn’t want to add any stress to their household. But then her boss offers a holiday incentive. The person who sells to the most customers leading up to Christmas will earn a bonus. That extra money would go a long way toward helping her fix her car.

The biggest roadblock to Shoshanna’s success is the new guy, Jake. He doesn’t even read, except for things assigned at school! But he’s charming and clever, and customers like him. He’s bonded with Shoshanna’s work friends and leveraged technology to help him make recommendations. He is serious competition. In all of their interactions he has come across as a jerk to Shoshanna, so she is determined to beat him. She’ll get the money she needs AND show Jake that being a bookseller is about more than doing an online search.

Review

This was fun! I loved the bookstore pieces in this as well as Shoshanna’s enthusiasm about her work and about books/reading in general. The author does a good job of keeping Shoshanna endearing, even when she’s a bit much. There’s some immaturity at play, which makes sense for her age. In fact, it’s been awhile since I read a YA novel where the main character felt like a genuine teenager. Shoshanna really feels genuine. Here, she has a lot to learn about boundaries. She wants everyone to be happy, get along, and feel good about themselves, even if that means she meddles in things she shouldn’t. The other great thing about this is that Shoshanna learns from her mistakes. She is intentional about making different, better choices as the book goes on. She lets her failures instruct her for the future.

The bookstore pieces are balanced by the women in Shoshanna’s life and the problems they are experiencing. Shoshanna’s moms are fighting and it makes home feel unsettled and tense. Then, when Shoshanna alienates her best friends, she can’t even go home for comfort because things there are so on-edge. There are nice holiday pieces woven in, too – Hanukkah celebrations for Shoshanna and Jake as well as the Christmas festivities at the mall.

The romance here is sweet and gradual. It’s a low key enemies-to-lovers story. And in reality it’s probably more bickering-rivals-to-crushes, but the usual features of the trope are there. I warmed up to Jake pretty quickly and loved watching his relationship with Shoshanna thaw over time.

While the cover doesn’t show it, this is definitely a holiday story, so librarians and booksellers should keep this title in mind for holiday displays. Readers who love sweet teen romances, books about books and bookstores, and stories about personal growth should check this on out! (Some language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥=Great!

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Garfield “Gar” Logan is a senior in high school, and he’s tired of looking like a freshman. He’s lifting weights and downing protein shakes with no impact. He starts to wonder if the supplements his parents have him taking could be stunting his growth. So, he stops taking them. And things start to… change.

Gar is desperate to get in with the cool crowd and get the attention of a certain girl before high school ends. The weird things happening to him seem to be helping him get that attention for once. But a sinister figure, new in town, may be giving Gar exactly the wrong kind of attention.

Review

I have been excited about this book since the moment I finished Teen Titans: Raven last year. This is from the same team, and they can’t churn out books fast enough for me. I discovered that the next book will be a team up of both Raven and Gar, currently titled Beast Boy Loves Raven, and I am here for it! This one ends on a huge cliffhanger, and I need a sequel!

This is an origin story for Gar. There’s an emphasis early in the book on his longing to be noticed. He wants to fit in physically; he wants to be considered “cool.” And he wants to find what he’s good at and who he is meant to be. Gar stumbles into these dares, and the physical changes he’s experiencing help him pull off things that should be impossible.

I wish this had been longer or that some of the set up was condensed. Just when I felt like things were getting into place – a bitter rival at school, a dangerous foe from his parents’ past, full use of his powers –  it was over. I used some choice words when I swiped for more and found there wasn’t any.

So, I enjoyed what’s here, but I wanted more. I guess that’s a sign of a good story. Fans of the Raven graphic novel, and fans of the character Gar/Beast Boy should be sure to check this one out. If you haven’t read these but you enjoy other Teen Titans material, like Teen Titans: Damian Knows Best, put these on your TBR.

DC has graciously shared some examples of the interior artwork for you to enjoy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: How to Live on the Edge by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

REVIEW: How to Live on the Edge by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Cayenne and Saffron lost their mother 14 years ago when they were 4 and 3 respectively. Since then, they’ve lived with their Aunt Tina and her family. Cayenne is about to finish high school, but she has no plans beyond that. It’s hard to be excited about your future when you know you are going to die early like every other woman in your family.

Cayenne and her boyfriend are adrenaline junkies, train jumping and cliff diving for thrills. Cayenne especially is looking for ways to feel “alive.” In her grief, she has even imagined a personification of death who feels like she is always lurking, coming for Cayenne one of these days.

Cayenne’s mom left some videos for the sisters to watch together before Cayenne graduates as a way for them to know her and for her to communicate some things to them as they become adults. Cayenne initially wants no part of them.

But when the girls’ aunt announces she has the BRCA gene and plans to have a preventative mastectomy, Cayenne is forced to face her fears about the family “curse” and the potential fate of the women she loves most.

Review

This is a realistic look at how people might respond to the weight of cancer risk. Cayenne believes the family history means she is going to die anyway, so she takes tremendous risks like she is daring Death. Saffron’s loss has left her afraid of losing someone else. And Aunt Tina is willing to do whatever it takes to reduce her risks in order to have as many healthy years with her family as possible. All of this felt realistic, and it all wove together so well.

Cayenne is the point-of-view character, so she’s the one we get to see grow the most. And her arc is tremendously satisfying. But the videos from their mom and their aunt’s genetic risk impact both of the girls over the course of the book. While Cayenne’s story is more dramatic, I preferred Saffron’s. I connected more with her character and her ways of coping. But the whole book is really well done.

I highly recommend this one for readers who want an emotional punch in their stories as well as readers who want to explore a story with a medical risk like cancer or grief and loss issues. This is a well-crafted story with tons to think about! (References to sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – Great!

 

REVIEW: The Game by Linsey Miller

REVIEW: The Game by Linsey Miller

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

In the spring, the thoughts of the seniors at Lincoln High turn to college acceptance letters – and murder.

Well, not actual murder. Just to the annual game of Assassins. Armed with water guns, the teens of Lincoln track their peers with the hope of being the last one standing.

Lia Prince is counting on Assassins to be her claim to fame. Always in her older brother’s shadow, Lia is determined to make her name here. She’s been observing her classmates’ schedules for months, planning her strategy for this moment.

But when one of the players dies in an accident, the Assassin game is in jeopardy. When a second dies, and NOT in an accident, it’s clear something more than some good clean fun is going on in Lincoln.

Review

I knew this was billed as a mashup of Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders (which I know of but haven’t read) and Riverdale (which I’ve never seen). But I didn’t expect the tie-ins to the Christie mystery to be as clear as they were, starting with even the email address for the Council that is running the game. It was a clever set up for Christie, and it’s still a clever set up here. Those who aren’t familiar with the original mystery will probably catch on to the scheme quickly.

I enjoyed the suspense of this and the idea of a harmless game that turns deadly. The suspense and the stakes bring to mind books like #Murder Trending (♥♥♥♥) and thrillers by Karen McManus (One of Us is Lying – ♥♥♥♥, Two Can Keep a Secret). This one wasn’t as well executed as those, but there were some good moments.

The emotional beats to this didn’t click for me. I didn’t care for Lia or any of the other main characters. I also didn’t lock into Lia’s obsession over this game. She explained it several times in the book, but I wasn’t emotionally hooked into her rationales. She was pretty over-the-top in her preparation and her compulsion to put herself in danger for the sake of this game. I didn’t feel like the case for her drive was as clearly made as it could have been. I felt like her reputation as a puzzle person was more told rather than shown, and this skill/gift of hers wasn’t really reflected in the story.

Fans of thrillers, fans of The ABC Murders, and those intrigued by the premise of this one should consider it. If you are new to the genre, this might be a nice starting spot. A weird, mysterious ending could indicate that there is a sequel planned, which I know will make fans of this story excited to see what is next for Lia and her friends. (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥½*

*I have a new rating system. ♥♥½ is “Mostly solid to solid. May have some issues.”

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

At 16, Poe Dameron wants nothing more than to be a pilot, find some adventure, and leave Yavin 4.  And after another huge fight with his dad and crashing his mom’s A-wing, the only thing he really had left of hers, he is feeling the need to escape his life, and fast.

So when he dances with a girl at a bar, and she says her friends need a pilot, he’s intrigued. When she says they are “smugglers,” he hesitates, but decides the gig meets his three wants perfectly. But by the time he finds out they are infamous spice runners, he’s in too far to get out.

Review

This book is designed to fill in some backstory tied to the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Poe Dameron has a hidden history as a spice runner that comes as a shock to his Resistance friends. This book tells that secret story.

I liked the set up. A teen longing to start his “real” life is a perfect protagonist for a YA novel. The author does a great job early on with Poe’s mixed feelings about his new “friends” and the choices they make in the course of their work. He sticks with them in part because he feels trapped by the choices he’s already made. But he also stays because of a girl. Just when he thinks he understands her, and what the Spice Runners of Kijimi are up to, the stakes are raised.

The potential romance here is pretty light. The book also includes typical Star Wars levels of violence. And because the spice runners are villains/scoundrels of a sort, there’s plenty of questionable ethics and choices for Poe to wrestle with. He’s also wrestling with his legacy as a child of two Resistance fighters, especially considering what he does with his new crew.

There’s a ton of potential here, but it never really clicked for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in a strong way. This might be a function of the fact that they are “bad guys” in the larger Star Wars universe. It felt like Poe’s relationship with his dad had a bit of a Prodigal Son vibe to it. I enjoyed that part of the book, but it was only a small part of the story. I stuck with the book because I did want to see what finally pushes Poe toward the Resistance. And now I know. Yet I don’t feel like that knowledge really changes my understanding of the characters from the movie, which would have been a nice layer to the storytelling.

Big Star Wars fans and Poe Dameron fans might enjoy this, especially if you have been wondering for the last 8 months what the backstory is. If you are looking for a rich, character-focused story from the Star Wars universe, your mileage may vary with this one. You can read some of my other reviews of Star Wars books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥