When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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 Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Posted on by lynndellwatson

I love this unusual King Arthur retelling!

Tamsin,17, and her brother Cabell are Hollowers. Their guardian Nash left them behind after taking them on hunting trips for artifacts and now they have to make it on their own. The two of them have been trying to decipher Nash’s journal and break the cipher so they can solve the mystery of what happened to him and rescue him. Tamsin realizes the artifact they’re looking for is the Servant’s ring and believes that they need to travel to Avalon, King Arthur’s resting place, to find the ring and Nash. They find their way to Avalon in the company of prestigious Hollowers who have their own agendas falling headfirst into danger beyond anything they expected and into the unknown that will change everything.

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

Posted on by lynndellwatson
Encompasses everything wonderful, stressful and everything in between of falling in love for the first time.

Coming of age story about Claudine, aka Claude. Contains explicit sexual content, heads up to readers that may be bothered.
Breathless encompasses everything wonderful, stressful and everything in between and around falling in love for the first time. Claude and her mother travel to an island where they have family roots. They plan on staying for the summer to give Claude’s father a break after he decided he wants a divorce. Angry and annoyed, Claude and her mother arrive on the secluded island with very little internet service. She has to adjust to not being able to text her friends and father back home. She meets the summer young-adult workers and becomes friends with most of them. One in particular catches her eye, Jeremiah Crew (Miah). They hang out and eventually become more than friends. During this summer, Claude and Miah mature, and together they help each other deal with their personal lives and the problems they’re both dealing with. Miah teaches Claude how to ride a bike and shares his island adventures with her. Claude helps Miah talk about his personal life. They have a great and memorable summer together but dread the day they have to say goodbye when it ends. A beautiful story with unique characters that grow in depth and maturity together. A perfect romance for a summer read, 5 stars!

Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson

Posted on by lynndellwatson

32766443-_uy630_sr1200630_

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson. This book is humorous and representative of teen angst through the portrayal of Gork. A silly dragon version of finding love, learning about family and growing up. A coming of age story with a sci-fi and fantasy twist. 4 stars.