That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Clever mystery!
A 17yo young woman wakes up in a ditch and has no idea how she got there. A police officer drives by, sees her, helps her and takes her to the police station where he questions her and realizes that she has lost her memory. She has a flashback of standing by a cluster of postal mailboxes and big hands grabbing her but she remembers nothing else. Soon after, a man arrives asking the police officer for help in finding his missing daughter. Alternately, a community is searching for a missing teenage girl that disappeared while walking home. Could this be the same girl?

Likes/dislikes: The mystery kept me glued to the pages. The characters are an interesting and diverse set of personalities. The mystery unravels cleverly.
Mature content: G
Violence: PG-13 for bloody hitting and bloody death.
Language: R for 156 swears and 83 f-words.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Persephone and Hades retelling!

17yo Corey discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend Bree. This devastates her and she feels like they’ve been laughing at her behind her back the whole time. Corey is so hurt and angry that she wishes Bree would die and soon after, Bree drowns. Now Corey regrets her wish and wants Bree and their friendship back. When Corey thinks she sees Bree and chases after her, she falls into the Underworld and her life is turned inside out.

Likes/dislikes: I didn’t like Ali, the boyfriend, because of his selfishness. The character development is well done. Fantastic world building.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex and underage drinking.
Language: R for 25 swears and 21 f-words.
Violence: PG for hitting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Our Divine Mischief by Hanna Howard

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Cute, romantic fantasy!

In Fuiscea, 17yo Aila wants to participate in the Goddess Trial. She wants to discover her purpose in life and what her occupation will be, according to the gods. Her trial isn’t normal and she doesn’t meet the goddess on the island. Instead she meets an enthusiastic dog that becomes her companion. The two of them head back home to face the community leaders who don’t know what to make of the failed trial. The leaders create challenges for Aila and she must participate in the rest of the trials, together with her dog, and await the verdict of their future.

Likes/dislikes: A sweet, clean romance read. A cute antasy full of perseverance and love. I love that the author uses fun words like squidgy and lolloping.
Mature Content: G
Language: PG for 7 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity is a mix of copper, tanned, white, and black skin.

Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A confusing story about privilege and the effects it has on people’s lives.

18yo Fern is bored with her life until she meets famous Ivy and then her world is turned upside down. Ivy and her rich acquaintances have no interest in right and wrong but only doing what they want, no matter who gets hurt in the process.
Drugs, alcohol, partying, affairs and crazy behavior are what their days are made of. This topsy turvy story shows shallowness, entitlement and lack of shame. It bends reality and makes the reader question everything.

Likes/dislikes: The story is confusing and has some disjointed and choppy writing. The dystopian setting that’s not too far ahead of our time makes it more believable. The characters struggle with themselves and their insecurities, which is relatable, but I didn’t care for them at all, except for Ivy after she explained her past. I was expecting more from this book and ended up disappointed.
Language: R for 58 swears and 22 f-words.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex, drug use, drug abuse, underage drinking and petting.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Tenacity, bravery, and loyalty!
26yo Opal fiercely takes care of Jasper, her teenage brother, and has been his guardian since their mother drowned twelve years ago. Opal is bound and determined to give Jasper a promising future away from Eden, Kentucky. She earns money with part time jobs until she starts cleaning for Arthur Starling, the owner of Starling House. She knows there’s something off about the house but she doesn’t care. Opal just wants to earn money for Jasper to attend private school and Arthur pays nicely, even though the longer she stays there, the more she sees the strange goings on and can’t seem to pull herself away.

Likes/dislikes: I love Opal’s tenacity, bravery, and loyalty to her brother. The I was pulled into the story because of the mystery surrounding Starling House. I like how the author shared the background of the community, characters and Starling House.
Language: R for 172 swears and 63 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex, off page.
Violence: PG-13 for self harm blood sacrifice.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity falls to white Jasper has a brown skin father.

Dawn Breaker by Jodi Meadows

Posted on by lynndellwatson

World devastation!
Reeling from the overwhelming destruction caused by the Malice weapon, Salvation’s residents are trying to save themselves and the injured. They’re searching for survivors and want justice served on those who set the weapon off. Rune is stuck in the rancor king’s domain while the Night Render hunts down the three scattered pieces of the weapon that can take the evil king down. Hanne questions everything she’s ever believed about the “helpful” voice she’s heard since she was a child. If the kingdoms can work together, there might still be hope in surviving the destruction of their world.

Likes/dislikes: The love interest is a bit stilted. The character growth is stronger in this sequel than in the first book of the series. My favorite character is Prince Rune because he’s kind and strong.
Mature Content: PG for kissing.
Language: G for no swears or f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Night Render and Dawn Breaker by Jodi Meadows

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Action and intrigue!

Prince Rune is betrothed to Princess Hanne and as they’re visiting his homeland, she gets trapped in a malsite where no one can see or hear her on the outside of the boundary of this area filled with malice. Rune wakes the Nightrender from her 400-year old slumber to save the princess. The Nightrender is a mythical hero who saves humans from malice and corruption. Rune wants to help the Night Render but his parents fight him about it, so nothing gets accomplished. Meanwhile, Hanne is threatened by an evil creature, a rancor. She must help create a weapon against her kingdom and Rune’s kingdom or she will be destroyed. Hanne wants to save herself and she’ll do anything to stay safe.

Likes/dislikes: The story is of action and intrigue. The Night Render is an awesome mythical character with a single mission. The character development is a little stilted in some parts.
Mature Content: PG for implied sex.
Language: PG for 1 swear and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is light brown skin dominant in Ivasland and white skin dominant in Embria.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Beautiful prose!

18yo Effy loves literature and desperately wants to attend the literature college but has settled for the architectural college where she’s the only female student. Her advisor has taken advantage of her and holds it over her head and now she’s shunned by the other students. She applies for the chance to draw plans for her favorite author’s new home, partly to escape the stigma surrounding her at school and mostly to get the opportunity to meet the late author’s family and see his home where he wrote her favorite works. She’s surprised but thrilled when she’s chosen. When Effy arrives at the manor, she’s shocked at its dilapidated state and the darkness that seems to surround it. She meets Preston, a literature student writing his thesis on the same author, and Ianto, the enigmatic son who runs the manor and wants Effy to quickly draw the blueprints for the updated manor. The mysterious surroundings pull Effy and Preston into dangerous territory and they have to fight for everything they believe in if they’re going to survive.

Likes/dislikes: An absolutely perfect example of magic realism. Effy is a strong character struggling with the lack of rights for women. Preston is a gentleman through and through.
Mature Content: PG-13 for sex with minimal detail
Language: PG-13 for 14 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for sexual harrasment and bullying by classmates.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity is predominantly white. Preston has fawn-colored skin.

Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Worthy of a YA horror movie!

Abby and her high school group of friends are on top of missing or dead persons in their small town of Doubtful. They stick together and help keep each other safe from the serial killer that lurks around their homes. The group has established rules based on a century of missing people and killings. The town residents have learned to always lock their doors and windows, to never be outside at night and to always have someone with them. When Abby’s sister Hope is pulled from her bedroom window one night, Abby and her friends must use everything they’ve learned to stay alive as they search for Hope and discover the terrifying truth.

Likes/dislikes: The book is definitely material worthy of a young adult horror movie. I liked the narrative of secondary characters. I grew to care about the two main characters and appreciated their loyalty.
Language: PG-13 for 10 swears and no f-words.
Mature content: G
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white.