I can’t put this book down. Hopefully I’ll have it finished by this weekend. Goddess Aphrodite is on trial. How will she win her freedom? With a tale about love. Her life’s work. Thus starts this newest book by Berry. A finished review after a completed reading. Just another hour of free time is all I ask!

Couldn't put it down. Literally. First impressions of the cover and title beg thoughts of fantasy and kingdoms while the truth is that this about murder and mystery. Keralie is a 16-year old pickpocket who gets mixed up with the deaths of the four ruling queens of Quadara. While messenger Varin must choose between being employed or following a thief. Choices center on family and allegiances. Modern technological advances enhance the intrigue along with the ongoing investigation. Twists and turns all along the way all the way to the surprise ending. Recommended to: mystery fans, those trying to find meaning and redemption and a place to belong, adventure seekers, and dystopian readers. YA

Surviving in a city with a child and without monetary resources. Find an abandoned building, scavenge for daily necessities, and beg for anything else. Hide so that child services doesn't find you and take away your child. That is the essence of this book. Sad, remorseful, yet full of family love. Recommended for youth struggling for a place to call their own, homelessness, family relationships--especially a mother and daughter, survival in a city.

In a semi-futuristic Englandish setting, teens deal with the stark realities of war and its effects. A family is torn apart and the teens must survive relying on the land and provisions stashed away by the family. Recommended for survivalist fans, intrigued by the effects of war and family relationships, and ya.

Mystery, intrigue.

Read in day. Easy read. Compelling and currency of subject relevant to readers affected by refugee relocations.
Gritty and definitely realistic. Suspension of disbelief based on author’s background. This book delves into the current Syrian situation with many factions vying for power and the effects upon the people who live there. Explanations of various religious factions and political uprisings are shared throughout the plight of a Syrian family. Many refugee stories are woven into this stark narrative making this not just about Syria but all countries affected by uprisings. Recommend for those interested in the Middle East cultures, refugees, and Muslim religion; young adults and teens; and family survival stories.

While being escorted to the palace to marry the son of the emperor, the marriage convoy is attacked and all are killed. Insert main char name here fortunately is mistakenly assumed dead, tbc

17-year old Flora has amnesia that only allows her to remember events and people from age 10 and younger, so to recompense Flora writes notes on her arms and her journals to help her navigate in life. A kiss from a boy, however, triggers Flora to remember. She obsesses about this pivotal point in her life and decides to take a chance and ventures to find him in Norway. At times the repetition of Flora's daily events may seem redundant; yet, the recall of her short term memory helps the reader understand Flora's daily struggle. Believing in the premise that people are kind, Flora discovers friendships and freedoms she has never experienced before. Recommended for teens and fans of realistic fiction.

Interesting plot, similar to Hunger Games, where one ruler will be alive at the end of the "contest." For Three Dark Crowns, each "queen" is raised by a realm leader who trains her to excel in her special quality: poisons, elements, or nature. Told from alternating queens, background history about the island and the process of the selection as well as updates on what each realm's queen's progress is revealed. Something "different" is is going to happen this selection year, as hinted in the beginning. The finale begs for a sequel. Recommended to: Hunger Games fans; kingdom aficionados; magic and queens; fans of naturalists, poisons, or elementalists; high school teens; and readers interested in foster or adoption stories.

The books starts off with the parents' separation and the dad moving out and the older sister leaving for college. Change is inevitable but the ability to deal with the curve balls that the two high school sisters who attend a New York private school must deal with ignite the already tumultuous relationship they have. Compound that with the choice of attending a party where drugs and alcohol are served and one sister walking in on the other after being rap; the question is who is to blame? The author's note at the end explains that this type of sexual intercourse was in fact rape. The boy is to blame but the girl is not. I am not sure that I agree with the author's note after reading the book. Recommended to: mature high school teens, victims of rape, party-attending teens, those who like cautionary tales or realistic teen fiction.

Forced to leave her grandparents' home with the hope of a "better life," Naomi and her younger twin siblings, Cari and Beto, move to Texas to her stepfather's home. Henry Smith is white while his twins are half-white and half-Mexican and Naomi is 100% Mexican. Texas during the 1930s did not tolerate other races, so the children are enrolled in schools and considered "white" based on Henry's race. Troubling backstories are revealed slowly and explain Naomi's reluctance to accept her stepfather's newfound kindness and even her new "black" friend's help. Naomi deals with racism as teens and adults do not accept the race facade her stepfather created for the community. Told in alternating voices, Perez shares many points of view of how the community deals with racism, relationships, school life, jealousy, and abuse. Deep and dark, on many levels, this book rivets the soul and leaves readers astonished at the level of ignorance and inability to cross borders of learning and tolerance of this town. Recommended to: mature teens (sex, abuse), historical fiction fans, Romeo and Juliet fans, and those interested in racial tensions.

Realistic fiction with a touch of paranormal! Story takes place in a jail with "Smoke" who has earned a reputation as being well-informed but really has an unnatural ability to leave his body and travel to other places. He believes he is innocent of his crime, killing his English teacher, but no one is really innocent. Twists and turns await the reader as the plot develops, a little too slowly at times, but still a good read. Great read for reluctant readers and those on the tougher side.

Great to read a stand alone novel; though the author left some clues that could be continued in another follow-up novel. Overall, I would classify this as a one stop book. Death, mystery, family secrets, and an alliance among the 6 teens moves the plot along quickly. Plausible and not too predictable makes this realistic fiction novel great read for teens in high school and perhaps junior high. Glossary at the end will help with the Japanese terms used throughout the book. Overall recommendations: teens, semi- mystery lovers, Japanese culture affectionados, family relationships and secrets interests, and those who want to see how a bunch of friends who act as family deal with deep, dark family secrets.

Couldn't stop reading this one either! Page-turner.

Exhausting sequel to Throne of Glass full of character development and intrigue. Can't wait for all seven books t be published!

Eden or otherwise known to her close friends as "Edy," deals with being raped in her house at the age of 12 by a family friend. Smith takes us on Eden's journey through all four years of high school and how she deals with this traumatic incident and how it affects her life at school, with friends, and her family. Eden does not tell anyone about being raped, so her high school years are an example of one pathway a teen might take trying to cope with this hidden truth. I would rate this book as mature based on Eden's choices: sex, drugs, and alcohol. I read this in one sitting; I had to know what happened to Eden: hopeful. Recommendations: Mature HS students, girls in therapy, rape victims, realistic fiction readers, and anyone wanting to learn how a rape victim might react to the situation.

Another great realistic fiction books about relationships set in Alaska during the 1980s. Told from alternating points of view, the final product is one shining example of a whole story brought to life. Each character brings a very different perspective and insight about the culture of society, norms, abandonment, poverty, and Native American prejudices. Recommendation tags: teens, pregnancy, poverty, adoption, death, abandonment, Alaska, 1980s, realistic fiction,

I would recommend this to teens in high school, those who can handle a (sometimes) dark story, those interested in Alaska during the 1980s, and those who enjoy realistic fiction--for both teenagers and adults.

Couldn't stop reading this book! I had to know what happened to the family.

Set in medieval France, Berry's historical thriller weaves the journey of redemption with the Church's dealings with heretics. Dolssa, an accused heretic crosses paths with the matchmaker Botille, and together their journey brings turmoil and friendship to the townspeople of coastal French town. More important, read the author's note at the end of the book for context and documentation during this Inquisition period of history. Recommendation tags: history lovers, Medieval period in Europe and France, tweens-YA, relationships, family, religion, being outspoken, love.

Wahoooo! I waited a long time to know what happened. And the wait was so worth it. This sequel to Just One Day explains what happens to Willem after that day in Paris with Allyson. Both are on a journey of maturation and seeking while doubt encroaches on their dreams. I loved this story as much as Just One Day. Recommendation tags: relationships, journeys, self-doubt, YA (HS only), college

Noah and Jude, twins, telling their family and personal stories, allow the reader glimpses into an artist's mind. While Noah is primarily the narrator for their early years and Jude tells the later teenage years, both narrators intertwine and reveal a more complete perspective on family life and the tragedy that changes their lives. Nelson uses art--the creation and study of--as the shared subject between the twins and their mother. Sometimes, the realism of the art subject matter lends to creative thinking; the realism of how students of that age group study art does not seem realistic in terms of a public school setting. Verdict: I LOVED and HATED this book! I was angry at what happens and felt sympathetic for some of the characters while loving the resolutions and growth and big reveals at the end. I was fortunate enough to hear Jandy Nelson giving her acceptance speech at ALA15 in San Francisco, and as a result, fell more in love with Nelson's artistic, creative writing process and her insights into how the characters would "speak" to her while writing the book. Recommendation tags: YA (HS only), art, relationships, twins, social issues.

English social etiquette of the 1800s meets the unknown threat of monsters disguised as regular people; this is my overall take on this historical fiction/supernatural novel by Goodman. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall was raised by her aunt and uncle because her parents both died while she was young. Set in the English Regency period, Helen must also deal with social norms and the rumors that her mother was a traitor to England, which further brings intrigue and suspense to her life via the newly returned Lord Carlson. Interesting but a little far-fetched for my personal interests, but I would recommend this one to high school students with an interest in the supernatural and readers wanting a new plot twist on a traditional English time period.

At an early age, Sam invents codes with her father. Now as a recent graduate from the British Girl Guides, Sam must make a decision that will affect her family and her country. She is a gifted, multilingual spy candidate who will be sent to the heart enemy territory, Germany, during the height of the war on a mission to rescue another female spy in duress. With hopes of finding her father's whereabouts while spying for England, she trains and takes the oath to be a spy for the La Dame Blanche. Adventure and covert operations ensue as Sam tries to distinguish the truth from the lies. Recommended for ages 12-18, WWII enthusiasts, and spy aficionados.

Having not read the 1st book in this trilogy, I was piqued with interest in how well the author was able to weave in main plot points from the first book and carry the plot line along in this second installment and still keep the reader interested and involved. Result: well-done and made me want to pick up the first book because I wanted to learn more about the intricacies of the overall plot.

Plenty of relationship issues and war and ruling a kingdom issues to keep a teenager interested.

Particulars that were interesting: color of hair for each kingdom, magic conduit lineage and heirs, the choice of evil and the masking of it to bring peace.

End result: I will pick up the last book in the series when it is published in the next year or so. I did feel a little "behind" when reading about why and how Meira was the ruler and not Mather, each kingdom's special attributes, and Meira and Theron's relationship, but I feel that some of these issues were also not revealed to a large extent in the first book. So, that is why I would rated this "well-done." If I were recommending this to a person, I would suggest they start with the first book.

Rosie Sinclair does not follow the rules. Why should she when she is bound to be eliminated from the art school that is broadcasting live every waking moment of every high school student attending Forge Academy. She doesn't take her sleeping pills nor does she sleep for the mandated 12 hours that all students must sleep for. Rosie is just different. And that difference causes her to see things differently as she observes and hears conversations during the sleeping time. Mix in a casual boyfriend and some new friends and she is set to follow a different path than the rest of the complacent students and employees. This could be a stand alone book but the ending also lends itself to being continued as it is the 1st in a trilogy. Audience: intermediate to high school, science fiction fans, art students, filmmakers, strained family relationships, & born on the wrong side of the tracks.

Loved the mixing of fairy tale threads in this Snow White tale. Interesting point of view switches evenly divided by the three main characters. I love reading Flinn's tales and waiting to see what story lines she will weave into the main story line. Flinn proves to be both clever and entertaining. Can't wait to see Kendra in the next book. Audience: high school, middle school, fans of fairy tales, Snow White fans, retelling fans

Carson's latest book, Walk on Earth a Stranger, title taken from a hymn, set in the Gold Rush era in the United States, has a promising beginning with more books yet to come from the Gold Seer trilogy. Without previewing this book, I simply delved headfirst into reading, and all I can say is that I was hooked! Carson has a way words. I was immediately drawn into Lee's pioneer story. Lee Westfall, a teenager who can "sense" gold, joins other goldwishers heading toward California. Her mystique camouflages her real purpose for heading west, to escape her uncle's devious plans for her. Feeling alone in the world, Lee is anything but that, as she learns that family has many meanings. Death and anguish follow these pioneer trekkers across the plains and Rockies. Death has no preferences, and Lee and the others learn this firsthand. As the book concludes, Lee's story feels mostly complete; yet, anyone attached to Lee can rest assured that her story will continue in 2 more books. Audience: grades 7-12, historical fiction readers, Gold Rush and American pioneer enthusiasts

Set in the Arabian desert many years ago, this is a tale about two sisters, inseparable and taught in the ways of their mothers, and how they must make a choice as to who will be the ruler's next wife. This ruler has had many wives over the years, each one dying on the wedding night. The unexpected happens not only in regard to the choice of bride but as life continues for the other. Now separated by distance, the sisters communicate through an untangible power that electrifies and protects. This power is attributed to being the smallgod that the wedded sister has become. This desert fairytale mixes the backstory of the ruler with the current happenings in his kingdom and the sisters' household. Fantasy element adds depth to an older tale. For fans of Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns and those interested in desert culture. Audience: 12 and up.

Growing up in New York in the 1800s as a socialite and teenage female limits what you can or are allowed to do. Jo Montfort, the name that has everybody turning to see what she will do next, marry the extremely wealthy Bram Aldrich or attend the social event of the year, is not your normal female. She writes for her school newspaper and wants to know about real-life scenarios. Her world is turned upside down when she receives the news that her father is dead. This unexpected turn of event prompts Jo on an adventure of a lifetime, being a sleuth to solve the unconvincing (or at least to Jo) reasons why her father would be murdered. While on a mourning visit to the newspaper her family owns, Jo overhears an account that maybe her father had committed suicide. This news catapults Jo into an unusual partnership with the newswriter and even an assistant coroner. Donnelly weaves historical social norms into this story of intrigue and mystery. You will be guessing up until the end. Well-written, fast-paced, full of historical and medical references; a definite acquisition for any middle or high school library with fans of forensic mysteries or historical society norms.

Set in the 1890s, society rules abound and define what a young lady may or may not do in public and private. Cousins, Dacia and Lou, who are more like amiable sisters, come from aristocratic, old New York and Romanian families. The girls, whose mothers are sisters, begin with an adventure to their mothers' homeland of Romania to meet family. While in Romania, dark, old secrets surface that redefine who these girls are and the what they are capable of. Dacia, an adventurer by heart, who is months away from being engaged to the best New York bachelor, and the stronger advocate takes a back seat to Lou, as they both discover family secrets. Action-packed subdued by society norms for girls. Great addition to any middle or high school collection. The book cover hints at the adventures that await the reader.