PERSEFoNE Series by Michelle Gagnon

SYNOPSIS:  Noa Torson wakes up to find herself in a hospital bed, with a cruel scar across her chest.  She has no recollection of how she got there, and even worse are the side effects of whatever has been done to her:  her eating and sleeping habits have gone completely haywire.  She uses her hacking skills and the community at her disposal to try to find out what is going on, before it is too late.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This is an exciting and fast-paced trilogy.  However, I sometimes felt that it was dragging along, with pitfalls and speed bumps that seemed somewhat unrealistic and detracted from the flow of the plot.  However, it would be a fun read for teens looking for something exciting and action-packed.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults and Teens

RATING:  PG13 for sensuality, violence, and language

STARS:  3

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The Heir Series by Kiera Cass

SYNOPSIS:  In this continuation on The Selection series, America's daughter Eadlyn has grown up in the unrest resulting from the elimination of the castes.  Although she has spent most of her life ignoring the problems of her people, as the future queen, she must now face them.  She has been advised to do a selection of her own, and she grudgingly agrees, fully intending to eliminate the participants quickly.  However, she soon finds out that the selection might have more to offer than simply a distraction for her people.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Although I did like The Selection series, I was growing irritated with America by the end of the series.  Eadlyn seems to have inherited all of her mother's most irritating qualities, and it was very hard to like her as the protagonist.  However, for fans of the series, these novels stay pretty true to the style and storyline.

RATING:  PG13 for mild sensuality, some violence, and adult topics.

STARS: 2

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SYNOPSIS:  Eadlyn's problems have only gotten more serious since her mother's health problems began.  Now she is convinced she must do more than simply provide a distraction for her people.  She believes she needs to end the unrest once and for all.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Although Eadlyn has become less of a spoiled brat since the second book, she still doesn't seem to be a robust and complicated character to me.  I think the sequel improved on the first book, but still fell short of the mark.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

SYNOPSIS:  Wahoo Cray is the son of an animal wrangler.  He's always been more or less proud of his dad and his unique skill set.  However, since his dad's accident, things have been hard for their family.  When they get offered a substantial sum of money to provide animals special effects for a television program, they're not in a position to refuse.  When the star of the show proves to be more unruly than the animals, however, things start to get even more tricky.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I think this book would be fun and exciting for pre-teen readers.  There is plenty of action and suspense, but it is all age-appropriate.  There's also a healthy dose of drama, however, so I'd save it for pre-teen readers and above, and choose another book for story time.

AUDIENCE:  Pre-teens and Teens

STARS:  3 1/2

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