Heist Society Series by Ally Carter

SYNOPSIS:  Kat was trying to escape the life she has always led:  that of a thief.  However, she discovers that she can't run from her past, as she is called back into her life of crime to save the ones she loves.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I loved every minute of this series!  Kat is a strong, smart, and capable protagonist, and her ragtag gang of thieves is lovable and entertaining.  I will note that there were some brief sexual references, but they were pretty mild.  I would definitely recommend this series.

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG with some lewd jokes and language

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Virals, The Agency

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

SYNOPSIS:  Nalia has been raised to believe she is the princess of Thorvaldor.  However, she discovers that she has been a pawn in a plot to protect the real princess, and is really the orphaned daughter of two peasants.  However, even this story is not as it seems.  Nalia must discover the truth, at the risk of her own life, and the true princess's.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I enjoyed this book.  It had just the right mix of fairy-tale adventure, romance, and mystery.  I would definitely recommend it.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG with some Violence

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The False Prince, Princess Academy

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

SYNOPSIS:  Gwen's story concludes in the last book of the Ruby Red Trilogy.  While trying to unravel the mystery of Count Saint-German, she is also brooding over a broken heart.  However, she must pull herself together, or someone is going to die--probably her!

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I loved this series.  It had adventure, romance, and mystery.  I would recommend it to older readers, keeping in mind that there is some mild sensuality and sexual references.

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Sexual References, Language, and Sensualty

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The Agency, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley

SYNOPSIS:  This is the story, told from many points of view, of Isabel.  She is placed with a foster mother, after her mother dies.  Little does she know the role she will have to play for their kingdom.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I enjoyed this book.  It was a fun fairy tale, with a strong protagonist.  I would recommend it for teens who enjoy fairy-tale style stories.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG with some Violence

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Beauty, Princess Academy

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

SYNOPSIS:  Deza Malone is a smart girl growing up in hard times.  She watches as her family crumbles under the strain of the Great Depression.  When her father leaves to find work, she and her mother go on a quest to get their family back together.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This is another educational, but sad book.  It is a good view of life as a young, African-American girl during the Great Depression.  I would recommend it to readers mature enough to handle the subject matter.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG for Mature Subject Matter

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Weedflower, Esperanza Rising

Code by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

SYNOPSIS:  The third in the Virals Series picks up where the last left off:  Tory endures her father's girlfriend, while hanging out with her super-powered friends.  When they discover a puzzle box, and try to unravel its mysteries, they are caught up in a high-stakes hunt, that leaves them all reeling.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I like the adventure and fast-paced plot of this series, so I would recommend it to older readers.  However, I would note that there is some language and violence in this book, as in the others of the series.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Violence and Language

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Maximum Ride, Partials

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

SYNOPSIS:  Cammie belongs to the elite group of spies-in-training, known as the Gallagher Girls.  However, the group that is trained for anything is soon stumped by something none of them know anything about:  a boy.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was innocent fun, but a bit silly in places.  I would recommend it for teens who enjoy espionage-type stories and strong female protagonists.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG with mild Sensuality

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The Agency, Airhead

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

SYNOPSIS:  Lina's life is turned upside down when her family is taken roughly from their home by Soviet Guards.  They are separated from her father and taken to a prison camp with inhumane conditions.  Although Lina grows bitter, she struggles to keep her identity, and learns what is most important in life.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was very, very sad.  However, it is also educational.  I had never known the treatment those under the rule of Stalin had to endure.  So I would recommend it only to older readers who are prepared for the dramatic subject matter.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Adult Topics, Violence, and Sexual Reference

STARS:  3

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Weedflower, The Hiding Place

The Fall of Five, The Revenge of Seven, The Fate of Ten, and United as One by Pittacus Lore

SYNOPSIS:  The team from Lorien recooperates after a taxing battle with Setrakus Ra.  They decide to find number Five, and hone their fighting skills.  But someone in their midst is a traitor, and they need to find out who it is before they are all destroyed.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  At first, I was really enjoying this book.  It was a nice respite from the breakneck pace and intense violence of the other books in the series.  But, without spoiling things, I will say that the strong violence and dark plot twists were still present in the latest of the series.  I would only recommend it to older readers, if at all.

SYNOPSIS:  After taking some serious hits, and losing some of their team, the Garde must continue with their mission.  Thankfully, they find help from an unexpected source.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Again, there is some strong violence, with the addition of some strong language.  However, for fans of the intense, action-packed series, I'm sure this installment will satisfy.

SYNOPSIS:  The Mogadorians are invading Earth.  The Garde decide to split up, with some defending, and others looking for a secret weapon.  Then, suprisingly, humans begin to display legacies, and come to their aid.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Once more, there is some intense violence in this book, and some strong language.  I felt like this book moved slowly, and I was disappointed with yet another cliffhanger ending.  However, it is more of the same excitement and beloved characters.

SYNOPSIS:  Having taken a major hit in Mexico, John and his team are struggling to regroup in their final battle against Setrakus Ra.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was a satisfying conclusion to the well-loved series.  I was happy with the ending, and felt like it fit well with the rest of the story.  However, there was still the strong language and violence included in the other novels of  the series.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Language, Violence, and Graphic/Dark imagery

STARS:  3

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  I am Number Four, 13 Days to Midnight

Private by Kate Brian

SYNOPSIS:  Reed has always wanted to attend Easton Academy.  She is ecstatic when she is accepted, and even more thrilled when the elite clique known as the Billings Girls starts to take notice of her.  However, when they ask her to do increasingly depraved things to remain in their group, she questions the value of remaining their friend.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I kept waiting for this book to have a moral--for the main character to learn her lesson and ditch the other characters, who are clearly a bad influence on her.  However I waited in vain.  They treated her poorly, asked her to do dishonest and mean things, and she willingly did them.  I definitely wouldn't want a teen reading this book and deciding to emulate her behavior, which is questionable at best.  Also, I ended up skipping several parts which included strong sensuality, drug use, and strong language.  I'd definitely skip this one.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults/Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Strong Sensuality, Language, Drug use, and Immoral Behavior

STARS:  0

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  The Future of Us, Along For the Ride

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

SYNOPSIS:  Jacob has always loved his grandfather's stories of the peculiar children with special powers that he grew up with.  Since his friends began to tease him about them, he has believed they are just that-stories.  When his grandfather is brutally killed, he sees something that leads him to believe that the stories have some truth to them.  He knows what he saw, the creature that took his grandfather's life.  Getting others to believe him is an entirely different matter, however, and nothing prepares him for what he discovers while in England with his father.  There is a whole hidden world awaiting him there.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This series is extremely dark, and at times a bit abstract.  I really enjoyed the first one, and its antique flavor.  However, it was a bit disturbing at times, with some strong violence.  As the series progresses, there are some concepts which are difficult to understand and keep up with, along with more violence.  I'd recommend it to older readers who have a taste for dark and somewhat abstract fiction.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults, Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Violence and Graphic Imagery, as well as some crude language

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  I am Number Four, Gone

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

SYNOPSIS:  Elena has everything.  So when Stefan moves into town and takes no notice of her, she puts everything on the line to get him to notice her.  Unfortunately, he has a dark and mysterious past, and eventually, Elena realizes she really will have to put everything on the line to be with him.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Bad news for Twilight fans:  there was another book about a vampire who falls in love with a human before Twilight.  In many ways, this book is very similar.  However, I think the reason it hasn't gained the same popularity as Twilight is that it isn't as good.  The heroine is whiny and spoiled.  She uses those around her to get what she wants, with complete disregard to their feelings.  Her love interest is mopey and weak.  Plus there is a lot of bloodsucking going on, with strong sensual undertones.  This, unfortunately, is another read I'd skip.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adult

RATING:  PG13 for Violence, Sensuality, and Disturbing Imagery

STARS: 1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Twilight, Shiver

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schrieber

SYNOPSIS:  Perry works hard to please his parents.  So even though his band is playing at a club the night of prom, when his dad asks/tells him to take the foreign exchange student living with their family, he does.  However, things don't go as planned when his date morphs into a trained killer.  As everything falls apart around him, he tries to figure out what the right thing to do is.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I review a lot of books geared towards girls, so here is one geared towards boys.  Unfortunately, I found it a little offensive in places (as in, the narrator's description of girls, and crude language).  Also, as you would expect, it is quite violent, with graphic imagery throughout.  There is some strong language and sexual references as well.  I'd skip this book.

AUDIENCE:  Adult

RATING:  PG13 for Strong Language, Sexual References, Violence and Graphic Imagery

STARS:  1

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Gone, I Am Number Four

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

SYNOPSIS:  Mia has been struck by lightning so many times, she craves it.  However, she knows it is dangerous.  Not just for her, but for those around her.  After a huge earthquake and storm bring life around her to a complete halt, she finds herself choosing sides between a religious cult, and a secret society, both of whom want her on their side.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was very dark.  In my opinion, too dark.  Also, I felt the writing didn't flow very well, and I was a bit distracted by the narrator's side comments sometimes.  I also didn't like the presentation of the two opposing sides. It could be my misinterpretation, but I thought it symbolized good vs. evil, with a strong inclination toward the evil side.  In my opinion, that's not the best message to send to its target audience.  However, that is just my opinion.  I wouldn't recommend this read, and would especially not recommend it for younger readers due to the dark, and sometimes disturbing content.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adult

RATING:  PG13 for Violence, Language, and Disturbing Imagery

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Poison Princess, Partials

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

SYNOPSIS:  Celia and her two sisters are special. They can see the past, present and future by touching people.  However, Celia has always felt different and separate from her sisters.  When she meets an interesting young man, and an even more interesting sea-girl, she learns that her powers can be very useful.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was a bit gritty and real for me.  There was quite a bit of violence, and some frightening imagery.  I wasn't a fan, but I could see others being interested.  I would definitely not recommend it for younger readers, since there is some graphic violence, and some language and sensuality.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adult

RATING:  PG13 for disturbing imagery, Violence, Language, and Sensuality

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Poison Princess, Wither

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

SYNOPSIS:  Aria is engaged to marry Thomas Foster.  No one can believe it, even Aria.  Their families are rivals, and she can't seem to remember anything about their relationship since her accident.  As time goes by, and she tries to fill in the missing memories, she finds herself drawn to another mysterious young man named Hunter.  She hopes he can help her to understand her past.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I had a hard time with this book.  I just get a little irritated with heroines who sit passively by while others take all the risks and dive in front of bullets for them.  Also, there was some language, and quite a bit of violence, as well as a same-gender kiss.  (Or at least it appears that way at first.)  I'd skip this one, or at least save it for older readers.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Violence, Sensuality, and Language

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Delirium, Birthmarked