The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

SYNOPSIS:  Mary has always been a sour, spoiled little girl whose parents ignored her.  Her life is changed forever, however, when she is sent to live at her uncle's estate in England.  There she meets Dicken, who can charm any wild animal; Colin, who is just as spoiled and sour as she is; and Martha, who states things plainly without sparing Mary's feelings.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This is a sweet and charming story about children, and the power of the mind.  It is a good reminder about how to be a healthful person.  I would recommend it to readers of any age, although I will caution that there is some racist language in the book, as one might expect from the time period.  I would recommend discussing this language and racism in general with younger readers before having them read it.

AUDIENCE:  Children and Pre-Teens

RATING:  PG (with some racist terms)

STARS:  3 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  An Old-Fashioned Girl, The Story Girl

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

SYNOPSIS:  Narrated as though it is a true story, this book follows the lives of several characters, primarily Jean Valjean.  After stealing some food out of necessity, Jean's life takes a downward spiral.  However, when he is shown mercy, he makes an effort to rise above his past and change his life for the better.  Along the way, he changes many lives.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book took me a long time to complete, mostly because of its length and language.  For that reason, I would recommend it to older readers.  There were also some very mild sexual references.  However, it is a great story, and leads to many questions of ethics and morality.  What makes a person good or bad?  How does each decision we make change our lives?  Definitely a wonderful book for any mature enough to handle it.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults and Adults

RATING:  PG

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Short Stories by O. Henry, Jane Eyre

Linked by Imogen Howson

SYNOPSIS:  Elissa has been having horrible dreams since she became a teenager.  During these dreams, she feels like she is being tortured.  She wakes up with bruises and other injuries.  Because of the dreams, she becomes alienated by her friends and others who think she is a spoiled teenager trying to get attention.  So when a new doctor offers the opportunity for her to have a surgery which will cure her of the dreams, she leaps at the chance.  However, as the time before the surgery grows nearer, she begins to question if it is really a good idea.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This was an exciting and interesting adventure story.  I definitely enjoyed it.  However, because of some brief references to maturation, as well as some disturbing imagery, I would recommend it only for older readers.

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Disturbing Imagery and some mature references

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Tandem, Delirium

Variant by Robison Wells

SYNOPSIS:  Benson's life as a foster child has not been ideal.  So when he is accepted at a private boarding school, he jumps at the chance to make a new start.  However, when he arrives at the school, he is told that things are not all that he expected.  There are no adults at the school, and no one is ever allowed out.  From that moment on, his only objective is escape, by any means necessary.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I don't often critique books geared towards boys, so hopefully this book will offer some variety to my usual reviews.  I didn't particularly enjoy this book, mostly because of the graphic violence.  However, it was action-packed, and darkly mysterious, so I could see older readers enjoying it.  I would only recommend it to older readers due to the aforementioned violence and some language.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Violence and Language

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Maze Runner, Thirteen Days to Midnight

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

SYNOPSIS:  Lucinda's life has been miserable since her parents died.  She spends her days scrubbing the house and goldsmith shop for her cruel and begrudging aunt, and her timid uncle.  However, everything changes the day the Amaranth Witch comes into their shop.  Through a crazy sequence of events, Lucinda finds herself on the adventure of her life.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This was a fun adventure story.  The writing wasn't amazing, but the story was sweet and entertaining.  I think teens who are fans of fairy tale remakes would enjoy this, as it seemed to echo of the Cinderella story quite a bit.  There is some mild violence, but otherwise, there is very little offensive content.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Bella at Midnight, Entwined

Revived by Cat Patrick

SYNOPSIS:  Daisy knows more about death than most people.  She's experienced it first-hand several times.  However, because she is part of a government study for a new drug called Revive, she is able to come back from death and continue her life, starting in a new location every time.  However, when she makes an effort to make friends, she finds it more difficult to live the life she has always known.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This was a fun adventure, although a bit dark and dramatic for my taste.  There was also a bit of sensuality, however, so I would recommend it more for older readers.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Sensuality

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Maximum Ride, I Am Number Four

United We Spy by Ally Carter

SYNOPSIS:  The Gallagher Girls series concludes as Cammie's mother and friends search for the few remaining Circle leaders before Catherine kills them off.  They are always one step behind, however, and wonder how they can come out of the battle alive.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  This book was more violent and serious than the rest of the series, but I still thought it was a fun adventure story, and a satisfying conclusion.  I would recommend it to more mature teens who can handle the serious story line and violent imagery.

AUDIENCE:  Older Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Violence

STARS:  2 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Cahills vs. Vespers, Maximum Ride