Young Adult Book Reviews

Review: Mystery of the Moonfire (Book 2 of the Spectraland Saga) by Brian Tashima

★★★½ Mystery of the Moonfire by Brian TashimaLife can be weird sometimes when you’re a teenager, but not as weird as seventeen-year-old Joel Suzuki. He’s a pretty average guy, he’s in a band, just got a record deal, he has some good friends, and he has (mostly) fond memories of living in a weird place called “Spectraland” too – a world apart from the Earth he’s living on now. They might have stayed memories, too, if an old friend hadn’t have come to one of his gigs to deliver grave news about the fate of his old home: not only is his clan in trouble, but […]

2016-03-04T03:52:40+02:00December 31st, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Tim Curious by Roddy Thorleifson ★★★★★

Tim Curious by Roddy Thorleifson Tim Curious: A Murder Mystery of the American Revolution, by Roddy Thorleifson, is a wonderful young adult historical fiction novel that’ll charm readers of all ages.

Young Tim Euston wanted to fight with George Washington, but he was considered too short and sent away. Can he support Washington’s troops another way? One incident rapidly changes Tim’s life. One night in January, a man attacks Tim’s fourteen-year-old sister. Tim rushes to her aid, but he’s arrested for robbery. The only adult who could testify on Tim’s behalf is found dead. A man is found guilty of the murder, but […]

2016-01-13T10:02:17+02:00December 18th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

My Daylight Monsters by Sarah Dalton

My Daylight MonstersMy Daylight Monsters is the prequel novella to Sarah Dalton’s Young Adult Mary Hades series. Though the book is called a prequel, Dalton recommends in the beginning of the book to start with this short work, and it establishes Mary Hades as a riveting, exciting, and sensitive young adult heroine.

My Daylight Monsters finds 17-year-old Mary Hades being institutionalized after having “visions” of zombies and skull-headed monsters. As she’s in a mental institution, there’s always a nagging sense that Mary might actually be crazy – to the reader, and to Mary herself. Woven into this narrative are an interesting cast […]

2015-10-28T10:01:22+02:00October 28th, 2015|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Chasing Paper Cranes by Courtney Peppernell

★★★★½ Chasing Paper Cranes by Courtney Peppernell

Chasing Paper Cranes, by Courtney Peppernell, is an inspirational coming of age novel that teaches an important message: when the world crumbles at your feet, the people who help you rebuild are your true friends.

Layla’s father left when she was a young child, but he left behind a book of Japanese legends. Layla always felt drawn to one legend that says if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, your wish will be granted.

Layla meets Sam online and a relationship flourishes. They plan to meet in London and she brings 1,000 paper cranes to give to Sam.

However, […]

2019-01-22T04:37:15+02:00October 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Xodus by K. J. McPike ★★★★★

Xodus by K. J. McPikeXodus, by K. J. McPike, is an action-packed young adult urban fantasy.

Lali Yavari can’t believe something she just witnessed. Was it a dream even though it seemed so real? It had to be a dream, she rationalizes. But when she continues to witness strange events and seeing people disappear, she can no longer deny something strange is going on and it’s not a dream.

When Kai Awana enrols in her school, Lali learns that she can astral project, an ability she inherited from her mother. Lali’s mother mysteriously left her family weeks before. Kai needs Lali’s help to […]

Review: Silence in Center by Jody Studdard ★★★★

Silence in Center by Jody StuddardSilence in Center by Jody Studdard is a heartwarming addition to the Softball Star series.

Melody Gold is a fourteen-year-old fastpitch player who wants to advance from Little League to select ball. The problem is finding a team that will let her play. She’s talented, but Melody has a hearing impairment. She can hear with her hearing aids and she wears them during games, but many coaches say it just won’t work out. Melody’s not a quitter and she’s determined to prove that she can play at the highest level.

Young readers who love inspirational sports stories will like this […]

2015-09-16T07:32:51+02:00August 28th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Puzzle Trees by Thom Mark Shepard

puzzle treesPuzzle Trees by Thom Mark Shepard is an entertaining coming of age novel with a bit of horror thrown into the mix. Joe Sheffield is an awkward but thoughtful high school freshman whose best friends move away. Entering high school is hard enough without having to tackle it alone. Joe begins looking for the principal’s missing cats in the area of the “puzzle trees,” a forbidding forest where it’s thought to be the home of strange aggressive primates. Along with his equally-tormented brother, Joe sets out to find the missing cats and locate the mysterious denizens of the Puzzle Trees, […]

2019-01-22T11:01:34+02:00July 2nd, 2015|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

The Age of Amy: Behind the Fun Zone by Bruce Edwards

Age of AmyThe Age of Amy: Behind the Fun Zone is the fourth novel in the “Age of Amy” series by Bruce Edwards. The Amy books put Amy, a rebellious and precocious teenager, into some fantastical scenarios. In the first book, she comes toe to toe with a farm animal that can manipulate time and space. Behind the Fun Zone is more sci-fi than fantasy, and puts Amy against a creepy new technology called the Jimmie, which implants cell phone technology into your head. Amy, who’s already averse to technology, is having none of it, and her aversion to the Jimmie is […]

2015-06-22T07:39:04+02:00June 22nd, 2015|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
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