The House No One Sees by Adina King

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Emotionally cleansing!

Penny relives her childhood when her mother calls her. She leaves her friends without telling them where she’s going. When Penny arrives at her mother’s place and finds her overdosed, she’s thrown back to when her mother was a good parent, before her accident and the opioid addiction that followed. Penny remembers the teasing from classmates when she didn’t have clean clothes or a decent lunch from home. She remembers being taken from her mother and living with her loving grandparents and seeing them giving her mother a chance to do better. Penny’s mother didn’t kick the addiction; it took over her life and Penny’s. Penny learned that she has a light inside that has helped her throughout her life and she meets a kind teen boy and makes good friends. She’s finally seen.

Likes/dislikes: Emotionally cleansing. Hotlines for help of many kinds at the end of the book. Words of affirmation, hope and encouragement.
Mature content: PG for mother using drugs.
Language: R for 53 swears, 21 f-words.
Violence: PG for death by drug overdose.
Ethnicity: White and brown skin mentioned.

This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

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Updated cover!

Ramona and Sam created the band, April and Rain. Tom soon joins them. They each live their own unassuming lives and just want to enjoy their music. The three friends bond and learn from each other as they get through high school, meet their goals and make their future plans. Not everyone understands them but they understand each other and are true friends unconditionally.

Likes/dislikes: The author shows an authentic portrayal of dyslexia. The high school band and unconditional best friends are refreshing. The tidbits of wisdom from Ramona are helpful to her friends.
Mature Content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 25 swears and 7 f-words.
Violence: Pg for bullying.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A monster hurricane changes the world!

Nonie lives in the American Museum of Natural History in New York because of the immense hurricane and other intense storms that have swept over the world. When a huge flood hits the museum, Nonie leaves with her sister Bix, their father and their family friend Keller. They are heading to their Aunt Clare’s house. On the way, they fight nature as the storms increase in strength, the wild and unknown. They try to stop for rest from the river and shelter from the rain but meet Lost, two men that only seem to want to harm. Father gets shot, Bix also gets shot and Keller gets pneumonia from jumping into the dirty river to rescue their boat from the strong currents. Will any of them survive?

Likes/dislikes: The story has an interesting premise and dystopian plot. The author made the main characters flawed and relatable. I like that the story was carried on by hope, even when everything seemed lost.
Mature content: G for kissing.
Language: PG-13 for 13 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

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Social media stunt turns deadly!

I couldn’t put the book down!

Adele enters an online live adult hide and seek competition. The winner receives one million dollars and she can really use it for her family after her husband left them when he embezzled funds and ran away. Her son Blake and daughter Violet support Adele completely and want her to be safe and win too. The game site is a decrepit, condemned hotel on an island and all seems fine until the game begins and a storm heads their way!

The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Reality can be harsh…

Bella is fifteen and she tells herself she needs alcohol to handle her arguing, demanding parents, school stress and her recent breakup. Her friends see her going downhill and her best friend Amber tries everything she can think of to help Bella. Bella has a job, works hard in school and helps her parents with pretty much everything and the breakup has pushed her over the edge. She tells herself that she just needs this drink to get through the day but one drink ends up being many and when Bella is dropped off and left for dead (overdosed) at 2 AM by people she was at a party with, the addiction comes out in the open. The nurse tells her she’s damaged her liver and that she fell on her porch cracking her cheekbone. Bella is in pain, on an IV and being prepared for rehab. She has a struggle ahead of her and she has to deal with it on her own.

Likes/dislikes: The author’s note and resources, at the end of the book, are insightful and helpful. This story helped me to understand what addicts go through, especially when they’re truly trying to recover and make a better life for themselves. I grew to love Bella and my heart broke for her and opened up to her as the story was told. Other characters’ experiences broadened the scope of addiction and included how their caregivers treated them which helped Bella realize that she can ask for help because we can’t get through struggles all alone. She also learned that she has to protect herself because no one else will be there to do it for her, as we all need to know.
Mature content: PG-13 for drug use and underage drinking.
Language: R for 190 swears and 28 f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

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.

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.

Right Here, Right Now by Shannon Dunlap

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Alternate universe storyline is food for thought!

Anna and Elise have been friends since they were very young. Now in high school, Elise annoys Anna because of her carelessness while Anna struggles to work hard to become a violinist. Liam is Elise’s cousin and this is the story that takes place in alternate universes involving these three young adults. Elise’s decision of whether or not to pass a vehicle in a sketchy situation splits the story into two parts; one where Elise lives and one where she doesn’t. Within these two universes, Liam and Anna deal with their grief over losing Elise or try to navigate life with Elise. The struggles of growing up and day to day life are portrayed well and with realistic developments; this story is food for thought.

Likes/dislikes: The alternate universe storyline stretched my brain and I enjoyed having to reset every chapter change before I could start reading with focus. Anna is a strong character. The character development is done well.
Mature content: PG-13 for drugs and smoking.
Language: R for 52 swears and 17 f-words.
Violence: PG for death.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

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 One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy

Posted on by lynndellwatson

I could not put this book down!

Lauren just moved to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania to get away from the horrible experience she had during her junior year in California and will be starting her senior year in high school soon. She’s seeing Robbie secretly and uses their time together to escape the guilt of harming her ex-boyfriend in California and disfiguring him permanently. When school starts up, Lauren learns about Robbie’s past and she becomes afraid of him. Robbie and his brother Trevor are both suspected of killing their girlfriends. The more Lauren learns about the murders, the more danger she gets pulled into!

Likes/dislikes: I could not put the book down! It was so interesting and the suspense continued to build as I read the story. Two mysteries, with a third added in, made the book intense.
Mature content: R for on page sex, repeated underage drinking, smoking, and drugs.
Language: R for 105 swears and 53 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death, mention of murders, arson, and abduction.
Ethnicity: a mix of white, brown and black characters.