Posted on by Maureen

And I Darken by Kiersten White

51crgzr20qlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw As I Darken being described as “Game of Thrones set in the Ottoman Empire”, I couldn’t wait to read it. This is a young adult novel written by Kiersten White.

Lada and Radu are siblings: they are barely a year apart in age, but they are as different as day and night. Lada wants nothing more than to be a great warrior, but she is expected to marry and have babies. Radu gives off the impression that he is weak, meek, and unworthy of attention- but in reality, he is crafty and introspective.

As the children of a Wallachian prince, they are proud of their heritage. It is quite a shock for them when they are sent to the Ottoman Court.   It is presented as a great honor, but the truth behind this magnanimous gesture is harsh; they are hostages, and if their father does not hold up his end of the bargain that he made with the sultan, then they will be summarily killed without any hesitation. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

61zc8irjtalI’ve had Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here on my radar, so I was very pleased to have found it at my town library. This YA novel was written by Anna Breslaw.

Scarlett is a high school student living in suburban New Jersey. She lives in public housing with her mother. Scarlett loves watching Lycanthrope High on television, and writing fanfic stories about the characters. As the story begins, Scarlett’s beloved show has just been canceled. She isn’t sure what to do about this; she has devoted so much of her spare time to writing fanfic, and she isn’t ready to move on to another television show.

Scarlett starts writing a spinoff story featuring some of her classmates. This proves to be very cathartic, and helps Scarlett with some of the turmoil in her personal life. But what will happen with her classmates find out that she’s writing about them? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks

51dw9wblpmlThe Lifeboat Clique is a young adult novel written by Kathy Parks. This book had been on my radar, so I was pleased to find it on the shelf at the library.

Denver is a relatively unpopular girl at her Southern California high school. She goes to a party thrown by the popular kids because her crush Croix invites her. Before Denver can have a cliché movie moment and kiss her crush, an earthquake strikes and then a tsunami destroys the beach house house where the party is taking place. Denver manages to scramble onto a small boat, along with a few other kids- one of whom is her ex-best friend Abigail.

The group is swept out to sea, and they have limited resources. They have no way of knowing when they will be rescued- or if there is even anything for them to go back to.  And it doesn’t seem to matter that they are in the very definition of a precarious situation; they might die of dehydration, but the popular kids are still sniping at Denver! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

61wnx8qycilI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There have been a few recent YA novels that also dealt with cults that I enjoyed reading. I have been seeing quite a bit of chatter about Eliza Wass’s The Cresswell Plot, so I was excited about the opportunity to read an advanced copy of it.

Castella Cresswell serves as our narrator. Castley’s family is different than the other families in the area. They live on the outskirts of town, and she and her five siblings have limited contact with the outside world. Their father has preached of their difference for years; the Cresswells are special, and that God has singled them out among the heathens. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten

41u7xy0kizlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beware That Girl is a YA psychological thriller by Teresa Toten. Kate O’Brian is a girl with a past. When we first Kate, she’s living in a hovel, but preparing to start her senior year at Waverly, a Manhattan girl’s school. Kate is confident, and Kate has aspirations for greatness. Part of Kate’s plan involves befriending Olivia Sumner, a former “it girl” who is now only a fragile shell of what she used to be.

It seems clear that Kate plans to use Olivia to further her own agenda, but that’s not quite what’s happening at all. As Kate becomes comfortable moving in Olivia’s circle, there is a dangerous new staff member whose obsession with the girls might ruin everything Kate has worked so hard to achieve. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse

51qrvdfllvl-_sx322_bo1204203200_I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Neverland Wars is a YA fantasy written by Audrey Greathouse. The title gives away a rather big clue about what the story is really about, but the plot starts out like so many other YA novels. Gwen is an average girl in an average town. She goes to high school, interacts with her friends, and she even has a crush on a boy.

But all that changes when Gwen’s little sister Rosemary is kidnapped. Her parents are forced to admit that magic is a very real and very dangerous force. As they worry about when Rose will come home, Gwen comes face-to-face with the kidnapper- the infamous Peter Pan. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey

61-uqwzzxtlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I love stories set during the Regency period, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read Love, Lies and Spies. This young adult novel was written by Cindy Anstey.

Juliana Telford is a young woman of Quality about to embark on her first Season in London. She is very excited about this; she is not interested in finding a husband- no, our Miss Telford has some ulterior motives. She hopes to get her research about lady beetles published, so London is the perfect place to be to achieve this goal. Juliana encounters Mr. Spencer Northam at the beginning of the book, and continues to encounter him once the Season begins in London. Spencer is secretly working with the War Department; he knows that communiqués have been exchanged, and he needs to figure out who is behind these treasonous activities. Mr. Northam has also declared that matrimony is not for him, but it is difficult to concentrate when in close proximity to such a beautiful young woman. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

51mm2qbulslI had been looking forward to The Dark Days Club from the moment that I first heard about it several months before its release. I had a copy from the library, but when I found out that if I bought the Kindle edition, I could add the Audible edition for only $4.50 or so. Sold!

The Dark Days Club is the first entry in a Regency-set YA series by Alison Goodman. Lady Helen Wrexhall is preparing for her presentation at court. Lady Helen lives with her aunt and uncle. Her parents are dead, and Lady Helen doesn’t know much about the accident that led to their death, other than that it was Very Scandalous and should never be discussed. Ever. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

51kf8h1todlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard about Into the Dim over on Netgalley, my interest was piqued. This book is a young adult novel written by Janet B. Taylor. It’s been described as a YA version of Outlander. YA? Outlander? Sign me up!

So right away, I should point out that although our heroine begins her journey in Scotland, she travels back to 1154 London, and the coronation of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine rather than 18th century Scotland like Outlander.

Hope Walton has just buried her mother, who has been missing and presumed dead for seven months. Her stepfather has moved on, and he already has a new girlfriend. His mother- ostensibly Hope’s grandmother since she was five years old- hates her. So, when Hope receives an invitation to visit an aunt she has never met in Scotland, it seems like a good opportunity. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason

51uhtu02bablI love young adult books, and I love books set in the Victorian era. Coleen Gleason’s Stoker & Holmes series combines both of these elements, and adds a partnership between Bram Stoker’s sister and Sherlock Holmes’ niece. I have recently finished listening to The Spiritglass Charade, which is the second book in the series.

Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker have already solved one mystery, but they are asked by Princess Alix for assistance with a rather delicate matter. A young aristocratic woman has been increasingly involved with spiritualism following the death of her mother and the disappearance of her brother. The princess fears that Miss Aston is being taken advantage of, because mediums are believed to be charlatans who take advantage of mourners. But of course, nothing is as is seems, and the two young women find the case to be far more complicated than it appears. Throw in evidence of vampires, and you’ve got an intriguing case that Mina and Evaline are determined to solve! Read more