Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

In Unspeakable, the first book in the Freedom series, by Michelle K. Pickett, Willow is beautiful, smart, has awesome friends, and is dating Jaden, captain of the football team and most popular guy in school. It can’t get any better than that, right? Looks can be deceiving. She has kept a horrible secret from everyone and when someone finds out, this person uses it against her and makes her feel like a prisoner. If she doesn’t do what he says, he will tell everyone. Then Brody comes into her life. He affects her in a way she never thought possible. She finds herself falling for him but is scared to take things further and leave Jaden. Now she has to figure out if Brody and the life she could have with him is worth risking it all.

This just became my new favorite book. I’m not exaggerating. And I am officially sleep-deprived because of this book. Staying up until 5 in the morning because I can’t bear the thought of going to sleep without knowing what happens to fictional people is not a consistent habit of mine. I loved Willow. Her obsession with caffeine, her sarcastic T-shirts, and the fact that she’s both tough and vulnerable make her such a unique character that you can’t help but root for her. She is going through the unimaginable at both home and school, and throughout the book, you hope she finds the strength to stand up for herself. And then there’s Brody. Oh, Brody. Before Brody, Willow was just going through the motions, counting down the days to graduation when she could escape, but after meeting him, she begins to feel alive and yearns to truly be happy and feel loved.

I give kudos to Michelle K. Pickett for not only creating such amazing characters, but also for portraying such a realistic relationship. The pace was perfect, and the gradual buildup from annoyance with each other to friendship to something more was flawless. While the story does tackle some serious issues, it goes to show how real this book really is. If you’re anything like me, you’ll smile from ear to ear, cry uncontrollably, practically scream with excitement, and want to do unthinkable physical harm to some characters in the book. Unspeakable is an absolute must-read, and I will be impatiently waiting for the rest of the series. Thank you, Michelle K. Pickett, for writing such an incredible book.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence: The Maura DeLuca Trilogy, Book 1 is a young adult paranormal coming of age novel written by Claudette Melanson. Maura just couldn’t get why her mom suddenly wanted to drag her off to Vancouver, BC. She was a junior now in high school and had expected to complete her high school experience in Pennsylvania and then go on to college. It wasn’t that she had tons of friends in school -- she actually didn’t have any when her mom sprung the news on her, but her life would be drastically altered by the move. Granted, the cool, cloudy environs would be a welcome change from Pennsylvania’s blazing summer sun, especially for Maura. Unlike the other kids, Maura’s skin had a ghostly pallor, and she was highly intolerant of the sun. That difference from the rest of her peers had marked and shaped her lonely school existence. Direct exposure would not only cause her skin to instantly redden, but she’d feel physically ill from it. Making the upcoming move even harder, however, was her sudden popularity in school. First it was the perky cheerleader, Katie Parker, who had tormented her since they first met in grammar school; then there was Ron who made her world rock.

Claudette Melanson’s young adult paranormal coming of age novel, Rising Tide: Dark Innocence: The Maura DeLuca Trilogy, Book 1, is an entertaining and well-written story about a young woman on the cusp of undreamed of changes. I loved watching as Maura’s world expands from her stifling and introverted existence of study and housekeeping for herself and her controlling mom to a life filled with friends, dating and even an open-house party at a frat house. Melanson leaves plenty of tantalizing clues for the reader to suss out the nature of Maura’s burgeoning transformation, and the tautly dramatic ending of the story had me looking forward to the next book in her Maura DeLuca Trilogy. Rising Tide: Dark Innocence is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Hampton Road is a psychological thriller written by Michael Segedy. When we first meet Billy, he's in some sort of institution and being given medication by an orderly. Billy's not sure why he's there and hates the medicine which makes him tired and mentally confused. He has lost track of time but knows he should be getting ready for his next race. Billy's a motorcycle racer and just got his expert card. He has big dreams, but suddenly they're all put on hold while he's in this place. Every day, Billy goes in to speak with Dr. Phillips, a fat man with thick glasses and rather spooky little eyes, who sits in his swivel chair with his back to the window. Billy sits in a hard plastic chair opposite the doctor with the sun glaring in at him from that window. Billy wonders why Charlie, or his mother, or Praxy, his girlfriend won't come to visit him. Dr. Phillips asks him about Charlie, who's his best friend, but there's a blinding flash every time Billy thinks about Charlie, and he can't even remember what Charlie looks like.

Michael Segedy's young adult thriller, Hampton Road, is suspenseful and compelling. The reader, in many ways, becomes Billy as he tries to piece together what happened to his life and why he's in the institution. Regardless of whether you've ever been on a motorcycle or been interested in races, the descriptions of the motorcycles, the preparation necessary for racing them, and the races themselves bring the sport alive in a manner that's never tedious or over-descriptive. I was spell-bound envisioning the moves the racers made as they competed in the qualifying heat. The school scenes are fun, with the troglodyte history teacher, the intolerant A-students, and the English teacher who seems to have it all together. Charlie, Praxy, and Billy are all great characters, complex and real, and they complement each other so well. Billy is the hero who's larger than life, and the three of them are such stout friends and loyal companions. I loved this book. It's amazingly good and very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite

The sense of adventure is as strong as the salty sea air in Johnathan's Locket by Lorraine Carey. Orphan Jonathan Palmer has waited 15 years for this day. Today, he will sneak out of the Anglican school for boys that has been his home for as long as he can remember, steal away in the night and set off to find his British mother and the truth about his past. All he has left of his mother is a locket that he has been told was hers, containing a single lock of blonde hair. He stows away on one of Britain's Flagships with the help of his friend Peter, hoping to get passage to England so that he might begin his search. The journey is soon plagued by bad omens, including black cats and the old sailor saying of "Red Sky in the Morning, Sailors Take Warning."

Lorraine Carey does a wonderful job of showing you what's happening, rather than just telling. You actually see the blazing sunrise and feel the cool drops of water rising from the sea. The cover was bold, beautiful, and eye-catching. The cover art is a huge deciding factor in many books from children to middle grade to Young Adult range, and this cover is an excellent choice. It's alluring in just the right way and I'm sure kids will want to know more. While the story was short and sweet, it sure didn't lack in the entertainment factor. Nothing quite beats the action and adventure of a dangerous sea voyage and the mysterious quest of a wayward orphan. A wonderful book that I'm sure the younger young adults will eat right up!

Reviewed by Dr. Oliva Dsouza for Readers' Favorite

Dead Dreams (Book 1) by Emma Right is an intriguingly enchanting story that catches your fancy and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Brianna is a regular kid from a family that is caring, loving, and a little over-involved. Wanting to live on her own and test her own strengths, she has a lot to look forward to. Sarah walks into her life as a roommate who has a good deal to hide and flaunt. Is Sarah really who she claims to be? Can she be trusted or is she an innocent victim of her destiny?

Emma Right has nailed this plot like no one else can. Dead Dreams is definitely a book all mystery lovers will want to lay their hands on. Brianna's various dilemmas and her gullible nature really strike a chord and make readers want things to work out for her. The best part is the web Sarah weaves that slowly draws Brianna onto a dangerous path, perhaps bordering on the illegal. How far will Sarah go to make sure her trap is successful is something that no one knows. Is Brianna's brother, Keith, the one person she can reply on in her time of need, or is there a more sinister turn that her dreams and life are going to take? Put on your seat belts and vroom through this book as you will not stop until each page has been devoured and your questions answered. "Waiting for the sequel eagerly" is the state the reader is left in after reading this book.

Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite

“Pepper and Longstreet Mysteries: The Complete Series” by J T Lewis contains every episode of the “Pepper and Longstreet” mystery tales. Very similar to “The Hardy Boys” and “Nancy Drew” mysteries familiar to those of us considered “boomers”, Pepper Jones is a 14 year old High School student who has been successful – and lucky – at solving a number of mysteries around her home town. She has the very helpful assistance of a Civil War era ghost by the name of Jacob Longstreet, who happens to be invisible to everybody except Pepper; that fact gives her a decided advantage at times while working on a case.

There are 11 stories in this very reasonably priced collection, and each of them is an extraordinarily good young adult/pre-teen mystery story. Whether solving just-committed robberies or cracking 40 year old coded messages, when Pepper and Longstreet are on the job, the bad guys don’t stand a chance. These stories aren’t just reminiscent of “The Hardy Boys” and “Nancy Drew”; they are every bit as well written, engaging, and fun to read. J T Lewis writes youth mysteries on par with those two legendary series. Although it is classified as “Young Adult” fiction, I can personally testify that old adults too will enjoy these stories. The author has found his niche, and has the talent to excel in this genre. His characters are as real as your next door neighbor, with a touch of the paranormal thrown in just for fun. He could sell these mysteries individually with no difficulty, but has chosen instead to package them all in one collection, thereby giving the reader an exceptional value for the cost. I highly recommend buying this book for the pre-teen through young adults in your life. I’d guess that at least 90 per cent of them will love these stories.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Kelly moved to Fort Myers Beach to live with her aunt after the death of her parents in an auto accident. Scott is her next door neighbor and the brains behind their adventures. Austin has a crush on Kelly but she doesn't seem to know it. Zoey's family is rather well off. These four teens work together to investigate murders that happened in the past and prevent any more. They find a time machine that once belonged to Thomas Edison. They call the device their Spirit Radio. Every time they go back in time something in the future changes. When they hear the voice of a dead person begging for help they go back in time to the 1980s. This time they may have gone too far. The murderer is now looking for them.

This is the second book in the 'Cul8R Time Travel Mystery Series'. Bob Kat dd an excellent job recreating the 1980s. "BRB" is a balanced mixture of time travel/science fiction and mystery. The teenagers are well-created and developed; it was very easy to connect to the characters as they are very realistic. This book is entertaining and sure to please young adults and not so young adults. The plot would make a great movie. There is a hint of romance in this tale but it is very well done and not offensive in any manner. Now that I have read book 2 in this series I want to go back and read the first one.

Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

Devon Mackson's mother wound up going to prison when Devon was only eight years old, leaving Devon to be taken in by her Grammy and moving to the small mountain town where her family had lived for generations. Now, at the age of eighteen, she is tired of living by everyone else's rules, being labeled a certain way just because of what her mother did, or where she happens to live. Even though she is class valedictorian she knows the only way to escape the town is to get a scholarship and leave for college. While doing research for a particular scholarship at the town Records office she learns that Brock Cutler, the most popular boy in high school, works there. Even though she has been warned all her life that mountain folk and town folk just don't mix, she still finds herself drawn to him, and a friendship develops. During this time she starts noticing a woman with a long black veil hanging around the cemetery at an abandoned church on the dirt road that leads to her Grammy's trailer home. As the sightings of the woman become more frequent Devon confides in her Grammy and is told about a family curse involving the woman in the black veil, and is told if she stops seeing Devon the woman will go away. Just who is the woman in the black veil, and what is the curse that has haunted this family for over one hundred years? Will Devon have to give up her budding romance with Brock or will she be able to figure out the mysteries of the past before the curse changes her life forever?

The stunningly beautiful cover of this book really sets the tone for the story that unfolds in "Long Black Veil". I expected a haunting tale, but instead found a multi-layered story of a haunting curse but also a young lady who just wants to get out of her tiny town where she will no longer feel she is judged. She is not truly a loner, because Devon does have one good friend, Gil, a boy from town with his own issues. She acts as if it really doesn't matter that she doesn't fit in. But as the story progresses we see another side of Devon. When Brock starts to befriend her it is as though she really starts to blossom, but the thing is that the lady in black starts to haunt her. I really enjoyed how the feelings grow between Brock and Devon. The relationship progresses in a very realistic way that made me hope that they could be together. When she learns that her family has been cursed and the lady in black is part of that curse she becomes determined to figure out why, and to put an end to it. I thought the interaction between Devon and her mother Lorelei was totally convincing; after all she had kept some major facts from Devon. As an interesting mystery unfolds the author keeps the reader guessing as to whether the curse can be broken and if the lady in the long black veil will ever be able to rest. When I thought I knew everything about the story Jeanette Battista throws in a few twists to keep the plot moving. A well-crafted story that revolves around mountain curses, mystery, folklore, romance, a haunting, and a splash of time travel to make for a page turning read that will certainly be a hit with young adult readers. I am sure anyone who enjoys paranormal fiction will be delighted with "Long Black Veil".