Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

SYNOPSIS:  Cammie and the other Gallagher Girls are back, this time facing a bigger threat than ever.  While helping her father's campaign for Vice President, Macey is attacked, with Cammie by her side.   Cammie and her friends are determined to protect her, through all the twists and turns, and no matter how deadly the consequences.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Although I'm not a huge fan of the colloquial dialogue in this series, I can see it being fun and entertaining to teenage readers.  However, this book has more violence and danger than the others in the series, so I would caution younger readers against it.

AUDIENCE:  Teens

RATING:  PG with Violence

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Princess Diaries, The Agency

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

SYNOPSIS:  Tris's story continues in this conclusion to the Divergent Series.  The story picks up right where it left off, with the reveal of Edith Prior's message.  Tris decides to get out of the compound, no matter what it takes.  What she finds there, however, turns her life upside down.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Frankly, this book was a bit of a let-down for me.  I was expecting more from it, and it felt like it fell short, in my opinion.  As far as content goes, there is some more sensuality, violence and language again in this book.  I'm tempted to recommend skipping this book and the rest of the series.  At the very least, I would only recommend it to older readers due to the content.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Sensuality, Language, and Violence

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Birthmarked, Partials

Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks

SYNOPSIS:  Cadel's troubles are far from over, even with Prosper English in jail, and the Axis Institute disbanded.  He is placed in a foster home with a budding criminal, and a spoiled brat, and has only very limited access to a computer, or to his best friend Sonja.  Although his social worker and the detective assigned to his case mean well, they can't stop underestimating Prosper English, and Cadel doesn't feel safe.  When a couple of adults approach Sonja and Cadel in hopes of getting them to join their "Genius Squad" in order to take down GenoME, Cadel leaps at a chance to change his dismal life.  However, he soon begins to wonder if it is a change for the better, or a change for the worse.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  Although the book can be a bit dry in places, and definitely has some language content issues, for the most part, I thought this book was an exciting, worthwhile read.  I would only recommend it to older readers, however, due to the language and some crude references.

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Language and Crude References

STARS:  2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Artemis Fowl, The 39 Clues

Jinx by Meg Cabot

SYNOPSIS:  Jean has always been unlucky, so unlucky, in fact, her family all call her "Jinx."  So she's not surprised at all when she has to move in with her uncle and aunt to escape a troubled past in Iowa.  While in New York, however, she realizes things aren't always as they seem, and her bad luck may actually be something good in disguise.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I checked this out on audiobook because I thought the plot might have potential.  However, it was pretty typical Cabot, in that there was a simplistic, predictable storyline, with colloquial storytelling, and some crude jokes and sexual references.  There was also some language, and references to drug use, and occult practices.  I don't think I'd recommend this one.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Sexual References, Language, and Drug References

STARS:  1

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

House of Hades by Rick Riordan

SYNOPSIS:  Percy Jackson's story continues where it left off in this latest installment.  Percy and Annabeth make their way to the Doors of Death, as their friends try to meet them on the other side.  Being demigods, however, nothing is as easy as it should be, and they must face multiple challenges on their way.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  From my synopsis, it may surprise you to know that this book is over 500 pages long.  However, it's true.  It does take Percy and his friends 500 pages to meet each other at the Doors of Death.  For this reason, I am losing patience with this series.  I have always thought that the writing in the Percy Jackson novels was a bit subpar, and now, as the stories drag on, I feel even more strongly that it's time for these novels to finish up for good.  That being said, I am sure there are plenty of Percy Jackson fans out there who would disagree with me.  I know the novels are wildly popular with teens, and I'm sure many feel the length of the novels is a good thing.  As for myself, I feel they are getting a bit monotonous.  As far as content goes, there is of course plenty of superhero violence in the novels, as well as some references to a homosexual character.  Personally, putting aside any personal opinions I have on homosexuality, I feel that a children and teen series is no place for discussions on sexual preference.  I feel like it detracts from the adventure of the story.

AUDIENCE:  Teens and Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Action Violence and brief Sexual Reference

STARS:  1 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Artemis Fowl, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series

The Beekeeper's Apprentice or, On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King

SYNOPSIS:  Mary Russell literally stumbles upon an aging Sherlock Holmes while walking one day.  When he realizes that her intellect is worthy of his own, he makes an informal apprentice of her.  When she begins solving crimes with him, their lives are never the same again.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I don't have much patience for books that reinvent and continue stories and characters that have already been written to a satisfying conclusion by another author.  I feel like trying to reinvent Sherlock Holmes is never a good idea.  The reinvention never quite comes across as authentic, and writing a new character (such as Flavia de Luce) is more original and satisfying, in my opinion.  That being said, however, I did enjoy reading this book.  The Sherlock Holmes of this book is not the same, of course.  He is kinder, gentler, and even sympathetic, which is highly unusual for his character.  However, Mary Russell is funny and smart, and I enjoyed reading this story from her point of view.  There was a bit of violence, as well as some mildly lewd comments by some characters in the story.  I think there might have been some language, as well, but for the most part, there was very little content in this book.  I would recommend it to mature readers who can wade through the somewhat dry and old-fashioned storytelling.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults, Adults

RATING:  PG with some Mild Language and References, and Violence

STARS:  4

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Sherlock Holmes, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

SYNOPSIS:  Cadel Piggott has always been unusual.  At age 7, he has already gotten into legal trouble after hacking into secure computer systems.  His life changes forever, though, when he begins attending therapy, and is told that his father is the evil Phineas Darkkon, who is serving a life term after committing all kinds of crime.  Under his tutelage, Cadel learns to seek revenge on those who hurt him, and to lie, steal, and put himself first.  However, he begins to see that maybe that is not the best way to live his life, after his master plan begins to fall apart.

AUNT SHARON'S TAKE:  I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this book, because it was quite well-written, detailed and imaginative.  I'll admit that it was a bit dry in places, but it was still a well thought-out story.  As far as content goes, there was some bad language, some crude jokes and sexual references, and quite a bit of action violence.  I would recommend it for older readers who like action and mystery.

AUDIENCE:  Young Adults

RATING:  PG13 for Language and References, and Violence

STARS:  2 1/2

BOOKS LIKE THIS:  Artemis Fowl, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children