Young Adult Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Sandbox by JW Patrick

An intense and unpredictable adventure set against a rich narrative landscape, The Sandbox by JW Patrick is a memorable new work of YA science fiction. When three young teenagers’ lives collide after a mysterious impact event, their worlds are thrown into a fascinating and potentially dangerous spiral driven by forces beyond their control or understanding.

The focal characters of this novel – Isla, Sonny and Dan – make for a brilliant trio of protagonists wrestling with powers they had previously thought were impossible. When they discover a world – The Sandbox – where they can do anything they want in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-03-11T12:37:04+02:00January 27th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The King of Escape by Mark Christopher Mathis

A trifecta of dysfunctionality, addiction, and mental illness forms the backbone of Mark Christopher Mathis’ sobering young adult offering, The King of Escape.

Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Carrier is reluctantly about to embark on a cruise with his family. For most families, this would be an exciting adventure, but for Nicholas, it’s anything but. The past few years have been hell, and the thought of being confined on a cruise ship in close quarters with his annoying younger sister, Mad, while being tasked with looking after his twelve-year-old autistic brother, Jacob, is bad enough, but to be under the constant eagle […]

Marta Cheng2018-12-07T12:53:36+02:00October 26th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Summer Girl by Linda Watkins

Summer Girl by Linda Watkins is a poignant coming of age novel that asks whether it’s possible to forget one’s first love.

It’s the summer of sixty-five and sixteen-year-old islander Jake Chambers meets the ferry bringing the newest crop of summer people to Cutter Island. Fifteen-year-old Andrea (Andi) Martin is unlike the other summer girls and immediately captures Jake’s attention. Over the Fourth of July lobster bake, they become fast friends and soon their friendship blossoms into first love. It seems like they’re destined to be together – until one fateful night, a lapse in better judgment leads to tragic […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T04:35:51+02:00October 16th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Nia & the Numbers Game by Kela Henry, MD

Nia & the Numbers Game: A Teenager’s Guide to Education, Relationships & Sex by Kela Henry, MD takes a unique approach by combining fiction and facts to both entertain and educate adolescent readers.

The fictional aspect of this book focuses on Nia Ferguson, a young African-American girl. At the outset of Nia’s story, she’s a twelve-year-old adolescent whose parents have just split up. Although her father moves into an apartment nearby, Nia, along with her younger brother, PJ, face some challenges as they adjust to living in both parents’ homes.

Nia’s story chronicles various aspects of her life and the […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T06:04:55+02:00September 14th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Relationships Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Freeing Linhurst: Into the Tunnels by Al Cassidy

With a bold spirit and a nose for a good mystery, one ghostly adventure was never going to be enough for young Jack Alexander. In Freeing Linhurst: Into the Tunnels, author Al Cassidy breathes fresh life into his courageous characters – Jack and Celia – from the first book in the series.

Two years have passed since they first delved into the secrets of Linhurst State School and Hospital, and both have dealt with their first fantastical foray in different ways. Jack has been tormented by the memories of Linhurst, from merciless teasing at school to haunting dreams that […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:16:45+02:00September 13th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps by A.J. Massey

Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps is an imaginative YA novel written by A.J. Massey that is penned with surprising maturity, despite being targeted at a younger audience. From the very first chapter of this addictive story, readers are transported to a wondrous land where expectations are constantly being dashed and a young boy finds the hero that has always been inside.

When young Ben finds himself transported to the mystifying world of Meridia, he must fend for himself among the strange creatures and magical beings he encounters, as well as the other inhabitants of his decidedly odd surroundings. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-09-24T01:59:22+02:00August 24th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The Legacy of King Jasteroth Vol. 1 by S.L. Wyllie

The Legacy of King Jasteroth by S.L. Wyllie is a wonderfully realized work of fantasy filled with magic, suspense, and romance. More geared toward a younger audience, readers will immediately fall in love with Princess Ariella and her tutor Austin – a half-elvish warrior – as they join them in their journey to harness Ariella’s powers, which are stronger than anyone realizes.

The daughter of the King of The Golden Peaks, Ariella is portrayed as the typical princess who is to be seen and not heard. As her mother is struck with an unknown illness that rapidly incapacitates her, Ariella […]

SPR2019-10-10T10:32:29+02:00August 6th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Legacy of Dolyn: Volume 1 by Amelia Guillem

Told in the format of blog posts, Legacy of Dolyn: Volume 1 is an entertaining modern fantasy, replete with pop culture references and nods to anime.

Glendolyn Villem works as a secretary in a police station, with everyday problems that are easily relatable, like searching desperately for guy on an app called “Mingle.” Then, to her great dismay, she is ordained with magical powers and joined by a cat confusingly called Gwen, who, whether Glen likes or not, will be her mentor.

Glen must deal with the burden of being a sorceress and the complexities of her powers in a […]