The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Delightfully creepy!

17yo Emer is a curse writer that gives spells to women that are afraid and want protection. 17yo Jude has a demon following her and she’s suffering physically from the toll it’s taking on her. 17yo Zara wants to reanimate the sister she lost a year ago when she was murdered. The three young women end up working together to solve the murder mystery of a serial killer the police are calling the London Ripper. They get themselves in deeper than they bargained for and hopefully they won’t be the next victims.

Likes/dislikes: I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and the twists. I was spooked a few times by the creepy descriptions. I like the strength and perseverance of the three main characters, Emer, Jude and Zara. Jude adds humor to the story.
Mature Content: PG-13 for mention of drug use.
Language: R for 162 swears and 27 f-words.
Violence: R for repeated bloodshed and deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is mostly white with some Black, brown and olive skin tones included.

These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A fun, spooky read!
Tabatha apprentices for the famous and magical Solomon. He states, through several prophecies, that he will die. It’s a shock to everyone when he actually dies and it’s a brutal death. Tabatha is told by Solomon, before his death, to only trust his son Callum and no one else. Callum and Tabatha try to solve the murder mystery but get swept up in the unknown along the way.

Likes/dislikes: This book is such a fun read! I loved the spooky atmosphere and the mystery. Tabatha is a strong, persistent, interesting character.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 50 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for deaths.
Ethnicity: The Solomon family members are white and Tabatha is Chinese American.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Posted on by lynndellwatson

If you enjoyed Hunger Games, you’ll enjoy Powerless!

The sixth Purging Trials are set to take place. 18yo Paedyn is placed in the competition unknowingly and feels out of her depth against the others since she has no powers and is secretly an Ordinary. 19yo Prince Kai is the king’s Enforcer and the trials have been planned for Kai to win. Paedyn and Kai decide to work together to win the trials. What they discover along the way will either make or break them.

Likes/dislikes: The story has many similarities with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Some parts feel rushed or forced, such as the relationship between Kai and Paedyn. I like the concept and it’s an enjoyable read.
Mature content: G for kissing
Language: R for 154 swears, no f-words
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fighting
Ethnicity: predominantly white with olive, brown and black skin mentioned

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A perfect ending to this historical fantasy duology!
Two weeks after 18yo Iris was forced to watch her husband struggle against a gas bomb in the attack on Avalon Bluff, she’s back in Oath living with her brother Forest. 19yo Roman is trapped in Avalon Bluff under Dacre’s watchful care with no memory of who he is or his past. Iris manages to get her hands on the Alouette typewriter in the museum and uses it to search for Roman or anyone who may be using one of the other two Alouettes. Roman unknowingly writes back and forth with Iris as he gets his memory back a little at a time. He also sends a warning that Dacre will be invading the area that Iris is staying at while writing war correspondence. Roman is terrified that Dacre will learn of his secret messages and Iris is terrified of an invasion.

Likes/dislikes: Beautiful story telling. I love the brave and loyal characters. A riveting story and I didn’t want to put the book down.
Mature content: PG-13 for nondescript implied sex
Language: PG for 7 swears and no f-words
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fights and bloody wounds
Ethnicity: The ethnicity falls to white.

Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Alternating timelines in this engrossing mystery!
15yo Sana moves into a decrepit large house in Africa with her father. The other residents say it’s haunted and this makes Sana curious. She asks the other residents questions about the house and its past and she explores everything and every place in the house. In the attic, Sana discovers a diary and she reads until the ending. What she finds, haunts her and she hopes there’s more of the story to unravel.

Likes/dislikes: The book is slow and builds the setting and characters until the second half when the mystery piqued my interest and grabbed my attention. I found it fascinating that Sana was a conjoined twin but she’s the only one who survived and now Sana sees and hears her dead sister. I loved discovering the background of the haunted home that is the setting for this story.
Mature Content: G for kissing.
Language: PG-13 for 14 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: Indian and African with some white.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Beautifully descriptive fantasy!
18yo Niamh is invited to the Avalon palace as head seamstress for Prince Kit’s wedding preparations. He’s as haughty and rude as ever and much more than Niamh expected. 19yo Kit is angry at the world but Niamh has no idea why. Sinclair, Kit’s lifelong best friend, is the first and only person that treats Niamh kindly and as a friend instead of some lowly servant. The three of them become friends and help each other break down the personal barriers they’ve put up but political pressure, intrigue and scheming threaten to crush everything they’ve gained.

Likes/dislikes: The book is full of interesting characters. The author approaches self care and mental health graciously. Political intrigue dominates the book and creates a nicy mystery. Beautiful descriptions are found throughout the book. Humor is used perfectly.
Mature Content: PG-13 for petting.
Language: R for 25 swears and 8 f-words.
Violence: G
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A perfectly enjoyable read!
18yo Iris works at a newspaper to help support her mother after her brother Forest was sent to war. She dropped out of college to work and she’s hoping for a promotion to columnist. 19yo Roman, Iris’ competitor for the columnist promotion, is rich and discovers that he’s been betrothed to a daughter of his father’s business acquaintance completely against Roman’s will. Iris and Roman have an unusual connection that he soon discovers but Iris is oblivious to. The mythological war soon takes over their lives and they have to fight to stay alive and get closer to the battle than they ever expected.

Likes/dislikes: I adore the slow burn romance. The fact that this book has very few swears is refreshing. I love Roman and Iris and enjoyed getting to know them and I also enjoyed the mystery of the letters.
Mature content: PG for kissing and implied sex, on page.
Language: PG for 5 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for grenade explosion in battle; bleeding from chemical weapons.
Ethnicity: Falls to white and the Bed and Breakfast owner has light brown skin.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Clever mystery!
A 17yo young woman wakes up in a ditch and has no idea how she got there. A police officer drives by, sees her, helps her and takes her to the police station where he questions her and realizes that she has lost her memory. She has a flashback of standing by a cluster of postal mailboxes and big hands grabbing her but she remembers nothing else. Soon after, a man arrives asking the police officer for help in finding his missing daughter. Alternately, a community is searching for a missing teenage girl that disappeared while walking home. Could this be the same girl?

Likes/dislikes: The mystery kept me glued to the pages. The characters are an interesting and diverse set of personalities. The mystery unravels cleverly.
Mature content: G
Violence: PG-13 for bloody hitting and bloody death.
Language: R for 156 swears and 83 f-words.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Persephone and Hades retelling!

17yo Corey discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend Bree. This devastates her and she feels like they’ve been laughing at her behind her back the whole time. Corey is so hurt and angry that she wishes Bree would die and soon after, Bree drowns. Now Corey regrets her wish and wants Bree and their friendship back. When Corey thinks she sees Bree and chases after her, she falls into the Underworld and her life is turned inside out.

Likes/dislikes: I didn’t like Ali, the boyfriend, because of his selfishness. The character development is well done. Fantastic world building.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex and underage drinking.
Language: R for 25 swears and 21 f-words.
Violence: PG for hitting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.