Romance Archives - Redeemed Reader https://redeemedreader.com/category/book-reviews/romance-book-reviews/ Kids' Books. Culture. Christ. Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:25:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://redeemedreader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Romance Archives - Redeemed Reader https://redeemedreader.com/category/book-reviews/romance-book-reviews/ 32 32 The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray https://redeemedreader.com/the-perils-of-lady-catherine-de-bourgh-by-claudia-gray/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-perils-of-lady-catherine-de-bourgh-by-claudia-gray/#respond Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:41:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=45011 Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney once again join forces, this time facing the perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-perils-of-lady-catherine-de-bourgh-by-claudia-gray/feed/ 0 The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray https://redeemedreader.com/the-rushworth-family-plot-by-claudia-gray/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-rushworth-family-plot-by-claudia-gray/#respond Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:56:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=45016 In the latest Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mystery, the characters of Mansfield Park are catapulted into the Rushworth Family Plot

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-rushworth-family-plot-by-claudia-gray/feed/ 0 *Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo https://redeemedreader.com/bright-red-fruit-by-safia-elhillo/ https://redeemedreader.com/bright-red-fruit-by-safia-elhillo/#respond Mon, 06 Oct 2025 08:14:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44775 A beautifully-told cautionary tale about the allure of bright red fruit even when signs of danger lurk alongside.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/bright-red-fruit-by-safia-elhillo/feed/ 0 An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann https://redeemedreader.com/an-american-immigrant-by-johanna-rojas-vann/ https://redeemedreader.com/an-american-immigrant-by-johanna-rojas-vann/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:46:33 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44768 In An American Immigrant, twenty-five year old Melanie makes a pilgrimage to Colombia and discovers more about both herself and her mother, who came to American from Colombia when she was a young woman.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/an-american-immigrant-by-johanna-rojas-vann/feed/ 2 *The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy https://redeemedreader.com/the-scarlet-pimpernel-by-baroness-orczy/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-scarlet-pimpernel-by-baroness-orczy/#respond Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:37:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44336 The Scarlet Pimpernel is an oft-overlooked classic full of mystery, action, and romance for teens and adults.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-scarlet-pimpernel-by-baroness-orczy/feed/ 0 Back Porch Book Chat with Becky Dean (YA author) https://redeemedreader.com/back-porch-book-chat-with-becky-dean-ya-author/ https://redeemedreader.com/back-porch-book-chat-with-becky-dean-ya-author/#respond Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:47:23 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44425 Back Porch Book Chat: a casual conversation about books and writing. Today we’re visiting with Becky Dean, author of four YA romances including Love and Other Great Expectations, and most recently Love Unmasked. Per her author bio: Becky “is a fan of adventures both real and fictional. When she’s not writing or traveling, she can…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/back-porch-book-chat-with-becky-dean-ya-author/feed/ 0 Picture-Perfect Boyfriend by Becky Dean https://redeemedreader.com/picture-perfect-boyfriend-by-becky-dean/ https://redeemedreader.com/picture-perfect-boyfriend-by-becky-dean/#respond Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:20:16 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44402 A family trip to Hawaii is complicated for Kenzie Reed by the arrival of her picture-perfect boyfriend -who is supposed to be fictitious!

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/picture-perfect-boyfriend-by-becky-dean/feed/ 0 Love Unmasked by Becky Dean https://redeemedreader.com/love-unmasked-by-becky-dean/ https://redeemedreader.com/love-unmasked-by-becky-dean/#respond Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:50:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44350 A fun YA romance about a trip to Venice that will end with Love Unmasked.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/love-unmasked-by-becky-dean/feed/ 0 Sky of Seven Colors by Rachelle Nelson https://redeemedreader.com/sky-of-seven-colors-by-rachelle-nelson/ https://redeemedreader.com/sky-of-seven-colors-by-rachelle-nelson/#respond Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:06:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=44062 Sky of Seven Colors imagines a world that finds power in color, demands everything from its heroine, and offers a bit of true love.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/sky-of-seven-colors-by-rachelle-nelson/feed/ 0 *A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim https://redeemedreader.com/a-forgery-of-fate-by-elizabeth-lim/ https://redeemedreader.com/a-forgery-of-fate-by-elizabeth-lim/#respond Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:37:55 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=43792 Beauty and the Beast, with echoes of other fairytales, is spun together with Chinese folklore in an an excellent YA fantasy: A Forgery of Fate.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/a-forgery-of-fate-by-elizabeth-lim/feed/ 0 Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham https://redeemedreader.com/lunar-new-year-love-story-by-gene-luen-yang-and-leuyen-pham/ https://redeemedreader.com/lunar-new-year-love-story-by-gene-luen-yang-and-leuyen-pham/#respond Mon, 05 May 2025 08:51:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=43009 Lunar New Year Love Story is a terrific example of a graphic novel for mature teens: artistic, layered, and storied.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/lunar-new-year-love-story-by-gene-luen-yang-and-leuyen-pham/feed/ 0 *Embergold by Rachelle Nelson https://redeemedreader.com/embergold-by-rachelle-nelson/ https://redeemedreader.com/embergold-by-rachelle-nelson/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2025 05:41:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=43043 Embergold is a thought-provoking fantasy for teens that includes true love, sacrifice, and dragons.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/embergold-by-rachelle-nelson/feed/ 0 Newbery Buzz #2: One Big Open Sky https://redeemedreader.com/newbery-buzz-2-one-big-open-sky/ https://redeemedreader.com/newbery-buzz-2-one-big-open-sky/#respond Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:04:55 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=42260 Today Betsy, Janie, and Hayley discuss a verse novel we all loved.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/newbery-buzz-2-one-big-open-sky/feed/ 0 Three 2024 YA Romantic Fantasy Novels https://redeemedreader.com/three-2024-ya-romantic-fantasy-novels/ https://redeemedreader.com/three-2024-ya-romantic-fantasy-novels/#comments Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:47:26 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=42170 Dragonfruit, What Monstrous Gods, and The Hedgewitch of Foxhall: three 2024 YA romantic fantasy novels by authors we have enjoyed in the past. Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier. Clarion Books, 2024. 366 pages.   What is a wish worth? It’s a question that has haunted Hanalei, an exile from the island of Tamarind. In this fantasy…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/three-2024-ya-romantic-fantasy-novels/feed/ 1 The Looking-Glass Illusion by Sara Ella https://redeemedreader.com/the-looking-glass-illusion-by-sara-ella/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-looking-glass-illusion-by-sara-ella/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2024 04:17:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=40680 The Looking-Glass Illusion brings the story from The Wonderland Trials to a clever and satisfying conclusion in this fantasy series for teens.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-looking-glass-illusion-by-sara-ella/feed/ 0 *Ferris by Kate DiCamillo https://redeemedreader.com/ferris-by-kate-dicamillo/ https://redeemedreader.com/ferris-by-kate-dicamillo/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:26:39 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=40600 Ferris, the latest novel by two-time Newbery author Kate DiCamillo, embraces a world full of sorrow but ruled by love.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/ferris-by-kate-dicamillo/feed/ 2 Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols https://redeemedreader.com/yours-from-the-tower-by-sally-nichols/ https://redeemedreader.com/yours-from-the-tower-by-sally-nichols/#respond Tue, 27 Feb 2024 09:32:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=40427 In Yours from the Tower, three young ladies overcome obstacles and find true love in late 19th-century England.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/yours-from-the-tower-by-sally-nichols/feed/ 0 YA Fantasy: Murtagh, Theft of Sunlight, & Wind Daughter https://redeemedreader.com/ya-fantasy-murtagh-theft-of-sunlight-wind-daughter/ https://redeemedreader.com/ya-fantasy-murtagh-theft-of-sunlight-wind-daughter/#comments Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:24:32 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=40031 A rapid fire round up of three YA fantasy novels that belong to bigger worlds: Murtagh, A Darkness at the Door, and Wind Daughter. Murtagh by Christopher Paolini. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023, 704 pages. Set following the Inheritance Cycle, Paolini focuses on Murtagh and his dragon Thorn, now living as fugitives. A cryptic…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/ya-fantasy-murtagh-theft-of-sunlight-wind-daughter/feed/ 1 *Daughter of Arden Trilogy by Loren Warnemuende https://redeemedreader.com/daughter-of-arden-trilogy-by-loren-warnemuende/ https://redeemedreader.com/daughter-of-arden-trilogy-by-loren-warnemuende/#respond Mon, 18 Dec 2023 07:57:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=39965 The Daughter of Arden Trilogy is an epic retelling of an older fairy tale; in its new version, strong echoes of Christian faith mingle with a romance, a war, and a quest.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/daughter-of-arden-trilogy-by-loren-warnemuende/feed/ 0 *Charis in the World of Wonders by Marly Youmans https://redeemedreader.com/charis-in-the-world-of-wonders-by-marly-youmans/ https://redeemedreader.com/charis-in-the-world-of-wonders-by-marly-youmans/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:39:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=39438 Charis in the World of Wonders is a richly satisfying novel of a young Puritan woman who learns much about the world and herself through hardship and perseverance.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/charis-in-the-world-of-wonders-by-marly-youmans/feed/ 0 *The Carver and the Queen by Emma Fox https://redeemedreader.com/the-carver-and-the-queen-by-emma-fox/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-carver-and-the-queen-by-emma-fox/#comments Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:44:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=39311 An adventurous fairy tale set in Imperial Russia, perfect for teens who enjoy books like The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis. *The Carver and the Queen by Emma Fox. Owl’s Nest Publishers, 2023. 304 pages. Petr is doomed to serfdom. All he wants to do is learn to carve malachite, the striking green mineral…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-carver-and-the-queen-by-emma-fox/feed/ 2 YA Graphic Novels: Graceling, Cheshire Crossing & Lore Olympus https://redeemedreader.com/ya-graphic-novels-graceling-cheshire-crossing-lore-olympus/ https://redeemedreader.com/ya-graphic-novels-graceling-cheshire-crossing-lore-olympus/#respond Thu, 21 Sep 2023 17:04:09 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=39031 A rapid fire round up of three YA graphic novels for mature teen readers. Graceling by Kristin Cashore, adapted and illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Clarion Books, 2021, 272 pages. A gorgeous, lyrical graphic novel about a girl graced with a deadly gift. In Cashore’s fantasy world some people are “gracelings,” strange-eyed and possessing a magical…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/ya-graphic-novels-graceling-cheshire-crossing-lore-olympus/feed/ 0 Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson https://redeemedreader.com/ultraviolet/ https://redeemedreader.com/ultraviolet/#respond Tue, 29 Aug 2023 20:00:49 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=38946 A first-person psychological thriller inside one young woman’s remarkable consciousness. Ultraviolet, by R. J. Anderson. Carolrhoda Lab, 2011, 303 pages.  Reading Level:  Young Adults, Ages 14-upRecommended For: Ages 14-up When Alison Jeffries wakes up in an unfamiliar place with a head full of screaming memories and arms scarred with angry welts, it takes a while to…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/ultraviolet/feed/ 0 Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt https://redeemedreader.com/buffalo-flats-by-martine-leavitt/ https://redeemedreader.com/buffalo-flats-by-martine-leavitt/#respond Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:20:29 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=38639 Buffalo Flats takes readers to the Northwest Territory of Canada, for an unforgettable story of spiritual growth and romance.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/buffalo-flats-by-martine-leavitt/feed/ 0 *Arthur, the Always King by Kevin Crossley-Holland https://redeemedreader.com/arthur-the-always-king-by-kevin-crossley-holland/ https://redeemedreader.com/arthur-the-always-king-by-kevin-crossley-holland/#comments Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:27:53 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=38606 The lavishly-illustrated Arthur the Always King communicates the doomed majesty of the Arthurian legend.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/arthur-the-always-king-by-kevin-crossley-holland/feed/ 4 Enter the Body by Joy McCullough https://redeemedreader.com/enter-the-body-by-joy-mccullough/ https://redeemedreader.com/enter-the-body-by-joy-mccullough/#respond Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:30:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=38566 Enter the Body engages three tragic heroines of Shakespeare in a discussion of love, oppression, and what they might have done differently.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/enter-the-body-by-joy-mccullough/feed/ 0 Romantic Reads for Teens: A Book List for Girls and Guys https://redeemedreader.com/romantic-reads-for-teens-a-book-list-for-girls-and-guys/ https://redeemedreader.com/romantic-reads-for-teens-a-book-list-for-girls-and-guys/#respond Mon, 06 Feb 2023 13:53:42 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=37579 Enjoy this unapologetic list of romantic reads for teens: great love stories and high romance!

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/romantic-reads-for-teens-a-book-list-for-girls-and-guys/feed/ 0 Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet https://redeemedreader.com/belittled-women-by-amanda-sellet/ https://redeemedreader.com/belittled-women-by-amanda-sellet/#respond Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:04:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=37134 Belittled Woman features a contemporary Meg, Jo, and Amy reluctantly participating in their mother’s pet project: a tourist attraction reenacting scenes from a certain 19th-century novel.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/belittled-women-by-amanda-sellet/feed/ 0 *The Red Palace by June Hur https://redeemedreader.com/the-red-palace-by-june-hur/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-red-palace-by-june-hur/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:54:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=36315 Eighteenth century Korea comes to life in The Red Palace, a gripping—and gritty—historical mystery for teens. *The Red Palace by June Hur. Feiwel and Friends, 2022. 336 pages. Reading Level: Teens, Ages 15-18. Recommended For: Ages 14 and up. Nurse Hyeon knows she must not question the physician who requires her and Nurse Jieun to…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-red-palace-by-june-hur/feed/ 5 The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella https://redeemedreader.com/the-wonderland-trials-by-sara-ella/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-wonderland-trials-by-sara-ella/#respond Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:07:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=36293 Alice wants to be a Wonder and compete in the Wonderland Trials, but she’s just an ordinary Normal girl in this inventive take on Alice in Wonderland for teens. The Wonderland Trials (The Curious Realities, Book 1) by Sara Ella. Enclave Escape, 2022. 368 pages. Reading Level: Teens, Ages 12-15. Recommended For: Ages 12 and…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-wonderland-trials-by-sara-ella/feed/ 0 *The Song that Moves the Sun by Anna Bright https://redeemedreader.com/the-song-that-moves-the-sun-by-anna-bright/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-song-that-moves-the-sun-by-anna-bright/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:43:06 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=35622 The Song that Moves the Sun takes four teens through the cosmos of Dante, with revelations on harmony, love, and friendship.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-song-that-moves-the-sun-by-anna-bright/feed/ 2 *Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean https://redeemedreader.com/love-and-other-great-expectations-by-becky-dean/ https://redeemedreader.com/love-and-other-great-expectations-by-becky-dean/#respond Sat, 02 Jul 2022 14:07:14 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=35213 Love and Other Great Expectations puts romance in its place as part of life’s great adventure (but not all of it).

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/love-and-other-great-expectations-by-becky-dean/feed/ 0 Valentine’s Day Picture Books: Valentine, Be Mine, The House of Love, and Ballad of Valentine https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-picture-books/ https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-picture-books/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:38:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=34115 Three picture books about Valentine’s Day: Valentine, Be Mine is practical, The House of Love invites the reader to anticipate a party at home with a big family, and Ballad of Valentine is so tender and sweet…do sing it to the tune of Clementine, if you can. The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson, illustrated…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-picture-books/feed/ 2 Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee https://redeemedreader.com/luck-of-the-titanic-by-stacey-lee/ https://redeemedreader.com/luck-of-the-titanic-by-stacey-lee/#respond Tue, 22 Jun 2021 08:17:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=31744 The biracial heroine of Luck of the Titanic sees dreams fulfilled just before disaster strikes, in this romantic thriller

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/luck-of-the-titanic-by-stacey-lee/feed/ 0 Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Awesomely Austen Series) https://redeemedreader.com/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-awesomely-austen-series/ https://redeemedreader.com/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-awesomely-austen-series/#respond Thu, 03 Jun 2021 12:47:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=31592 The "Awesomely Austen" series makes Jane Austen accessible to elementary-age readers.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-awesomely-austen-series/feed/ 0 The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys https://redeemedreader.com/the-fountains-of-silence-by-ruta-sepetys/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-fountains-of-silence-by-ruta-sepetys/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2020 11:16:00 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25447 The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. Philomel, 2019. 512 pages. The Fountains of Silence tells a gripping story of love and danger during Franco’s Spain in the 1950s. Historical fiction for older teens. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 15-18 Recommended For: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Daniel is a budding photographer tagging along with his…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-fountains-of-silence-by-ruta-sepetys/feed/ 1 The Arrow and the Crown by Emma Fox https://redeemedreader.com/the-arrow-and-the-crown-by-emma-fox/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-arrow-and-the-crown-by-emma-fox/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:06:00 +0000 https://redeemedreader.com/?p=28781 Adventure meets fairy tale in this delightful fantasy read for teens (and their parents!). The Arrow and the Crown by Emma Fox. Independently published, 2019. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended For: Ages 12 and up A poor girl and her uncle, living on the outskirts of town, can’t afford to lose their trusty…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-arrow-and-the-crown-by-emma-fox/feed/ 1 Briar and Rose and Jack by Katherine Coville https://redeemedreader.com/briar-and-rose-and-jack-by-katherine-coville/ https://redeemedreader.com/briar-and-rose-and-jack-by-katherine-coville/#respond Tue, 19 Nov 2019 12:17:49 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25525 Briar and Rose and Jack mixes fairy-tale motifs with clear themes of good and evil in a magical and satisfying adventure.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/briar-and-rose-and-jack-by-katherine-coville/feed/ 0 Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling https://redeemedreader.com/momentous-events-in-the-life-of-a-cactus-by-dusti-bowling/ https://redeemedreader.com/momentous-events-in-the-life-of-a-cactus-by-dusti-bowling/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2019 12:44:07 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25455 The “momentous event" of transitioning to high school presents Aven Green, the armless girl-wonder, with new challenges.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/momentous-events-in-the-life-of-a-cactus-by-dusti-bowling/feed/ 0 Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier https://redeemedreader.com/song-of-the-abyss-by-makiia-lucier/ https://redeemedreader.com/song-of-the-abyss-by-makiia-lucier/#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:00:40 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25405 Song of the Abyss is a sequel that does not disappoint and yet succeeds in its own right as a standalone novel.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/song-of-the-abyss-by-makiia-lucier/feed/ 0 *Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai https://redeemedreader.com/butterfly-yellow-by-thanhha-lai/ https://redeemedreader.com/butterfly-yellow-by-thanhha-lai/#comments Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:32:27 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25323 An unlikely romance tinged by tragedy makes Butterfly Yellow a winning read for mature teens.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/butterfly-yellow-by-thanhha-lai/feed/ 1 House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig https://redeemedreader.com/house-of-salt-and-sorrows-by-erin-craig/ https://redeemedreader.com/house-of-salt-and-sorrows-by-erin-craig/#respond Fri, 06 Sep 2019 02:57:04 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=25248 A dark YA fairytale retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. In a haunting, gothic setting, a family mourns as yet another daughter is interred to the sea. This time, Annaleigh is convinced there is something amiss with her sister’s death.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/house-of-salt-and-sorrows-by-erin-craig/feed/ 0 Lovely War by Julie Berry https://redeemedreader.com/lovely-war-by-julie-berry/ https://redeemedreader.com/lovely-war-by-julie-berry/#respond Tue, 07 May 2019 14:02:04 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=24896 Lovely War is a satisfying romance that will leave readers with much to think about.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/lovely-war-by-julie-berry/feed/ 0 Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden https://redeemedreader.com/inventing-victoria-by-tonya-bolden/ https://redeemedreader.com/inventing-victoria-by-tonya-bolden/#respond Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:43:47 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=24414 Inventing Victoria follows a young biracial girl through a seldom-explored period of Reconstruction history.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/inventing-victoria-by-tonya-bolden/feed/ 0 Pride and Prejudice: The Original and the Others https://redeemedreader.com/pride-and-prejudice-the-original-and-the-others/ https://redeemedreader.com/pride-and-prejudice-the-original-and-the-others/#respond Thu, 14 Feb 2019 19:55:37 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=24337 Three reviews of Pride and Prejudice retellings (Heartstone, Pride, and Unmarriageable) plus a review of the original version!

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/pride-and-prejudice-the-original-and-the-others/feed/ 0 At the Well by Kristen Tiber https://redeemedreader.com/at-the-well-by-kristen-tiber/ https://redeemedreader.com/at-the-well-by-kristen-tiber/#respond Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:29:21 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=24303 At the Well is a short book urging singles (teens and up) to wait on the Lord for marriage and for his timing.

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/at-the-well-by-kristen-tiber/feed/ 0 The Susan Pevensie Problem https://redeemedreader.com/the-susan-pevensie-problem/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-susan-pevensie-problem/#respond Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:42:49 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=24226 A new teen fantasy novel draws inspiration from Susan Pevensie’s rejection of Narnia to spin a similar tale. In the almost 70 years since C. S. Lewis published The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the series has attracted heat as well as love.  Uniquely so: Tolkien, his friend and colleague, gets no barbs for…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-susan-pevensie-problem/feed/ 0 The Princess Bride by William Goldman https://redeemedreader.com/the-princess-bride-by-william-goldman/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-princess-bride-by-william-goldman/#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2018 21:30:07 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22825 The Princess Bride is just as delightful in book form as it is in movie form (or vice versa, depending on which you’ve already experienced!). The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman. 1973. Reading Level: Ages 12-15 Recommended For: Ages 10 and up The Princess Bride book was…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-princess-bride-by-william-goldman/feed/ 3 Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier https://redeemedreader.com/isle-of-blood-and-stone-by-makiia-lucier/ https://redeemedreader.com/isle-of-blood-and-stone-by-makiia-lucier/#respond Fri, 22 Jun 2018 11:59:32 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22792 Mysterious maps, sea creatures, and an island kingdom where dark secrets threaten to emerge . . . All the makings for an excellent story. Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2018.  400 pages. Reading Level: Ages 16 and up Recommended For: Ages 16 and up Fans of Megan Whalen Turner…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/isle-of-blood-and-stone-by-makiia-lucier/feed/ 0 The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer Nielsen https://redeemedreader.com/the-traitors-game-by-jennifer-nielssen/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-traitors-game-by-jennifer-nielssen/#respond Tue, 22 May 2018 12:54:29 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22730 This YA fantasy adventure places a spunky nobleman’s daughter in the middle of a “traitor’s game” between her corrupt father and a compromised opposition. Ages 12-15 The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  Scholastic, 2018, 400 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 14-18 Kestra Dallisor, the only child of Sir Henry, governor…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-traitors-game-by-jennifer-nielssen/feed/ 0 A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl https://redeemedreader.com/a-school-for-brides-by-patrice-kindl/ https://redeemedreader.com/a-school-for-brides-by-patrice-kindl/#respond Tue, 15 May 2018 12:58:32 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22688 A fun romantic read for Jane Austen fans, A School for Brides is also very positive about marriage.  Ages 12-18  A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl.  Viking, 2015, 250 pages. Reading Level: Young adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-16 (especially girls) Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy in Lesser Hoo, Yorkshire, exists to “finish” young…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/a-school-for-brides-by-patrice-kindl/feed/ 0 Those Love Stories We Loved https://redeemedreader.com/love-stories-loved/ https://redeemedreader.com/love-stories-loved/#comments Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:53:39 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22478 The RedeemedReader ladies recall our favorite “love stories” as teens, and rejoice that we grew out of them!  But what do we like now? You may have noticed that last Wednesday was Valentine’s Day.  Perhaps you celebrated with chocolate and a good book (and we offered you plenty of selections to choose from)!   Even if…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/love-stories-loved/feed/ 15 Five Red Flags to Watch for in YA Christian Romance Fiction https://redeemedreader.com/all-for-love-five-red-flags-to-watch-for-in-ya-christian-romance-fiction/ https://redeemedreader.com/all-for-love-five-red-flags-to-watch-for-in-ya-christian-romance-fiction/#comments Fri, 16 Feb 2018 13:55:25 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14448 Christian romance fiction feels “safe,” but it’s not always without pitfalls . . . and it’s not always Christian, either. I remember when Jeanette Oke and “deliverance” stories were about the only options teenage girls had if they wanted to read some Christian romance. The inventory has greatly expanded and almost every secular literary genre…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/all-for-love-five-red-flags-to-watch-for-in-ya-christian-romance-fiction/feed/ 11 Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix https://redeemedreader.com/newts-emerald-garth-nix/ https://redeemedreader.com/newts-emerald-garth-nix/#respond Thu, 18 Jan 2018 15:00:31 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22397 Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix. Katherine Tegan Books, 2015. 304 pages.  Ages 12-15   Reading Level: Young Adult Ages 12-15 Recommended For: Young Adult 15+ Truthful Newington, daughter of a retired Admiral, lives in the English countryside where nothing much happens. She longs for the excitement of city life, and after a precious magical heirloom…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/newts-emerald-garth-nix/feed/ 0 The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein https://redeemedreader.com/pearl-thief-elizabeth-wein/ https://redeemedreader.com/pearl-thief-elizabeth-wein/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2017 12:27:02 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22199 The Pearl Thief is a prequel to the award-winning Code Name Verity, but it lacks the same sophistication and character development. The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein. Disney-Hyperion, 2017. 336 pages.  Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended For: Teens (not officially “recommended”–note the cautions below) The Pearl Thief is a prequel to Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. Readers…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/pearl-thief-elizabeth-wein/feed/ 1 *You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins https://redeemedreader.com/bring-distant-near-mitali-perkins/ https://redeemedreader.com/bring-distant-near-mitali-perkins/#comments Tue, 17 Oct 2017 11:56:01 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22181 In this appealing multicultural novel, three generations of a Bengali family find life and love in America. *You Bring the Distant Near  by Mitali Perkins.  Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2017, 303 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-18 They arrived in 1973 from Bengal: Rajeev (Baba) and Ranee (Ma) Das and their…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/bring-distant-near-mitali-perkins/feed/ 1 The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy https://redeemedreader.com/the-disappearances-by-emily-bain-murphy/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-disappearances-by-emily-bain-murphy/#respond Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:12:10 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22124 A town where qualities disappear every seven years is the setting for The Disappearances, a clean, thought-provoking teen mystery. The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017, 385 pages Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-up Aila Quinn knows only one thing about Sterling: it’s her mother’s home town.  And it’s…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-disappearances-by-emily-bain-murphy/feed/ 0 Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray https://redeemedreader.com/defy-stars-claudia-gray/ https://redeemedreader.com/defy-stars-claudia-gray/#respond Fri, 18 Aug 2017 04:30:12 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=22046 Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray.  Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 512 pages. Noemi Vidal will die for her country, but an abandoned spaceship and a mysterious mech draw her into a quest that could save Genesis yet threatens to overturn everything she believes.      Reading Level: Young Adults, 16 and up Recommended for: Ages…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/defy-stars-claudia-gray/feed/ 0 Cruel Beauty: a Redeemed Reader Discussion https://redeemedreader.com/cruel-beauty-redeemed-reader-discussion/ https://redeemedreader.com/cruel-beauty-redeemed-reader-discussion/#respond Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:30:23 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=21723 Some of the staff here at Redeemed Reader decided to discuss Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge as it relates to the story of Beauty and the Beast. The novel is promoted as a retelling of the classic fairy tale. If you are unfamiliar with the premise of Cruel Beauty, please read Janie’s review of the…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/cruel-beauty-redeemed-reader-discussion/feed/ 0 Valentine’s Day 2017 – We’ve Been Here Before! https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-2017-weve-been-here-before/ https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-2017-weve-been-here-before/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:20:54 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=21561 All of us here at RedeemedReader.com love a good romance, and over the years we’ve written about some of our favorites.  Not all romance is wholesome, of course, and the contemporary view of “Love” falls far short of a biblical ideal.  One big example is showing in theaters this week.  Emily was on the mark…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-2017-weve-been-here-before/feed/ 0 Good Reading for Teens–Except for One Thing . . . https://redeemedreader.com/good-reading-for-teens-except-for-one-thing/ https://redeemedreader.com/good-reading-for-teens-except-for-one-thing/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:26:26 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=17000 Lately I read two books for teens, one fiction and one nonfiction, that conformed to time-honored, even classic, storylines.  The novel, A Step toward Falling, follows a comedy-of-manners pattern that goes all the way back to Pride and Prejudice. In fact, P&P plays a significant part in the story.  Granted, the premise is a bit edgy:…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/good-reading-for-teens-except-for-one-thing/feed/ 1 Romance + Reading = Love https://redeemedreader.com/romance-reading-love/ https://redeemedreader.com/romance-reading-love/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2016 19:54:41 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=16969 Once Upon a Time… … there was a little girl who loved stories and fairytales.  She discovered Andrew Lang’s colored fairy books and read through them—pretty colors first and not-so-pretty colors (like olive!) later.  She had a peculiarity though: she only read the stories with princes or princesses.  And, she felt cheated if there wasn’t a romance.…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/romance-reading-love/feed/ 1 *Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace https://redeemedreader.com/demily-of-deep-valley-by-maud-hart-lovelace/ https://redeemedreader.com/demily-of-deep-valley-by-maud-hart-lovelace/#respond Fri, 20 Nov 2015 15:30:19 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=16666 Coming-of-age, romance, and historical fiction is combined in a little-known novel, Emily of Deep Valley, by a classic American author. *Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2010 (Reprint, orig. 1950). 336 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12 and up While all her classmates are going off…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/demily-of-deep-valley-by-maud-hart-lovelace/feed/ 0 *Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw https://redeemedreader.com/mara-daughter-of-the-nile-by-eloise-jarvis-mcgraw/ https://redeemedreader.com/mara-daughter-of-the-nile-by-eloise-jarvis-mcgraw/#respond Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:00:09 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=16237 *Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.  Puffin, 1985, 288 pages   Bottom Line:  Ancient Egypt comes alive through historical fiction when romance and intrigue meet in the life of a slave girl. As Mara, Daughter of the Nile opens, Hatshepsut is pharaoh.  While Hatshepsut pours money into lavish projects, the army is neglected and unrest…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/mara-daughter-of-the-nile-by-eloise-jarvis-mcgraw/feed/ 0 The Cottage in the Woods by Katherine Coville https://redeemedreader.com/the-cottage-in-the-woods-by-katherine-coville/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-cottage-in-the-woods-by-katherine-coville/#comments Tue, 26 May 2015 12:00:43 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=15734 The Cottage in the Woods by Katherine Coville. Knopf,2015. 389 pages Reading Level: Young adult,ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12 and up (especially girls) Bottom Line: This clever fairy tale/Jane Austen mashup retells the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the point of view of an ursine governess. Ursula Brown, an unassuming young…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-cottage-in-the-woods-by-katherine-coville/feed/ 1 The Glass Slipper by Eleanor Farjeon https://redeemedreader.com/the-glass-slipper-by-eleanor-farjeon/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-glass-slipper-by-eleanor-farjeon/#respond Thu, 12 Mar 2015 19:49:05 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14685 The Glass Slipper by Eleanor Farjeon. Viking, 1956. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-10 Bottom Line: Farjeon’s classic retelling of Cinderella is a fun read and may have inspired Walt Disney himself in the making of the animated Disney version. Every now and then we remind readers of an older, out-of-print…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-glass-slipper-by-eleanor-farjeon/feed/ 0 The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes https://redeemedreader.com/the-distance-between-lost-and-found-by-kathryn-holmes/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-distance-between-lost-and-found-by-kathryn-holmes/#respond Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:00:45 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14730 The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes. HarperTeen, 2015. 306 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 15-18 Bottom Line: This YA survival story offers thrilling outdoor adventure and relevant questions about faith but doesn’t quite close the circle. Hallelujah Joy Calhoun, 17, isn’t super-religious, as everyone guesses, but her…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-distance-between-lost-and-found-by-kathryn-holmes/feed/ 0 An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund https://redeemedreader.com/an-uncertain-choice-by-jody-hedlund/ https://redeemedreader.com/an-uncertain-choice-by-jody-hedlund/#respond Fri, 06 Mar 2015 18:00:05 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14173 An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund. Zondervan, 2015. 249 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 15 – 18 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15 – 18) and up Bottom Line: A beautiful maiden, an unbreakable vow, a mysterious sickness, and a sudden change of events are all parts of Jody Hedlund’s Christian historical romance. Lady Rosemarie Montefort is content to enter…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/an-uncertain-choice-by-jody-hedlund/feed/ 0 Running Lean By Diana Sharples https://redeemedreader.com/running-lean-by-diana-sharples/ https://redeemedreader.com/running-lean-by-diana-sharples/#respond Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:53:28 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14392 Running Lean by Diana Sharples.  Zondervan/Blink, 2013.  400 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Recommended For: ages 16 and up Bottom Line: Running Lean deals sensitively with teen love and the complications brought to it by anorexia. Calvin Greenlee, 17, suffered the worst blow of his life when his brother Michael was killed in…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/running-lean-by-diana-sharples/feed/ 0 *The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Pope https://redeemedreader.com/the-sherwood-ring-by-elizabeth-pope/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-sherwood-ring-by-elizabeth-pope/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:00:17 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14359 The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Pope.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.  272 pages Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) and up Bottom Line: In this classic YA novel originally published in 1958, four ghosts from Revolutionary War days teach a lonely young woman about romance. Peggy Grahame, latest in an unbroken…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-sherwood-ring-by-elizabeth-pope/feed/ 3 Fairest by Marissa Meyer https://redeemedreader.com/fairest-by-marissa-meyer/ https://redeemedreader.com/fairest-by-marissa-meyer/#respond Fri, 06 Feb 2015 10:51:02 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14368 Fairest by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, 2015. 220 pages.  Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up Bottom Line: In an originally unplanned prequel, readers are given the backstory for Queen Levana, a tale that mirrors the darkness of its protagonist. If the title hasn’t already triggered a fairytale memory, think of an evil stepmother and a mirror.…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/fairest-by-marissa-meyer/feed/ 0 First Date by Melody Carlson https://redeemedreader.com/first-date-by-melody-carlson/ https://redeemedreader.com/first-date-by-melody-carlson/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:03:31 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14031 First Date (Dating Games #1) by Melody Carlson. Revell, 2013. 212 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) Bottom Line: The first volume in the Dating Games series by Melody Carlson has fun with the burning issue of dating and Christian girls but feels underdeveloped in some areas. It was…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/first-date-by-melody-carlson/feed/ 4 Storm Siren by Mary Weber https://redeemedreader.com/storm-siren-by-mary-weber/ https://redeemedreader.com/storm-siren-by-mary-weber/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:00:51 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=12996 Storm Siren by Mary Weber. Thomas Nelson, 2014. 333 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up Nymia (“Nym” for short) has 14 circles etched on her arm: fourteen circles for 14 owners. She is a slave with a secret that can and has destroyed. Nym is elemental but unable to…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/storm-siren-by-mary-weber/feed/ 0 The Winner’s Curse https://redeemedreader.com/the-winners-curse/ https://redeemedreader.com/the-winners-curse/#respond Fri, 23 May 2014 17:32:01 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=11603 It began with a simple conversation, Marie Rutkoski explains: . . . while sitting with my friend Vasiliki Skreta on a dark blue gym mat in the children’s playroom of our apartment building.  Vasiliki is an economist, and we were discussing auctions. She mentioned the concept of the “winner’s curse.” Quite simply, it describes how…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/the-winners-curse/feed/ 0 Cinder by Marissa Meyer https://redeemedreader.com/cinder-by-marissa-meyer/ https://redeemedreader.com/cinder-by-marissa-meyer/#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:40:32 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14748 Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  Square Fish, 2012.  387 pages.   Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12 – 15 Recommended For: 6 (ages 15 – 18) and up Bottom Line:  Lovers of fantasy, science fiction, and dystopia will enjoy Marissa Meyer’s intriguing futuristic retelling of Cinderella. Linh Cinder is a teenage mechanic, the best mechanic in New Beijing.  She…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/cinder-by-marissa-meyer/feed/ 0 Be My Valentine: The State of Teen Romance https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-the-state-of-teen-romance/ https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-the-state-of-teen-romance/#comments Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:40:18 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=10933 If you go back as far as I do, you remember the YA novels before there was any such category as “YA.”  These were mostly insipid girl-meets-boy or girl-changes-boyfriend stories that I, little snob that I was, turned up my not-unsubstantial nose at.  The other option in the early-teen fiction landscape was series books, chiefly…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/valentines-day-the-state-of-teen-romance/feed/ 3 Mortal Instruments: City of Bones https://redeemedreader.com/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/ https://redeemedreader.com/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/#comments Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:14:40 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=9633 There’s a big movie release this week, based on a best-selling series of young-adult fantasy novels.  Young-adult fantasy novels have proved enormously profitable for the movie industry (certain flops excepted), and I suspect City of Bones will do very well for itself.  Should teens read the book, see the movie, or skip both?  I’m sure…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/feed/ 5 Christian Romance: part of a well-balanced “book diet”? https://redeemedreader.com/christian-romance-party-of-a-well-balanced-book-diet/ https://redeemedreader.com/christian-romance-party-of-a-well-balanced-book-diet/#respond Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:57 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=8644 A Balanced “Book Diet” Reading is like eating: you need a variety of wholesome ingredients, a little sugar, and a little moderation across the board. Sometimes you need to chew on a steak (mull over a “deep” text), and sometimes you just need some brain candy. Most of the time, though, you need a well-balanced…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/christian-romance-party-of-a-well-balanced-book-diet/feed/ 0 Hattie Ever After: A Review https://redeemedreader.com/hattie-ever-after-a-review/ https://redeemedreader.com/hattie-ever-after-a-review/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 18:29:05 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=8625 Today, I’m happy to welcome our current intern,Hayley Schoeppler, again.  You guys may recall that she did a review of Mara, Daughter of the Nile for us in March.  Today, she takes a look at Hattie Ever After for us. Hattie Ever After, Kirby Larson.  Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013.  240 pgs.  Ages 12+.…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/hattie-ever-after-a-review/feed/ 1 Looking for Love . . . in All the Weird Places https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-in-all-the-weird-places/ https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-in-all-the-weird-places/#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:28:36 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=7851 Since I first wrote about teen paranormal romance–the spark that became a blaze with the Twilight series and all its imitators–we’ve seen the entire Bella-Edward saga translated to film.  Yesterday another big-screen treatment of human/inhuman love opened: Beautiful Creatures, based on a wildly popular YA series that somehow escaped my notice.  I’ve tried to find…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-in-all-the-weird-places/feed/ 3 Love in the Age of Roe https://redeemedreader.com/love-in-the-age-of-roe/ https://redeemedreader.com/love-in-the-age-of-roe/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:06:42 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=7746 In our posts over the last two weeks, Emily and I have suggested that Roe v. Wade has changed America profoundly in the ways we think about sex, gender, and parenting.  But how about love?  That’s a word that doesn’t often figure in the discussion of Life vs. Choice or Our Bodies, Ourselves.  But the…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/love-in-the-age-of-roe/feed/ 3 Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl https://redeemedreader.com/keeping-the-castle/ https://redeemedreader.com/keeping-the-castle/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:33:53 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=6399 Keeping the Castle: a Tale of Romance, Riches, and Real Estate, by Patrice Kindl.  Viking, 2012, 261 pages.  Age/interest level: 13-up. Althea Crawley, age 17, acknowledges the universal truth that a man of fortune must be in want of a wife, and she’s an ideal candidate: beautiful, intelligent, and penniless.  In the very first chapter…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/keeping-the-castle/feed/ 3 7 Myths About 50 Shades Among Christians https://redeemedreader.com/7-myths-about-50-shades/ https://redeemedreader.com/7-myths-about-50-shades/#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:17:32 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=6101 We’ve already covered a lot of ground on the Fifty Shades trilogy by E. L. James.  We interviewed Tim Challies on the theology of pornography, held a roundtable discussion with Megan Basham, and Janie and I have recommended resources in her review and my post, Sexual Integrity Resources for Teens.  I promised you a review…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/7-myths-about-50-shades/feed/ 5 *Entwined by Heather Dixon https://redeemedreader.com/entwined-by-heather-dixon/ https://redeemedreader.com/entwined-by-heather-dixon/#respond Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:32:41 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=14258 *Entwined, by Heather Dixon.  Greenwillow, 2011, 472 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-15 Bottom Line: Entwined is a fairy-tale romance for teens that deftly makes profound points about relationships, love and marriage. The royal family of Eathesbury is rich in girls, but not much else.  On the night Princess Azalea…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/entwined-by-heather-dixon/feed/ 0 Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg https://redeemedreader.com/prom-and-prejudice-by-elizabeth-eulberg/ https://redeemedreader.com/prom-and-prejudice-by-elizabeth-eulberg/#respond Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:06:05 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=13987 Prom and Prejudice, by Elizabeth Eulberg.  Point (Scholastic), 2011, 227 pages.  Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and up Bottom Line: Prom and Prejudice updates Jane Austen’s classic with a slightly sharper edge that enhances some aspects of the original story but blunts others. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/prom-and-prejudice-by-elizabeth-eulberg/feed/ 0 Enthusiasm by Polly Schulman https://redeemedreader.com/a-truth-universally-acknowledged/ https://redeemedreader.com/a-truth-universally-acknowledged/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:21:22 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=1052 Enthusiasm, by Polly Schulman. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006, 198 pages.  Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 Bottom Line: Enthusiasm, a modern-day takeoff on Pride and Prejudice, is a fun romantic read that bears no relation to reality. There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/a-truth-universally-acknowledged/feed/ 2 Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton https://redeemedreader.com/love-will-keep-us-together-by-anne-dayton/ https://redeemedreader.com/love-will-keep-us-together-by-anne-dayton/#respond Thu, 05 May 2011 17:15:47 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=13913 Love Will Keep Us Together, by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt.  Hatchett: 2010, 287 pages.  (Miracle Girls series #4) Reading Level: Young adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and up Bottom Line: In Love Will Keep Us Together, the four “Miracle Girls” face the challenges of senior year, including boys, college, and church. Riley,…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/love-will-keep-us-together-by-anne-dayton/feed/ 0 Looking For Love: The Paranormal Teen Romance https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-the-paranormal-teen-romance/ https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-the-paranormal-teen-romance/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:46:36 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=649 Several years ago I started noticing references to a new YA novel that was enjoying sensational sales, especially among adolescent girls.  As months passed, excitement seemed to build and build, anticipating–of course–the sequel.  The cover featured two hands clasping an apple: simplicity itself, but loaded with cultural baggage.  Original temptation, original sin.  What the heck?…

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]]> https://redeemedreader.com/looking-for-love-the-paranormal-teen-romance/feed/ 6 *The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope https://redeemedreader.com/last-of-the-pagans-perilous-gard/ https://redeemedreader.com/last-of-the-pagans-perilous-gard/#comments Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:37:42 +0000 http://ordinary-fan.flywheelsites.com/?p=457 The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001, 288.  Age/interest level 12-up. Reading Level: Teens/Young Adults Recommended for: Ages 15-18 Bottom line: The Perilous Gard combines a love story with issues central to Christianity and paganism, in a satisfying and thought-provoking read for teens. Katherine Sutton serves as lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth,…

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