The Teen’s Guide to Social Media by Jonathan McKee

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Thanks to NetGalley and Shiloh Run Press for the opportunity to read and review The Teen’s Guide to Social Media by Jonathan McKee. This helpful guide contains “21 Tips to Wise Posting in an Insecure World”. Each tip is given its own chapter and a clever name, which summarizes the advice. The book opens with a letter of relevant advice to parents and all caring adults that might be feeling overwhelmed with the technology overload and in need of possible rules and guidelines for raising children in a world with constant internet access. This guide reminds us: to keep up our social skills, to check privacy settings, that posting is permanent, of the detrimental effects of pornography, to seek out a mentor, to be accountable, don’t talk to strangers, to take less selfies, don’t become addicted to likes, to know the apps, to reevaluate online time, to find tech-free zones, to friend people you know, to rethink your media, to think before posting, to use kind words, don’t let your driving become distracted, no nude posts, to be truthful, sleep and stay aware.
Questions to ponder and something to think about sections at the close of each chapter/tip and a resource list at the end of the book give readers more to think about and research. 5 stars for this beneficial, relevant guide to online safety!

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

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Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read and review Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer! Two teens that have each lost someone they love begin an ongoing anonymous conversation by adding to a letter left and then found next to a cemetery headstone. The conversation moves to email for convenience and these two strangers help each other grieve. Declan has lost his sister and his father is in prison and no longer part of their family. His mother has married Alan, who isn’t the nicest to Declan. Juliet has lost her journalist mother in a hit and run car accident and she lives with her father. Declan has an amazing best friend, Rev, that’s dealing with his own traumatic past and Juliet’s best friend, Rowan, is supportive and caring. The email relationship remains anonymous and grows deeper and more meaningful as their grief is dealt with together. Letters to the Lost melted my heart with the complicated storyline and endearing, real characters. I love everything about this story, from the caring, helpful teachers to the awkward friends to the dysfunctional family members. All of these components create a beautiful realistic fiction novel worth 5 stars!

The Precious Dreadful by Steven Parlato

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Precious Dreadful by Steven Parlato. Teddi’s summer vacation begins with a few options. She decides to spend time with Summerteens, the local library’s summer writing workshop. Before the workshop kicks off, Teddi has had a spooky encounter, a kiss and an argument with her single, downtrodden mother. I fell in love with The Precious Dreadful, Teddi’s personality and boldness and the variety of characters it holds in its pages! The more I read, the deeper the story took me. Teddi has pretty much raised herself since her mother, Brenda, tends to be drunk and partying with her friends instead of being available and sober for her daughter. Brenda is also keeping secrets from Teddi and has tried to, in her own dysfunctional way, protect her role as a mother. As Teddi’s summer rolls on, relationships become more complicated and drama-ridden and her subconscious is forcing her to remember a traumatic and horrible part of her childhood. The Precious Dreadful bends genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, romance and young adult realistic fiction; this book also pulls at your heartstrings through intense tragedy, awareness of bad choices and the bond of friendship and kindness of others and it’s well deserving of 5 stars!

Risen by Cole Gibsen

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Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Risen by Cole Gibsen! Charlie lives with her Aunt Rachel in a secluded wood in a three-room, rundown cabin. All Charlie wants to do is escape from the boredom and limited stimulation of seeing and doing the same things everyday. She gets what she wants, a change, but not in the way she was thinking of. Charlie’s world is turned upside down when dangerous visitors break into the cabin and kidnap Aunt Rachel. The strangers are vampires and one of them, Sebastian, stays behind with Charlie, deciding to help her find her Aunt Rachel. Questions surrounding Charlie’s parents open up a mystery that twists and turns until Sebastian even seems to be involved somehow. As they run from danger and try to rescue Aunt Rachel, Charlie and Sebastian encounter violent vampires and a clan of vampires that have made a peaceful community with humans. Charlie and Sebastian are innately protective of each other and they finally make it to a safe house. The abrupt ending surprised me and I was disappointed but I’m sure there’s a sequel in the future. The bonus content shows Sebastian’s point of view during the opening of the story. 4 stars for this supernatural mystery and the endearing characters!

About Risen:

Fans of Vampire Diaries and Twilight will be thirsting for this latest vampire addiction…

My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe.

Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.

But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.

 

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/risen.html

About Cole Gibsen:
Growing up, Cole Gibsen couldn’t decide what she loved more—dogs or books. Rather than choose, she decided to devote her life to both! Dog trainer (wrangler) by day and author by night, she’s the author of more than ten books with more on the way. www.colegibsen.com

Author Links:

Author Website: http://www.ColeGibsen.com

Author Twitter: Twitter.com/colegibsen

Author Facebook: Facebook.com/colegibsen

Author Goodreads: goodreads.com/colegibsen

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colegibsen/

Blog Tour Link (If you use a WordPress hosted site):

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Excerpt from Risen:

“Don’t say it like that, Charlie. I wanted to protect you.” She tugs on the edge of my cardigan, pulling me toward her. “I love you. You’re the most important thing in my life, do you understand?”

There’s a desperation in her eyes that tightens my throat. Swallowing hard, I nod.

She lets go of me with a sigh. “Maybe I took it too far.” She sweeps her dreadlocks over her shoulder and twists them tightly. “All I’ve ever wanted was to keep you safe.”

Safe. The world spirals, cold and slippery, down my spine. “What are you so afraid of?”

She opens her mouth only to shut it again.

Jax growls.

We turn as he claws at the door.

“The only thing there is to be afraid of,” she whispers. “The monsters.”

Blog Tour Giveaway Widget:

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Hunger by Donna Jo Napoli

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Jo Napoli. This historical fiction tale of the year follows the aftermath of the potato blight in Ireland, 1846-1847. Once again the potato crops aren’t doing well and people are contemplating leaving Ireland for a more hopeful and prosperous land. The sentence describing the people’s worries about traveling to other countries, where guns are needed to fight off criminals, and how they were so shocked by this idea was an eye-opener. How times have changed. The story takes us through how tenants rebel against the landlords and how people die from starvation, injuries from fighting and also sickness. The postscript states the fictional and true parts of this story and recalls the horribly high death toll because of the potato blight and how the suffering continued for several years. The author’s note explains the reasons for the blight and the timeline of Ireland to the famine’s end starting at prehistoric times up to 1851. I appreciate the author taking the time for extensive research into Ireland and its history and for describing what the Irish people went through when their crops were devastated. 4 stars!

Time Bomb by Joelle Charbonneau

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Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Time Bomb by Joelle Charbonneau. Six disgruntled, unhappy students are each planning something that will change their lives and help them to be free from their problems. Each of the teenagers are dealing with different types of problems, secrets, religion, being an orphan, bullying and pressure from peers and family, but they end up together inside the school after a bomb explodes. They help each other but with the air of distrust between them. Finally, they discover who’s responsible for the bombings and they struggle for their lives. Intense with an interesting array of characters and relevant subject matter-5 stars!

Plum Dandi Knits

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Thanks to NetGalley and Interweave for the opportunity to read and review Plum Dandi Knits by Alicia Plummer. Not for beginning knitters, but full of a wide variety of projects awaiting knitting needles and a knitter for their creation. Lists of needed supplies and knitting instructions for each project, as well as photographs, give helpful directions. From leg warmers to hats and scarves to socks and more, this book will inspire knitters, 5 stars!

Rogue Crystal by Jordan Elizabeth

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Rogue Crystal by Jordan Elizabeth opens with a Scaryan lullaby that tells a tale of a crystal that brought destruction only because of the greedy king’s hunt to find it. The story covers generations of people who protect and hide the crystal at all costs; a crystal that can end the universe and start a new one. Avery visits her cousin at an archeological dig and ends up with a strange ring on her finger after she picks up a sword and then that sword disappears. Eventually, she realizes that the sword was the hidden crystal and it changed shape to remain hidden. Avery also learns that she’s a descendant of a line of crystal protectors and that’s why the ring changed for her. Now she’s on the run from those who want to use the crystal to destroy and restart the universe. A creative storyline with interesting and entertaining characters make Rogue Crystal a must-read sci-fi! 5 stars!

Freefall by Joshua David Berlin

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Freefall by Joshua David Bellin. Seventeen-year-old Cameron wakes from a thousand year deepsleep in the year 3151. The destination of Cameron and almost a million other people is the Earth-analog planet Tau Ceti e. The story alternates between 3151 and the year before people were put into deepsleep, 2150. The mystery surrounding the girl with the golden eyes pulled me into the book. The past eventually catches up to when the deepsleep begins and the story stays on Earth Year 3151. This story is a mix of science fiction, dystopian and mystery and it’s filled with suspense, strange creatures and twists. 5 stars!

Witchtown by Cory Putnam Oakes

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Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Witchtown by Cory Putman Oakes which includes a map of Witchtown and the history of Witchtown’s origins. The story begins with introducing a mother and daughter who want to live in Witchtown and their purpose is to rob the town. Aubra, the mother, is also a Natural, which means she was born with her powers. The daughter, Macie, is a Void and doesn’t have powers. Macie is very cynical because of all the moving they have done and her mother is selfish and mean-spirited and she doesn’t care about what’s good for Macie. Anytime Macie makes friends her mother becomes angry and every time they move, Aubra erases the memories of the people that knew them. The longer Macie stays in Witchtown, the more she realizes that her mother is hiding secrets from her. The story is full of suspense and twists! 5 stars for an entertaining supernatural read!