Gasp: Visions, Book 3

There's little violence per se, but several characters are still dealing with the aftermath of Book 2's school shooting, including one character who's in the hospital recuperating throughout Book 3. The catastrophe the teens are trying to avert involves a sinking ferryboat, scenes of which appear to one of the characters with frightening intensity, including huge waves and people falling into the water. A family loses their home, their business, and all their possessions in a fire.

None of the characters is sexually active, though there are intense romances, gay and straight, in progress, with plenty of kissing. Jules and Sawyer have a couple of steamy make-out scenes but manage to stay clothed. Jules says, "I don't know for sure what's happening at first, but even though I'm not an anatomy expert, I think I have an idea." In this and related areas, they show good common sense and concern for their future. Jules talks about her brain overruling her body and about having a girl-crush on Sawyer's hip, tattooed older cousin Kate, who's taken him in after he flees his abusive father. There's some bawdy but not explicit humor about the guys' "packages" and "junk."

Abundant use of "s--t" and "f--k" and occasional "boob" and "douche."

Parents need to know that Gasp is the third book in popular author Lisa McMann's Visions series, following Crash and Bang. It brings the trilogy to a satisfying close with a fast-moving plot, appealingly believable characters, suspense, and moral quandaries. As in the previous installments, there's lots of typical teen profanity ("s--t," "f--k," and "douche," for example) and a couple of steamy make-out scenes. Many of the teens' choices (such as cutting school to travel to another city and getting caught up in a maritime disaster) would terrify any parent, but it's all part of their heroic efforts to save victims of a future catastrophe. Amid the hormones, teen angst, and affectionate sibling bickering, there are more adult issues: A long-ago affair involving some parents still affects their children; Sawyer has fled a father who beats him; and Jules' father suffers from depression and has become a hoarder. A family loses everything in a fire, and the teens aren't quick enough to prevent people from dying of carbon monoxide poisoning.