Category Archives: Young Adult

Watch Thorsdaze for the first glimpse of The Stag Lord full cover (It is gorgeous)

Posted on April 3, 2014 by tom

  Bannerman “Bann” Boru is in serious trouble. He’s fleeing across America. What makes things treacherous for Bann is that he’s being chased by a shape-shifter, Cernunos, who wants nothing more than to see Bann die, slowly and painfully. Bann … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy or Sci-Fi, Young Adult | 2 Comments

The Summer of Letting Go, by Gae Polisner (2014)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by tom

This book killed me. Not only is it unputdownable, I received a review copy from the publisher last November. It was one of my favorite books of the year, and yet I COULDN’T PUT IT IN MY TOP TEN! FINALLY, … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Books Read in 2014, Young Adult | Tagged , | 7 Comments

The Summer of Letting Go, by Gae Polisner (2014)

Posted on March 10, 2014 by tom

(nb: I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley) It’s summertime, to paraphrase the song, and the livin’ ain’t easy, not for Francesca “Frankie” Schnell. It’s the summer she turns sixteen, and it’s supposed to be filled … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | 2 Comments

Rival, by Lacy Yager (2013)

Posted on December 14, 2013 by tom

Imagine your boyfriend is trying to beat the crap out of you, and you end up hating him because he gave up on you before he could finish you off. That’s the dilemma Emily finds herself in at the beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Novella, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult | Leave a comment

The Pull of Gravity, by Gae Polisner (2011)

Posted on December 1, 2013 by tom

You’d be hard-pressed to find two places more dissimilar than the dust bowl of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” and the almost sterile futurism of the Star Wars saga.* Similarly, you’d be hard-pressed to find two characters less alike … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Young Adult | Leave a comment

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

Posted on November 4, 2013 by tom

Eighteen-year-old Cather has a lot going on in her life. She’s beginning her freshman year in college, and young wizard, Simon, and his vampire roommate, Baz, are taking up all of her time. Cather’s a student at that special school … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Owners Manual for Driving Your Adolescent Brain, by Terrence Deak, PhD; JoAnn Deak, PhD; illustrated by Freya Harrison

Posted on September 23, 2013 by tom

Adolescence is never easy. We know to expect many of the changes we encounter: girls growing breasts and curves, boys voices deepening, and everyone growing hair all over parts they used to be scared to wash. These are the “normal” … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Non Fiction and/or Commentary, Science: from Anatomy to Zoology, series, Young Adult | 1 Comment

This Song Will Save Your Life, by Leila Sales (2013)

Posted on September 13, 2013 by tom

Achieving the Perfect Mix (nb: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) Sixteen-year-old Elise Dembowski says she was born to be unpopular. She’s precocious and works hard. She’s not extremely beautiful, and she missed … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | Leave a comment

The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker & Holmes #1), by Colleen Gleason (2013)

Posted on September 3, 2013 by tom

If the names Stoker and Holmes sound familiar, they should. Evaline Stoker comes from a long line of vampire hunters. She has incredible strength, courage and agility, as well as a sort of recklessness. The Stokers are among high societies … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Mysteries/Thrillers, series, Young Adult | Leave a comment

What I Came to Tell You, by Tommy Hays (2013)

Posted on September 1, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) Picture Perfect: Loss, Love, and The Art of Healing “What I Came to Tell You” shows a family imploding in grief, and how they find redemption in learning they … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Literary or Genre Fiction, Young Adult | Tagged , , | Leave a comment