A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

SYNOPSIS:  Flavia de Luce is back, and this time she may be in over her head.  She almost burns down a gypsy's tent, and later, she comes upon a grisly scene that proves to be too much for her.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I love the Flavia De Luce novels.  They're smart and well-written, and I can't get enough of conniving, witty Flavia.  Aside from some violence, which is a little graphic, and some language, it is also relatively mild in the content department.

RATING:  PG13 for violence

AUDIENCE:  Adult and Young Adult

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Sherlock Holmes Series, And Then There Were None

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

SYNOPSIS:  Gaia is a midwife, following her mother's footsteps.  But when her mother and father are mysteriously taken by the government, she is left to untangle the mysteries surrounding their lives.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I thought this book was OK.  It brought up interesting questions, such as:  what would we give away to keep the peace?  However, I felt the writing was a little subpar, and there were some segments that were a little graphic and disturbing.  I would reserve this book for older readers.

RATING:  PG13 for some graphic childbirth scenes and violence

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

STARS:  2 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Matched, Divergent

To read about the second book in this series, click here.

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

SYNOPSIS:  We rejoin Rhine's story as she is in the hospital recovering from her father-in-law's "treatments."  Her once-husband now knows that she does not love him, and they come to terms with their new relationship as aquaintances.  However, Rhine still needs to find her brother, and everyone is desperate to discover the cure to the disease afflicting them all, before it is too late.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I kept with the trilogy, hoping to find out how the story ended, but I was disappointed with the finale in the trilogy.  I felt like the story was dragging on throughout the first half of the novel, then rushed at the end.  Plus, I kind of felt some of the characters had changed in nature throughout this novel.  I won't include any spoilers, but it felt like some characters changed from "bad" to "good," or vice versa, just for convenience.  For me, it didn't feel like the ending was worth reading all three novels.  Also, reading it reminded me of some content issues in the series, with sensuality and violence.  All in all, I might just skip the whole series.

RATING:  PG13 for violence and graphic segments

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Delirium, Divergent, Wither

Wolves, Boys, & Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

SYNOPSIS:  KJ is a rugged girl growing up just outside of Yellowstone.  Her dad raises her alone.  When a new boy catches her attention, she is swept into the debate about whether wolves are good or bad for the area.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was fun to read.  The protagonist was gutsy and smart, which got me invested in her outcome.  Also, the storytelling style is realistic and believable, which kept it entertaining and fresh.  Although there is some violence, as well as some mild sensuality, I would recommend this book for older readers.

RATING:  PG13 For Violence and mild Sensuality

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  3 Willows, Along For the Ride

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

SYNOPSIS:  Flavia De Luce is back, this time trying to unravel the mysterious death of a puppet master.  At the root of it all (all puns unintended), she discovers another mysterious death, this time of a young boy several years earlier.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I loved the original of this series, and this book lived up to my expectations for a sequel.  Flavia is smart and funny, and the mystery unravels in a complex and unpredictable way.  There is some violence, as you might expect in a mystery, and reference to an affair, but otherwise, it is very clean.  I would definitely recommend it, especially for readers who enjoyed the first book.

RATING:  PG with Violence, and adult issues

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults and Adults

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, And Then There Were None

Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

SYNOPSIS:  Nicola is an orphan, left with only a plot of land as an inheritance.  She thinks her life is complete when the man she admires asks her to marry him.  However, she soon discovers he may have ulterior motives.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I reviewed Victoria and the Rogue, and enjoyed it.  However, if you read one of these two books, you probably won't need to read the other, because they are very similar.  In this book, as in the other, there is very mild sensuality (as befitting the time period), and mild adventure-type violence.  Read it if you read Victoria and the Rogue and wanted to read it again, because that's what I felt like I was doing . . . reading it again.

RATING:  PG

AUDIENCE:  Teens

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Victoria and the Rogue, Fancy Pants

Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

SYNOPSIS:  Meggie's mother has been gone for most of her life.  She has lived a somewhat nomadic life with her father, moving as often as she can settle in any place.  When a mysterious stranger finds them, however, her life is forever changed.  She discovers that her father can read characters out of books and into real life.  However, when he does, the story takes people from the world around them to replace the missing characters.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This is a fun, adventurous story that has plenty of suspense in it.  It is told in classic fairy-tale style, so it has plenty of fantasy and some violence.  There is very little sensuality, including a brief reference to maturation.

RATING:  PG13 for Violence and Language

AUDIENCE:  Teens

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Howl's Moving Castle, The False Prince

To read about the final book in this trilogy, click here.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

SYNOPSIS:  This is a story following three different characters:  Han Alister, the street thief trying to change his life, Raisa Ana' Marianna, the heir to the the throne, and Amon Byrne, her guard and friend.   As the Queendom shows signs of war, the three characters discover secrets about their pasts, and try to do what is best for their people.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Although I sometimes like viewing the story from different points of view, it was a little confusing in this book, because the stories are so intricate and complicated.  However, I did enjoy the story and the characters in the book.  Content-wise, it was OK, although there was some violence and sensuality.

RATING:  PG13 for Sensuality and Violence

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

STARS:  3

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Immortals Series, The False Prince

Evermore by Alyson Noel

SYNOPSIS:  After surviving a serious car accident that kills her parents and sister, Ever is different.  She can hear others' thoughts and speak with her sister's ghost.  When she becomes friends with Damen, she starts to notice that she is not the only one with unusual abilities.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This is another book that I could have done without.  Once more, we have an average girl, a supernatural guy, and lots of what I consider to be infatuation.  There is also quite a bit of sensuality in the book, and some morbid violence.  I also don't really consider the story to be unique, but rather a copycat of other popular books.  I don't recommend this one.

RATING:  PG13 for Strong Sensuality, Sexual References, and Grotesque Violence

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

STARS:  1

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Fallen, Shiver