Tag Archives: Young Adult

Karma For Beginners by Jessica Blank

American Literature

Synopsis: When her mom moves them onto an ashram, a fifteen-year-old girl rebels by falling in love. Review: I was expecting Karma For Beginners to be light and frothy and comic, but the story actually delves into some really dark psychological territory. Tessa’s free-spirited mom has been following her bliss and dragging Tessa along for the ride as long as Tessa can remember, but the ashram ends up being the place where Tessa finds her own true identity. She falls in love with the unreligious…

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The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: Yet another installment in the Blue Bloods series, which follows a group of vampires reincarnated as wealthy New York City prep school kids and their families. Review: Against my better judgment, I decided to give The Van Alen Legacy, book four in the Blue Bloods series, a try. I wasn’t wild about the first three books, but they had an appealing energy so I thought I’d give the series one more chance. I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t find any other reasons…

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His Eyes by Reneé Carter

American Literature

Synopsis: Hired to “babysit” an 18-year-old young man blinded in a riding accident, a high school girl finds herself falling in love. Review: His Eyes is a sweet little story. It has some flaws in the plotting, with one particular character who becomes unrealistically monstrous, but its heart is in the right place. The love story had a lot of warmth to it, and the family dynamics were intriguing all around. Many thanks to Reneé Carter for the review copy.

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A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt (Miracle Girls)

American Literature

Synopsis: Shy girl Zoe can’t handle her parents’ separation and looming divorce, and she doesn’t know what to do about the attention she’s getting from hot new guy Dean. Review: A Little Help From My Friends was more plot-lite than the previous installments, which I kind of liked. Nothing super dramatic happened, and instead the drama focused on Zoe’s burgeoning independence. The writing is breezy and accessible, as usual, though God played a much smaller role than in previous books. At one point, Ana tells…

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Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

American Literature

Synopsis: After her mother enters rehab and a neighbor girl goes missing, a pastor’s daughter has a crisis of faith. Review: Once Was Lost is yet another strong, character-driven young adult novel by Sara Zarr. I really like how she can tackle dark, complex issues without letting that darkness shroud her writing. You’re never attracted to the dark side in one of her books–you’re always longing for the characters to find the light. As a pastor’s daughter, Samara faces challenges her peers don’t. She has…

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Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

American Literature

Synopsis: The arrival of a freak show to town turns young Darren’s life upside down as learns that vampires are real–and not necessarily evil. Review: I had to stop reading A Living Nightmare after a vampire called one of Darren’s young friends “evil.” (I’m a mom, I can’t help but be tender-hearted.) Middle grade and YA horror have never been genres I enjoy, because I’m always uncomfortable with darkness being peddled to children. Additionally, I try to avoid books that call evil good and vice…

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Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

American Literature 6 Comments

Synopsis: After the death of her mother’s seventh husband in the gladiatorial arena, a teenage girl finds herself betrothed to his killer–unless she can fight her way out of it. Review: When I first picked up Girl in the Arena, I was expecting some kind of Hunger Games ripoff. That’s not a bad thing, per se–I love those kinds of books. But my expectations weren’t that high, and so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered how original, complex, and downright literary Girl…

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The Crow by Alison Croggon (The Third Book of Pellinor)

Australian Literature

Synopsis: Young Bard-in-training Hem finds himself in the midst of a war, recruited into a vicious army of children enslaved by evil magic. Review: The Crow got off to a very slow start, but once it got going I was enthralled by the uniqueness of the world and the beauty of the writing. I fell in love with Hem, a deep thinker whose life has been marred by tragedy, and his friend Zelika, an impetuous girl who is the last of her family. The war…

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How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: When Jamie Bartlett accidentally turns her journal in instead of her homework, she becomes an overnight bestselling author and her life turns upside down. Review: How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller has a supercute, bubbly tone that I found exceptionally charming. Author Julia DeVillers absolutely nails her 14-year-old protagonist’s voice. Jamie is naive, exuberant, silly, bold, timid, smart, and goodhearted (despite several lapses in judgment). The plot moves quickly, though a bit predictable, which I think is more a genre issue than…

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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

American Literature 4 Comments

I’m giving away 3 copies of Hunger Games–check out this post for rules & to enter! Synopsis: After winning the Hunger Games, underdog Katniss Everdeen finds herself caught up in political intrigue as rebellion foments in other districts, and when the president himself makes a game-changing move, Katniss must choose between love and freedom. Review: I was totally and completely sucked in and swept away by Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins’s sequel to last year’s it novel Hunger Games. The series is starting to remind me…

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