A Girl Named Digit

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan follows Farrah a math wiz who finds herself tangled up with the FBI after cracking a code that detected a terrorist attack.  Farrah has never been normal.  She's not just a math wiz but has a compulsion to order everything in her life.  After having a hard time with bullies in middle school she decides to hide who she is in High School.  She lives an unhappy life, lying to everyone and herself about who she is until the unthinkable happens.  After cracking a code of numbers that appear on television a plane is bombed at the local airport and she realizes that she could have prevented it.  She goes to the FBI and finds herself running from the terrorists while trying to crack the code to prevent another bombing and dealing with her attraction to her young FBI handler.

I loved this book.  It was cute and funny and I loved Farrah learning to come to terms with the intelligence that she had always hidden before.  It reminded me a lot of Meg Cabot's Vanished series (which is also awesome, go read those if you haven't already) in tone.  A cool and interesting mystery and a special ability combined with a sexy older (but not too much older) love interest.  I tore through this book and hope that there are more Digit books in the future.

Appropriateness:  At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the life that Farrah isn't happy with which includes going to parties and drinking (but she does not get drunk) and making out with guys (which she describes as unappealing).  The FBI agent/love interest is older than her (she is seventeen and he is 21) and the age (minor/adult) difference between the two is mentioned frequently as a major obstacle.  There is no sex and the physical nature of their relationship is limited to kissing although the two do spend the night in the same room (and on the same couch) while they are on the run.  I would recommend this book for teens 13+ and encourage parents to use it as a starting point to discuss being yourself and also to discuss statutory rape and the reason that teen/adult relationships are not appropriate and illegal and why exactly it was so important for John that they wait on their relationship until Farrah turned eighteen.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Rough Waters

Rough Waters by S. L. Rottman follows Scott who along with his brother Gregg is uprooted to Colorado after the death of his parents to live with an uncle that he has never met.  His uncle runs a white water rafting company and has trouble making ends meet and puts them to work in his company. While Scott is open to the experience Greg is resentful and rebellious.

This is a wonderful book that's full of realistic action and will really appeal to teen boys.  Greg is a character that teens will be able to relate to, one that wants to do the right thing but stumbles and gives into peer pressure at times.  There are plenty of lessons to be learned in the book but it's the rafting scenes that really shine.  The reader can picture themselves on the raft, going on rafting trips and facing danger on a daily basis.  This book is a bit old and there are some things that are dated (like not being able to afford a long distance phone call) but the message and story is still exciting and relevant.

 Appropriateness:  Greg's older brother gets into a lot of trouble in the book.  He drinks and smokes, breaks the law and is disrespectful to women.  This is all viewed as negative and destructive and an example of how not to behave and Scott for the most part is a very good kid.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ with a special emphasis on boys and reluctant readers.

Review Copy provided by Netgalley

 

Happy Families

Happy Families by Tanita Davis follows twins Ysabel and Nicholas as they spend spring break with their father who have recently learned of their father's secret, that he is transgender.  The book is told in alternating voices as the twins spend time with their father, the first in months and try come to terms with their father's new life and try to heal their family.

This was a very good social issues book.  Introducing teens to an issue that they are not familiar with in a way that is interesting and relateable.  While I was not rushing to finish the book I had no problem finishing it and I found myself caring about the characters and hoping for a happy ending.  The author doesn't provide a happy ending but does provide a hopeful one.  This is a book that needs to be on library shelves.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the book.  The author does a good job talking about transgender persons and the differences even providing a glossary in the back of different terms and resources for more information.  I would recommend this book to teens 12+

Review copy provided by Netgalley

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm follows Libby who has a summer internship at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum running the camp for girls (in period costume).  Her summer is filled with evil co-workers, handsome boys, cute kids and a ghostly mystery.

This is a delightfully fun chic lit romance.  The type of book that makes you smile.  Libby is a smart and confident girl who isn't afraid to be different.  Cam and Garret the two men in her life are both equally charming (at times) and seem like real people.  The only negative is that the book is rather short (around 200 pages) however that is a plus for reluctant readers or readers who want a quick read.

Appropriateness:    There is quite a bit of drunken behavior by one of the side characters.  The alcohol is used to make him appear to be a bad person.  Libby takes a beer at one point, drinks a sip as to not cause a scene (complains about it) and then trades it for rootbeer.  The romances are limited to kissing and are sweet and funny.  While the book feels mature enough for older readers (with characters that seem like older high schoolers) it is appropriate for the middle school audience.  I recommend this book to readers 12+

Chomp

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen follows Wahoo a boy whose father is an animal wrangler.  When a reality show contacts Wahoo's father Micky about providing animals to set up a survivalist's show he is reluctant but agrees because he needs to pay the bills.  Will Wahoo and Micky be able to handle the arrogant Derek Badger?

I loved this book.  It was engaging and funny without being afraid to tackle some heavy subjects.  I loved the setting with all of the animals and Derek Badger the fake survivalist and his reality show made for some really funny reading.  It reminded me of one of those great family movies that has you laughing throughout.  I sped though the book and was happy with the nice solid ending that wrapped everything up.

Appropriateness:  This book tackles some very difficult subjects but does so in a way that's age appropriate.  Wahoo's friend Tuna comes with them because her father who is a drunk who gave her a black eye.  Wahoo's family has dealt with financial difficulties due to his unemployment due to a medical disability.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 it's a nice starting point to talk about child and substance abuse and what to do if they suspect a friend is in trouble.

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The Sisters Grimm

The Fairy Tale Detectives, the first book in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley follows Sabrina and her sister Daphne who move in with their grandmother in a very strange town.  They immediately notice that there is something strange in the house and town.  They soon find out that the town they live in is filled with fairytale characters and they must solve a mystery to save their grandmother from a giant that is tearing up the town.

This is a fun series that intermediate and middle grade readers will enjoy.  It's got two spunky female characters who are self reliant and smart.  The mystery combines the familiar tales with an imaginative spin and also introduces the fact that the sanitized versions that our kids were introduced to are different than the originals which were much scarier. 

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for readers who have graduated into full chapter books.  The reading level is about 4.5 (lexile 840) and the book is just over three hundred pages.  The story has some minor violence (of the action variety) but is not very scary.  While the two main characters are female there are several male characters that boys will like and there is not even a hint of romance.  I would recommend this book to boys and girls 9-13 (or younger readers who can handle the size of the book).  It is interesting enough that it will work as a read aloud and first in a multi book series.

Ladies in Waiting

Ladies in Waiting by Ms. Laura L. Sullivan follows three girls named Elizabeth (Zabby, Beth and Eliza) who have positions as ladies in waiting for Queen Catherine right after her wedding to King Charles the II.  The three girls must learn to navigate through the ways of the court and figure out what they are going to do with their lives.  Will they be forced to live the life that someone else chooses for them or will they be able to make their own decisions.  Choose who they love.

I enjoyed this book, it had parties and great dresses and everything a reader wants when reading this type of historical romance.  It has enough history to make the reader want to do a little research but not so much that the reader feels like they're in history class. The three girls were great friends and each had their own issue to overcome which showed a different part of their society.  The story however was slow at times.  I felt like I was reading a 550 page book when in fact the book was under 400 pages. 

Appropriateness:  This book didn't feel like a young adult book however, it did feel like the historical romance novels that I read when I was a teen (except without the sex).  It was not a fast read and there was some MASSIVE vocabulary (words that can be figured out in context but many that I was not familiar with).  There wasn't any sex however, there was an obsessive amount of talk of virginity and sex as it related to the girls in their time period.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin follows Kelsey at the start of her freshman year.  Kelsey gets through her freshmen year dealing with the soccer team, fights with friends, a surprise role in the school musical and even a bit of romance.

This is a delightfully funny book that I loved.  Kelsey is a smart and funny and the disasters that happen to her seem realistic.  Kelsey is a girl who has to deal with a lot of real problems in the best way she knows how.  She's got great friends and isn't afraid to get into her school activities.  There's a little side plot regarding her friends possible homosexuality that was dealt with beautifully.  I laughed so hard while reading this book at one point I had to stop reading I was laughing so hard.  I finished the book quickly and would be thrilled to read another book by this author.

Appropriateness:  Kelsey and her friends drink when they're alone together and they drink at parties often getting very drunk and it is clear that they started drinking in middle school.  The romance consists of a few kisses and one situation where a boy gets too handsy with Kelsey (and she pushes him off).  I'd recommend this book to teens 13+ and use it to talk to your child about teen drinking.

The Thirteenth Princess

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses (and yes, this is probably the fifth retelling of this tale that I've read, I can't get enough).  In this retelling the star is Zita, the thirteenth princess who was raised as a servant after her mother died during her childbirth.  Zita has to solve the mystery of her sister's illness and has a little romance on the side as she grows up.

I loved this retelling.  It was sweet and romantic (in a way that was very appropriate for young readers) and full of magic.  Zita made for a fantastic heroine who orchestrates the rescue with the help of a few friends.  I also liked that the author took out the creepy part of the story (the rescuer being able to marry any princess) and just gave us a soldier whom had a mutual affection for the oldest sister.  This is an easy and quick read.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages..  There is a bit of a romance between Zita and Brekin which is sweet and innocent.  The lexile is 850 putting it on a sixth grade reading level making it a great book for middle school readers and advanced older elementary students.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelly Coriell tells the story of Chloe who suddenly looses her social standing when she is frozen out by her best friend.  Chloe becomes part of the school radio station for her independent study project.  Chloe becomes friends with people she never would have talked to before and her radio show gets the station the publicity that it needs.

I really enjoyed the book. Chloe was a great person who was able to handle her loss of popularity with class and find herself a new place to fit in.  I loved the relationship that she had with her grandmother and the romance was sweet and did not monopolize the plot.  I sped through the book remaining interested throughout.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  Chloe is a Junior in high school and acts her age.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Review copy provided by netgalley

The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass is a dystopian romance that takes place in a strictly regimented society where citizens have no choice as to their lot in society.  America is a five, both of her parents are artists and she has grown up in poverty.  She is secretly in love with Aspen, a six who is destined to work as a servant his entire life and who is forbidden to America because of his caste.  When a letter comes in the mail inviting America to enter a contest to become the newest princess America reluctantly applies and finds herself flown into an extravagant bachelor like contest to win the heart of the prince.  Will she be able to leave her childhood love and move on? 

This was a strange strange book that I couldn't put down.  I sped through the book finishing it in less than a day all the while being amazed with the the absurdity of the concept of a dystopian dating reality show.  I liked America as a character but found the other characters to be one dimensional.  There's the nice one and the bitchy one and many many who aren't important enough to get a real personality.  The two leading men are interesting enough but I didn't find myself rooting for one over another.  The book ends on a cliffhanger with no real resolution which is frustrating.  This story is being made into a pilot for the CW this fall.

Appropriateness:  There are a few heavy makeout scenes and discussions of virginity.  Nothing that is shocking and it's easily skimmed or skipped.  While America is a teen, her life is more like that of a girl in her young twenties and thinking of marriage than a teen which will make the book attractive to older YA's and the crossover audience.  I recommend this book to readers 13+

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Never Eighteen

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic tells the story of Austin who has a few things to do before he dies.  Austin and his friend Kaylee, the best friend whom he has secretly loved travel around the state to do some things that he needs to do before he dies.  Trying to help people move on and fix their lives.

This is an interesting book that tries to get the reader to think about the mistakes that are made in life and the need to fix them. Austin and Kaylee are interesting characters and the love story is predictable but sweet.  I didn't find the plot particularly engrossing however I think that fans of this type of story (Nicolas Sparks fans) will enjoy the book.

Appropriateness:  This is a book with a lot of adult content.  There is sex (with condoms yay!) and a bit of drunkenness (with a mention of the designated driver yay!) .  I would recommend this book to teens 14+ who are fans of sweet and sad stories.

Review Copy Provided by Amazon Vine

Croak

Croak by Gina Damico follows Lex who is sent to live with her uncle after a turbulent year where Gina's anger consistantly gets the best of her.  When she arrives in her uncles hometown she finds that things are not as she thought they would be.  Her uncle is a Grimm Reaper and he is going to teach Lex how to kill.

I loved this book.  The mythology was original and interesting.  I loved tough girl Lex and the other teens that she worked with.  The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing.  The ending is clear and fulfilling enough to not feel like a cliffhanger but there is still plenty of mystery to be explored.

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for teens that is mature enough for older teens to enjoy.  There is no real adult content although the teens do drink a mythological substance recreationaly while hanging out in a bar like setting.There is a bit of a romance but not enough to turn off readers who are not interested in romance.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

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The Springsweet

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell is a sequel to The Vespertine.  This book follows Zora who moves in with an aunt in Oklahoma shortly after the landrun following the death of her fiancee.  Zora finds that this new frontier dangerous and difficult but filled with interesting people.  Zora soon finds that she has the ability of a springsweet, one who can locate water, and finds herself in a love triangle between the man who is right socially and the man that is right for her heart.

I loved this book.  While it was a sequel to The Vespertine it felt more like a companion novel which has a character from the original but does not continue the original story.  The historical setting was written well allowing the reader to feel like they are in the frontier setting.  The book is short and the plot engrossing leaving me with a story that I could not not put down.  Both this book and The Vespertine reminded me of the historical romance novels that I loved and adored as a teen (but without all the sex.)

Appropriateness:  This is a wonderful historical romance that teens will love.  There is no alcohol or drugs.  There are a few sections where it could be implied that more happened than just kissing but it is left to the imagination.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Something To Hold

Something To Hold by Katherine Schlick Noe tells the story of Kitty a white girl who moves onto an Indian reservation in the early 1960's with her father who works for the forest service.  Kitty's year starts out very rocky, she feels like an outsider in a world she doesn't understand.  She soon makes friends and finds herself confused by the differences in the way she is treated compared to her Indian classmates and neighbors.

This is a fantastic book, based on the authors own childhood, that explores what life was like for those on the reservation.  This is the type of book that belongs on a library shelf to be explored by kids for years to come.  It presents several complex issues such as racism, child abuse and injustices that Native Americans had to deal with.   I enjoyed Kitty's story and finished the book without putting it down.

Appropriateness:  There are some difficult topics in this book (addiction, abuse, racism) that are handled very appropriately for the intended audience although some adult discussion to the full context of these issues would be helpful for readers to get a full understanding of the topic.  Kitty is eleven and there is no romance.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14.

Review Copy obtained from Amazon Vine

Last Chance

Last Chance by Nora McClintock follows Robyn a dog bite victim who is forced to spend her summer volunteering at am animal shelter after she is arrested during a protest.  Also working at the shelter is a group of teens who are part of an anger management program rehabilitating abused dogs.  When Robyn thinks she sees one of the boys stealing she'll have to figure out if people really can change.

This was a pleasant but unremarkable book.  The mystery and the bad boy semi-love interest was fairly predictable.  I did enjoy reading about the animal shelter and think that kids who are interested in dogs would probably really enjoy this book.  While I was interested in the book I didn't find myself itching to finish or unable to put the book down and it took me several days to finish.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the book.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

ARC provided by netgalley

Fever (Chemical Garden)

Fever by Lauren DeStefano is the second book in the Chemical Garden trilogy.  This series follows Rhine who lives in a world where everyone is infected with a virus that kills men at 25 and women at 20.  This book catches up with Rhine and Gabriel right after their escape.  They travel to New York in search of Rhine's brother facing many speedbumps on the road.

This book was fairly typical for a second book in a dystopian.  Girl leaves previous environment, girl meets many questionable characters and faces a lot of danger and finds herself confused about her relationship.  While I wasn't astounded or surprised by the book and again found myself rolling my eyes at the decisions the heroine made I did like the book and the world continued to fascinate me. If you liked the first book in the series you will enjoy this one also.

Appropriateness:  The world that Rhine lives in is one that is filled with sexual exploitation.  Women are bought and sold and kidnapped for sex and to be impregnated.  There are no sex scenes in the book but sex is a big part of the plot and there are several situations where Rhine is at risk to be raped.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+

Take a Bow

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg follows a group of students in their Senior year at a competitive performing arts school in New York City.  The story revolves around Emme a shy composer who slowly comes into her own and learns to stand up for herself.  The story is told through the eyes of Emme and several of her classmates: Sophie, her best friend whom she'll have to come to realize is using her.  Carter, Sophie's boyfriend and child star who is not sure if he wants to be an actor and Ethan who has always cared about Emme.

This was a fantastic contemporary novel about older teens.  I loved Emme's growth throughout the book as she learns to stand up for herself, believe in herself and become the performer that she never knew she could be.  The performing arts school felt like a real place and the author did a good job creating a school that seemed real and had the students doing high school level work.  I sped through this book finishing it quickly.

Appropriateness:  This is a book about teenagers that act like teenagers.  There's alcohol abuse (which is in every case depicted as stupid and destructive) and some discussions of sex.  I would recommend the book to readers 13+

Bewitching

Bewitching by Alex Flinn is a combination of several retold fairy tales that all involve Kendra the witch.  The story starts with Kendra discovering that she is a witch after saving her brother from the plague that has killed most of her small town.  She then comes into contact with another witch who lives in a gingerbread house, a girl with a wicked stepsister, a mermaid.

This was a frustrating book that was also very good.  It was essentially a collection of short stories retelling various fairy tales and each of the tales were interesting and fun to read.  However, the way the book was formatted was very frustrating.  The book starts with the tale of Hansel and Gretel in the middle ages and then moves to the present to tell half of a Cinderella tale and then takes breaks throughout that story with short retellings of other tales throughout Kendra's history.  While each of the tales themselves are interesting the way they are all sliced together is jarring and took me out of the story, stalling the plot and slowing the book to a stop.  I would recommend this book because I loved each of the stories I just wish that the author had published them as a group of short stories instead of the way they were formatted.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  This book reads a little older than Flinn's last book Cloaked but is still appropriate for that audience (as well as the older teen audience).  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ who are fans of fairytale romances.   

Radiate

Radiate by Marley Gibson features Hayley a girl who decides to try out for the cheerleading squad for her senior year in high school.  After making the team and going through grueling summer practices she notices that there is something wrong with her leg and makes an appointment at the doctor.  She soon finds out that she has a tumor on her leg.  Haley fights through her cancer, refusing to give up on cheerleading and ultimately inspiring her entire community.

I almost didn't read the book because the blurb on the first page of my ARC said something about how the book could show readers the power of positive thinking and my first reaction to that was barf, sounds like too much cheese for me.  However, once I got into the book I couldn't help but be hooked by Hayley's story.  While there were a few things that bothered me (Hayley being so uneducated and unrealistic about her disease, her obsession with popularity) for the most part I felt myself really being drawn into her story and inspired by Haley's actions (even more so when you read the note at the end written by the author's mother and find out that the story is a fictionalized account of the Author's her own disease).  Her classmates act in realistic ways and she has to deal with classmates that are less than supportive.  While the book is tough it's not a book that readers will cry their way though.  I couldn't put this book down and finished it very quickly.

Appropriateness:  There are some party situations with underage drinking (which Hayley does not partake in).  Hayley is seventeen however she acts younger than her age.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ 

Review copy provided by netgalley