braveyoungcharacters | The Bossy Bookworm

Mar 16

Review of The Golden Enclaves (Scholomance #3) by Naomi Novik

The more somber tone of book three and the focus on logistics feel appropriate as the recent graduates of the Scholomance desperately...

Mar 8

Review of The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

Kidd's dual-timeline historical fiction, based on actual events, shines in its vivid settings, richly imagined characters, sea voyage...

Feb 9

Review of Gregor the Overlander (The Underland Chronicles #1) by Suzanne Collins

If you can focus on the good qualities of the prominent (and giant...and talking) creepy-crawlies in this middle-grade novel, you'll find...

Jan 18

Review of As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson

Jackson doesn't skimp on heart-pounding pacing, captivating character development, and dark turns in this third book in her young adult...

Jan 6

Review of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver offers an epic story of a faulted, unlikely hero in danger of being crushed by exceptionally difficult circumstances. His...

Dec 8, 2022

Review of The Box in the Woods (Truly Devious #4) by Maureen Johnson

The fourth mystery in Johnson's Truly Devious series delivers more smart, creative sleuthing from Stevie Bell and the gang, great...

Jun 10, 2022

Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West

Brutality and Bravery in the American West These books explore the brutality of pioneer times, when indigenous peoples were killed and...

Jun 2, 2022

Review of The Impossible Destiny of Cutie Grackle by Shawn K. Stout

Stout's recently published middle-grade story is irresistibly strange, full of difficulties and a tough young heroine's gritty...

Mar 29, 2022

Review of Quantum Girl Theory by Erin Kate Ryan

In Erin Kate Ryan's historical fiction mystery, she uses a fascinating story structure to explore different potential paths for...

Mar 24, 2022

Review of Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road #1) by Rachel Hartman

Rachel Hartman's young adult story follows irresistible, hardheaded, wonderfully faulted Tess as she breaks from rigid medieval gender...

Mar 10, 2022

Review of Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

In Marie Lu's young adult dystopian series starter Legend, the Republic and Colonies war with each other, a plague separates the haves...

Oct 18, 2021

Review of The Last Graduate (Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik

This second book in Naomi Novik's Scholomance series builds on book one's dark humor, dangerous forces, and the irresistible attraction...

Oct 14, 2021

Review of So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

So Long, See You Tomorrow is gorgeous, heartbreaking, and feels timeless. I loved it. My friend James mentioned this book as a favorite...

Oct 13, 2021

Review of The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

ICYMI: This young adult historical fiction story was a five-star read for me. I adored it. “My books promised me that life wasn’t just...

Sep 22, 2021

Review of The Story Thieves (Story Thieves #1) by James Riley

Riley has crafted a middle-grade fantasy book with humor, adventure, characters to root for, and heart and depth that surprised me. I'll...

Sep 7, 2021

Review of Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #2) by Holly Jackson

In Holly Jackson's young adult mystery sequel, we revisit the brave, faulted, irresistible character of Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who is drawn...

Sep 3, 2021

Three Books I'm Reading Now, 9/3/21 Edition

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Emiko Jean's Tokyo Ever After, in which Japanese-American teen Izumi Tanaka discovers that her...

Aug 9, 2021

Review of Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

Stevens offers a bad guy who's easy to despise in this mystery with great passages about surviving in the wild. Characters' careless...

Aug 6, 2021

Review of Now You Say Yes by Bill Harley

Now You Say Yes is beautiful. Harley's middle-grade story about love, duty, self-discovery, disappointment, and pushing through the...

Aug 2, 2021

Review of The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

Teenaged April has been dealt a difficult hand in life, and watching her struggle to make her way and connect with others in Allison...

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