The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Mix of Hunger Games and Under the Dome!

Emerson lives in the Burrows, the poorest part of the city, with her young brother and oblivious father. She steals money to buy food for her brother Kester, who is nine, deaf, and has genius level intelligence. She’s apprehended for starting a fire at the school she was robbing and she’s offered a deal; agree to participate in a competition where one contestant will receive money and status or she can go to prison for arson. Emerson doesn’t want to take the deal but Kester talks her into it because it could change her life for the better. When she arrives, Emerson discovers forty-nine other competitors and the details of the games – gain the most social media followers to win, the lowest ranked person is sent to life in prison. The youth all have to participate in crazy and dangerous games or the poisonous capsule placed in each of their wrists will be triggered to kill them, one by one.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the descriptive surroundings and I felt suffocated when reading about Emerson being under the sand. Emerson has unconditional love and loyalty for her brother. The story is similar to Hunger Games.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 41 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.

No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally

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Mean girls thriller!

Brooke is an overachiever who comes from a long family history of overachievers. She’s determined to get into Yale and has pushed herself into all work and no play since the lake party where a classmate drowned months ago. The investigation ruled it as accidental but Brooke has been getting harassed by an unknown person who’s been calling her, slashing her tires, leaving lake water in her locker, and covering her car with newspapers featuring the article about the incident. Her friend Jena wants her to attend a lake party to blow off steam and celebrate reaching her goals. A seemingly harmless party quickly turns into a horrific nightmare for Brooke.

Likes/dislikes: This book is a suspenseful thriller that I couldn’t put down. Twisty fun. I love how the author portrays the characters and how everything spirals to the ending. It was also a quick read at 272 pages.
Mature content: PG-13 for underage drinking, kissing.
Language: R for 263 swears and 143 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for death
Ethnicity: mixed; Jena is Black. Brooke is white.

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel

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Mystery-filled fantasy!

Natasha is slowly giving up on herself, her life and her future. Mason, her best friend, tries to keep her afloat by always being there for her. Mason tells Natasha to steer clear of Elodie because she’s shallow and doesn’t care about anyone but herself. Elodie talks Natasha into skipping school to go to a club. This choice is going to change Natasha’s life forever.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed Stealing Infinity because it’s a fantasy that has several mysteries hidden within. I also liked the book because it encompasses many genres including fantasy, mystery, science fiction and historical fiction. Natasha is a dynamic character as are Braxton and Elodie.
Mature content: PG-13 kiss.
Language: R for 87 swears and 2 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death and attempted rape.
Ethnicity: Mason is Black, Natasha and Elodie are white, Keane has dark skin, Javon has golden brown skin, Hawke has bronze skin , Oliver has white skin, Song is oriental, Braxton has a European accent and is white.

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

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I enjoyed every page!

Hazel is the thirteenth child in her family and treated like she’s not wanted by anyone except her brother Bertie who is one year older. When Hazel is twelve, her godfather takes her so she can train to become a great healer while Bertie is sold to a temple to pay off their father’s debts. Hazel learns that her duties as a healer also include helping people pass onto their deaths as gently as possible. She feels that this is a curse and not a blessing. When she’s nineteen, Hazel has become the healer of the royal family after she saved the king’s life from a plague; she was supposed to move him onto death but didn’t want his children to be orphans. Now that the king feels well, he is becoming an unpredictable, angry tyrant and Hazel knows she made the wrong choice by healing him. Will she be able to make this right before he destroys the kingdom?

Likes/dislikes: I loved every bit of this story! Amazing character development and wonderful world building. Hazel is strong and kindhearted.
Mature content: PG-13 for fondling (only two sentences out of the 512 page book).
Language: PG-13 for 14 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Hazel and her family are white. Merrick, Hazel’s godfather is obsidian skinned. Hazel’s friend Kieron has chestnut skin.

The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken

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Unexpected turns!

Tamsin and Cabell continue on their mission but they seek different paths. Tamsin is with a group of like-minded and strong individuals searching for the Mirror of Beasts while Cabell is following Lord Death in the deadly and violent Wild Hunt. The Mirror of Beasts is not what they expected; it’s more remarkable than they ever imagined. Cabell faces the decision of leaving all he knows behind, including his sister Tamsin, to follow Lord Death. Tamsin discovers secrets about Emrys, Nash and herself that are shocking and completely change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the alternating narrative between Tamsin and Cabell. Beautiful prose. The mystery of Nash is fun to see unravel. This story is full of great characters!
Mature content: PG-13 for non-detailed sex.
Language: R for 68 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: fair skinned, blue-gray and leaf-green skin, brown skin, and tan skin make up the ethnicity.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

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Honest, heartbreaking realistic fiction!

17yo Kate and Ben have been friends since elementary school and now she wants more than that. They began dating and everything is going well until accusations of assault start happening to Ben’s teammates. Many people want to hide the evidence and pretend nothing happened but Kate can’t get the wrongdoing out of her head. Secrets come out after a video was shared. The aftermath will drastically change lives and the community of Coral Sands, Iowa.

Likes/dislikes: I’m frustrated with the situation the community is dealing with. I’m also frustrated with some of the main character’s actions. The author represents entitlement and community politics well.
Mature content: R for sexual assault
Language: R for 79 swears and 5 f-words.
Violence: R for rape.
Ethnicity: predominantly white, an African American deputy mentioned.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Historical fiction fantasy!
18yo Hazel lives in her family’s manor and continues to help those in need of medical care until she’s arrested for murder. She’s released and brought to the ailing princess to heal her. Hazel still has to fight the societal standards that believe a woman isn’t capable of intelligent work, let alone being a doctor. While at the palace treating the Princess, Hazel receives an invitation to a Companions to the Death meeting. She’s astonished at what she discovers!

Likes/dislikes: The romance is sweet. Intense parts kept me glued to the pages. I wish there was a third book in this series.
Mature Content: PG-13 for kissing.
Language: PG for 6 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is predominantly white with mention of a Black man.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Posted on by lynndellwatson

An absolute must-read!

An absolute must-read!

Sal 17, lives in Juniper, California with his sick mother and alcoholic father. Sal attends school while trying to help keep the family hotel afloat. Sal and Noor, 18, were best friends until they had a fight months ago and haven’t spoken since. Sal’s mom collapses and needs to be taken to the hospital while Noor happens to be visiting her. Sal’s mother passes away and her last words to Noor were to forgive. Sal and Noor try to mend their friendship but they’re both keeping secrets and trying to persevere through their own harsh situations. When life implodes, they both have to make some tough choices.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed learning about Pakistani culture and its languages. The author gives a comprehensive, concise content warning at the beginning of the book and lists resources at the end for help with domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, immigration and refugee rights, children’s defense fund, and women of color. I appreciate how the author portrayed harsh realities to readers in a way that is educational and with empathy but not graphic. This book is a must read.
Language: R for 147 swears and 3 f-bombs.
Mature Content: PG for brief undescribed kiss, drug dealer selling pills, mention of marijuana (weed), deeper kiss.
Violence: PG-13 for child abuse (a push against the wall), bloody face from abuse, kicking ribs, mentions of repressed sexual assault, continued abuse.
Ethnicity: Sal and Noor and their family members are Pakistani living in a predominantly white community. There is a Pakistani religious leader and his wife is Black. The Judge is Mexican American and the story contains mixed ethnicity police officers.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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A powerful, authentic read!

Starr lives in a rough part of town and after one of her best friends gets shot in a drive by shooting when they’re ten, Starr’s parents have her attend a private school that’s safer. Now Starr is sixteen and she witnesses her other childhood friend getting fatally shot by a police officer. Her friend did nothing to provoke the shooting. This is a powerful novel about much more than racism. It’s also about choices, bravery, integrity and helping others. This book has a lot of swearing which is authentic to the lifestyle of the character’s surroundings but the message of empowerment makes it a must read. 5 stars for a novel that will stick with me.

Likes/dislikes:
I liked how the author shows reality and brings her characters to life to make the readers care about them. I like that two different worlds are brought together by two teens living in both and experiencing the stark differences in each. Character development is abundant and bravery and integrity are a huge factor in the main character’s life and family. I love how the main character’s family is open to discussing everything instead of keeping secrets from each other.
Mature content: PG-13
Underage drinking, marijuana use
Page 81 foreplay (boyfriend touching of girlfriend’s pubic region)
Page 376 arousal (the boyfriend had a bulge in his pants when he kissed his girlfriend)
Violence: PG-13
Fatal Shooting at a party. Police brutality and fatal shooting of a teen male. Riots, gang beatings, starting fires.
Language: R for 100+ swears and 54 f-bombs

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-hate-u-give

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Posted on by lynndellwatson
The best main character!

Charlie Reade lost his mom when he was a young boy and his Dad was so heartbroken that he became an alcoholic and lost his job. Charlie prayed for help and offered to do kind deeds in return for helping his family out. Charlie hears a dog howling and finds the elderly local neighborhood scary guy, Howard Bowditch, hurt. He’s fallen off a ladder and broken his leg. Charlie stays until the ambulance comes and then he promises Mr. Bowditch that he will take care of his dog, Radar, for him. Mr. Bowditch insists that Charlie call him Howard. Before he’s released from the hospital, Howard tells the staff that Charlie is the only person he wants staying at his house while he recovers from surgery. Charlie agrees. Charlie has also fallen in love with Radar and Radar loves him in return and he thinks that’s why Howard trusts him. Charlie helps Howard recover from surgery and gain back the use of his leg. Howard knows that he and Radar are old and their days are numbered. He starts confiding in Charlie, little by little. Charlie takes Howard’s word for it but checks his information out for his own safety and sanity. Howard is healing well until an incident in the shed causes him to overexert his heart. Howard knows he doesn’t have much longer so he records his secrets on a cassette tape for Charlie. What he tells Charlie is unbelievable! Charlie goes on the mission set forth by Howard and he’s tested in every way and learns to believe in magical things. A unique book for Stephen King because it’s more fantasy than horror and it’s written for young adults. I do enjoy his writing! 5 stars for this fairytale with the best main character!

Language: R for 100+ swears and 19+ f-bombs
Violence: PG for shooting, electric shock, a giant killing minor characters
Mature content: none
Likes/dislikes: The writing pulled me in with hints of mystery and foreshadowing.
Kind, brave main character and gruff older man help and care for each other and the dog, Radar, bonds them together. I enjoy the mysterious feel throughout the book and Stephen King wields words to encompass the reader! The illustrations are detailed and help bring the story to life.
Ethnicity: The setting is the present day America and Other realm and the ethnicities are white and Other realm characters.