Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Jellybeaners by Gene Scott is a heartbreaking story of the opioid epidemic, a story that captures the drug plague in the very heart of Appalachia. In this spellbinding story, readers will navigate the pains and peril and the despair that surrounds the use of the opioid. The story features a game of power and money, political corruption, untold misery resulting from drug abuse, and a lot more. In vivid and captivating prose and making compelling historical references, the author leads the reader into a vivid setting, a world cursed by drugs.

The reader is left in no doubt that the author has done his research very well, because he writes like an expert in the field, unveiling facts and scientific truths about the use of the drug that aren’t accessible to the ordinary person. The novel’s plot is very unusual, told in a highly descriptive style; it is focused and purpose-driven. I was drawn in, pulled irresistibly from the start, and having worked in a mental hospital, I could see the same drama I have witnessed in mental patients unfolding within these pages. The story has a realism that forces the reader to take note, to stop and contemplate the insidious events that literally rob millions of people of life and an abiding sense of meaning. The conflict is unique and strong enough to allow the reader to continue from page to page. This is a story that combines history with powerful social commentary to offer an exposé of a dark reality that is woven into the fabric of modern society. Jellybeaners by Gene Scott is a succinct indictment for the lucrative trade of drug trafficking.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Unleash Your Inner Super Powers And Destroy Fear and Self Doubt: Words of Wisdom for Teens Book 3 by Jacqui Letran is an inspiring and encouraging book that will enable teen readers to tap into their potential and discover their peace of mind, self-confidence, and happiness. The tools and tactics in this book will help develop the seven Inner Super Powers, showing readers how to connect to and strengthen the Inner Powers that will eliminate all fear, self-doubt, and insecurity that leave everyone trapped and powerless, and create a meaningful life that is happy and peaceful. The author gives good guidance on understanding the workings of the mind and tapping into it; both the conscious and subconscious.

The book is empowering and is a must-read for all those who are looking to effect transformations and make positive changes in their lives. It is a good guide for both young people as well as adults because reading the book will be helpful when it comes to self-discovery so that they can take charge of themselves and their lives. I like the author’s approach to the topic; she makes it simple, logical, realistic, engaging to readers, and easy to understand. The techniques can be applied in daily life and the worksheets are useful when it comes to reflecting on moments in their lives which have played a role in making them what they are today. Reading this book is a good learning experience that will help readers reconnect with their buried feelings and make progress in the right direction.

Reviewed by Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite

Benjamin's Field: Ascent (Benjamin's Field Trilogy Book 2) by J.J. Knights is a young adult story that starts with Jeremy Kyner as a teenager. Because of his clubfoot, he is being bullied by a teacher who wants to have him institutionalized. Many people come to Jeremy's aid against his teacher, including Jeremy's grandfather, his hired hand, a Catholic priest, a Jewish blacksmith, a girl full of courage, a misfit, and a class bully. When the teacher's plans fall apart, she reveals her own dark secret. Around the same time, Randy Bridgewater appears on the scene. Randy is Jeremy's war hero and his deceased father's long lost friend. When he steps out of the past, he brings with him a surprising twist that propels the story into book three and the dramatic conclusion of this intense trilogy.

Ascent is a unique young adult book in the fact that it is the second book of a trilogy that spans 60 years of one family's history. This family saga is full of love, loss, and life lessons that encompass the themes of family loyalty versus individual need, personal liberty, society's expectations, religious prejudice, racism, intolerance, charity, and forgiveness. It is the type of story that will make you laugh on one page and cry on the next. It will stay with you long after you've moved on and read the last page. It is one of those stories I will be thinking about for a long time.

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

It’s tough being a teenager. Period. I am middle aged now, but I remember this like it was yesterday. In my writing, I have often advocated having a course on life to teach young people about some of the difficult choices they will have to make in this life. In such a course on life, I would most certainly include Pride: You Can’t Heal If You’re Hiding From Yourself by Ronald Holt, D.O. It is quite simply the best example of helpful, even necessary advice and information for young people who may be struggling with the added layer of complexity that comes with being gay. This book will help them. This book will help their friends, family members, and anyone else who is concerned with their well being help them too.

Pride: You Can’t Heal If You’re Hiding From Yourself is well written. It is well organized and it is in a style that I think will resonate with young people. Ronald Holt is writing from a place of compassion and understanding, and the reader can feel it. Pride: You Can’t Heal If You’re Hiding From Yourself is full of good practical and spiritual advice for young people who may be experiencing one of the most personal and intense episodes in their young lives. This book can help. This book can point them in the right direction, and when you are confused that can be a great start. I liked the message and I liked the purpose and intention. A great book.

Reviewed by Katherine Williams for Readers' Favorite

Blues Harp Green is a young adult novel by Nicole Schubert. The novel’s protagonist, Francie Millis - aka FM - is a 16-year-old girl who lives in LA. Francie’s dream is to become the ultimate tennis player. She tries so hard to focus on tennis and only tennis to distract herself from her father’s drunken ways. One day, Francie injures her knee and her tennis dreams suddenly fly out the window. She seems to lose herself until she finally meets Chet Jones, a charming yet quirky lead singer who makes her happy, just like tennis did. Chet and Francie discover that they have an amazing connection, although this connection can only keep Francie distracted for so long. No matter what she does, Francie learns that things such as a sport or a blossoming relationship ultimately cannot distract her from real life and how she is feeling. Even though that might not always feel right to her, the point is that she does not always have to have her whole life figured out and, honestly, that is okay.

Blues Harp Green is a refreshing young adult novel that will make you feel like a teenager again. Francie Millis is a fun, fresh voice that you will grow to love by the end of the novel. Through the classic young adult exploration of sexuality, alcoholism and even sports, Francie guides you through her life in a way that keeps you on your toes. You will want to give her advice, hug her, and even shake her throughout the novel, and I applaud the fact that the main character is so relatable. I also really enjoyed the fact that Francie was so focused on tennis. I believe the sports aspect is what sets this book apart as she not only deals with her family problems, but she also deals with her tennis problems. The other characters are also fun and well written; Chet and Francie have an undeniable chemistry that will set your heart on fire.

Nicole Schubert's writing is admirable as she does a very good job of creating the novel’s young adult tone. The pacing is quick but in a good way that makes you want to read the book in one sitting. She does a very good job of pulling the many emotions that teenagers go through into her narrative, noting not only the sad and confused moments, but also the happy and proud moments. The writing in this book does a very good job of sucking you in and keeping you focused on these characters’ lives, as well as making you feel attached to them and their stories. I suggest this to book to any teen or adult who is looking for a book about self exploration and discovering who you are. This book teaches you that even though it may seem like life is tough right now, no matter what happens, you will be able to get through it.

Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

Do you feel misunderstood? Do your parents just like to push your buttons? Jacqui Letran's 5 Simple Questions To Reclaim Your Happiness and Create Amazing Relationships For Life (Book One) is a practical guide for navigating teens' emotions. Using beneficial exercises, the reader will quickly learn how to process their feelings more analytically and constructively, giving them deep insight into their actions and the actions of those around them. Imagine what it would be like to be a confident, emotionally stable young adult. You feel understood and appreciated. Your life is no longer dictated by the drama that seems to be inevitable. Start with asking yourself the five questions within this workbook and watch how your life opens up! By applying the uncomplicated principles outlined in this book, you will be amazed at how much easier life can be. You can have great relationships without unnecessary drama, constant fights, and unfair punishments. Are you ready to break your negative relationship cycles?

Jacqui Letran's 5 Simple Questions To Reclaim Your Happiness and Create Amazing Relationships For Life (Book One) is the first book in a three-book teen confidence series. Inspired by the author's own painful young adulthood, this book breaks down the emotional and thought processes that both teens and parents go through when struggling with an issue. With real-life examples and simple assignments to complete, this book is a valuable asset for both the teen and the parent. The author did an outstanding job of creating a safe place for teens to get in touch with and process their emotions in a positive environment. I would suggest this book for teens, their parents, or anyone that is tired of their negative emotions running their lives.

Reviewed by Stephen Fisher for Readers' Favorite

The Greenlee Project by Amanda thrasher is a brilliantly written story about a selected few students who are considered to be the B.P. (Beautiful People) who truly believe that it is they who run the high school that they attend in today's electronic society. The story begins with Greenlee Granger, a fourteen-year-old girl who is going through a huge social dilemma at school. After her father drops her off at school, instead of going inside, she decides to take a long ride on a public bus. Time doesn't seem to exist until she finally gets let off, God knows where, in a town 20 miles away. She finally gets back to reality and calls her father to pick her up.

From here the story unfolds as you get to know her circle of friends and social status, as well as the cute new boy that just transferred to her school. Clay joins the football team because he was the star quarterback where he came from. Now he has to prove himself and make the team. When it comes time for him to be initiated, he is allowed to decide the ritual, and sets out to make it a memorable one, so he proposes "The Greenlee Project." The only people that can know about the initiation are his new team mates. That is until queen bee, Laurel, sets her sights on Clay as well.

Amanda Thrasher does a superb job of describing the intense situations that arise when the elite crowd's attention is threatened by those that they feel are beneath them. Ms. Thrasher also delivers the pressures that the B.P. experience to maintain their status quo. All of her characters are well developed and, by the end of this powerful story, Amanda adds some unexpected surprises that really put a twist in the outcome. The Greenlee Project is an eye opening, powerfully written book that I highly recommend for teenagers, faculty, and parents. Well done!

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Gerlinda is an historical novel written for preteens and new young adults by Emily-Jane Hills Orford. Gerlinda was a bit of an outcast at Chambers Elementary School. The eighth-grader wore a dress that was tattered and shabby, and had probably never been washed. She smelled funny because there was no soap at home and the hot water heater at home was broken, so there was no way for her to even wash or keep her clothing clean. Hunger was a part of her daily existence, but she made sure never to let her father hear her complain or ask for food. His responses to both her, her siblings, and her mother were swift and brutal. Her father was German and had been part of the Hitler Youth movement, but now he was simply the angry and often drunken man who terrorized his family. While it was now 1966, some twenty years after the war, he remained angry over the defeat of the Germans and the aftermath of WWII. The other eighth-graders at school avoided being near Gerlinda because of her unfortunate body odor, and there was a group of boys and girls who delighted in teasing her. Still, Gerlinda was a first pick for any sports team, and she was a faster and better athlete than any of those boys who had so much fun picking on her. When the school tryouts for the swim team were announced, Gerlinda thought this would be her chance to finally fit in. Then she got to know Mrs. Martinez, who was the shopkeeper at one of the stores Gerlinda had to steal from to feed the family, and somehow the kindly woman became her mentor and her friend.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford’s preteen and new young adult historical novel, Gerlinda, grabbed my attention from the first page. This is a marvelous novel! I couldn’t help but feel for the young girl who had so much going for her, but was so hampered by her dysfunctional family situation. The author’s handling of the cultural upheavals that were the result of the Second World War is intelligent and perceptive. I was angered by the insensitivity and sadistic impulses of Gerlinda’s father, and thrilled when she found both her voice and her friend. Gerlinda is a beautifully written look at the not-so-distant past, and one can’t help but notice the changes that have taken place in dealing with cases of domestic abuse and neglect. This preteen and new young adult novel is stunningly good, and it’s most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren is book one of the Seeker series by Cody F. Wagner, and an interesting mix of fantasy, boarding school drama, and gay coming of age story. Blaze Trales, who gets to hear plenty of jokes about his name, accidentally outed himself in front of his parents. Fortunately, they have just received a flyer about a boarding school that would help to "pray the gay away." Blaze is not happy, but once he arrives at the school, he finds it different from what he expected. He lives in a dorm with another gay boy and one girl. They quickly become friends of sorts, and soon Blaze finds out that the school is not what the parents who sent their kids there to be "healed" would expect. And the school has an ancient enemy. A siren.

The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren by Cody F. Wagner is a good introduction to the Seeker series and gains momentum with every chapter. The book has a lot of humour. While it is aimed at young adults, especially gay teenagers who still have issues with being gay, it is a great book for readers of all ages. I wasn't quite expecting the story to turn into something so interesting and exciting. The more you read, the harder it is to stop reading, and you get one or the other surprise, especially towards the end. At the end, things definitely did NOT go the way I thought they would go at all. Cody F. Wagner's writing has a fresh feel to it, the characters are well written, and at the end you're left wanting more.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Nola Gals by Barbara J. Rebbeck is the story of two girls who are very different from each other, but they have a great influence on each other's lives. Essence LaFontaine lives with her mother, grandmother, and her younger sister Chardonnai in New Orleans. Things are not perfect, but they are good enough. Her grandmother loves them, but she is too stubborn for her own good. When all of their neighbors are planning their evacuation because of the Hurricane Katrina threat, her grandmother decides to stay behind. Essence and her little sister are rescued and taken to safety with the other victims, one of whom might be Essence's father.

Grace Woodson does not like school. When she is suspended from her school, she is taken to the refugee camp with her father and there she finds the will to write and she connects with these people. She starts to read her English class assignment, To Kill a Mockingbird, to the people in the camp. When Essence joins her school, things become very interesting. So very interesting that you will have to read it to find out more.

If there ever was a novel with a great moral behind it, it is Nola Gals. What I really love about this novel is that you cannot put it into an age group. It can be read by anyone belonging to any age group. I love it when a novel is this diverse. There is a strength behind these girls, an inner force that made them the center of attention. A great novel that should be available to everyone!