Review: Of Princes and Promises

Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alaric may have cheated on Caterina, but that doesn’t mean she is going to let it define the rest of her school year.  Rahul believes the moment he shared with Caterina at the winter formal meant something, but he also knows that he doesn’t have her social graces and would have trouble stepping into her world.  Caterina has learned that Alaric is planning to bring a supermodel to an upcoming social event and she needs a date that shows she is not down and out.  Caterina plans to train and transform Rahul into the perfect gentleman.  Will she be able to work out his rough edges?  What is with the mysterious hair gel that seems to give Rahul the confidence he needs?

 

Of Princes and Promises is the second book in the St. Rosetta’s Academy series.  This fun romance has just enough “magic” to fall into a fairy tale retelling.  The characters are fun and the exchanges throughout are exciting.  There is a little mystery that is included with this story and Menon has outdone herself in crafting a fun read for many ages.  Even though this is a “romance,” it can be read by even the youngest YA reader and will be enjoyed by most adult readers.  Although this is the second book in the series, it is primarily a companion book because the setting is the same, but the main characters are different.  Readers can jump right into this title or start at the beginning.

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Review: Spells Trouble

Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hunter and Mercy are direct descendants of an ancient line of witches who settled in Goodeville.  These twins must learn what they need to do to be Gatekeepers and keep creatures from other realms out of our world.  They quickly learn that there is a lot they don’t know after their mother is the first victim in a series of murders.  Will Hunter and Mercy be able to learn the spells and rituals they need to protect their town?  Will this crisis break even their twin bond?

 

Spells Trouble is the first book in the Sisters of Salem series.  There are many books out there that have witches who are descended from a Salem Witch and this one isn’t much different than those.  I do understand that Cast needed to complete world-building and character development, yet the overall storyline fell flat.  Readers can tell from the ending that there will be more books in this series and I hope that the story will become better evolved in the upcoming titles.  For now, I recommend this series as a no rush to-be-read book.

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Review: Pumpkin

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Waylon is openly gay and he couldn’t hide it if he wanted to.  He is looking forward to the end of his senior year when he will move to Austin with his twin sister for college.  He plans to go Full Waylon at college and live out his true self.  Waylon gets mad after getting dumped and makes an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show.  It is meant for him and his sister, but when it accidentally gets shared with the entire school, he somehow ends up on the prom court as a queen nominee.  What was meant to be a joke on Waylon turns into a chance to let the school truly know who he is!  What will Waylon learn about himself, his sister, and his schoolmates as he finishes his senior year?

 

Pumpkin is the third book in the Dumplin’ series.  With that said, each book is not a direct sequel, and readers who pick up this novel will be able to have the full experience without having read any of the previous books.  I will say that the book took a bit of time to get rolling.  Early on I was considering not even finishing it, but once Murphy had all the characters in their places, the story was a whirlwind of joy to read.  I even found myself having happy tears at the end.  I recommend Pumpkin to everyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories.

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Review: Enduring Freedom

Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

September 11, 2001 changed the lives of many people.  Enduring Freedom is the story of two teens from different parts of the world and how these events affected them.  Baheer is an Afghan teen whose family had to change everything after the war caused them to lose their business.  Joe is a private in the Army National Guard who wants to become a journalist.  Joe’s schooling is put on hold when his unit is activated to go to Afghanistan.  Baheer uses the little English he knows to help his family by providing services to the Americans.  Joe doesn’t trust any of the locals, but as Baheer keeps coming by; Joe starts to see him as a person instead of a nation.  What will these teens learn about each other as their paths continue to cross?  Will this relationship stay professional or will they ever become friends?

 

Enduring Freedom is a historical fiction story that tugged on my heartstrings.  I was in the Army National Guard during Desert Storm and remember the thought of activation always on my mind.  As a young teacher when 9-11 happened, I saw these same feelings flowing around the seniors in the school.  Today’s teens were not alive when this happened, but that does not mean they can’t understand what was going on.  Reedy took some really hard topics and made them relatable to today’s readers and hopefully this book will make everyone who picks it up re-think about what they thought they knew about this time period.  Enduring Freedom is not a long book and I recommend it to everyone, even if war or history is not your go-to genre. 

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