Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Genre: Romance, YA

Published:  Mar. 2012 by Shadow Mountain,  240 pp.
Source:  ARC from publisher
Review:  4.5/5 stars

Brief Summary: (From goodreads.com) Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.


My Thoughts:  I have to admit that I read more than my share of romances as a teenager. Some were more than questionable in content and I'm ashamed that I ever read them. In search of cleaner fare, I discovered that there was this sub-genre of romance novels called Regency.  The stories were set in Regency England (early 19th century) and were inspired by Jane Austen's works dealing with the noble and rich, the genteel but poor, gentleman and ladies, rakes and spinsters, the season, the ton, Almack's, London and Bath, manners and propriety.  I loved Regency romances because they were usually clean, romantic, and I loved the world they transported me to.

I don't read Regencies much anymore with the exception of the Georgette Heyer novels I've discovered in the last few years so when I got the chance to review Edenbrooke, I jumped on it.  I loved it.  There are a few silly or cheesy parts and it's fairly predictable but overall I still enjoyed every minute of reading it.  The heroine is smart, witty, and completely unaware of her charms.  The hero is very swoon worthy (one of my favorite leading men I've encountered in recent months.)  My 12 year old daughter loved it too so maybe there's still hope that I can eventually introduce her to Jane Austen.  (Right now she rolls her eyes when I mention Pride and Prejudice.)

Recommendations:  I recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, clean romance.  Don't expect great literature, but you can expect to be entertained.     


Ratings:  2.2.1  As the subtitle says, this is a "proper romance."  There is one part where a woman is threatened in a way that suggests a sexual assault but it's not explicit.


Thanks for reading!

On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Published:  Oct. 2011, 272 pp.
Source:  Review request by author
Review:  3.5/5 stars

Brief Summary:  (From Goodreads)  Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination...

My Thoughts:  First of all, thank goodness for a YA stand-alone book!
I liked this ghostly romance.  I haven't read many books with ghosts but I thought this was an interesting take on the classic ghost story.  The characters are likable, realistic and the romance is sweet.


Recommendations:  What I like most about this book is that it's one that I can read and enjoy as well as my 12 year-old daughter whose new reading obsession is romance.  Help me!  :)


Ratings:  1.2.1  Includes some kissing scenes, there is some description of blood and violence, and very little profanity.

Thanks for reading!

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

Genre: YA, sci-fi/fantasy
Published: May 2010
Source: Publisher--Shadow Mountain
Review: 3/5



Brief Summary: The story continues right where Hourglass leaves off.  I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
My Thoughts:  My reaction to the second installment of The Hourglass Door series is much like the first. It has an interesting premise, likable characters, plenty of romance (a little too much sometimes), and a thickening plot.  I'm not the intended audience so the teenage romance gets pretty sappy at times.  My 12 year-old daughter loves these books and has read them all at least 3 times.
Recommendations: Great for those looking for a clean romance with fantasy elements set in a modern world.
Ratings: 2.2.1  There's plenty of kissing and affection, some violence, and mild (if any) profanity.


Thanks for reading!

Matched by Ally Condie

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Local Author
Published: Nov. 2010, 366 pp.
Source: Personal Library
Review: 4.5/5 stars

Brief Summary: Cassia Reyes lives in a world of no choices.  The Society controls everything from the food the people eat and the clothes they wear, to the career they will have and whom they will marry.  Cassia has never questioned this until, somehow, a mistake is made and she begins to question the way the Society controls her life.

My Thoughts:  I loved this book. I've discussed it with two book clubs and a few people have agreed that it's a "watered down Hunger Games".  While there are definitely similarities, I think that Matched has its own merits that make it worthy of all the hype surrounding it.  I think the world Ally Condie has created is creepy and terrible in a much more subtle way than many other dystopian worlds.  I like the quiet build-up of tension in the book.  The love triangle is becoming a bit of a tired plot device for me but it still works here.  I have lots of questions that I want answered in the next book and I'm looking forward to it.

Recommendations: This is a great book for those who liked the ideas behing Hunger Games but didn't like the violence.  I think that kids as young as 11-12 could enjoy this one.

Ratings: 1.2.1  Includes kissing, references to violent actions by others, and no profanity that I can recall.  (If there is any profanity it would be very mild).

Thanks for reading!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Published: March 2011, 358 pp.
Source: Library
Review: 3.5/5 stars

One of the latest in the YA dystopian crazy, Wither by Lauren DeStefano gives us yet another haunting tale of what could possibly go wrong if our society chooses a certain path. This time the issue is genetic engineering. What could happen if, at some point in the future, all babies were born genetically modified so they would be perfectly healthy and have long life spans? Destefano paints a grim picture of a generation of perfect people whose children and grandchildren die by their mid 20's.

I enjoyed many parts of this book. The people and the relationships are good--complex and multi-faceted. I liked the story but I kept being pulled out of it by the logistical errors in the back story. I felt like the science was not there to back up what had happened in their world. I'm too much of a geek to let that stuff go. I really appreciate a book that makes sense and this one didn't always do that for me. Even so, it was a good story and I look forward to reading the next ones. Who knows, maybe some of the problems I had with things will be resolved or answered.

Rating: 2.2.2 The book is about a polygamous marriage so there is some sex involved but it's behind closed doors and between married people, even if it is a strange situation. There are a few disturbing scenes that include blood or people who have died. Mild profanity.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Genre: YA fiction, realistic

Published: 2003, 224 pp.

Source: Audiobook, Netlibrary

Review: 4/5 stars

Bryce and Julie become neighbors when Bryce's family moves in across the street at the age of seven. The story is told through the alternating voices of Bryce and Julie from the time they are both in 2nd grade until 8th. Bryce tells us his story of his annoying, clingy neighbor while Julie describes how Bryce's blue eyes and glossy hair make her heart melt. We learn about their family relationships and their perspectives on the world. I came to really like them both but I especially liked Julie.

I listened to Flipped as an audiobook and I really liked it. I was slightly bored in the beginning but once I got into the story I was hooked. I loved how hearing the same story from two points of view helped me understand what was really happening. Sometimes I wanted the story to just keep going and I didn't care about the two points of view because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. This book reminded me of that old Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins movie, He Said, She Said. I loved that movie and I really liked this book. My daughter (11) read it but only thought it was okay. She was expecting more romance and was disappointed, but I thought it was great. There were a lot of really good insights that she just couldn't quite appreciate at her tender age. :) I haven't seen the movie made from this book yet but I definitely want to.

Rating: 1.1.2 There were a few words that I found a bit crude and vulgar but probably aren't considered real profanity.

Jane by April Lindner

Genre: Realistic fiction, YA fiction?, Retelling

Published: Oct. 2010, 384 pp.

Source: Library

Review: 4/5

I enjoyed this modern retelling of Jane Eyre. I thought that Jane Eyre would be too unrealistic set in modern day because times have changed so much but I think that April Lindner figured out a way to make it work. With a "Mr. Rochester" character who is a legendary rock star and the "Jane" character as a reserved and sheltered nanny, the classic story plays out pretty well.

This book was shelved in the Young Adult section, which makes sense, but it always bothers me when a YA book includes as much bad language and sex as this one did. While I enjoyed this book, I would have a hard time recommending it to many people. There are about a dozen f-words and a couple of sex scenes that weren't overly explicit but definitely more graphic than I think is necessary. I have to classify this one as a "read at your own risk" book.

Rating: 4.1.5 Two moderately explicit sex scenes between unmarried people and a dozen f-words with a smattering of other profanity scattered throughout.

The Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

Genre: YA fiction, Fantasy

Published: 2010, 304 pgs.

Source: Personal library (I first read a borrowed copy but then bought my own)

Other info: Local author, book club selection

Review: 4.5/5 stars

I don't know if it stems from some personal fantasy of my own, but I'm a sucker for this kind of story. I'm talking about the stories where the plain, insignificant girl becomes a great heroine of a fantastic tale. The kind in which a girl who doesn't think much of herself comes to realize how wonderful and important she is. I love books like Jane Eyre and Precious Bane. All those Regency romances in which the little spinster snags the heart of the handsome rake are my guilty pleasures.

When one of the ladies from my book club suggested Forbidden Sea because she knew the author and thought that she would come to our discussion, I have to admit that I was skeptical. I really didn't think I would like a "mermaid" book. What I discovered as I started reading was that this was not a book about mermaids as much as it was a wonderful coming-of-age story of an interesting and lovable heroine. The book hits the ground running as fourteen-year-old Adrianne is out on a stormy beach searching for her missing younger sister when she encounters a beautiful but sinister mermaid trying to kidnap her sister. The story unfolds from there as she tries to figure out the mystery of the mermaid and why she wants her sister, Cecily, while at the same time trying to take care of her family which depends on her despite her young age. There's adventure, unrequited love, mystery, and all the makings of a great story.

Sheila Nielson did come to our book club and it was so fun. She is awesome and I'll tell you all about it in another post. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of YA fiction. After I came home so excited about our book club meeting my husband decided to read it and he really liked it, too.

Rating: 1.1.1 A perfectly clean read. The mermaids are even fully clothed! :)

The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle

Genre: YA fiction
Published: Originally 1995, this edition 2009; 224 pgs.
Source: New acquisition for personal library

Review: 5/5


A couple of weeks ago I attended the Utah Book Bloggers Summer Social. I never blogged about it (and I probably won't at this point) but it was a lot of fun and it was great to meet more bloggers and authors and be reacquainted with others. We had a book swap and I was lucky enough to end up with The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle. For the book swap we just laid out all the books and then everyone took turns picking one out. There was the opportunity to "steal" a book from someone who has already chosen. I was standing next to Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine and when it was her turn she said, "If no one wants this book then I'll just take it back. It's really good." Hearing her say that was push I needed to be able to decide. I "stole" it from her, and I'm glad I did. Thank you, Bree.

I have to say that the title and the cover turned me off of this one to begin with and it was only Bree's high recommendation that got me to read it. Having read it, I now understand the cover and title and I think they fit very well. The story is told by Ginny who has just moved across the country with her family. It's a huge adjustment for her but she soon makes friends in her new high school and neighborhood. On her first day in her new high school she becomes fascinated with a strange boy who many kids have called "the Alien" for years. I'm not going to say anything more about the plot because I think it is very interesting to watch the story unfold and I don't want to spoil anything. Let me just say that it is compelling and moving and I couldn't put it down. Fortunately, I didn't really need to on the day that I read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.

Rating: 1.2.1 I've already forgotten what kind of content was in this book but I remember thinking as I read it that it was remarkably clean. There may be a little profanity that I don't remember and perhaps some innuendo but I think it was quite clean.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA Fiction, Dystopian

Published: Aug. 2010, 390 pgs.

Source: Personal library

Review: 4/5 stars

I've had such a hard time deciding how to review the final book in this incredible series. Suzanne Collins is brilliant. Even though I didn't like Mockingjay as much as the other two books, I still think Collins is an amazing author. The trilogy is put together so well. We know the characters--we love some and we hate others. Even though Katniss is so flawed and imperfect, I think most of us loved her. I'm reminded of another female protagonist from a very popular series. I know many people, including myself, who just wanted to slap Bella half the time. Though there were times in this series that I wanted to shake Katniss to help her see the truth, it was usually out of love and concern for her, not because she drove me crazy with her internal dialogue.

Having said all that, I couldn't quite give this book 5 stars because it just was too painful. I understand why Collins wrote it the way she did. I applaud her for her courage to make the hard choices. I just expected it to be more hopeful. Instead it was just--real, too real.

Time for spoilers. (I have my doubts that anyone who hasn't read the book would be reading this review, but just in case. )

***Do not read this section if you have not read the book yet. ***

I just want to mention a few things. Finnick's ending was one of the hardest parts of the book for me. I did not expect that at all. Annie needed him. It was not fair for Collins to take him away from her. (I know, I'm taking this way too seriously.) His death affected me more than Prim's.

Some people have criticized the "rushed" ending. I don't really see it that way. This was Katniss's story and by the last chapter she was done. She barely cared about anything so it wouldn't have made sense to have all the proceedings after the assassination detailed through her eyes. I guess she could have been present at the trial but she didn't care enough. She was ready to die. Her part in all the politics was done. Since this was a first person narrative, we couldn't have gotten an accurate assessment of what was going on anyway because she wasn't entirely mentally or emotionally stable. That's my take on it.

I think the very ending when she goes back to District 12 and the epilogue were incredible. "Real or not real." Perfect!

***End of spoilers***

Rating: 2.4.1 Definitely some sexual references but slightly obscure. The violence was pretty close to being too much for me. I had thought about letting my 11 year old start to read these books soon but after reading Mockingjay I won't let her for a few more years. Thank you Suzanne Collins for not using any profanity when it could have been easy to put in.

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Published: 1997, 469 pgs.
Source: Personal library, (received in book swap at Utah Book Bloggers Party from Angie of Angieville)
Review: 4/5 stars

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been in a reading rut for a while. I just haven't had much desire to read. I'm hoping that this book has pulled me out of the rut. I believe it has.

Rebecca Phillips enlisted with the Army as a nurse to run away from some problems at home. She didn't know that going to Vietnam would make all her problems worse. The book is divided into two parts: the War and the World. The first half describes the horrors of war with honesty and feeling. In the second half Rebecca tries to recover from the experiences that she endured.

I quite enjoyed this book. I really liked Rebecca's character as well as the other supporting roles that make up the story. I must give a disclaimer though. Just because this site is called Good Clean Reads does not mean that all the books I review are "clean". This is definitely one to "read at your own risk". The subject matter is Vietnam and it's gritty. The language could be worse but it is definitely strong. The descriptions of wounded soldiers are done tastefully but there is a lot of it. I think White manages to describe the atrocities without being gratuitous but it is still not easy to read.

The Road Home is definitely not for everyone, especially those offended by profanity and vain references to Deity. I normally stay away from that myself. But in this case, I still really enjoyed this story of a young woman's experience in war and recovery from the horrors she faced.

Rating: 2.3.5 There were some sexual references but nothing explicit. Violence is plentiful due to the war setting. There were 3 or 4 f-words and lots of other profanity including vain references to Deity.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Newbery Medal

Published: 1980, 244 pgs.

Source: Personal library

Reason: Shelf Discovery Challenge

Review: 5/5 stars

I'm not sure exactly why I loved this book so much. There were parts that I thought were strange or even inappropriate. The crush she has on a certain character in the book is so strange and weird I could hardly believe it. But I decided to just kind of look over that and love the book anyway. Sara Louise Bradshaw and her twin sister Caroline live with their parents and grandmother on a small Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Louise is a tomboy and Caroline is a golden child with a beautiful voice and everyone adores her. The story is told from Louise's point of view and is both funny because of her great sense of humour but also very sad because of the angst that Louise feels towards her sister.

When I was growing up there were three of us sisters, 3 1/2 years apart. Even though we didn't dislike each other like Louise seems to dislike Caroline, there was plenty of jealousy. I really felt like I could identify with Louise's feelings even though I could also see that she brought on most of her misery herself. My sisters and I did the same thing to each other, comparing ourselves and always coming up short. Another reason I probably liked this book so much was that I was feeling under appreciated as a mother at the time so while I read, I just threw myself a big ol' pity party. Boo hoo for me! ;) Of course, the pity party has to end but sometimes it feels good to attend for a while.

Rating: 2.1.2 The 2's are for the weird, inappropriate crush and the way she describes her feelings and it seems like there may have been just a little bit of Biblical type profanity. (I'm not sure if I remember that right.)

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Genre: Historical fiction, YA, Newbery

Published: 1958, 256 pgs.

Source: Personal library

For: Shelf Discovery Challenge 3/6

Review: 4.5/5 stars

This is another of those classic YA books that I should have read growing up but didn'teven know about. I wish that someone (my mom, a teacher, a friend) had steered me toward some of these wonderful books that I've now found as an adult. I did read some good books as a teenager but I also read a lot of garbage. At least now I can hopefully help my daughters read good books as they grow up. This is a book with a strong female protagonist who does what she knows is right and follows her heart. A great book for young girls (11 and up) that also teaches about early American history. I loved the characters, the story, and message of this book.

Rating: 1.1.1 I can't remember anything objectionable.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Genre: YA fiction
Published: Originally 1970, this edition edited and republished 2001
Source: Library
Review: 3.5/5 stars

Warning! **This review contains spoilers**
I remember reading this when I was about 12. I thought that if my mom knew what this book was about she'd be mad that I was reading it. I also remember it being much worse than it actually is. I could have sworn there was something about m**turbation in it (must be in some other book I guiltily read in my growing up years), but there was nary a hint of such things. I was so pleasantly surprised that I quite enjoyed reading this book and thought that I would pass it on to my daughter who will be going through the Maturation Seminar in her 5th grade class later on this month. Now as I'm thinking about it, though, there are a few things that I wouldn't want my 10 1/2 year-old reading about. I didn't like them talking about the older boys "feeling" Laura Danker (the tall early-developing girl in the class). I especially didn't like the way they talked about the teacher, Mr. Benedict, staring at her. That wasn't really the case, from my perspective, but one of the girls sensationalized things and put distorted thoughts into her friends heads. Actually, now that I think about it, anything that came out of Nancy's mouth, I didn't like. I hope my daughter doesn't have any friends like her.

The other part that I didn't care for is the treatment of religion. This idea that you let a child choose their religion when they grow up doesn't make any sense to me. It's too late by then. I could be wrong but it seems like it would be a rare thing for someone to grow up with no religious influence and then, when grown, decide that they will now welcome religion in their life. On another side, it bugged me that two of the few very religious people in the book were shown to actually be total jerks.

Now, having thought through all this, I think I will give this book to my daughter to read next year when she's in the sixth grade and then discuss it with her when she's done. I think that could be a good experience for both of us.

Rating: 2.1.1 I gave this a two on the sexual content because I think there are some underlying sexual tones that a parent should be aware of.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Genre: YA fiction, fantasy

Published: 2007

Audiobook

Review: 3.5/5 stars

Wildwood Dancing is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Jena is the second of 5 sisters who live with their father in a castle in Transylvania. Each full moon the sisters pass through a portal to go dancing with creatures of the Other Kingdom.

I enjoyed this book but thought it was a little too predictable and a little too long but this could be because I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator drove me a little crazy because she spoke in a little girl's voice. Maybe because of the voice, Jena seemed a little whiny; and for being such a smart girl, she could be a little clueless. Overall, the story was interesting and enjoyable. I know a lot of people loved this book. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it. Maybe I'll try it again in a few years.

Rating: 1.2.1 Includes a little violence.

Shelf Discovery Challenge

I found another challenge that I'm afraid I have to join. It is based on the book by Lizzie Skurnick called Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics we Never Stopped Reading. It is a book that Publisher's Weekly calls an "omnibus of meditations on favorite YA novels that dwells mostly among the old-school titles from the late '60s to the early '80s much beloved by now grown-up ladies." The challenge is to read 6 of the novels written about in this book.

Here's the schpeel:
The Shelf Discovery Challenge will run for six months (November 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010). To join me in this challenge, all you need to do is grab a copy of SHELF DISCOVERY and pick out what six books you want to read (of course, you can read more than six!) Then, after you read a book, just write a "book report" to share your thoughts with others!
Sign Up: Grab the challenge button at the top of this page and write a post detailing what six Shelf Discovery books you are going to read within the next six months (you always have the option to change your original list -- I'm flexible like that!) If you don't already have the book, you can browse the table of contents here.

There are several books on the list that I've been meaning to get to so this is my list (for now).

• The Westing Game
• Jacob Have I Loved
• Are You There God? It's me, Margaret.
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Wrinkle in Time
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond

I think this will be very fun. Thanks to Booking Mama for a great reading challenge.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Category: YA or middle reader, Newbery Medal, Fantasy

Published: 2008, 307 pgs.

Review: 4/5 stars

The 2008 Newbery Medal winner, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is not quite what I expected. I'm not sure what I did expect but it wasn't what I got. I was surprised by the first chapter and the descriptions of the murders that take place. It seemed a little too much violence for a middle grader reader but once we got past that first chapter I felt much more comfortable with it. The book tells the story of Nobody Owens and how he is raised in the cemetery by ghosts and other frightful creatures. It's a fun story but is creepy at times. It's original and I can definitely see it in the form of a Tim Burton film some day.

Rating: 1.3.1 Like I said, I thought some of the violence was a little much for a kids' book. I would preview it before I let just any child read it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Category: YA, science fiction

Published: 2008, 374 pages

Review: 5/5 stars

I started this book one evening last week and forced myself to put it down to go to bed. The next morning I picked it up again and couldn't put it down until I finished it that afternoon. The kids did whatever they wanted and the house was a crazy mess when I finally came up for air. It's been a long time since I've been that engrossed in a book. It was so much fun.

I'm not going to bother telling you much about this book. I've seen reviews for it everywhere and I don't remember anyone not liking it. It has everything a page turner needs; love, hate, danger, politics, death, and much more. I can't wait for the next book coming in September.

Rating: 1.4.2 The violence in this book is a little rough at times. The whole concept is pretty disturbing. Not for the faint of heart. (It's kind of funny that the nudity in this book didn't bother me like the nudity in Book of a Thousand Days. In this book it seemed fairly natural but in the other it seemed weird to me. I might be crazy.)

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Category: YA, fantasy, romance

Published: 2007

Review: 4/5 stars

After I finished reading this book I felt stupid when I read the book description on the inside of the jacket cover. It describes the book as a retelling of a Grimms fairy tale "reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes." Duh! I had spent the first chapters imagining the characters as blond-haired and blue eyed. Then even when there were some sketches of people who looked Asian I had a hard time changing what was in my head. But I should have known from the beginning when it referred to the leaders of the people with the title of Khan that this story was set somewhere like Mongolia long ago. It also calls some areas of the land "the steppes." I think I would have enjoyed this book a little more if I'd had the right pictures in my mind.

I know a lot of people have loved this book and although I enjoyed it a lot, I didn't love it. I think I expected too much because I had heard so many great things about it. I do recommend it but it didn't grab me like I wanted it to.

Rating: 2.2.1 There were a couple of places with nudity that I thought were a little weird. Maybe I'm such a prude that I can't even read about nudity without feeling a little uncomfortable.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Category: Fiction, Historical, YA

Published: 1972

Review: 5/5 stars

I loved this book! Asher Lev, a young Hasidic Jew, tells his story of how be became a great artist and how his gift and the choices that he makes effect the people in his life. I am not an artist but there's a part of me that wants to be one. The way the author, Chaim Potok, describes the drive that Asher has to draw and paint and create is just amazing and makes me wish I had that talent. I could hardly put this book down and it wasn't because the plot was driving me to the finish. I was just fascinated by the characters, the culture and religion, and especially Asher and his relationships with his family and others whom he cares about. I've really enjoyed the books that I've read recently about Jews. I will have to find some more. Any suggestions?

Rating: 1.1.1 I don't remember anything very offensive in this book. It seems like there may have been a little light profanity that I didn't really notice very much. There are some fairly mature themes though and I think an immature teen wouldn't really appreciate this book. Highly recommended.