Young Adult – Sneak Peek Books

Rebellion 1776

In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father—her only living relative—has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage.

Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself.

Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation. But as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?

Rebellion 1776 gives readers a unique perspective on how the revolution affected ordinary people’s lives. Readers will sympathize with many characters, especially those thrust into difficult situations through no fault of their own. Since the book is told from Elsbeth’s point of view, it reveals how perilous her life is as a parentless, penniless girl. Though smart and strong, Elsbeth’s fear drives her to dishonesty and manipulation. She knows that without employment, she will lose both food and shelter—with no one to turn to for help.

The story thrusts readers into revolutionary Boston, showing what life was like for women, children, and servants. After the Patriots surround Boston, Elsbeth believes her life will return to normal. However, her father disappears, and her master leaves the city. To survive, Elsbeth agrees to work for the Pike family, where she milks cows, scrubs floors, cares for children, and performs endless chores before collapsing into bed each night. Elsbeth’s mundane existence is reflected in the book’s slow pace, leaving both her and the reader anticipating what crisis will strike next.

Since the book centers on both Elsbeth and the Pike family, a large cast of characters appears, many only briefly. This prevents readers from connecting with most supporting characters. However, the Pikes’ ward, Hannah, befriends Elsbeth, and their friendship provides perspective on women’s treatment during the period. Mrs. Pike and her long-term servant similarly highlight how women lacked control over their lives. Despite these constraints, Elsbeth and Hannah dream of making their own choices, a desire readers will empathize with.

Smallpox drives much of the story, and Elsbeth often reflects on losing her mother and siblings to the disease. When the Pike family is inoculated, Elsbeth cares for them during their recovery. Hannah, believing she had survived smallpox as a child, discovers she was misinformed and contracts the disease. The progression of her illness and subsequent death may be traumatic for some readers.

Rebellion 1776 will captivate readers who enjoy historical fiction or want to learn more about the American Revolution. The story’s slow pace and large cast make it best suited for strong readers already interested in the period. Elsbeth’s story shows how smallpox destroys families but ends hopefully—Elsbeth reunites with her father and receives the opportunity to fulfill her dream of becoming a seamstress.

Sexual Content 

Elsbeth’s closest friend Shubel joins the military. Before he leaves, the two say goodbye. “I looked deep into the turnip’s eyes, and he looked into mine. . . and by the time we blinked, we’d become close in such a dazzling manner that I swear sparks were shooting from our fingertips.” Later, the two get married.

Violence 

Elsbeth hides under a table when the Patriot cannons begin bombarding Boston.
The Boston Massacre is mentioned. “British soldiers had fired into a crowd of ordinary folks, killing some and wounding more.”
Elsbeth receives a letter from her father. It reads: “I was attacked by a group of sailors who kidnapped me—pressed me into service for the King. . . I fought hard—broken arm still healing. . . My knee is better.” He later returns to Boston.
Elsbeth is milking a cow when a scoundrel named Billy Rawdon shows up and threatens her with a knife. He grabs her, and when she tries to get free, Billy “painfully pressed the blade against my neck, cutting me. I shuddered in pain and stilled myself. . . A drop of blood trickled down my neck from the cut.” Billy soon leaves.
Thomas, one of the Pikes’ children, runs away and joins Captain Hunter, who was a privateer trying to capture a ship. The man was “shot in the heart, Captain Hunter died shortly before the Defiance sank to the bottom of the sea.” Thomas survives and makes it home.

Drugs and Alcohol 

An older gentleman drinks from a flask of wine.
Mr. Pike takes “powder from the megrim” for headaches and “drinks decoction for his sour stomach.”
Elsbeth goes to Sign of the Wolf tavern to meet a man who claims to know her father. The inn smells like sour ale.
When the Pike family has smallpox, Elsbeth goes to the apothecary, who gives her “bark from a willow tree, Peruvian bark, yellow moss from an ash tree, juniper berries, nutmeg, and a vial of castoreum oil.”
Hannah, a young girl who is living with the Pikes, gets smallpox. The doctor gives her laudanum for her pain. Afterwards, Elsbeth puts red silk around Hannah because “the color red helped fight the pox.”

Language 

Often, the characters call each other names and refer to others in a mean way. Because of the frequency and number, the list is incomplete.
A girl calls her brother “a warty-faced whale” and “a slimy weasel.”
Elsbeth works for an older gentleman who often calls her names, such as “a blockhead kitchen maid,” “sniveling featherbrain,” “idle dolt,” and “a pockmarked, slothful wench best suited for farmwork.”
When Elsbeth goes to see her father at work, another worker calls her a “rebel brat.”
Elsbeth thinks her father is a “dunderhead.”
A man calls someone a “blasted devil.”
Elsbeth often calls others names such as “muttonhead,” “nincompoop,” “foggy-brained numbskull,” and “a snake-bellied son-of-the-devil.”
Pissed is used twice.
Creative explanations are often used, and not all are included. These include “tarnal maggots and lice,” “blast and tarnation,” “drat,” and many, many more.
A young woman refers to her guardian as “Captain Fizzlefart, but not to his face.”

Supernatural

A woman mentions that when it thunders during a snowstorm, it’s a good omen.

Spiritual Content 

When Mr. Pike’s family arrives, he says, “Praise God’s mercy.”
Hannah believes “owls take messages to the dead. . . When Grandmamma hears one, she always opens a window and whispers a few words for the owl to take to the ghost of my grandfather.” Later, she dies, and Elsbeth sees two owls and whispers a message for them to take Hannah.”
When one of Mr. Pike’s children runs off, Elsbeth “prayed only for his safety.”
When the Pike family heard about the smallpox inoculations, they “went to church for a special prayer service.”
Mrs. Pike doesn’t want to have her children vaccinated against smallpox. She asks, “What about faith? Smallpox is God’s will, so we ought not tamper with it.” His daughter argues, saying that Mr. Pike takes other medication for headaches and a “sour stomach.” In the end, the Pike family is inoculated against smallpox.
Part of the Declaration of Independence is read. “. . . and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitled them. . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. . .”
After reading the Declaration of Independence, a man says, “God save our American States!”
Elsbeth writes a letter that ends with “I pray to our Lord to preserve you, body & spirit.”
Hannah gets smallpox. As Elsbeth cares for her, she prays, “Please don’t let her die, please give her strength, please take away the pain.”

Canon Fodder

The Runaways may have been a superhero team once, but they haven’t been one in a long time. Now, they feel as though they have their lives together, even if they’re not using their powers to fulfill their supposed responsibilities. Karolina has discovered her passion for saving people along with her girlfriend and fellow Runaway, Nico. She wants to use her powers to make the world better, especially when they meet Doc Justice.

Doc Justice is a big deal in Los Angeles. He single-handedly built the J-Team from the ground up, and although most of the old team members are deceased, he has never stopped fighting crime. He is an inspiration to the Runaways, especially Victor, who grew up hearing stories about the great Doc Justice. So, when Karolina and Nico bring news that Doc Justice has invited the Runaways to live with him, they cannot refuse a chance to meet their idol.

The Runaways move into Doc Justice’s mansion, and soon, he’s recruiting them for a new J-Team, complete with the old costumes and monikers. Soon enough, all of Los Angeles is in love with their new superhero team. Excited to finally use their powers for greater things and to have stable leadership, the Runaways go along with it — except for Gert.

Gert doesn’t have special powers, but she has never felt excluded. She is left at home again and again with Doc Justice’s assistant, Matthew. Feeling useless, Gert asks Matthew to train her in the art of mission control. Along the way, she learns about the old J-Team and their deaths. As it turns out, Doc Justice isn’t the good guy the Runaways think he is, and it was no accident that his past teams have fallen apart. Despite not possessing superpowers, Gert is determined to stop Doc Justice and save her friends.

Canon Fodder focuses more on Gert than previous issues did, and she proves to be inspiring, fantastically stubborn, and genuinely kind. She is the only member of the Runaways without superpowers, but she proves to be invaluable because she’s the only one who figures out Doc Justice’s secrets. Additionally, she does so while sincerely doubting herself and her role on the team, which is relatable for teenagers. Even after defeating Doc Justice, she still feels off-kilter, and while she’s more confident in her abilities, she doesn’t see herself as worth anything to her team.

Overall, Canon Fodder has a more somber tone than the other books in the series, as it explores heavier themes such as betrayal, deception, murder, and self-doubt. There’s more death and violence in this issue than in the others. Doc Justice’s deceased teammates and the manipulation of the Runaways add depth to the story, making the characters more complex and interesting.

The fifth volume of The Runaways is divided into six parts, each of which builds the overall narrative and allows the reader to gain insight into each character. As with all comics, this one can be confusing at times, with numerous references to the broader Marvel universe. This means that readers unfamiliar with Marvel may be a little discombobulated while reading. However, this doesn’t detract from the story, which has an easily comprehensible plot and simple language.

Canon Fodder is filled with beautiful illustrations that highlight the characters’ best features and fantastical, magical battles. The panels alternate between close-ups and wide shots, designed to capture the scene and the characters’ expressions perfectly. Although events that occur simultaneously are depicted, they can occasionally be confusing when determining where to look based on the page layout. However, this doesn’t distract from the detailed artwork on each page.

Readers who enjoy superhero teams, vicious villains, and found families will love the fierce action, creatively designed costumes, and brave curiosity in the fifth volume of The Runaways. This graphic novel emphasizes themes of loyalty and hope, while also serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of ambition. Doc Justice is a twisted villain who challenges the Runaways perfectly, forcing them to grow up and learn how to trust one another. Overall, this is a beautiful story with a brutal message: trust needs to be hard-earned and is not easily given, especially when you’re learning how to be an adult.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

While Nico and Karolina are patrolling for crime, they are attacked by bad guys. A new superhero, Doc Justice, shows up and saves the two Runaways. He punches and chokes the three bad guys. The two that he punches have blood flying from their mouths. The three are just unconscious by the end of the fight.
As the Runaways begin fighting crime alongside Doc Justice, a montage of the Runaways is shown, lifting cars, firing lasers at unseen villains, and punching bad guys. There is no blood, and it is implied that no one dies.
After saving Los Angeles a few times, Doc Justice decides to train Nico in physical combat, since she struggles to control her staff. There are a few panels with Nico and Doc sparring. There is no blood, and no one is injured.
When Gib is incorporated into the team they’re building, he wears a costume, and there is a panel with supposed bad guys shooting guns at him. The bullets bounce off him, and no one is hurt.
While battling Doc’s old teammate, Doc Justice shows the team his true selfish colors. He sends Karolina off to her death. When Gert notices, she sends Old Lace, their pet dinosaur, after him. Doc Justice rips apart a solar panel and attacks Old Lace with it when she’s protecting Karolina. Old Lace flies backwards, with blood dripping from her mouth. Old Lace heals eventually.
In response to Doc’s actions, Victor blasts him with electricity. Doc falls backwards, and Old Lace jumps up and grabs Doc with her teeth. There is no blood, but Old Lace drags him into darkness, and it’s implied that he dies.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

The Runaways are a teenage group of superheroes, so, naturally, many of them possess magic or supernatural abilities. Nico, the Runaways’ magician, casts spells to solve their problems. When Nico and Karolina are trying to return to the Runaways’ hideout, they encounter a construction crew working on the mountain blocking their way. Nico calls Chase and says, “You’re pretty free and easy with the magic when you’re not the one casting spells.”
Nico summons the Staff of One, and golden rays of magic shine from her body and from the staff as she casts the spell “End of Shift!” that gets rid of the construction crew.
Karolina, the Runaways’ resident alien, can fly and shoot rainbow colored energy from her palms that act like lasers or lightning. When Nico and Karolina return from patrolling the streets for crime, Karolina confesses that “there [had] been some flying. Yes.” She is depicted as flying and rainbow-colored on many pages.
Molly, the youngest Runaway, has super strength and is invincible. She is often depicted performing a superhero landing (landing from high heights without a scratch) and punching through walls.
Gib, the newest addition to the Runaways, needs souls to sustain him. There is a series of three panels where Old Lace, the Runaways’ pet dinosaur, gives Gib a dead cat. The only way we know the cat is dead is because it’s limp – there is no blood or gore. Pink rays of light and sparkles flow from the cat to Gib, nourishing him.
When the Runaways fail at incorporating Gert into their team, Chase apologizes to Gert. Chase feels sorry because Gert’s old psychic link to Old Lace shifted to him. Gert says, “Look, I’m the one who shifted Old Lace’s bond to you before I died. It was the right thing to do in the moment.” The psychic bond enables Old Lace to form a connection with both Gert and Chase, protecting them when they’re in trouble.
With Doc Justice, the team goes after an environmental activist and an old member of Doc’s team. She can control lightning and blasts it at Karolina. The lightning bolts are blue and flying around her when she does so.
After the Runaways’ battle with Doc Justice, he lies on the floor, passed out. Gib approaches him, and the same pink light and sparkles surround him, drawing Doc’s soul to him and feeding Gib.

Spiritual Content

None

by Kate Schuyler

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery

Most people know that Benedict Arnold was America’s first, most notorious traitor. Few know that he was also one of its greatest Revolutionary War heroes.

Steve Sheinkin’s accessible biography, The Notorious Benedict Arnold, introduces young readers to the real Arnold: reckless, heroic, and driven. Packed with first-person accounts, astonishing American Revolution battle scenes, and surprising twists, this is a gripping and true adventure tale from history.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold begins with Arnold’s childhood, showing how his father’s downfall led Arnold to desperately seek the attention and approval of others throughout his life. As an adult, Arnold was a wealthy merchant who understood that when the British began taxing Americans, he had to fight this injustice. However, his motivations went beyond patriotism: “Yes, he believed in the cause of American independence, but there was much more to it. War would be a heaven-sent chance to wipe out the marks against him, to soar up and over everyone who’d ever dared to judge him.”

Arnold refused to wait for others to take action and hatched a plan to attack the fort in Quebec, Canada. Traveling through untamed land was excruciatingly difficult, and Arnold’s men almost starved to death. Despite these harsh conditions, Arnold and his men successfully took the fort. On the battlefield, Arnold’s reckless fearlessness helped him win battles, though many disliked him, refused to take orders from him, and spread false rumors about him. When Arnold returned home, however, “people who recently considered themselves too good to associate with him were now coming over uninvited, just to ask how he was, congratulate him, and wish him well.”

Rather than portraying Arnold as simply a heinous traitor who almost handed George Washington over to the British, the book weaves a compelling story showing how Arnold’s intelligence, bravery, and recklessness allowed him to win one of the most decisive battles in the American Revolution. Readers come to understand not only Arnold’s motivations but also the political workings of the time and how they affected his military career. Many readers will ultimately feel compassion for Arnold, whose craving for recognition and approval brought about his downfall.

The Saratoga battlefield monument perfectly symbolizes Arnold’s complicated legacy in American history. It features “a small stone sculpture of a lower left leg. No person, just a tall boot. A plaque reads: In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot. . . winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution.’ Nowhere does the monument mention the name Benedict Arnold.” This anonymous tribute captures the tragedy of a man who was simultaneously one of America’s greatest heroes and most infamous traitors.

Although The Notorious Benedict Arnold is non-fiction, it reads like an exciting adventure that is hard to put down. Even though everyone knows how Arnold’s story ends, learning the facts about his military history and interactions with other important historical figures proves enlightening. Readers gain new understanding of the political leaders of the time and discover why Arnold ultimately turned against the Americans.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold will appeal to readers who love fast-paced adventures featuring exciting battles, political maneuvering, and the quest for freedom. While everyone remembers Benedict Arnold’s treachery, this book reminds us that he was also one of America’s greatest military heroes—a complex legacy that continues to fascinate readers today.

Sexual Content 

One American general, “spent his nights. . . singing and drinking and amusing himself in the company of the wife of a commissary, who was his mistress and, like him, loved champagne.”
A song popular among the British soldiers had these lyrics: “Sir William, he snug as a flea, / Lay all this time a-snoring; / Nor dreamed of harm as he lay warm / In bed with Mrs. Loring.”

Violence 

The book includes frequent violence, which shows Benedict Arnold’s fierce temper as well as the Americans’ struggle with the British and the Revolutionary War. Not every instance of violence is included below.
The book begins with a description of a hanging. “The prisoner would have to climb onto a wagon with the rope looped around his throat. Horses would jerk the wagon forward, and he would tumble off the back. The force of his falling weight should be enough to snap a man’s neck.”
As a teen, Benedict was embarrassed and angry that his father had lost the family’s wealth. During a celebration, “Benedict got his hands on a purchase of gunpowder, dumped the powder down the barrel of a small cannon on the town green, followed it up with a lit match, and leaped backward. He yelled ‘Huzza!’ as the cannon spit fire past his face.”
A French gentleman was interested in Benedict’s sister Hannah. Benedict warned the man to stay away. When Benedict came home and saw the man in his house, Benedict and his friend devised a plan. “While the friend walked toward the door, Arnold loaded and cocked a pistol and crouched in the shrubs beneath the window. The friend opened the door. . . Thinking it was Hannah’s overprotective brother, the Frenchman leaped from the couch, tripped to the window, lifted the glass, jumped out, and sprinted down the street. Arnold took a shot toward the bouncing figure, purposely aiming just a little high.” The Frenchman never returned.
One of Benedict’s sailors, Boles, planned on informing the authorities that Benedict was not paying British taxes. Benedict told Boles to leave town. When Boles was found in a tavern, a group of sailors “dragged Boles outside and across the street to the whipping post, where, in Arnold’s words, Boles received nearly forty lashes with a small cord.” Then Arnold’s crew carried Boles to the edge of town and dumped him on the muddy road.
Daniel Morgan was “a leader of a group of volunteers from the woods of Virginia. . . Morgan annoyed a British officer, who responded by slapping Morgan with the flat side of his sword. Morgan turned and decked the officer, for which he was sentenced to receive 500 lashes. Morgan stood, teeth clenched, while they slashed his back into strips of pulpy flesh.” Morgan healed but was badly scarred.
The Americans invaded a British fort in Canada. When American artillery fired, “explosions blew off arms and legs, shells ripped open the buildings, sending brick and glass spinning through the crowded space.” The British surrendered.
The Americans attack a fort in Quebec. A group of soldiers was going through a barricade, when a cannon exploded, “shooting flames and a swarm of grapeshot. . . Montgomery [the commander] was struck in both thighs, his cheek, his head, and was dead before he hit the snow. Eight other soldiers were killed by the blast.”
During the attack, Arnold “felt something rip through the flesh below his knee. . . Arnold fell, got up, stumbled to the wall and leaned, unable to put any weight on the leg. Blood flowered in his boot and gurgled out into the snow.” Arnold survived his wounds.
During one battle, many Americans were injured. “John Lamb was shot in the cheek. He pulled out a handkerchief, tied up the hole in his face, and went on firing. Archibald Steele had two fingers blown off his hand. . .” The Americans were forced to surrender.
During a battle between the British and the Americans, Dyer, an American soldier, accidentally killed himself when he “rammed a new gunpowder cartridge into a muzzle, the other men heard an explosion, and saw Dyer blown overboard. His body bobbed in the water, the sponging rod blown clear through his chest. A few feet away floated his hands.”
Later during the same battle, “cannonballs crashed into ships on both sides, sending limbs flying, leaving dead and unconscious men lying in spreading puddles of blood.”
After the battle, the Americans set their ships on fire and they exploded, “killing a badly wounded officer who’d been left behind in the chaos. The men watched his broken body tumble high into the air and crash down in the lake.”
During an extended battle, about 600 British and 300 American soldiers were killed. “Wounded men lay all over the battlefield, calling out for help, crying for a drink of water. . . British burial parties quickly dug pits and dumped in the dead, leaving arms, legs, and even heads above ground. Wolves feasted that night on the dead and dying.”
British General Grey led an attack on Philadelphia that came to be known as the Paoli Massacre. People “could hear the sounds of steel blades plunging through flesh, and the cries of dying men. . . Grey’s men went on thrusting and slicing, even after the Americans tried to surrender.”
Andre, a British officer, was accused of spying and hanged. “Andre grabbed [the noose] and placed the loop around his own neck, drew tight the knot. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it over his eyes. . . His body swung gently at the end of the rope. ‘In a few minutes,’ said one soldier, ‘he hung entirely still.’”

Drugs and Alcohol 

After two of his children died and his business collapsed, Benedict’s father turned to alcohol. Captain Arnold had “always enjoyed his rum,” but after the tragedy, he started drinking more frequently and heavily.
Captain Arnold’s drinking became a constant problem. “Night after humiliating night, the younger Arnold was sent out to search the waterfront taverns for his father. He often had to literally drag the goading, puking, crying man through the streets to their home.”
Arnold became an apprentice and learned how to make “various cold cures and an aphrodisiac called ‘Francis’ Female Elixir.”
Benedict goes to a tavern. “He could hear men inside shouting in drunken voices. . . He could smell the sour stink of booze-soaked floors. Arnold hated the smell, and he had a reason to hate it.”
British prisoners of war were given a meal and “pitchers of rum.”
While Arnold was in Philadelphia on military business, he filled his mansion with “expensive food and wine.” During this time, Arnold was spending time with an unmarried woman. He sent this woman’s father “a few nice bottles of wine.”
To convince two brothers to row to a British ship and bring Andre, a British officer, back, the brothers were given “big cups of rum.”
After taking over a fort, the Green Mountain Boys, a group of American rebels, “found ninety gallons of rum in the supply room and decided to drink it all.”

Language 

Damn is used infrequently. For example, a man tells Benedict, “You are a damned Yankee, destitute of good manners or those of a gentleman.”
While taking over a fort, an American tells a Red Coat, “Come out of there! Come out, you damned old rat!”
“Good God” and “by God” are both used as an exclamation once.
Goddamn is used twice. For example, after a battle, a soldier said, “Goddamn you!”
A British prisoner called the locals “perfidious dastards” and “a greasy committee of worsted-stocking knaves.”
After a battle that the Americans won, a general said, “If Old England is not by this lesson taught humility, then she is an obstinate old slut, bent upon her ruin.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

While Benedict was in boarding school, he received a letter from his mother informing him that the family was sick with yellow fever. She wrote, “What God is about to do with us I know not. We have a very uncertain stay in this world.” Two of Benedict’s sisters died.
Arnold and a group of men demand to be given the colony’s supply of gunpowder. When a man refuses to give it to the group, Benedict yells, “None but Almighty God shall prevent my marching!”
While taking over a garrison, the British are told to surrender “in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress.”
When Arnold showed up on the battlefield, he told the soldiers, “God bless you. . . If the day is long enough, we’ll have them all in hell before night.”
When two American soldiers arrested a British officer, he said, “God bless my soul.”
When Benedict Arnold’s plot to have the British attack West Point failed, some believed it was the “hand of God.”

Game Seven

Julio Ramirez Jr. lives in the shadow of his famous father. Not just because Julio Senior is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins and famous for his scorching fastball, but because he defected from Cuba, leaving Julio and his sister and mother branded as the family of a traitor. Now sixteen, Julio has dreams of playing shortstop for Cuba’s national team—until he’s given the opportunity to sail to the U.S. Can he abandon his family, just like his Papi did? Is freedom worth the perilous journey and risking prison if he’s caught? Will his Papi be waiting for him on the other shore—or, with the Marlins in the World Series against the Yankees, has Julio Senior forgotten all about his son?

When his father defected, Julio’s life changed for the worse. It’s bad enough that he and his mother must work to eke out a living, but now his father’s actions might keep Julio from his baseball dreams. Dealing with the loss of his father, poverty, and a hopeless future causes a myriad of emotions that the teen isn’t sure how to handle. Then, in a blink, everything changes when Julio is given the opportunity to escape Cuba with his uncle and cousin. Despite the difficulties, Julio’s mother supports his decision to leave, saying, “Make your decision and know that I love you. I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

Most of Game Seven chronicles Julio’s escape from Cuba and his anger at being abandoned by his father. During the dangerous journey, Julio listens to the Marlins playing in the World Series on a transistor radio. Listening to the games fuels his anger and isolates him from his family, who believe his father can do no wrong. At one point, Julio thinks, “All I knew was that Papi was about to be a hero in front of the whole world, and I didn’t want to hear it happen.” While Julio’s circumstances are unique, readers will relate to his conflicting emotions and the difficulty of his decision to leave Cuba.

Julio’s story will force readers to consider the value of family, loyalty, and freedom. The narrative never tells readers what to think but shows the complexity of Julio’s decision. Readers will empathize with his desire to stay with his mother and sister while also desperately wanting freedom. Because Julio and the others are traveling in a Buick converted into a boat, there is added peril. However, most of the book’s conflict is internal, and the only baseball action appears in brief radio broadcasts of the World Series. While the cover art featuring a boy playing baseball is misleading, Game Seven is still worth reading because readers can relate to Julio’s desire to reach his goal.

Game Seven uses Julio’s family dynamics, his dream of playing baseball, and his dangerous escape from Cuba to craft an entertaining story that fosters empathy for refugees. However, the plot’s focus on the teen’s inner turmoil might deter some readers from finishing. Still, because many major league baseball greats have defected from Cuba, Game Seven offers a valuable perspective for baseball fans. To learn how sports can give people hope, sports enthusiasts may also want to read Heat by Mike Lupica, Outcasts United by Warren St. John, and Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams.

Sexual Content 

Julio’s father left Cuba and did not contact his family for years. Julio “remembered Mama’s words about Papi. About how there was no way he was alone, living without a woman.” Afterward, Julio discovers his father has another child. “The stork didn’t drop him on Papi’s doorstep one day. He got here by Papi doing my mama wrong.”

When Julio and his family make it safely to Florida, they stay at a housing complex. Julio’s cousin sees a swimming pool and says, “That must be where the honeys go sunbathing in bikinis. Maybe even topless.”

Julio hears commercials for everything, including beer and “pills to keep older guys ready for sex.”

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

One of the baseball coaches smokes a cigar.

Language 

Profanity is used occasionally. Profanity includes ass, bastard, damn, pissed, shit, and holy crap.

Julio refers to one of the baseball coaches as a “blowhard.”

Julio’s cousin refers to a coach as a “fat swine.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Julio’s cousin, Luis, “would always say his prayers before bed. Like a little kid, he’d get on his knees with his hands clasped in front of him and close his eyes. Then his mouth would move with no sound coming out, until he was finished.” However, Julio doesn’t pray. He believes “God already knows what we want. Why should I bother Him?”

Julio, his cousin, and his uncle flee Cuba with a man named Gabriel, who acts as their guide. They pray before they embark on the trip.

When Gabriel was a teenager, he tried to leave Cuba. Before trying to escape Cuba, Gabriel’s family went to church to pray. “The priest even gave me my first Communion—the body and blood.” There were eight people on the raft; three people died in the ocean. An older woman died after being caught. The others were put in prison.

On the trip, Julio occasionally prays. For example, “I was praying [the boat’s] tip would lead us straight to the States.”

While in a car that was transformed into a boat, Julio thinks, “It was only God who was above us, however, He laid out the currents and weather in our path.”

Julio’s baseball coach says, “But talent without heart—that’s talent ’sjust a waste of a God-given gift.”

Right before Julio and his family flee Cuba, Julio goes through thick brush, “praying I was still going in the right direction.”

When Uncle Ramon was young, “[his] mother told [him] thunder was the angels bowling in heaven. That it was the sound of them knocking down all ten pins, getting a strike.”

Julio’s cousin asks if it’s okay to pray to win a baseball game. His father replies, “If it isn’t, I earned a ticket to hell before I was fifteen.”

When the guide gets Julio and his family safely to Florida, Uncle Ramon says, “Now that those prayers have been answered, I think we should give thanks.” As they prayed, Julio “prayed [his half-brother] would never lose faith in Papi the way I had, even if I was going to be jealous of that.”

Dark Rise

In 19th-century London, sixteen-year-old Will Kempen leads a quiet life, closely monitored by his overprotective mother. But when a mysterious group kills her, Will goes on the run and finally learns the truth about the world, his family, and his own identity.

Long ago, a devastating war raged between the forces of Light and Dark, resulting in the complete destruction of magic—until the present day, when the dead heroes and villains are reborn to reclaim their destiny. Most important is Will. Born from the blood of the Lady, he is prophesied to one day defeat the Dark King. Joining the Stewards, an ancient class of warriors, Will fights against the Dark King’s rise, only to realize that the line between good and evil might not be so clear after all.

In the beginning, Will is a likable protagonist who is easy to root for. Despite his harsh surroundings, he maintains a kind nature. For example, he warns an opponent of a deadly booby trap even after they try to kill him. However, Will’s character arc takes an unexpected turn. Set up to become the chosen savior, he ends the story as a morally gray figure shrouded in mystery. In a shocking plot twist, Will realizes he is not of the Lady’s blood—he is the reincarnation of the Dark King.

Some readers may find Will’s past life unforgivable, regardless of the good he does in his current life. While the specifics of the war are only hinted at, readers can infer there were great casualties. Furthermore, despite swearing to kill the Dark King, Will keeps his identity a secret, allowing the Stewards to continue believing their greatest enemy is their savior. However, there are also hints that the war was more complex than the Stewards’ framing of Light versus Dark or Good versus Evil. Considering Will’s kind nature, it is plausible that the Stewards conducted a smear campaign against the Dark King to further their agenda. Since Dark Rise is the first entry in a trilogy, much of the war remains a mystery, leaving Will’s character morally gray at best.

Initially presented as Will’s love interest, Katherine Kent is revealed to be the true blood of the Lady. She is kind and innocent, yet unafraid to make bold moves to protect the people she loves. For example, she breaks off her engagement after her sister’s safety is threatened and immediately fights Will after learning his true identity. James St. Clair, the Dark King’s reborn right-hand man, follows a similar role reversal. He is initially presented as Will’s enemy but emerges as a possible future love interest. While rules and righteousness stifle the surrounding cast, James is the most dynamic character, often taunting the Stewards and exposing flaws in their morality. Like Will, James had no choice in the role he was born into, but he copes with the opposite response: embracing and even enjoying his perceived villainy.

Readers will enjoy the fast-paced plot and the building tension between Will, Katherine, and James as they unravel layers of their shared yet unknown past. Dark Rise is told in the third person, with each chapter narrated from a different point of view, but it primarily focuses on Will, Katherine, and their friends in the Stewards. The book would be improved if it focused exclusively on Will, Katherine, and James, but the good outshines the bad. Plot lines from the supporting characters exist only to support the main storyline and are largely forgettable. The most entertaining scenes happen when James is present, causing trouble for the main characters through battles of magic or wits. For example, when the Stewards capture James, he gains the upper hand by strategically revealing information that will cause conflict among the Stewards.

Overall, Dark Rise offers an interesting take on the Chosen One trope: the hero becomes the villain, the villain becomes the love interest, and the love interest becomes the hero. It explores themes of indoctrination, generational burden, and systemic corruption against a fantasy backdrop while providing mostly fascinating characters to keep readers emotionally invested. Readers who enjoy young adult and dark fantasy will enjoy this book.

Sexual Content

Will has a spiritual attraction to Katherine. When he reflects on his early meeting with her, he emphasizes “how drawn he had been to her.”
Katherine initiates a kiss with Will, who is reluctant. The kiss helps Katherine unlock her magical powers. As Katherine describes, she “moved in towards Will. . . around her light started to shine as if his touch was conjuring it. . . Will jerked back.”
Will thinks James is a “golden beauty, he might have been carved from fine marble.”
Will’s and James’ past life counterparts – the Dark King and Anharion – are implied to have a sexual relationship. It is mentioned that “[Anharion] kissed the Dark King’s lips.”

Violence

Will suppresses the traumatic memory of his mother’s assassination for most of the book. However, Will has a flashback about when he arrives home to find his mother “bleeding in the garden behind the house, three dead men on the ground, and more men on the way.” His mother asked for a knife, then she “plunged the knife towards his throat. . . the knife had gone through his palm instead of his neck. . . he’d pushed her off, gasping in air and clutching his bleeding palm to his chest. . . ” Will flees, and his mother presumably dies of blood loss. The emotional flashback lasts three pages.
Violet, a friend of Will’s, abandons the Dark for the Light after overhearing her father’s plan to sacrifice her to help her older brother, because “[Violet’s brother] can’t come into his true power without killing another like him.”
When Katherine learns Will’s identity, she grabs the ancient artifact that originally defeated the Dark King – the Sword of the Champion – hoping to use it to kill Will. Will warns her that the Dark King’s blood corrupted the sword, and now it will kill Katherine. Katherine assumes he is lying, grabs the sword, and quickly dies. Will describes, “black webbing raced toward her heart. . . she collapsed, pale and cold.” Readers may not feel much sympathy for Katherine, as her death was avoidable if she had not jumped to conclusions and condemned a close friend.
Simon is the main villain and the leader of the efforts to revive the Dark King. He ironically attempts to kill Will under the mistaken assumption that he is the blood of the Lady. Simon wields the Dark King’s sword against Will, which does not work. Then Will stabs Simon, narrating Simon’s death with factual detachment. He describes understanding “the resistance of the body, the strength of muscle and sinew that it took to push the weapon in. . . when [Simon] opened his mouth, blood and not words came out of it.”
Will, along with two Stewards, Violet and Cyprian, plan an unsuccessful sneak attack on James. Cyprian is a Steward who is friendly with both Will and Violet. Using his powers, James throws Violet “violently upward, hitting the ceiling with a cry” and sends Cyprian “flying backward across the room to hit the wall with a sick smash.” Will is not harmed, only “yanked down to his knees and held there.” Due to their superhuman strength, Violet and Cyprian do not sustain any long-term injuries.

Drugs and Alcohol

Background characters, like the ship hands, drink beer. However, the main cast does not partake.

Language

A Steward compares a deserted wasteland to hell.
God is frequently used to express surprise. For example, after learning he killed Will’s mother, Simon taunts, “My God, what is this? Some pitiful boy’s revenge?”
Behind her back, Violet’s father calls her “stupid mongrel” and “bastard girl.”

Supernatural

There is a world of magic, divided between Light and Dark forces. Characters possess a wide range of abilities.
The Dark King can control minds and revive the dead. The Dark King died before the events of the story, so he is not depicted using his powers. However, it is stated that the Dark King can “draw people to him and wrap them into the shape he wanted.”
The Stewards are extremely strong and can withstand significant damage. For example, Violet is shocked the first time she sees them fight. They “had a strength and speed that wasn’t – that couldn’t be – natural.” A Steward “pushed one of the half-ton crates out of her way with one hand, which was impossible.”
James can move things with his mind. For example, Will unties a rope, causing a crane to fall over James. James “flung out his hand and the crane abruptly stopped, frozen abruptly in the air.”
There are cursed artifacts that carry spells. A collar is cursed to make James obedient to the Dark King, if worn. James does not wear it. However, his counterpart Anharion did, which is a possible explanation for his loyalty to the Dark King, but the past life largely remains a mystery. The Sword of the Champion is also cursed to kill Katherine.

Spiritual Content

None

by Kerry Lum

Come Away with Me

The Runaways are still recovering from their superhero adventures, and as a result, their trust issues have worsened. All of them blame themselves for what’s happened, including thirteen-year-old Molly. She visits Krakoa’s website for more information on their sanctuary for super-powered individuals. The Runaways barely have time to recover from Doc Justice’s manipulations when two X-Men from Krakoa show up at their door, claiming to have emails from Molly that imply she needs rescuing.

The X-Men, named Wolverine and Pixie, try to take Molly to Krakoa by force, but the Runaways rescue her. The whole thing turns out to be a misunderstanding, but they realize that if the emails didn’t come from Molly, they came from another mutant in trouble. The Runaways do not trust adults, but they always come to the rescue of kids in danger. So, they team up with the X-Men to find the lost mutant.

After fighting crazy monsters, traversing through a strange dream world, and making peace amongst each other, the Runaways and the X-Men find the mutant. The X-Men take the mutant to Krakoa, where she can learn her powers in a safe environment. Yet, the Runaways still have problems, and it doesn’t look good.

Chase has been sneaking out to meet a mysterious girlfriend — one who looks a little too much like Gert. Victor and Gert aren’t a couple, especially since Victor trusted Doc Justice despite Gert’s warning not to. They don’t know how to resolve their issues. Karolina is still weak from Doc Justice’s attack, and she doesn’t know how she fits into the human world. Nico is struggling with her staff yet again, and she’s beginning to worry that bartering away a piece of her soul with each spell may not have been a good idea. The Runaways are splintering more than ever. Will they stay together, or will they prove that nothing good lasts forever?

The Runaways are strong, inspiring, and relatable protagonists who are struggling to solve problems that may not have solutions. This volume focuses on each member and takes on a more defeatist tone as the Runaways struggle to stay together. Throughout the whole series, each member has struggled with their identity. This issue culminates in realizations for all of them about where and how they fit into the adult world, which is something every kid has to figure out eventually. This last volume in the series lacks cohesive subplots, and it feels like a weak conclusion to the series. The tone is consistent throughout, focusing on self-doubt and identity; however, the story is disorganized and leaves the characters without a satisfying conclusion. It’s worth reading to see how the characters overcome their challenges and how they fight with the X-Men, but it’s a disappointing finish.

The sixth volume of The Runaways is divided into six issues, each of which continues the overall narrative while providing insight into the development of each character. The narrative focuses equally on each member of the Runaways. The narrative is simple and easily comprehensible. However, it’s a Marvel comic, which means it contains numerous Marvel references. These references can make the story confusing to those unfamiliar with Marvel. The plot in this volume is somewhat fractured, and there are too many moving parts that distract from the main themes and storyline.

This graphic novel is filled with beautiful illustrations that highlight the characters’ best features and fantastical, magical battles. The panels vary between close-up and wide shots, designed to capture the scene and the expressions of the characters perfectly. Although events that occur simultaneously are depicted, they can occasionally be confusing when determining where to look based on the page layout. However, this doesn’t distract from the detailed artwork on each page.

Readers who enjoy rescues, fun characters, and complex family dynamics will love the unique magic, witty superheroes, and poignant struggles that the Runaways face in the sixth volume. This graphic novel emphasizes themes of hope, independence, and responsibility through well-developed and realistic characters. The Runaways have always had trust issues, but now they must figure out how to trust themselves, and it’s a very interesting journey to follow. Overall, this is a bittersweet story with a tragic message: sometimes problems are insurmountable, and even the best-laid plans fall apart.

Sexual Content

After saving a mutant in trouble, Chase sneaks out of the Runaways’ hideout to meet up with his girlfriend. They share a kiss, hands wrapped around each other, taking up a whole page in a single panel.
While kissing, Chase experiences a flashback to explain who his girlfriend is. Before saving the mutant in trouble, a version of Gert from the future shows up, trying to save Chase from the future. She claims she’s still in love with Chase and kisses him. Before anything more is shown, Chase snaps back to the present, where he’s kissing Gert from the future.
After the present, Runaway Gert has a particularly rough day at school, Victor catches up with her and apologizes for the events with Doc Justice. They have an emotional conversation, and then they kiss, cupping each other’s faces. They break the kiss and continue walking home.
In the Runaways’ moment of peace after saving the troubled mutant, Nico and Karolina share a kiss, both cupping each other’s faces. They are interrupted by aliens outside.

Violence

After the events with Doc Justice in the previous book, Molly sent an email to Krakoa, inquiring about their haven for mutants. Then, two X-Men show up at the Runaways’ door looking for Molly. They think Molly needs extrication from an abusive situation, so one of the X-Men, Wolverine, immediately starts swinging at the Runaways with his adamantium claws. Doombot and Molly work together to stop Wolverine, and no one is hurt.
While trying to save a mutant in trouble, the Runaways and the X-Men encounter giant monsters and fight them off. There is a lot of punching and some spraying of blood, but no one is grievously injured.
While future Gert has a flashback, she remembers her version of Chase becoming a supervillain. He is depicted with metal fists aflame and wearing a superpowered suit. He is in an apocalyptic wasteland, surrounded by debris and a world on fire.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

The Runaways are a superhero team; therefore, most of the members have supernatural or magical abilities. They primarily deal with supernatural or magical crises, so there are depictions of supernatural content on nearly every page. As an example, the cover page depicts Karolina glowing in multiple colors and floating in space. Karolina is an alien who can fly and change colors.
When Gib, the newest addition to the Runaways, wants to go to high school, he transforms from a clearly non-human being (with green skin and horns) to a human form. There is no spell spoken or magic depicted. In one panel, he looks like a monster, while in another, he looks human.
When two X-Men show up at the Runaways’ door looking for Molly, one of them, Pixie, starts flying. Pixie has fairy wings on her back, pointed ears, black eyes, and the ability to cast magic spells. She does so several times in this graphic novel. When she says a spell, pink whorls appear around her.
Nico is a powerful magician with a magical staff. She casts spells numerous times in the graphic novel by speaking commands, and the staff follows her commands. Golden light surrounds her when she does so. After saving the mutant in trouble, Nico admits to Karolina that she made a deal with the magician living in the staff. Nico explains, “My ancestor trapped him in the Staff, or turned him into the Staff, I guess. He’s the one who made up the stupid rules. . . we renegotiated the terms.” In return, Nico agreed to give up a part of her soul.
While the Runaways team up with the X-Men to look for a mutant in trouble, they accidentally slip into a mass hallucination. In one panel, their bodies are partially invisible, depicting a passage between two realms – the real world and a dream world. In that dream world, they fight horrible monsters by casting a lot of spells. When they escape, they discover that the alternate world and the monsters are a hallucination designed for them by the mutant in trouble.
In a flashback, Chase reveals that he’s been dating a version of Gert from the future for quite some time. Multiple times in the novel, she tries to transport Chase to the future to save him from his fate. When she does so, she is depicted with glowing purple gloves and purple lightning flickering around them.
In a break between saving the mutants and the Runaways’ next crises, Gib is depicted surrounded by pink lightning and sparkles, eating the soul of a dead rat. This happens in several panels as he seems to have a group of cats that do his bidding, dropping off several dead rats with souls for Gib to absorb, then leaving.
After dealing with their most recent crises, the Runaways experience a moment of peace, only to be interrupted by an earthquake and the landing of an alien ship in their backyard. Aliens from Karolina’s home world reappear to take her home. They also have multicolored skin and are capable of flight.

Spiritual Content

When Gib, who is not human, wants to go to school with Gert and Victor, Chase protests, saying, “You look like something the Book of Revelation threw up. You can’t go to high school!”

by Kate Schuyler

Rebel Spirits

Lori Chase doesn’t know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings. . . right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone’s mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori’s parents run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers. Then Lori meets one such soldier—the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel’s soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori’s help. Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets. At the same time, she can’t help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her.

Though Lori knows she can see ghosts, she isn’t expecting to meet the ghost of a handsome soldier. Nathaniel’s mysterious death, haunting good looks, and introspective nature quickly captivate her. As Lori investigates his death, she learns more about the Civil War that claimed his life. She makes a compelling narrator that teenagers will relate to—like most teens, she struggles to understand her romantic feelings, is reluctant to confide in her parents, and isn’t sure who to trust with her innermost thoughts.

To solve his murder, Nathaniel retells his involvement in a Civil War battle, including brief but gruesome descriptions of soldiers who died from their injuries. Though he has only three days to solve his murder, he doesn’t seem eager to pursue the mystery and lacks essential clues that would lead Lori to the answer. Despite this, his heartrending story, empathy for others, and affection for Lori make him a worthy love interest.

Evan, a young man who works at Lori’s family’s bed and breakfast, helps her understand Gettysburg’s history and also becomes a love interest. At times, his cheerful personality and obvious affection for Lori overshadow Nathaniel. When he learns about Lori’s quest, Evan offers his help in a kind and respectful manner. The story feels like a weak love triangle since Nathaniel will disappear in three days, while Evan has time on his side.

After Lori nearly dies, she asks Nathaniel, “Would you allow me to be dead so we could stay together?” He acknowledges that he doesn’t belong in her world, nor she in his, saying, “Some things are timeless, and one of them is this: Love is not selfish.” He explains how he helped save her life, then adds, “Evan Maxwell. He’s a good man, and he cares for you. Give him a corner of your heart.” This moment highlights the importance of selfless love. However, their romance develops too quickly and feels shallow—especially since Lori plans to go to dinner with Evan the day after Nathaniel leaves.

Rebel Spirits will entertain teenagers seeking romance mixed with mystery and ghosts. However, the story lacks historical depth and could have taken place anywhere in the United States, missing opportunities to explore the Civil War and Gettysburg in detail. The spirit world’s rules are also inconsistent—Nathaniel has only three days with Lori yet afterward remains in contact with another person who sees ghosts. The conclusion feels rushed, like a puzzle whose pieces don’t quite fit. However, readers who enjoy character-driven novels will appreciate its positive message about selfless love and find it an easy, enjoyable read.

Sexual Content 

Nathaniel unexpectedly kisses Lori. “Not a quick kiss on the cheek like I gave Evan, but a full kiss on the lips. My first kiss, actually. . . It’s sweet and delicious and I want it to go on and on. I close my eyes and kiss him back, and feel my insides turn to Jell-O.”
Lori and Nathaniel are on a bench talking when, “He pulls me toward him, locks me in his arms, and his lips on mine are warm and firm. They taste of ginger, and I can’t get enough.”
Lori is at a creek near her home when Nathaniel materializes. “He greets me with a long kiss. I want to enjoy it even more than I already do, but my mind is elsewhere. I pull back.”
Lori seeks the help of Evan. As they’re talking, “he leans forward, and without much warning plants his lips on mine.” Lori thinks, “It was pretty nice, considering that he’s the second guy to kiss me today.”
Lori and Nathaniel meet to say goodbye. “His arms are around me, mine around him, as if nothing could ever come between us. . . Our lips eagerly find each other, and for that brief moment, I forget that we’ll soon be torn apart.”

Violence 

Nathaniel Pierce, who is a ghost, was murdered. Nathaniel turns around, and “that’s when [Lori] see[s] the torn fabric and dried blood of a gaping hole in the middle of his back.”
Nathaniel talks about the war. Even though the battle had ended, “It was not the end of misery in this town where bodies of men and horses were strewn everywhere. Even more tragic were the wounded who waited for help. . . Imagine four wounded soldiers writhing in agony. They’re waiting for rescue to a field hospital, too weak, too torn apart to get there on their own.” A storm fills the creek and floods. The four soldiers die.
One of the workers at the bed and breakfast won’t stay in the house after dark. She says, “. . . on quiet nights, you can still hear the screams of the soldiers having their arms and legs cut off. Without an anesthetic.”
Nathaniel’s best friend’s father, Mr. Larch, worked in a mine. The man took a lantern into the mine. “He no sooner stepped off the elevator when he heard the roof rumbling. The wooden stakes. . . started buckling. . . The roof collapsed, most likely knocking the lantern out of Mr. Larch’s hand, which set off an explosion with the trapped gases.” Mr. Larch dies.
After a battle, Nathaniel helps a “drummer boy, maybe fourteen, and he was a Reb. Entrails spilled out of the jagged hole in the boy’s gut. His eyes were glazed over, but when my face came close, they filled with fear.” Nathaniel took the boy to the field hospital. Soon after, another man, Henry, brought a patient to the hospital and got angry that the doctor wouldn’t help him immediately. “Henry went berserk and started throwing wild punches. Landed one on the side of the doctor’s head. I wrestled Henry to the ground.” Both patients died.
During the war, people could tell the houses that were being used as hospitals “by the trail of blood up the front steps, and the arms and legs tossed out the back window. Kept dozens of civilians busy just burying the pile of limbs.”
Lori’s friend Charlotte can also see ghosts. Charlotte has seen Nathaniel before. She tells Lori, “He shows up every year at this time, but he only stays until the Battle Days are over. . . It surprised me to see him. He’s usually just spirit, not flesh. You must be special for him to appear in bodily form and give you his name. Once a spirit offers his name, he’s vulnerable. He’s yours.”
Lori asks Nathaniel about his family. He says, “They’re waiting to know how all this turns out. I can feel them hovering near sometimes, but they’re quiet, just waiting.”
Lori finds a letter that explains how Nathaniel died. Nathaniel’s friend snuck up behind him with the intent to shoot him. The letter reads: “The wrongdoer, even in the darkest crevice of his soul, professed to be a faithful friend as he pointed his pistol. God save us from such acts of friendship.” The letter writer tries to stop the man, but “God help me, my fingers were on the trigger when the gun fired, and [Nathaniel] Pierce gasped his final, labored breath.” The letter writer accidentally shot Nathaniel.
A group of people who have been looking for the ring are digging in a shed close to the bed and breakfast. The people discover Lori spying on them. Lori’s hands and legs are bound, and then one of the men, Cadmus, “gruffly tosses me onto the seat of the riding mower. The impact shoots a pain up my spine, which is already bruised. . .” Cadmus uses Chloroform to knock Lori out.
Nathaniel’s gravestone is next to Jenny Wade. Jenny “was the only civilian killed during the Battle when a random bullet found her inside her sister’s house.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

The Civil War doctors used Chloroform as an anesthetic.

Language 

OMG, Oh God, and Oh my God are all used once.
A woman says, “Lord-a-mercy.”

Supernatural

Several characters can see ghosts, and Lori has a relationship with one. When Lori gets to Gettysburg, a young man appears before her. “The dense air shimmers. Right in front of my eyes, the molecules—or whatever—form themselves into a shadowy image.” Lori and her friend have a Ouija board and a “genuine fake” crystal ball. “We charge everyone fifty cents for a glimpse into their future, a dollar if they want to hear actual knocks and squeals from the dead.” It was all fake, but then one day Lori actually saw something in the crystal ball. “A child falling out of a tree. He was twisted and motionless on the hard ground, with his glasses unbroken next to him.” The next day, she read a newspaper article about the boy’s death.
Lori tells her brother about seeing a ghost. He tells her about “a tradition among the Kikongo people here in West Africa. It means the threshold between worlds. . . People here believe that after death the soul travels the path of the sun as it sets in the west. . . West Africans kidnapped as slaves believed that the kalunga line was under the Atlantic Ocean, because the living became dead when they got to the US as slaves.”
A woman tells Lori that strange things happen at the bed and breakfast. “Sometimes you got to watch for dishes and such floating through the air. . . unless they’re weighed down good, and even then. Ghosts are powerful things, even if they’re all just puffs of air.”
A doctor had a ring that belonged to Abe Lincoln’s son. He believed it was a lucky charm. The doctor says, “Pray to God it’ll see me through this bloody war.” On the day the doctor loses the ring, he dies.
After the doctor dies, a man finds Abe Lincoln’s son’s ring. The man decides the ring is a blessing and a curse because it is “a reminder of a dear friend and of my son’s brief life. . . My prayer is that no other father or mother will be blinded by its glitter and suffer the loss of a child who wears it.”
A woman finds a concealed shoe at the bed-and-breakfast. “Folks around here always used to put a well-loved child’s shoe in the wall when they built it. Supposed to hold the spirit of the child and bring good luck to the family.”
Lori goes to a battleground to wait for Nathaniel. While she’s there, she hears a multitude of voices from ghosts. Lori wonders, “What part did [Nathanial] have in sharing those haunting, comforting voices with me?”

Spiritual Content 

When a woman throws a lit match on the floor of the shed, Lori worries it will ignite the flammable fertilizer bags and cause them to explode. Lori prays, “Don’t let the embers ignite the whole shed.”
When Cadmus orders a woman to Chloroform Lori, Lori is “praying she’ll toss the bottle out the window.”

But You Can’t Hide

The Runaways have a home, they have jobs, and they have forgiven each other for past mistakes, but they still haven’t quite figured out how they fit into the new world that they’ve carved out for themselves. Whether it be romantic entanglements, educational journeys, or crime fighting, they’re still learning. However, they have bigger problems.

Doombot is still healing from being ripped apart by the Gibborim. When Chase tries to put him back together, he accidentally reverts Doombot to his original programming — the one infamous Marvel supervillain Dr. Doom gave him. Doombot goes berserk and attacks the Runaways.

But You Can’t Hide doesn’t give all the Runaways equal story time, but it still develops the characters. Each character is unique, inspiring, and independent. They constantly have to multitask, dealing with their personal lives and city-wide crises, like Doombot’s reboot. They learn how to grow from their various dilemmas. Alex Wilder leaves the Runaways’ hideout, and Molly follows him. Desperate to grieve for her parents, Molly bonds with Alex over their shared feeling of disconnection from the Runaways. Convinced Alex kidnapped Molly, the Runaways bring her home, leaving her feeling more adrift than ever.

Victor’s feelings for Gert intensify, and he yearns for a human body that they can both enjoy. Chase doesn’t know how to move on romantically from Gert, even though he’s had plenty of opportunities. Karolina can’t keep up with college, and nobody there understands what she’s going through. Each character must pivot and create a life outside the Runaways to improve their social-emotional health and grow as individuals.

The fourth volume of The Runaways is a graphic novel divided into six main parts, each focusing on a different character’s arc. This volume lacks a cohesive narrative thread, negatively impacting the story’s flow and making it feel more episodic than the previous issues. Additionally, since the story is part of the Marvel universe, the beginning of the story has a couple of side notes referring to separate comic series. This leaves a gap in the context, which will make the story confusing for those unfamiliar with Marvel. However, for the most part, the plot is easy enough to follow and worth reading.

But You Can’t Hide is filled with beautiful illustrations that highlight the characters’ best features and fantastical, magical battles. The panels alternate between close-ups and wide shots, designed to capture the scene and the characters’ expressions perfectly. The dialogue and sound effects are engaging, emerging from their own panels and overlaid onto others. Although events that occur simultaneously are depicted, they can occasionally be confusing when determining where to look based on the page layout. Yet, this doesn’t distract from the wonderful and detailed artwork on each page.

Readers who enjoy masked crime fighters, healthy relationships, and sarcastic comments will love the deep emotional conflicts, magical powers, and banter of the Runaways in this fourth volume. The story explores themes of identity, perseverance, and good vs. evil through the lives of strong, determined, and complicated teenagers. Each member of the Runaways must confront heartbreak and find a way to overcome their trust issues through increased interaction with the real world. Overall, this is an incredible story with an inspiring message: that everything has consequences, but with enough support, anxieties, mistakes, and losses can always be overcome.

Sexual Content

On the title page, Gert and Victor are kissing and wrapped in each other’s embrace. The same image appears at the end of part three. It has no direct connection to the plot. It just re-emphasizes Gert and Victor’s growing relationship.

Violence

On the title page for part two, Victor has a nightmare of Gert being strangled by one of the Gibborim. Her limbs are flailing helplessly, and a panel of Victor at the bottom of the page shows his horrified expression. Since it’s a dream, no one is injured.
The Gibborim dismantled Doombot, a robot and friend of Victor’s, when they visited the Runaways in the last issue. The Runaways attempt to put him back together, but they accidentally trigger his evil and aggressive coding. Doombot turns on and attempts to destroy them. A few punches are thrown, and Karolina strikes him with lightning. He keeps fighting until Molly jumps on him and pulls out some of his wires. No one is grievously injured, though Victor is temporarily unconscious.
While patrolling for crime, Nico and Karolina encounter three individuals working together for unknown purposes. Karolina blasts one of them with her magic, which looks like rainbow lightning. One of the bad guys is thrown to the ground. Nico casts a spell to make them dance, which ends the fight.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Nico is a magician who uses a staff to cast spells against their enemies. She does so a couple of times. When she casts a spell, she speaks a command, and colorful streaks of light explode from the staff, streaming towards their target to complete Nico’s command.
When Alex leaves the Runaways’ hideout to go back home, Molly follows him. She pesters him with questions about being dead. Alex says, “I don’t really have ghost powers.”
A man on the bus starts bothering Molly, so Alex grabs his wrist. One panel shows Alex grabbing the wrist normally, but the next shows the two with a background of green smoke, and Alex’s eyes are grey and cloudy. In the next panel, the man on the bus runs away. Alex explains, “When people touch me, they feel like they’re touching a corpse. Because they are.”
After Alex and Molly get to Alex’s house, Alex asks Molly to break into a locked room. She punches through the wall, and debris flies everywhere.
On the way home from school, Karolina saves a little girl from being flattened by a car. Karolina can fly, and when she does, her skin and hair transform to a rainbow tint. She picks up the girl and flies her away. After the incident with the little girl, Karolina develops a passion for saving people, and she is depicted flying and with her multicolored skin a couple of times.
After Karolina gets a taste for the superhero life, she convinces Nico to join her in patrolling for crime. While out, they stumble upon three bad guys working together for unknown purposes. One of them can cast a force field. The force field is blue with lightning crackling around him.

Spiritual Content

None

by Kate Schuyler

An Arrow to the Moon

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love. . . but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Told from alternating points of view, An Arrow to the Moon focuses on Luna and Hunter, whose parents hate each other. When Luna and Hunter first meet, the two begin to walk an unexpected path where love might bloom. However, their families’ hatred makes it imperative that they don’t get caught together. Intertwined with their budding romance, the two struggle with their family lives. Luna feels like her parents’ expectations are suffocating, while Hunter’s relationship with his parents is full of conflict, mistrust, and often borders on hate. Many readers will relate to Luna and Hunter, who are on the cusp of leaving home and desire to forge their own paths.

While Luna and Hunter are similar to Romeo and Juliet, the story also incorporates Chinese mythology, which may confuse readers without background knowledge of the myths. The constantly shifting points of view also add to the confusion. The book includes excerpts from both Luna’s and Hunter’s families as well as the story’s villain. Many readers will have a difficult time remembering all the essential parts of the book, especially in the latter part, when the elements are being woven together. Even though the conclusion explains how Hunter and Luna fit into Chinese mythology, readers will still have questions, which leaves the story feeling incomplete.

The author, Emily X.R. Pan, uses beautiful language to draw readers into An Arrow to the Moon, and at first, Luna and Hunter’s relationship is a sweet romance. However, the book’s tone abruptly changes about halfway through when Luna walks in on her mother having sex with a man who is not her husband. Afterwards, Luna is justifiably upset, which is reflected in the profanity used. Some readers may be shocked at how Luna’s whole attitude changes after this event, especially because the scene feels unnecessary and gives the story a harsh and negative tone that takes the focus off Luna and Hunter’s relationship.

An Arrow to the Moon’s complex plot, shifting narrators, and incorporation of mythology will appeal to strong readers who already have some knowledge of Chinese Mythology. Additionally, the tonal shift makes the book best suited for mature readers who enjoy complex storylines that prompt them to think about how families shape our lives and decisions. If you’re looking for a romance that gets inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, A Pho Love Story by Loan Le and Crossing the Line by Simone Elkeles may be the perfect book to steal your heart.

Sexual Content 

At a party, Luna plays Seven Minutes in Heaven. She had never kissed anyone before and she “was curious to do a lot more than kissing.” Later, Luna wonders, “What would have happened, if she’d gone ahead and kissed him?”
Hunter falls into a crack in the earth. The next day, while on the school bus, Luna sees Hunter’s bruises. She “leaned down to kiss the tender brown and indigo. There was electricity between her lips and his skin, a spark as she made contact.” Later that day, Hunter shows Luna his bruises are unexplainably healed.
While in the cafeteria, Hunter kisses Luna’s hand. “There was a spark. His lips buzzed and heat swept through his body.” The kiss leaves an “indigo print of his lips on her flesh.” Afterwards, Hunter “wondered if this was what a hickey was.”
While in the woods, Luna kisses Hunter, who “worried he would be bad at kissing, but she made it feel easy. There was that electricity, and a sense of this being absolutely right. The smell of her soft skin was intoxicating, sent a pooling warmth down into his body.” Luna “brought his fingers to her lips. She kissed his thumb, his knuckles. . . He offered kisses of his own.” The kissing is described over a page.
While Luna’s parents are out of town, Hunter goes to her house. While there, they get into a fight and he leaves. Luna reflects, “This was not what she had expected when she invited him over. She’d envisioned them side by side on the couch. Kissing again, like in the woods. Maybe stuff beyond kissing.”
On a snow day, Luna comes home to find her mom having sex. When Luna opens the bedroom door, “The head snapped up to look at her from between her mother’s legs. It was a man who appeared as shocked as Luna felt. A man Luna did not recognize.” Later, Luna reflects on the experience, angry that her mom was “slick and wild-haired and naked in bed with another man.”
Hunter uses a shed in the woods to hide his bow and arrows. One day, Hunter takes Luna there and they kiss. “But the longer she kissed Hunter, the more confident they both grew, and she was very intensely aware of the parts of his body that were pressing against her. An instinct took over. . .” Luna shows Hunter a condom that she stole from her mom and the two have sex, but it is marred because of Luna’s anger at her mother. “This was the anger that churned in her gut as she kicked off her jeans. Hunter was the escape she needed; she wanted to drown herself in his touch.”
After having sex with Hunter, Luna reflects. “Her anger towards her mother and her wish to be with Hunter had blurred together, until she knew only her body’s firecracker desire. . . If she was being perfectly honest, a part of her had wanted to do it to spite her mother.”
When Hunter’s brother, Cody, is secretive about a book, Hunter “hoped it wasn’t porn.”
Hunter invites Luna over to his house and they have sex. “This time they were slow and tender. They experimented with lips traversing skin, their touches drawing little violet petals. He drank in the honey-sweet smell.” When his parents come home, Luna climbs out the window.

Violence 

Rodney Wong is trying to find Hunter’s family because they owe him money. When he is first introduced, he is in a “water-damaged San Francisco basement, idly flicking a small knife open and shut, open and shut. . . The man strapped to the table in front of him was gasping, though nobody had done anything to affect his air supply. It was purely nerves.”
Wong enjoys the man’s fear, thinking, “All he’d had to do was make the suggestion of a sharpened blade wedging between the tip of a nail and the soft skin of the finger, and his subject had spiraled into a full-blown panic.” Wong gets a phone call and lets the man go.
Hunter’s father loses something valuable and blames Hunter for stealing it. Hunter’s father confronts him, but Hunter denies stealing it. “The blow came unexpectedly. Hunter fell against the fridge, registering only that his mother was shrieking for him to stop. His dad had punched him in the ear. His head was a clash of thunder.” Hunter missed two days of school because he had a “hideous bruise on the side of his face that would draw questions.”
Rodney Wong is looking for an artifact that Hunter’s father stole from him. “Wong set his foot down on Hunter’s knuckles.” When Wong threatens to hurt Hunter, the boy laughs and says, “My parents don’t give a shit.”
A strange crack appears in the earth. Around the crack, everything is dead and broken, and Luna can feel an evil presence inside the crack. One night, Luna and Hunter meet in the forest, and it begins to burn. Luna, Hunter, and Cody try to save a nest where the fireflies live. Rodney Wong tries to stop them. “A man Cody didn’t recognize grunted with pain as Luna kneed him somewhere questionable. He had a hand wrapped under her throat while she clawed at an object in his other fist.” Cody’s pet rabbit jumps on the man’s face. “It brought Luna the chance she needed to scramble away.” Rodney fell into the crack and disappeared.

Drugs and Alcohol 

Luna goes to a party where a group of teens are “drunkenly singing along to ‘Losing My Religion.’”
Hunter uses an inhaler for asthma, although it doesn’t really help.

Language 

Profanity is used occasionally. Profanity includes ass, bullshit, fuck, hell, and pissed.

Supernatural

The wind is portrayed as a supernatural being that brings Hunter money. When Hunter hears the wind, “he held himself still, waiting, his every muscle tense with curiosity. If he tried to look at it straight on, it would sneak away. . . The rustling stilled and silence returned, and then he looked. There they were. Two crisp twenty-dollar bills waiting beside his heel.”
One day, the wind followed Hunter into class and “knocked over the teacher’s podium. Papers had gone flying; a pencil cracked in two; the blackboard eraser landed against someone’s shoulder.” Hunter is given detention.
Hunter’s brother Cody has a book that has blank pages. However, sometimes when he opens it, the book’s writing is visible. For example, the wind opens the book to a page that says, “Houyi was the God of Archery, and his aim was always true. When he drew an arrow, he could tell. . . how to angle his shot, how to time his release. He never missed. . .” Cody thinks the book is telling the story of Hunter because he, too, never misses with a bow and arrow.
One night, Cody opens the book and finds a story about a girl named Chang’e. The girl worked in the emperor’s palace. When she tripped and dropped a glass teapot, she was banished “to live on the earth among ordinary mortals.” Through this book, Cody learns the Chinese mythology about the God of Archery.
Cody’s pet rabbit, Jadey, begins talking to him. Jadey explains that the magical book is his. The rabbit says, “I am the keeper of these stories. They are the records of the universe and its past. They are the truth of what is to come.”
Hunter’s mother made a bracelet for him and imbued it “with prayers and the properties of an impossible medicine.” She willed the bracelet to keep Hunter “safe. Keep him healthy and hidden.” The bracelet keeps the villain from seeing Hunter.
Fireflies often appear to Luna. When she has her period, “Fireflies were gathering below her navel, pressing close as if she, too, sparked with light. . . There was a tug, and a warmth, then release. Her breath came easier, as if bounds around her organs had been cut free. . . The fireflies had taken her cramps away.”
The fireflies often gather around Luna. “They had a way of finding the knots inside her and loosening them, softening the muscles, dissolving the pain.”
Rodney Wong shows Luna a planchette, which is similar to an Ouija board. Planchettes “were designed to hold a writing utensil, such as a brush. As the planchette moved, it would produce a mark, and these symbols or characters were then interpreted.” When Luna tries the planchette, it creates “a circle so perfect it should have been drawn using a compass. No human hand could be so precise.” The circle could represent many things.
To keep Rodny Wong from taking the artifact, Luna eats it. “Luna fed the stone between her lips, let its weight settle on her tongue. As her mouth closed over it, the texture changed. It melted like honey, like cream.” Afterwards, the fireflies gather around Luna, and she floats into the sky. Hunter shoots an arrow at her, but instead of bringing her back to earth, “Hunter rose up into the sky behind Luna, and her face twisted with dismay.” Luna realizes that she was not “flesh and bone.” She flew higher and higher until she landed in a crater on the moon. “Hunter passed overhead, still drifting. . .” Everyone forgets Luna and Hunter, except for Cody.
When Luna was a baby, she was often ill, and moonlight seemed to be the only thing that helped her. Her father would set Luna’s bottle outside “whenever the milk wouldn’t sour. . . when Luna drank from the moon-charged bottle, her energy was refreshed, and so was the color in her cheeks.”

Spiritual Content 

Luna discovers that fish and other underwater creatures will follow her “like [she is] the needle of a compass.”
When Rodney Wong was young, he received a Western Education from a Lutheran missionary. The missionary taught that magic was forbidden. The missionary said, “Any practice of the occult, those wicked arts, takes one away from God and serves the evil spirits.”

On the Come Up

Bri Jackson wants to be a rapper. She wants to be famous, make money, and escape Garden Heights. Mostly, she wants to support her family – her unemployed mother and her brother, who is putting off graduate school to work. At sixteen, Bri feels helpless. However, when she enters a rap battle at The Ring, she figures this might be her one shot. When her battle goes semi-viral, Bri is suddenly torn between her mother’s expectations, attending school and earning good grades, and her community, which wants her to continue rapping. Bri records her first song, which details the assumptions people make about her, but many people interpret it as a black girl being “ratchet” or “ghetto.” Bri is once again divided between multiple aspects of her identity. She must figure out how to balance rapping with staying true to herself.

On the Come Up is an ode to hip-hop as much as it is a coming-of-age story. Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, hoping to fill the massive shoes of her father, an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big. But Bri’s path to success is anything but straightforward.

Bri’s life hasn’t been easy. Her father was murdered when she was young, and her mother fell into drugs afterward, leaving her grandparents to raise her. Even though she’s been living with her mom for eight years now, she can’t accept that this stability is permanent—she feels like it could all disappear at any moment. When her mom loses her job and an eviction notice threatens their home, Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Simultaneously, she has to navigate microaggressions at her private school, where she’s labeled with an “aggressive” reputation, while also dealing with typical teenage problems like fights with friends, crushes, and a potential new boyfriend. Her mother fights to have Bri allowed to live as just a teenager, without the burden of financial worries, but Bri struggles to handle everything on her own.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC, as the story tackles systemic racism, poverty, police brutality, and the realities facing many Black youths in America. Thomas doesn’t shy away from exploring how economic uncertainty and viral fame complicate Bri’s journey, creating additional pressure as various people try to exploit her dreams for their own advantage.

Bri is an assertive narrator with a strong sense of right and wrong. Even as she struggles with her identity, she knows what she wants her life to look like—she wants better for her community and her family. While she can sometimes be self-centered, she’s ultimately a good friend who cares deeply about those around her. Her friends Sonny and Malik provide interesting contrasts and tensions, calling Bri out when needed but standing with her when it matters most. Her mother and brother make sacrifices that show Bri what love looks like, even when she’s too overwhelmed to fully embrace it.

Set in the same fictional Garden Heights as Thomas’s debut novel The Hate U Give, On the Come Up tells a grittier tale that highlights the narrow path many face as they try to climb out of poverty. Thomas weaves together themes of violence, identity, and family with careful attention to the characters and community of Garden Heights.

While the ending is slightly rushed, the majority of the book unfolds with a pace that feels as carefully planned as one of Bri’s rap verses. Ultimately, while Bri has countless people standing behind her, she must decide who she wants to be—an important lesson for young readers figuring out their own values.

Sexual Content 

Bri has a crush on her friend Malik. She thinks about how he makes her feel: “Like the way my heart speeds up every time he says ‘Breezy’. . . Like he wants the name to only belong to him. All these feelings started when we were ten.”
Bri’s friend Sonny is gay, and Bri remembers when he came out. “Sonny turned to me and blurted out, ‘I think I only like boys.’”
Malik grabs Bri’s arm, and she thinks about him touching her. “The way he’s holding my arm, running his thumb along my skin. Every single part of me is aware that he’s touching me.”
Bri flirts with Curtis, a boy from church. “Is this flirting? I think this is flirting. Wait. I’m flirting with Curtis? And I’m okay with the fact that I’m flirting with Curtis?”
Sonny used to have a crush on Bri’s older brother, Trey. “There was a time he could only stutter around my brother, that’s how big of a crush he had. Sometimes I think he’s still got a crush on Trey.”
Bri and Malik kiss at Malik’s house. “When he inches his lips toward mine, I don’t move away. I simply close my eyes and wait for the fireworks. . . But, um, this kiss? This kiss ain’t none of that. It’s wet, awkward, and tastes like all those Cheetos Puffs Malik ate a little while ago.” Bri leaves afterward.
Bri and Curtis kiss at Curtis’ house. “When he moves closer, I don’t move away. I can’t think; I can’t breathe. I can only kiss him back. Every single inch of me is aware of him, of the way his fingertips graze the back of my neck, the way his tongue perfectly tangles with mine.” They are making out, and he touches her chest. “He kisses me again, and slowly, his hand travels under my sweatshirt and under my bra. He grazes a spot that makes me stop kissing him long enough to make a sound I’ve never made before. I feel it in more places than my chest.” The scene ends with them kissing.
Bri and Curtis kiss in Bri’s bedroom. “One kiss becomes two, two becomes three, and three becomes making out on the floor of my Tweety shrine of a bedroom.” They are interrupted by Bri’s brother and mom.

Violence 

Bri thinks about the questions the school counselor asks her. These questions include references to her father’s murder. “Have you witnessed any traumatic events lately, such as shootings? . . . Are you struggling to come to terms with your father’s murder?”
In Bri’s town, a young boy was killed by the police. It is referenced many times and is a contributing factor to much of the story’s tensions. “See, last year a kid was murdered by a cop just a few streets away from my grandparents’ house. He was unarmed, but the grand jury decided not to charge the officer.”
There are many references to guns and murder in Bri’s rap verses. “This is no longer a battle, it’s your funeral, boo. I’m murdering you. . . This Glock, yeah, I cock it and aim it. That’s what you expect, bitch, ain’t it?”
While going through security at school, Bri is tackled by a security guard and held down because they think she has drugs in her backpack. “Before I know it, my chest hits the ground first, then my face is pressed against the cold floor. [The guard’s] knee goes onto my back as [another guard] removes my backpack.” The security guards put plastic cuffs on Bri and take her to the office. Bri is scared of getting shot like the kid who was killed by the police.
A riot starts at Bri’s school after Long and Tate, the security guards who hurt Bri, are allowed to continue working. “A fist connects with Long’s jaw. The bullhorn flies from his hand. Suddenly, it’s as if that punch was the green light some students were waiting for. A cluster of boys charge Long and Tate, taking them to the ground. Curtis is one of them. Fists fly and feet kick.” The cops arrive and break it up. The security guards are taken away in ambulances.
Gang members robbed Bri and Malik. One gang member, called The Crown, punches Malik and threatens Bri with a gun. “The Crown rams his fist into Malik’s face. Malik hits the ground. ‘Malik!’ I start for him. Click click. The gun cocks.” The gang member leaves after Bri gives him her necklace. Malik’s eye is bruised, but they are otherwise unharmed.
Bri goes to her aunt and unintentionally asks her to kill the gang member who robbed her. She regrets it later and fears for her aunt and the gang member’s safety. “I wanted that guy dead, I swear I did. Now all I can think about is how a gunshot’s gonna take him like one took Dad.” Bri’s aunt doesn’t kill anyone.
Bri’s aunt is arrested in a police raid. “SWAT team members knock down apartment doors, and Garden Disciples rush outside or get dragged out with guns pointed in their faces. A few brave ones make runs for it. Aunt Pooh lies flat on the courtyard, her hands cuffed behind her back. A cop pats her down.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

Bri’s mother, Jay, is a drug addict. She has been clean for eight years. “Jay really did leave me and Trey at our grandparents’ house. She couldn’t take care of us and her drug habit, too.”
Bri mentions that her aunt stopped smoking weed.
Bri’s aunt is a drug dealer. “‘Business’ has been her code word for drug dealing since I was seven years old and asked her how she made enough money to buy expensive sneakers.”
Bri gets in trouble for selling candy at school, but a rumor starts that she was dealing drugs. “Some idiot coughs to cover the ‘drug dealer,’ he says as I pass.”
When Bri’s aunt is arrested, they find cocaine on her. “The officer pulls a baggie from Aunt Pooh’s back pocket.”

Language 

Profanity is often used. Profanity includes: shit, damn, hell, fucked, ass, goddamn, and bitch.

Supernatural 

None

Spiritual Content 

Bri and her family go to church. “Not that Jay doesn’t love the Lord, but she gets extra-Christian when we’re in church.”

by Abigail Clark

Songs for the Offseason

It’s the summer before his senior year, and Dustin can’t wait to take a special trip to Japan with his high school baseball team. His plans are quickly dashed by the sudden death of his similarly athletic cousin. As someone focused on fitness, Dustin is deeply shaken by this loss. While attending his very first funeral, Dustin meets Andrea, the new stepdaughter of a distant relative, who seems to have a playlist for every occasion. At first, Dustin dislikes her. But as the summer continues, death seems to be stalking them both. More funerals crop up, one after another, challenging Dustin’s sense of stability. Andrea is there at every gathering, each with its own flair and antics from quirky family members, trying to find meaning in the madness alongside Dustin. As they reflect on life, death, and music, they learn to embrace the weird ways people cope—and find a path forward.

Readers will empathize with Dustin as he navigates through a summer filled with funerals that force him to contemplate death. At the first funeral, Dustin meets Andrea, and the two quickly become funeral buddies who support each other through this difficult time. As they attend each funeral, the two friends watch family members who cope with death in different ways, such as listening to music, drowning grief with alcohol, and relying on religion. While every reader may not relate to Dustin’s struggle to understand death, they will likely sympathize with his disappointment in losing out on his dream to go to Japan and his conflicting emotions regarding Andrea.

Dustin and Andrea’s relationship helps highlight different coping strategies. The two often discuss what happens after death and frequently contemplate religion. Through it all, Dustin realizes that “people / deal with / these things / in their own ways.” Even though Dustin can’t explain what will happen when he dies, Andrea helps him realize that “each name / and face / and moment / felt written / in the core / of all / that ever / was and / would be.” The story concludes with a hopeful tone because Dustin and Andrea realize that their relationship will help them navigate through difficult times.

Dustin’s journey begins and ends with his cousin, Jack’s, funeral. Jack’s death is shocking because he was young and athletic, and no one—including himself—knew he had a heart disease called cardiomyopathy. While he questions why Jack died, Dustin finds a way to honor his cousin. Because Jack loved baseball, Dustin organizes a baseball game and donates the proceeds to “different / heart associations, including one / for cardiomyopathy / in youth.” The book concludes with the baseball game, which allows Dustin and others to honor Jack and cope with his death.

As part of the West 44 collection, Songs for the Offseason is specifically aimed at teens with an interest in reading a short, high-interest novel. The story’s straightforward plot, easy vocabulary, and interesting protagonist make Songs for the Offseason a good fit for struggling and reluctant readers. According to the publisher, “West 44 is an exciting platform for new, authentic voices and gripping stories. Our books ensure that every reader is able to both get lost in a book and find themselves on its pages.”

Although Dustin clearly loves baseball, Songs for the Offseason includes only one short scene with play-by-play action. This may disappoint sports-loving readers. The rest of the story focuses on a string of funerals that Dustin and Andrea attend. While the book doesn’t feel like a baseball book, Songs for the Offseason will help readers who are dealing with grief understand that everyone copes with death differently, and that’s okay.

Readers looking for a book that focuses on sports should read Centerville by Jeff Rud and Above All Else by Jeff Ross. If you’d like to explore the topic of grief through another person’s perspective, read Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Always Isn’t Forever by J.C. Cervantes.

Sexual Content

At a baseball game, a girl “greeted her / boyfriend / with a kiss.”
Dustin’s cousin, Steve, talks about his new stepsister. Steve says, “And if you want / to get with / my stepsister, / that’s fine, man. / She’s hot.” Dustin scolds Steve and tells him to “show some / respect.”
Dustin compares Andrea to her mom. Andrea gets angry and says, “I’ll be sure / to think of / how sorry / I am for you / while we’re / making out.”
Dustin’s dad falls to the floor and is taken to the hospital. While there, Andrea shows up to comfort Dustin. “She kissed me / on the cheek. / It sparked / against / my skin / like some / strange spell.” Dustin’s mom interrupts them.
After a baseball game, Andrea runs up to Dustin and “brought her lips / up to mine.” Later, they kiss again. Dustin describes, “our mouths / sank together, I felt the light / within us / spreading out / into the shadows. . . I kissed her again.”

Violence

Dustin doesn’t drink alcohol because of his family. While at a bar, Dustin’s family gets drunk and, “My Uncle Greg / popped / my Uncle Fred / in the face / with a bat. [Dustin] heard/ a sharp crack / as it struck / his jaw.” Fred’s tooth falls into a glass of ale. When he tries to get the tooth out of the glass, it “burst. / Shattered / over / his fingers, / slicking them / up a bit.” Dustin’s mom takes Fred to the hospital.

Drugs and Alcohol

Dustin’s uncle died of lung cancer. The uncle used chewing tobacco and cigarettes. While in the hospital, the uncle was “strung up / to a machine. / But he still kept blowing / smoke / in my face.”
After attending a funeral, Dustin’s family “got loaded / on cheap beers / and shots of / whiskey.”
After a funeral, Dustin’s dad was “drinking / his way out of / sadness.”
Dustin tries chewing tobacco. Afterwards, he “started / dry-heaving, / but / nothing / came out. It was like / the demon / who controlled / the universe / was inside of me now.”

Language

None

Supernatural

One of Andrea’s relatives is a medium. “Someone who / claimed to speak / with the dead.”
At a funeral for Andrea’s relative, another medium says that “the woman / had gone into / the Great Light.”

Spiritual Content

Dustin goes to a funeral for his cousin at a church that reminded him of a megachurch because “it had the same / slick vibes.”
During the funeral, the pastor doesn’t talk about the deceased but gives a sermon. The pastor asks, “If you died / today, /do you know / where you / would go?” The sermon is one page.
After the sermon, Dustin is upset. He says, “If we all / matter to God, the preacher could’ve / at least acted / like Jack / was a person. / Not just a talking point.”
At the funeral, Dustin meets Andrea, who says she doesn’t believe in God, but she prays anyway. Andrea says, “I figure, whatever religion / I don’t believe in / is probably / the true one.”
Dustin’s father’s family “only went to church / on Christmas / and Easter. / They weren’t / big believers.”
Dustin goes to pay respect to a man whose family is Jewish. “They were now / sitting shiva. / This meant / they were mourning / for seven days.”
Before Dustin leaves the dead man’s house, he and his friend say “a special prayer / before leaving / the house of mourning. / I felt calmer / after saying it.”
Andrea’s mom changes her religion to match that of her current boyfriend. Andrea also follows the man’s religion. Andrea says, “I don’t pretend / to be all-in. / If her latest god / knows everything, / there’s no point / in trying to / trick it.”
Andrea thinks the universe “was probably built / by an evil demon / who feasted / on our pain.”
Dustin’s grandmother dies. She had “raised / her sons Lutheran. . . She didn’t want / a service / in a church. / She’d lost her faith / after her husband / died. . .”

Stormbreaker

When fourteen-year-old Alex Rider discovers his guardian Ian wasn’t a banker, but a MI6 spy who was killed on a dangerous mission, his world transforms overnight. MI6 director Alan Blunt blackmails the grieving teenager into completing Ian’s unfinished assignment, thrusting him into a morally complex world where institutional power overrides individual choice. Alex must infiltrate Sayle Enterprises, which plans to distribute new computers to British schools—a seemingly kind act that Ian suspected concealed a sinister plot. Grieving his uncle, Alex is thrust into a world of action and violence, where people are crueler than he can imagine and danger lurks around every corner.

Alone and undertrained, Alex faces SAS training, assassins, and a giant killer jellyfish, relying on skills his uncle taught him and his own quick thinking. Readers will find themselves rooting for Alex for his ingenuity and intelligence. Alex is a hero who maintains strong moral principles even when the adults around him abandon theirs. Alex’s sharp, witty perspective and determination to do what’s right, regardless of personal cost, make him compelling to young readers who see themselves reflected in his character despite his extraordinary circumstances.

Horowitz delivers fast-paced, violent action while embedding deeper themes about power and sacrifice. The moral complexity of espionage permeates the novel, as MI6 leaders firmly believe that the ends justify the means, even if it means exploiting Alex and putting him in danger. At the same time, he is mostly alone, with no backup. The author creates genuine tension through Alex’s isolation—he operates mostly without backup, making his survival entirely dependent on his own resourcefulness. Yet there remains a sense of heroism, and a confirmation that the good guys will win. Horowitz’s young audience will be thrilled by the action and subterfuge, and more mature readers will enjoy Horowitz’s subtle critique of the British government, traditional spy literature, and the question of what individuals should sacrifice for their country, as well as whether a fourteen-year-old should bear England’s fate on his shoulders.

Stormbreaker explores more mature themes and features a semi-realistic villain, whose motivations may seem irrational from the perspective of a fourteen-year-old spy. Readers who want to read an action-packed book without violence should consider the City Spies Series by James Ponti and the Charlie Thorne Series by Stuart Gibbs.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

Alex’s uncle Ian Rider is killed. Alex is told that he died in a car accident. “Driving home, [Ian’s] car had been hit by a truck at Old Street roundabout and he had been killed almost instantly.” However, Alex later finds out that he was shot. “A spray of bullets had caught the car full on the driver’s side, shattering the front tire, smashing the windshield and side windows, and punching into the side panels.”
When Alex goes to the auto wreckers to find his uncle’s car, he is stuck in the car as it is about to be crushed. His leg is pinned, and he is covered in broken glass. “But the claw of the crane had already flattened the roof, pinning his left leg, perhaps even breaking it. . . The back window exploded and glass showered around his head, dust and diesel fumes punching into his nose and eyes.” Alex escapes with scratches and bruises but is not seriously hurt.
As Alex tries to escape the auto wreckers, men start shooting at him, thinking that he is a trespasser. “Then there was a crack and a bullet whipped past.” The bullets miss.
An MI6 agent shoots Alex with a tranquilizer to kidnap him. “The man fired. There was no explosion. The gun spat at Alex and he felt something slam into his heart. His hand opened and the file tumbled to the ground. Then his legs buckled, the room twisted, and he fell back into nothing.” He is unconscious but wakes up later and is unharmed.
Alex is sent to train with SAS operatives. He has to endure combat training and other survival courses. “He took part in an unarmed combat class and was knocked to the ground so often that it took all his nerve to persuade himself to get up again.” He is bruised but not seriously injured.
Wolf, one of the SAS operatives, is angry at Alex. He pushes him and forces Alex to fail a drill and accidentally set off a stun grenade. “The heel of Wolf’s palm had rammed into his chest, pushing him back with astonishing force. . . The trip wire activated a stun grenade—a small device filled with a mixture of magnesium powder and mercury fulminate. The blast didn’t just deafen Alex, it shuddered right through him as if trying to rip out his heart.” Alex can’t hear for a bit, but he recovers and is mostly unharmed. After training, he is left with cuts and bruises.
Yassen, an assassin employed by Sayle, shoots and kills another employee who drops a case of smallpox. “‘No. You won’t,’ Yassen agreed, and shot him.”
Two men use ATVs to try to kill Alex. They are trying to kill him because he has learned too much about what Sayle’s plan is. After being chased on ATVs, “Alex threw himself headfirst, flat on his stomach. The cheese wire whipped over him. If he had still been standing up, it would have cut him in half. . . One of the riders was carrying a flamethrower! He had just aimed a bolt of fire twenty feet long, meaning to burn Alex alive. . . Whoever these people were, they had tried to run him down, to cut him in half, and to incinerate him. . . Alex felt the first bullet slice past his shoulder. The second ricocheted off the side of his bike, almost causing him to lose control.” Both men die; one gets tangled up in barbed wire, and the other goes off the edge of the cliff. Alex escapes relatively unharmed.
Alex is snooping in Sayle’s facility to report back to MI6, and a guard catches him and points a gun at him. “The gun was a Browning automatic pistol and one twitch of the man’s finger would send a 9mm bullet shattering through his skull and into his brain.” Alex attacks the man by “twisting his body around and driving his elbow into the side of the man’s head, just below his ear.” The man is knocked out.
One of Sayle’s employees, Mr. Grin, attacks Alex because he found out Alex is spying on Sayle’s operation. “But Mr. Grin was quicker. He ducked to one side, then his hand shot out, the side of it driving into Alex’s throat.” Alex falls unconscious from the hit.
The main villain, Herod Sayle, threatens Alex, saying that Mr. Grin will cut Alex. “Tell me what I want to know, Alex, or [Mr. Grin] will cause you more pain than you could begin to imagine. . . The edge of the blade had actually nicked the skin of his neck. He felt a trickle of blood slide down over his collar.” Alex is slightly cut by Mr. Grin’s knife, but he isn’t seriously injured.
Herod Sayle reveals his plan to release smallpox through his computers, infecting schoolchildren. Alex speculates, “I suppose when the computers are turned on, people die.” Sayle confirms, “Because the virus I’m talking about is a form of smallpox. Of course, Alex, it’s been genetically modified to make it faster and stronger. . . more lethal.”
Alex is put into a tank with a Portuguese man-of-war (a type of jellyfish). Alex is worried he will either drown or be stung by the jellyfish. Alex breaks the glass and escapes the tank.
The jellyfish lands on Vole, another of Sayle’s employees, killing her. “The tentacles were wrapped all around her, hundreds and hundreds of stinging cells clinging to her arms and legs and chest.”
Alex attacks a guard. “Alex used the handle of the harpoon gun, swinging it around and up to hit him, hard, under the chin.” He knocks him out, so he is able to escape Sayle’s facility.
Alex sets off a smoke bomb on a plane, forcing Mr. Grin to crash. “He could imagine Mr. Grin blinded, fighting for control. The plane began to twist, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The engines whined. Now it was heading straight for the ground, howling through the sky.” Alex parachutes out of the plane and crashes into a glass ceiling. Mr. Grin dies in the helicopter crash.
To stop the release of smallpox, Alex shoots the prime minister to stop him from pressing the button that would activate the virus. He also shoots Herod Sayle. “Shoot first and ask questions later. . . He emptied the gun. . . The first bullet smashed into the information desk. The second hit the prime minister in the hand, his finger less than an inch away from the mouse. . . Sayle had dived forward, determined to click on the mouse himself. The fifth and the sixth bullets hit him.” Sayle survives and escapes. The prime minister’s hand is wounded, but he is otherwise okay.
Sayle threatens Alex with a gun, forcing Alex to go with him. “But the gun was in his right hand. It was perfectly steady, aimed at Alex’s lower back.”
Yassen, an assassin, shoots Sayle on orders from his unknown boss. Alex initially thinks that Yassen is shooting at him. “Alex looked down, expecting to see blood. There was nothing. He couldn’t feel anything. Then Sayle staggered and fell onto his back. There were two gaping holes in his chest.” Sayle dies, and Yassen leaves Alex alive.

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

Profanity is used very infrequently. Profanity includes bloody, damn, and hell.

Supernatural 

None

Spiritual Content 

None

by Abigail Clark

Don’t Call Me a Hurricane

It’s been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino’s life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change – starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can’t shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again.

When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can’t help falling for him. Still, Eliza’s not sure if she’s ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she’s rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret.

Told from Eliza’s point of view, Don’t Call Me a Hurricane is a story about Eliza’s love for her community, her island, and the natural world. Eliza and her friends are social activists who organize a protest to save Clam Cove Reserve. They get motivation from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who protested the Dakota pipeline, as well as the Hawaiian people who protested to keep Mauna Kea untouched. Using beautiful descriptions, readers will be immersed in Eliza’s world, which revolves around the ocean, her family, and her friends. The story shines a spotlight on what happens to the island after a hurricane. After homes are destroyed, the locals can’t afford to fix them, and a wave of rich outsiders begins buying the land to build huge vacation homes.

While much of the story focuses on environmental issues, Don’t Call Me a Hurricane is also about the friends and family that make up a community. Eliza’s life revolves around her large family and many friends, as well as her budding romance with Milo. However, because everything is filtered through Eliza’s thoughts, the supporting characters aren’t well developed, and the large cast of characters makes it difficult to remember how everyone is connected. Despite this, Eliza’s passionate and caring personality makes her a likable protagonist, with whom readers will empathize.

To illustrate the devastation caused by a hurricane, the story contains flashbacks. These sections are marked by a one-page title, making them easy to distinguish. The flashbacks explain why Eliza still has panic attacks, even though the hurricane happened five years ago. To help herself cope, Eliza sees a therapist who gives her a list of coping skills, such as going on walks, meditating, or writing about the event. The therapist says, “Don’t keep it all / bottled up, weighing you down.” Later, Milo shares that he also went to therapy when his parents got a divorce. Both instances serve as reminders that there is no shame in seeing a therapist.

At times, Don’t Call Me a Hurricane‘s climate change rhetoric takes over the story, slows the plot, and shifts the focus away from Eliza’s internal battle between her passion for the ocean and her terror of its destructive capabilities. Since everything is filtered through Eliza’s point of view, her story feels one-sided. In addition, Eliza is judgmental and unwilling to consider other people’s perspectives. In the end, Clam Cove Reserve is saved, but the victory is hollow because the book ends abruptly. Despite the book’s flaws, Eliza’s story will inspire readers to use their voice to advocate for important environmental issues.

Sexual Content 

After meeting a cute guy at the beach, Eliza’s friend reminds her, “You said this was the summer you were gonna let loose / and make out with whoever you wanted to.” Eliza says she didn’t really mean it, saying, “I don’t need to be kissing anyone to make this summer / one to remember.”
One of Eliza’s friends, Zack, is in an open relationship. Zack says, “Sexuality is fluid. You love who you love.”
Eliza is reluctant to get to know Milo because he’s from out of town. She thinks, “I haven’t dated anyone for real, / aside from a few hookups.”
Eliza often thinks about her desire to kiss Milo. For example, after a day of surfing with Milo, Eliza wants “to hold him around the waist / and ride each wave to the shore… I want him… Taste the salt on his skin.”
After spending time together, Eliza reaches up to “hold the back of his neck, / in the palm of my hand / and press my lips to his. / A first kiss / because I can’t be patient anymore. / Want him too much… My mouth open to his. Reaching. Holding on.” Eliza thinks the kissing lasts forever. “His mouth on mine / and then my neck and shoulders. / A heart rising.” The kissing is described over half a page.
Milo asks Eliza out on a date. He says, “I wake up from dreams of you, / I am going to be thinking about you / and your lips and this kiss.” Then, he kisses her.
Milo makes Eliza feel emotions that are new to her. After talking to him, she takes a breath: “Know I need to keep breathing / in order to keep kissing / and I so want to keep kissing… I lean across the table / put my mouth on his. / And want to keep it there infinitely.”
Milo and Eliza are kissing in the lobby of a hotel. When his stepmother sees them, she invites Eliza to join them in their suite. His stepmother says the locals are drunks and sluts because “the only thing to do is drink and…”
Milo and Eliza take a shower but leave their swimsuits on. Eliza stands “on my tiptoes to reach / his mouth. / The taste of spearmint / on his tongue. I am lost… ” Eliza’s parents come home, and Milo sneaks away.
During a protest, Milo and Eliza go on a walk so they can have privacy. They kiss. Milo’s “hands / are holding my face / and he is leaning down / toward me. / Kissing me. And my hands / find his stomach / and I can feel him / just start to shiver.” Afterward, they profess their love for each other.

Violence 

When Eliza’s brother, Jack, is six years old, he gets swept up in the waves during a hurricane. “His body / appearing and disappearing. Must have / hit his head or hurt himself. He’s in pain / calling to us.” Jack’s father pulls him out of the water, but Jack isn’t breathing. “Jack is lying / on the attic floor, lifeless. / His head is bleeding, must have fallen…” Jack revives after his dad does chest compressions.

Drugs and Alcohol 

When talking to a friend, Eliza “can’t tell if they’re drunk or high.”
Milo’s friends start trash-talking the island. Milo excuses their behavior by saying, “They’re drunk.” One teen says, “Drunk because there’s nothing to do here / except get drunk.”
Eliza parties with her siblings and friends. One of them brings beer. Later, Eliza refers to the party, saying she was drunk.
When Eliza goes home, her parents are drinking wine.

Language 

Oh my god is used as an exclamation once.
Crap and pissed are used once.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Before going out on the family’s old boat, Eliza thinks, “Fact is, it’s a Hail Mary every time we’re out on the water. / But we all say our prayers and get dressed.”

Fearless

Fearless follows the shocking events of the previous book, Reckless. When royal assassin Kai Azer and rebel traitor Paedyn Grey return to the kingdom of Ilya, their plans of debuting as a couple are ruined when King Kitt – Kai’s half-brother – makes a shocking announcement. To unite the Elites and Ordinaries and prevent more conflict and bloodshed, Kitt will marry Paedyn.

The Elites revolt at the news, unwilling to accept an Ordinary queen. To prove her capabilities, Kitt instructs Paedyn to complete a series of three trials, where Paedyn must perform a series of increasingly difficult tasks, such as retrieving an ancient artifact and negotiating a peace treaty. Paedyn is determined to succeed, knowing their union would bring peace to the realm and uplift her long-suppressed people. However, despite her resolve to marry Kitt, Paedyn’s heart remains with Kai. Likewise, despite wishing to protect his brother, Kai’s heart remains with Paedyn. Once again, forbidden feelings threaten to return, forcing the ultimate choice between old duty and new love.

Paedyn is a fighter, determined to uplift her people, even if it means risking her life in the trials. Her bravery is evident as she navigates numerous challenges, such as traversing a series of caves, fending off bandits, and crossing violent seas, all in pursuit of her noble goal. However, readers may be frustrated by her lack of resolve. Despite her engagement and the dire need of her people, Paedyn is unwilling to let go of her on-again, off-again romance with Kai, even though pursuing her fiancé’s brother constantly threatens to undermine her goals. On an emotional level, readers will sympathize with Paedyn’s struggles to let go of her first love, especially considering the complete lack of attraction she feels for Kitt. However, when considering the greater good, Paedyn’s choices seem selfish and irresponsible because she prioritizes her personal feelings over the survival of her people.

Kai is tormented and pulled in two different directions. He finally understands the importance of the Ordinary cause, yet he is unable to let go of his feelings for Paedyn. However, despite his pain and jealousy, Kai helps Paedyn in any way he can, such as protesting her participation in Kitt’s deadly trials. Readers will appreciate that Kai has finally broken free of his father’s influence and become a fighter for good. However, readers may also be frustrated that, just like Paedyn, Kai is unwilling to commit to the cause completely, and he still pursues their romantic relationship, even if it means hurting his brother and jeopardizing the peace of the realm.

While Paedyn and Kai’s romance is the heart of the book, keeping the reader emotionally invested in the story, it is not the main focus. Fearless’ focus is divided between the danger of Kitt’s trials and intricate court politics, which are full of plot twists, betrayals, and lies. The trials test Paedyn’s physical strength while the court tests her mental strength. While not quite living up to the heights of the first book in the Powerless series, Fearless far surpasses the second book in the series, Reckless. The stakes are once again elevated, and almost every scene feels important and consequential.

Fearless is told from the dual points of view of Paedyn and Kai. While Paedyn pushes the plot along, contributing to the most important events of the story, Kai falls into a more supportive role, reacting to Paedyn rather than instigating any major events. Both rehash the conflict of the previous two books — the struggle between duty and love. Unfortunately, Paedyn and Kai are never really forced to make a hard choice or sacrifice because Kitt is removed from consideration, allowing Paedyn and Kai to bypass what could have been a compelling moral dilemma. Overall, the series ends on a positive, crowd-pleasing note — the villain is defeated, the Ordinaries are uplifted, and Kai and Paedyn get married.

Sexual Content

In a shocking plot twist, Paedyn is revealed to share a mother with Kitt, making them half-siblings. While they never become physically involved, they do spend the majority of the book engaged. Kitt and Kai are half-brothers on their father’s side, so while Paedyn and Kitt share blood, Kai and Paedyn do not.
Despite Paedyn’s engagement, Kai and Paedyn are unable to stay away from each other. They share a steamy kiss. As Kai describes, “This kiss is greedy and aching. This kiss is made up of every moment I wasn’t able to touch her, every moment I wanted her but willed myself not to. Her lips are as soft as the skin beneath my roaming hands.”
Before swearing off their relationship for good (which does not last long), the story implies that Kai and Paedyn have intercourse. As Paedyn describes, “His mouth crashes into mine. I melt against him, letting this wave of wanting consume me… I’m quickly pulled onto his lap, one hand in my hair and the other gripping my hip… My mouth parts for him, our tongues meeting greedily… The loosened corset has a strap falling from my shoulder. Holding his gaze, I slip the other off my arm—an invitation. His chest heaves as I reach for his tunic and the trail of buttons down its center. One by one, I pull them free, revealing a sliver of skin beneath… the dress slips from my skin, leaving only the rain to clothe me.” The chapter ends as soon as Paedyn takes off her dress, and the next chapter begins the following morning, with the couple lying in bed. The steamy scene lasts three pages.
Kai’s inner monologue frequently emphasizes his attraction to Paedyn, but more complimentary than graphic. For example, he thinks, “those beautiful blue eyes” or “that stunning smile she wears.” Paedyn thinks about Kai in a similar way, describing his appearance as “black hair curling over his brow, eyes bright, and dimples that I curse beneath my breath. But above all, love.”

Violence

After learning that his mother died while giving birth to Paedyn, Kitt accuses Paedyn of murder. To prevent Kitt from murdering Paedyn in retaliation, Kai murders Kitt. Paedyn describes their duel. “The Enforcer thrusts that stoker toward the king… The iron stoker protrudes from his chest… Kai rushes to his brother, voice choked. ‘No! You were supposed to dodge, Kitt!’” Paedyn watches “blood seep from Kitt’s touch… His wide green eyes lift.” The heartbreaking scene lasts three pages.
In the first book of the series, a contestant named Blair kills Paedyn’s best friend, Adena. In revenge, Paedyn disfigures Blair. As Paedyn describes, “She screams when I force her face into the hungry wall of fire. The side of Blair’s pretty face bubbles and burns within the heat… The stench of fried flesh fills the air, accompanied only by the screams of Adena’s killer.” Blair is left with permanent burn scars on her face.
Paedyn has a dream about Adena dying. “Suddenly, it’s Adena dying before me all over again. And all over again, I cannot save her.”
During the final trial, Paedyn must fight an Elite who is using his superpowers to pose as Kai. Paedyn is not aware of the switch and believes she is fighting the real Kai. Over five pages, the tense fight unfolds, ending in the fake Kai’s death. “The dagger’s tip meets his chest…I try to pull my hands from the blade, but he lifts his free one, clamping it around mine… The blade sinks farther, springing bright blood from the deepening wound… And then the blade is buried to its hilt.”

Drugs and Alcohol

To escape the pressure of her situation, Paedyn gets drunk at a ball. As Kai observes, “She waves her glass at me, sloshing champagne over the brim of it.” Kai requests that she stop drinking.
To prevent Kai from interfering in the final trial, Kitt drugs his brother.

Language

Profanity is used often. Profanity includes damn, hell, ass, shit, and bitch. For example, accusing Kitt of mirroring their father, Kai says, “This is the type of shit our father” would do.
God is referenced to emphasize the scale of someone’s power. For example, Paedyn privately thinks, “Elite powers do not make you a god.”

Supernatural

The Elites have superhuman abilities. For example, an Elite with fire powers lights a room on fire.

Spiritual Content

None

by Kerry Lum

The Dryad Storm

Wanted dead or alive by the entire continent, Elloren Gardner must accomplish the impossible: unite the world under the same banner. She knows that if they stay divided, authoritarian dictator and wielder of the Shadow Wand, Marcus Vogel, will invade among their discord and tear their world apart. As his Shadow forces corner the rest of the free world, Elloren finds herself in the Northern Forest, newly transformed and more powerful than ever. Separated from all her allies, save her love, Yvan Guryev, Elloren chooses to join with the forest and the natural world. The sentient forest crowns her as the Dryad Witch and gives her more power than she ever imagined herself possessing. Elloren is an inspiring, curious protagonist, and The Dryad Storm follows Elloren’s perspective, along with her friends’ perspectives.

The Dryad Storm follows old and new faces, including an old acquaintance Gwynnifer Croft Sykes, a forgotten ally Gareth Keeler, and Elloren’s best friend Tierney Calix, among others. They all share Elloren’s determination, fierce morals, and unwillingness to quit, even in the face of grave danger. As Gwynn escapes from the West to find Elloren, Gareth holds the oceans in the East, and Tierney protects the rivers, but it’s up to Elloren to unify every survivor. With religious divisions and new magics at play, the Wand of Myth is lost, and the Shadow Wand waits in the wings for the coming winter to drain the forest of its power. Everyone gears up for the final battle between the Black Witch and the Icaral of Prophecy, and, like all predictions and omens, nothing is as it seems.

Like the rest of the series, The Dryad Storm contains many fantastical elements and a complex web of details that can be overwhelming at times. As the finale, The Dryad Storm has a complex plot, and

important information can be difficult to keep track of. This is especially true, considering that the story is further complicated by the multitude of perspectives, some of which are only used once or twice. The use of all these perspectives complicates the story and slows it down, meaning it’s not as engaging as it could be. The plot is predictable, and the story’s quality and character are lacking depth . Character development is rushed, and loose ends are tied up too neatly to be natural. However, the novel ultimately conveys a powerful message: the only way to break the cycle of hate is to choose love. All the religions on the continent have the same core belief in acceptance, kindness, and love, and once the characters realize this, Vogel is essentially defeated.

Readers who love the magical youth of Harry Potter and the brave politics of The Hunger Games will love The Black Witch Series and Elloren’s fierce resistance. The Dryad Storm is filled with supernatural creatures, growing teenage romantic relationships, and living environments fighting anthropogenic decimation. Elloren and all her allies are well-constructed characters who defend themselves when challenged, lead by example, and adhere to strong moral principles. Overall, this is a beautiful story with moments of unifying hope, magical corruption, and lovely, budding friendship.

Sexual Content 

During the Eastern holiday of love, Xishlon (similar to Valentine’s Day), Elloren’s old friend, Gareth, reminisces about his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Marina. He thinks about when “Marina sinuously drew off his tunic and kissed the skin over his thrumming heart. She pulled off her own clothing, Gareth’s pulse quickening as desire raced through his veins in response to the sight of Marina’s moon-washed, naked form . . . far under the water they pulled each other close and kissed unreservedly . . . they stopped short of taking each other to mate that evening.” Later in the evening, Gareth finds Marina and they talk about sex, referring to it in the Selkie tradition of “joining their tides.” They don’t actually have sex.
When two of Elloren’s allies, Mavrik and Gwynn, are trying to escape the West, they grow closer to each other, bonding over the pain of leaving their brainwashed spouses behind. They form an attraction, and one night in the desert between the East and West, Gwynn dreams about her ex-husband, Geoffrey. “Geoffrey’s never kissed her like this before. She lets out a moan and surrenders to the kiss, thrills to this new, wantonly insistent Geoffrey, his usual hesitancy gone . . . he rolls his body onto hers and coaxes her thighs apart. . . his arousal quick, so intensely hard.” Gwynn wakes up to discover that she’s been kissing Mavrik in her sleep, and that he was also dreaming about his ex while kissing her. They separate immediately.
When Elloren’s friends, Tierney and Viger, are in front of the Great Tree, Viger’s magic is amplified. To control it, Viger kisses Tierney. Viger “deepens the kiss. . . trembling with want, [Tierney] opens her mouth to him . . . the intoxicating motion of his tongue hinting at the things he might be capable of if she joined with him fully.” He cuts off the kiss when he no longer needs it.
After Elloren is transformed into a Dryad, she re-establishes the mate bond with her love, Yvan. Elloren “shudders against Yvan, his lips on [hers], [her] heart fracturing open as [their] Wyvern-bond reignites under the Great Tree.” She kisses him several more times throughout the novel. After Elloren and Yvan find themselves back in the Eastern forest the night before they fight Vogel, they have sex for five pages. “Yvan joins with [Elloren] in a rush of fire . . . the sensations are surprisingly intense, it’s almost unbearable as [they] fall into a slow then confident rhythm.” They have sex twice. The second time later that evening.
When Mavrik and Gwynn try to break into the magical forest to get in touch with Elloren, they work together night and day to create runes. They talk, and their grief bonds them further. They eventually have sex. “Mavrik brings his lips to hers, and Gwynn gasps as he pushes forward, joining their bodies. She tightens her thighs around his . . . thrilling to his passion, his hard maleness and stunned by the whirling rise of pleasure where they’re joined, she hugs him to get more of him . . . she arches her head back just before Mavrik lets out a groan against her shoulder.”
When Elloren’s brother, Trystan, and his boyfriend, Vothe, emerge from the tree network transformed into Dryads, they kiss, happy to be alive. “They’re closing the distance between them, Trystan’s lips crashing down on [Vothe’s], their lightning igniting against each other’s in an incandescent firestorm, lighting up the surrounding air with forking white and blue power.”
Over the course of five pages, Tierney has a sex dream about three different men, including Viger, her friend Fyordin, and Elloren’s cousin Or’myr. All three men are in love with her, and she has had romantic encounters with all of them during the series. The dream begins with Viger, then suddenly Tierney is in a different place with Fyordin, then her dream shifts to a cave with Or’myr. An example of the kind of language used during this scene is when Or’myr penetrates Tierney, his “body joining with hers in a surge of purple lightning and her rushing rapids.” The language is vague and ambiguous, but it is implied that she dreamed about intercourse with all three individually.
While Tierney and Or’myr hold a magical shield to protect a river against Gardnerian forces, they joke about sexual euphemisms from their different cultures. Tierney mentions she’d like to “dance around the Ironwood tree” and “play with his sword of manhood.” Or’myr laughs and says he’d like to “partake of the garden.” When they defeat Vogel, Elloren’s roommates, Ariel and Wynter, find each other on the battlefield. Ariel “chokes out a strangled sound of emotion before she and Wynter pull each other into an embrace then into an impassioned kiss.” They break apart and go home.
When they think they’re about to die and Vogel’s shadow forces are going to crash into their magical shield, Tierney and Or’myr kiss. “Both of them [were] ready, [Or’myr] knows, to let this last kiss be their final cry of rebellion against the Shadow’s triumph.” They break apart when the forces disappear.
After the war, Elloren’s allies, Iris and Sylvan, find each other in one of the Eastern forests. They are now free to start dating. “Iris can’t suppress her own besotted smile as she grips Sylvan’s leafy tunic and pulls him into a fiery and thoroughly claiming kiss. . . as Sylvan draws her down to the mossy Forest floor and reveals the full, Xishlon-fueled wonders of the Zhilaan Forest’s embracing love.”

Violence 

The Dryad Storm features numerous battles and duels, some of which contain violent descriptions. Therefore, not all of them are included below.
During the attack on the Amaz capital, Elloren’s ally, Alder, witnesses some of the violence. “A primal scream tears from Alder Xanthos’s throat. Explosions sound on all sides, hammering her ears.” Many are dead, wounded, and kidnapped. The description of the ambush and the related violence lasts seven pages.
Alder’s pet eagles are killed by Damion Bane, one of Vogel’s right-hand men, and “he raises a limp golden eagle in the air . . . and shakes him like one might shake a sack of millet.”
Before Gwynn flees from the West, she remembers “a mob of six Gardnerian men . . . holding down two Urisk girls . . . digging knives into the tops of the screaming children’s ear and swiping off the points, blood streaking down the girls’ terrified faces.” She remembers this event to dispel any guilt about leaving the West. She protects the girls in the memory, tearing them away from the men before they can do more harm.
Vogel’s forces take Elloren’s ally Sparrow prisoner. One of the men, Tilor, has a history of harassing her and requests that Sparrow spend time with him. He “reaches toward Sparrow’s chest, and she lets out a growl of protest, her skin crawling as he fondles the petals of one of the small violets [on her dress], then yanks the flower from the fabric and tosses it to the floor before running his hand territorially over her breast and squeezing tight.” Sparrow stops him before he can do anything else. Resistance forces break into the prison and save Sparrow. No one is injured.
Resistance forces believe Sparrow and Elloren’s ally, Valasca, are traitors. The Resistance forces collars on them that could “cut off the air to Valasca’s and Sparrow’s lungs at any moment.” The collars eventually come off, but they receive some vague threats and glares from various Resistance members.
In a conversation with Tierney, Viger reflects on his childhood. He thinks about how his adoptive father “punche[d] Viger in the face. Hard. Sending Viger to the floor, blood streaming from his nose.” His father did this out of fear of Viger’s powerful, dark magic.
To further their grip on the continent, Vogel’s forces take control of Ishkartaan. Vogel watches them. “The soul-expanding sound of thousands upon thousands of heathens screaming.” There’s no physical description of the violence or bodies, just the burnt and desolate landscape afterwards.
Elloren and her allies try to secure help from the East. Suspicious, the East tries to corner her and her friends. Elloren and her allies defend themselves by “hurling out wind spells to force back the incoming [Eastern forces] as well as those guarding the border’s apex.” Nobody is explicitly hurt, and the fighting stops when Elloren and her friends escape.
While coming into his power, Vogel decides to marry Elloren’s old bully, Fallon. Fallon is willing at first, but then Vogel “brings his mouth to hers with bruising force” and bites her, bloodying her lips. “Fallon cries out as bindings snare tight around her wrists, ankles, and wand.” Vogel leaves her in a prison cell. She is held captive until Elloren is thrown in with her, “vine-bound and gagged.” Elloren kills Fallon to protect herself.
Fallon’s death allows Elloren to escape, which triggers the final battle of the war. This battle lasts approximately thirty pages, with Vogel and all his demons dying. None of Elloren’s friends are hurt. An example of the violence occurs right after Elloren frees herself, when “a lung-punching gust hits [her] back, Shadow slithering straight through [her] and around [her] rootlines as [she’s] blown clear off [her] feet.” She gets up and continues fighting.
The only survivor of Vogel’s forces still intent on waging war, Damion, is hunted down and cornered by Elloren’s allies, Diana and Aislinn. Damion was married to Aislinn and sexually abused her, so “Diana’s growl tears through the Forest. . . ripping, slashing noise sounds and Damion Bane begins to scream.” It is implied that Diana tore him apart, though the chapter ends and there is no description of the body.

Drugs and Alcohol 

Elloren’s former roommate, Ariel, has a history of addiction to an opiate-like substance called nilantyr. While Elloren and her friends are hiding out in the forest trying to come up with a plan to defeat Vogel, he lures Ariel away and tempts her with nilantyr.
Elloren’s “chest contracts with alarm as [she] registers the grayed nilantyr plants spread around her, thick with dark berries.” Ariel resists the temptation and doesn’t have any. After, Ariel tells Elloren, “resisting nilantyr is a daily fight. I struggle.”

Language 

Language is very tame, but words like stupid, idiot, and hell appear frequently.
The word slut is used once.
Bitch and whore are used infrequently

Supernatural 

The Dryad Storm contains magic and supernatural elements on every page. There are several different kinds of supernatural creatures, including Lupines, Selkies, witches, faeries, wyverns, dragons, demons, Icarals, sentient forests, Dryads, Kelpies, Amazonian rune-wielding warrior women, lizard people, and individuals with skin of all colors of the rainbow.
Magic appears in many forms, including in battles, holidays, and transformation. For battle, magic is used through spells, wands, and runes. For example, Elloren’s friend, Gareth, is protecting a river from Gardnerian forces by warding it. “Gareth thrusts his wand arm upward as he launches himself back toward the surface while murmuring a wand spell in the Selkie language, the low tones flowing smoothly from the base of his throat, the translation effortless. Power shoots through him with such force that it rattles his wrist.”
The primary example of a magical holiday is Xishlon. This is an Eastern holiday similar to Valentine’s Day, celebrating love. The moon turns purple and has a powerful effect on people for a night, heightening feelings of attraction and love. For example, Elloren’s friend, Andras, reminisces about his ex, Sorcha, and thinks about how “the pull of the East’s lavender moon and the torment of its thrall grow ever more acute as the moon’s purple light deepens. Because he’s still in love with her.”
There are two primary examples of transformation in The Dryad Storm. Once, to trick Elloren and lure her away from her friends, Vogel magically turns himself into her love, Yvan. Elloren’s “horror turns cataclysmic as. . . his glamour drops away. Revealing Vogel’s green-glimmering, black-haired, shockingly shirtless form.”
The second kind of transformation happens when Elloren and her friends unite with the forest. Many of them transform into Dryads, or their skin turns color. As an example, when Yvan unites with the forest, “white bark forms all over [his] body and. . . Yvan’s whole form is drawn into the Great Tree.” He reappears soon after, the Great Tree’s “bark bulges outward and morphs rapidly into the shape of a man before the bark gives way.” He has new violet-tinted eyes, green-tinted skin, and a tree tattooed onto his hand.

Spiritual Content 

The Dryad Storm continues with the complex religious system woven throughout the Black Witch Series, which mirrors modern monotheistic religions and intertwines them with politics. This religion has strong allusions to the three main monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Their religious structures dictate more conservative norms than usual. References to their religion are heavily present in the novel, and priests hold prominent positions in high government and university institutions.
Various creatures have different faiths, which all contain a myth of two great wands – one good, one evil. These faiths also all mention a Great Tree, a prophecy of the Black Witch and the Great Icaral, and the end of days. At one point, when reunited with Marina, Gareth says, “All the myths are converging so that all peoples of Erthia can come together and fight.”
Before she leaves for the East, Gwynn watches Vogel give a speech where he claims, “We have dealt a staggering blow against the heathens of the East. Our Blessed Black Witch and Mage forces have struck down [the Eastern forces] and their unholy cesspit-city.” Numerous times, Vogel makes religious speeches like this and commits atrocities in the name of his religion. The magic that binds marriages together is hijacked by Vogel and used to control married Gardnerians, including many of Elloren’s allies, but this ultimately fails.
During this speech, Gwynn remembers how she was made to “read The Book of the Ancients without ceasing” a few years ago after insisting that their servants were people too. She pretends to have been indoctrinated back into the fold but is secretly planning to leave for the East.
As Eastern forces hunt down Elloren, falsely believing her to be allied with Vogel, they also close their own borders and grow more fundamentalist in their own religion. Their government releases a statement that says, “We extend an offer of [Eastern] citizenship to all [Elves] who pledge fealty to the Vo Conclave and the Goddess Vo on High.” This declaration is redacted when Elloren and her friends defeat Vogel.
In the epilogue, Elloren and her friends are raising an orphaned Gardnerian, Valen, who possesses considerable magical power. When he comes of age, he is approached by displaced Gardnerians who still believe in Vogel’s teachings. They insist that “an Icaral demon took apart the world. You’ve been tricked and fooled. Brainwashed into believing those heathens and demons should not be slain. . . the Magedom itself was led astray. But Valen, you can change all that for us. You can bring about the true Reaping Times and fully cleanse Erthia.” Valen refuses to embrace them and their religion, turning them away.

by Kate Schuyler

Rebel Witch

Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. Now, Rune is working for Cressida, who is forcing Rune to marry Soren, a prince from the mainland. In exchange for Rune’s hand in marriage, Soren promises to provide Cressida with an army with which to take back the Republic. Gideon has been sent to kill Rune and stop this union from happening.

After discovering Cressida’s plan to locate her missing siblings and sacrifice them to resurrect her dead sisters, Rune and Gideon forge an alliance. Gideon agrees to help Rune return to the Republic and rescue a witch soothsayer. In exchange, Rune will break her engagement to Soren, which would prevent Cressida from gaining access to the army she needs for her planned invasion of the Republic. On the surface, this arrangement appears mutually beneficial. However, both Rune and Gideon harbor secret intentions to double-cross the other. To successfully protect their homeland, they must overcome their mistrust and learn to rely on each other once more. Ultimately, their partnership may prove to be the key to restoring peace to their fractured world.

Rune returns with unwavering determination to save the witches and protect her homeland. The traumatic events from the previous book have left their mark—Alex’s death and Gideon’s betrayal have left her more emotionally vulnerable than before. Despite these wounds, Rune remains brilliant and consistently strives to do what’s right and protect those she cares about. Her perseverance will continue to inspire and embolden readers.

In this installment, readers will find Rune even more relatable as Cressida’s ruthlessness instills a fear in her unlike anything she’s experienced. At one crucial moment, terror drives Rune to attempt an escape, seeking safety far from Cressida’s influence. However, Rune cannot deny her heart or abandon the people of the Republic who desperately hope for freedom and a better future, so she turns back to fight for them.

The shared struggle against Cressida and the scheming of the Republic’s new Commander bring together many characters who were previously enemies. Ciccarelli showcases these unique individuals, giving each distinct motivations and compelling moments despite their limited page time. The unity of these previously at-odds individuals strengthens the hopeful message of the book and shows that there is indeed a better world to be founded.

Gideon undergoes a profound transformation through his relationship with Rune. He becomes more accepting of witches and increasingly critical of his society’s prejudices. Yet Gideon is unable to deny his growing love for Rune despite his ongoing internal resistance. When Rune becomes too terrified to keep fighting, Gideon steps forward to lead the fight for their survival and their world.

Ciccarelli brews a powerful storm for the conclusion of her duology. Rebel Witch features numerous unexpected twists that, upon reflection, clearly stem from seeds planted in the first book’s opening pages. Rebel Witch will evoke a whirlwind of emotions as the novel follows Rune and Gideon as they finally learn to trust each other, despite their painful history.

Though hate and suffering dominate their world, Ciccarelli weaves a poignant message of love and acceptance. The characters’ hateful actions only perpetuate cycles of violence and pain. Ultimately, it is the love between a witch and a witch hunter—two enemies who choose unity over division—that enables everyone to fight for a brighter future.

The book’s conclusion is duly earned through significant sacrifice. Rune dies to secure the future and is resurrected through Cressida’s death. After cycles of hatred and revenge, Rune, Gideon, and their allies choose to build a new world founded on love. They establish a united council with elected representatives from all parts of the island, including both witches and non-witches. Ciccarelli delivers the classic message that love conquers all and that love is more powerful than hate. Rune’s journey to right past wrongs ultimately becomes a journey to find herself. Through accepting herself—flaws and all—she learns to love others as well.

Sexual Content

Rune is engaged to Prince Soren of the mainland. Rune flirts with Soren and teases him about a special surprise implied to be sex. “When Soren’s free hand settled on her hip, admiring its curve, she added: ‘Later tonight, when the recital is over and the guests are gone, I have something special planned for you.’”
While Gideon threatens Rune, he can’t help but be drawn to her. “The basest part of him wanted to tilt her head back and kiss her until she told him why she was crying.”
To save Gideon, Rune flirts with Soren, encouraging him and distracting Cressida. “Soren’s hands roamed freely now. Up her thighs. Under her dress.”
While Cressida is torturing Gideon, she means to take advantage of him. “When her eyes dropped to his trousers, she found every button undone.” Cressida is interrupted.
Rune and Gideon pretend to be newlyweds and flirt. “Before Rune could rail against the injustice, he cupped her legs above the knees. The warmth of his palms penetrated her dress, seeping into her skin. Rune’s grip tightened on her seat as his thumbs stroked her. Tenderly, and a little possessively.”
While she is sleeping in their shared cabin, Gideon sees Rune’s magic scars. “He had the strangest urge to take her leg in his hands and trace the silver lines. Memorize them with his fingers.”
Rune has a sex dream about Gideon. “They were arguing again—only not with words. His mouth was on hers, hot and insistent. Hers was hungry, insatiable, devouring.”
To shield Rune from the Blood Guard, Gideon makes out with her. “Hooking her arms around his neck, Rune arched against him. . . Gideon used the crowd as cover to guide her backward, kissing her as he moved through the dancers, toward that dark corner, and pressing her up against the wall. . . he tipped her head back and kissed her harder.”
When Cressida tortures Gideon, she activates a curse that prevents him from being with his true love. Gideon kisses Rune to show her that the curse exists. “His hand pressed against her lower back, pulling her closer. Burning a hungry fire through her. . . Their kisses turned desperate. . . Rune’s pulse hammered as his palms settled firmly around her waist and he lifted her onto the desk. When he stepped between her legs, pulling her flush against him, Rune hummed deep in her throat.”
Gideon and Rune kiss each other before Rune plans to escape to the mainland. “His free hand slid into her hair, pulling her closer, lips parting hers. His kiss made her ache in all the usual places. . . She dropped her knife and kissed him back. Gideon’s mouth turned devouring. Rune untucked his shirt from his trousers and slid her hands up his bare chest. . . He shivered and grabbed hold of her thighs, lifting her onto his hips, pulling her securely against him.”
Soren tries to assault Rune after she breaks off her engagement to him. “She felt his free hand pawing at her bodice. Felt the fabric tear and the dress loosen around her chest. ‘I always get what I’m owed,’ he said.”
When Rune and Gideon break into a house, they meet two old acquaintances. “Two young men entered the room—both in the midst of undressing, their hair messy, their lips swollen from kissing.”
Gideon and Rune profess their love, promise to get married, and then have sex. “The fire in her belly grew hotter and brighter with every rocking thrust. Grabbing hold of the bunk overhead, Rune rolled her hips to meet him.” This scene lasts seven pages.

Violence

Gideon has orders to kill Rune to prevent her marriage to Prince Soren, so he threatens her with a gun. “Keeping her wrists pinned with one hand, he pressed the barrel of his gun to her temple.” Gideon doesn’t shoot Rune because he still has feelings for her.
After he fails to kill Rune, Cressida captures Gideon and activates a painful curse in his body. “Pain flooded Gideon like lightning. Scorching hot. Bright white. As if she were branding him all over again.” Nothing physically happens to Gideon, but he still feels pain internally.
While Gideon and Rune are kissing, Cressida’s curse activates and tortures Gideon. “PAIN exploded inside him. Hot and sharp and excruciating. Starting in his scar, it ricocheted outward like a detonated bomb.”
While being controlled by a witch’s spell, Gideon tries to kill Rune. “Whipping her around to face him, he locked his hands around her throat and slammed her against the mirror.” Rune hits her head and gets a bit dizzy but recovers quickly.
While being choked by Gideon, Rune manages to grab a pistol and shoot the witch controlling him. “One shot. Make it count. Rune lifted the gun and fired.” The witch dies.
When Gideon comes to kill Rune, she has a gun ready. “Rune was inside, wearing a white lace dress. Gideon didn’t have time to pull his gun on her, because she already had one of her own. It was aimed straight at his forehead.” Rune uses the gun to threaten Gideon into making a deal with her.
Right after Rune and Gideon come to an agreement, Soren discovers them. To keep their deal a secret, Gideon threatens Rune. “‘Do exactly as I say,’ Gideon snarled. ‘Or I’ll put a bullet in your darling’s tiny head.’”
A spy for the Republic catches Rune. The spy says, “‘Turn around, witch, or I’ll shoot.’ Rune let out a slow breath and did as he said. The barrel of his gun was pointed at her head.” Gideon stops the spy.
The new Commander of the Republic, Noah, has a witch in his custody that can see the future. To make her comply and tell him her visions, Noah threatens to harm the witch’s daughter. “As Noah gripped the sword in two hands, the child tried to back away. One guard grabbed her arms while the other seized her wrist, pinning her little hand to the desk.” The girl remains uninjured, but very terrified.
Gideon and Rune kiss to see if the curse will activate; it does. “Gideon wrenched himself out of her embrace and stumbled back, his brand glowing ember-red through the white of his shirt. As if a scorching-hot iron were searing his skin.”
While trying to rescue a child, guards shoot at Gideon and Rune. “With the arrival of reinforcements, the gunfire intensified. Gideon’s gloved hand cupped Rune’s head, pressing her face into his shoulder. . . they sheltered the child between their two bodies.” No one gets injured.
The child’s mother, Aurelia, threatens Gideon, but no one is hurt. “The witch drew the missing gun and pressed the barrel under Gideon’s chin. He froze as she cocked it.”
Rune threatens Aurelia, who is threatening Gideon. “So before Aurelia fired, Rune reached for the second gun, still on the table, and aimed it straight at the witch.”
Rune has a dream that Gideon kills her. “Before she could, Gideon raised his gun. Rune froze, her pulse pounding. . . He cocked the gun, aiming it at her chest.”
Witches cut off Gideon’s friend Harrow’s ear and then throw her in the dungeon. Harrow “pointed to the spot where an ear should be, [and says,] ‘I stayed alive by catching drops of water from a leaking pipe, waiting to die of starvation.’”
Gideon gets beaten up for helping Rune escape. “It was the third time Noah hit him across the face with the butt of a revolver, and his ears rang from the pain of the blows.”
Cressida whips Rune. “Another lash caught Rune across the shoulder. She clenched her teeth to stop the agonized sounds escaping her. As fresh blood gushed from the wounds, soaking her shirt, two more lashes sliced open her back.” Rune is severely injured.
Cressida invades the Republic. She kills all those who oppose her. “Those who refused to talk were tortured. If they still refused, they were executed.”
Rune kills Soren when he tries to assault her. “Lifting the gun to Soren’s head, Rune fired.”
Trying to escape, Rune injures Noah. “Rune raised both hands, as if to surrender. But instead of dropping the knife, she threw it. Straight at Noah. . . The blade sank into his shoulder and he screamed.” Noah is slightly injured.
Gideon and Rune escape, but Gideon is shot. “The first time she stumbled, Gideon helped her up and a bullet lodged in his shoulder. He bit down on a growl as the pain seared through him.” Gideon is mildly injured but gets treatment and recovers.
Cressida’s guard corners Gideon and is about to kill him. “[Gideon] expected [the guard] to step back, preferring to put a bullet in his head. But she drew her casting knife and pressed its sharp edge to his throat.”
Rune saves Gideon from Cressida’s guard by shooting and killing her. “The witch dropped her knife. A second later, she toppled, hitting the ground beside him with a thump.”
Gideon kills Rune to prevent Cressida from using Rune to resurrect her sisters. “Gideon let out a soft cry, but he didn’t fail her. Pulling the trigger, he sent a bullet straight into her heart.”
Seraphine, the witch Rune saved in the first book, kills Cressida and uses her blood for a spell. “She plunged the knife straight into Cressida’s heart.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Rune is eating with Gideon and is too nervous so she “took another sip of wine. The familiar fog of intoxication was creeping in, blurring everything beyond their booth and muddying her thoughts.”
Gideon’s friend, Antonio, offers to make him a sleeping drug. Antonio says, “Perhaps a sleeping draught, then? We have the ingredients in the kitchen. I can make one for you. It will help ease the pain, at least for tonight.”

Language

Profanity is used rarely. Language includes damn, fuck, and hell.

Supernatural

Cressida plans to resurrect her sisters, Analise and Elowyn, with forbidden magic. “Analise and Elowyn were long dead, and resurrection spells required the sacrifice of someone closely related to the deceased—like a parent, sibling, or child.”
Seraphine, the witch Rune saved in the first book, uses a spell to kill Cressida and transfer her life force to Rune, thereby resurrecting Rune. “The witch queen gasped and the symbols on Rune’s skin glowed moonwhite. As if joining in with the breath she took, coming alive as Wisdom’s magic stole Cressida’s life force and poured it into Rune.”
Rune finds the curse Cressida used on Gideon. “TRUE LOVE’S CURSE is an Arcana spell. It prevents a victim from being with his true love by inflicting pain whenever he touches her skin to skin. . . Once cast, TRUE LOVE’S CURSE cannot wear off. Only the blood of the victim’s true love, spilled in a sacrificial act, can break it.”

Spiritual Content

This world believes in seven sisters who created the world and magic, called the Ancients. “In the beginning, there was darkness. Until the Seven Sisters laughed and a world burst into being. . . Before moving on, they chose a select few to watch over the world in their absence. To help these guardians love and protect their creation, the Seven Sisters gave them a gift. The gift of magic.”
Rune has a prophetic vision. “At that thought, a strange thing happened. An image flared before her eyes, like a waking dream.” The vision was of an older Gideon running around with three children, presumably his own.
One of the Ancients is summoned, takes human form, and becomes the queen’s advisor. “But Wisdom took pity on Althea and allowed herself to be summoned.”
In the first book, Rune attempted to rescue Seraphine, a witch and an Ancient.
Right after saving Rune, Seraphine leaves to rejoin her sisters. “Six figures appeared at the water’s edge. Each one shaped like a woman, glowing faintly. As if they were made of moonlight. . . And then she was gone. Turning away to join her ancient sisters.”

by Annamaria Lund

That Was Yesterday

Just when the Runaways finally start to feel normal, Alex Wilder shows up—a former Runaway and a literal ghost. He accosts Nico and Karolina as they’re returning to their hideout and pleads for shelter, claiming he has their parents’ evil colleagues on his trail. The last time the Runaways saw Alex, he betrayed them to save his real family, so they’re not sure if they can trust him.

Moments later, a monster appears, on the leash of the Gibborim, strange, evil gods who consume souls for breakfast. Their parents used to worship the Gibborim, and now the Gibborim are trying to collect on debts. The Gibborim demand that the Runaways pay what their parents owe, a willing sacrifice for the Gibborim to grow strong again. When the Runaways refuse, the gods give them seven days to find someone or seven days to organize their affairs.

On Christmas, the Runaways exchange jokes and laughter, uncertain how they’ll fare against the Gibborim, but determined to live in the moment. There are numerous distractions from their troubles, as the Runaways are simply trying to survive while battling their own insecurities, loves, and ambitions. Rowell continues the wonderful character development of the Runaways, devoting more time to Nico, Gert, and Victor, while allowing every character to grow, including the new addition, Alex. The Runaways are grounded, magical, and inspiring characters due to their perseverance and genuine kindness and support for one another. They’re the kind of group that supports each other through difficult times.

The graphic novel is divided into six main parts. Each part tackles a different arc but with similar themes, such as healthy relationship dynamics, responsibility, and self-awareness. The panels are organized creatively, enhancing the flow of the story. The plot is easy to understand, despite having many moving components. Since it is a Marvel comic, there are references to other storylines and characters that may confuse readers who are not familiar with the Marvel Universe. However, none of this takes away from the beautifully illustrated characters, fantastical battles, and Los Angeles setting. The panels alternate between close-ups and wide shots, designed to capture the scene and the characters’ expressions perfectly, with dialogue overlaid to make the scenes more engaging.

Readers who enjoy complicated supervillains, dramatic though comedic teenage drama, and clever outcasts will love the ancient powers, wholesome family connections, and sarcastic comments in the third installment of The Runaways. This story teaches about social-emotional health by emphasizing the power of family as a support structure. It also emphasizes hope in the face of doom and love in a time of hate. The Runaways need to learn how to forgive now more than ever, because problems shouldn’t be solved with violence, and sometimes people are led astray. Overall, this is a dynamic and sweet story with a wholesome message: family isn’t just about the good times, but the arguments, the discord, and redemption too.

Sexual Content

While Old Lace, the Runaways’ pet dinosaur, is roaming the halls of their hideout, she glances into Nico’s room to see Nico kissing Karolina. It’s only depicted in one panel as a close-up of their two faces. Old Lace leaves quickly.
When Nico comes back from breakfast with the sorcerer trapped in her staff, Karolina runs to meet Nico at the door. She’s worried about Nico since she has been gone for so long and pulls her in for a kiss. The panel displays an overhead view, allowing readers to see both their bodies and faces meeting.
After they defeat the Gibborim, Karolina pulls Nico into another kiss. Karolina’s leg is kicked up behind her as she cups Nico’s face. There’s one panel of them kissing.

Violence

Alex Wilder is a former Runaway who hasn’t seen the rest of the team in years. The Gibborim are colleagues of the Runaways’ parents and, therefore, enemies of the Runaways. When Alex shows up suddenly at the Runaways’ hideout, they have to fight the Gibborim off with Alex’s help. The page contains ten panels featuring violence, as well as two close-ups of characters’ faces. The Runaways are primarily punching the creature, though in one of the panels, their pet dinosaur, Old Lace, is biting the creature.
After Nico discovers that her Staff harbors a person, almost like a genie, she feels bad and attempts to release them. Then, the Staff says, “I’ll rebuild my army of thralls and slice my power from their throats.” Nico decides not to release them.
When the Gibborim return to claim their sacrifice for their ritual, Alex runs at them with a knife in a desperate attempt to protect the Runaways. Chase tackles Alex to the ground to try to avoid violence. Chase doesn’t want any of his friends to be hurt in the crossfire.
When Gib of the Gibborim turns on his fellow gods, he fights to protect the Runaways. There’s a lot of punching, though no one is grievously injured.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

The graphic novel revolves around superheroes and their associated superpowers. Most of the Runaways have magical or superhuman abilities, allowing them to fight crime. For example, Nico is a powerful magician who wields the Staff of One by bloodletting to cast her spells. She summons it by saying, “When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!”
Karolina is the other Runaway who uses magic. As an alien from another world, she can fly.
After the Gibborim show up at the Runaways’ door demanding a sacrifice, Nico retreats outside the Runaways’ cave lair to a forest. Frustrated at her lack of magic training and unable to prevent the Gibborim from returning to collect the sacrifice, she summons the staff. It turns into a person who explains that, “[Nico’s] grandmother bested [the sorcerer of the staff] and transformed [them] into the staff, twisting [their] magic to [Nico’s grandmother’s] own service.” Nico and the Staff make a deal that ends the practice of bloodletting. They negotiate so that the person locked inside the Staff has freedom to see the outside world occasionally.
Alex Wilder, a former Runaway, appears at their hideout, claiming that he’s being chased by Gibborim, the gods who controlled the Runaways’ parents. When Nico sees Alex, she asks, “Who let you out of Hell, Wilder?” She implies that he died and came back to life, though there is no depiction of this.
Soon after Alex appears, a monster follows him. It has three purple heads and is covered in scales. It wears a leash and charges at the Runaways, though they fight it off. The Gibborim are close behind, with skin of all colors of the rainbow, pointed ears, and horns.
When the Runaways fight the Gibborim’s creature, Gert and Victor return from the past in a time travel machine. They used the time machine in a previous story and are just now returning to the present. The machine is surrounded by blue waves and a bubble that reads PLIP! It implies that the machine appears out of nowhere.

Spiritual Content

The Gibborim call themselves gods and refer to religious rituals that appear to be based on any real religion. When they demand a sacrifice, Chase responds, “The Rite of Thunder? That weird church service we interrupted before? Where were our parents gonna feed your parent that poor dead girl’s soul?” Throughout this comic, there are references to this rite, although nothing else explains the religion from which the Gibborim originate.
In a heart-to-heart with Victor, Gert mentions God, saying, “I wouldn’t expect a cyborg to believe in God.” Victor responds, “I may have been created by a supervillain, but I’m still Catholic.”

by Kate Schuyler

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II

“You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days’ time. . . That is all you need to know.” This was the terse telegram that hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke, these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions.

Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking Nazi missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bomb machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most importantly: know how to keep a secret.

The Enigma Girls explores the period between 1939 and 1945, introducing ten Enigma teens, as well as a host of other individuals and the various jobs at Bletchley Park. The author does an impressive job showing the importance of the work as well as the silliness of the girls; after all, they were teenagers. While the girls played a significant role in the war effort, their unique personalities do not stand out. However, readers will be amazed by the Enigma Girls’ abilities as well as their dedication to their jobs. Because of the work that went on at Bletchley Park, lives were saved, and Hitler was defeated.

The book is broken into short chapters with catchy titles, and historical pictures appear every one to two pages. Since most of the girls were involved in code breaking, there are several sections titled “Top Secret” that explain how to break codes or decipher a message. Additionally, several pictures depict the complex computers used in code breaking. Although the book presents information in smaller sections, many readers may still struggle to retain all the information.

As part of the True Stories in Focus Series, The Enigma Girls is specifically written for a middle school and high school audience, utilizing rigorous research to provide accurate and compelling content for young readers. The True Stories in Focus Series emphasizes sharing true stories and focusing on real individuals and their authentic experiences. These books aim to help young people understand the world, develop critical thinking skills, and connect historical events to the present.

Anyone interested in World War II or code breaking will find The Enigma Girls to be a fascinating book, packed with information on how teenage girls contributed to the war effort. The different treatment between the girls and the men at Bletchley Park adds another layer of depth to the book. Readers with limited knowledge of World War II may be overwhelmed by the numerous details included in The Enigma Girls. However, the book would be immensely helpful for anyone researching World War II. Readers can learn more about code breaking by reading Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing by Paul B. Janeczko and The Usborne Book of Secret Codes by Eileen O’Brien & Diana Riddell. Readers interested in World War II who want a fictional account should read Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen and Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

Germany’s attacks on foreign lands are mentioned. However, most of the attacks are not described beyond listing the number of casualties. The book does include many historical pictures of the aftermath of an attack. For example, one illustration shows a Polish factory burning after “a lightning-quick Nazi air raid.”
Germany attacked Poland. The battle is not described. However, after Britain declared war on Germany, British citizens were given gas masks to protect themselves. One illustration shows “a nursery school class practicing using them.”
To work for the British army, Elizabeth Blandy and the other Enigma Girls had to sign the Official Secrets Act. A commander told Elizabeth, “It clearly states that if you disclose the slightest information about this place or your work. . . you will be committing treason. . . If you did, you would be liable to the most extreme penalties of the law. . . I’m not sure whether, at this moment, that’s hanging or shooting by firing squad.”
On Black Saturday, the Nazis attacked Britain. “Suddenly, the sky grew dark as 348 German planes began dropping high explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city. Flames billowed. Buildings collapsed. Terrified citizens streamed toward air raid shelters. . . In just a few hours, 430 people were killed and 1,600 injured.”
The British Navy attacked an Italian Fleet in the Mediterranean. Mavis wrote, “Our sailors did grand work in the battle. They sent [five ships] to the bottom of the ocean. . . and our Navy lost not a man, not a ship, and not even a square inch of paint.” An illustration shows “a scene of nighttime action as British warships bombard Italian battleships at the Cape of Matapan.”
The German ship Bismarck and the British ship HMS Hood, the flagship of the Royal Navy, battled. “For four thundering minutes the two vessels pounded at each other. Shells screamed overhead. Water exploded. Then one of Bismarck’s shells ripped through Hood’s deck, piercing its ammunition storage and causing a huge explosion. Hood broke in half and sank beneath the waves. All but two of its crew members sank with it.”
As Bismarck fled, the British launched an attack. “The battleship could do little to save itself. Within hours it sank, taking twenty-three hundred men to the ocean’s bottom.” A picture shows a British warship saving some of the German sailors from the ocean.
One of the Enigma Girls, Gwen, was horrified when she was given a Nazi’s cipher book. “The book’s cover had a huge bloodstain on it. She discovered the inside pages did, too, once she got up the courage to open it. When she drew away her hand, it was sticky with blood.”
The D-Day attack is described over three pages. On Omaha Beach, “US troops faced heavy resistance. Eventually, after a tough and bloody fight, they, too, successfully stormed the beach.” There are five illustrations of the troops who fought on D-Day.
A chapter discusses the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and later Nagasaki. The casualties are listed, and one illustration shows the destruction in Hiroshima.

Drugs and Alcohol 

When an admiral was arriving at Bletchley Park, a couple of girls rushed to a pub to buy some wine. Later, the admiral gives a toast.

Language 

“Good God” and “good heavens” are used as exclamations.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Before I Let Go

Corey’s best friend, Kyra, has killed herself, drowning beneath the ice of the tiny Alaskan town of Lost Creek. Corey, who had left the small town seven months earlier, returns for Kyra’s memorial service—and to find answers. She doesn’t believe Kyra would kill herself, not when Corey was already planning to return in just a few days.

When Corey returns to Lost Creek, she finds that she has been branded an outsider and that Kyra had been embraced by the town that had hated her previously. But all is not as it seems, and in the five days, Corey will uncover both Kyra’s and the town’s mysteries.

The story is told from Corey’s first-person perspective in the present timeline, with flashbacks woven throughout to reveal the history of Corey and Kyra’s friendship. While Corey is the narrator, Kyra is undoubtedly the center of the story. The flashbacks reveal how Corey, the scientific mind, and Kyra, the storyteller, dreamed of escaping Lost Creek together. They also show how the town shunned Kyra following her bipolar diagnosis and how this adversity strengthened the bond between the two teenage girls. Corey’s narration in the present is heavy with guilt and grief, and the absence of Kyra is felt in every word.

Kyra’s bipolar disorder becomes central to the story, as the town dismisses her as insane without attempting to understand her condition—until they discover she has something valuable to offer them. Before Corey’s departure, Corey’s friendship helped Kyra manage her highs and lows. But after Kyra’s death, Corey discovered that the town twisted Kyra’s mania to their benefit. When people started to believe that Kyra’s paintings told the future, they hid her away and propped her up as a symbol rather than treating her as a girl. As Corey uncovers the extent of Kyra’s isolation, she too experiences isolation as she continues to ask questions no one wants to answer.

Before I Let Go creates a beautiful picture of friendship, self-discovery, and love. Love bonds Corey and Kyra across space and time, and their love survives through their struggles and misunderstandings. Corey and Kyra are well-developed characters, but the other characters are almost one-sided, consumed by their obsession with Kyra’s supposed psychic powers. Corey doesn’t feel a connection to the other members of Lost Creek; therefore, the readers are not given space to connect with them either. Despite the book being centered on only two characters, readers will find themselves rooting for Kyra and Corey, and grieving Kyra as Corey does.

Nijkamp also paints a harsh picture of mental health’s importance and the detrimental effects of isolation. Readers will be simultaneously moved by Corey’s and Kyra’s friendship but frustrated by the town’s small-mindedness. Alaska’s harsh setting reflects the Lost Creek’s immovable attitude, while Corey’s narration brings the readers alongside her as she uncovers the town’s prejudices and reckons with her own. “Love me or hate me if you want, I don’t care. But do it for all that I am, with all that I am,” Kyra pleads to Corey. The readers are faced with the same task. How do we love someone when they’re going through something terrible? How do we return home when we are not welcome there, when maybe we never were?

Ultimately a story of hope, Before I Let Go reminds readers of the importance of loving people as they are. While its story is slightly fantastical, the dangers of ignoring mental health are real, and the friendship between Corey and Kyra grounds the book in reality. Although it is too late for Corey to save Kyra, the book offers a vital message of compassion and empathy, even if you have to go against the majority mindset to be a good friend.

Sexual Content 

In a flashback, Corey kisses Kyra. “I [Corey] pushed myself up on one arm, and on impulse, I reached out and wove my fingers through hers [Kyra’s]. . . I pressed my lips against hers and waited . . . When she opened her mouth and leaned in farther, she was hesitant and careful.” Corey ends the kiss because she does not feel romantic attraction toward Kyra.
Corey and Kyra talk about their relationship and Corey’s sexuality. Corey says, “I’m not attracted to you. I don’t think I’ve ever been attracted to anyone . . . I love you, but I’m not in love with you.” Kyra replies, “I love you, and I am in love with you.”
Corey and Kyra discover their sexual identities with articles from the library. “[The article] was the first time I’d seen asexuality spelled out, and I found myself in the description. Kyra claimed pansexual, and it fit her comfortably too.”
Two residents of Lost Creek, Sam and Roshan, spend the night in the abandoned spa building with Corey, and she finds them sharing a bed. “Instead, they lie together on the raggedy bed. Roshan’s arm hangs across Sam’s shoulders, and their legs and the blanket are all tangled together.” Corey realizes that they are in a romantic relationship.

Violence 

Kyra kills herself before the story begins. Corey’s mom says, “No one knows quite what happened, but they think she [Kyra] wandered across the lake and found a weak spot. They found her under the ice . . . She drowned.” Kyra’s suicide is a main part of the story and is mentioned often.
One of Corey’s old friends, Piper, and Corey argue at Kyra’s memorial service. Corey slaps Piper. “I slap her before I even realize what I’m doing.”
The outbuilding where Kyra lived and where Corey is now staying was set on fire. Corey has to jump out of a window to escape. “I let myself fall . . . I sliced my palm and tore open my shin, but I’m out. I gasp for air. It hurts to breathe. My throat is raw from smoke and screaming.” Corey walks away and does not receive treatment for her injuries. She has a scrape on her leg and hand, and possible smoke damage in her lungs.
Kyra’s father, Mr. Henderson, wants Corey to return the letters that Kyra wrote. When Corey refuses, “He lunges at me. I dodge as he reaches out to tackle me . . . His hands clamp around my throat and I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe . . . I ram my knee upward and he hisses when it connects with his groin . . . He holds the knife just above my bunny boot. If he pushes any harder, it’ll slide through fabric, skin, muscle.” Roshan tackles Mr. Henderson, and eventually Corey throws Kyra’s letters into the woods so Mr. Henderson will stop attacking her. These events take place over several pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

Kyra was taking medication to treat her bipolar disorder. Kyra says, “She [her therapist] wants me to go. To try other medications under more supervision, more intense therapy.” Later, Corey describes, “Kyra struggled with medication from the time she got her diagnosis. She responded to drugs, but marginally. They dimmed her mania for a while, but it would only come back stronger.”

Language 

Profanity is used rarely. Profanity includes batshit and ass.
Kyra is regularly insulted by the town’s people, who call her a freak and insane.

Supernatural 

The residents of Lost Creek believed that Kyra’s paintings could predict the future. The Hendersons display a painting in which Kyra painted her death. “Kyra had painted herself floating under the translucent ice. Her brown hair is spread out around her, and her hazel eyes are open wide. Even as she sinks into the dark abyss of the lake, she smiles.”
Kyra predicted that the town garden would survive through winter, and it did. “It’s another painting of Kyra’s, but one far more realistic than her usual style . . . It’s a garden that mirrors Mrs. Robinson’s garden almost exactly as it looks now.”
Kyra paints a picture of two boys running, one carrying a bird. This exact scene happens a week after she paints it. “But the next Sunday, when Luke and Tobias went hiking in the woods, they returned carrying a kestrel with a broken wing.”
Various residents of Lost say things like “She [Kyra] foretold it.” One resident says, “She saw a future that none of us could see yet. She believed in a future, and for that, we believed in her.”

Spiritual Content 

None

by Abigail Clark

Hollow Fires

Set in Chicago, Illinois, the story follows Safiya Mirza, a seventeen-year-old high school journalist on scholarship attending DuSable Prep. She is highly ambitious, runs the school newspaper, and has already committed to Northwestern’s journalism program. When a fourteen-year-old Muslim student disappears, Safiya is determined to uncover the mystery behind his vanishing. Simultaneously, her school newspaper is hacked, and racist, cryptic messages are posted, foreshadowing the extensive racism that will prevail.

Jawad Ali, the fourteen-year-old Muslim student, created a backpack out of recycled materials for a school project. However, when one of his teachers suspected it to be a bomb, Jawad was arrested, suspended, and publicly humiliated. Although he was cleared, racist threats and comments followed him until he disappeared. When public news outlets, the police, and other students quickly forget him and overlook his case, Safiya persists. She will stop at nothing to expose the truth.

Each chapter alternates between Safiya’s present narration and Jawad’s posthumous narration, which adds to the story’s intensity. The reader can sympathize with Jawad as he watches his family, who have questions about his death. Jawad wants his disappearance to be solved to ease their pain. So, as Safiya continues to inquire into his disappearance and her school’s racist hacker, Jawad observes over her, guiding her to the truth. Furthermore, she unearths the underlying racism that is embedded in her city, school, and the people around her. As she investigates, she also learns that familiar faces may not be as innocent as they seem, and her safety may be in jeopardy. Can she successfully catch the culprit and get justice for Jawad?  

DuSable Prep’s very handsome and highly popular senior, Richard Reynolds, is captain of both the lacrosse and swim teams. Like the majority of students attending his school, Richard’s family is quite wealthy, which undoubtedly contributes to his sense of entitlement. He is initially introduced as a potential romantic partner for Safiya, as he often flirts with her openly and even asks her to the winter ball. However, as their connection and banter build, Richard reveals his manipulation tactics, using his popularity and socio-economic status to dodge any suspicion and responsibility. So, when Safiya’s investigation leads to Richard, his deep-rooted beliefs are revealed and sadly reflect the racism that persists within society today.

Throughout the story, there are multiple references to real-world events and offensive symbols. Some of these include 9/11, swastikas, Adolf Hitler, and Islamophobia. By including these elements, the author attempts to ground the story in reality and present harsh truths for the reader to grapple with. The author hopes that her book will inspire young readers to take action and seek out the truth, especially during a time of such drastic social division.

Hollow Fires is based on real events, such as the murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks that took place in May of 1924. The murderers were from wealthy and prominent families, similar to those depicted in this book. The author, Samira Ahmed, notes that she struggled to finish this story due to its depraved content and realistic nature. Nonetheless, she wants her readers “to keep speaking up and speaking out. . . [and] to shine light on the truth” just as Safiya does. This book is a must-read for those passionate about social justice and change.

The author includes common themes of justice, the power of truth-telling, privilege, and courage throughout the story. In particular, Safiya’s character persevered despite racial discrimination and frightening experiences to finally expose the truth. The book encompasses the racism and bigotry that immigrants and racial minorities experience in the United States. It will open the reader’s eyes to hidden prejudice and implicit bias that occur in modern society. There is no doubt that the reader will be deeply moved and left with a strong urge for social activism.    

Sexual Content    

In between class periods, Richard flirts with Safiya by her locker. When Safiya turns “back to Richard, he pecked [her] on the cheek.”

Violence    

Safiya’s mosque receives a threatening anonymous letter. The letter reads, “Dear Muslim Scum, we will be coming to your mosque. It will be a massacre on a scale never seen. Christchurch will pale in comparison. You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.” No violence is brought upon their mosque.
Richard and Safiya meet up in a park at night. When Safiya suspects that Richard may hurt her, she attempts to flee. “I muttered a prayer as I clenched my right hand into a fist and swung at Richard’s face.”
After punching Richard, Safiya runs. “[Richard] grabbed at my collar, yanking me toward him. I slammed into him and we both fell backward onto the grassy strip by the sidewalk. I tried to scramble away . . . but Richard pulled at my leg and I went down hard on my right side . . . He grabbed after me and I kicked at him. Making contact with his shin as he dropped down closer to me. I tried to push myself off of the ground with my left hand, but Richard shoved me back, straddling me to keep me pinned down . . . I dug my nails into the cold, wet earth and grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it into Richard’s eye. He reeled back and I pushed myself away from him. . . He lunged for me, grabbed me, shoved me against the hood of Nate’s car. There was rage in his eyes as he raised the rock [in his hands] above me.” A student at DuSable Prep, Asma, drives her car into Nate’s car, attempting to stop Richard from hurting Safiya. She succeeds, and no one was hurt.

Drugs and Alcohol    

None

Language    

 Language such as asshole, hell, shit, bullshit, fucking, bitch, and other offensive slurs are used often.
When Safiya’s school newspaper is hacked and inappropriate articles are published, she says, “I think it’s the same assholes who put that meme on the school Facebook page.”
The school’s fire alarm goes off. A student says, “What the hell? Is this a drill? It’s freezing out!”
When Richard is being questioned for his involvement with Jawad’s death, he yells, “That fucking liar! That weak piece of shit. He did it! All of it! I never laid a hand on that raghead skittle.”
When Nate, a fellow student at DuSable Prep, is being questioned about his involvement with Jawad’s death, he responds, “That was Asma’s fault – crazy bitch driver.”

Supernatural    

Throughout the book, Safiya feels a strong spirit with her, although she cannot quite place what it is. “A crack made me jump back, startled. I thought Usman had broken the twig he was holding. But he was still rolling it between his fingers. Neither he nor Asma seemed to have heard the sound. . . I heard that voice again. So faint. But I knew what I heard. It wasn’t a delusion. Help. Safiya. Help me. I opened my eyes. There was that incense smell hanging over us like a cloud. I was the only one who noticed that, too.” There are many instances of Safiya feeling Jawad’s presence. This is just one.
Jawad narrates, “She heard me. This time I’m sure of it. She. Heard. Me. My words. Help me. I tried to whisper it so many times before. But my voice sounded like the wind and the rustling leaves.”

Spiritual Content    

In a threatening letter to Safiya’s mosque, God is mentioned: “You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.”  
After a heated class argument between Nate and Safiya regarding the hacker who has seemingly hacked their high school’s newspaper, Nate mutters to himself, “God is dead.”

by Leela Kowalski 

The Ship of the Dead

Magnus Chase can’t catch a break. First, he died bravely and was reborn in Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes. Soon after his death, he had to embark on a mission to stop Fenris Wolf from escaping. Shortly after this perilous quest, he had to find Thor’s missing hammer, which is much easier said than done. Now, Magnus faces his toughest challenge. The sinister trickster god Loki has broken free from his prison and is intent on starting Ragnarök, the prophesied end of the world.

Magnus and his ragtag group of friends must sail across three worlds to intercept Loki and prevent him from wreaking havoc with his army of the undead. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Magnus wrestles with one question: Is he strong enough to stand against Loki?

The Ship of the Dead is the fast-paced and engaging finale to the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy. Building upon the groundwork laid in the first two installments, this book dives further into Norse mythology while exploring themes of family, strength, and individuality. Throughout this novel, Magnus and his friends band together as they face many different foes. They support one another while embracing the unique skills and backgrounds that each character brings to the team.

The plot is driven by the eight core characters of this novel, who are as eclectic as they are lovable. Magnus, a deeply compassionate healer, is willing to risk everything to protect his friends. Sam, one of Odin’s Valkyries, embarks on the quest while fasting for Ramadan, and utilizes this to help her stay focused and determined. Hearth, a deaf elf, is the greatest sorcerer in the Nine Worlds. Blitz, a fashionable dwarf, is a skilled designer and inventor. T.J., a Civil War soldier who died serving the Union, is as cheerful as he is brave. Mallory, a hotheaded fighter who hails from Ireland, is ready to attack any challenge that comes her way. Halfborn, a Viking warrior who died over a thousand years ago, is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Finally, Alex, the transgender and genderfluid child of Loki, unites the crew with her mischievous nature and quick wit.

The Ship of the Dead contains Riordan’s familiar humorous writing style and well-developed plots. This story contains many characters and settings, which some readers may find confusing. However, readers do not have to be familiar with Rick Riordan’s previous works to enjoy the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series.

Like the previous installments in this series, The Ship of the Dead discusses serious topics such as homelessness, ableism, transphobia, child abuse, and Islamophobia. These themes will resonate with readers who relate to the struggles that the characters face and allow them to feel represented and understood. These topics are written about in a way that is suitable for young readers, and this novel offers readers a chance to consider new perspectives and learn about those who are different from them.

The Ship of the Dead is an action-packed and touching finale to one of Rick Riordan’s greatest series. Readers will be both entertained and moved by the plot and the bonds that the characters develop with one another. This series is perfect for middle-grade readers who are eager for a fun and adventurous story.

Sexual Content 

Magnus and Alex, Magnus’s friend and child of Loki, kiss as they are walking across a frozen bay. Magnus details, “Then, before I even knew what was happening, she kissed me. She could have bitten off my mouth and I would have been less surprised. Her lips were cracked and rough from the cold. Her nose fit perfectly next to mine. Our faces aligned, our breath mixed. Then she pulled away.”
A giantess named Skadi says that Loki publicly “insinuated that he had shared [her] bed.”
Alex and Magnus kiss after the quest is complete. Alex “clamped his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me.”

Violence 

Magnus describes the accidents he had while training for his quest. He had “gotten chomped by a great white shark, strangled by a giant squid, and stung by a thousand irate moon jellyfish.” He recovers from all these injuries.
Alex decapitates a wolf that had stolen a mead horn from Magnus’s uncle’s house. Alex “lashed out with his garrote like he was throwing a bowling ball. . . the golden cord wrapped around the wolf’s neck. With a yank backwards, Alex cured the wolf of any future headache problems. The decapitated carcass flopped against the carpet.”
Halfborn injures his head during a shipwreck. “Halfborn Gunderson was slumped over the rudder, blood dripping from an ugly gash on his forehead.” Magnus heals Halfborn.
Nine giantesses attack Magnus and his friends. “The nine sea giantesses fell upon us with a collective howl of glee. My friends were ready. Mallory Keen flipped onto [a giantess’s] back and plunged her knives into the giantess’s shoulders. Halfborn Gunderson dual-wielded mead goblets, slamming [one giantess] in the face and [another] in the gut.” This fight is described over seven pages. Nobody is seriously injured or killed.
In a dream, Magnus hears Kvasir, a wise being created by the gods, being murdered. “Inside the cave, Kvasir began to scream. A few moments later, I heard the sound of a chainsaw, then liquid gurgling into a large cauldron.”
In a dream, Magnus sees Alex get kicked out of her house. “A trickle of blood ran from [Alex’s] left temple. She crawled down the front walk on her hands and knees, her palms shredded from breaking her fall and leaving dabs of blood on the cement like a sponge painting.” It is implied that Alex was kicked out for being transgender. Alex leaves, and the pair do not reconcile.
T.J. fights a stone giant in a duel. “With a dry crack T.J.’s rifle discharged. The giant roared in pain. He staggered backward, smoke streaming from his left eye, which was now black instead of amber.” T.J. kills the giant. The fight scene is described over 11 pages.
Magnus kills a dragon by stabbing it in the heart with his sword, Jack. “Fumbling and panicked I positioned Jack’s point against the weak spot in the hide. Then, with all my strength, I drove the sword into the dragon’s chest.”
Magnus kills a giant with the help of a flock of crows. “[The giant] raised his ax over his head once more. Jack pulled me into battle as the murder of crows rose from their tree and swarmed [the giant’s] face, pecking at his eyes, nose, and Frosted Flakes beard.”
Magnus and his friends fight an undead army on Loki’s ship. Alex “turned into a mountain lion and lunged at the [zombie], biting his head clean off. . . Sam pulled out her Valkyrie spear. With searing light, she blasted through the undead, burning dozens at a time, but hundreds more pressed forward, their swords and spears bristling.” During this fight scene, which spans over three pages, numerous zombies are killed.

Drugs and Alcohol 

The characters occasionally mention and drink mead.
Magnus recalls seeing how alcohol affected people while he was homeless. “I’d been on the streets long enough to know how ‘mead’ improved people’s skills. Pick your poison: beer, wine, vodka, whiskey. Folks claimed they needed it to get through the day. They called it liquid courage. It made them funnier, smarter, more creative. Except it didn’t. It just made them less able to see how unfunny and stupid they were acting.”

Language 

While kicking her out of his house, Alex’s father yells, “That’s all I want from you! To be a normal kid! Is that so damn hard?”

Supernatural 

Magnus has a magical sword named Jack that can talk and fly.
Sam is a Valkyrie, a warrior who leads the souls of the dead heroes to Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for heroes who died bravely in battle.
Magnus and his friends sail in a magical ship that can take the form of a handkerchief. Magnus “flicked the handkerchief toward the water. As soon as the cloth hit the surface, the corners unfolded and unfolded. . . In the space of two breaths a Viking longship lay at anchor in the canal, the turbulent water coursing around its stern.”
Magnus and his friends encounter nine giantesses as they are sailing. “In front of us, the sea had started to churn, swirling into a downward funnel like someone had pulled the bathtub plug out of Massachusetts Bay. Rising from the maelstrom were the giant watery forms of women—nine in all, each as large as our ship, with dresses of foam and ice, and blue-green faces contorted in rage.” They fight the giantesses and escape.
Magnus has healing powers that he often uses on himself and his friends when they get injured. For example, he “channeled Frey-power to heal Halfborn’s head wound.”
Hearth is a sorcerer who uses runes to cast spells. “Hearth threw a runestone I hadn’t seen before. It hit [a giantess] with a bright flash, liquefying her into a large angry puddle.” The giantess recovers.
Magnus possesses a magical ability known as the Peace of Frey. This power allows Magnus to “blast everyone’s weapons out of their hands.”
\A stone giant appears in front of Magnus and his friends and threatens to kill them. Magnus’s “mind had to process what [he] was looking at: not a section of ruined wall, but a giant, twenty feet tall, whose appearance perfectly mimicked limestone.” Magnus and his friends fight the giant.
Hearth’s dad, Mr. Alderman, is transformed into a dragon by a cursed ring. “The monster’s four feet were each the diameter of a trashcan lid. Its short thick legs dragged along a lizard-like body, maybe fifty feet from nose to tail, its spine ridged with spikes bigger than my sword. . . The new, dragonish Alderman pulled himself from his lair, muttering, grinning, then cackling hysterically—all for no apparent reason.”
After Magnus accidentally tastes the blood of a dragon heart, he gains the ability to understand animals.
Magnus and his friends encounter an undead army on Loki’s ship. “Taking up most of the vast deck, they stood at attention in ranks of ghostly white and blue, tens of thousands, like they were waiting for a parade review. Some were mounted on zombie horses. Others had zombie dogs or wolves by their side. A few even had zombie birds of prey perched on their skeletal arms.”

Spiritual Content 

This novel is centered around Norse mythology and contains frequent depictions of and references to Norse gods.
While on the quest, Sam is fasting during Ramadan. This means that she does not eat or drink during the day.
Magnus prays to Frey for help when he is fighting the giantesses. Magnus says, “Okay, Frey, Dad, please. . . we’re about to die down here, so if you’ve got any help you could send me, I’d really appreciate it. Amen.” Frey sends a deity to aid Magnus.
Sam prays and breaks her fast. “At sunset. . . Sam did her ritual washing. She prayed facing southwest, then sat down next to me with a satisfied sigh and unwrapped a package of dates. She passed me one, then took a bite of hers. She closed her eyes as she chewed, her face transformed by pure bliss like the fruit was a religious experience. Which I guess it was.”

by Kelly Barker

Court of Lions

Amani succeeded in saving Maram, but it cost her everything. Sequestered in the palace as punishment, Amani has no family and no friends. She’s also been torn away from her love, Idris—seeing him would only tempt her to take what she cannot have. That is, until Princess Maram asks Amani to take her place in her wedding to Idris.

Confused about Maram’s intentions, Amani refuses. As they talk, Amani realizes just how hurt Maram has been by everyone in her life. Amani agrees and goes to the wedding in Maram’s place. What Amani doesn’t know is that Maram has been falling in love with one of the royal falconers, Aghraas, and that Amani’s perceived betrayal cuts Maram deeper than Maram knew possible. While both young women torture themselves with love they’re unsure they can have, wedding celebrations await in Idris’s hometown, M’Gaadir.

M’Gaadir changes everything for both of them. The more time Maram and Amani spend together, the more they realize their similarities run deeper than appearances, especially as tension between the Andaalan nobles and the Vathek Empire tightens. With Aghraas’s influence and the discovery of letters containing her father’s horrible secret, Maram grows bolder and agrees to help Amani with the rebel cause. Posing as one person, Amani and Maram strengthen Maram’s political position, relying on both the rebels and the Andaalan nobles to spread word about Maram’s intention to take the throne from her father and free Andaala.

The characters face significant personal challenges alongside their political mission. Idris doesn’t approve of Amani’s rebellious activities because he’s worried she’ll get hurt. Aghraas and Maram can never be seen in public together due to their different social stations. Neither Amani nor Maram has family to rely on for advice or emotional support, forcing them to navigate their complicated feelings and dangerous political situation independently. Maram and Amani emerge as inspiring, determined, and clever protagonists who bravely confront an oppressive colonial system while wrestling with profound emotional turmoil in their personal lives.

Court of Lions focuses on two main characters who rise to face seemingly insurmountable challenges and evolve into people very different from who they were at the beginning of the series. Both Amani and Maram transform into calculating and protective leaders who lead by example, protect their loved ones at all costs, and stand by their moral principles even when doing so puts them in danger.

Somaiya Daud crafts powerful characters in Court of Lions and creates an amazingly complex and fantastical world that weaves rich culture into each poetic chapter. The novel successfully combines political intrigue with deeply personal character development, illustrating how the shaky trust established in the first book evolves into a friendship that can save the world.

Unfortunately, the book has several flaws. Maram and Aghraas’s relationship feels somewhat rushed and isn’t explored thoroughly, leaving readers wanting more depth in their romantic development. The story’s suspense could have been built more effectively. Instead, the king’s assassination is too straightforward, and the series has a disappointing conclusion that doesn’t fully match the complexity of the political maneuvering that precedes it. However, the story delivers plenty of compelling political intrigue, inspiring female characters, and a wonderful science fiction atmosphere that blends fantasy and science fiction together in this tumultuous tale of sisters, sacrifice, and resilience.

The book effectively explores themes of identity and self-acceptance that are inextricably tied to revolution and the dismantling of colonial oppression and power. Overall, Court of Lions is an engaging story with a beautiful message: nothing worthwhile ever comes easily, but what is fought for with determination and sacrifice delivers stunning rewards. The novel stands as a testament to the power of unlikely friendships, the courage required to challenge systemic oppression, and the transformative journey of young women discovering their own strength and agency in a hostile world.

Sexual Content

Maram is managing one of her mother’s old properties when she meets and grows close to the master falconer, Aghraas. When Maram receives important letters that change everything, she is emotionally overwhelmed, and Aghraas comforts her. “Aghraas’s mouth was soft and still for less than half a heartbeat. [Aghraas’s] fingers tightened around [Maram’s] waist, and Maram pressed back, the line of her shoulders, the length of her body. For half a heartbeat relief roared through Maram, and then a fire caught, as if it had waited all her life in the embers inside her. There was a soft cry—hers or Aghraas’s she didn’t know—and her hands clung to her shoulders as Aghraas lifted her up onto her lap.” The chapter ends before anything else happens.
Before the rebels try to assassinate the king, Idris apologizes to Amani, worried it may be his last chance to do so. She accepts his apology, and they kiss. “His mouth was hard on [Amani’s], and his hands tightened around [her] ribs—[she] felt as if [her] breath had been stolen from [her].” When he kisses her neck, she pushes him away, saying she needs time.
In the aftermath of Maram becoming queen, Aghraas kisses her. “Aghraas bent her head to Maram’s, and her arms came around her waist, and her mouth met hers. She never ceased to be surprised by her warmth or the frisson of pleasure that shot through her from a single touch.” The book ends before anything else happens.

Violence

While Amani and Idris are in M’Gaadir, the Vathek government takes Idris’s relative, Adil. There is no description of the violence, but Amani and Idris discuss it. “‘Adil is dead?’ Amani whispered. ‘They sent his body to his parents’ estate—it arrived last night,’ [Idris responded].”
To emphasize her commitment to the rebel cause, Amani explains, “We lived in a village that was not a village. It was a kasbah, abandoned by whatever [nobles] had held it before the conquest. Nineteen families made their home there. Shortly before we left, Vath attacked. We were defenseless. Most villages have a magistrate, or a surveillance force. We were in truth homeless and trying to eke out an existence. [Everyone in the village was] slaughtered, [while the Vathek were] looking for someone.”
Maram starts distancing herself from Nadine, her father’s steward. Nadine blames Amani for Maram’s distance. Nadine is convinced that Amani is a negative influence on Maram. The next morning, Nadine wakes Amani with a slap. “[Amani] was roused from slumber violently, with a hand that felt like a claw around [her] arm, and pulled unceremoniously from the bed. There was no time to understand who pulled [her] from bed or why. The moment [she] stood a hand struck [her] across the face, sharp and hard. Hard enough that [she] fell again, inches from the fireplace.” Amani has a bruise, but Maram stops Nadine from inflicting more harm.
Later on, Nadine tries to attack Amani again. “[Nadine’s] voice did not rise, but it took on a cruel edge and her fingers gripped [Amani’s] chin like claws, as if she meant to rip [her] jaw from [her] face. [Amani] tightened [her] hold on [her] skirts. If [she] took her wrist, if [she] fought back, [she] would have lost [her] chance.”
Nadine confronts Amani once again, growing suspicious about the helpful information Amani has been providing about traitors to the Vathek Empire. Amani fears that Nadine has discovered the information is false and deliberately planted. However, Nadine is merely suspicious and hasn’t uncovered the deception yet. To intimidate Amani into revealing more information, Nadine uses a robot to physically threaten her. “[The robot’s] fingers wrapped around [Amani’s] throat and between one breath and the next [she] was suspended in midair. [Her] vision filled with spots, [her] throat ached, [her] heart pounded. Nadine could not kill [her]—she couldn’t. And yet [Amani] hadn’t counted on [Nadine’s] hatred of [her] and [Nadine’s] rage outweighing her sense.” Amani has bruises but is otherwise fine.
During the assassination attempt, the king grabs Amani. “[His] grip tightened painfully on [Amani’s] arm.” Afterwards, Amani has bruises.
Amani breaks herself free from the king’s grasp, but Nadine quickly grabs her. Nadine points a gun at Amani’s head, to warn the rebels away from them. Idris eventually shoots Nadine. “[Nadine] jerked, her hand still tight around [Amani’s] arm, and then released [her] and fell back.” Nadine survives.
While Idris saves Amani, Maram and Aghraas shoot down the king. “[The king] seemed suspended in midair for a long, agonizing moment, then fell to his knees. A moment later, he toppled forward.” The king dies from his wounds.

Drugs and Alcohol

When Amani realizes she needs Maram’s help to assassinate the king, she reveals her involvement with the rebels. Maram agrees to join the plot after discovering that the king—her own father—had murdered her mother. Maram says, “He poisoned her so that no one could accuse him of killing the rightful ruler of the planet. She died slowly. And her husband was executed on charges of treason.”

Language

None

Supernatural

The prologue describes the magic Amani’s people believe. In the story, “a prince hunting [a magical woman, Tayreet] found her; her body had loosed its natural bird shape and taken on a human one. The prince loved her from the first, and Tayreet him.” These birds, called tesleets, exist as symbols to warn or push people towards certain events. It is implied that Aghraas is one of these birds in human form.

Spiritual Content

The Andaalans and people on Cadiz have a monotheistic religion. They worship the god, Dihya, and the prophetess, a Jesus-like figure, Massinia. Their religion contains many parables, stories, and prayers that Amani tells to her friends at various points. The prologue concludes with a religious saying, “And from His first creatures He made stars, glowing hot with their fire and warmth. All may see the stars, but few will see their forbears. And those whose eyes see golden fire We say heed Us and listen. For We have sent unto you a Sign. See it and take heed.”
After Amani’s sequestration in the palace ends, Maram asks Amani to take her place in her wedding to Idris. The wedding has some religious overtones. One wedding ritual includes people crowding around Amani as she steps into water, a baptism of sorts. “‘Be blessed,’ [Nadine and Maram’s sister, Galene] said, as Galene tipped a small vase of oil over [Amani’s] hair. ‘Be blessed’ echoed back from the crowd, reverberating and out of sync.”
Once the wedding is over, Maram insists that Amani also take her place in the following wedding celebrations in a city called M’Gaadir, which has a deep religious history. Amani explains that, “when at last [the tesleet eggs] landed on our planet and hatched, the first of mankind came from their hallowed shells. And because they were far from the sacred flames of their city, they never became what they ought, and remained mortal. And it was from these people that Houwa came and nursed the kernel of magic in her blood. And it was from this legacy that they chose their name—Kushaila, ‘those among the noble.’”
Following a busy day with Idris meeting new nobles, Idris tries to relax Amani by taking her to a religious statue. Amani describes it as “a woman sat atop the promontory outside M’Gaadir, the ocean behind her. . . Her daan [a familial tattoo] was a sharp pictograph of a feather, its end situated perfectly between her eyebrows. She cast no shadow.” The statue is of Houwa, a saint among Amani’s people.

by Kate Schuyler

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Freidman and her Hidden Life

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was born in Indiana in 1892 and was determined to attend college against her father’s wishes. She worked hard to educate herself, and this determination would shape her entire career. Later in life, she would find herself working as a code breaker for a millionaire named Fabyan. This job would lead her to her future husband, William Friedman.

Initially, Elizebeth worked for the eccentric millionaire, Fabyan, who believed that Shakespeare’s work had hidden messages. Elizebeth and William Friedman tried to prove Fabyan’s Shakespeare theory true. However, after a while, they became restless and looked for other job opportunities. The U.S. government hired them as code breakers during World War I. During this time, spies and U.S. enemies feared her because of her unique ability to break codes and uncover secret plans.

After completing this assignment, they returned to Riverbank, but their relationship with their employer had changed. Their boss, Fabyan, intercepted their mail, which impacted Elizebeth’s ability to secure other jobs. Eventually, William secured a position and left Riverbank. The novel includes their letters during this separation. The letters demonstrate their devotion and mutual support in their shared field, as well as Elizebeth’s feelings of being stuck while William was away.

The novel effectively shows how Elizebeth overcame challenges, particularly in putting herself through college as a young woman during an era when this was uncommon. Elizebeth broke glass ceilings before the term was coined. She was making waves in not only a male-dominated field but also in a world that had little respect for women. Her attention to detail and courage propelled her career forward, and she would go on to establish a distinguished career as a code breaker for the Coast Guard.

Despite compelling elements, the book reads choppy and is strangely paced, making it difficult for readers to stay engaged. There is emphasis on plot points that don’t feel important to the overall narrative. Nevertheless, readers will be inspired by Elizebeth’s story regardless of the novel’s choppy nature. Her persistence is truly inspiring, demonstrating remarkable resilience in a male-dominated field. However, some readers may need background research on World War I before starting, as the pages don’t provide much historical context.

Overall, The Woman All Spies Fear is an inspiring novel that gives proper credit to Elizebeth’s accomplishments. Most importantly, it allows her not to be overshadowed by her husband, giving her the recognition she deserves. Still, readers may walk away wishing they knew more about Elizebeth herself, and not just her work. If readers are interested in World War I or code breaking, this book is a great option that sheds light on an important female figure during World War I and World War II. Her story is one of persistence and the power to overcome. Her commitment to doing important work with code-breaking is inspiring. Be inspired by other women code breakers by reading Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall and Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars. If you want to learn more about code breaking, read Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing, or Spy Files: Codes and Ciphers.

Sexual Content

Fabyan, Elizebeth’s boss, offers her a sexual proposition. Fabyan says, “Will you go out to Riverdale and spend the night with me?” She is shocked and refuses his request.
Sex is hinted at when Elizebeth writes to William: “I am consumed with deep intimate things that burn one up with fire and longing.”

Violence

Criminal rumrunners during Prohibition used violence, and “anyone who got in their way would be gunned down.”

Drugs and Alcohol

Cigarettes are mentioned. “When writing to Elizebeth, William would often use the light from his cigarette to light the way.”
Elizebeth goes to work for the Navy during the “Rum War,” which is what the Coast Guard called the effort to stop smuggled alcohol during Prohibition.
During Prohibition, people “would down homemade hooch and bathtub gin.”

Language

William told Elizebeth not to worry about the “damn fool Bolsheviks.”

Supernatural Content

None

Spiritual Content

Both families objected to Elizebeth’s marriage to William because he was Jewish.
Elizebeth’s father is a Quaker.

by Kayleigh Doyle

Give Me a Sign

Seventeen-year-old Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. She longs for a place where she truly belongs.

The summer before her senior year, Lilah becomes a counselor at Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, as well as those who are blind or have low vision. She hopes to connect with deaf culture. While at camp, Lilah navigates friendships, her first real romance, and camp traditions, all while gaining a deeper understanding of her own identity. What begins as an ordinary summer turns into a transformative experience that pushes Lilah to embrace her identity and claim her place in the world.

Give Me a Sign unfolds over one summer. Lilah starts as a counselor-in-training, which allows her to slowly learn more sign language, build friendships, and fall in love. One of the strongest elements of the novel is its representation of deaf culture, as Lilah learns more ASL and discovers how empowering it can be to be in a community that understands her. Lilah makes several self-discoveries as she faces microaggressions, doubts, and the fear of not being good enough. Her journey will be relatable for readers who struggle with identity or the feeling of being out of place.

At camp, Lilah meets other deaf and hard-of-hearing counselors who help her explore what identity and belonging really mean. The most important among them is Isaac, a co-counselor and Lilah’s love interest. Their romance develops slowly as they work side by side and share parts of their lives with each other. Rather than being overly dramatic and steamy, their relationship reflects a realistic first love. Issac’s confidence and self-assurance contrast with Lilah’s doubts. Through their growing bond, Lilah learns that her hearing loss is not something that makes her less than but is an important part of who she is.

Other counselors play a pivotal role in Lilah’s development too. Ethan, whom Lilah has known since childhood, serves as an unwavering presence, someone she can consistently turn to. His familiarity and steadfast support provide her with a sense of stability, reminding her that she is not alone in her struggles. Mackenzie, however, brings a strikingly different perspective. She often frustrates Lilah by demonstrating superior sign language skills and attempting to “teach” ASL despite never having experienced deafness herself. To Lilah, Mackenzie embodies the privilege of being hearing while inserting herself into a culture that is not her own. This tension compels Lilah to confront her own deepening feelings of inadequacy.

The pacing of the story is steady and heartfelt, with no major plot twists or drama. Instead, it relies on a satisfying, gradual journey of growth. At first, Lilah worries about not being deaf enough, misunderstandings in her relationship with Isaac, and her fear of stepping out of her comfort zone. These conflicts are realistic and will be deeply relatable for anyone who has ever felt caught between two identities. By the end of the summer, Lilah slowly begins to embrace her deafness as a part of who she is, and she finds confidence and a sense of belonging.

Give Me a Sign has many positive aspects, such as its representation, hopeful tone, and portrayal of identity. One of the most powerful aspects of the book is how it highlights the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving when you find a community. Ultimately, Give Me a Sign is more than just a summer romance — it’s a story about self-discovery, acceptance, and the courage to be authentic. Readers will walk away with a reminder that community can be a place of empowerment, but the real turning point comes when you allow yourself to step fully into your own identity.

Sexual Content 

Lilah develops a romantic relationship with Isaac, another counselor. Their romance includes kissing and handholding.

Violence

As Lilah is swimming, a child camper named Cole jumps on her and refuses to let go. It is later explained that he did this because he has a crush on her. “I try to shrug off his hands. But Cole latches on tight, nails digging into my skin.” She tries to push him off, but he ends up ripping off her swimsuit in the process.
Isaac is pushed against a car and restrained by cops after being accused of theft. They refuse to listen to Lilah as she tries to explain that he’s deaf and can’t hear their orders. “[The cop] reaches forward and pushes Isaac’s back against the patrol car, preparing to search him.”

Language 

There is occasional swearing, including shit, crap, and damn.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

by Rayna Burlison

Reading Level: Young Adult

Rebellion 1776

Canon Fodder

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery

Game Seven

Dark Rise

Come Away with Me

Rebel Spirits

But You Can’t Hide

An Arrow to the Moon

On the Come Up

Songs for the Offseason

Stormbreaker

Don’t Call Me a Hurricane

Fearless

The Dryad Storm

Rebel Witch

That Was Yesterday

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II

Before I Let Go

Hollow Fires

The Ship of the Dead

Court of Lions

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Freidman and her Hidden Life

Give Me a Sign

Latest Reviews

Rebellion 1776

Rescue on the Oregon Trail

The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates

Sutter’s Mill and the California Gold Rush

The Gateway Arch: Celebrating Western Expansion

Canon Fodder

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Diary of Hattie Campbell

Sarah Journeys West: An Oregon Trail Survival Story

Game Seven