The Wolves are Watching by Natalie Lund

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Mystery and folklore!

Mystery and folklore!
Luce’s cousin goes missing from her room one evening and it’s devastating her family. Luce, 15, had seen yellow eyes in the woods behind her house in Picnic, Illinois for a few nights before her cousin Madison went missing and she thinks the eyes might be a clue to finding her. Luce’s and Anders’ teacher assigns a historical research paper and Luce chooses to research the local history of missing girls. A girl has gone missing every nineteen years and she returns a few days later but the mother always claims that the returning girl is not her daughter. When Madison returns, her mother and Luce know that it’s not really her and she’s determined to find the real Madison despite the dangers it puts Luce in.

Likes/dislikes: The story started out simplistically but grew with more depth. I like the paranormal mystery behind the missing girls. Andres is an endearing character. I appreciate the message of independence and the message that you also need others in your life.
Mature content: PG for a gentle kiss and a brief kiss.
Language: R for 17 swears and 1 f-bomb.
Violence: PG-13 for child abduction.
Ethnicity: Predominantly white.

Rise of the Kelpies by Shonna Slayton

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Fantasy full of mystery!

Set in a fantasy world full of Scottish folklore, the kingdom of Glenmoor is searching for the lost prince and princess. Farrah is part of a group that has safely hidden and helped Tavish so that he can soon take his place as the rightful king but he never makes it; his body is found and rumors abound that a kelpie may have taken his life. Prince Tavish has been hidden for his entire life after he and his sister, the princess, went missing when they were very young. Now, a person claiming to be the lost prince has arrived at the castle and is calling for his sister to also return. Every village sends princess hopefuls to the castle to go through testing. Farrah accompanies a group traveling to the castle to protect those she’s with; her job is to pretend to be the princess and take the danger upon herself therefore protecting the other young women. The trip to the castle is just the beginning of the danger and deceptions are uncovered the further Farrah investigates. A great start to a new series! 4 stars!

Likes/dislikes:
The slow start kept me from getting into the book quickly but it soon picked up and became interesting. I like the author’s writing style and the character development. I enjoyed the mystery.
Mature content: none
Violence: PG for attack from kelpies, not detailed.
Language: G – no swears or f-bombs

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Korean folklore!
Thanks to Bookish First for the ARC of Wicked Fox by Kat Cho!
The two main characters meet when Miyoung saves Jihoon’s life from a goblin and Jihoon sees Miyoung’s true form. The next day, Miyoung shows up at Jihoon’s school as a transfer student and, little by little, she reluctantly becomes his friend and then their relationship turns into something more. Yena, Miyoung’s mother seems cruel and uncaring to her and she forces her to move often so they don’t make ties with anyone. The self-denigrating behavior from Jihoon and Miyoung became a little tiresome. I was also confused by the many different names that the characters were each called. The differences became cumbersome to remember. I’m sure if I was better acquainted with Korean culture and folklore, it would be easier for me. There’s a good deal of character development in a few of the characters and we learn some secrets about Yena’s background which are very interesting. 4 stars for this first book in the Gumiho series!