_Sixpence in her Shoe
by Phyllis McGinley

Publisher's Note:  None - This is an older title in its sixth reprinting!

Overall Review:  This collection of essays about all aspects of homemaking is written in an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek manner that will make you smile—and maybe even giggle once or twice. Sixpence in Her Shoe is more than just a rosy-eyed view of domesticity; McGinley makes her arguments for the stay-at-home housewife in an articulate, educated manner, with plenty of exceptions to her rules. In fact, the thing I liked best about this book is that, while McGinley has plenty of her own opinions to bring to the fore, the overall message of her delightful book seems to be "figure out what works for YOU." In hilarious manner, she explains how most of the popular advice given to young wives has little bearing on her marriage: her husband never wants to talk about his work, he longs to be given a list of problems to fix around the house, and he can't stand to have his wife get up and prepare a hot breakfast for him. Likewise, McGinley urges her readers to find their own rhythm when it comes to being a wife, homemaker, and mother. In a few places, the book seemed to drag a little as the author went off on a tangent or got bogged down in details.  However, overall it was a very entertaining read! Sixpence in Her Shoe is perfect for homemakers of all sorts—whether they stay at home full time or not, have kids or not, or subscribe to conventional ideas or not.  Overall Rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:

PROFANITY: Very mild

VIOLENCE: None

SEXUAL CONTENT: Very mild

MATURE THEMES: None

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 18+

There is one instance of very mild profanity (a religious epithet used in its proper context). At one point, the author says that sex (along with religion and politics) is one of the three topics that inspires the liveliest discussions at dinner parties. The content of this book is appropriate for any age; however, since it is most likely to be of interest to married women, Sixpence in Her Shoe is recommended as a Squeaky Clean Read for ages 18+.

This Review was Written by Cindy B.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer

_ Anna Karenina
By Leo Tolstoy

Publisher's Note:  Married to a powerful government minister, Anna Karenina is a beautiful woman who falls deeply in love with a wealthy army officer, the elegant Count Vronsky. Desperate to find truth and meaning in her life, she rashly defies the conventions of Russian society and leaves her husband and son to live with her lover. Condemned and ostracized by her peers and prone to fits of jealousy that alienate Vronsky, Anna finds herself unable to escape an increasingly hopeless situation.

Set against this tragic affair is the story of Konstantin Levin, a melancholy landowner whom Tolstoy based largely on himself. While Anna looks for happiness through love, Levin embarks on his own search for spiritual fulfillment through marriage, family, and hard work. Surrounding these two central plot threads are dozens of characters whom Tolstoy seamlessly weaves together, creating a breathtaking tapestry of nineteenth-century Russian society.

Overall Review:  Anna Karenina is an intense story about love and its consequences. Written by the great Leo Tolstoy, this epic novel follows two central characters -- glamorous Anna Karenina and brooding Konstantin Levin -- on their respective searches for happiness. Though Anna and Levin have individual journeys, their social lives overlap. This overlap produces a vibrant cast of secondary characters. Every character was memorable, multi-dimensional, and provided valuable perspective and insight into the lives of Anna and Levin. Particularly noteworthy was the fact that all were remarkably well-educated. They were readily able to participate in the many detailed discussions within the book about philosophy, religion, politics, moral good, and public welfare.

The emotional content in Anna Karenina was astounding. Tolstoy writes scenes with unmistakable depth, drama and passion. Readers will be invested in these characters! Many may find Anna’s internal struggle over entering an affair dark and depressing.  I actually felt heavy and bogged down while reading these parts. Thankfully Levin’s search for true love and happiness is more cheerful and significantly balances the book’s mood. Tolstoy also includes a vast array of details about imperial Russian life that will make readers feel as if they were there, too.

With unique characters, powerful emotion and fine detail, it is little wonder Anna Karenina is a classic. Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
PROFANITY: mild

VIOLENCE: moderate

SEXUAL CONTENT: moderate

MATURE THEMES: moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 18+

 There is a handful of profanities in this novel; most were religious exclamations.

 Instances of violence include a man being crushed by a train, a character shooting himself, and another character throwing herself in front of a train. During a horse race, an animal slips and breaks its back. A childbirth occurs. Shooting animals for game occurs on numerous hunting expeditions. The majority of these violent instances are given with only the briefest of detail.

One of the main story lines of Anna Karenina is infidelity. From the very first page characters are engaging in affairs. While nothing is overly gratuitous, there are several allusions to intercourse and an allusion to abortion and prostitution. A young woman wears a low cut bodice to impress a man. A young girl is examined naked by a doctor.

Mature themes include infidelity, God and spirituality, religion, adultery, love, betrayal, death and family.

A character is also addicted to morphine.

Due to mild profanity and moderate amounts of violence, sexual content and mature themes, this classic is recommended for ages 18+!

_This review was written by Rachel.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Sterling (Barnes and Noble Classics) for a review.

_ The Lightkeeper’s Ball
Colleen Coble

Publisher's Note:  At the elegant Mercy Falls masquerade ball, Olivia's hidden identity will be revealed.

It is the dawn of a new century and Olivia Stewart is heiress to an empire. Her family numbers among the Four Hundred-those considered the wealthiest and most distinquished in America. Unfortunately their wealth has nearly disappeared, and now their security rests upon the Stewart daughters' marrying well.

Olivia's sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation's wealthiest men, but has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor's fiance. Using her family's long-forgotten English title, Olivia travels to Mercy Falls, California, as Lady Devonworth, hoping to learn more before committing to marriage. There she finds that Eleanor's death was no accident. And Harrison is not the man she thought he would be.

When Mercy Falls holds a charity masquerade ball to raise funds for the new lighthouse, secrets-and truths long hidden-will be revealed. But can Harrison really love Olivia when he finds her true identity? Can she live with the repercussions of failing her family, or will she finally realize that nothing-not money, family, or romance-will ever compare to God's unconditional love?

Overall Review: Though heralded as a romance, The Lightkeeper’s Ball has something for everyone. Author Colleen Coble masterfully weaves actual historical tidbits into the novel (the likes of Haley’s comet, the first airplanes and women’s rights), which enrich the plot and make for an engaging read. The hair-raising adventures and enchanting romance between the main characters, Olivia and Harrison, will delight and captivate. My only wish is that the narrative was more even-paced; the events in the book’s first half struck with lightning speed while the latter portion slowed considerably.

While love blossoms between characters, circumstances around town grow downright mysterious. Murder, mayhem and secrets envelope the town’s occupants - and that’s only within the first few chapters! With multiple plot twists, readers will have difficulty trying to discover “whodunit”. In fact, this is one mystery that will keep readers in suspense until the very end. For an outstanding blend of intrigue and passion, pick up The Lightkeeper’s Ball. Overall rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars!

  Content Review:
PROFANITY: none 

VIOLENCE: moderate

SEXUAL CONTENT: moderate

MATURE THEMES: moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 18+

The Lightkeeper’s Ball is a Christian romance, so it is fairly conservative compared to most romance novels. There is no profanity.

Violence events include the mention of a death by drowning. A character is pushed off a cliff in a murder attempt. Two characters are tied up and left in a burning building; they are subsequently rescued but have injuries that are not graphically described. A character physically struggles against unknown attackers.

Sexual content includes one incident of passionate kissing. A character mentions finding an unmarried couple in bed together. There is frequent talk of a character’s infidelity, which results in an illegitimate child. An engaged character has innocent wonderings about the “bedroom side of marriage”. This topic is approached from a religious standpoint.

Mature themes include love, revenge, murder, and betrayal.

Due to moderate instances of violence, sexual content and mature themes, The Lightkeeper’s Ball is recommended for ages 18+!

_This review was written by Rachel.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Thomas Nelson Publishing for a review.

_Baby's First 100 Days
by Margaret Stephenson Meere

Publisher's Note:  This compact, common sense survival guide takes the stress and guesswork out of the first three months of a baby's life for parents, grandparents, or any infant caregiver. This guide sheds light on your baby's behavior by explaining how a baby behaves and why, offering simple and authoritative advice on everything from burping to breastfeeding, recognizing signs of fatigue, dealing with crying, and establishing a sleeping pattern. At a glance you can have the answer and be able to enjoy the first 100 days with your newborn.

Overall Review:  Baby’s First 100 Days contains some great practical advice on how to care for a newborn.  First-time parents are sure to find some tips that they will use and be grateful for. Although this book is charming and easy to read, it doesn’t offer any new or unique parenting advice. Most of the information presented is commonly published in parenting magazines or articles.  It might be nice baby-shower gift for first time parents, but it is not a parenting resource one refer to repeatedly. Overall rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:
PROFANITY:  none

VIOLENCE:  none

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  none

RECOMMENDED AGE:  18+

Baby’s First 100 Days is a Squeaky Clean Read!  It is recommended for ages 18+ because of its genre.

_This review was written by Shelley.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by CedarFort for a review

My Ántonia
by Willa Cather

Publisher’s Note: Widely recognized as Willa Cather’s greatest novel, My Ántonia is a soulful and rich portrait of a pioneer woman’s simple yet heroic life. The spirited daughter of Bohemian immigrants, Ántonia must adapt to a hard existence on the desolate prairies of the Midwest. Enduring childhood poverty, teenage seduction, and family tragedy, she eventually becomes a wife and mother on a Nebraska farm. A fictional record of how women helped forge the communities that formed a nation, My Ántonia is also a hauntingly eloquent celebration of the strength, courage, and spirit of America’s early pioneers.

Overall Review:  My Ántonia is a portrait of a life well lived that begins in early childhood and moves all the way through adulthood—with all the foibles and mishaps in between.  What a beautiful, lovely, rambling narrative of the ‘old’ West!  Life in the early settlements was so difficult.  There were many dangers known and unknown, such as snakes and wild animals, devastatingly cold and brutal winters, loneliness, depression, accidents and amputations—many times without the aid of hospitals, doctors or medicines!  Throw into that mix a brand new country with a language you don’t understand and you have the makings of some pretty desperate circumstances!  I loved when the narrator talked of reading Swiss Family Robinson, or Robinson Crusoe, and complaining that they were very dull compared to his real life experiences!  Regardless of the harsh circumstances, however, the focus truly remains on the joys of life and the wonder of the experiences of childhood.  We see what it means to be a true friend and neighbor.  We feel the power of forgiveness.  We explore the beauty of the land through each season as the world turns.  We enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  The simplicity of this novel is refreshing, yet the meaning is complex and all-encompassing.  Life passes us by, with all its ups and downs laid out before us, and while the narrative is simple and naïve, we are swept away in its beauty and grandeur.  Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 Stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: A few Mild to Moderate instances

VIOLENCE: A few Mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few Moderate instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild to Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 18+

There are a few instances of mild profanity (mostly giving thanks), and a few more moderate exclamations in keeping with the time period (I only noted four).

The Violence stays mostly mild just because there is hardly any description on any of the following circumstances:  People are attacked and eaten by wolves (it is not gory—sad, but not descriptive); there are two instances of suicide (someone shoots himself, another jumps in a threshing machine); a character chases another through a field with a knife (trying to keep her away from her husband); a character kills his wife, then mortally wounds himself—hoping he’d be found so he could outlive his wife and her family wouldn’t inherit his land and money (morbidly funny).  It is all well done without shocking or gory details, but adds to the starkness and harshness of life portrayed in the story.  A character is beaten when he is mistaken for someone else.  There is also some slapping, yelling, and general unkindness at times.

The Sexual content is moderate because of the subject matter at times.  While we are spared intimate details, the ideas are still there.  A character is purported to have many relations with women other than his wife.  This same character is caught sneaking into his maids’ quarters (the maid isn’t there, and he’s surprised to find a man there instead, since the maid was afraid and asked for help) with intent to do something… There are many allusions to babies coming out of wedlock, but no details.  A character goes to be with her fiancé, supposedly in order to marry him, but she finds that he doesn’t actually want to marry her and he runs off, leaving her pregnant and without a husband.  There is some ‘frivolous’ kissing when the characters are teenagers.

The Mature Themes are mostly mild and center around the difficulties of life during the early settler days, which include death, prejudice, wicked people trying to cheat others, surviving harsh living conditions (including poverty and weather), and adapting to new cultures. 

My Ántonia is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 18+!

Shades of Gray
by Rachel Ann Nunes

Publisher’s Note: Why would a contented family man suddenly vanish without a trace? Though the police believe Dennis Briggs left voluntarily, his wife is convinced something sinister has happened and turns to Autumn Rain for help. Autumn has the extraordinary ability to receive impressions from objects that have special meaning to their owners, but what she discovers about the victim only leads to more questions. Autumn is equally confused by her conflicting feelings for a handsome new detective and the supportive boyfriend she has always depended on. But Autumn s investigation takes on new urgency when Dennis's young son also disappears, presumably kidnapped from the backyard of the family s home. Shades of Gray is a fast-paced, romantic suspense novel with a paranormal twist. The third book in a series of stand-alone novels featuring Autumn Rain.

Overall Review:  Autumn Rain never wears shoes, owns an Antiques store, only eats organic food and was raised by hippies.  She can also sense deep feelings and situations from the memories that are imprinted on inanimate objects.  She is most definitely one of the most unique heroines I’ve read in a long while!  It’s a shame that this is my first ‘Autumn Rain’ novel. This book being the third of a series, there were many allusions to other adventures and happenings.  It still did quite well as a stand-alone book; I never felt confused at the plot or storyline, and I felt that there were enough descriptions of the characters that I ‘knew’ them.  I did feel left out sometimes, but it wasn’t terribly disturbing.

The characters were engaging.  Autumn was constantly at odds with Detective Martin, but I really liked him!  I think he was my favorite character.  He cared without being cheesy or obsessive about it.  Autumn’s boyfriend, Jake, was not a prominent character in this installment.  I’m guessing he was probably a key character in the first two, but in this one, he made some appearances, but was mostly in the sidelines.  Perhaps that’s why I felt much more of an attachment to Shannon Martin.  The love triangle made the whole story that much more intriguing.

Shades of Gray is quite fast-paced and easy to read!  It’s light, fun and full of action and drama.  This is a perfect book for those long winter evenings, curled up by the fire with a hot cup of cocoa!  Overall rating is 4 out of 5 Stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: None

VIOLENCE: Mild to Moderate throughout

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few very mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

There is absolutely no profanity whatsoever.

This is a murder mystery/thriller genre, so there is quite a bit of violence, but it is very muted.  There are a number of fights—most of them include a main character doing some roundhouse kicks and boxing stances and meditating on their next move.  A character is attacked by a man with a knife (but she roundhouse-kicks him a few times and it’s ok).  There are a few shoot outs—some between the bad guys and the police, some between the bad guys and other random citizens.  The bad guys dress up a cadaver to make it look like they murdered a little boy.  There are many kidnappings (a little boy is taking right out of his backyard, and his mother is hit as she tries to take him back; a man is taken into a van and beaten; a man is taken and tortured for information, etc.).  A character has imprints of people’s memories, and she sees murders, fear, and abuse.  There is all of this, but it is necessary to the plot and lacks the shock value and gore.

Some characters kiss a few times.  There is a love triangle that involves a lot of confused feelings.

The mature themes are mostly mild and center around lying, deceit, murder, and organized crime.

Shades of Gray is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+!

The Undrowned Child
by Michelle Lovric

Publisher’s Note: Teodora has always longed to visit Venice, and at last she has her chance. But strange and sinister things are afoot in the beautiful floating city. Teo is quickly subsumed into a secret world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets, statues speak, rats read, and librarians fluidly turn into cats. And where a book, The Key to the Secret City, leads Teo straight into the heart of the danger that threatens to destroy the city to which she feels she belongs. An ancient proverb seems to unite Teo with a Venetian boy, Renzo, and with the Traitor who has returned from the dark past to wreak revenge. . . . But who is the Undrowned Child destined to save Venice?

Overall Review:  What a lovely, exciting and thorough story!  By the time I finished this book, I felt like it could be possible for me to walk through Venice and name every building I saw!  I loved the history; I loved the descriptions; I loved the fast pace and the excitement and the mystery!  I even loved the fact that after the story was finished, there was an entire section on what was true in the story (people and events) and a section about the buildings and places mentioned!  Some wonderful, and very eye-opening facts on Venice!

The characters are so much fun!  Teo is a wonderfully flawed little girl—she’s normal, yet just a little bit different than everyone else.  She can see everyone’s words above their heads, and feel their hearts!  Renzo is a snot.  He’s snobby and looks down on everyone (unless you’re a Venetian). He does improve, though, and you can’t help but like the guy!  I LOVED the mermaids!  They were so funny and full of life!  They are referred to as ‘salty’, and salty they are!  They’re not afraid to tell you what’s on their minds and they’ll do it in way that makes you laugh…even though you know they’re probably insulting you!  There’s also the other side to the war over Venice: the villains!  And they are scary!  Bajamonte Tiepolo is the infamous traitor (true story!!) whose spirit has come back to life (not true!!) and he is pure evil as he strives to gather his army, find his bones, resurrect his body, and take all of Venice for his own!  The Butcher Biasio is as evil as they come—slaughtering children and serving them in stew (true story!!!!)—and he’s back as well (not true—thank goodness!) as Tiepolo’s vile head henchman! 

The Undrowned Child is an intense tale of good versus evil with many elements of Inkheart, Neverending Story, and even Harry Potter throughout.  The writing is lovely, lyrical, and perhaps one could go so far as to say epic!  It is a very satisfying novel with just enough left undone to hint at a sequel!  And if there is a sequel in the future, I, for one, can’t wait to read it!  Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: A few Mild and a few Moderate instances

VIOLENCE: Moderate throughout

SEXUAL CONTENT: None

MATURE THEMES: Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

There are two mild instances and 5 Moderate instances of profanity.  The Mermaids learned to speak by listening to sailors—and while they don’t curse or swear, they do enjoy flinging insults at people they don’t like and calling people names.

There is a great deal of violence.  The entire premise of the book is saving Venice from an evil ghost.  The bad ghosts are sometimes very frightening!  There are giant killer seagulls that don’t hesitate to attack, kill and eat people and animals; statues that come to life sometimes with blood dripping from their mouths (which are really leeches); Vampire Eels (with descriptions of them killing creatures and sucking their blood); the eels battle with mermaids where many are killed on both sides—a very bloody battle; sharks that attack viciously; a huge unknown creature whose tentacles are mistaken for poles to tie up gondolas—they try to strangle some characters and the tentacles are found full of skin-burning acid carrying the bubonic plague; millipede/cockroach insects that attack en masse and bite; a huge evil bat creature that carries people off; a butcher ghost that is completely decapitated and likes to kill and eat children (the encounters with him are many and very scary); many ghosts are in pieces and have remnants of their last punishments (burning eyes, slicing their hands with knives, etc.); an evil skeleton tries to come to life…  There is one character in particular who is very violent and full of hate.  His death is described in detail, and as he comes slowly back to life, his visual descriptions are disturbing (think ‘Voldemort’ from Harry Potter).  He has no problem killing, casting violent spells, torturing, and horribly using anyone willing to follow him.  There is a great deal of description of all violent deeds with a lot of blood and feeling involved. Many characters die during a war that is very intense.  Instruments of torture end up on display in the town. They are described in detail and at one point, are almost put to use.  There are many scary images, descriptions and encounters.

The Mature Themes are mostly all Moderate.  They include ghosts and the supernatural, Magic, casting spells and evil curses, overwhelming hate and desire for revenge, fear, prejudice, and war.  Some other more mild themes include discovering who you are within a family/friendship and mystery.

The Undrowned Child is recommended for ages 16+.

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow
by Katy Towell

Publisher’s Note: Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface . . .

Adelaide Foss, Maggie Borland, and Beatrice Alfred are known by their classmates at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls as "scary children." Unfairly targeted because of their peculiarities—Adelaide has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie is abnormally strong, and Beatrice claims to be able to see ghosts—the girls spend a good deal of time isolated in the school's inhospitable library facing detention. But when a number of people mysteriously begin to disappear in Widowsbury, the girls work together, along with Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard School for Boys, to find out who is behind the abductions. Will they be able to save Widowsbury from a 12-year-old curse?

Overall Review:  Meet the Scary Children (or Skary Childrin, as spelled by Beatrice):  Adelaide is shunned because everyone believes she is a werewolf!  Yes, her ears are pointed, her fingernails look more like claws, she can see and smell more than anyone else…but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person, right?  Maggie is amazingly strong and beats up those who try to pick on others—which means she is shunned as well.  She’s also usually very grumpy and sarcastic, but she’s a loyal friend.  Beatrice can see and talk to ghosts (mostly animals, though), so everyone thinks she is creepy and weird, but she is the sweetest, most innocent and positive person you could meet!  And I loved her sweet little ghost mouse-turned-postman!  Then there’s my personal favorite: Steffen.  He’s a pretty normal kid, actually.  He’s poor and he’s homeschooled since his dad can’t afford to send him to school, but he is happy and cute and willing to help others.  And, oh, how I loved all his inventions (especially his invisibility hats, which don’t actually work) and his fetish with peanut butter sandwiches!

The curse of Widowsbury is taking a turn for the worse and people are disappearing.  The town is already wary of anything new and now they are even more scared and suspicious.  The four children stumble onto something they were definitely not meant to see and as they try desperately to warn people, the only reaction they get is more trouble!!  Could the big old carousel really be as evil as they think it is?  And what is it, exactly?  What started out as a mystery surrounding their missing librarian, turns into a fight to save the entire town from something worse than they ever could have imagined!

Skary Childrin is what happens when you take elements from ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’, ‘X-Men’, ‘Poltergeist’, and ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’, mix it all together, and put it in the microwave!  Fast paced and very scary—if you want to be scared silly, then this is the book for you!  Make sure you keep a flashlight handy!  Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY:  One moderate instance

VIOLENCE: Many mild and a few moderate instances throughout

SEXUAL CONTENT: None

MATURE THEMES: Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 12+

There is one instance of an ‘omg’. (Not the acronym.)

There is a lot of mild violence, such as bullying and mean people.  They do things like calling names, taunting, humiliating…doing anything possible to make the others feel horrible.  The headmistress dislikes some of the students and constantly punishes them with cruel punishments: The Wall (sitting against a rough brick wall for an entire day while everyone looks on), The Wailing Room (characters are put inside a small room for a very extended period of time without any lights, or food, and with the door shut and locked with chains and padlocks—rumor has it there is a wailing ghost inside and it may or may not let you live), or The Library (a very gloomy, damp room with horrible people as librarians who hit them, make fun of them, and generally make their lives miserable).  There are a few different instances of ghost attacks: One instance is when the main characters are trying to get a bully to leave them alone, and they have some ghosts attack her in order to scare her into leaving them alone.  It mostly works, as she is very shaken.  Another instance is when a ghost chases after a character in order to deliver a message, but while she’s trying to deliver the message (that the town will be eaten), she transforms into something very scary (this happens twice).  There is an evil shadow man who is behind the disappearances and hates everyone.  He tries to trick people into following him and tries to get into some character’s windows late at night during a lightning storm.  A strange shape-shifting creature feeds off of sadness, but becomes mutated and ends up becoming a person-eating monster.  A character gives out candy made from poisoned blood.  When characters enter the carousel they are attacked by mutated and scary creatures (giant scorpions, tarantulas, bears, hornets, bat-dogs, etc).  A character finds another character covered in slime and mostly unconscious who screams in terror over and over again.  When the evil creature is defeated, it vomits people all over and then it melts—the skin melting right off the body (lots of description).  There are some scary pictures.

The mature themes are fairly moderate and deal with curses, the reality of monsters and evil, supernatural occurrences, misery and death—it’s pretty scary.  Some mild themes are that of fitting in/being different, friendship, and being loyal and helping others. 

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow is recommended for ages 12+.

The Forgotten Locket
by Lisa Mangum

Publisher's Note:  The future is uncertain. The battle to control the past has begun. The final book in the riveting Hourglass Door trilogy begins when Abby steps through the black door, and she doesn't dare look back. Though it means leaving Dante—wounded, bleeding, and possibly blind—she knows it is the only way to save her family and stop Zo from manipulating the river of time and throwing the future into chaos. In the end, Abby must face a final confrontation that will take her to the very origins of the hourglass door.

Overall Review:  “This is where the story changes,” Valerie whispered to me from behind her hands.  “If Dante says yes, the story goes one way. If he says no…”

How often do we really think about the things we do and the decisions we make and how they will affect our future?  The whole focus of The Forgotten Locket are those itsy bitsy decisions that change the entire course of a lifetime: One small word, one seemingly insignificant look, changing your mind about where to go to lunch… It all matters and it can change everything!

I enjoyed following through with Abby and Dante.  There were definitely a lot of interesting twists and turns in this final installment!  My favorite character has to be Valerie (turned Oracle), as she just adds almost a comic relief to most of the story.  Abby and Dante’s relationship doesn’t change, even as they are fighting for their families and friends through time.  I enjoyed the unfolding story and loved the back and forth through time and meeting of so many new characters. 

I had very high expectations for this book (I really loved the first two!), but I felt like it fell a little short.  The writing is very different this time: there were a lot of big problems arising individually, then 20 pages later we hit a climax and resolution, and then we start all over again with a new big problem, climax, and resolution.  This goes through memory loss, insanity, love triangles, blindness, broken hearts, etc.  At times, it almost felt like a lot of mini stories on the lives and travels of Abby and Dante, but it worked.  I wondered if perhaps it was written this way on purpose—almost as a symbol of the river of time that was being diverted, polluted, frayed, and destroyed.  Everything was spiraling out of control bit by bit, one piece at a time.

On the whole, The Forgotten Locket provides a satisfying, albeit predictable, ending to The Hourglass Door Trilogy.  It makes you think twice about ever wanting to go back in time and change something… and one can only hope that time travel will never be achieved!  Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:

PROFANITY: One moderate instance

VIOLENCE: Mild to Moderate throughout

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild to Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

There is one instance of profanity where a character tells others where to go.

All the sexual content is mild and includes some kissing and mild tension (with phrases like “She leaned against him and her body was a perfect fit”).

There is a great deal of violence and some of it became a bit more graphic, mostly to show the intensity of the feelings and the situations.  There is more description of the branding with chains around the wrists, and a lot of reviewing past violence from the previous novels (stabbings, deaths, etc.).  There is an evil and dangerous character who wreaks havoc wherever he goes and delights in it.  He steals away family members, threatens everyone (and follows through), constantly desires revenge and destruction of those opposing him, and wishes to destroy all time.  A character stabs another through the heart.  A character attacks using fingernails to claw at another’s face and draws blood (this happens multiple times).  There is a moderate fight between two characters that include fist-fighting, punching in the face, and stepping on fingers repeatedly in order to break them (and there is description of the state of the broken fingers and the mutilated face many times after).  Two characters break objects that are important to each other in order to incapacitate the other.  A character melts (not unlike the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz) very slowly.

The mature themes are mostly mild, such as time travel, dealing with memory loss, overcoming odds, and realizing the importance of friends and family.  Some of the moderate themes deal with the evil nature of one of the characters: the overwhelming desire for revenge, destruction and death.

The Forgotten Locket is recommended for ages 16+.

Powerless
by Matthew Cody

Publisher's Note:  Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice—but odd—new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. Incredible. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but they’re haunted by the fact that the moment they turn thirteen, their abilities will disappear—along with any memory that they ever had them. Is a memory-stealing supervillain sapping their powers?

The answers lie in a long-ago meteor strike, a World War II–era comic book (Fantastic Futures, starring the first superhero, Johnny Noble), the green-flamed Witch Fire, a hidden Shroud cave, and—possibly, unbelievably—“powerless” regular-kid Daniel himself.

Superhero kids meet comic book mystery in this action-filled debut about the true meaning of a hero.


Overall Review:  Refreshingly, Powerless is a superhero story about a truly ordinary hero.  In this solidly-crafted story, the reader follows twelve year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, as he discovers that some of the kids in Noble Green, Pennsylvania may have the powers of superheroes, but they are powerless to hold onto those abilities after their thirteenth birthday.  Distinct characters with believable dialogue move the story forward while quietly touching on the various ways people feel powerless.  Our current culture is awash with portrayals of superheroes in movies and literature, but Powerless takes a fresh angle on that storyline.   The plot takes unforeseen twists before being deftly wrapped-up by the author, who simultaneously sets the stage for future storyline possibilities.  This book reminds us that we are never truly powerless and that real heroes are defined by their choices.  Excellent!  Overall  Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars!


Content Review:

VIOLENCE:  a few mild instances

PROFANITY:  one mild

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  none

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP:  9+

The violence consists of non-graphic fights and battles amongst superheroes usually involving throwing, pushing, collisions, and such.  Only one mild profanity was noted.  This is a Squeaky Clean Read for Ages 9+! 

This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer