A Curse So Dark and Lonely

A Curse So Dark
And Lonely
by Brigid Kemmerer

From the publisher:
Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

I have to admit that I have taken a break from Young Adult books because I was so tired of the insta-forever-love, incredibly beautiful teenagers, bad language, sexual situations, and on and on. However, I did enjoy this book- whether I had taken enough time off, or it just didn't have as many of the tropes that I hate, I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

This book begins in modern day Washington D.C. with our heroine (who has cerebral palsy but it just affects one leg) standing guard for her brother who is an "enforcer". Things happen and she is whisked away to another world with a prince, a castle, a beast and an evil sorceress. I found the characters very interesting and I liked them (well, except for the evil sorceress, of course). The world building and story telling are gripping. It hooks you from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until you finish and start waiting for the next one in the series. I will admit that I didn't realize this was going to be a series when I started. There was quite a bit of closure at the end, but you can see where a new one will be heading. This book may have one of the most perfect titles ever - it is a very dark and lonely curse our poor prince is suffering through. But this is no Disney prince, he has a lot of faults and growth to achieve. If I can tear students away from graphic novels for 2 seconds, I think they would really like this one.

Areas of concern:
*They somewhat frequently use a phrase that is their cuss word "silver hell", but other than that I think there was one use of the "d" word and nothing else.
*Quite violent. The beast kills many, many people, there is a war with battle scenes, a sadistic sorceress who loves to inflict pain, and also talk of a brother doing violent things to people as an enforcer.
*Sexual content is very low - a couple sleeps together but nothing happens and there is a gay couple. 

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 7-10
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 9+

The Hero's Guide to Saving the Kingdom

The Hero's Guide to 
Saving the Kingdom
by Christopher Healy

From the publisher:
"Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun."

Well, this is a case of finishing a book right before you leave on vacation and not getting it reviewed until way later. I'll just have to mention my thoughts and feelings on this one since I don't remember the specifics enough. 

This book was recommended to me by my favorite rising 6th grader. She said it is her new favorite series, so I read it and immediately ordered it for our library. It is really funny in kind of a ridiculous way, so I feel like it is the perfect fit for a middle school reader. It was fun to read about things from the heroes point of view instead of the princesses. And these are not your ordinary heroes! Each one is unique and very cleverly drawn. 
To remind myself about the book, I looked up some quotes on Goodreads. Here are some of my favorites:

“Frederic had imagined this moment - him running to Ella with open arms, calling her name - but being as winded as he was, doubled over with his hands on his knees, all he could do was nod in her general direction.” 

“Once you've been squashed by a giant, a troll doesn't even seem nearly as heavy.” 

“Get him now?" Duncan asked. He looked at the sword in his hand. Unsure of what he should do, he tossed the weapon at the giant. The sword flipped through the air a couple of times and landed softly on the grass only a few feet away.
"That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen," said Gustav.
Duncan stepped forward to retrieve his sword, tripped over his belt, hit his head on a rock, and knocked himself out cold.
"I spoke too soon," said Gustav. "That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen.” 

This book is extremely humorous, and is at times irreverent, wacky, ridiculous and quirky. A romp through fairy tales that pokes fun at some of our favorites and helps us see them in a different way. It would make a great movie, but for now use it as a family or class read-aloud, or for a grin and giggle for yourself.

Areas of concern:
Some fairy tale violence and an evil witch who is really very funny. So pretty much no areas of concern on this one.

Suggested ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12

School Library Journal - Grades 4-6

The Burning Sky

The Burning Sky
by Sherry Thomas

From the publisher:
"It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning.

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training.

Guided by his mother's visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission—and her life.

The Burning Sky—the first book in the Elemental Trilogy—is an electrifying and unforgettable novel of intrigue and adventure."

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book. Some parts felt very slow, but then there were also very exciting parts. I didn't feel like I had any kind of a relationship with the characters for quite some time, but I ended up really liking them. So, while I didn't get sucked into this, or couldn't put it down, I did quite like it. And I think I will actually read the next book in the series before I forget what happened. 

Will middle school students like it? Two of my biggest readers had very differing views on it. A 7th grader is quite obsessed by them, but a 6th grader returned it unfinished because she couldn't get into it. I think if they stick with it they will really like it. There are some really cool plot devices, like a book that the characters can actually go into and learn how to use and control their magic by being thrust into fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty. There is the She's the Man vibe that is very fun - having a girl dressing as a boy and attending a boy's school. There are cool magical creatures and awesome, powerful magic that is used. There is a handsome prince, a powerful girl who doesn't even know her power, and an evil villain. There is a love/hate/love relationship that is a sweet romance. All these things add up to greatness, so why didn't I want to hug this book when I finished? I'm really not that sure. But read it for yourself, because it may add up to greatness for you.

Areas of concern:
The main character uses a word that I'm assuming is a cuss word for her world, but isn't one for us.
There are some "wand" jokes and innuendos.
Since the main character is dressed up as a boy and has a very close relationship with the handsome prince, some bullies at the school refer to her as "Bumboy". 
Some mild kissing.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 8-11

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 9+