Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Older Children/Young Adult, fairy tale

Re-read June 2012

5 Stars

My Review:
I LOVE THIS BOOK!
This book has adventure, humor, romance, and a great main character in Miri.  She is a strong, intelligent, loving girl.

Shannon Hale is writing a sequel to Princess Academy called Palace of Stone.  I felt like I should re-read this book and I'm so glad I did.

Here is Shannon Hale's blog/website and also a photo of the cover.

http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html

Warnings: None

I would definitely let my 14 year old daughter read this, as well as my 11 year old daughter.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Young Adult

Read June 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
This is the 5th book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.  Do not read it if you haven't read the others.  It won't make sense.  ; )
This book was intense.  It was hard for me to read frankly.  There was lots of angst and frustration.  There was romance, violence, betrayal,  humor, the list goes on.  It had everything.  It was definitely more meaty for me than some of the others in the series.  And therefore, more grown up.  I appreciated some of the growth that the characters went through, especially Clary and Isabelle.  I love Simon, he is definitely continuing as a favorite for me.  There were some difficult issues dealt with in the book, including incest.  I can't say I loved this book, but it was definitely worth the read if you have read this series.

Another review (only 2 stars) by Books in the Spotlight
http://booksinthespotlight.blogspot.com/2012/06/city-of-lost-souls-mortal-instruments-5.html

Warnings:  THERE ARE LOTS FOR THIS BOOK!  Teen sex, incest, homosexuality, drug use, violence (against demons and such, as well as domestic between characters).

I would NOT let my 14 year old daughter read this book.

getting over garrett delaney by Abby McDonald

getting over garrett delaney (not capitalized on the cover) by Abby McDonald

Young Adult

Read June 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
I am glad I read this book.  Sadie, the main character, goes through quite a journey discovery who she is.  I appreciated reading about this girl's struggles and figuring out who she is and who she wants to be.  I think we all work through that at different times in our lives.

I loved the friendships in this book.  There were all different kinds of friendships and it was interesting to see the different dynamics.  And the "cast of characters" was fabulous.  I could picture all of these quirky people.

This was a quick read, lighthearted at times (I laughed out loud) and poignant at others.

Warnings: There is mention of drug use, and a couple of scenes of party drinking.  Neither of these are by main characters and not glorified.

I would let my 14 year old daughter read this.

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Young Adult

Read June 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
This book has all the typical flirty fun of newly discovered romance.  I enjoy reading that.  What I was not expecting was the depth of exploration of the main character's feelings regarding her father's illness.  Not only did the author deal with the main characters fears (and avoidance of them), but also how that affected her relationships with other family members and her best friend.  I can relate to the main character's fears of the unknown.  I also appreciate that the author finds ways for the main character to work through her feelings, sometimes not as successfully as others.  I also like that she found a physical outlet for her anxiety through exercise.  That is something that I know realistically, but I always need reminding.  I truly enjoyed this book.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old read this book.

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

YA, Fairy tale, contemporary

Read May 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
This is the second book of the Fairy Godmother books by Janette Rallison.  This book deals with a bit deeper issues in my opinion.  Frankly, I liked it a bit better than the first book because of that.  I found the characters flawed in a way that I was interested in them.  Also there were several solutions to the conflict that the characters had to work through.  I appreciated that there wasn't a straightforward answer.  I think in life it is a difficult lesson to learn that the way we think is right isn't the only way to solve a problem.  And, as a fan of Once Upon a Time on ABC, I liked reading about this version of Rumpelstiltskin.  Overall an enjoyable read.

Warnings: None

My 14 year old read this book before me, so I would recommend it for younger teen readers.

We all have our own opinions

A few months ago I reviewed an excellent book called Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I gave the book 4 Stars.  My biggest reason for not giving it 5 Stars was the violence.

Part of the purpose of this blog is to warn people of the content of books I have read.  In that spirit, I would like to warn anyone reading this that Insurgent by Veronica Roth is violent.  Frankly I don't know how violent because I put the book down and decided I didn't want to read it.  With Divergent, the violence built to a rebellion of sorts.  Insurgent, as the sequel, picks up a the end of Divergent, with violence.  I thought if it started there, it could only get worse.  I don't know if it did or not, and it is probably a good book in the sense of story.  However, I don't need to read all that violence.  For some, I realize the violence isn't an issue.  That is why we are all allowed our own opinion.

This is my opinion.  I would not allow my 14 year old daughter to read this because I would not read this myself.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Young adult, fantasy, mythology

Read April 2012

4.5 Stars

My Review:
I am rarely a crier in books. I didn't cry when Dumbledore or Dobby died. I didn't cry when Prim died. If I do cry, it is usually when someone is having really familiar emotions to something I've felt before. With that background, I did not cry in this book. However, I can see how many might cry. Everneath has a lot of strong emotions in it. If you tend to be a crier, then get your tissues ready.
I appreciate the nuggets of wisdom that Brodi Ashton included in this book. It was thoughful and mature. I would not call this a fun, teen read. It is not a quick, easy, move on to the "next which is just like it" book.
The only reason I gave this book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because I like books tied up in a pretty bow. I don't mind the drama, but then give me happy. It is purely an opinion and this book would have been a 5 for me if it were a little bit "happier".

Warnings: Just a few swear words and they weren't the really strong ones.

I would let my 14 year old read this book.