Review of More than We Can Tell

Title: More than We Can tell 

Author: Brigid Kemmerer 

Series: Letters to the Lost book 2

Pages: 416

Genre: teen, teen real life issues 

More than we can tell by Brigid Kemmerer and it is the sequel to Letters to the Lost but it's more of  companion novel than a true sequel.  I enjoyed this one as well, but not as much as I did the first one.   But I did enjoy reading more about Rev, and I loved meeting Emma Blue a girl who's trying to make it in the gaming world.  

This novel didn't shy away from the hard stuff nor the gritty world of gaming and the problems that go along with it. Especially if you’re a girl. In a perfect world this wouldn't happen. Girls and women could play video and computer games as well as design them without worrying about harassment from boys and men.  I was glad that this book bought to light that this does indeed happen, and it happens more than it should.  

Just like in Letters to the Lost  Brigid Kemmererer shows that just because it’s a harsh or touchy subject she's not going to shy away from writing about it; especially if it something that teens especially teen girls can relate too.  I think everyone not just teenagers can read this and get something out of it. 

Review of Daughter of the Pirate King

Title:  Daughter of the Pirate King

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Series:  Daugther of the Pirate King book 1

 

Pages: 311

Genre: Teen Fantasy and myths

Rating: 4 stars

     The Daughter of the Pirate King is a young adult fantasy an myth story with pirates. Alosa is not only the daughter of the pirate king she is a pirate in her own right with an all-female crew. She ends up on a rival pirate ship as a prisoner but it’s alright she actually planned it.

     I loved Alosa she’s tough and loyal to her crew though her loyalty to her father is being called into question. Pretty much the whole novel takes place on pirate ships. This is the first YA novel that I’ve read and enjoyed and I look forward to the sequel in this duology.  Both titles in the duology hints to Alosa’s parentage.

    

     To me one of the best things about the book was a YA novel that didn’t focus on romance. Why can’t more YA novels focus on adventures without trying to pair the main female character off.

Letters to the Lost

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Letters to the Lost

 

Pages: 400

Genre: teen/ teen real life issues

Rating: 5 stars

     In Letters to the Lost Juliet Young is dealing with the loss of her mother by still writing letters. Only these letters don't get mailed. They get left at her mother's grave.  Declan Murphy works at the graveyard as part of his community service for a car accident. When he discovers the letters that Juliet wrote.  The two soon been writing back and forth to each first through letter at the graveyard then through emails. And Declan discovers that Juliet was writing letters to her mother because she didn't know any way to cope with losing her mother.  Juliet is a shell of her former self. She's given up photography as well as her photography class at school and any activities involving photography.  It was something that she shared with her mother.

     Letters to the Lost was the perfect book to read at the time I read it. I finished reading May 6, 2017 just before the year passing of my mom. Like Juliet I didn't know how to get over losing my mom and also didn't really know how to cope either. And after reading Letters to the Lost I realized my mom wouldn't have wanted me to stop doing the things I loved just because she was gone. I also discovered that writing letters to my mom that I kept in a journal it helps.

     Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer dealt with grief in a way that perfect and heartfelt. Though it was geared towards teens I feel that anyone can get something out of it.

Review of The Shadow Queen

Title: The Shadow Queen

Author: C.J. Redwine

Series: Ravenspire book 1

 

Chapters: 40 plus epilogue

Pages: 387

Genre: fanstay fairy tale retelling

Rating: 4 Stars

     Once Upon a Time made like Snow White. The Shadow Queen made me love her. Lorelai is not your typical Snow white character. She's willing to fight for her kingdom to take it back from the evil queen. To me The Shadow Queen is what would happen if you took Snow from Once and combined her with Emma from Once.

     Lorelai is Snow from the first seasons flash backs and Emma, because she's tough like Snow and has magic like Emma.  However that is where the similarities to Once end.  The evil queen in The Shadow Queen isn't a misunderstood victim, she's just plain evil there's no redeeming her.  

     However The Shadow Queen isn't a Once retelling it's an unique twist on the whole Snow White story.  It's a story that shows that princesses can save themselves that they aren't all damsels in distress.  

Review of Diamonds are Forever

Title: Diamonds are forever

Author: Michelle Madow

Series: Secret Diamond sisters

 

Chapters: 32 plus epilogue

Pages: 360

Genre: teen/new adult

Rating: 4 stars

     Diamonds are Forever is the third book and final book in the Secret Diamond sister's series.  All the questions that I had about the storyline was answered by the end. I also loved that Michelle quite possibly left it open for either a sequel or a spin off series.

     Diamonds are Forever unlike the first two books I would have to say that it is more New adult than teen simply because of some of the things that happen in the book.  But it was a great ending to a great series. 

Review of Lois Lane: Fallout

Title: Lois Lane: Fallout

Author: Gwenda Bond

Series: Lois Lane book 1

Chapters: 26

 

Pages: 304

Genre: teen

Rating: 4 stars

Move over Superman and Clark Kent. It's Lois's turn to shine. Fallout takes place before Lois meets Clark Kent. Her father's job in the Army has kept Army Brat Lois moving around, everywhere she's lived she's managed to get into trouble. In Metropolis is going to be different.

It was nice to read about Lois as a teenager. The tag of comparing it to Veronica Mars and I was hooked, and the mention of her online friend Smallville guy it was like a trip to my teenage years. 

Review of The Lonesome Young

Title: The Lonesome Young

Author: Lucy Connors

Series: will have a sequel

 

Chapters: 65 plus epilogue

Pages: 367

Genre: teen

The author’s website has a quote that says, “Romeo and Juliet meets Justified” and it fits. The Lonesome Young is that and more. To me it is a cross between Romeo and Juliet, Justified, and the Hatfields and McCoy. Ms. Connors has hit the nail on the head if you’re going to write a teen novel about teenagers in love and a family feud the best place to set the story is Kentucky. That’s exactly where Ms. Connors set the story, in what I believe happens to be a fictional town in Eastern Kentucky.

Though the novel is a work of fictional, it is easy for this Kentucky to girl to image something like this actually happening in the eastern part of my state. Because two star cross teens actually happened between two feuding families in the 1800s. Kentucky’ myths and legends lead to great ideas for novels and stories.

The Lonesome Young has it all; two teenagers who start to fall in love from families who haven’t gotten along in years. No one really knows exactly how the feud started. Each family the Rhodale’s and the Whitfield’s blame the other. The county’s named after the Whitfield’s who happen to be the richest family. The Rhodale’s fall on the wrong side of the law though there’s a good apple here or there in the family.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up the book, and I didn’t know if I would like it. But I did like it and I enjoyed reading it. There was some language and a few scenes that pushed the limits are the few warnings I have to give about the books.

    

Review of Starry Nights

Title: Starry Nights

Author: Daisy Whitney

Pages: 280

Genre: teen

Rating: 4 stars

     Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney was a sweet and enjoyable read. Julien is teenage boy who falls in love with a girl he sees in a painting. At night the paintings at the museum he works at comes alive. He soon discovers that the art is dying and it’s up to him a human muse to find away to stop it and reverse the effects of it.  With the help of his two new friends a brother and sister and Clio the girl from the painting the future of art rests in his hands.

     To me Starry Nights is a cross between Night at the Museum and a love story.

Review of How my Summer went up in flames

Title: How my Summer Went Up in Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Chapters: 21

Pages: 301

Genre: Teen

Rating: 4 stars

     Rosie is being sent on road trip by her parents with her neighbor and best friend Matty. His friend Spencer and Spencer’s brother Logan.  She got sent on the road trip because she set fire to her ex boyfriend’s car.

     How My summer Went Up in Flames is a novel of finding oneself and finding out who your friends really are and what matters most. 

Review of Operation Oleander

Title: Operation Oleander

Author: Valerie O Patterson

 

Chapters: 21

Pages: 187

Genre: Teen real life issues military brats

Rating: 4 stars

     Operation Oleander was a book that hit home with me a little bit. The novel centers on a military base and the kids or military brats growing up on the base.   How the kids have to deal with the issues that come with having a parent in the military.  I could relate to the kids because I was raised as a military life, and it’s not an easy way to grow up but I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.  

Review of Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent Series

 

Pages: 487

Genre: Dystopia fiction, Teen fiction

Rating: 5 stars

     Beatrice Prior lives in a dystopia future Chicago in which each citizen is divided in to five fractions Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) however there is one group that is feared by other fractions the Divergent. Divergent’s are those who do not fit into other fractions.  Beatrice on choosing day chooses to become Dauntless.  This is because she doesn’t fill like she fits into the fraction that she was born into. Once at the Dauntless compound Beatrice meets Four who has his own secrets and changes her name to Tris.

     I read Divergent because my co worker at the library where I work suggested it. She said that if I liked The Hunger Games I would like Divergent. She was right. However you cannot compare the two.  They are two different types of dystopia, but each great in their own way.  While Tris might be small in size her strength comes not only from being brave but more importantly from her selflessness that she does have even it she doesn’t see it. Four does.  Tris cares about her friends and wants to protect them.

     I enjoyed reading Divergent more that I thought I would. From the first page I was hooked.  I times it felt like I was in dystopia Chicago. Even though things in the book are different the reader will still recognize important landmarks from Chicago.  For mainstream teen fiction Divergent is relatively clean and a great book that I don’t mind suggesting to most teens as long as their parents approve. 

Reveiw of Vengeance

Title: Vengeance

Author: Michelle Madow

Series: Transcend Time Saga #2)

Genre: Teen

Rating: 4 stars

     Vengeance is the second book in the Transcend Time Saga it is told from Chelsea’s point of view.  It takes between Remembrance and the forth coming Timeless.  Vengeance is Chelsea telling how she feels about the events in Remembrance.  It serves as a bridge the first and last book. Even though I did not like Vengeance as I did Remembrance. It was nice to read the story from Chelsea’s point of view. To see the story through Chelsea’s eyes and to see how much her best friend and boyfriend hurt her with their actions. I look forward to reading Timeless and finding out how the series ends.

 

     I first read Remembrance, because I loved how she came up with the story after hearing Taylor Swift’s Love Story. After reading the first few chapters I was hooked. In the same way I was excited to read Vengeance because I wanted to read Chelsea’s story and she how she felt about the events inRemembrance.

 

     For a mainstream teen novel Vengeance is a relatively clean novel. I don’t remember any major cuss words nor any inappropriate scenes.

 

I was given an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review of Entwined

Title: Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon

Series:  

Chapters: 30

Pages: 472

Genre: Teen fairy tales retold

Rating: 4 ½ stars

     Entwined is a retelling of the twelve dancing Princesses. Each of the twelve princesses loves to dance. Azela is the oldest princes and heir to the throne.

     When the kingdom goes into a year of mourning the girls are probhited from to dancing. They find a secret room to dance and dance the night away. Like the classic fairy tale there is an evil that the princess has to face. Through technically no prince in the story there still is a hero. 

Book review of what happened to goodbye

Title: What happened to Goodbye?

Author: Sarah Dessen   

Series:   no

Chapters: 18

Pages: 402

Genre: teen chick lit

Rating:  4 ½ stars

     What happened to Goodbye is another book by Sarah Dessen that I enjoyed. It is a teen book that is a clean read. There are  a few curse words in it, but that’s it.

Review of Code Talker

Title: Code Talker

Author: Joseph Bruchac

Series: no

Chapters: 29 and some extra stuff

Pages: 231

Genre: teen fiction, Historical Fiction

Rating:  5 stars 10/10

            It a fictional account of the Navajo code talkers; Marine’s who during WWII were able to use their language as code to keep the Japanese from breaking the code. For many years the Navajo Marine’s weren’t allowed to talk about what they did.

     The story is told from the point of view of a young Navajo Marine and Code talker Ned Begay. He lied about his age in order to enlist. The book is an awesome read even though it is written for teens I think that everyone should read this book.