Fans of Bray's Gemma Doyle triology (A Great and Terrible Beauty) will recognize the alternative-world fantasy elements in GOING ...
Common Sense Reviewer
- Stephanie Dunnewind
- Washington
- 2 kids: ages 7, 15
About Me
What My Kids Love Now
Warriors series, Erin Hunter Harry Potter Spore
House Rules
Hour limit on all screen time, a little more on weekends
When the Kids Are Asleep…
My Biggest Challenge Is:
Titles You’ve Reviewed
Book: Going Bovine
I rate this titleonand give itEdgy, quirky road trip fantasy skewers reality TV and more.
Book: A Great and Terrible Beauty
I rate this titleonand give itEngaging start to bestselling Gemma Doyle trilogy.
Set in a time of corsets and Latin lessons, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY contrasts the freedom of a fantasy world -- and the dark edges of power -- with Victorian society's constraints on women. ...
Book: Little Women
I rate this titleonand give itClassic still charms despite outdated gender roles.
Like the Little House books, LITTLE WOMEN's appeal is its vivid depiction of its ...
Book: Punkzilla
I rate this titleiffyand give itGrim account of a runaway teen is intense and disturbing.
In heart-wrenchingly honest, stream-of-consciousness letters, Jamie exposes his tough-but-innocent psyche to his brother, and on one occasion, to his mother (which, sadly, he never mails). Jamie's ...
Book: Mare's War
I rate this titleonand give itUnique African-American woman's WWII experience.
Teens might relate more to Octavia and Tali, but Mare's story is the more compelling as she transforms from a poor farm girl to buff soldier. Her African-American WAC experiences highlight a ...
Book: Purge
I rate this titleiffyand give itEating disorder recovery tale is raw and honest.
PURGE's irreverent narrator (Janie says she's in treatment for "Persistent Puking") and honest portrayal of bulimia will engage readers who share Janie's family difficulties and negative ...
Book: In Mike We Trust
I rate this titleonand give itSecrets fill engaging novel about gay teen.
Even as Garth's lies pile up in IN MIKE WE TRUST, readers know he's a good guy. Garth's transformation into a willing accomplice is believable -- he is confused after his father's death and ...
Book: My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
I rate this titleiffyand give itA teen's big nose leads to a big lesson in self-acceptance.
In MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, Jory is subject to every teen insecurity: She hides her big nose with tons of makeup; she worries she's a bad kisser; she tries to be cool but is mostly ...
Book: Miles to Go
I rate this titleonand give itMiley shares her life "so far." Fluffy, but fun for fans.
Adults may roll their eyes at MILES TO GO's trite attempts at inspiration ("You can change the world/ And bring the light") but Miley's willingness to expose her insecurities (such as ...
Book: The One
I rate this titleonand give itGorgeous twins hit success in unlikely Hollywood tale.
Hollywood is not the place for reality, so plan to suspend those "Would that really happen?" questions to enjoy THE ONE. The novel includes Travis' emails to a friend and excerpts from ...
Book: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
I rate this titleonand give itWomen pilots fight for a chance to go to the moon.
In ALMOST ASTRONAUTS, Stone offers a great mix of intimate details about space tests (including a daunting description of an isolation chamber), telling facts about women pilots' lives (one mom of ...
Book: Sophomore Switch
I rate this titleiffyand give itChick lit with a dose of feminism.
Readers who pick up SOPHOMORE SWITCH for its California vibe -- and Tasha's titillating misstep -- will get caught up in the characters before they realize McDonald did a bait-and-switch on them: ...
