Category: teen

Christian, teen, tween

Believe in You: Big Sister Stories and Advice on Living Your Best Life

Bergers Book Reviews


Authors: Christina Cimorelli , Katherine Cimorelli, Lisa Cimorelli, Amy Cimorelli, Lauren Cimorelli, Dani Cimorelli
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian / Teen
ISBN: 978-1-4002-1302-3
Pages: 192
Price: $18.99

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The Cimorelli sisters have received lots of mail from girls looking for advice on how to handle the ups and downs of their growing-up years. Since they can’t respond to each one directly, they decided the best way to reach everyone was to compile their collective wisdom in Believe in You.

The topics they cover are: your relationship with you, spirituality, friendship, dating, family, money, your future, and letters to our younger selves. In each chapter, the six sisters share their own unique perspectives on the subject being discussed. Chatting as big sisters, each encourage girls in how to live their best life.

Believe in You is perfect for any girl who wants a Christian “big sister” to look up to. Fans of Cimorelli will especially enjoy it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

It’s Over (Status Updates #2)

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Laura L. Smith
Publisher: Birch House Press
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-0-9962770-0-6
Pages: 304
Price: $11.99

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How do you hang on when the most terrible tragedy strikes? For four college roommates, their faith in God, family, and friendship are the pillars they lean on. Each of these girls faces the fact that “it’s over” in some way in their lives, and they will need to deal with their issues in order to move past them and grow from them. It’s a story of real life, and nothing is sugar-coated.

This is the second book in the Status Updates series, and even though I didn’t read book one, I was able to pick up this story quickly with no worrying that I’ve missed something. The girls’ reactions to the problems they faced are convincing and real, and teen girls will easily identify with how they felt about life and each other. I highly recommend It’s Over.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fantasy, teen, tween

The Thorn Queen

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Elise Holland
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Fantasy / Young adult
ISBN: 978-1-943006-79-3
Pages: 256
Price: $16.95

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Meylyne has done something she’s not allowed to do in her world, and she is going to be punished for it. But before she accepts her fate, she visits the Well for advice. Surprisingly, she is encouraged to do something unexpected, which will force her to leave home. But the Well has provided her with a companion for her travels.

Her journey is not easy, and Meylyne meets some interesting characters along the way. Learning who to trust is a challenge, and she is suspicious of everyone. But as she grows stronger in her knowledge of what must be done to save the world that she knows and loves, her determination grows just as strong. And when she faces the final test, her life changes in more ways than she could ever imagine.

The Thorn Queen draws the reader in quickly, as they hope Meylyne can extricate herself from the difficult situation she finds herself in. And her perilous journey is a quick wild ride to its climax. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to see more from this very talented new author.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

What I Like About Me

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jenna Guillaume
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Co.
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-1-68263-160-7
Pages: 304
Price: $17.99
Kindle Price as of today: $2.99

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Maisie Martin was looking forward to her vacation, until she was given the school assignment to keep a journal while away. Recording her thoughts seems so silly, but soon she finds that she looks forward to writing, especially when the vacation takes some unexpected twists.

Boy trouble, best friend trouble, parent trouble, and sibling trouble would definitely be enough to drive a teen girl mad, but when she suddenly finds herself entering a beauty pageant, things get really out of control. Maisie has always considered herself unattractive because she’s overweight, and hiding her body has been more comfortable than seeking attention. But when a teen boy tells her he finds her beautiful, she starts to wonder. Maybe being overweight isn’t reason enough to hide?

Maisie is such a fun character that teen girls will relate to. She’s spunky and definitely has a mind of her own, but she also has a sweet and caring side. All she really wants is to be accepted for who she is, and by the time this vacation is over, Maisie has even finally accepted herself, also. What I Like About Me is impossible to put down, as we share this wild ride of a vacation with Maisie.

WARNING: This book contains some adult themes including alcohol, nudity, and same-sex relationships.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

mystery, teen

Code Red (Faith Flores Science Mystery)

Bergers Book Reviews

Code Red
Authot: Janie Chodosh
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1929345281
Pages: 298
Price: $10.95

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After solving her mother’s murder in Death Spiral, Faith Flores is off to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a summer internship in science, working with genetically modified chiles. She’s never met her dad, but knows he grew up in Santa Fe, and plans to look him up while she’s there. Soon after arriving, Faith learns of a dangerous teen drug on the local market called liquid gold, which has suddenly become more plentiful.

Family matters quickly get out of hand as her search for her dad takes an unexpected turn, but they’re not as complicated as Faith’s romantic life. A new boy in the internship program, Clem, rivals Jesse back home, and she needs to sort out how she feels about both of them. And when a girl Faith meets at a party dies from an overdose of liquid gold, Faith’s antenna goes up. After watching her mom battle addiction, Faith is determined to stop others from being traumatized by this deadly drug.

Faith is a tough-minded teen who’s not afraid to tangle with the bad guys. Nothing holds her back from her investigations, even when trouble is lurking all around her. But in Code Red, we also see Faith’s softer side, as she grapples with her family discoveries. I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see the next installment in this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

Chloe by Design: Balancing Act

Bergers Book Reviews

Balancing Act
Author: Margaret Gurevich
Illustrator: Brooke Hagel
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-1-62370-258-8
Pages: 384
Price: $14.95

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In winning the Teen Design Diva contest in Making the Cut, Chloe is given the chance of a summer internship with a designer in New York City. She hopes that working for Stefan Meyers will hone her design skills and help her to be successful in her career.

Chloe is lucky to be rooming with other interns in an FIT dormitory, and will be able to share her joys and accomplishments with girls who have also been there. But one of the interns is jealous of Chloe’s success and tries to bring her down every chance she gets. Balancing a high-pressure job with a potential love interest proves to be more difficult than Chloe imagines, but her few dates are a source of pleasure. As Stefan Meyers guides his staff toward a successful Fashion Week, Chloe is thrown into the chaos and given the chance to shine. But is it enough to be a part of the event, or does she really want to showcase her work?

Balancing Act shows us Chloe at her very best. For such a young girl, she’s amazingly mature in how she handles her work responsibilities. She consistently shows up on time (or even early) for work, stays late, tries to always do her best, and even chooses work over dating. And outside of work, she always takes the high road when dealing with difficult personalities. Chloe is a great role model for teens, who will love her for the exciting career she’s chosen. As there is no mature material in these books, this series is appropriate for younger girls, also.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

mystery, teen

The Shadow of Seth

Bergers Book Reviews

The Shadow of Seth
Author: Tom Llewellyn
Publisher: The Poisoned Pencil
Genre: Teen / Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-92934-518-2
Pages: 186
Price: $10.95

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Seth Anomundy lives in a small apartment in the back of a boxing gym, on the poor side of Tacoma, with his mother, a cleaning woman. And now she’s dead, apparently murdered. The cops don’t seem interested in finding out what happened to her, so Seth needs to take matters into his own hands.

On a delivery run for the clock repairman he occasionally works for, he meets one of the rich girls in school, who immediately takes an interest in him. As he speaks with his mother’s clients, he retraces her steps that fateful night, narrowing down the suspects. The cops have issued an arrest warrant for the woman he considers a second mother when she disappears after the murder, and Seth wants to clear her name. But he also needs to steer clear of King George, a teenage thug who suddenly wants him dead.

The Shadow of Seth is an interesting whodunit. Clues are carefully presented and the reader is able to follow along as Seth figures out what happened. But some of the characters’ actions don’t ring quite true, and Seth acts more like he’s researching the death of a stranger rather than his own mother. Fans of simple and straight-forward murder mysteries without too much emotional involvement will enjoy this novel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fashion, teen

Chloe by Design: Making the Cut

Bergers Book Reviews

Making the Cut
Author: Margaret Gurevich
Illustrator: Brooke Hagel
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-1-62370-112-3
Pages: 384
Price: $14.95

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Chloe Montgomery is addicted to the fashion reality show Design Diva. So when the producers announce a new contest – Teen Design Diva – Chloe knows she has to enter. But before she can make it to the TV show, she first has to pass auditions. Only 15 designers will make the cut, and she’ll have to work hard and smart.

Navigating the challenges the judges give them is difficult enough, but she also has to worry about her rival, Nina, trying to sabotage her efforts. Doubts in her own abilities surface, and she faces the very real fact that others in the contest might be better than she is. But she keeps on pushing herself, ever hopeful that she’ll be awarded the championship.

Beautiful watercolor drawings of Chloe’s and other contestants’ designs fill the pages, giving color to the descriptions of these interesting fashion pieces as they’re created. Teen girls who love fashion and reality shows will find themselves absorbed in the whirlwind of activity Chloe suddenly finds herself in. Making the Cut is a great read, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the Chloe by Design series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

mystery, teen

Beyond Suspicion

Bergers Book Reviews

Beyond Suspicion
Author: Catherine A. Winn
Publisher: The Poisoned Pencil
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-9293-4510-6
Page: 230
Price: $10.95

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Shelby really wants to go to her best friend’s birthday party, and she’s disappointed when she finds out she’ll be stuck at home, babysitting her baby brother. Since her mom got married to Roger and had a new baby, Shelby’s life has been hard, and she vents her frustration to her friends before taking her one year-old brother, Josh, out for a walk in the park. A small fireworks display distracts Shelby, and when she turns around, Josh is gone.

The situation goes from bad to worse when the police won’t believe her story and instead blame Shelby for Josh’s disappearance. She has no one to turn to except a new boy, Matt, who suddenly decides to help her. Unexpected support also comes from Roger, who defends her to the police and hires an attorney to clear her name. Following a couple of hunches leads Shelby to Josh, but she soon finds herself and Josh in danger. Only her quick thinking can save both their lives before it’s too late.

Beyond Suspicion is a fast read that will keep young adults interested from the first page. Shelby’s predicament with difficult parents is easy to relate to, as is her determination to find her baby brother. There are a few scenes that may require the reader to suspend disbelief, but overall, this is a nicely written story that teens will enjoy.

WARNING: Contains violence.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting, teen

Scenes for Teens

Bergers Book Reviews

Scenes for Teens
Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Acting / Teen
ISBN: 9781497557031
Pages: 142
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
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Teenage actors don’t always have good drama and comedy scenes to practice on, while attempting to hone their skills. Much of the material out there is offensive or simply not appropriate for teens. Mike Kimmel saw the need for clean scenes, and that was why he developed Scenes for Teens: 50 Original Comedy and Drama Scenes for Teenage Actors.

These two or three page scenes are designed to be played by two actors. Roles are identified as A or B, and there is no gender indicated, so anyone can play either part. Although a few of the scenes handle moral issues, most are simply casual conversations between two friends, but they don’t include foul language, inappropriate topics, or any kind of mischief. Teens are encouraged to act the part the way they feel inspired, with no stage directions given.

Scenes for Teens is appropriate for aspiring actors of any age – even the younger set. Teens who want to improve their acting skills would be wise to pick up a copy. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger