Webster Bible Church and Webster Christian School Library Blog

Follett Titlewave

On post-WW4 Earth, sixteen-year-old Cinder lives in New Beijing and works as a mechanic.

When Prince Kai brings his robot to her for repair and ends up falling in love with Cinder, she must make up some excuse why she cannot go the ball with him. After all, her  stepmother would never let her go. Worse yet, what would Prince Kai say if he knew that Cinder was cyborg?

This creative spin on Cinderella has many sub-plots, twists and turns with elements of science fiction, romance, and mystery all rolled together. The ending does not  resolve neatly, leaving the reader looking for the sequel, Scarlet.

Note: includes 2 instances of swearing (p.214, 261).

Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Recommended for grades 7-10.

Follett Titlewave

Dressed in a lovely green dress to complement her eyes, seventeen-year-old Cassia Maria Reyes is understandably nervous about attending her Match Banquet.

The society has chosen her future mate for her, based on their calculations of who will produce “physically and emotionally healthy offspring.” Tonight she will catch a momentary glimpse of him on a large screen.

Unfortunately, the society chooses  almost everything for the citizens (for their own good)–what they eat, what they wear, where they live, their vocation–even what music they will hear and what poetry they may read.

But what if Cassia is falling in love with someone besides her “match”?

Cassia knows that if she breaks the rules, the Society will take away everything that she values. And yet, as she follows the rules dictated by the Society, she feels the light within her dying. What can she do?

Fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix might enjoy this refreshingly clean futuristic novel that contains no swear words or objectionable content.

I feel that the story drags at times during this lengthy book (366 pages) and the climax is like a gently rolling ocean wave that never crests and crashes on shore. The ending is lackluster and vaguely hints at a sequel (which has been realized with her book Crossed).

However, the plot is intriguing and even somewhat plausible. The love triangle adds spice, and the family relationships are tender.

“Seventeen-year-old Lily, half-mermaid and half-human, has been living on land and attending high school, where she develops a crush on a boy but is afraid to tell him of her true destiny as the ruler of the undersea kingdom of Thalassinia.” (Follett Titlewave)

This book is dripping with popular appeal.   The tantalizing cover and title will hook middle school and high school girls, and the first chapter will reel them right in.

The story revolves around teen interests–a school crush,  a date for the Spring Fling Dance, beauty, the loyalty of best friends, a jealousy cousin, a protective father, and the cute guy next door.

Unfortunately, the sensual electricity between Lily and Quince (the guy-next-door) is what drives the story–fueled by descriptions of looking, touching, hugging and kissing.

Two librarians, one at a public high school and another at a public middle school, recently recommended this book to me as “a fun, clean read.”

However, I believe that reading this book will not help young girls “flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness” (1 Tim. 2:22  ).  Quite the opposite.

Reading it is like watching a soap opera.  What we read affects our thoughts and desires.  “Whatever is pure . . . think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).

Tera Lynn Childs turns philosophical a few times by touching on human busyness and the difference between a crush and true love.

Quince (the boy next door) tells Lily that her crush on a popular boy at school is based on an image and is shallow.  “Love isn’t about obsession.  Love is about . . . connection,” he tells her (p.221).

Later Lily tells a friend: “With Quince, I don’t feel like a lesser being . . . I feel like an equal.  With Quince, I don’t have to pretend to be anyone other than exactly who I am.  He makes me content to be me” (p.282).

There’s definitely some food for thought in those words.

Unfortunately,  Quince is a totally handsome, rugged-yet-tender infinitely patient and impossibly perfect guy-next-door who adores Lily no matter how she treats him.

Makes a nice story, but it’s NOT reality.

Other cautions:  Lily does her fair share of “fake” swearing (“damselfish,” “son of a swordfish”) and Quince let’s go with the real thing about a dozen times.  Magic is not a big part of the story, but Lily shifts between her human and mermaid form and occasionally uses her magical powers  for benign things like chilling her orange juice.

Sequel:  Fins are Forever.

I do not plan to place a copy of this book on the shelves at Webster Christian School.

Interest level:  YA.

“Adelaide Proctor is hired by Gideon Westcott to serve as a governess for the child he has been left with, and as Adelaide tries to bring her young student out of her shell, she finds herself falling for Gideon, but their chance at happiness is threatened by a man intent on claiming the child and her inheritance..”(Follett Titlewave)

The 3rd-grade teacher at Webster Christian School enjoys reading Christian fiction–and she graciously donates her books after reading them.

She recently donated this book to the library and highly recommends it.  Look for her comments to show up below soon!

“In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.”(CIP)

Wendelin Van Draanen is a fresh voice that thinks on her own and writes engaging stories with just the right balance of popular appeal and weighty thoughts.  Flipped is about a childhood romance–but so much more. 

At the heart of the book is this message:  “The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life. Do the right thing” (p.181).  Juli falls in love with Bryce the moment she lays eyes on his adorable face in second grade.  However, as time goes on, Juli learns to look beneath the surface and wonders about what she sees there.

The story is totally clean and appropriate for middle schoolers; however, a few swear words are included. 

Can’t wait to recommend this book to the romance readers.  Includes photos from the major motion picture.

Highly recommended for grades 5-8.

“When a plant blooms out of fifteen-year-old Laurel’s back, it leads her to discover that she is a faerie and she has a crucial role to play in keeping the world safe from enemy trolls.”(CIP)

Avid female fantasy readers will probably read these books.  The writing is fluid, but I felt the plot was slow and revolved too much around Laurel’s relationships with the two young men in her life who adore her, risk their lives for her, and treat her like a princess. 

Note:  Includes a handful of swear words and frequently mentions evolution.  Laurel has romantic ties to 2 boys–David (a classmate from her human world) and Tamani (a fairy)–and spends  a considerable amount of time in one or the other’s impassioned embrace. 

Sequel:  Spells.