Really Weird Removals.com

Really Weird Removals.com by Daniela Sacerdoti tells the story of Luca and his sister Valentina who find out that they have the sight when their long lost uncle appears.  This allows them to see mysterious and dangerous creatures such as faries ghosts and trolls.  Because of this sight they get to help their uncle with his business of removing these irritating and nasty creatures who have infested people's homes.

This is a cute book that kids will like.  It's the perfect read for kids who are new to full length chapter books with the kids going on many adventures throughout the book.  The characters are well written and relateable and the creatures are different without being scary.  Kids will love the book and find it easy to follow.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult or questionable content in this book.  The book deals with monsters without being creepy or scary.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-11.

Review Copy provided by netgalley

Humbug Witch

Humbug Witch by Lorna Ballian is a delightful Halloween picture book featuring a Witch who can't do anything right.  It's sweet and silly and not scary at all making it a perfect read aloud for pre-school - first grade students around Halloween. 

Review copy provided by Netgalley

Trafficked

Trafficked by Kim Purcell follows Hannah a girl from Moldova who travels to America to work as a Nanny.  She takes the job after her parents disappear because she knows her grandmother can not support the two of them.  She soon finds things are not as she was promised as the family she works for treats her like a slave, requiring her to work all hours without pay and without the ability to leave.

I enjoyed the book although the main character had issues at time with being very very naive.  This book does do a good job of portraying human trafficking in the US without being to graphic for the audience.  I remained interested in the book throughout and finished it quickly.  It has an ending with a solid finale that leaves the reader satisfied. 

Appropriateness:  This is a tough book that is about a difficult subject.  While it handled the material in an age appropriate way the topic is still a tough one for teens.  There is an attempted rape and there is quite a bit of apprehension that the reader feels fearing that the main character will either be raped or sold into prostitution.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+ and younger teens if they have an adult to talk to.  This is a good book to explore the subject of human trafficking for teen readers, with the focus being on a domestic servant as opposed to one forced into prostitution it makes the story a bit easier to read. 

The Raft

The Raft by S. A. Bodeen is an edge of the seat thriller that follows Robbie as she is forced to survive after her plane crashes.  We follow her from the mainland Hawaii where she leaves her sister to the plane the raft and beyond as she struggles to live without water or food or any way to get help.

I loved this book and could not put it down.  I started it in the morning and read till I finished it because I couldn't stand not knowing what was going to happen next.  Robbie is strong but still very realistic both breaking down and pushing through when she really needed to.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  It is an edge of your seat thriller that is scary without being violent.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ and feel that boys would like this book as well as girls (if they can get over the book being about a girl).

Son

Son by Lois Lowry is a continuation of the Giver Series.  This book starts out before the Giver starts with Claire who is the birthmother of the baby who lived in Jonas' house.  After having a difficult birth Claire is shuffled off to work in the hatchery.  Not having been given the pills that the rest of the population takes Claire begins questioning her role in society and becomes obsessed with the child that was taken to her at birth.  She vows to do anything she can go eventually be reunited with him. 

This was a nice final book in the series that not only tied all the stories together but also provided a conclusion to the stories of all the characters.  I thought that the book was a bit uneven with the three sections which took place in three locations (much like the three books in the series took place in different locations) with the first section being much stronger than the other two. 

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  There are some fairly traumatic childbirth sequences in the first several chapters which could turn off young (or male) readers.  The story is very heavy and full of things that should be discussed making it perfect for younger readers who are looking for a more introspective and thoughtful story.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine