Tag: clean books for teens

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Double Down by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Double Down by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and the other teens at the Daily Planet’s “Scoop” are back. Maddy’s twin sister is having weird out-of-body kinds of feelings. They seem to be related to a scientific study she participated in  two years ago for some extra money. The scientist there had told her to let him know if she had any issues. But the lab where she did the experiment has disappeared.

At the same time, James’ dad is home from prison. He’s supposed to be monitored at his home, but he was seen at City Hall during an incident. How could he be in two places at once? Lois’ nose for news tells her there’s more going on with the ex-mayor than anyone realizes.

As if that wasn’t enough, Strange Skies, the online “strange occurrences” message board where Lois met SmallvilleGuy has been infiltrated. Someone says they can guarantee sightings of the flying man who once saved Lois and her dad.

Lois, SmallvilleGuy and the rest of the teens will have to figure out who they can trust if there’s any chance of saving Maddy’s sister, James’ dad and Strange Skies!

 

Review

GREAT mystery/adventure story! Just as good as Fall Out. Lois is such a smart, tough and brave character. I loved seeing her new friendships grow in this book. Devin had a smaller role in this story, but I’m hoping to see more of him in book three. The SmallvilleGuy piece is a fun thread throughout the series, but he’s still a somewhat mysterious factor in Lois’ life.

There are three main mysteries/plots in play during the book and each one is strong. They differ in scale and level of danger, but each one fits perfectly into the larger whole. There are references to the mystery in the first book in the series, but I think a reader could start with this book and still be able to piece together what’s going on. Some of the interpersonal issues might be confusing at the beginning, though.

The author does a great job of keeping the reader aware that these are teenagers. Lois has an interesting relationship with her school principal. She tries to maintain a positive relationship with her little sister. She works to walk the line between pursing her stories and staying on the right side of her parents and her curfew. Her editor treats her with respect, but also as a teen, still learning and still responsible to her parents.

Book three is out now, Triple Threat. It is definitely on my TBR list!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape by Ron McGee

REVIEW: Ryan Quinn and the Rebel’s Escape by Ron McGee

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ryan Quinn has grown up all over the world. Now that he’s an 8th grader, his family is living in New York City, and Ryan has a chance at a normal life.

The first clue that his life is anything but normal comes when Ryan notices a guy following him through the city. The next comes when the CIA visits his mom’s store, looking for his dad, who is supposed to be on a business trip. When he sees his mom dragged off by a kidnapper, any illusion that his life is normal is gone for good.

Ryan will need the help of his best friend the tech genius and a mysterious young woman if he’s going to have any chance of finding his dad or saving his mom. Ryan’s been surrounded by secrets and lies all his life – and some of the biggest ones may still be yet to come.

Review

A fun teen spy adventure! Think Alex Rider or young James Bond. Ryan has skills he never realized were for the secret life his parents were leading. He lets concern for his family drive him to do things no normal teen would do. And he brings some new friends along for the ride.

You have to suspend disbelief a little to enjoy this. I know a lot of 8th graders. Not one would know what to do in half the situations Ryan encounters. But it doesn’t matter. He’s an endearing kid with fun friends and a compelling mission. I was happy to go along for the ride.

Major cliffhangers at the end set up book 2, Ryan Quinn and the Lion’s Claw, which will release this fall.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and her family have moved to Metropolis. Her dad hopes a more permanent post might give Lois some stability. And it is Lois’ intention to stay out of trouble at her new school. For once.

But that commitment to keep her head down and do what her dad expects goes right out the window when Lois sees a student being bullied. The principal ignores it. Actually says bullying helps toughen kids up and makes them prepared for the real world.

So Lois uses her job as a student reporter for the Daily Planet’s teen online newspaper to report what she’s seeing and hearing. Before long, everything blows up in her face – she’s grounded and threatened with military school, her friend has been sucked in by the bullies, and another friend is in danger.

If the powers that be think a little turmoil is going to get Lois Lane to back down, they really don’t understand her at all!

Review

Such a FUN take on the Lois Lane/Superman story! In this case, they are teens and only know each other online. Lois has no idea who SmallvilleGuy really is but the reader gets to enjoy little nods to the Clark Kent/Superman character.

Lois is fantastic. She’s like some of my favorite teen characters – Tess from The Fixer or Lizzie from Gini Koch’s Alien series. She has no tolerance for bullies or injustice. She’s willing to deal with the personal consequences of doing the right thing. The cast around her is great. I can’t wait to read book 2 and get to know them better.

The mystery is good. It’s bullying on the surface but much more underneath. There’s a supernatural/X-files-ish tone to it that was interesting and unexpected. The ending is satisfying but several loose ends remain which may come into play in future stories.

Great mystery. Smart, strong characters. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Book 2 is Double Down. Book 3 is Triple Threat.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Embassy Row series by Ally Carter

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The final book of the Embassy Row series released in December 2016. Here is a summary of all the books in the series.

Book 1 – All Fall Down: Grace arrives at the US Embassy in the country of Adria feeling uncertain and out of place. She’s sure that everyone feels sorry for her, either because her mother is dead or because she is “crazy.” She knows what she saw, though. She knows there was a scarred man there the night her mother died. And she knows she’s seen that same man in Adria!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Book 2 – See How They Run: Reeling from the revelations of All Fall Down, Grace learns more history of Adria as she tries to protect her secrets and her friends, as well as find a killer. But the revelations of book two are just as stunning as book one! I’d love to say more but I don’t want to spoil anything!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Book 3 – Take the Key and Lock Her Up: Grace is on the run, but the powers that be will not let her stay in hiding. She knows she will have to find secrets long buried – or compromise everything and everyone she cares about – if she wants to survive.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Review

This is a great series! I feel like the series improved as it went on. Book one pushes the reader to decide what to think – and what to believe – when it comes to Grace and her past. And Grace can be hard to like at times because you just aren’t sure what to believe. Hang with the story because it is worth it.  Book two broadens the scope, showing Grace’s history in a larger context. This also makes the deeper mysteries more important. Book three puts all the pieces together and runs headlong into the final conflict. A lot happens in this book and the pace is pretty frantic. Take the Key and Lock Her Up is my favorite of the three books.

This is terrific, clean YA – lots of suspense and intrigue with mild romance. I highly recommend it!

 

REVIEW: Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The Gallagher Academy looks like just another boarding school for pampered princesses, but behind the walls, the girls are training to be spies. Cammie, Bex, Liza and Macey may seem like normal teenage girls, but they are trained for covert ops, breaking codes and sneaking in and out without a trace. They may just be students at the start of the series, but the missions and danger becomes more personal as the series comes to a conclusion.

Gallagher Girls, Book 1
Gallagher Girls Series, Book 1

Review

I decided to review this as a series because it’s been out for awhile. The series has received updated covers (pictured here) for the 10th anniversary.  You can see the covers for books 2-6 at the bottom of this post.  I read all 6 books (plus three short stories) in just under a week; I had to know how it all worked out!

The first book hooked me with how often it made me laugh out loud. I fell in love with the characters, especially the four core girls. Their relationships have realistic ups and downs, but in the end they will always have the others’ backs. The later books grabbed me as the mystery amped up with twists, turns and tension. This is the kind of series where you start to question every character – is this a good guy or a bad guy?

This is a great bridge series for kids who are still enjoying middle grade books but also are ready to stretch into teen material. There’s no language and the romance is limited to crushes and kissing. This is often labeled “clean teen” or “clean YA.” The story is strong and the characters are fantastic. If there were more books in this series, I would read them immediately!

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

 

Gallagher Girls Series, Books 2-6