Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite

An unknown entity that goes by the moniker The Marked Queen has been digging up dirt about the students of Johnson Prep. The Marked Queen offers them a chance to save face in exchange for someone else's deep, dark secret. The elite class of this high school has quite dramatic secrets that they just can't risk getting out. Danielle, the most popular girl in the class, has gone from riches to rags after her mom decided to divorce her dad. Danielle could not bear the thought of her poverty becoming common knowledge to her peers and friends, so she decided to keep her financial status a secret. Similarly, her best friend Delilah had her own secrets to guard. Just like the girls, the hottest guy in the school, Calvin, could not let his sexual orientation be the talk of the town, erm, high school. Even if he chose to reveal his secret, his boyfriend, Aman, had no intention of coming out of the closet. Amid these hotshots, the new guy, Andrew, who wanted to keep a low profile, unknowingly attracted The Marked Queen's attention. High School Queens (The High School Queens Trilogy) by Zachary Ryan raises the age-old dilemma of how far would you go to guard the skeletons in your closet.

High School Queens by Zachary Ryan appears to have been inspired by Pretty Little Liars, an American drama series. Although the tough lives of the characters elicit sympathy from the audience, the narrator made it clear that there was no room for delicate emotions. So, when Delilah's hopes were being crushed, the storyteller's desire that she "learned this lesson the hard way, because we loved a Titanic ending, not a High School Musical one" uncloaked a sadistic narrator. Beneath all the mind games, the plot embodies the sensitive issues, dreams, and aspirations of the "pawns." When people look at Jasmine, they see a fat girl who used to be one of the popular ones. Instead of comprehending the underlying cause of the change, a majority body-shames her. Despite the ruthless voice of the narrator, High School Queens by Zachary Ryan is a very insightful story. Fans of teenage drama and suspense will appreciate the engaging storytelling.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Life Is Big is a work of fiction written in the literary style by author Kiki Denis. Focusing on primary themes such as death and illness, conceptual thinking, and historical progressive thinkers, this accessible read is suitable for audiences of all sensitivities. We find ourselves exploring many concepts of magical realism as the journey takes on a life of its own, sprouting from the imminent death of happy little Alma-Jane. When her brother Ayrton takes up the mantle to put a stopper in her death, a surreal and emotive exploration of life ensues, featuring figures such as Albert Einstein and those around him, and many original and surprising characters who help along the way.

Author Kiki Denis has crafted a literary work that takes science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism concepts in its stride as it tells a deep-reaching tale about our greatest fears and highest hopes regarding death and the afterlife. One of the most impressive things for me as a reader was the control and clarity that Denis displays in handling more than ten characters with major plotlines and perspectives, a feat which results is a richer novel that offers a lot for those who want to think hard on a book and learn from it long after it’s been put down. Taking on the Destroyer of Life requires courage, inspiration, and a hopeful atmosphere, and this book delivers that in spades. Overall, I would highly recommend Life Is Big for those seeking a cerebral read with plenty of content, emotion, and intelligence.

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

In The Declaration, the Sword and the Spy by Jenny L. Cote, in Boston 1774, the Sons of Liberty have sworn an oath of secrecy to overthrow the British occupation. Tensions are already high due to the infamous tyrannical Stamp Act of 1765 by King George III and the massacre of many Boston people by British soldiers. Follow the events of the American Revolution between March 1775 to July 1776 where George Washington is determined to oust the British from Boston and Thomas Jefferson fights for his Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile, King George III fights to hold onto power, not only in Boston but in Britain, where his people are becoming sympathetic to the rebels. As the Founding Fathers prepare to fight for their country's freedom, they discover a spy could be feeding their enemy information. With the battle at Breed Hill between the rebels and the British soldiers looming, the Sons of Liberty must oust the spy. To aid them in their mission is the Order of the Seven, an intelligent and gifted team of animals who specialize in espionage and defeating their enemies.

As I read this magnificent epic of a novel, I wish that the author could have been around when I struggled with history at school. She brings so much life to an important event in history. The characters are many but I felt I knew each one so well; their determination and bravery to fight for their cause was humbling. I loved the use of correspondence, maps and newspaper articles as this brought even more realism to the story. This is not just a well-written account of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, but a story that details the personal reasons the Founding Fathers took up arms. There are some very brutal battle scenes and psychological games of cat and mouse, which enhanced the plot perfectly. There are also some very emotional scenes that are quite heartbreaking.

The Order of the Seven was a fantastic addition to the story; even the animals had strong characteristics. Nigel's superb intelligence and my absolute favorite, Liz, whose huge heart and bravery were admirable. The Declaration, the Sword and the Spy by Jenny L. Cote ticks every box for me with tension, strong plots, amazing areas of conflict and heartwarming relationships. This is one line from the book which I feel sums up the whole message of the novel for me: “If you study men, and you know the history of mankind, predicting the future is not that difficult." The bibliography at the end is a testament to the amount of research the author has done to write this superb book.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

Ecrivain by Elizabeth Dunlap is book 1 in the Ecrivain Academy series. We are introduced to Calliope, who secretly enjoys writing, but has little belief in her own talent. After she enters a short story competition to officially be told she has no talent, she tells her family about it (under less than perfect circumstances), and as a punishment for being so silly – after all, writing is a waste of precious time – Calliope is sent to a boarding school in France of all places. Much to the delight of her bratty brother! At first, Calliope is distraught. She has to leave her only friend behind and doesn’t speak French. When she arrives, however, she learns that the Ecrivain Academy is not what her parents thought it would be: it’s a school for writers, and the head of it is Calliope’s favorite author. She can’t believe her luck but soon finds out that life with that many other wannabe writers can be anything but pleasant. It can even be deadly!

It has been a while since I was drawn into a book’s world as quickly as with Ecrivain by Elizabeth Dunlap. A great idea that was written by someone who knew how to tell it. Of course, boarding school plots are nothing new, but the idea of a boarding school for future writers with different houses, according to the genre, was a nice twist. I only would have liked a Tolkien house, for a proper fantasy representation. The characters were well written and represented the wide variety of what an author can be like. After all, writers – be it novelists or poets – are all just people, all very different, with their own attitudes, ideals, and ideas. Of course, there are some stereotypes, but poets deserve it (sorry, not sorry). This novel was a truly enjoyable read, and I finished it within two nights of reading. I’m looking forward to the next volume in the series. I usually hate cliffhangers, but this one wasn’t executed in a way that makes you want to throw the book at the author. I wish a school like that would truly exist, and not just for kids, minus all the rather disturbing developments, and with a Tolkien house for fantasy writers, obviously.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Time's Up is book three in the Time Zero Trilogy by Carolyn J. Cohagan and a terrific conclusion to an intriguing dystopian story. Mina and Juda are forced to return back home to Manhattan and they don’t want to. They spend days trying to find a way out of it, but Ram won’t have any of it. They know they are wanted by the authorities and that Mrs. Asher is also looking for them after the death of her son. But there is something even more sinister: Ram has a dangerous technology and he’s ordered them to kill their Divine Leader, Uncle Ruho. Otherwise, Ram will bomb the Island. Mina has a very difficult choice to make: kill one man to save every other person she loves or find a way to kill her nemesis. Either way, it is a challenging and arduous task, and is she up for it?

I was pulled into Time's Up right from the first page. The dialogues open the narrative and they are amazing, unveiling layers of the characters slowly and introducing the conflict. The author knows the “showing” technique of storytelling and she uses it well to engage the reader. The premise is very strong and it is introduced immediately: Ruho claims to be a descendant of God and Ram thinks he is blasphemous and wants him taken out in order to trigger the Ascension. But the consequences of such an act are frightening. The tension starts building from the first page and grows more intense as the story progresses. Carolyn J. Cohagan’s characters are wonderfully written, multidimensional, and believable. There is so much to love in this story, from the strong plot, the beautiful prose, to the powerful characters. Time's Up doesn’t disappoint. A delightful read!

Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite

Pushing Through the Darkness: From Montserrat to Montserrat by Linette Arthurton Bruno tells the story of a young married couple, Clementine and Christophe, as they honeymoon in the Caribbean islands. The young couple revels in the history of events in both Montserrat and Martinique as they intertwine with the lives of their family. Can their discoveries uncover the change in Clementine’s father? Will the clarification of the family’s frightening past help Clementine discover herself and have a happier future with her new husband? Will the couple’s family see eye to eye upon their return home?

Pushing Through the Darkness is an interesting trip through the past and present with a well thought out plot that unfolds through the history of two islands tormented by volcanic activity that destroyed homes as well as lives. The characters are very interesting and easy to relate to as Clementine and Christophe discover and share historical events that left emotional damage on the people involved in the natural but tragic events. I love how Pushing Through the Darkness shows how the distant past can influence families and communities, causing them to change physically, emotionally and psychologically, as well as influencing the futures of the people who endure the trauma and the aftermath of events. I recommend Bruno’s Pushing Through the Darkness to anyone who enjoys history and its effects on the future of the people who survive and find a way to carry on after the tragedy has passed.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

I admit, I read and review lots of books but it’s not long before I forget most of them. Such will never be the case with Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. Aimed at young adults, it presents the story of Melody Fisher, a sensitive, talented young adult thrust into the foster home system following the death of her mother and disappearance of her father while still a child. It takes many years, an in-tune therapist and a caring case worker to break through Melody’s wall of silence regarding the abuse she’s endured both at school and in those foster homes.

Unlike most, including myself, who have written books related to child sexual abuse, Gardner has chosen to tell Melody’s story in a most unusual and powerful way. Rather than simply proceeding chronologically, while Gardner does begin with the joy and love her parents showed Melody, readers suddenly find themselves listening to her story at various stages of her life: sometimes she’s 5, or 9, 11, or 16. Then she’s 7 again. Is this confusing? Initially, a little. But when readers realize that this teen who refuses to speak to anyone is slowly facing the unspeakable heartaches of her past with the help of her therapist, it all makes sense. It’s also a very clever way that Gardner has used to keep readers in suspense about what really happened to Melody. By writing Speak No Evil this way, Gardner gave me an unforgettable book impossible to put down.

When we first meet the teenaged Melody, who instead of a cell-phone always carries a music player, who dreams constantly of the mountains and natural surrounds of her early childhood, and who aches incredibly from the loss of her parents and others whom she came to love, like Quati Raincrow, we are intrigued by her love of and comfort in music, nature and all animals, including snakes. Some of the episodes with snakes will make readers cringe but no more than Melody’s encounters with male sexual abusers, both adult and teen. Those encounters ultimately plunge Melody into the only place she finds comfort: music and silence. The therapist has his work cut out for him, but the method he chooses to finally get Melody to open up is brilliant and effective.

There is so much I’d like to tell you about Speak No Evil. It’s made an indelible impression on me, as I’m sure it will on most readers. There are too Melody Fishers in our homes and schools who lock themselves away in a world where they are both desperate to be heard and afraid to speak up. Though circumstances won’t be identical, Speak No Evil is their story. It’s not my job to tell them that story but to encourage them, and those who care about young people’s mental health to read it for themselves. I have no doubt, that like me, they will find this book unforgettable. A brilliant and novel approach to addressing important social issues. Bravo!

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball by Mike DeLucia is based on a true story about the little-known fact of how one man changed the history of basketball. The year is 1926 and ten-year-old Angelo "Hank" Luisetti is among a crowd of spectators at the Galileo High School Gymnasium in San Francisco. A less popular sport compared to baseball and football, basketball players at this time strictly follow the stop-set-shoot philosophy and generally pass and shoot the ball using two hands, which made the game less of a thrill. Of Italian origin and groomed to inherit his father's business, Hank develops a love for basketball that will take him to Stanford University to become their star player. His innovations will later be considered as the start of a new era for this now highly popular game.

Mike DeLucia's Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball is obviously a tribute to Angelo "Hank" Luisetti and it is richly well deserved. It is fascinating to learn about this young man who pioneered the running one-handed shot and helped make basketball the exciting and popular game that it is today. Mike DeLucia traces Hank's story with surprisingly meticulous detail and the result is a vivid picture of an unassuming young man that made an important mark in basketball history. What makes Madness an engaging read is that when readers turn the pages of this book, they somehow get to personally know the man whose significant contributions to basketball history are largely ignored; his hopes, dreams, and struggles. So the next time we enjoy watching a thrilling basketball game, we can thank Hank Luisetti for it.

Reviewed by Deborah Adams for Readers' Favorite

In Keeping Up Appearances by Elizabeth Stevens, Holly and Xander were the last people anyone would have ever imagined pairing up. That’s because one, her best friend and long-time crush was, you know, enemies with the guy. Two, Holly hated the popular arrogant jock. But, when she finds out her other best friend has made her move on him, all the while encouraging Holly to spill her own feelings, she runs in the opposite direction. Once Holly and Xander agree to “fake date” to make her former crush jealous, all bets are off. Neither Holly nor Xander seem to do a great job of keeping in mind that their relationship isn’t real. But could it be?

Keeping Up Appearances by Elizabeth Stevens was a thoroughly enjoyable, laugh-out-loud, YA romance that I couldn’t put down. The banter between Xander and Holly was hilarious and sharp. The chemistry was sizzling and tangible. Readers of Keeping Up Appearances will be on the edge of their seats as Elizabeth Stevens takes them on a coming-of-age journey that teaches our heroine to look beyond the surface, and step outside of her comfort zone when it comes to friends and life. Will she decide for herself that there is more to the “it” crowd that she’d ever imagined? Will she learn to trust the bad-boy “King Douche” of the school when she realizes there is more to him than anyone, except his closest friends, knows? Don’t wait! Find out now and pick up a copy of Keeping Up Appearances. Your romantic, snarky soul will thank you.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Princess of Baker Street is a young adult coming of age novel written by Mia Kerick. Eric Sinclair and Joey Kinkaid had always been best friends, and they were the focal point of the Baker Street gang, five kids who ran and played and pursued a grand fantasy of the imagination. Joey was their Princess Ariel, and the gang had no issue with that, until they all got a little bit older. Now that they were in middle school, however, Travis and Lily made it their goal in life to torment Joey, and Eric’s own home situation made it imperative that he not get involved or in trouble at school. When their geography teacher assigned Eric and Joey to be study partners, Eric was conflicted. He feared the condemnation and scorn of his peers at school, but, even more so, he loved being part of Joey’s life again. He just couldn’t understand why Joey did the things that made his time in school so very difficult.

Mia Kerick’s young adult coming of age novel, The Princess of Baker Street, is a beautifully written and compelling story about a transgender teen and her childhood friends. I loved witnessing the story through Eric’s eyes and felt for him as he struggled to keep his awful home situation a secret. While Joey’s story is the dominant theme here, Eric’s tale is equally transfixing, and their interactions make this coming of age novel an unforgettable one. Kerick’s depiction of a transgender teen and the stresses and strains of life both at home and in school experienced by her is right on point. Kerick’s characters are remarkably real, and her storytelling is powerful. The Princess of Baker Street is most highly recommended.