Young Adult Book Reviews

Review: Ambril’s Tale: The Return of the Dailluth by Wendy D. Walter

Any mention of the fantasy genre these days brings to mind Harry Potter, particularly if school-age magic workers just discovering their talents are involved. However, it is worth noting that J.K. Rowling didn’t invent child wizards, schools of witchcraft, or many of the familiar tropes of the Harry Potter series. She simply worked in a tradition that goes back a long way. She did it beautifully, of course, but so did many before her, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Susan Cooper, and Diana Wynne Jones.

With Ambril’s Tale, Wendy D. Walter has made her first contribution to this […]

2012-09-25T15:57:42+02:00September 25th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Rogue Navigator by E. Steven Newby

E. Steven Newby’s The Rogue Navigator is an exemplar of a genre I’ve never encountered before. I guess you might call it YA Fantasy Space Opera. When one thinks of YA these days, naturally books like the Harry Potter series, the Twilight books, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy come to mind.  And of course the Chronicles of Narnia are always hovering nearby. These are all fantasy of one form or another. When one thinks of Space Opera, works like Ian M. Banks’ Culture novels and Verner Vinge’s Fire Upon the Deep (as well as less literary works like […]

2014-05-09T21:55:40+02:00August 20th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: I, Dwayne Kleber by James Connor

For an eighth grader Dwayne Kleber has a lot of stuff going on. His teacher is one of only three at his school who are white and a few of his classmates are trying to run her off. Nonetheless, Dwayne approaches her with an important question: he wants to write a book, but can’t decide what to write about.

That evening at home, Dwayne finds out his Mom, who is pregnant, is leaving her job. Dwayne and his brother are told by their Dad that, since they are fourteen now, they have seven days to find a job and come […]

2017-03-24T09:31:50+02:00June 1st, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: The Hunting of The Bubblenuff by Joshua Goldfond

The Hunting of the Bubblenuff follows the adventures of Fabian Vermeer, an eccentric 19-year-old who lives in the fictional world of Lornholm. He is both a Priest and Inquisitor by profession, acting in the service of the Church of Solomn, god of Justice and Fluffy Clouds. Yet Fabian’s true, lifelong passion is “Cryptonaturalism”: the study of hidden, mythical beasts like the Sugar Moose (a rare but friendly creature whose candy cane antlers are treasured by hunters), the Solardillo (a bioluminescent armadillo used to replace campfires), the Hamsterdon (a 40-foot high hamster that runs around in a giant bamboo ball and […]

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