The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

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I could not put this book down!

Hazel feels like a loner in her school. She’s placed with Becca and her popular friends for a group homework assignment. They decide to research the local condemned school for troubled teens that closed about thirty years ago when it caught on fire; the school is supposedly haunted. Becca, Amber and Simon play a prank on Hazel and then she falls off a roof and breaks her arm. Before she fell, she heard whispers and followed them out onto the roof. Once Hazel is home, she feels different and notices that she’s acting strangely and doesn’t like the same colors or foods that she did before the visit to the school. She also feels angry all the time. Hazel decides to investigate the history of the school and what she finds shakes her to the core.

Likes/dislikes: I was pulled right into the story and didn’t want to put it down. I love the character development and Hazel’s, Quint’s, and Deidre’s stories. Hazel’s life is hopeful, Quint deals with abuse from his family and Deidre’s life is tragic. I appreciate the content warnings the author put in the front of the book. I enjoyed the added supernatural elements tremendously. The author provides her research notes about the real schools for troubled teens that she based this story on.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 40 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for physical and emotional abuse by parent and at the school for troubled teens. Death
Ethnicity: Hazel is from Puerto Rican and Polish descent, Becca and Quint are white. Amber is half Thai and half white. Simon is half Jewish and half Afro Latino. Varying ethnicities were at the school for troubled teens.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

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Is Armand capable of murder?

Mallory is a tour guide for the haunted House Saphir, the home of Bastien Le Bleu, a man who murdered several of his wives over a century ago. She’s also a con artist, along with her sister Anais, and together they run their family shop of fake magical treasures. During one of her tours, a young man named Armand, claiming to be a descendant of Le Bleu, asks for Mallory’s help in ridding his family mansion of Le Bleu’s evil ghost. Mallory and Anais are barely scraping by, so she happily takes Armand up on his generous offer to pay her for her assistance, thinking it will be easy money. Mallory soon learns that she’s in over her head and she’s put herself and Anais in danger.

Likes/dislikes: The charming banter between Mallory and Armand is a lot of fun. The spooky setting is a perfect backdrop for the storyline. I enjoyed the mystery and the main characters, Mallory, Armand and Anais.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 7 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody violence and bloody death.
Ethnicity: Mixed and the main characters fall to white.

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

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Pure manipulation!

Seven teens are chosen for the opportunity to be taught writing by the famous author Meredith Graffam. They arrive at Moss, not having a clue of what to expect. Meredith Graffam seems to be excited to bestow her knowledge on these young minds. She also seems a bit eccentric. As the term goes on, Meredith expects crazier and more dangerous acts of daredevil behavior from her students and she kicks out the ones she doesn’t want, one at a time, until four are left. Only one student will be chosen at the end of the competition. The four can help each other survive or sacrifice each other to win.

Likes/dislikes: The story contains some profound statements from Arlo, the teenage boy main character. Wonderful writing advice given to the students by the teacher is dropped throughout the story. I was pulled into the mystery and suspense and I was rooting for the students the whole time.

Mature content: PG-13 on-page, vaguely detailed sex and teen drinking
Language: R for 92 swears and 54 f-words
Violence: PG-13 death and bloody violence
Ethnicity: mixed

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle, Book 1 of The City of Fantome series

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Is lightfire legend or truth?

In Fantome, Shade magic rules all. Daggers use Shade to destroy and rule. Cloaks use Shade to protect and steal. When a man kills Sera’s mother and burns down their home, she runs to the only place she’s been told to go if she’s in danger, the Cloaks guild in the city of Fantome. Sera’s mother told her to flee to the Cloaks if anything ever happened to her and she was no longer able to protect Sera. Sera’s sure a Dagger killed her mother and set their house on fire, destroying everything, and she swears to seek revenge. Monsters with unknown origins are taking over Fantome and no one knows where they came from or how to get rid of them. Sera’s mother left her a teardrop charm on a necklace and Sera thinks it’s only a token until it explodes into light and saves her life when a monster corners her. Could her mother’s gift be the answer to all?

Likes/dislikes: The twists are so good! My library patrons will love the enemies to lovers theme, with the charming and cute flirting that goes along with it. I love the mystery behind the whole story. Sera has spunk and perseverance. The interesting legend and backstory are fun to dive into.
Mature Content: PG-13 for petting.
Language: R for 153 swears, 35 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody violence and deaths.
Ethnicity: Sera is white. Sera’s friends: Val has brown skin, Theo has golden brown skin, and Bibi has pale skin. The opponent Dagger, Ransom, has olive skin.

The Party by Natasha Preston

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Who’s next?

A group of teens plan a weekend adventure at the family castle of twins, Allegra and Fergus. They keep it a secret from their parents because it’s meant to be a party with no chaperones. Protestors want the development to stop in the area and seem to have vandalized the castle but not all of the graffiti seems to be about the development. The teens are excited to have a weekend without supervision. When one of them gets hurt, they try to blow it off. When more violent things happen, they can’t ignore the fact that they’re in danger and they wish they had help to save them from the party.

Likes/dislikes: The author did a good job of creating an ominous setting in the castle. I enjoyed the twists and the mystery. The last sentence of the book is a great ending!
Mature content: PG-13 for kissing and teen drinking
Language: R for 155 swears, 6 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed

The House of Quiet by Kiersten White

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Balance must be maintained…

Birdie was only ten when she left her sister Magpie and their parents years ago. Birdie set out to work as a housemaid, so she could earn money and help her parents pay for Magpie’s procedure. She hasn’t seen them in eight years. Birdie has manipulated her way from house to house, finally being sent to the House of Quiet, hoping to find her sister. When Birdie arrives, she finds more questions than answers.

Likes/dislikes: I didn’t really understand the concept of the House of Quiet and its purpose or the procedure that kept being referred to. I liked the characters Birdie and Forest and the strength they showed. I also liked the cute crush they have on each other. I would like to know more of what the houses were like that Birdie previously worked at and more of her experiences there.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: G for 0 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody wounds
Ethnicity: mentions brown skin, light brown skin, and pale skin.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, Book 1 of Blood and Tea

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Do you ever truly know someone?

Arthie has been on her own since she was ten. She eventually found another orphan named Jin and took him under her wing. Together they built Spindrift, a tea house by day for proper society and a blood house by night for vampires who want to be civilized and not harm others. When Spindrift is threatened, Arthie tries using her blackmailing skills to keep her place safe. When that doesn’t work, Arthie and Jin recruit other outcasts to pull of a scheme that will knock the threat to its knees!

Likes/dislikes: Arthie is mysterious and keeps to herself but she has fierce loyalty to those she cares about. Jin is a charming, fun character and adds a lot of life to the story. The mystery and scare of the half vampire, the Wolf of White Roaring, is extremely interesting.
Mature content: PG kissing.
Language: PG for 11 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody gunshot wounds.
Ethnicity: predominantly white with a mix of races as the main characters

His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le, Book 2 of The Last Bloodcarver duology

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How much would you sacrifice for the one you love?

When Nhika gives all of her strength and health to save Kochin from a fatal gunshot wound, she is on the verge of death. Unknown to Nhika because she’s unconscious, Kochin takes her to her friends to keep her safe while he searches for a cure to bring her back. When Nhika wakes, Kochin is nowhere and the last she remembers is him dying after being shot. While Kochin searches for a way to heal Nhika, she searches for Kochin, retracing his steps. They both realize how much love they have for each other and will do anything to bring their relationship back together, if only war and danger doesn’t get in the way.

Likes/dislikes: The alternating narratives of Nikha in the present and Kochin six months prior create suspense, especially since the last time they saw each other was when Nikha sacrificed her life to save his. Kochin is searching for a way to bring Nikha back and Nikha is trying to find Kochin and this makes a sweet love story. Wonderful character development.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 9 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody gunshot wound.
Ethnicity: brown, honey and tanned skin tones, Vietnamese-inspired.

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin

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Spooky and mysterious!

Faith feels at home at Ellery West. She grew up in the Philippines and moved to the island school of magic for her high school years. She loves the school and the island until she ventures into the forest with Sydney but walks out alone after something takes Sydney’s life. Immediately, Faith is pushed into the group of exiled students who are on the verge of losing their magic if they make another misstep. Her new group of friends, known as the Red Stripes, band together and take care of each other. They also want to help Faith find out what took Sydney’s life and put a stop to the continued deaths. They discover a deep, dark secret that, when exposed, will change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I love how the Red Stripes care about each other and how they help each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery behind the story. This book has several interesting characters.
Mature content: PG mention of drugs
Language: R for 28 swears, 5 f-words.
Violence: PG for deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Steel & Spellfire by Laura Weymouth

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Magic, murder and mystery!

Pandora’s childhood was taken from her by a patron that warped her powers into an extremely and extraordinary strength that made her dangerous. Her patron always kept their identity secret and Pandora is determined to discover who the person is who changed her power. Meanwhile, someone with similar powers to Pandora’s is murdering young women the same age as her. Once Pandora arrives at court, she meets a guard named Beacon and immediately feels a connection with him. Pandora is determined to solve the mystery of the murderer and her patron but she will struggle to do it alone and Beacon will struggle with loyalty and doing the right thing.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the prose. Beacon fell for Pandora a bit too quickly. Pandora’s friend Winifred is charming and fun. The rivalry between Pandora and Imogen entertains and surprises.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 13 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for bloody gunshot wound
Ethnicity: Falls to white.