Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
In a world shattered by chaos and divided by the brutal reign of the Raiders, one woman longs to break free from the shackles of her family’s legacy.

Born into darkness and raised to become heir to the ruthless Raiders, Princess Catori yearns for a life beyond the violence and oppression that defines her existence. When she meets Micah, a riverboat captain with an unwavering sense of justice, she sees a glimmer of hope for a different future.

But her grandfather, founder of the Raiders, has a plan for Catori’s life that he refuses to relinquish. He’ll stop at nothing to see her become all he has prepared her to be, whether she wants that existence or not.

Will Catori and Micah ever escape to the safety of the new life they long for, or is Catori destined to become something she despises?

In this gripping companion novel set in the world of the Talionis Series, readers will be transported on a thrilling journey with Catori and her companions. Filled with action, suspense, and romance, Abandoned Shores is a story of survival, hope, and the power of love in the face of adversity.

Fans of dystopian fiction and epic romances will be captivated by this heart-pounding tale of adventure, danger, and the unbreakable bond between two unlikely allies.

Sexual Content:
A relationship between a man and a woman that doesn’t go any further than kissing.

Violence:
Some shooting and fistfights, but there’s not too much gore.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is a definite part of this book.

Notes:
This is a clean YA fiction novel. This book is an excellent companion novel for the Talionis Series that tells us about the past of a few characters we meet in the Talionis Series
Book Two. With a powerful adversary, and an even more powerful romance, this book will keep you on your toes and make you want to read the Talionis Series.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…

Sexual Content:
Two people are married, with little to no kissing. One woman had a former relationship, but the fact that he doesn’t love her anymore makes her feel like she has nothing to live for, so she commits suicide.

Violence:
Severe, with violent murders, and suicides.

Language:
Mild, with little to no cursing.

Beliefs:
One character reads the Bible and uses scripture to justify her worldview, though it is a self-serving interpretation of faith, and little to no racism.

Notes (From Cooper):
Just a warning to more sensitive readers, this book is a thriller, so if you don’t like lots of deaths, or if you don’t like being scared, then this is not the book for you.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
It has been written that there is no fear in love and that perfect love casts out all fear. Welcome to an age in the not-so-distant future in which fear has personified itself as dragons whose wrath can only be avoided through loyalty. The light of Love is a distant relic. Into this world comes a twelve-year-old boy named Jack who has heard the ancient teachings of Yeshua which claim that only love can cast out fear. But if young Jack is to discover this way of love and bring light into the darkness, he will face many perils. Only through grasping the power of love over fear can the children of the world find themselves in the grace and peace promised so long ago.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than friendships.

Violence:
There are multiple battles between people and the dragons, and there are multiple killings, but there is little to no gore.

Language:
No Profanity

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a clean Middle Grade fantasy series with a very intriguing plot. If you’re a middle grader, and you like dragons, then this is the book series for you.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than friendships.

Violence:
There are giants in this book that eat people with small amounts of detail like: “When the giants got a hold of them, there was a crunch, and that was that.”, and there is a scene where the news reports finding a bunch of children’s bones by a school, but nothing gets worse than that.

Language:
Little to no cursing.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a mostly clean, fun, fantasy read, about how one fateful night plunges Sophie into the world of the giants, where she meets the BFG, who is the only giant who refuses to eat humans, or “human beans”, as he calls them.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
After Daniel bar Jamin’s father is crucified by the Roman Empire, Daniel wants nothing more than to rid his land of Israel of Roman control once and for all. Yet when David meets Jesus of Nazareth, a traveling carpenter with a gentle message of love and forgiveness, David starts to realize that the hate festering in his heart might be his true enemy after all.

Sexual Content:
Nothing more than crushes.

Violence:
A character dies by being stabbed, with mild detail. A character’s father is described as being crucified, with no detail. As this is set in the time of the romans, people are mistreated.

Language:
Little to no cursing, the word d*** is used.

Beliefs:
Christianity is a big part of this book, as is the Roman Catholic religion.

Notes (By Paxton):
This is a clean fiction read about a boy who lived in Jesus’ time, while he struggles through his life, he starts to discover what it’s like to follow Jesus.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat, an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

Sexual Content:
There are a few relationships between male and female characters that don’t go further than kissing.

Violence:
The only violence is people dying at sea, and news of the war, but even that part doesn’t go into detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is one of the main parts of this book, through things like prayer and bible reading.

Notes:
This is an excellent biography about the life of Christian, and very knowledgable sailor, Nathanial Bowditch. If you like historical nonfiction books, then you’ll really like this book.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
The Search for a New Home Begins.

It is Earth year 2213 – but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the Sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second trip: a 150-year journey to a distant star, our best guess at where we might find a new home.

Liam Saunders-Chang is one of the last humans left on Mars. The son of two scientists who have been racing against time to create technology vital to humanity’s survival, Liam, along with his friend Phoebe, will be on the last starliner to depart before Mars, like Earth before it, is destroyed.

Or so he thinks. Because before this day is over, Liam and Phoebe will make a series of profound discoveries about the nature of time and space and find out that the human race is just one of many in our universe locked in a dangerous struggle for survival.

Sexual Content:
There is a Relationship between a boy and a girl that doesn’t go any further than friendship until later in the series, and even then, it doesn’t go further than kissing.

Violence:
There is a lot of violence, like killing. At the beginning of the second book alone, six billion beings are destroyed. There is also: Beings described as being shot, frozen to death in space, and burned. The violence is described in moderate detail, like: “As he was blasted into the vacuum of space, he could feel his eyes filling with tears as he looked at the stars he would never see again.”

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
A machine is referred to as “God” multiple times in the third book, and the machine is said to have created the universe, even though the Bible says that God created the universe.

Notes:
This is a semi clean YA fiction series about the destruction of Earth. This series is very dark, but it is a good series nonetheless. I would have rated the series higher, but a machine is referred to as God several times, and that goes against what the Bible says.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide.

Fleeing his assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head…and his world goes black.

From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world-a world where evil is contained. A world where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman. Then he remembers the dream of the chase as he reaches to touch the blood on his head.

Where does the dream end and reality begin? Every time he falls asleep in one world, he awakes in the other-both facing catastrophic disaster. Thomas is being pushed beyond his limits…even beyond the limits of space and time.

Black is an incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, pursuit and death, and a terrorist’s threat unlike anything the human race has ever known.

Some say the world hangs in the balance of every choice we make. Now the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man’s choice.

Sexual Content:
There is a romance between a male and a female that doesn’t go further than kissing. The relationship is strange because as soon as they meet, the female “chooses” the male, and declares that he is the man she shall marry. The male then receives advice from the village men on how to “woo” the female, this is strange, especially because a lot of what they tell him to do is very showy, and most of the time makes the male feel embarrassed.

Violence:
The violence level in this book is very severe, with the main character being hunted by loan sharks and assassins, multiple battles, demonic person sized bats eating people alive, a man-made virus killing people, torture, and very gory scenes where character’s wounds “spewed blood everywhere.” As for the loan sharks and assassins, they almost kill him several times with bullets and knives, with moderate detail. The battles include many people becoming injured or dying, with moderate detail. The demonic bats are supposed to be a physical representation of evil, and the detail surrounding them is very severe. There are scenes that include the bats tearing the flesh off of different characters, even while they’re still alive. The man-made virus is one of the main parts of this book, but almost no one dies from it in this book. The torture describes many methods, including a scene where a character’s eyes are torn out of their head, with very graphic detail. This book can get very demonic when it comes to the evil bats. There is a scene where a character drinks of “the forbidden water”, causing the bats to kill hundreds of people. The bat’s leader is very manipulative, he tricks many people into giving themselves over to him, which most of the time leads to their deaths.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
Some parts of this book could be weird, but the rest made up for it. This is an action packed book, with gunfights, sword fights, a virus, and a man trying to figure out which of the worlds he lives in is real. This mind-bending thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
“We have stepped off the cliff and are falling into madness.”

Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide. Nothing is as it seems, as Black turns to Red.

The mind-bending pace of Black accelerates in Red, book two of the Circle Series. Less than a month ago, Thomas Hunter was a failed writer selling coffee at the Java Hut in Denver. Now he finds himself in a desperate quest to rescue two worlds from collapse. In one world, he’s a battle-scarred general commanding an army of primitive warriors. In the other, he’s racing to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating global chaos through an unstoppable virus.

Two worlds on the brink of destruction. One unthinkable solution.

Sexual Content:
Similar to what was in the first one with a lot less showoffishness. Doesn’t go further than kissing.

Violence:
The violence level in this book is very severe, and is even more intense than in the last book. There are many wars that end with thousands dead, with moderate-severe detail. There are terrorists that threaten to release an extremely deadly airborne virus that kills anyone infected with it within two months. The terrorists kill people violently, kidnap people, and threaten every country in the world with global annihilation. There are very gruesome deaths, one of which is described as turning a lake red with blood. There is severe torture, whips and many other methods are used.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This book’s political aspects could seem very slow at times, but the books pace and action would always pick up from there. I could not put this book down. With nonstop action, and mind bending shifts in reality that make Thomas question what’s real, this is a series you have to read in your lifetime.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
When 15-year-old Krystin Jakobsdóttir’s uncle is accused of attempted murder, she determines to help him clear his name of something she knows he didn’t do. But soon she realizes she’s not just fighting a false accusation, she’s fighting against a conspiracy to take down the social activist her uncle supports. The situation is eerily similar to what happened two years ago, the devastating loss of her sister. With a relentless police inspector watching her every move, Krystin faces a dilemma—avoid the authorities and hope for the best for her uncle, or align with the very thinking that tore her sister from her two years ago.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this book go further than hugging.

Violence:
Multiple characters are attacked, with small amounts of detail, like: “She held his cut closed and kept pressure on the wound. Sure enough, the blood that was oozing between her fingers stopped flowing.” There is an attempted murder through poisoning, and other killings are implied with people being “Silenced”.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is one of the main points of this book, and the Christians in this book are heavily prosecuted with the threat of being “silenced” if they are outspoken about their faith.

Notes:
Association is clean, dystopian fiction, sci-fi, and mystery all rolled into one. This prequel is about what the world looks like in the future, and how deadly the consequences of being associated with “criminals” can be, even if they’re one of the people you love most. I couldn’t put my Kindle down as the characters went from clue to clue, getting step after step closer to finding out why Krystin’s uncle was accused of murder…

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
In a world where the government’s CORE systems see and track everyone, seventeen-year-old hacker Seth Alvarez is determined to save his sister from being placed in a reeducation facility. Armed with a cryptic letter, Seth embarks on a search for the valuable incognito devices—cyber master keys that can set his sister free. But with only three weeks remaining, he finds himself wedged between two powerful forces who will stop at nothing to get the devices first.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this book go further than hugging.

Violence:
Multiple characters are attacked, with small amounts of detail. There are descriptions of people being “Silenced” when they deviate from the governments rules. There is a scene where a character is found floating dead in a river. There is a scene with a gun involved, but no one gets shot.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is one of the main points of this book, and the Christians in this book are heavily prosecuted with the threat of being “silenced” if they are outspoken about their faith.

Notes:
This is great dystopian sci-fi. With nonstop action, page turning events, and many powerful enemies, you’ll find yourself cheering Seth on in his excitingly dangerous search for the devices that could change everything.

Jeremiah Friedli writes in a way that makes you want to discover the deeper meaning behind every sentence you read.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
It has been written that there is no fear in love and that perfect love casts out all fear. Welcome to an age in the not so distant future in which fear has personified itself as dragons whose wrath can only be avoided through loyalty. The light of Love is a distant relic. Into this world comes a boy named Noah who has heard the ancient teachings of Yeshua which claim that only love can cast out fear. But if young Noah is to discover this way of love and bring light into the darkness, he will face many perils. Only through grasping the power of love over fear can the world find itself in the grace and peace promised so long ago.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than friendships. There is marriage, but there is little to no kissing.

Violence:
There are multiple battles between people and the dragons, and there are multiple killings, but there is little to no gore.

Language:
No Profanity

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a clean Middle Grade fantasy series. If you’re a middle grader, and you like dragons, then this is the book series for you. The Dragons Among Us is a continuation of what happens after the And They Found Dragons series.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
What if everything you thought you knew about your world was a lie? What if the peace and safety you relied on were built on fear, control, and secrets too dangerous to uncover? And what if the key to setting it all free lay in the hands of a young girl and a mysterious dragon? Follow Emilia, an unlikely heroine, as she uncovers the secrets of a golden dragon egg and is thrust into a battle between the Guardians and the oppressive Order. With a dragon by her side and enemies at every turn, Emilia’s choices will shape the future of her world.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than friendships.

Violence:
Many characters in this series become injured, or die, with little to no detail. The book does mention dead bodies without being too gruesome.

Language:
No Profanity

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a clean Middle Grade fantasy series about the aftermath of “The Dragons Among Us” series.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
What if you could find a way to enter another reality full of wild and life changing adventure? And what if every time you fell asleep you woke up in that other reality? Welcome to the world of Theo Dunnery, a twelve year-old boy who feels alone and full of fear when he stumbles on an ancient book that draws him into another world. In that world, he learns he must complete a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth if he is to conquer his fears. Facing great odds and many enemies, Theo sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to discover who he really is as the son of Elyon, and overcome the darkness that has haunted him for so long.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than crushes.

Violence:
There are multiple battles, and some characters become injured, with very little to no gore, or detail.

Language:
No Profanity

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a clean Middle Grade fantasy series, about a boy discovering who he was meant to be through a book that takes him to another world.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
Three years have passed since Theo traveled to another dimension and discovered his identity in the Light. He’s more mature now and terrible trouble has swallowed him once more. When all hope seems to be lost, Theo is sucked into a virtual reality game set in an entirely new medieval world that is descending into chaos, as a small group of rebels seek to rescue their kingdom from the dark lord Marsuuv’s rule. There, Theo, now a member of the rebels, must discover who he really is beyond the game—a fourteen year old boy in Florida who is a child of the light.

Sexual Content:
There is a relationship between a boy and a girl that doesn’t go any further than hugging.

Violence:
There are multiple battles, and people die, but nothing is described too closely.

Language:
No Profanity

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a clean middle grade series, about what happens after “The Dream Traveler’s Quest.”

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
In a discontented kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

Sexual Content:
Small amounts of caressing, but nothing more.

Violence:
Moderate, including child abuse, and murder.

Language:
Very mild, little to no curse words.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
None.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Eighth-graders Ryan and Taylor are twins, but that’s where the similarities end.

Their parents and teachers think Taylor is the perfect student. Ryan never met a test he couldn’t fail. In fact, failure is what he does best. But they share at least one thing in common: nothing is turning out as they planned. It’s as if the rules have suddenly changed. No matter who you are, everyone wants you to be someone else. But who?

They may have found the answer: magical alien disks that allow them to “flip” into the character of a hero from the past―Einstein, Cleopatra, Hercules. The possibilities are endless. As Ryan and Taylor discover, being a hero is fun. It’s being yourself that is really hard.

Sexual Content:
There is kissing, with almost no detail. A few girls think of guys as “hot”. A few guys consider girls “cute”. There are a few scenes where boys talk about a girl lustfully with basically no detail.

Violence:
There are multiple scenes where characters are beaten up by other characters, with very little to no detail. There is a scene where a characters parents consider “drugging” him to get him to behave better.

Language:
There is moderate amounts of cursing, s***, d***, and b**** are used.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a tween-teen fiction read, about alien disks falling from the sky, and the characters that “flip” with them

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Harnessing the power in her blood could turn the tides of war—if it doesn’t destroy her first.

It’s been fourteen years since Prince Gaeren lost Aeliana, the childhood friend he’d sworn to protect. Haunted by the unfulfilled promise, he searches for a way to bring her home. But with threats against the kingdom from both a rebel faction in the south and Mayvus, a power-hungry priestess in the east, he only has time to follow one last clue across the seas.

Kidnapped as a child, Aeliana is desperate to be rid of the chaotic magic in her blood, magic her captors use to ravage the land. When she’s found by Gaeren’s rebel enemies, she joins their fight to rescue her mother from Mayvus, but her unwieldy power only serves to attract Mayvus’ attention. Aeliana must learn to control her magic before they reach her mother, or risk becoming the weapon Mayvus needs to take complete control of the kingdom.

Sexual Content:
There is very little to no kissing, there are multiple relationships between men and women that are similar to boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. They call it “Being Bonded”, and usually characters are bonded without them choosing it because characters are bonded with someone else at birth most of the time.

Violence:
There are multiple battles that leave characters injured or dead, there are multiple scenes where characters are physically abused by being bled. Multiple characters are possessed by other characters through their blood. “Dark Spirits” are “summoned” through character’s blood, and possess them, causing them to hurt or kill other characters. There are scenes where people are burnt to death. The overall detail is moderate, with things like: “He hated what he had to do. He reached down, put his hand on the burnt skull, and searched through the dead person’s memories. He knew he had to do it to see what had happened here.”

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is an amazing, clean, YA, fantasy fiction read that hooked me from the very first page. I’m looking forward to reading book two!

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
The knowledge to reverse her mother’s curse lies just across the barriers, but so do new prophecies that resurrect even older threats…

With Mayvus gone and relative peace restored, Aeliana must find her place in a foreign nation as the high priestess’ daughter. But her mother’s mind seems broken, and the research Mayvus left behind makes Aeliana suspect the evil priestess isn’t actually dead.

After leaving home as a traitor, Gaeren relishes the chance for a fresh start without expectations as prince and throne warden. But when his sister welcomes him back, he questions whether he can do more good for the people by his sister’s side or among them supporting Aeliana.

When they discover Mayvus is not only alive, but her life force is intricately woven with Aeliana’s mother’s, they set out to break the curse that binds the priestesses. But answers lie across the barriers in foreign nations, and the hunt for the ancient relics that take them there holds prophetic dangers of its own. If they can’t reverse the curse before Mayvus’ reach exceeds their fragile defenses, sacrificing Aeliana’s mother might be the only way to save the nation they love.

Sexual Content:
There are a few relationships, the relationships have several kisses with medium detail. There are multiple relationships between men and women that are similar to boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. They call it being “Bonded”, and typically the characters parents are the ones who chose who the characters “bondmate” will be, not the character themself. The “Bonds” in this book cause more than one argument, and are a big cause for the choices made.

Violence:
There are multiple battles that leave characters injured or dead, there are scenes where characters are physically abused by being bled. Multiple characters are possessed by other characters through their blood. “Dark Spirits” are “summoned” through character’s blood, and possess them, causing them to hurt or kill other characters. There are scenes where people are burnt to death. The overall detail is moderate.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
Salt in The Seas hooked me as much if not more than the first book. With the way Karyne Norton writes, it always leaves you wanting to read another chapter.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.

Corrie ten Boom was the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands who became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler’s concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable ministers of hope in the twentieth century.

In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis. In 1944 their lives were forever altered when they were betrayed, arrested, and thrown into the infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived.

Sexual Content:
There aren’t many male-female relationships, and none of them go further than kissing. A few women are forced to be naked in front of men without any detail.

Violence:
The characters are greatly mistreated throughout the book. Jews, and other characters are executed with no detail. There are beatings, with small amounts of detail. There are scenes where the women’s side of the camp can hear gunshots and screams from the men’s side, with little detail besides that. There is a gross scene where a big soiled bandage is thrown at a characters face, with mild amounts of detail. There is a scene where a character walks through a room full of bodies, they are described as naked, but there is no detail besides that.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is pretty much the entire point of this book, and is the main factor for most of the main character’s decisions.

Notes:
The Hiding Place is a great story about the darkness of the Nazi reign, and how the Lord’s love can meet you even in the darkest of places.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Sexual Content:
Two main characters, a male and a female, sleep together fully clothed to stay warm. These same main characters kiss multiple times, with little to no detail. There are scenes where characters are naked in front of other characters, with no description.

Violence:
As people killing each other is the whole theme of the series, there is a lot of violence. There are dozens of battles where people become injured or die, with moderate detail. There are scenes where arrows are shot through various body parts including the neck and parts of the head (Like eyeballs). There is a scene where a character’s skull gets bashed in with low amounts of detail. There are stabbings, bludgeoning, throat slitting, and a scene where a character has a knife thrown into their back and they cough blood onto another character, all with moderate amounts of detail like: “He suddenly stopped attacking me and coughed, sending droplets of blood everywhere, including on me.”

Language:
Very little to no profanity, the words h***, d***, and b**** are used.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a very good dystopian fiction YA read. It had me wanting to read more until the very last page, which just made me want to read the second book. It is very hard to write a present-tense first-person point of view, and yet, Suzane Collins did it beautifully. Credit to Isa for requesting a review of this book.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just earned for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules, and now there are rumors of rebellion in the districts. Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Sexual Content:
Two main characters, a male and a female, sleep together fully clothed to help them cope with the nightmares they have, (an aftereffect of them competing the Hunger Games) and for comfort. There is lots of kissing, with low amounts of detail. Relationships in this book don’t go further than kissing. A character in this book is forced to have sex with people, at the threat of the death of someone he loves dearly. Though they talk about it, there is no detail about it, besides him mentioning it. There is mention of a man paying starving women to “sell their bodies” to him with no detail. A few characters are naked in front of other characters, with pretty much no detail.

Violence:
As people killing each other is the whole theme of the series, there is a lot of violence. There are dozens of battles where people become injured or die, with moderate detail. There are scenes where arrows are shot through various body parts including the neck and parts of the head (Like eyeballs). There is torture, poisonous gas, and animal attacks. There is a beating that almost kills a character with moderate to severe detail. Some people that defy the Capitol have their tongues cut out, and are turned into slaves.

Language:
Very little to no profanity, the words h***, d***, and b**** are used.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
I really enjoyed this book, with nonstop action, crazy twists, and shocking revelations, this is great dystopian fiction.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
“My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.”

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Though she’s long been a part of the revolution, Katniss hasn’t known it. Now it seems that everyone has had a hand in the carefully laid plans but her.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay – no matter what the cost.

Sexual Content:
Two main characters, a male and a female, sleep together fully clothed to help them cope with the nightmares they have, (an aftereffect of them competing the Hunger Games) and for comfort. There is lots of kissing, with low amounts of detail. Relationships in this book don’t go further than kissing. A character in this book is forced to have sex with people, at the threat of the death of someone he loves dearly. Though they talk about it, there is no detail about it, besides him mentioning it. There is mention of a man paying starving women to “sell their bodies” to him with no detail. A few characters are naked in front of other characters, with pretty much no detail.

Violence:
This book is much more violent than the previous two books. As people killing each other is the whole theme of the series, there is a lot of violence. There are dozens of battles where people become injured or die, with moderate detail. There are scenes where arrows are shot through various body parts including the neck and parts of the head (Like eyeballs). There is torture, poisonous gas, and animal attacks. Some people that defy the Capitol have their tongues cut out, and are turned into slaves. Millions of people are slaughtered in several bombings, with moderate detail. Children are killed by bombs while being used as human shields, with moderate to severe detail. Characters have suicidal thoughts when they reach their breaking point. A character is “highjacked”, by having their memories changed, causing them to try to harm other characters. There are giant lizards that literally rip people limb from limb, and decapitate them, with moderate detail. There is a scene where a bomb explodes a character’s legs, and a different character is looking for something in the midst of the aftermath of the explosion. While the character is looking for the object she “gagged every time she felt warm flesh” this scene has severe detail. There is a scene where a characters skin is melted off “like warm wax”. There is a scene where characters are caught in a beam of light, and “blood started spewing out of every visible orfice.” this is a very severe scene.

Language:
Very little to no profanity, the words h***, d***, and b**** are used.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This book is a lot more graphic than the first two books, so be forewarned. I really enjoyed this book, with startling realizations, insane twists, and larger than life villains, the conclusion to the Hunger Games series is hard to put down.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
After James Henry Trotter’s parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun, until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it’s as big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends—Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!

Sexual Content:
None.

Violence:
Small amounts of violence, with very low detail, there are no deaths besides the two people that get squished under the peach as it’s rolling away, and there is almost no detail in that scene either. There are references to physical child abuse, but the book doesn’t go into detail.

Language:
Mild amounts of cursing.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a book about a boy who’d tragically lost his parents in a freak accident. He has to go through life without any other children to play with because of his horrible aunts, but that soon changes.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
The relationship between Tycho Hashoone, his twin sister, Yana, and their older brother, Carlo, isn’t your average sibling rivalry. They might be crew members together aboard the Shadow Comet, but only one of them can be the next ship captain. So when the Hashoones find themselves in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy—one that will pit them against space pirates, Earth diplomats, and even treachery from within the family—each sibling is desperate to prove his or her worth. The only trouble is, if they don’t work together, none of them may make it out alive.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than mild crushes until the third book where the relationships get a bit more serious. There is hugging, kissing, and lots of hand-holding. Nothing goes any further than kissing. The most detailed part of the book is a scene where it describes how: “their noses kept colliding, and their teeth clacked, but neither of them cared.”

Violence:
There are many battles that involve people getting injured, or dying, with little to no detail. There is a scene in the second book, where the main characters find a ship with the entire crew on it dead, this scene describes how “the crew’s skin was paper thin, with their eyes being empty sockets”, this is the only scene with moderate detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a good sci-fi series for tweens and teens about how humanity has spread across the solar system, but not everyone is as fortunate as those living on earth.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
In this riveting series opener, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks…

But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than mild crushes.

Violence:
Mild violence, with a kidnapping, torture, and telepathically caused pain. The kidnapping includes characters being drugged, bound, and gagged for several days, with little to no detail. The torture is achieved through the torturers electrically shocking a character, causing that character to have seizures. One of the main characters has to telepathically cause other characters pain to incapacitate them, with little to no detail.

Language:
No profanity.

Beliefs:
The elves in this book believe they came into being to be the caretakers of this planet, not humans. The elves also center everything on light and the stars, this sometimes even affects their decisions.

Notes:
This is a pretty good fantasy book about a girl with telepathic powers trying to fit in to a different society. I thought it was a pretty good book, but as you read later into the series, it just gets repetitive.

*Disclaimer: Shannon Messenger adds two LGBTQ characters to book 9.5(And, no, that isn’t a typo), and because of this she can label this series as “includes LGBTQ beliefs”. Which, of course , is all that publishers want nowadays 🙄. Adding this homosexual relationship is completely pointless, and adds nothing to the series. The only point of this is the author trying to make a statement, and trying to make more money through different publishers, at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend you start this series so that you aren’t supporting something like this, but you can try reading it if you want. It’s honestly just disappointing.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks…

But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than mild crushes, and flirting.

Violence:
Mild-moderate violence, with kidnappings, torture, and telepathically caused pain. The kidnapping includes characters being drugged, bound, and gagged, with little to no detail. Characters sometimes have to telepathically cause other characters pain to incapacitate them, with little to no detail. There are many scenes with torture, from electrical shocking, to mental torture that can lead to someone’s mind being “broken”. There is a scene where a character’s hand gets burned off, with little to no detail.

Language:
No profanity.

Beliefs:
The elves in this series believe they came into being to be the caretakers of this planet, not humans. The elves also center everything on light and the stars, this sometimes even affects their decisions.

Notes:
The second and third books are alright, but after that the series just becomes repetitive. The books start off with Sophie’s life being pretty calm, then something happens that starts a mystery, then Sophie’s life gets in danger, then she refuses to listen to what the people that are typically older and wiser than her tell her, because she feels like it will help, then her decisions get her in danger, then when people are saving her, someone either gets injured or dies, then life is good, then repeat, and so on. It honestly gets pretty boring, but the second and third books are pretty decent.

*Disclaimer: Shannon Messenger adds two LGBTQ characters to book 9.5(And, no, that isn’t a typo), and because of this she can label this series as “includes LGBTQ beliefs”. Which, of course , is all that publishers want nowadays 🙄. Adding this homosexual relationship is completely pointless, and adds nothing to the series. The only point of this is the author trying to make a statement, and her trying to make more money through different publishers at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend you read this series so that you aren’t supporting something like this, but you can try reading it if you want. It’s honestly just disappointing.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Sable would do anything to protect her younger sister Talia from Kiva, the ruthless gang boss—including keeping secrets: a money stash, a family secret, and her own magical ability to sense the truth in people’s words.

But when Sable disobeys Kiva and he begins to unravel her secrets, her entire world unravels with them.

With Talia torn from her and Kiva’s henchmen at every corner, Sable stumbles into the most unexpected help – a traveling theater troupe. Far more than a means of escape, the mismatched band of actors quickly becomes the family Sable so desperately needs.

And with their help, the true power in her magic begins to awaken.

When Sable and the troupe come face to face with a looming danger that threatens the entire land, they risk everything to return and warn the city. Against time and her own self-doubts, Sable must perform the lead role in a play powerful enough to gain the attention of the entire city – including Kiva, who’s still hungry for her blood.

Dragon’s Reach is book one in the Keeper Origins, a hopeful, epic fantasy series that embodies the wonder, magic, and camaraderie that made you fall in love with fantasy in the first place.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than mild crushes, and kissing, with little to no detail.

Violence:
There is mild violence, with stabbing, beatings, and someone being close to being hanged, all with mild-no detail.

Language:
No profanity.

Beliefs:
There is a god and goddess that are a big theme of this series.

Notes:
This is a clean YA fantasy book about a thief that has the ability to know when someone is telling the truth. As she struggles to find a way to get her and her younger sister out from under the thumb of a gang boss, she discovers how much more is at stake than just her freedom.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
The growing power in Sable’s words nearly changed the world. Until she was betrayed and silenced.

A year ago on the land’s biggest stage, Sable’s voice nearly burned down the carefully constructed lies of the Kalesh Empire.

Now, Sable’s skills are merely tools in High Prioress Vivaine’s desperate negotiations with the new Kalesh Ambassador, who’s denounced Sable as a zabat. A rebel. A firestarter.

Sable would love nothing more than to burn down the Empire.

But with threats against her sisters looming, the acting troupe driven away, and no news of Reese for a year, she’s too chained and alone to even light a spark.

Meanwhile, the Empire grows on the south like a disease and stretches its poisoned fingers even into the northern lands.

Desperate to fight, Sable sends details about the Kalesh to the one ember of hope kindling in the north – a small, mysterious band of rebels.

Vivaine hates the rebellion, though, and her spies have discovered their location—and that Sable is more deeply connected to them than she knows. Unless Sable turns her back on the rebellion and pledges loyalty to Vivaine, the prioress will reveal the rebel camp to the Kalesh.

But Vivaine should not be so rash, because the power of Sable’s voice is stirring again, the old coals being stoked into flames.

And she’s ready to embrace the title of zabat.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than mild romance and kissing, with little to no detail.

Violence:
There is mild violence, with stabbing, beatings, bludgeoning, and many other forms of violence, with mild detail.

Language:
No profanity.

Beliefs:
There is a god and goddess that are a big theme of this series.

Notes:
This is a clean YA Epic fantasy trilogy about a thief named Sable that has the ability to know for a fact when someone is telling the truth. As Sable’s “Truth-Abilities” grow stronger, many dark forces start to make power moves.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Sexual Content:
There is one scene where a character gets drunk at a bar, and kisses another character. There is a LGBTQ relationship that isn’t too important to the storyline, but because of it we had to use the X-ed out eyes emoji.

Violence:
Many characters are injured or die, little to no detail. There are multiple executions with little to no detail.

Language:
Small amounts of cursing, a**, s***, and d***, are used.

Beliefs:
There are many atheists in the story, there is one scene where a character who doesn’t believe in any god, prays to any gods that might save him because he’s in a situation where he could possibly die.

Notes:
The series can get very emotional at times, if you like the hunger games you’ll love this series. This series has an excellent storyline, but because of an LGBTQ relationship in the series, it had to be put as do not read.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Secrets Abound. Fantasy becomes reality. Weapons of light are used to fight back the Darkness. This is “The Dawn” of a new Light Bearer.

Mary’s over-protected world is rocked from the moment she sees light come out of Will’s hands. She learns more from her adoptive parents and new friends, but secrets abound in her young life as the Darkness moves ever closer.

Sexual Content:
None

Violence:
Small fights with the bad guys, but besides that, none.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the story.

Notes:
This short story was a quick and entertaining read, letting us know the back story of some characters mentioned in The Awakening (Book 1 of Light Bearers series). I greatly enjoyed it!

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
What if the world you thought you knew was only the world they wanted you to see?

Life is hard for a high school teenager with no friends, sibling issues, and an absentee guardian, but Sarah still pins her hopes on an upcoming trip to bring her closer to her sister. Instead of finding restoration, she stumbles upon a darkness that most of the world doesn’t even see. A darkness bent on consuming all of The Light and destroying humanity.

When Sarah enters a realm outside of time and her powers are revealed, she must learn to trust the voice inside her and the stranger with the piercing blue eyes if she has any hope of saving her sister…and the world.

Sexual Content:
In one scene teenagers talk about having sex before marriage. There are a few scenes with kissing. A few men look at a woman lustfully several times. Rape is alluded to, but not described.

Violence:
The bad guys hurt each other for punishment and challenge each other to competitions at every turn, no gore besides a character being described after torture. A woman is hurt badly, but the violence is not described.

Language:
No profanity is used.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
Clean YA, fast paced, fantasy fiction, that kept me turning the pages and wanting to jump right in to Book 2!

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
What if you had powers beyond human comprehension, but the one thing you wanted was always just out of reach?

For four years, Sarah hasn’t stopped searching for her beloved sister even amidst being hunted by the Darkness and their desperate attempts to turn her. Sarah recruits more Light Bearers, training them to wield the Light against the Terrobah lurking at every turn, but the clock never stops ticking. When she finally finds Amelia, will she already be too far gone to save?

Sexual Content:
None

Violence:
Multiple battles with the Light against The Darkness, but no gore.

Language:
No Profanity is used.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
A clean YA, fantasy fiction read. It reminds me of the force in Star Wars, and how people can use that for good or evil. A relationship starts to develop between a man and a woman, but they don’t even kiss in this book. I enjoyed Book 2 of The Light Bearers Series and I can’t wait for Book 3.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them: Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed in his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Sexual Content:
No relationships go further than crushes, or hugs.

Violence:
Mild, with references to abuse.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
The entire premise of the book is false gods, no other belief is found in this book.

Notes:
None.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
Eli Frieden has never left Serenity, New Mexico…why would he ever want to? Then one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens, it changes everything.

Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known.

The kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents.

Sexual Content:
There are only crushes until the last book, where different characters get into boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, but there is no kissing depicted in this series.

Violence:
Many scenes where characters are injured or killed with very little to no detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a middle grade sci-fi series about a town that seems perfect, but far more lies beneath the surface…

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she’s just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It’ll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than friendships.

Violence:
The headmistress of the school is mildly abusive to the children by doing things like: Locking them in a narrow closet that has things like shards of glass and nails on the inside, throwing them, picking them up by their hair or ears, and being downright cruel to the kids. The main characters parents, on the other hand, are verbally abusive, calling her things like: “You ignorant little twit”, “You earwig”, and many other cruel things.

Language:
Little to no cursing.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is an interesting book about an incredibly smart four-year-old girl facing adversity at every turn. Dealing with things like her parents completely ignoring how smart she is, and constantly disapproving of her reading, and being blamed for things at school that she didn’t do. But she chooses to fight back with a series of elaborate pranks.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
To everyone at Meridian High School, fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette’s syndrome. But in truth, Michael is extremely special—he has electric powers. Michael thinks he is unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up with their abilities, and their investigation soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric teens—and through them, the world.

Sexual Content:
A few girlfriend/boyfriend relationships and kissing.

Violence:
Significant violence, many Elgen (bad soldiers) die from battle.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes (By Preston):
Warning: Later in the series a girl and boy “lay next to each other” but no details whatsoever.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Like his fellow lunarnauts—otherwise known as Moonies—living on Moon Base Alpha, twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is famous the world over for being one of the first humans to live on the moon.

And he’s bored out of his mind. Kids aren’t allowed on the lunar surface, meaning they’re trapped inside the tiny moon base with next to nothing to occupy their time—and the only other kid Dash’s age spends all his time hooked into virtual reality games.

Then Moon Base Alpha’s top scientist turns up dead. Dash senses there’s foul play afoot, but no one believes him. Everyone agrees Dr. Holtz went onto the lunar surface without his helmet properly affixed, simple as that. But Dr. Holtz was on the verge of an important new discovery, Dash finds out, and it’s a secret that could change everything for the Moonies—a secret someone just might kill to keep…

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go further than crushes. There are two LGBTQ characters that don’t show up till the third book, this is against God’s design, so I put this series as “Do Not Read”.

Violence:
There are multiple fights, there is a murder, but it is not described in too much detail. People are attacked while they are in space, with someone’s helmet being cracked multiple times.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
I liked this series until I got halfway through the third book, where two LGBTQ characters were introduced. I would have put this book as a “Good Book”, but the characters are against God’s design so I had to put “Do Not Read.”

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict—now it’s time to meet the boy who started it all.

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he’s being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances—and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he has one important thing in his favor: He’s a genius.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than what could be interpreted as mild crushes.

Violence:
Characters are bullied with humiliation and violence, no bullying in this book goes further than a punch to the gut. The main character has severe narcolepsy, so that means he falls asleep at random moments, this leads to potentially perilous moments. For example, almost drowning in a bathtub.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a clean fiction read that I enjoyed tremendously, about an unusually intelligent boy, and how he interacts with the world. Warning: Because the main character has narcolepsy, he has very vivid horrible dreams, that often leave him screaming in terror.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
“Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?”

Dozens of children respond to this peculiar newspaper ad and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children—two boys and two girls—succeed. Their challenge: a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it, they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they’ll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you’re gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

Sexual Content:
Nothing goes further than what could be interpreted as mild crushes.

Violence:
There are many injuries, but no characters die, or come to lasting harm. There are fistfights that involve characters becoming injured with little to no detail. There are kidnapping attempts, and the constant threat of having their memory’s erased.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is an excellent series about a mysterious ad going out in newspapers about a series of tests. With only four children succeeding, they are recruited by the Benedict Society, run by the tremendously intelligent Mr. Benedict.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Some time has passed since the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have had a mission together. But with the arrival of a new Society member—and a new threat—they must reunite to face dilemmas more dangerous than ever before, including the villainous Mr. Curtain and a telepathic enemy tracking their every move, not to mention a dramatically preteen Constance.

Sexual Content:
Nothing in this book goes further than mentioning mild crushes.

Violence:
A lot of the same as in the rest of the series, with fistfight, kidnappings, and injuries, with no characters dying, or coming to lasting harm.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a continuation of the Mysterious Benedict Society, only the characters are older. I honestly didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as the rest of the series. With the characters being older, it ruins the effect of incredibly smart children saving everyone.
Plus multiple characters are just thrown into the book, with little amounts of detail to how they got there.

Age Rating:
8+

Summary:
Our Town explores the relationship between two young neighbors, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance, and then culminates in marriage. When Emily loses her life during childbirth, the circle of life portrayed in each of the three acts–childhood, adulthood, and death–is fully realized.

Sexual Content:
Two of the characters get married, with little to no kissing.

Violence:
None.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
None.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
A kingdom in danger, a great betrayal, a boy seeking to redeem his father’s honor. Will he succeed in exonerating him and saving the realm from an enemy in the shadows before it is too late for the whole North?

By the age of fifteen, Lasgol has endured a hard childhood and lives, cornered and hated, in a small village in the North. He is the son of the traitor, the man who betrayed the kingdom and tried to kill the King. His only companions are the mountains and the snow, ever-present in the region. Yet he refuses to believe that his father is guilty, even though the King himself was a witness to the betrayal.

Lasgol is determined to clear his father’s name and to do this he has only a single option: the School of Rangers, a secret place where the respected and feared defenders of the lands of the kingdom are trained for four years. Going there is insane, hate and death await him. But as the son of a Ranger, he is entitled to attend.

At the Camp he will find himself involved in political intrigues, disloyalties and fights. He will encounter hatred and fearsome enemies, but also a handful of friends, novices as much out of place as he is himself, determined to do whatever is necessary to pass the first year… without dying in the attempt.

Will Lasgol survive the first year of instruction at the Rangers’ Camp? Will he find out what happened to his father? Will he be able to clear his name?

Find out while you follow fascinating adventures with a group of characters you will fall in love with.

Epic fantasy full of adventure, action, magic, mystery and some romance for all ages: children, teens and adults.

Sexual Content:
There is lots of kissing, with mild detail. The romance in these books includes more hinted-at lust, than what I would consider a healthy romantic relationship.

Violence:
There is plenty of violence in these books, with mild to low detail.

Language:
Small amounts of cursing, the words d***, and h***, are used.

Beliefs:
Magic is used, without getting into too much black magic.

Notes:
I didn’t like this series very much. First off, the characters almost never grow mentally, emotionally, or physically throughout these five books. The same characters still argue, the same character still gets bullied, the same characters stay at the bottom of the class. Second, the plot was pretty weak. It started off alright in the first book, but it didn’t do great from there. For example, in the first book, the main character has a lot of problems, both in his life and in his emotional state, and they don’t improve for most of the book. Then towards the end, all of his problems are solved, in like three pages. No emotional satisfaction at all. It just felt unprofessional. I do not recommend this series.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
A kingdom in danger, a great betrayal, a boy seeking to redeem his father’s honor. Will he succeed in exonerating him and saving the realm from an enemy in the shadows before it is too late for the whole North?

By the age of fifteen, Lasgol has endured a hard childhood and lives, cornered and hated, in a small village in the North. He is the son of the traitor, the man who betrayed the kingdom and tried to kill the King. His only companions are the mountains and the snow, ever-present in the region. Yet he refuses to believe that his father is guilty, even though the King himself was a witness to the betrayal.

Lasgol is determined to clear his father’s name and to do this he has only a single option: the School of Rangers, a secret place where the respected and feared defenders of the lands of the kingdom are trained for four years. Going there is insane, hate and death await him. But as the son of a Ranger, he is entitled to attend.

At the Camp he will find himself involved in political intrigues, disloyalties and fights. He will encounter hatred and fearsome enemies, but also a handful of friends, novices as much out of place as he is himself, determined to do whatever is necessary to pass the first year… without dying in the attempt.

Will Lasgol survive the first year of instruction at the Rangers’ Camp? Will he find out what happened to his father? Will he be able to clear his name?

Find out while you follow fascinating adventures with a group of characters you will fall in love with.

Epic fantasy full of adventure, action, magic, mystery and some romance for all ages: children, teens and adults.

Sexual Content:
There is lots of kissing, with mild detail. The romance in these books includes more hinted-at lust, than what I would consider a healthy romantic relationships. There are scenes with women in very skimpy clothing, with low detail. There are scenes where men look at women lustfully. There is a scene where a man and a woman are naked in a pond together, it is not described that they did anything explicit, but them being naked together is inappropriate enough. This scene, in my opinion, is way outside of the 9-12 age group that people say this series is recommended for.

Violence:
There is plenty of violence in these books, with mild to low detail.

Language:
Small amounts of cursing, the words d***, and h***, are used.

Beliefs:
Magic is used, there is a character that uses black magic to combine humans and animals.

Notes:
This part of the series was more of the same. The characters hardly improved, the plot still has holes, and to make things worse, had explicit content for the age group this series is intended for. Plus this series is just repetitive, and it gets boring. There are several scenes where women are in extremely skimpy clothing. One example is a woman that is completely naked besides wearing a grand total of four starfishes to cover inappropriate areas. There is also a scene where a man and a woman are naked in a pond together. I don’t think any of this should be included in a series that is meant for 9-12 year-olds. Again, this series was disappointing.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
As brothers, Xavier and Evan are used to battling each other. But now they’re discovering that there is a much bigger battle going on all around them. And it’s their turn to fight. The Prince Warriors is the first book in Priscilla Shirer’s epic new series that brings to life the invisible struggle ensuing in the spiritual realm. Xavier, Evan, and their friends have typical lives until they enter a mysterious land called Ahoratos. There they meet their guide, Ruwach, who offers wisdom and direction as the kids’ initial adventure begins—an adventure filled with armor and danger and a very real enemy.

Sexual Content:
No relationships in this series go past minor crushes.

Violence:
There are multiple scenes where characters become injured, with very little to no detail. There is a part of the series where a character dies, but with very little to no gore.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes. Biblical morals are present throughout the book.

Notes:
This is a great clean middle grade fantasy series, about the unseen war going on around all humanity.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Blood-bonds with angels. Surreal mental abilities. Elemental gods. Star Wars meets The Mortal Instruments in this adrenaline-laced urban fantasy.

The meteor storm wasn’t such a big deal until a comet landed in the middle of the road. Now Darien’s car is wrecked, his sister is bleeding out, and the only medical aid is at the reclusive Serran Academy.

Jet sees Darien for what he is: a lost teen who doesn’t deserve to know about the aether gifts. And his sister’s rare future-seeing ability is exactly what the enemy is after.

As fractured governments and shadow organizations vie for control of a dying world, the

Serran Academy students—and their angelic secrets—are targeted for harvesting.

Sexual Content:
A teenage boy looks at a teenage girl lustfully several times, but besides that relationships in this book don’t go further than kissing.

Violence:
Lots of shooting, many people are killed, Mild descriptions are used like: “He saw her lifeless eyes staring at nothing.” A character is drugged with a needle, and a character is tortured. There isn’t much gore.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is not mentioned, but you can see allegorical characters and themes.

Notes:
A YA fantasy fiction story about powerful secrets, and even more powerful abilities. Can’t wait to read book two!

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
Can an undercover nerd become a superstar agent? Ben Ripley sure hopes so – and his life may depend on it!

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: CIA or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent”. In fact Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science – but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior CIA academy. Could the CIA really want him?

Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity – but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!

Sexual Content:
There are multiple crushes, and a few boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, but nothing goes further than kissing.
*Disclaimer: Book 11 of the Spy School series introduces a LGBTQ character, so I wouldn’t recommend that you read past book ten.

Violence:
Shooting, and fistfights, people do get shot with little to no deaths. People get injured/ beat up, with very little detail. Multiple kidnappings occur. None of the violence is graphic.

Language:
Little to no cursing.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is some pretty good spy fiction (Or is it real? 😉) series for older tweens and teens.
*Disclaimer: Book 11 of the Spy School series introduces a LGBTQ character, so I wouldn’t recommend that you read past book ten.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
“Forget where you came from. Forget the life you knew. You are now recruits of Talionis!”

America has fallen.

Seventeen-year-old Bria Averton grew up in a small town of survivors near the ruins of Portland, Maine. It’s all she’s ever known — until she’s kidnapped along with hundreds of other teens and brought to the city of Talionis. A city no one knew existed.

The soldiers tell them the intense trainings are for the good of the survivors, and Bria resists being forced into a new life as a recruited soldier. But she soon finds the dangers in the city are greater than she imagined.

Escape is impossible, and Bria fears drowning in the evil of the city… and the guilt from her own past. But can she find hope, even here?

Sexual Content:
None

Violence:
Several beatings, fistfights, and a few gunfights. A few characters are shot. No gore besides a scene where a character finds a bloody shirt.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is talked about a lot, and is a big part of the book.

Notes:
A clean YA fiction read that I couldn’t put down! A great story about a military city with what seems to be good intentions, but more lurks beneath the surface… Definitely looking forward to book two!

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of Talionis, Bria Averton and her friends thought they were finally free. But the dangers they face are far from over.

Hunted by Commander Ark and his forces, Bria and her companions must navigate treacherous terrain and evade capture at every turn, desperate to reach possible allies in Eryndale. As they struggle to survive on the run, they soon realize that their former captors will stop at nothing to apprehend them and bring them back to the city.

With their lives constantly on the line, Bria fights to keep her friends safe while battling her own fears and doubts about who to trust in their fight for survival. The danger is palpable, and the stakes are higher than ever.

One reality becomes clear: there’s a greater peril than being a recruit of Talionis. It’s being a fugitive.

Sexual Content:
A relationship between a man and a woman, doesn’t get any further than kissing.

Violence:
Plenty of shooting, towns get bombed, and lots of people die, but there isn’t too much detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is a discussion point throughout, and is a big part of the book.

Notes:
This is a clean YA fiction series that I thoroughly enjoyed, about a military city that no one dared to try and leave, until someone did, now, she’s on the run.

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
She embraced submission to fuel her rebellion. But escaping to reclaim her freedom was just the beginning. Now she must fight.

Bria and her companions have finally reached Eryndale after a perilous journey, but their troubles are far from over. Mistaken for spies and facing suspicion at every turn, they must convince the skeptical Eryndale leadership of the growing threat posed by Demetrius Ark and his Talionis soldiers.

As they prepare to fight and new allies emerge, Bria and her friends find themselves facing ever increasing odds. Even if they can unite the people of Eryndale to mount a defense against Talionis, it might be too late to stop Ark from carrying out his sinister plans.

Don‘t miss this pulse-pounding continuation of the Talionis saga, where loyalty is tested, alliances are forged, and the line between friend and foe blurs in the face of impending doom.

Sexual Content:
A relationship between a man and a woman, doesn’t get any further than kissing.

Violence:
Lots of shooting, a few characters get shot, villages are bombed, and lots of people die, but there isn’t very much gore. A few fistfights occur without too much detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is a big part of this book.

Notes:
This is a Clean YA fiction series about a teenage girl willing to face pain and adversity to protect the ones she loves. Book four, here we come!

Age Rating:
12+

Summary:
They demanded obedience. She chose defiance. Now hope rises.

Bria Averton never wanted to return to Talionis. Now she’s forced to help train an army poised for destruction, with Commander Ark’s invasion of Sitreea just months away. Walking a razor’s edge, she appears compliant while secretly sabotaging his plans from within.

Monitored at every turn, Bria finds unexpected allies in Talionis’s growing resistance. But the Commander knows exactly where to strike—using Storm and Matthias as leverage, he ensures her defiance comes at an impossible cost.

In a city built on fear, her greatest weapon may be the hope she refuses to surrender.

Sexual Content:
A relationship between a man and a woman, doesn’t go any further than kissing.

Violence:
Lots of shooting, a few fistfights, and one or two beatings, people die, but there isn’t too much gore.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
Christianity is talked about and discussed, and is a large piece of this book.

Notes:
This is a clean YA fiction series, about a Teenage girl who fights against a military city to try and protect the people she loves. I can’t believe the series is over, but I loved it nonetheless.

Age Rating:
14+

Summary:
Change the past to embrace a new future…

Rae has no interest in being a hero who changes the past, but in her grief she signs up for time travel anyway, eager for its guaranteed side effect: memory loss. She’s paired up with Beau, who’s determined to stop the release of the Mortem virus that’s decimated the population. Tasked to remain in the future as Rae’s handler, it’s his job to convince her amnesic mind that the voice in her head is real and she’s the world’s only hope for preventing the deadly outbreak.

But when Rae is kidnapped by an anti-time travel faction soon after her arrival in the past, it’s clear she wasn’t the only traveler sent back for this mission—a mission this new faction claims is outright impossible. With mere weeks before the research facility’s bombing releases the virus, Rae and Beau scramble to find a way to stop Mortem. Now that enemies lurk in both the past and future, they’re no longer fighting just to stop an outbreak—they’re fighting for their lives.

Sexual Content:
There are multiple relationships between male and female characters, but none of them go further than kissing, with mild detail. The book is in first person, so you get to see the way characters feel about each other, but it doesn’t go further than thinking the other person is “beautiful” or “handsome”. A woman has to be naked in front of men, with almost no detail.

Violence:
There is a lot of violence in this book, with torture, deaths, bloodshed, and fistfights. There’s moderate to severe detail with scenes like: “I saw the vacant look in his eyes…” There is a manmade virus that kills billions of people, with small amounts of detail. A character is described to have committed suicide, with little to no detail. Another character is described to have attempted suicide, with little to no detail.

Language:
Implied cursing, but no curse words are used.

Beliefs:
Christianity isn’t really a part of this book, but God is mentioned.

Notes:
This is incredible Sci-Fi, with time travel, bombs, viruses, romance, and everything in between. If you love keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat fiction, then you will love this book as much as I did.

Age Rating:
10+

Summary:
What if you could live forever?

In this timeless story young Winnie Foster learns of a hidden spring in a nearby wood and meets the Tuck family, whose members reveal their astonishing discovery of the spring’s life-changing power. Now Winnie must decide what to do with her newfound knowledge―and the Tucks must decide what to do with her. But it’s not just the curious girl who is interested in their remarkable tale. A suspicious stranger is also searching for the Tucks, and he will stop at nothing until he finds them and uncovers their secret.

Sexual Content:
None.

Violence:
None.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
There’s a spring that allows the drinker to live forever.

Notes:
None.

Age Rating:
8+

Summary:
Can a robot survive in the wilderness?

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

Sexual Content:
There is a transgender character, but it is a goby fish, and they can change genders to reproduce. I consider this inappropriate for the age group this series is intended for, but if you’re a parent you can explain this to your child if you feel they are ready. There are relationships between male and female animals, but they don’t go into detail.

Violence:
A few creatures become injured, or die, with little to no detail.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
None.

Notes:
This is a great series about a robot who’s found a home on an uncharted island, but the people who made her have other plans…

Age Rating:
8+

Summary:
When a tornado sweeps Dorothy and her loyal dog, Toto, away to the whimsical land of Oz, they find themselves in an impossible predicament. Not only has Dorothy’s house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, but they can’t return home until they find the Powerful Wizard of this strange land. Following the Yellow Brick Road, Dorothy embarks on a journey to Emerald City, home to the Enigmatic Wizard of Oz, where she meets her unusual new friends.

Dorothy encourages them to ask for help from the Wizard to grant their wishes: a brain for the Scarecrow, a heart for the Tin Woodman, and courage for the Lion. But as they wander through the vibrant land of Oz, they face packs of wolves, flocks of crows, haunted forests, and the malevolent Witch of the West in a battle that will determine their fate and the future of Oz itself.

Sexual Content:
None.

Violence:
Very mild, characters get attacked/injured, but nothing too severe.

Language:
No Profanity.

Beliefs:
There is a “Witch”, but she doesn’t really do any magic.

Notes:
None.