B- Reviewsassassins / Fantasy / Harper-Teen / mages / Young-Adult4 Comments
Dear Ms. Cypess, Last year, I read your novel, Death Sworn, which took some well-known fantasy tropes — assassins, mages, secret alliances, and a protagonist on a suicide mission — and put an interesting, young adult spin on them. The ending left me wanting more, particularly since it set up ... more >
B ReviewsHarper-Teen / post-apocalyptic / survival / Young-Adult2 Comments
Dear Ms. McGinnis, Despite my weariness with the dystopian and post-apocalyptic genre, I liked your previous novel, Not a Drop to Drink. Even more refreshing was the fact that it appeared to be a standalone. It turns out I was wrong — In a Handful of Dust is the companion ... more >
B+ Reviews / Recommended Readscolonialism / Fantasy / Harper-Teen / Magic / Young-Adult4 Comments
Dear Ms. White, Your latest novel, Illusions of Fate, is a departure from Mind Games and Perfect Lies, a duology about a pair of sisters gifted with special powers that make them ideal for espionage. Instead, we go to an alternate world reminscent of Victorian England. Except filled with magic. ... more >
D ReviewsAssassin / dystopian / Florida / futuristic / Harper-Teen / post-apocalyptic / Young-Adult4 Comments
Dear Ms. Cummings, I think we’ve reached that stage where post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels are being labelled something else to circumvent disenchantment. I obviously have thoughts about this because given the flood of such books over the past few years, readers can spot them no matter what you call them. ... more >
C Reviewsblogging / Contemporary / family relationships / Harper-Teen / mothers and daughters / Young-Adult1 Comments
Dear Ms. Heasley, The premise of your novel intrigued me. What does happen when the subject of a mommy blog grows up? If it’s embarrassing when your mother whips out your baby pictures to show your friends, how much more so when those pictures are plastered all over the internet ... more >
D ReviewsHarper-Teen / London / Scotland Yard / Serial-Killer / Young-Adult2 Comments
Dear Ms. Ewell, Between Dexter and Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers, I think readers have begun growing accustomed to the idea of serial killer protagonists. It’s a tricky prospect — balancing a compelling protagonist that keeps you reading and reconciling that with the fact that they kill people. In many ... more >