This is a YA Fantasy novel that will probably appeal to a rather narrow readership. There is not enough external action for many readers, and the bulk of the conflict is interpersonal or internal. For the first part of the book, the plotline holds its own, with good physical conflict, balanced by the usual social…
Tag: YA
REVIEW
“The Monocle” by Mark Cavanagh
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
Here we have a fairly standard YA story that pushes a couple of boundaries to good effect. The main character is a bit of a nerd, very sympathetic, who manages to stay out of the sights of the bullies most of the time. His friend Viv, on the other hand, is not so typical. In…
REVIEW
“Strike the Lilac Scent” by H. C. Turk
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This strange novel has a fascinating story line, but it seems the author tried a little too hard to be creative, and thus did not succeed in communicating clearly with readers. Granted, the heroine is a teenager, but the other characters are adults, and yet the conversation is peppered with “golly,” and “ohso” and juvenile…
REVIEW
“Maine Under Water” by Allison Wittenberg
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This is a fascinating novel: an extended character story where nothing happens. That’s the whole point. Maine is at a turning point in her young life: she is changing schools (from Junior to Senior High, from segregated to integrated) but she has nothing to do for the summer. Her friends and her boyfriend are all…
REVIEW
“Halls of Fire” by Christian Cura
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This is the second book of a serial, which picks up with a new chapter in the main character’s life and ends with a cliff-hanger and few conflicts resolved. It is one of those unfortunate stories where the author has done an incredible amount of creative world-building in setting, mythology, and society, but then feels…
REVIEW
“Social Vampire” by James Schannep
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This novel is a comprehensive list of all the things you shouldn’t do as a teenager. The main character, Gordon, is placed in about the worst situation a youngster can endure: loss of a parent, new town, new school and various other problems. Unfortunately, his solution is to create a whole fictitious scenario that seems…
REVIEW
“Coolman and the Evil Drug Lord” by Sam Guydude
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This doesn’t have to be a long review, because the name of the book and the name of the author tell it all. We’re talking a massive takeoff on every superhero movie, video game and graphic novel ever written for teenage guys. Nothing but fighting, sex, destruction, blood and bad language. The action is pretty…
REVIEW
“Born to be Naughty” by Hina Nauman
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
Okay, this one’s different. A look at the Contents should tip you off. It starts with a Warning, requiring you to prove your eligibility to read the book by taking a “Love for Nature” test. It would be a spoiler, so I’m not going to tell you anything about the test except that this is…
REVIEW
“Offworld Empire” by Scott Billups
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This story has all the elements of a Space Opera and a few more besides. In fact, it gives the impression that the author is not too sure who his audience is. But first the positives, especially the worldbuilding. This author has spent a great deal of creativity and effort to create a 200-years-in-the-future solar…
REVIEW
“The Trafficking Murders” by Brian O’Hare
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
This novel is a rather light approach to a gritty subject. The reason I use the term ‘light’ is that it tells a realistic story of a horrible situation but never goes into the grimy details. The details of the offences are balanced by the interactions of the members of the police squad, and again,…