Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything
by Nicola Yoon

From the publisher:
"Risk everything . . . for love.

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Everything, Everything will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. It's an innovative, inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more."

Parents, listen up! I am so torn on this book because I loved the story so much and for 99% of it, it is perfectly appropriate for middle schoolers. Alas, in my opinion, that 1% makes it inappropriate. I put off getting this one for several years, but after seeing that 7 of the middle schools in our district had it and after book talking it with an 8th grader who told me that there wasn't anything in it to cause concern, I purchased it. Now I can't decide whether to send it on to a high school, or just put a "Content Warning" label on it. The story is so good! Who wouldn't love Maddy and Olly? I so wanted them to have a happy ending, but had no idea how that could happen. The twist at the end wasn't a surprise to me after book talking with my 8th grader, but I could see it being a big shock to most readers. I did feel disappointed in the ending - it was just suddenly over. However, I loved it, with the caveat that it isn't appropriate for younger readers.

Areas of concern:
* I counted 12 instances of profanity and swearing.
* Abusive parent
* Mental illness
* About 4 pages of pretty descriptive nudity and foreplay with fade-to-black intercourse between 18 year-olds. 

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 8-11

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
*** Mrs. Duke disagrees!  If it were my child, I would say 16+.***

Love, Life and the List

Love, Life and the List
by Kasie West

From the publisher,
"Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters."

I love this author (Kasie West) for middle school students who love romance and like to read up in age. The characters are always upper high school, but she avoids things like bad teenage behavior and graphic making out. They are fun and frothy to read, with romance, humor and heart. That being said, I have noticed that almost all of her contemporary books remind me of other author's books. This one reminded me of Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone, which I loved. Kasie and I have had a little slump lately, and although this one wasn't my favorite, it was definitely a step above some of her others that I have read lately. 
Things I liked:
*The main character was snarky and funny.
*A loving, supportive, albeit slightly dysfunctional family unit.
*Cooper and Abby and their friendship.
*The main character experienced a lot of growth throughout the book.
*Deep emotions towards the end that were written so well I felt every emotion right along with Abby.

Things I didn't like:
*Abby and Cooper were amazing as best friends, but I didn't feel any chemistry between them.
*Cooper could be a real jerk. 
*The list played an important role and then just sort of petered out.
*I didn't love the ending and was actually rooting for it to end a completely different way. 

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Rebel of the Sands

Rebel of the Sands
by Alwyn Hamilton

From the publisher:
"Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic.  For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

Amani Al’Hiza is all three.  She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.

Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power."

Whew, what a ride! This book is a piece of great storytelling and it sucked me in from page one. It has an incredibly original plot - other people have described it as a cross between a western and Arabian Nights - and characters that you will care deeply about. There is great sorrow and hardship for our heroine, and great growth and strength. It ends with quite a bit of closure, but enough still to come to make you want to get your hands on book 2 immediately. I really loved this one, however sometimes some of the First Beings seemed out of place of what was happening. I'm not sure why we needed the Nightmares or the Skinwalkers when the rest of the story was so gripping (were they First Beings? I'm actually not sure about that.). Maybe they will play a more important and necessary role in the coming books. There was enough of a romance in the book to keep it interesting, but it was in no way the main focus of the story. I really enjoyed the world that was created for this story, and that is saying something because I hate the desert. Seriously hate it. But reading this filled you with the mystique and romance of riding a flying carpet through the desert sky (yes, A Whole New World is now going through my head). As much as I would hate to have desert sand all over me - I don't even like having beach sand all over me - I could feel the love Amani had for her desert home. Well done, Alwyn Hamilton, I heartily recommend this one.

Areas of concern:
*There were upwards of about 20 combined swear words.
*A couple of pretty disturbing deaths.
*A very mild romance with a couple of kisses.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+

The Star-Touched Queen

The Star-Touched Queen
by Roshani Chokshi

From the publisher:
"Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself."

While reading this book there were moments where I was so engrossed in the beautiful writing and the music and poetry of it, that I would get to the end of a paragraph and say, "Wait. What just happened?". The writing was stirring and magical and gripping, yet I feel like I am a little clueless about many things that happened. It was weird and other-worldly, but it was supposed to be weird and other-worldly because there is actually a place called The Otherworld in the book. I'm very conflicted about this one! On the one hand there were many things I loved, on the other hand I found a lot of things very confusing. I found the romance believable, very insta-love, but there is a reason for that. The villain was deliciously evil. One of the characters was creepily humorous (a talking horse-thing that wants to eat people.) I loved the sisterly bond, but disliked the rest of the familial relationships. The Indian mythology helped with the magical feeling of the book. All in all, I was very invested in the story and characters, but I'm not convinced that middle schoolers will be that invested. Will they be as enthralled as I was by the pictures the words of this book paint? I can think of a few that will stick with it, but probably high schoolers will do better with it. Not because of content issues, just because of maturity.

Areas of concern:
*No bad language that I can remember.
*Several passionate kisses between husband and wife. They share a bed, but it is clear that they are only sleeping there. 
*Quite a bit of violence is alluded to, but I never felt anything was very graphic. 
*Bullying of the main character at the very beginning of the book.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 9+

Interference

Interference
by Kay Honeyman

From the publisher:
"I will not get involved…I will not get involved…I will not get involved…

As a congressman’s daughter in Washington, DC, Kate Hamilton always pushes to make things right. But when a scandal sends her family to Red Dirt, Texas, she decides to step back for a while. She’ll take pictures for her portfolio. She’ll volunteer at her aunt’s animal shelter. And most of all, she’ll stay out of politics (including her father’s latest election) and away from guys (especially after her ex’s betrayal).

But…

If Kate’s political skills can be useful in Red Dirt, should she really let them go to waste? After all, her friend Ana Gomez and quarterback Kyle Stone would be a perfect match. Her dad’s campaign could benefit from a teenage perspective. The irritatingly handsome Hunter Price should learn he doesn’t know everything…When Kate’s plans backfire, she must find the soul beneath her DC spin, and risk her heart—the biggest involvement of all."

The front cover of this book says, " Friday Night Lights meets Jane Austen's Emma ...", and that is a pretty perfect description. This is a very fun book that I read in practically one sitting. Even though the main character does a lot of stupid things, she is still likeable (so reminiscent of Emma ). It is interesting to see her progression and growth throughout the story. 
One of the questions I ask my students when they are book talking with me is, "Does the setting enhance the story, and is it important to the plot?". The answers for this book are yes and yes. I could feel the West Texas sun and dirt, and nowhere on earth is high school football as important as West Texas. 
I also enjoyed seeing the growth of the family as they came together after some hard times. The political aspect was intriguing and added to the tension of the storyline. 
I loved the secondary characters from Hunter (the slow buildup to a romance), Ana (the nice girl who helps the main character become a better person), the new campaign manager (who adds a lot of humor), to the protagonists who were spot-on.
I thought this was a really fun book, and I appreciated the lack of bad language (even from the jocks!) .

Areas of concern:
*The main character's ex-boyfriend causes a scandal by posting pictures of her on the internet. In one of the pictures she appears drunk, but in reality she was just imitating a fellow party-goer who WAS drunk. 
*At a party after a football game, a drunk player tries to force his attentions on a character. She gets away.
*An ex-boyfriend spreads ugly rumors about a girl and how far she went (the rumors aren't true) and she is bullied throughout the book.
***I thought it was a pretty clean read. No bad language and just a couple of sweet kisses***

Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 13-17
School Library Journal - Grades 9+
*Mrs. Duke thinks that because of the absence of bad language and the very light, slow-building romance, it is okay for older middle schoolers.*

Slow Dance in Purgatory

Slow Dance in Purgatory
by Amy Harmon

From the publisher:
"The hallways are empty, the school day long over, the din of lockers and youthful laughter have dissolved into silence. It's as if the very walls are waiting. And then through the intercom a song starts to crackle, the soundtrack of a forgotten life. And the band begins to sing - "Lovely Maggie falls for Johnny, a boy no one else can see. Heartthrob Johnny, 50s bad boy, trapped for eternity. Lonely boy and lonely girl, unsolved mystery. Maggie and Johnny, only high school sweethearts, because Johnny can't ever leave. Do wop, Do wop.." 

In 1958, a rumble goes down outside the brand new highschool in Honeyville, Texas. Chaos ensues, a life is lost, and Johnny Kinross disappears. But in 2010, someone finds him. Orphaned at the age of ten, 17-year-old Maggie O'Bannon finally finds a permanent home with her elderly aunt in a small Texas town. Working part-time as a school janitor, she becomes enmeshed in a fifty-year-old tragedy where nothing is as it seems and the boy of her dreams might vanish when the bell rings. 

This volatile and mismatched romance is doomed from its start, as Maggie struggles to hold on to yet another person she is destined to lose. Secret love and hushed affection are threatened by outside forces, resulting in a desperate race to keep a secret no one would understand. Deeply romantic, funny and tender, Slow Dance in Purgatory captures the heartache of a love story where a happy ending might be decades too late."

It's official. Amy Harmon could write the phone book and I would read it and love it. 
This one is very different from some of her others, being more Young Adult and paranormal-y, but it was still intense and addictive. Be warned, it ends on a huge cliffhanger so you'll want to have the next book on hand. And it is really hard for me to review because I read Prom Night in Purgatoryimmediately after I finished, so I'm afraid I'll give something away and say too much. Suffice it to say, I really liked it, it held my interest, it was unique and different, the writing is superb, I cared about the characters, and I ordered it for my middle school library.

Areas of concern:
*There is some cussing, it didn't seem overdone or gratuitous.
*There is talk of a mom who is sleeping around.
*Some kissing.
*A very violent story is underlying the whole book. There is talk of blood and staring eyes, gunshots and fighting.
*Ghosts are talked about and seen. 

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

I'd Tell You I Love You, But
Then I'd Have To Kill You
by Ally Carter

From the publisher:
"Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? 

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love."

This book was adorable and hilarious. I was sucked in from page 1. It is one of those books where I will let the quotes do the reviewing, so here are some of my favorites (and they start right at the very beginning).

I loved that there was no bad language in it. In fact, the main character had this to say,
"MTV will lead us to believe that the B word has become a term of endearment or slang among equals, but I still mainly think of it as the insult of choice for the inarticulate." 

The main character, Cammie, always has insightful thoughts:
"I’m not sure why I hate Jessica Boden, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that her posture is way too up-and-down, and I don’t trust someone who doesn’t know how to properly slouch." 

She also knows when to compromise:
"If the Communists and the Capitalists could fight together to take down the Nazis… I told myself. If Spike could fight alongside Buffy to rid the world of demons… If lemon could join forces with lime to create something as delicious and refreshing as Sprite, then surely I can work alongside Macey McHenry for the cause of true love!" 

And, when she was trying to figure out what to eat on her first movie date with a boy, she became my soul sister:
"Junior Mints— of course! Minty chocolate fun with none of the dangerous side effects." 
(The dangerous side effects being, of course, Milk Duds stuck in your teeth and popcorn kernels stuck in your teeth.)

This book is filled with thoughts like this. I'm so glad I read it. It has been a staple in my library for years and my students love it. I'm happy to be able to recommend it highly to them all now that I have read it. 

Areas of concern:
*Girls learning to be spies and coming from families of spies. One girl's father disappeared while on assignment. 
*A teenage girl sneaking out of her school to go meet a boy in town.
(I'm really stretching here, there isn't really anything I would be concerned about.)

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7-10

Open Road Summer

Open Road Summer
by Emery Lord

From the publisher:
"After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes."

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it as much as the author's other book, The Start of Me and You. I think it is because I never really liked the main character. Even though she improved throughout the book, and even though there were extenuating circumstances for her behaviors, I just never liked her. That always makes it hard for me to really love the book. However, I loved most of the secondary characters, and the plot itself was fun and interesting. 

Areas of concern:
*The main character was trying to become a better person and to improve her life, but there were many references to her past bad behaviors and she would still sneak out to smoke.
*There are multiple uses of all cussing words with the exception of the "f" word.
*The main character's best friend is a country/pop music star and she is caught up in an erroneous sex scandal. 
*Very little adult supervision of these teenagers. 

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 7-10

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

Powerless

Powerless
by Tera Lynn Childs

From the publisher:
"Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers."

While I enjoyed the plot and characters in this book, I was very surprised and disappointed by all of the bad language in it. I have 3 different series by this author in our library and they are all really clean reads (as far as I know). When I was researching this book, I saw that Booklist had recommended it for grades 9-12 and I thought that was weird because it was Tera Lynn Childs, for heaven's sake! So I ignored Booklist and went with the other reviewers recommended ages (listed below). I'm still glad I got it for our library, but I won't recommend it as much as I would have without all the language. 

Setting the language aside, this book was an exciting ride! It started out with a bang and just kept going. I liked that the main character was "powerless" in a superhero world, but still spunky and able to take care of herself. The secondary characters were exciting and likable. I loved the superhero/villain plot. I know it has been done many times now, but it is still fun. It's actually hard to review this without giving too many things away, but I enjoyed a lot of things about it and it definitely kept my interest from the first page. It checked off several of my YA lit pet peeve boxes, but somehow I still liked it. (Predictability, insta-love, teenagers good - all adults bad...) There is quite a bit of humor in this book. I love the descriptions of Riley, the best friend's brother. He is portrayed as a blonde nitwit with a Superman complex. His superpower is flying and he wears a cape everywhere - but he swears it's just a coat. I could picture him so clearly with his perfectly coiffed hair and his ridiculously straight posture. Kind of a Dudley Do Right with a cape instead of a Mountie hat. It is nice to have that comic relief in it as there are some seriously villainous activities going on throughout. When you finish the book, you should go back and read the preface over again. It will make much more sense. As per usual with YA lit these days, it leaves you with a big cliff-hanger. Let's hope there is no middle-book slump with the next one. 

Areas of concern:
*At least 70 uses of cuss words - the most prevalent being the *s* word used around 30 times. The *f* word is only used in an acronym. There are also a few vulgar British-isms.
*There is a fair amount of violence with a scene of disturbing torture - but it wasn't very graphic.
*A couple instances of pretty intense kissing. 

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 9-12
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-15
School Library Journal - Grades 7-10

Every Last Word

Every Last Word
by Tamara Ireland Stone

From the publisher:
"If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear. "

This book is an interesting, educational, and heartrending look at a young woman with Pure Obsessional OCD. The main character Samantha, or Sam as she prefers to be called, just wants to be normal. She hides her mental illness from everyone except her family and her amazing psychiatrist, Shrink Sue. It is very hard to hide, but she has worked out many strategies to help with that. For instance, she is obsessed with the number 3, so she can’t stop and park her car unless the odometer lands on a 3. She uses the excuse that her parents won’t let her drive anyone because she just got her license. When she can’t get out of driving someone, she pretends to miss a turn so she can keep driving until she hits the 3. It was very interesting to see some of her coping strategies – she had many of them. I also loved that she had an incredibly supportive family at the beginning. However, farther into the book there was a dichotomy between how the parents were portrayed in the beginning and how they acted throughout the rest of the book. Sam starts driving other people all the time, she leaves the house late at night to go swimming (she’s really not going swimming), and they suddenly don’t question those behaviors. 

She has an incredibly toxic group of friends who are the mean/popular girls in the school. (Query: Why do mean and popular so often go together? You would think the nice girls would be the popular girls.) She is so frightened that they will find out about her mental illness that it actually adds to her mental illness. Why does she stay with them? She feels like she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. That is until she makes a new friend who introduces her to “Poet’s Corner” – a group of kids who meet in a secret room and read poetry they have written to each other. After they read, they have glue sticks thrown at them and they proceed to glue their poem to the walls of the room. The new friend tells her this room and these people will change her life. They do.

There are many things I loved about this book. However, I would have loved it even more if not for the bad language, the making out, and loss of virginity. One of the many passages that bothered me:
“Then I blush, remembering how he kissed me in the water that night. How I wrapped my legs around his waist in the deep end, both of us clothed but kind of acting like we weren’t.”

If those things don’t bother you the way they bother me, then I definitely recommend Every Last Word. One of my 8th grade girls made me read it because she loved it so much, and wouldn’t talk to me until I finished (it took a while)…… actually, she wouldn’t talk to me unless she was asking if I had read it yet – which question was posed over and over again. 

There are many poems in this book, the one that captures the whole essence of the book (and was written in 3’s) is titled, Every Last Word.

These walls heard
me when no
one else could.

They gave my
words a home,
kept them safe.

Cheered, cried, listened
Changed my life
for the better.

It wasn’t enough.
But they heard
every last word.

Areas of concern:
*It was interesting that there were little to no uses of mild cuss words, but there were many uses of the “s” word and at least 5 of the “f” word.
*Quite a bit of sexual content as far as talking about hooking up and making out. A lot of intense kissing scenes described. “Kurt wasn’t a very good kisser. All tongue, jabbing into my mouth over and over again, circling way too fast.” The loss of virginity scene wasn’t terribly graphic, but still disturbing. 
*There is some bullying that never gets addressed and seems to just be expected.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+

Reawakened

Reawakened
by Colleen Houck

From the publisher:
"When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself."

I was very disappointed in this book, but strangely unsurprised by my disappointment. When I read this author's Tiger's Curse , I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately I read it a second time a couple of years later and found it incredibly cheesy and kind of annoying. So since Reawakened is pretty much a rewrite ofTiger's Curse , I found it cheesy and annoying as well, but even more so. I had to force myself to keep reading this. I didn't feel any connection to the characters, the mythology rambles were incredibly boring, and I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters. Lilly kept making snarky American-girl comments that, I'm sorry, a reanimated mummy who hasn't seen the world in 1000 years would never understand, so why she kept making them I don't know. Have I used the word annoying too much? 

All that being said, I think my 8th graders will love it. The Tiger Saga is one of our most popular series, so they will eat this up as well. And I do love that this author never uses bad language and keeps the romance clean. I'll keep buying her books for my library for those reasons alone. 

Areas of concern:
*An evil god is trying to take over the world and re-animated mummies (who are surprisingly gorgeous) are trying to stop him. There are some non-graphic but disturbing scenes of violence and torture. 
*One scene of passionate kissing.
*The main character is bonded to a reawakened mummy who sometimes needs to draw her energy to keep himself awakened and it causes the girl quite a bit of pain.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 14+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Not Your Average Fairy Tale

Not Your Average Fairy Tale
by Chantele Sedgwick

From the publisher:
"Ash Summerland has it all-good looks, popularity, and the best grades at The Academy of Magical Beings. Ready to complete his last assignment in order to graduate, Ash is confident he will get the apprenticeship he wants. but when he opens the letter from the Council, he is shocked to discover he has been assigned to apprentice Lady Shenelle, Keeper of Happy Endings- aka the head fairy godmother. Ash is forced to grant three wishes to a troubled human girl named Kendall, and ultimately give her a "happy ever after." But Kendall turns out to be more than he bargained for. Still grieving over her father's death, she doesn't want anything to do with Ash. And worst of all, she doesn't believe in happy endings."

This is one I've had on the shelf for quite some time and it hardly ever gets checked out (paperbacks always sit on the shelf more than hardbacks). I'm so glad I read it and I need to really talk it up with my students, because I liked it alot. It is a fun and entertaining book with a different premise - a guy as a fairy godmother - and yet it also has a lot of heart and some good action/suspense. As soon as I finished it I ordered the next one in the series, Not Your Average Happy Ending (I sure wish I could get hardbacks of these!). This is an author to watch. I also loved her most recent book, Love, Lucas . She has a way of dealing with serious teen issues realistically, while still having the main characters keep a moral compass alive. I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate that in YA authors! I'm a firm believer in expecting greatness out of teenagers and not assuming they will all delve into bad behaviors, so I love all authors who expect greatness out of their main characters. 

The main characters in this book are very well drawn. We feel Kendall's heartache at the loss of her father and the grief that has weighed her down and changed who she is. We laugh at Ash's exploits and conceit, while loving his charm and wit. We are happy that Ellie is a loving and supportive sister, and are entertained by the bond between Sam and Ash. The romance between Kendall and Ash is sweet and believable. 

I felt like the build-up to the conflict in the story was a little slow. It was apparent that Dax hated Ash, but someone who hates you because you are popular and get the best grades doesn't seem too threatening (even if he does have magical powers). However, when the conflict reached it's zenith I did get a little nervous for the main characters. It looks like the next book in the series is going to have some much more serious conflicts, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out. 

All in all, Not Your Average Fairy Tale ticks all the boxes for a contemporary/fantasy/romance YA novel. I definitely recommend it.

Areas of concern:
*A smarmy, arrogant high school boy who is trying to hook up with Kendall.
Actually a very clean read (without being cheesy).

Defy

Defy
by Sara B. Larson

From the publisher:
"Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?"

There were things I loved about this book and things I hated about this book. 

Things I loved: 
*I loved the main character, Alexa! I have read several reviews comparing this book negatively to Throne of Glass , but my problem with that book was that I didn't like the main character, Celaena. In my review of that book, I mentioned that I needed more of Celaena's back story in order to care about her. In Defy , Sara B. Larson gives us a character to root for. We are shown her previous life and why she has been forced to be a fierce warrior. She fights and kills to defend her prince, whose guard she is on. She never glories in the killings. 
*I loved so many of the characters! Alexa's twin brother, who took care of her and protected her. The prince's guard, who shared a wonderful comradery. Lisbet and Jax, and even Tanoori. There were many people to care about in this book. 
*I don't usually appreciate a love triangle, but I really liked both Rylan and Damian, so it was easy to sense Alexa's confusion.
*There was a lot of action and excitement. 
*Secrets, secrets everywhere!

Things I hated: 
*Probably just this one thing, but it is deserving of a whole section. The breeding houses and the continual references to them were very disturbing. There was a whole chapter at the beginning of the book that was so horrific I almost stopped reading. I felt like I needed to take a shower or something to wash the yuckiness off of me. I'm not happy that I have purchased this for my middle school library because that one chapter alone is too intense for middle school.  I read several reviews that called this a "clean read".  Yes, as far as the romance goes, it just involves kissing.  However, references are made throughout the book about all of the rape that goes on to propagate the army. No, no and no. 

There were so many things to love about this book, but I find it hard to recommend because of the violence and the breeding house references. I'm thinking the next book won't have as many concerns for me. I did love the moral at the ending of the book, 

"“True beauty is what lies inside of us, not what the world sees. A beautiful shell that houses a vile soul becomes sullied over time. But an outer shell, imperfect as it may be, that houses a beautiful soul shines with that beauty, radiating it for all who have eyes to see.” 

Areas of concern:
*The above-mentioned rant.
*A couple of the characters are incredibly sadistic, and there is a lot of horrifying violence.
*Kissing while lying in a tent together.
*I don't remember any bad language.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12-18

School Library Journal - Grades 8+