The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

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Unique and intriguing mystery in this YA fantasy!

Ana is a Fantasist living in the Kingdom with seven of her princess sisters. The Fantasists’ jobs are to blend into the Kingdom park, please the guests and do as they’re instructed. Their purpose is to make dreams come true. When Nia tries to drown a child, the sisters are scrutinized and evaluated and Ana becomes heartbroken but adamant to understand what happened to make sweet Nia commit such a horrible act. When Eve, the first sister, disappears, the park becomes strict and Ana becomes scared. Ana has found a friend in a maintenance worker, Owen, and he seems to be understanding of Ana’s confusion and wants to help, but Owen has a secret of his own.

Likes/dislikes: Snippets of wisdom can be found throughout the book, such as, “Neutral is best. Neutral is safe.” I thought the book would be a fluff story and I’m pleased with how much more interesting it turned out to be than I expected! I enjoyed the alternating timelines and how they revealed the mystery.
Mature Content: G for innocent kiss.
Language: PG for 9 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Excellent telling of the Titanic tragedy!

Hazel is traveling to New York to work at a garment factory with her aunt. Her mother is sending her there to help earn money for the family. She’s in awe of the decadence and size of the Titanic and she has many questions that she wants to answer, so she can write about the ship when she arrives at her destination. Hazel dreams of becoming a journalist and the more she learns about the Titanic, the more questions she has. She makes friends, learns about her own priorities and also discovers a theft in progress.

Likes/dislikes: Excellent Titanic story. I enjoyed the insight into life and social classes of 1912. The book departs many wise anecdotes throughout the telling of the story. Hazel has a lot of curiosity and asks intelligent, interesting and helpful questions. The mystery and suspense make the book even better.
Mature content: G
Language: G for no swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG for bullying.
Ethnicity: mixed.

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza

Posted on by lynndellwatson

It takes a community!

Brett lives in Tucson with his best friend, Reed, since his adoptive mother became terminally ill. He’s trying to hide the fact that he has an eating disorder and that he has begun to purge after eating. Despite Brett’s best efforts, Reed figures out what he’s doing and tries to intervene. Somehow Brett’s secret gets posted on social media and he’s horribly embarrassed. Many classmates approach him to let him know they’re dealing with issues too and he might be able to handle it better knowing he’s not alone.

Likes/dislikes: Intelligent and inspiring quotes given from side characters. The adults in Brett’s life gave him great advice/therapy. Too much swearing detracts from the story. The book is overly focused on being progressive and “woke” and it became tiresome because it also takes away from the story. Wonderfully helpful resources at the end of the book for people dealing with food and/or body issues.
Mature content: PG-13 for underage drinking, mention of self-pleasure, mention of drug use.
Language: R for 214 swears and 72 f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: Brett is Mexican American. Most of the characters are white but some have brown skin.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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“Ghosts have warm hands.” World War I historical fiction!

Laura receives her brother’s dog tags and uniform in the mail. This means that Freddie has died in World War I. She’s devastated but has a feeling that he isn’t dead. She leaves her Canadian home and travels back to World War I and takes up her mantle as a war nurse again to search for any information she can find about Freddie. What she discovers will change her life forever.

Likes/dislikes: Laura’s strength, perseverance, and love for her brother makes her a great character. My heart warmed as Freddie and the German soldier helped each other and became like brothers. I appreciated the World War I setting and learned quite a bit about its history. I didn’t know about the Halifax explosion before I read this book.
Language: R for 93 swears and 3 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for adults drinking.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers

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Second chances…

Natalia and Ethan are getting ready for the senior sunrise event that welcomes the class back to their last year of high school. They’re both dealing with family issues and their confusing almost-hookup after Junior Prom. The two have always been best friends; it possibly turned into something more, but neither Ethan or Natalia are willing to talk to each other about it at all. When each senior writes a letter that’s meant for their eyes only and the letters accidentally get loose, secrets start coming out about classmates. The chaos will make or break Natalia’s and Ethan’s chances to build a relationship.

Likes/dislikes: I like the romance in the story. I had fun getting to know Natalia and Ethan. A fun, sweet story.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex, off page.
Language: R for 169 swears and 51 f-words.
Violence: PG for fight.
Ethnicity: mostly white with Latina main character.

Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

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Love who you are, even when you make mistakes.

18yo Blake is poor compared to her rich friends and she works at a country club full of entitled people. Blake wants to fit in more than anything and she realizes that she relaxes when she drinks. Alcohol becomes Blake’s crutch in all social situations because she believes that she’s worthless which stems from years of bullying. Blake’s girlfriend Ella ensures her that her drinking isn’t a problem but when their best friend Annetta and Blake’s brother keep trying to help her stop her drinking because of the consequences she’s dealing with, Blake gets angry. Blake spirals into alcoholism and she’s faced with some very tough choices.

Likes/dislikes: Strong character development. Realistic fiction that packs a punch. I appreciated how the author portrayed Blake, her problems, and her family in such a true manner.
Mature Content: R for on page sex.
Language: R for 165 swears and 79 f-words.
Violence: PG for vandalism.
Ethnicity: mostly white with a mix of Blacks, biracial, and Filipino characters.

Royal Scandal by Aimee Carter

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Just as good as Royal Blood; the first book of the series!

18yo Evan is in the United Kingdom with her family, royal and not royal. She’s recovering from the assault by Jasper and has great support from her boyfriend Kit and her family. Evan is starting to feel more at ease with her royal surroundings until a shooter misses her and hits Kit as he protects her. Evan receives secret anonymous threats and she starts to hear voices that are threatening her also. Her mother has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and she’s worried she’s hallucinating since no one else sees or hears the threats. Each day the threats and danger build until Evan is terrified she will lose her life and the people she loves.

Likes/dislikes: I love Evan and Kit and their relationship. The royal premise adds heightened intrigue to the mystery. This second book of the series is just as good as the first.
Mature Content: G for holding hands and hugging.
Language: R for 41 swears and 0 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is predominantly white.

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

Posted on by lynndellwatson

I highly recommend this mystery for young adults!

16yo Paige and 16yo Audrey are summertime best friends. Paige is looking forward to seeing Audrey and 18yo Dylan, Paige’s long time crush, this summer when they all arrive at Clearwater Ridge. Audrey starts off the summer by talking about jobs and her goal to save enough money to buy her own horse, since she’s always wanted one and spends so much time at the equestrian club. Since Audrey is busy and growing distant, Paige and Dylan get to spend more time together. One summer night, Audrey never returns home and she becomes a missing person case and a year later there’s still no evidence or help in finding her. Dylan and Paige take it upon themselves to find Audrey and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Likes/dislikes:
Mature Content: PG-13 for underage drinking.
Language: R for 61 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death and abuse.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.

Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

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Teenagehood dealt with humor and love.

15yo Kat wants to become a feminist but constantly struggles with the frustrations of teenage life. She deals with these struggles with the help of her three best friends and her loving and understanding parents. Kat wants to embrace maturity and she does her best despite bullies and boy problems. Humor helps her with her frustrations. Her parents help her with the anxiety she tries to hide.

Likes/dislikes: This book is humorous. Encompasses dramatic nature of teenage hood and the stress of life that feels overwhelming at that age. Contains good messages and awareness of mental health.
Language: R for 110 swears and 14 f-words.
Mature content: PG for implied sex on page, self-pleasuring.
Violence: PG for bullying.
Ethnicity: Black and white

A Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A spooky mystery!

Wil and Ed have been best friends for as long as they can remember. They enjoy spending time together more than with anyone else and their feelings are growing stronger towards each other. Wil is known for her close connection with death and being able to see when someone will be dying soon. When mysterious and suspicious deaths happen at Ed’s manor, he asks Wil to help. The two soon discover that they are in way over their heads.

Likes/dislikes: The prose is beautiful. Wil and Ed are wonderful characters and I grew to love them both. The mystery surrounding them pulled me into the story and created intense suspense. The hauntings added a creepy vibe that gave another dimension to the story.
Language: PG-13 for 19 swears, no f-words.
Mature Content: PG for passionate kissing.
Violence: PG-13 for deaths and bullying.
Ethnicity: falls to white. Ebony skinned maid and a terra cotta skinned laborer.