The "O" Reviews--See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
Oblivion, by Sasha Dawn
*2014 Booklist--Starred Review*
Core themes: graphomania (compulsion to write); psychiatric trauma resulting from abuse and violence; finding one's place in the world amidst struggles; intricacies of teen friendship and romance
Drugs/alcohol: supporting character regularly smokes marijuana; protagonist has broken smoking habit with lollipops but has some cigarettes later in the novel; teenage drinking during a party
Religion/occult: Two major settings of this novel are religious: a Catholic high school that seems like its organization and faculty are pretty faithful to the Church and a pseudo-Catholic church. The pseudo-church was begun by an evil, depraved--yet charismatic and likable--man who has elevated himself to "priest," though he has no connection to the true Catholic Church. He builds a church that mimics a Catholic church in various ways, including an altar, holy water, and confessionals. There are also common Protestant elements that play into his church, too, though, such as loud, contemporary worship music.
Because these two major settings are so important to the storyline and characters, the novel contains many religious references that create a constant interplay between the normal, true Catholic setting and the perverted, false one. The characters, too, seem mixed up between their Catholic upbringing (church, school, home life)--at one point, the protagonist even mentions having accepted Jesus into her heart, though she does not live the life at all--and a depraved lifestyle that they adopt when the adults' backs are turned, involving themselves without moral remorse in sex, drinking, swearing, and smoking. Yet, curiously, the protagonist still goes to confession and seems to have a general respect for the teachers, priests, and administration. Mixed into this are the protagonist's mother's Tarot cards, which she uses to do readings for entertainment. Neither she nor the protagonist believe in the cards, but they do have a role to play in the central mystery of the storyline, so they appear fairly often.
Because the "true" religious elements of the story are so intertwined with the "false" religious elements, I was often repulsed and uncomfortable, despite the author's clear (but infrequent) attempts to distinguish between true Catholicism and the pseudo-Catholic church that is central to the storyline. Christians of every denomination should be aware while the author does not take a theological stance or make disrespectful jabs at true Catholicism, the religious nature of the novel is not a benign one on the whole.
Romance/sexuality: 1,2, 5-- Note: The sexual content in this novel is crass, frequent, and alludes to some perverted activity several times, including kissing on the altar of the pseudo-church described above. The protagonist also has relations with two boys within days of each other, even though she is only officially dating and "in love with" one of them. Although she struggles with the question of whether she did the right thing, the issue is not morality of premarital sex but the wisdom of "hooking up" with the boy her foster sister likes and without breaking up with her boyfriend first. It's also worth noting here that the protagonist's psychiatrist reassures her that sex is healthy and says not a word about the wisdom of abstinence.
Violence/abuse: The core of this novel has to do with child kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as sexual abuse of women. The perpetrator is the "priest" of the pseudo-Catholic church--a charismatic man to his congregation but a monster in reality. It is important to understand that his depravity is so dark that most teens will have never encountered his kind of criminal activity before and may not fully understand what he does to his victims. The author provides many fragmented "snapshots" of what he did--several quite gruesome and disturbing--but not a straightforward, clear explanation.
Vulgarities: 1, 3, 4, 7 -- frequent
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is the kind of novel that makes me both angry and sad. On one hand, it angers me because it is so full of depraved teen characters, smutty language, and other such content. That publishers are marketing this book to teens is unconscionable to me. That the author wrote a book like this and is profiting from filling the minds of teens with her dark and twisted story is even worse. It also makes me sad, though, because this author is so talented and yet is wasting her talents writing this kind of book. The concept of a protagonist helping to solve a crime through her trauma-induced affliction of graphomania is fresh and original, but the result of this author's idea is so morally perverted and gruesome that I cannot recommend it to anyone but adults. This is not a book for teens, in my opinion, which is unfortunate--because it could have been a great one. If you are not religious, then some of the moral issues that disturbed me may not bother you at all; however, do consider the darkness of the storyline and the general lack of a moral compass in the characters carefully before giving the go-ahead to your teen.
I would suggest this book to younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: none
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
*2014 Booklist--Starred Review*
Core themes: graphomania (compulsion to write); psychiatric trauma resulting from abuse and violence; finding one's place in the world amidst struggles; intricacies of teen friendship and romance
Drugs/alcohol: supporting character regularly smokes marijuana; protagonist has broken smoking habit with lollipops but has some cigarettes later in the novel; teenage drinking during a party
Religion/occult: Two major settings of this novel are religious: a Catholic high school that seems like its organization and faculty are pretty faithful to the Church and a pseudo-Catholic church. The pseudo-church was begun by an evil, depraved--yet charismatic and likable--man who has elevated himself to "priest," though he has no connection to the true Catholic Church. He builds a church that mimics a Catholic church in various ways, including an altar, holy water, and confessionals. There are also common Protestant elements that play into his church, too, though, such as loud, contemporary worship music.
Because these two major settings are so important to the storyline and characters, the novel contains many religious references that create a constant interplay between the normal, true Catholic setting and the perverted, false one. The characters, too, seem mixed up between their Catholic upbringing (church, school, home life)--at one point, the protagonist even mentions having accepted Jesus into her heart, though she does not live the life at all--and a depraved lifestyle that they adopt when the adults' backs are turned, involving themselves without moral remorse in sex, drinking, swearing, and smoking. Yet, curiously, the protagonist still goes to confession and seems to have a general respect for the teachers, priests, and administration. Mixed into this are the protagonist's mother's Tarot cards, which she uses to do readings for entertainment. Neither she nor the protagonist believe in the cards, but they do have a role to play in the central mystery of the storyline, so they appear fairly often.
Because the "true" religious elements of the story are so intertwined with the "false" religious elements, I was often repulsed and uncomfortable, despite the author's clear (but infrequent) attempts to distinguish between true Catholicism and the pseudo-Catholic church that is central to the storyline. Christians of every denomination should be aware while the author does not take a theological stance or make disrespectful jabs at true Catholicism, the religious nature of the novel is not a benign one on the whole.
Romance/sexuality: 1,2, 5-- Note: The sexual content in this novel is crass, frequent, and alludes to some perverted activity several times, including kissing on the altar of the pseudo-church described above. The protagonist also has relations with two boys within days of each other, even though she is only officially dating and "in love with" one of them. Although she struggles with the question of whether she did the right thing, the issue is not morality of premarital sex but the wisdom of "hooking up" with the boy her foster sister likes and without breaking up with her boyfriend first. It's also worth noting here that the protagonist's psychiatrist reassures her that sex is healthy and says not a word about the wisdom of abstinence.
Violence/abuse: The core of this novel has to do with child kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as sexual abuse of women. The perpetrator is the "priest" of the pseudo-Catholic church--a charismatic man to his congregation but a monster in reality. It is important to understand that his depravity is so dark that most teens will have never encountered his kind of criminal activity before and may not fully understand what he does to his victims. The author provides many fragmented "snapshots" of what he did--several quite gruesome and disturbing--but not a straightforward, clear explanation.
Vulgarities: 1, 3, 4, 7 -- frequent
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is the kind of novel that makes me both angry and sad. On one hand, it angers me because it is so full of depraved teen characters, smutty language, and other such content. That publishers are marketing this book to teens is unconscionable to me. That the author wrote a book like this and is profiting from filling the minds of teens with her dark and twisted story is even worse. It also makes me sad, though, because this author is so talented and yet is wasting her talents writing this kind of book. The concept of a protagonist helping to solve a crime through her trauma-induced affliction of graphomania is fresh and original, but the result of this author's idea is so morally perverted and gruesome that I cannot recommend it to anyone but adults. This is not a book for teens, in my opinion, which is unfortunate--because it could have been a great one. If you are not religious, then some of the moral issues that disturbed me may not bother you at all; however, do consider the darkness of the storyline and the general lack of a moral compass in the characters carefully before giving the go-ahead to your teen.
I would suggest this book to younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: none
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy Series, book 1)
*Missouri Association of School Librarians Readers Awards, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year*
Why this book is worth considering:
Of Poseidon may be interesting to fantasy fans who are into mythological stories. It features the Syrena, or merpeople, and a conflict between various mer-kingdoms. It also features a teen romance and a human high school setting.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
I would strongly caution against this book. The relationship between the main character, Emma, and her love interest, Galen, bears many of the hallmarks of an abusive relationship: extreme jealousy, possessiveness, unpredictable behavior, a bad temper, controlling behavior, rigid views of relationship roles, disregard of partner’s unwillingness to engage in sexual activity, blaming the victim for bad things that happen, etc.* What makes this particularly dangerous, in my opinion, is that this relationship is portrayed as desirable. Other unhealthy relationships in the book, such as Galen’s sister’s engagement, are also dysfunctional but are treated as humorous by the characters. This book is a prime example of abuse being marketed as sexy or romantic, and I would stay far away.
*Signs of an abusive relationship are taken from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Literary Artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author Website: www.annabanksbooks.com
Reviewer: Emma Moore
*Missouri Association of School Librarians Readers Awards, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year*
Why this book is worth considering:
Of Poseidon may be interesting to fantasy fans who are into mythological stories. It features the Syrena, or merpeople, and a conflict between various mer-kingdoms. It also features a teen romance and a human high school setting.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
I would strongly caution against this book. The relationship between the main character, Emma, and her love interest, Galen, bears many of the hallmarks of an abusive relationship: extreme jealousy, possessiveness, unpredictable behavior, a bad temper, controlling behavior, rigid views of relationship roles, disregard of partner’s unwillingness to engage in sexual activity, blaming the victim for bad things that happen, etc.* What makes this particularly dangerous, in my opinion, is that this relationship is portrayed as desirable. Other unhealthy relationships in the book, such as Galen’s sister’s engagement, are also dysfunctional but are treated as humorous by the characters. This book is a prime example of abuse being marketed as sexy or romantic, and I would stay far away.
*Signs of an abusive relationship are taken from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Literary Artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author Website: www.annabanksbooks.com
Reviewer: Emma Moore
The One, by Kiera Cass (The Selection series, book 3)
See The Selection for a full review.
Why this book is worth considering:
In this volume of this upbeat dystopian-ish series, the selection finally concludes with a winner--but not before America finds herself not only in a fight for the crown, but also in a fight for her and her loved-ones' lives. Cass deepens the plot in this volume as the rebel armies become a force that the prince must reckon with. With her trademark gift for twists and turns, Cass takes readers on another wild ride, although as the selection nears its end, the storyline becomes more serious. Unlike many YA novels, though, the conclusion to the story is satisfying with just the right notes of hope and conflict to carry the tale forward into a fourth volume. Be aware, though, that books 4 and 5 do not continue America Singer's love story with Prince Maxon; instead, they tell the story of their daughter's own selection 20 years later. Please note that I will not be reviewing these final volumes, but I suspect that the author's style and typical amount of concerning content will be similar to the first three volumes.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
As fun as it was to follow the story of America Singer's rise to royalty from her low position in society, I found myself ready to leave the series behind after The One. Partly, I'm sure, it's my age, and partly it's that this volume concludes America's story. The next two volumes concern her daughter. But I also can't ignore the fact that the quality of Cass's writing seemed inferior to The Selection and even The Elite. As I read the book, I kept coming across unclear sentences or plot twists that seemed a bit cliched. This gave the writing a sense of messiness that I didn't notice in the other volumes. I should quickly add that overall, I think one of Cass's gifts is finding ways to complicate her plots; however, in this volume, she seemed to resort to tried-and-true plot devices more than with the other volumes. Some of these annoyed or disappointed me, though teens may feel differently. By the time I reached the middle of the story, I began to wonder if she was under more pressure from her publisher to finish by a certain deadline than she was with the other volumes.
In this volume Cass also went a little further with the romance than she did with the other books. As America and the prince grow closer, they become more physical, ending up making out and sleeping together (literally just sleeping) in bed near the end. Also, the selection candidates begin to talk among each other of how far they've gone with the prince, since he has to romance all of them. Lusty situations increase, until the final decision is made; however, it is important to note that for all that, the book contains no sex, either stated or implied. Cass seems to have drawn a line with sex in this series that I appreciated but which may or may not hold true for books 4 and 5. Parents will want to skim these volumes just to make sure, since I will not review them.
Finally, bad language continues to be occasional but very mild, but violence increases until a final bloody attack by the rebel army. Religion continues to be implied as present in society but not relevant to America's story. Alcohol use remains social.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
See The Selection for a full review.
Why this book is worth considering:
In this volume of this upbeat dystopian-ish series, the selection finally concludes with a winner--but not before America finds herself not only in a fight for the crown, but also in a fight for her and her loved-ones' lives. Cass deepens the plot in this volume as the rebel armies become a force that the prince must reckon with. With her trademark gift for twists and turns, Cass takes readers on another wild ride, although as the selection nears its end, the storyline becomes more serious. Unlike many YA novels, though, the conclusion to the story is satisfying with just the right notes of hope and conflict to carry the tale forward into a fourth volume. Be aware, though, that books 4 and 5 do not continue America Singer's love story with Prince Maxon; instead, they tell the story of their daughter's own selection 20 years later. Please note that I will not be reviewing these final volumes, but I suspect that the author's style and typical amount of concerning content will be similar to the first three volumes.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
As fun as it was to follow the story of America Singer's rise to royalty from her low position in society, I found myself ready to leave the series behind after The One. Partly, I'm sure, it's my age, and partly it's that this volume concludes America's story. The next two volumes concern her daughter. But I also can't ignore the fact that the quality of Cass's writing seemed inferior to The Selection and even The Elite. As I read the book, I kept coming across unclear sentences or plot twists that seemed a bit cliched. This gave the writing a sense of messiness that I didn't notice in the other volumes. I should quickly add that overall, I think one of Cass's gifts is finding ways to complicate her plots; however, in this volume, she seemed to resort to tried-and-true plot devices more than with the other volumes. Some of these annoyed or disappointed me, though teens may feel differently. By the time I reached the middle of the story, I began to wonder if she was under more pressure from her publisher to finish by a certain deadline than she was with the other volumes.
In this volume Cass also went a little further with the romance than she did with the other books. As America and the prince grow closer, they become more physical, ending up making out and sleeping together (literally just sleeping) in bed near the end. Also, the selection candidates begin to talk among each other of how far they've gone with the prince, since he has to romance all of them. Lusty situations increase, until the final decision is made; however, it is important to note that for all that, the book contains no sex, either stated or implied. Cass seems to have drawn a line with sex in this series that I appreciated but which may or may not hold true for books 4 and 5. Parents will want to skim these volumes just to make sure, since I will not review them.
Finally, bad language continues to be occasional but very mild, but violence increases until a final bloody attack by the rebel army. Religion continues to be implied as present in society but not relevant to America's story. Alcohol use remains social.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper
*Josette Frank Award (2011); Buckeye Children's Book Award for 6-8 (2011); Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for grades 6-8 (2013); Washington State Sasquatch Award (2013); Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award nominee (2012); New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2013); California Young Readers Medal for Middle School/ Junior High (2013); Bluestem Book Award (2013); Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's Books (2010); Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award (2014); Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award nominee (2013); Premi Protagonista Jove for Categoria, 13-14 years (2015); Time magazine's "100 Most Influential Books of All Time" list*
Why this book is worth considering:
I should state upfront that this is a book for middle-grade readers. Its protagonist is only 11 years old, far younger than the minimum age of 13 for protagonists that I have set for reviewing books. I am breaking my rule for the first time ever on What's In It (2021), because I feel that its reading level isn't important for this novel. It is valuable for readers of all ages, and I encourage every pre-teen and teenager to read it. The novel is beautifully written, profoundly moving and insightful (I cried several times and not because it was sad), and deserving of every award that it has received.
Because it is written for such a young audience, this novel is very clean with no swearing or drinking or anything of that nature. It is a story your teens will never forget.
Why it may not be right for your teen:
There is nothing about this novel that holds me back from recommending it, except for one frightening scene. Because the protagonist has severe cerebral palsy and cannot communicate easily with others, she is unable to prevent a terrible accident. This accident has an acceptable ending (remember, this was written for children), but it is horrifying nonetheless and possibly disturbing to very sensitive readers. Other than that, I encourage everyone to read this novel, including adults.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: https://www.sharondraper.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
*Josette Frank Award (2011); Buckeye Children's Book Award for 6-8 (2011); Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for grades 6-8 (2013); Washington State Sasquatch Award (2013); Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award nominee (2012); New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2013); California Young Readers Medal for Middle School/ Junior High (2013); Bluestem Book Award (2013); Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's Books (2010); Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award (2014); Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award nominee (2013); Premi Protagonista Jove for Categoria, 13-14 years (2015); Time magazine's "100 Most Influential Books of All Time" list*
Why this book is worth considering:
I should state upfront that this is a book for middle-grade readers. Its protagonist is only 11 years old, far younger than the minimum age of 13 for protagonists that I have set for reviewing books. I am breaking my rule for the first time ever on What's In It (2021), because I feel that its reading level isn't important for this novel. It is valuable for readers of all ages, and I encourage every pre-teen and teenager to read it. The novel is beautifully written, profoundly moving and insightful (I cried several times and not because it was sad), and deserving of every award that it has received.
Because it is written for such a young audience, this novel is very clean with no swearing or drinking or anything of that nature. It is a story your teens will never forget.
Why it may not be right for your teen:
There is nothing about this novel that holds me back from recommending it, except for one frightening scene. Because the protagonist has severe cerebral palsy and cannot communicate easily with others, she is unable to prevent a terrible accident. This accident has an acceptable ending (remember, this was written for children), but it is horrifying nonetheless and possibly disturbing to very sensitive readers. Other than that, I encourage everyone to read this novel, including adults.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: https://www.sharondraper.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys
*NYT Bestseller; Carnegie Medal Nominee; 2014 Texas Tayshas Reading List; 2015 Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Award High School Nominee; Barnes & Noble Best New Teen Books of 2013*
*NYT Bestseller; Carnegie Medal Nominee; 2014 Texas Tayshas Reading List; 2015 Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Award High School Nominee; Barnes & Noble Best New Teen Books of 2013*
- Why this book is worth considering:
- The YA book world received a literary treasure when Ruta Sepetys came on the scene. Her writing is some of the best I've seen since beginning this website, for it is both artistic and approachable. Out of the Easy is also unique. Like Between Shades of Grey, Sepetys chose a little-known historical setting--1950s New Orleans. This immediately attracted me; in fact, it's a big reason I chose to read it. The story is complex and thought-provoking, too, with a protagonist caught between dreams in a world in which she doesn't belong. Very, very few YA novels would get my vote for a book study in a literature course. Both of Sepetys books would be on that list.
- Why it may not be right for your teen:
- All that said, unfortunately for teens Out of the Easy really is not a YA book, in my opinion. To me, it is one of those adult books that has a teen protagonist but tells a story more appropriate for adults. All the Light We Cannot See comes to mind as an example. If it helps you decide whether or not to let your teen read this excellent novel, I'll tell you bluntly that I would not suggest this to my teens until adulthood. In fact, I would not suggest it to any teens, except perhaps for teens who have gained the maturity of adults too early through life experience. Why? Much of the book is set within a classy, New Orleans brothel, and parts of the book that do not take place there have to do with seedy characters. While Sepetys does not include explicit sex scenes, she does not hold back with details that make this setting vivid for the reader. The book contains some swearing, including blasphemy, but it is not frequent. It also contains some kissing and crude behavior. Is this the worst book a teen could choose to read in regards to mature content? Not by a long shot. At least Sepetys handles the novel's seedy setting artistically, and at least she created a mature and intelligent protagonist. But do be aware of the adult content if your teen wants to read it.
- Literary artistry: * * * * *
- I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
- Author website: http://rutasepetys.com/
- Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
*New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List (1967); Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book (1967); made into movie 1983*
Core themes: fighting solves nothing; people are more than their labels; everyone experiences the same feelings, hopes and dreams—we are not much different from each other inside; people from all walks of life have struggles and hurts; general themes of loyalty, friendship, judgment, trust; the importance of sticking together and lending a hand
Drugs/alcohol: characters regularly smoke; some references to drinking but not much
Religion/occult: none to take note of
Romance/sexuality: 1
Violence/abuse: major force in the book—characters belong to gangs and routinely "rumble,” keep weapons at hand (and sometimes use them), and commit petty crimes; three lead characters are killed in violent, semi-graphic ways; one character routinely physically abused at home; detailed scene about a fire that almost kills two lead characters and a number of children (one lead character does eventually die as a direct result of the fire)
Vulgarities: 1
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: It is easy to see why The Outsiders has been a staple in the high school English class canon for decades. While the language and situations may be outdated in some parts, the themes are as important now as they were when the book was written. Don't let the violent nature of the plot turn you against the book, unless your teen is very sensitive. The presentation is not gratuitously graphic, and the vulgar language is mild.
I would suggest this book to younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.sehinton.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
*New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List (1967); Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book (1967); made into movie 1983*
Core themes: fighting solves nothing; people are more than their labels; everyone experiences the same feelings, hopes and dreams—we are not much different from each other inside; people from all walks of life have struggles and hurts; general themes of loyalty, friendship, judgment, trust; the importance of sticking together and lending a hand
Drugs/alcohol: characters regularly smoke; some references to drinking but not much
Religion/occult: none to take note of
Romance/sexuality: 1
Violence/abuse: major force in the book—characters belong to gangs and routinely "rumble,” keep weapons at hand (and sometimes use them), and commit petty crimes; three lead characters are killed in violent, semi-graphic ways; one character routinely physically abused at home; detailed scene about a fire that almost kills two lead characters and a number of children (one lead character does eventually die as a direct result of the fire)
Vulgarities: 1
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: It is easy to see why The Outsiders has been a staple in the high school English class canon for decades. While the language and situations may be outdated in some parts, the themes are as important now as they were when the book was written. Don't let the violent nature of the plot turn you against the book, unless your teen is very sensitive. The presentation is not gratuitously graphic, and the vulgar language is mild.
I would suggest this book to younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.sehinton.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
