Parents' Guide to

Rise

By Julie A. Carlson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Sexier, slower second Nightshade prequel.

Rise Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

age 16+

Overall, not my thing

I did not really like the female lead character, something about the whole book just did not grab me to hold my attention. Will not be reading book 2

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

RISE is an interesting but slow-moving addition to the Nightshade series. It's by far sexier and steamier than Rift, the first prequel, but Rift is more exciting and action-packed. All the political talk in Rise and scenes where not much happens might bore some readers. Yet, it picks up speed toward the end.

Readers will also have fun discovering how the werewolves in the Nightshade series were created, and by whom. The novel moves back and forth between the stories of Ember and Barrow and those of the villains -- Eira, Bosque Mar and Alistair. However, the villians' storyline becomes tiresome, especially Alistair's obsessive love for Ember. Some readers might end up quickly scanning these pages to get to the more exciting parts featuring Ember and Barrow. At times, Rise feels as if its written more for adults than teens, so in that sense it definitely has crossover appeal.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate