The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A cathartic, healing story!

Living in Sydney, Australia, George, 19yo and white, has learned to be quiet about things that she’s dealing or struggling with. She puts herself last and everyone else first. Eventually she feels like she’s suffocating from everyone else’s problems and thoughts because they’re consuming her and not giving her a chance to take care of herself. She finally confides in her loved ones after things become too difficult and too much for George. As George adjusts to her new perspective, she’ll need her friends and family more than ever.

Likes/dislikes: This is a healing, cathartic story. The author does a wonderful job of explaining the balance between taking care of others and ourselves, if given ourselves a voice, and learning about the perspectives of others. I enjoyed the personalities of George, Calliope, Mel and Gramps.
Language: R for 212 swears and 44 f-words.
Mature Content: PG for kissing, mention of alcoholic parent.
Violence: PG-13 for angry, yelling alcoholic parent which is emotional abuse.
Ethnicity: George is white and Calliope is black.

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Ominous!

Claire has been sent on an enrichment retreat by her parents. She meets Reyva and Mariana who have also been sent to “grow through experiences” at The Lake House summer camp. The three soon discover that nothing is what they expected. The danger builds along with the creepy foreboding. The teens learn that they have to run and hide to save themselves because no one is coming to help.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the whole mystery of the story. I like how ominous the reveal was. The three main characters grew on me.
Mature content: PG for brief kiss, survival struggles such as hunger and dehydration.
Violence: PG-13 for finding a body killed by shooting, being shot at, being held at knife point, suicidal death by gunshot with no details.
Language: PG-13 for 14 swears, no f-words.