Reviews of Teen Books by Genre: Fantasy

Calamity
Sanderson, Brandon
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

In the final book of the steel heart series, David learns who the true enemy and leader of calamity is. A book with love, mystery, and action any teenager would love this book.

Reviewer's Name: David
Firefight
Sanderson, Brandon
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

In the sequel to steel heart fire fight counties to adventures of young teen David. This book is a great drama, romance, and action book. Will David survive to war against epics or will he love one instead. Firefight is my personal favorite book from the series.

Reviewer's Name: David
Steelheart
Sanderson, Brian
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Steelheart is the first book in the series. A group of rebels called Reckoners must fight back against super humans who gained their powers from the mysterious planet calamity. David, the main character, spends his life researching the special beast. He joins the Reckoners and decides to put his special knowledge to use. In this all new series written from Brandon Sanderson you can experience love, mystery, and passion.

Reviewer's Name: David H.
Ready Player One
Cline, Ernest
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

I don’t know where to start with this review because there are a lot of different elements of the novel to discuss. The reason why I rate Ready Player One four out of five stars instead of five out of five is the overwhelming amount of 80's references mentioned in literally every line that honestly only further bored the audience. The references to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons and more were tolerable because they were iconic - something an individual born 20 years later still understands. Then, Cline writes paragraphs on Atari consoles and Black Tiger or Joust games which just isn’t relate-able for the majority of the audience the novel is targeting (which is why I assume the director replaced the Joust scene with a car race in the movie). But the dominant issue with Cline’s writing is not even necessarily the amount of references but the fact that he explains every single one. At some points, I thought about how I might’ve read a Wikipedia article for the same informational effect. There are plenty of plot twists to contribute to a surprising manner regarding both the characters and the video game - I was never bored with the plot. Ready Player One is one of the many futuristic dystopian sci-fi novels everyone in this generation reads - which is why the 80's references bothered me. I don’t think this is the type of novel most adults born in the 60's or 70's are going to read, yet Cline tries to appeal to them anyway.
Reviewer Grade: 11

Reviewer's Name: Isabella W.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde, Oscar
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

I read this novel on a whim - I had never read any of Wilde before and did not know too much about him as an author apart from the fact he was put on trial and imprisoned during his life. The Picture of Dorian Gray was thoroughly surprising and unexpected. Dorian Gray, at the beginning of the novel, is perceived by Basil Hallward as an individual worth obsessing over, he is infatuated with him and without knowing Dorian yet, the reader is too.
But then the reader is introduced to him physically and I realized he isn't all that. He's almost pompous but somehow clever and he's beautiful. Both Basil and his friend Lord Henry Wotton are influenced to see him more positively by that but I think the fact that Dorian is not tangible to the reader allows us to see him for who he truely is. According to Lord Henry, beauty is worth more than genius is, depicting which friend he prefers over the other. I wanted to sympathize with Basil because he was more sensitive than the others and I felt pity for him as I realized he was not a character anyone particularly cared immensely for. I preferred Basil over both Henry and Dorian because Henry's beliefs appeared rather traditionalist and were more controversial than common and the fact that Dorian was supposed to be a character without any fault was already a warning for me. Honestly, from the title, I did not know what direction the novel was going in from any point during the reading. To clear a few things up, Basil is an artist who paints a portrait of Dorian because he appreciates him in a more aesthetic manner than others who enjoy his company but the portrait appears to change into something more demonic as time goes on symbolizing how awful Dorian was becoming as a person. I mean, I needed to stop reading for a few minutes because I could not believe how little Dorian cared for others but I will admit that the absurdity of it all was entertaining. There is a lot of murder in this book which definitely makes the novel more interesting but then I guess I should also mention not get too attached to some characters.
Reviewer Grade: 11

Reviewer's Name: Isabella W.
Maybe a Fox
Appelt, Kathi
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This book was a great book, it was beautiful! It was also a B.O.B book for seventh grade from what I know. I loved the characters because they are so relate-able. It all starts when Sylvie, one of the two main characters, goes missing one morning on her daily run to get in shape for track. There is only one explanation for her disappearance, the Slip, which is a mysterious body of water. Jules the other main character is crushed, Sylvie is her only sister, and after Sylvie drowns all she has left is her father. The family of two is torn apart by the loss of their mother and now, oldest daughter. Life goes on, and when the time comes for Jules to go back to school, she sees a sign of luck, but even that is not enough. While all this takes place, deep in the woods, three fox kits are born, two males and one female, who happens to be a kennen. After many adventures Senna, the kennen fox and Jules meet, drawn together by a force of nature. Then something terrible happens. It leaves Jules is in shock, but she makes a discovery of a lifetime. With all the switching from points of view, the book can be a little bit confusing, but it still is great is the reader can understand. I highly suggest this book to anyone looking for a fairly quick read, I was able to read it in about a week. This book was very enjoyable and the reader could feel like they are a part of the book. Highly suggested!
Reviewer Grade: 7

Reviewer's Name: Ella S.
The Belles
Clayton, Dhonielle
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

Camellia is a Belle - a person in the fantastical world of Orleans who has magical powers that allow her to change the appearance of others. These powers, and the way she uses them, puts her in high demand, and rich folks clamor to use the Belles' services. There is one Belle, the favorite, who serves royalty. Camellia's dearest ambition is to be the favorite, like her mother. After a few mishaps, she achieves this goal only to discover that the position is not all it's cracked up to be. Royalty is demanding, and Camellia soon finds herself being asked to do morally reprehensible things - things she can refuse only at her own peril. She must decide what means more: fame and beauty, or doing what is right.

To call the worldbuilding in this book "lush" or "complex" would be a disservice. The author invents a unique new world and mythology that, for me, were the strongest point of the book. If you've seen a Baz Luhrman movie, this world is set in that kind of magnificent, wondrous, almost over-the-top opulence that delight's one's imagination. The luxuriant worldbuilding does lead to something of a slow start, but if you are like me, you'll be so immersed in the marvelous new world that you won't care the the story takes a minute to get going. Once the story does get going, several quandaries and mysteries and introduced, and I found myself racing towards the conclusion. Camellia is a likable character that I think a ton of young women will relate to as she's very much a sixteen year old trying to make her place in a big scary world. She's a bit naive, but has deep seated convictions and is constantly rebelling against rules and regulations to show case her creativity and do her absolute best.

I went into this book with extremely high expectations based on a number of positive reviews from Goodreads, professional journals and the like, and I think those expectations may have hampered my enjoyment of the read, at least somewhat. Not to say this isn't an enjoyable read - it absolutely is. I had to physically stop myself from devouring it all in one go. It just felt more like a guilty pleasure read instead of a read of substance. The book should have been really creepy. When the Belles change a person, they change everything. We're talking like body shape/size, shaving off bones, eyeballs out of sockets, and other sorts really gross stuff that should have been horrific. For whatever reason, the creepiness factor never connected with me, but if it had, I think I would've loved this one. There's a female friendship in here that also didn't really land - we're told more than shown that the girls are close. It never felt believable. There are a few plot points that are introduced that are seemingly abandoned or never fully realized though I imagine they'll factor into future installments. I saw where the romance was going immediately, and also figured out the mystery of the sick princess early on in the story. On the whole, I found the book to be rather predictable.

I did enjoy this one, and I'll definitely be coming back for the sequel. I hope it provides a bit more substance, but either way, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I'd recommend this to readers who liked The Selection, Caraval or The Red Queen (although let me be clear: this book is better written and conceived than any of those), and I'll be adding it to several reading lists as well as booktalking it. 3 stars - I liked it!

Reviewer's Name: Britt
Genres:
The Darkest Hour
Hunter, Erin
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This book is one of my favorite books to read, though you should probably start from the beginning of book one to understand what is going on. This book is full of creativity and is wonderful to read. My favorite part in this book, is when one of the characters FIRESTAR goes to the moonstone to receive his nine lives. Erin Hunter describes this amazing event so well that it will draw you in completely!

Reviewer's Name: Lilly A.
Genres:
Thornewicke
Bishop, Charity
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Speculative fiction at its most fun and haunting in the Victorian period, with that little hint of Steampunk! Seventeen year old Evangeline is off to stay with her Aunt Henoria in the old house of Dragonspire, located in the northern wood and filled with things that like Evangeline herself...are not quite what they seem. Her life teeming with questions about these new mysteries, and her newfound powers, she tries to pry the questions out of her estranged aunt. And who are the Musgroves, why is the house so strange, and what is going on with the northern wood? This quick read is unique and comes from a local author, has the flair of Gothic Horror with a speculative fiction/steampunk twist in a Christian genre. Say that fast ten times. Basically, this is something fresh and new and I appreciate Ms. Bishop's humor and understanding of the Victorian era and what it takes to write good speculative fiction.

Reviewer's Name: C. Marie
School's Out - Forever
Patterson, James
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Where the story was left off in volume 1, Max and the flock finally escape the lab. Angel informs them of their parents, and another lab in New York where they can find more information. They work their way there, constantly running into erasers, and struggles along the way. Even when they make it there, they must survive the busy streets as it becomes a scavenger hunt, for the mysteries along the way.

Reviewer's Name: Mona H
Awards:
The Gunslinger
King, Stephen
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

While Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have had their moments as fantasy epics, I believe that The Gunslinger, and indeed, the whole series, deserves to be placed right next to Tolkien's masterpieces as one of the greatest fantasy books/series of all time. Taking place in a medieval world that is somewhat similar to the Old West, but exists in a parallel time frame to our own, we follow the journey of Roland of Gilead as he travels across this universe in search of the nexus of the universe--The Dark Tower. The novel is filled with adventure, intrigue, suspense, humor, and action that keeps you reading, no matter what. While not a traditional horror novel like King is known for, it is still a worthy addition to the King collection. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great fantasy book series to read, or any Stephen King fan.

Reviewer's Name: Peter C
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Riggs, Ransom
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is an adventurous book about a young boy named Jacob who wants more. He had grown up in a normal town with a normal family, feeling different. His grandfather felt the same when he was a kid, and when he dies, Jacob uncovers a huge power that he has. That power helps him find Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children, and they all need to work together to fight evil. This book is part of a trilogy, and gets better with every page. At first it can be hard to get into, but once you start to read, you can not go back. This story is filled with plot twists, cliffhangers, and exciting events to keep the reader engaged. This book is fictitious and takes place in both modern and past times. If you love interesting tales, a little bit of creepiness, and an amazingly well written novel, this book is for you!

Reviewer's Name: Siena G
Book Review: Wolves and Roses
Bauer, Christina
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

The book Wolves And Roses by Christina Bauer is placed in a similar world to ours, but in this world there is a race known as the Magicorum. The Magicorum are the descendants of shifters, fairies, and witches from fairy tale stories. This book tells the story of Bryar Rose, who has the life template of Sleeping Beauty. Or, in other words, she's destined to live a life similar to Sleeping Beauty. The problem is that Bryar has no interest in living a fairy tale life, all she wants to do is go to a normal school with normal people. Her dream can happen, but she has to convince her guidance counselor, who wants her live the perfect Sleeping Beauty template, to let her go to her dream school. Bryar's plan is to get her counselor to sign the necessary papers for her dream school and live a normal life. But, all her plans are turned upside down when she meets a mysterious boy, who shows her that things aren't what they seem to be and the people she thought she knew are really strangers to her. I would rate this book an five out of five because it was an amazing romance and a great twist on a classic fairy tale.
Reviewer Grade: 9

Reviewer's Name: Gabrielle F
The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1)
Patterson, James
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

Max has been caring for everyone, the flock, since the person who was like a father to them disappeared. Each one of them contains a special ability, including wings. They don't know what had happened, only that they had been in the lab for too long until their father figure helped them escape. But when creatures called erasers take their youngest, Angel, back to where they were created, they have to rescue her, along with trial and error.

Reviewer's Name: Mona H
The Hush
Melki-Wegner, Skye
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Review: In a world full of music, Chester travels from town to town to find his father who was one of the people who had gone missing. He makes money from the music he plays on his fiddle, but there is one song that you must not tamper with, or it is an automatic death sentence. Unfortunately, he cannot control it and accidentally plays it while preforming. But right before the ax comes down, he is saved by someone who recruits him in the Nightfall Gang, a thieving group. With this, he is brought along for an adventure full of mysteries and music.

Reviewer's Name: Mona H
To Kill a Kingdom
Christo, Alexandra
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Lira steal's princes' hearts. Literally. She lures them into a trance-like state with her siren song, and drags them down to the bottom of ocean where she rips out their hearts. After failing to steal Prince Elian's heart, the pirate prince also known as the "siren killer", Lira's mother, the Sea Queen, turns her into a human in punishment, and commands that she retrieve Elian's heart, or stay a human forever.

Are you getting Little Mermaid vibes from that description? Good, because there is a definitely Little Mermaid inspiration here, though it's definitely more Anderson than Disney (for examples, sirens turn into sea foam a few moments after they are killed). There's also some Greek mythology (I feel like this is the origin of sirens, but I only say that because of the Odyssey), but the influences, while noticeable, are integrated nicely, and the world-building game in this book is super strong. Elian and Lira travel to several different kingdoms, and each kingdom has its own flavor and customs. There's also some cool mythology around sirens vs. mermaids vs. mermen, and I really loved where she went with the mermaids in particular. It was a version of mermaids that I had never read before.

Elian and Lira are both complex but likable characters (if you like your heroes of anti- or bloodthirsty variety, which, I DO). Initially, Lira is a stone-cold killer. She was raised to be one, and the fact that she could be anything but a stone-cold killer after her upbringing is kind of magical. As the book develops, she learns more about humans and begins to *gasp* kind of like them. Her character development and growth are a main theme throughout the book, and Lira's maturation is slow enough to develop seems plausible.

Elian was also fine; he mostly serves as a foil to Lira, and it's fun to see his opinion of her change as he slowly learns more about her. There is a bit of romance between them, but as they are at odds for most of the book, its kind of a forbidden romance which is a trope that I love when done right (needless to say, it was done right here).

Amazing worldbuilding, great characters, no sequel - what's not to love here? If you are into pirates or mermaids or lux worldbuilding, you'll enjoy this book. 4 stars - I really liked it!

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for the eARC for review consideration. To Kill a Kingdom will be released on 06 March, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Reviewer's Name: Britt
Stuart Little
White, E.B.
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Stuart Little, by E. B. White, is quite the fascinating tale of an adventurous mouse on a quest to find his beloved, lost friend. The book is endlessly entertaining, and Stuart the mouse hooks the reader with his various shenanigans. Rather than developing the side characters, E. B. White strives and succeeds at focusing on peculiar Stuart and amusing the reader. The side plots also fit very nicely into the main story. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, as it is a quick, easy, and wondrous read.

Reviewer's Name: Steven L.
Tess of the Road
Hartman, Rachel
2 stars = Meh
Review:

Tess Dombegh is ruined. When she was quite young, she met an ambitious young scholar who took advantage of her and left her in the family way. Since then, her main goal has been to find her twin sister, Jeanne, a husband that will save their family from their dire financial straits. Tess successfully finds Jeanne a husband, and after getting extremely drunk at their wedding and embarrassing herself and their entire family, she decides to run away.

Notice that I got through this description with nary a mention of dragons? There are dragons in this world. But only barely, hence the reason I didn't need to mention them in my synopsis. This is actually, I think, the weakest point of the book, but I'll come back to that later.

I am more conflicted about this book than I've been about any other book in recent memory. Tess, our main character, is insanely unlikable and unsympathetic, especially at the beginning. However, she's intentionally unlikable and its entirely because of the circumstances of her world are similar to that of Edwardian England in terms of how the ladies are treated. As Tess travels further down the road - often painstakingly slowly, the unnecessary and at times boring digressions in this book are legion - she learns more about who she is, who she wants to be, and how she can make her way in a world that sees her as less than a person because of her gender.

Those parts, the introspective philosophical parts, I liked. Unfortunately, they were few and far between and were including in those aforementioned digressions that had nothing to do with the plot at large. My interest in the book would wax and wane in huge swings. I did finish it, and I even liked the ending, but wow, this was often a slog.

The thing that bothered me the most about the book was almost the complete waste of the worldbuilding. There were dragons and quigutl (sic), which are like the small, less ferocious cousins of dragons, and while a quigutl was a main character, that character could have easily been a jaded staff member, or really anything else. The fantasy world didn't add to the story, and sometimes, it distracted from Tess' character development, which, at the end of the day was the point of the entire novel. I think making this book pure historical fiction (and I loved the worldbuilding and fantasy setting in Seraphina, the companion series) would've made it a more impactful, better book.

Anyway, complaints aside, at times, I found myself really loving this book, mostly on the strength of Hartman's writing and the very important messaging regarding women's rights. Overall, though, the execution left something to be desired, at least for this reader. I won't be coming back for the sequel if there is one (everything was tied up nicely, but there definitely is room for another book), but I would definitely read another book by this author. 2 stars - it was ok.

Thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for the eARC that I received for review consideration. Tess of the Road is released on 27 February, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Reviewer's Name: Britt
Genres:
Hulme, John
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

The plot of The Glitch in Sleep is intriguing - I enjoyed the idea
that there are two different dimensions one called The World (where we live)
and the other called The Seems which controls The World via departments such
as nature, weather, and sleep. For example, the sleep department creates
dreams/nightmares, decides the hours of sleep a person receives if any at
all, and more. But the issue is that The Seems is a well-oiled machine and
depends on organization - if any of these departments do not completely do
their job and the issue is not fixed before the next day then something
called the Ripple Effect occurs which essentially unravels the Chain of
Events and foils the Plan. The Plan consists of organizing principles upon
which The World is managed and if The Plan is foiled, chaos ensues. Becker
Drane is a Fixer, someone who repairs malfunctions in The Seems that
negatively effect The World. One of the reasons I rate this book three stars
instead of five is because Becker is 12 years-old but acts adult-like, his
characterization does not feel appropriate for his age. In fact, all the
children act more mature than normal. At nine years old Becker fills out the
equivalent to a job application/aptitude test in which one of the questions
is something along the lines of “How would you change The World if The
World were being remade?” I can not imagine a nine year old answering that
sufficiently enough that a secret society responsible for the well-being of
The World and every person there would be impressed enough with a child that
they immediately hire him and trust him in deadly situations with advanced
technology. I do applaud the diversity in the book with representation from
countries not normally acknowledged in children’s literature. One thing I
also got a little irritated with was the constant tributes and references to
Highland Park, NJ, Becker’s hometown. The authors both grew up there but I
never lived there and I felt that the information about White Castle and the
different schools located there and other children’s names who were
probably were old friends of the authors were sort of unnecessary and did not
further the audiences’ love or Becker’s loyalty to Highland Park. I mean
if something happened to Highland Park than I would have seen the tributes
and references as appropriate but there was no immediate danger so they
seemed irrelevant and they often came up in times that broke with the tone. I
am sure someone from/living in New Jersey might enjoy these but even as
someone who has been to Highland Park several times and has family relations
there, I did not care too much. I also think there is a lot of world building
in motion and there is too much information regarding the tools and the
departments and officials that is overwhelming. I can also see a potential
romantic relationship being set up which might complicate the next book in
the trilogy by taking away from the plot. I will read the next book to see
some character development and relationships unfold and gain more
understanding of The Seems because the book was left on a cliffhanger.

Reviewer's Name: Isabella W.
Genres:
The Glitch in Sleep
Hulme, John
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

The plot of The Glitch in Sleep is intriguing - I enjoyed the idea
that there are two different dimensions one called The World (where we live)
and the other called The Seems which controls The World via departments such
as nature, weather, and sleep. For example, the sleep department creates
dreams/nightmares, decides the hours of sleep a person receives if any at
all, and more. But the issue is that The Seems is a well-oiled machine and
depends on organization - if any of these departments do not completely do
their job and the issue is not fixed before the next day then something
called the Ripple Effect occurs which essentially unravels the Chain of
Events and foils the Plan. The Plan consists of organizing principles upon
which The World is managed and if The Plan is foiled, chaos ensues. Becker
Drane is a Fixer, someone who repairs malfunctions in The Seems that
negatively effect The World. One of the reasons I rate this book three stars
instead of five is because Becker is 12 years-old but acts adult-like, his
characterization does not feel appropriate for his age. In fact, all the
children act more mature than normal. At nine years old Becker fills out the
equivalent to a job application/aptitude test in which one of the questions
is something along the lines of “How would you change The World if The
World were being remade?” I can not imagine a nine year old answering that
sufficiently enough that a secret society responsible for the well-being of
The World and every person there would be impressed enough with a child that
they immediately hire him and trust him in deadly situations with advanced
technology. I do applaud the diversity in the book with representation from
countries not normally acknowledged in children’s literature. One thing I
also got a little irritated with was the constant tributes and references to
Highland Park, NJ, Becker’s hometown. The authors both grew up there but I
never lived there and I felt that the information about White Castle and the
different schools located there and other children’s names who were
probably were old friends of the authors were sort of unnecessary and did not
further the audiences’ love or Becker’s loyalty to Highland Park. I mean
if something happened to Highland Park than I would have seen the tributes
and references as appropriate but there was no immediate danger so they
seemed irrelevant and they often came up in times that broke with the tone. I
am sure someone from/living in New Jersey might enjoy these but even as
someone who has been to Highland Park several times and has family relations
there, I did not care too much. I also think there is a lot of world building
in motion and there is too much information regarding the tools and the
departments and officials that is overwhelming. I can also see a potential
romantic relationship being set up which might complicate the next book in
the trilogy by taking away from the plot. I will read the next book to see
some character development and relationships unfold and gain more
understanding of The Seems because the book was left on a cliffhanger.

Reviewer's Name: Isabella W.
Genres: