The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman ~ Working as a library page for the New York Circulating Material Repository, a lending library of objects, is more exciting than Elizabeth thought. When items start disappearing from the Grimm Collection (which contains magical items from fairytales) she and her new friends must discover who is behind the thefts before it’s too late! I loved this! The library is soooo cool! A great read especially if you’ve ever worked or wanted to work in a library.

Little Women & Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted ~ When Emily finds herself dropped in the middle of Little Women during a school english assignment, she decides to “fix” some of the things she doesn’t like. Complications follow. I enjoyed revisiting Little Women, but Emily was hard to like. Also, am I the only person in the entire universe who is ok with Laurie & Jo not ending up together? 
 

 
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors ~ I usually hate reading about Juliet, but Mimi (who is playing Juliet in her family’s theatre production and wants to escape the family business to become a doctor) was such a fun character that I didn’t mind. I think I was supposed to care about Juliet though, which I really didn’t…

 Choke by Obert Skye ~ I had a hard time getting into this sequel to Pillage. I’m waiting for the final book to make my final judgement.

I just discovered the Dopple Ganger Chronicles by british author G.P. Taylor. I’m not a huge graphic novel fan but these are AMAZING! They’re from Tyndale house (Yay them!) and they’re for ages 8-12. I’m going to have to buy them. They’re similar to The Invention of Hugo Cabret in style, and they’re called illustranovellas. (How awesome is that word?!) See Teenreads interview with Taylor here.

~Summary~
At Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for 14-year-old identical twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrisey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, fires, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia . . . without her sister.

On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to find her, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with madmen, wild dogs, treasure seekers, and an otherworldly visitor with a secret message, the trio must decide who to trust—and what to believe—if they are to survive long enough to find each other again.

Martyr—otherwise known as Jason 3:3—is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to “expire” in less than a month. To see the sky. Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars.

Jill Williamson is the author of the Blood of Kings Trilogy which I really liked. She is also a two-time Christy award winner. I was really excited to hear that she was going to be writing for Zondervan. (Kudos to them for paying attention, their teen line-up is great.)

I loved Replication, but it needed to be longer! I wanted more dialogue between Abby & Martyr and more description of Alaska. (Hopefully a sequel is forthcoming) The interaction between Abby and her peers is the strongest part of this story. Abby immediately attracts the attention of JD, a rich, popular jock who is also smart. Oh no, triple threat! JD’s problem is that he can’t make up his mind whether to be a jerk or a likable guy. Abby doesn’t want to write him off without reason, but she is determined not to be taken advantage of. It’s refreshing to read about a girl who isn’t just another victim. The contrast between JD and Martyr and how they treat Abby is very well done. I hope I haven’t seen the last of the Jasons!

Find out more about Replication here.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill Williamson by clicking on the links above, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

Audacious Reader • The Book Fae • Books I Recommend • Book Nook 4 You • Bookworm Reading • Christian Bookshelf Reviews • Fiction Fire • Gillian Adams • Jill Williamson • Katie McCurdy • Kurly Katie’s Ruminations • My Story Shelf • The Pen and Parchment • Rachelle Rea • SLY Games • Terri Harr

 
If you or your teenage boy isn’t reading this series y’all are seriously deprived. The Last Thing I Remember was a 2011-2012 Truman Reader award nominee. I read these in less than two days.

the last thing Charlie West remembers when he wakes up in a torture chamber is going to bed after a normal day. Karate, girls, annoying history teachers, normal stuff. He escapes the terrorist torture chamber, but what was he doing there in the first place? Then the police want to arrest him! Who can Charlie trust? Is Charlie the good guy he thought he was? Knowing how to make the right choices, good vs. evil, and patriotism are major themes and Charlie (aside from almost unbelievably awesome karate skills) deals with them like any other kid. Amazing series from Andrew Klavan!

Afterlife by Merrie Destefano – Urban Fantasy. I don’t read much urban fantasy, but I liked this one. It’s not obviously christian and it’s definitely grittier than most inspirational readers will be used to. A great recommend for fans of Dekker and other edgier authors. It reminded me of The Last Christian by David Gregory.
~Thanks to Fresh Start and their microchip implants, you can now live forever! (Well not exactly, but nine lifetimes is pretty close right?)

Lonestar Angel is also romantic suspense. Another great read from Colleen Coble even if I did peg the villian almost immediately. I definitely prefer her suspense to her historicals.

The Spoils of Eden by Linda Lee Chaikin I love Chikin’s unique historical settings and her writing just keeps getting better. Occasionally a bit heavy-handed, she does an excellant job of linking spiritual truths to an interesting exploration of the social and medical treatment of leprosy in Hawaii in the late 1800′s. She makes me stop and think which is rare and enjoyable.

Lie for Me by Karen Young More romantic suspense. This was the first time I’ve read this author, but it won’t be the last!
~How far would you go to protect a loved one you believed was innocent? And how long would you believe they were innocent in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary? Young explores these questions skillfully.

Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze – FANTASTIC romantic suspense. (For all you Dee Henderson fans)

   

     The Merchant’s Daughter is Melanie Dickerson’s second book following The Healer’s Apprentice which I liked, but Merchant’s Daughter is better. The writing is better and the story is tighter. I love a good beauty and the beast retelling, but it was the romance that hooked me. Annabel’s desires to meet her family’s obligations, learn more about God, and serve those around her are more attractive to Lord Ranulf than her outer beauty. Her actions compel his respect and he wants to protect her. Like Boaz and Ruth in the Bible, Annabel and Ranulf must learn to see past the outward appearance to the truth within the heart.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen. 

The Librarian’s Bookshelf • Rachelle Rea • The Book Fae  • My Life with a Mission  • Katie McCurdy • Terri Harr • Book Nook 4 You • My Story Shelf • Sugar Peach  • Jill Williamson

I was all like, “Amish vampire fiction! It does exist.”
     If inspirational fiction about vampires makes your head hurt, you’re not alone! But since the vampire trend won’t die… *giggles* Sink your teeth into these!

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman
Nina is an alcoholic who moves back to her hometown after losing her business & ruining her marriage. As she fights to get her life back, a messy past, a rash of gruesome murders & a mysterious neighbor vie for her attention. Nina is thirsty. And she’s not alone…

 
Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker
Sent to Transylvania by Catherine the Great to protect Lucine Cantemir & her family, Toma, a soldier, struggles to protect the woman he’s falling in love with from the mysterious count Vlad. *Dun dun dun!* Immanuel’s Veins is about the power of blood to cleanse or defile.  

Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié
Susan is in Prague with her family for her Grandmother’s funeral. When Susan’s cousin almost dies before being saved by the vampire Raphael, he demands Susan’s help in return. Susan begin discovers a family legacy that has been entangled in vampire conflicts since the crusades as she is pulled into a vampire war. (This one is my favorite!)

Plain Fear by Leanna Ellis
Roc Girouard has lost the will to live after his wife’s vicious murder. When similar killings start to terrorize a nearby amish community, he vows to find and kill the monster. Hannah is about to be baptized, but she is mourning the death of her lost love Jacob. His brother Levi joins forces with Roc in an attempt to protect Hannah from the dark presence that is haunting their community.