Category Archives: Young Adult

A Drop of Night, by Stefan Bachmann

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Thistle

The doorways stretch ahead of us like a fun-house infinity mirror. Unfortunately, this is my second disappointing book in a row. Boo. It’s also the second book in a row that will be hard for me to review. Two reasons … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Wink Poppy Midnight, by April Genevieve Tucholke

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Thistle

I’m not going to summarize this book. Even a small summary would provide spoilers. The book jacket is extremely vague on purpose. The GoodReads summary provides a little more, but even then, I’d be a bit wary. Read it if … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Calamity, by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Thistle

I won’t give any summary here, so as not to give away any spoilers for this book/series. Calamity is the third in the Reckoners trilogy, following Steelheart and Firefight. Let me start this review with my emotional/engagement thoughts. I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Stars Above, by Marissa Meyer

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Thistle

Stars Above is a collection of nine short stories related to Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles. The stories are in roughly chronological order, starting with some prequels and ending with (essentially) epilogues to the series. Each is from a different point … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Shadow Scale, by Rachel Hartman

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Thistle

War is about to break out between humans and dragons, and Seraphina, as a half-dragon, is in a unique position to help stop the conflict. Let me start by saying that I don’t really want to review this book. It … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Thistle

For nearly forty years, there has been tentative peace between humans and dragons. That peace doesn’t stop prejudice from both human and dragon, and tension builds as the treaty anniversary nears. Seraphina is stuck between two worlds, a half-dragon who … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, 2016, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

My True Love Gave to Me, by Multiple Authors

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Thistle

My True Love Gave to Me is a collection of twelve holiday short stories by different YA authors, including several of my favorites. Five of the authors were ones I’d read before, the rest new-to-me.  This was my experience: This … Continue reading →

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The Raven’s Prophecy Tarot, by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Thistle

Subtitled: Illuminating the Prophecy [Before starting this review, let me clear up a few misconceptions about tarot. Tarot is not magic. It does not tell the future. It is not anti-Christian or some form of devilry. It is not a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer Smith

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Thistle

An email goes awry, and two teens from opposite sides of the country begin to converse. Over months of correspondence, they get close – but not close enough to reveal some pretty important secrets about themselves. When they finally meet … Continue reading →

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Winter, by Marissa Meyer

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Thistle

And finally, the Lunar Chronicles conclude. Happily, they conclude without the series falling apart (as too often happens), and I love them even more now that they’re all written and published and read. I imagine sitting down with the entire … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments