The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

SYNOPSIS:  Dr. John Watson chronicles the adventures of his roommate-turned-friend Sherlock Holmes, as he solves "unsolvable" mysteries and gets to the bottom of puzzling crimes.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  There are many, many works in this volume, spanning decades of the author's life.  As a result, I got the feeling at times that the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was tired of writing about Sherlock Holmes, and put less thought and effort into some stories than others.  Also, some of his viewpoints, although widely accepted at the time, are controversial, and even offensive today.  For example, his treatment of Mormons in A Study in Scarlet, and his racial slurs and opinions evidenced in several of his works, could definitely cause offense.  However, even avoiding these stories, there are still plenty of entertaining and puzzling mysteries to choose from.  The mysteries, at least, are just as intriguing today as they were in Doyle's time.  As far as content goes, there is the bigoted content, as well as plenty of violence (as in any mystery), so I would recommend this for older readers.

RATING:  PG13 for Violence and some controversial/offensive viewpoints

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults and Adults

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  And Then There Were None, O. Henry's Short Stories

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

SYNOPSIS:  The Heroes of Olympus series continues with this installment, picking up their story as a select few of the demigods unite to continue their quest.

AUNTIE SHARON RECOMMENDS:  If you liked the first two of the series, you will like the latest in the series.  However, I did wish there had been more teamwork and collaboration from the characters.  It seemed like for most of the book, they took turns having adventures, as though there were too many characters, and the author couldn't find use for all of them.

RATING:  PG for Fantasy Violence

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

STARS:  3

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Kane Chronicles, Nobody's Princess

Reached by Ally Condie

SYNOPSIS:  Cassia (See Matched) continues to assist the Rising, while hoping to be reunited with Ky.  When the population is infected with a horrible plague, it is up to she and Xander to try to discover a cure, and save their loved ones.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I thought this series was poetic and well-written.  It's an entertaining, thought-provoking story, and the final installment didn't disappoint.  As far as content goes, there isn't anything surprising or offensive, although the plague has some gruesome side-effects.

RATING:  PG

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The Selection, Uglies, The Hunger Games

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

SYNOPSIS:  After her questionable success (See My Fair Godmother), Chrysanthemum Everstar is again assigned to be a Godmother, this time to Tansy Miller, who finds herself living with her father and stepmother after her mother and sister find fortune in the world of fame.  As in her last adventure, Chrysanthemum finds herself making things worse instead of better.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I liked this book better than the first.  The storytelling is entertaining and fun, although parts of the plot seemed to be a little unrealistic, even within the genre of fantasy.  The content is audience age-appropriate, and I would recommend it as a fun, sweet read.

RATING:  PG for subject matter, including teenage rebellion

AUDIENCE:  Pre-Teens and Teens

STARS:  3

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Small Persons With Wings, Artemis Fowl

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

SYNOPSIS:  We all know the story of Helen of Troy, but what happened before she grew up and sparked the Trojan War?  This story is about the childhood and adolescence of the famous queen.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I wasn't a huge fan of this book.  I didn't like the writing style, and thought the character was irritating and self-centered.  Also, the story ended abruptly, right when it started to get interesting, so I'm not sure a prequel to Helen's story was really in order.  However, the author had an obvious understanding of the period and mythology.   When I continued reading at the end, I found out that the she had been the recipient of several awards, so others may not share my negative opinion.  As far as content goes, there was some strong violence, as you might expect in a book based on Greek mythology.

RATING:  PG13 for Violence

AUDIENCE:  Teens

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Illiad, Princess of the Midnight Ball, Entwined