Ice
by Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher's Note:  When Cassie was little she thought her mother had been taken prisoner by trolls because of a deal she’d made with the Polar Bear King. Just a fairy tale to soothe a child whose mother had died. But on her eighteenth birthday, the “fairy tale” comes true when the Polar Bear King comes to take Cassie for his bride. Realizing she has the power to save her mother, Cassie makes her own deal with the bear and finds herself on a journey against time, traveling across the brutal Arctic to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. It is a journey that will teach Cassie the true meaning of love and family—and what it means to become an adult.

Overall Review: Talking animals, magical transformations, sentient winds—have you ever wondered if there could be a logical explanation for all the fantastical things that happen in fairy tales? In Ice, Sarah Beth Durst explores exactly this question, setting a classic Scandinavian fairy tale ("East of the Sun, West of the Moon") in a modern-day world of scientific facts. Cassie has grown up at an Arctic research station with her scientist father and his team, studying polar bears. When bizarre things start happening to her, she has a hard time believing it—but soon, she's falling head-over-heels into a fairy tale world more wild and wonderful than anything she could have imagined. I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like Ice. It captivated me from the first page, pulling me deep into Cassie's frozen home and keeping me frantically turning pages until the end. Although there were places in which I felt that the story lacked detail, and some of the storylines and explanations felt weak, it still made for a delightfully compelling winter read that had me thinking about the story even after I'd closed the book for the last time. If you're looking for a fairy tale that's not quite like anything you've read before, Ice is the book for you! Overall Rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:
PROFANITY:  Mild, but consistent throughout the novel

VIOLENCE:  Mild, one or two instances that verged on moderate

SEXUAL CONTENT: Mild to moderate

MATURE THEMES: Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

Profanity is mostly fairly mild, but is scattered consistently throughout the novel.

Violence is mostly mild, with one or two scenes (of a polar bear eating a seal) that might be considered moderate; however, the description is not particularly graphic and the scene is handled in a light and amusing way rather than an intense one.

Sexual content is mild to moderate; all descriptions are extremely tame and handled in a sweet manner, but there are a few discussions about a "wedding night" (a husband tells his wife that it is their wedding night; a wife tells her husband they never have a wedding night). Two married characters kiss in bed and it is implied that they have sex, but it is not described. A character is pregnant.

Mature themes consist of sacrifice, endurance, and a girl growing up without a mother.

This book is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+.

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

_ Plain Kate
by Erin Bow

Publisher's Note:  A debut novel that's as sharp as a knife's point.

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" -- a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

Overall Review:  Combine a charming, haunting, and lyrical writing style with a fabulous cat, a complex villain, and a lonely but strong girl, and you have Plain Kate by Erin Bow.  The protagonist, Plain Kate, struggles valiantly to make her way in an unfriendly world filled with magic, Roamers, and witch-hunters.   Kate’s aloneness in the world made my heart ache for her and elevated the tension in the story while creating an unpredictable storyline.  Kate’s feline companion provided needed comic relief at key times.  Although it is filled with some painful moments, Plain Kate concludes on an authentic and hopeful note.  Loved it!   Overall Rating:   5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
VIOLENCE:  a few mild and moderate instances

PROFANITY: none

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  a few mild to moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE:   12+

Violence included the following incidences:  there is a report of deaths due to illness; there is report of death by burning; there is a report of a death by drowning; a market stall is attacked and destroyed with an ax; a character is attacked by a crowd/mob and the character’s ear is cut with a knife; there is a report of deaths by a plague; a character is locked in a cage and then the cage is set on fire; a magical creature destroys some people; a character is tortured; a character dies by knife; a character dies.

Mature themes include stereotyping, witch hunts, death, exploitation of the weak and outcast, revenge, and restitution.

Other content of note was magic involving the use of blood.  The blood was not obtained through violence per se, but nevertheless those scenes could be a bit disturbing for someone sensitive to blood.  Also there was a reference to a “woman’s monthly blood”.  Because of these items and some of the heavier themes, I would recommend a slightly older reader.

Plain Kate is a Clean Read for ages 12+!

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

The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud

Publisher's Note:  Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.

Overall Review:  The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud and its main character, Bartimaeus, rock!  There is just no other way to say it.  This book introduces us to Nathaniel, an apprentice magician, and to Bartimaeus, a djinn.  Armed with an infallible, lofty self-esteem, Bartimaeus keeps the narrative clipping with his observations, asides, and snarky comments which are delivered via footnotes.  The footnotes are sheer brilliance of the highest degree and propel this book into an elite class of fiction.  In addition to the format and the characters, the plot line is strong and never flags.

This book can be found shelved in either the children’s section or the young adult section, but it is one of the rare books that can capture an older audience.  Bartimaeus is complex and entertaining enough to hook an adult.  This is the first book of a series that started as a trilogy, but last year a fourth Bartimaeous book ( essentially a prequel) came out.  Taken as a whole, The Bartimaeus Trilogy is near the top of my all-time best series list due to individual book strength, continuity and congruent vision among the books, and several of the best characters of recent children/YA fantasy.    Overall  Rating:   5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
VIOLENCE:  many mild instances and a few moderate instances

PROFANITY:  two mild

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  none

RECOMMENDED AGE:   12+

Violence consists primarily of magical battling, including but not limited to:  explosions, clouting, vaporizations, bombing, squishing, detonations, throwing.[1]   The majority of violence is inflicted by the various imps, djinni, afrits, madrids, and foilots on each other as they carry out their masters’ biddings.   The descriptions were brief[2] and non-gory.  There is a reported murder.  A fire results in two deaths.  There are instances of characters being knocked unconscious by walls, rolling pins, etc.  There is the death of a couple of human characters as a result of some of the magical dueling. 

Only two mild profanities were noted.  

This book is best for a strong reader who can navigate the footnotes employed by the author.   Sidenote:  Don’t be alarmed, as I initially was, when the book begins with pentacles and the summoning of a demon.[3]  Those items are quickly re-defined within the parameters of the magical, fictional world the author has created and are not sinister.[4]   

The Amulet of Samarkand is a Clean Read for ages 12+!

[1] You get the idea.  Think Mario Super-Smash Brothers type of fighting.

[2] Yet, quite amusing.

[3] Don’t call him a demon.  Bartimaeus prefers djinn.

[4] Think genie in a lamp.

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

The Warrior Heir
by Cinda Williams Chima

Publisher's Note:  Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity.  Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers.  Then one day Jack skips his medicine.  Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before.  And it feels great—until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself:  He is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us.  At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game—a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death.  The winning house rules the Weir.  

As if his bizarre magical heritage isn’t enough, Jack finds out that he’s not just another member of Weirlind—he’s one of the last of the warriors—at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

Overall Review:  Chima in The Warrior Heir delivers a high-octane fighting and action adventure that is spot-on for a high school audience.   The protagonist, 16 year-old Jackson Thomas Swift, is instantly easy to relate to because of the normalcy of his activities, friends, problems, and life.  A series of events spin his life out of his control, but Jack maintains his humanity and compassion to the very end.  Containing magical elements with an original and intriguing back story, the book reads more like an action-thriller than a straight-up fantasy.  My sixteen year-old son calls literature for guys “dude-ature” and this is definitely it.  However, I couldn’t put the book down and there is a cast of strong, supporting characters of varying ages, both male and female.  This is the first book in a series, but the book is nicely and satisfactorily wrapped up in the final chapter so that it can be read as a stand-alone.   Overall  Rating:   4.5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

VIOLENCE:  many mild instances and three moderately strong instances

PROFANITY:  a few mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT:  one mild

MATURE THEMES:  a few mild

RECOMMENDED AGE:   16+

As might be expected in a book titled The Warrior Heir, the area of grey is in the violence category and depends on personal sensitivity.  The three moderately strong instances are as follows:  a scene where a child returns to find several family members dead and blood on the walls and floor and witnesses the vaporization of another family member; an attempted abduction in which a character is bound, is held under water, has his face smashed against floor, and is generally roughed up with a following rescue attempt that rips another character in half--literally; a toast in which it is promised that a warrior will “rip out the still-beating heart” of the opponent.  The mild instances include, but are not limited to such items as a newspaper report of a death, magical skirmishes with flames and fireballs, simulated battles of swordplay with ghosts (no blood), an attempted poisoning, a vision showing a woman taking her life by knife, a fight with some bullies, a kidnapping, a gladiator-style tournament involving swordplay, axes, etc.  (non-gory), and a ghost army killing some wizards.  Violence probably approximates a PG-13 level, if this were a movie.

Profanity consists of approximately a dozen mild profanities.  Several times the author chose to simply indicate that a character “swore” or said some “obscenities”.  One character makes a rude gesture. 

Sexual content consists of two mild kisses.  One character tells a friend that a girl “lusts after you.”  Peripheral sexual content is a brief mention of a “breeding” program for warriors. 

Mature themes touch upon the ethics of a medical operation on an infant and of using people as pawns for selfish purposes.

The Warrior Heir is a highly recommended read for ages 16+!

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

Century #1:  Ring of Fire
by P.D. Baccalario

Publisher's Note:  Every hundred years, four kids from four cities must save the world.

Rome, December 29.

A mix-up with their reservations forces Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai to share a room with the hotel owner’s daughter, Elettra. The four kids discover an amazing coincidence—they all have birthdays on February 29, Leap Day. That night, a strange man gives them a briefcase and asks them to take care of it until he returns. Soon afterward, the man is murdered.

The kids open the briefcase. In it they find a series of clues that take them all over Rome, through dusty libraries and dark catacombs, in search of the elusive Ring of Fire, an ancient object so powerful that legend says even a Roman emperor couldn’t control it.

In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.

Overall Review:  With non-stop action, clue-chasing, and an exotic location, Ring of Fire feels like National Treasure, The Thief Lord, and The Lightning Thief all rolled into one.  This book brings together a distinct cast of four international characters to solve a mystery ignited in Rome.  The first in a series that promises to take readers around the globe, Ring of Fire has a 39 Clues-vibe.   However, perhaps it would be fairer to say the 39 Clues Series has a Ring of Fire-vibe, since Baccalario’s book was published in Italian first.  Never predictable, the book has charming touches like the photographic inserts with visuals accompanying the path of clues.  The sinister villain, Mr. Mahler, receives high marks for originality.  The choice of present tense gives the book a subtle feel of immediacy.  Hard-hitting pacing propels the story to a conclusion that has more questions than answers, leaving the reader anxious for the next book.  Quite enjoyable, this is one of those series that can hook young readers, female and male alike, with its action and likeable, diverse protagonists.  Overall  Rating:   4 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

VIOLENCE:  a few mild and three moderate instances

PROFANITY:  several mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  none

RECOMMENDED AGE:   12+

Mild instances of violence included a building collapse resulting in a reported death and some minor injuries to several characters; a character is punched and rendered unconscious; a character is shoved against a wall and slapped; a scuffle between two characters involving punching and tackling results in a character tripping and hitting his head; an explosion.   Moderate violence consisted of a brief scene in which a character’s throat was slit with a most unusual murder weapon; a scuffle with a security guard in which a character bites another character and a security earpiece is melted while in the guard’s ear; a character is shot and other characters encounter blood and the injured person.

Mild profanity was noted nine times.

Although younger readers would probably enjoy this book, the three scenes of moderate violence seemed a bit much for a nine year old.  Thus, I recommend it for ages 12+. 

This book is a Clean Read for ages 12+!

This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House Books for a review

_ The Unknown Spy (The Ring of Five #2)
by Eoin McNamee

Publisher’s Note: Danny Caulfield's quiet Christmas break from Wilsons, the school for spies, is shattered by gunshots and a heartrending discovery about his parents. That same night, he's summoned to Wilsons' to prepare for a mission: under an assumed identity, Danny must find a way to protect the Treaty Stone that keeps peace between the Upper and Lower worlds. Meanwhile, the evil Ring of Five pursues Danny, for he is the "true Fifth"?only Danny can unite the members of the Ring and awaken their full powers as master spies.

Overall Review: The Unknown Spy is a fast paced action story that could be said to be a mix of Harry Potter, X-Men, and James Bond.  Quite the mix!  It has a very familiar plot line (special boy who is wanted by both good and bad goes to a special school that can’t be found and must learn about his special powers while fighting the evil who wants him to join them), but if you’re a fan of high action spy books, top secret missions and sneaky plots, then this is for you!

Danny is a super spy.  He is going to a special spy school to learn to hone his talents and use them (hopefully!) for good.  The only problem with that, is that as a spy, you’re inclined to be sneaky and want to betray everyone!  Danny has to fight that tendency all the time!  He has a great group of friends: Dixie who is sweet and can be invisible; Vandra the physik who looks sort of like a vampire; Les is a winged messenger; Toxique comes from a family of assassins, but doesn’t like killing—he’d rather tell the future; McGuinness is a detective who always seems to show up at the most random times and is everywhere almost at once…in my minds’ eye, I see a Dick Van Dyke/Matlock person in a trench coat!

The moments of loyalty, love and friendship even amongst the spies and classes about devious arts is lovely.  These friends try hard to stick together and fight against the others who want to control both worlds.  There is a great deal of action packed adventure as Danny continues his journey to find out who he really is and where his place is in the world(s)!  Just beware: This is the second of a trio—and it has quite the cliffhanger!!  Overall rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
PROFANITY:  3 Moderate instances

VIOLENCE:  Many moderate to strong instances
·        
SEXUAL CONTENT:  None

MATURE THEMES:  Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

Profanity included three moderate instances.
·        
Violence includes the following:  A hharacter is shot and they must take out the bullet—kitchen table surgery is then performed and is very descriptive.  Two different characters are stabbed (and they die).  There is a healer/physic who is by all appearances a vampire.  She sucks out the poisons with her fangs.  Another character comes from a family of assassins and is constantly being asked by his father if he’s killed anyone yet and that if he doesn’t do it soon, he will be exterminated!  There are many scary characters.  Especially frightening are the Seraphim who have huge talons, swords, spears, etc.  There are also cold ghosts who try to rip out your heart; assassins who shoot poisoned darts; magical cross bows that shoot you when you move; hot iron brands and manacles used by crazy people, etc.  There are torture chambers and crazy car chases that are intense.  A special spy school has zombie-like creatures as guards.  These dead people have the ‘remainder marks’ of how they were killed (open gunshot wounds, stab wounds, etc), and even have worms coming out of their noses and nasty ‘dead’ breath.   A character has great power and blows everyone away (quite literally) with a magical wind that they conjure.

Mature themes include spying, corruption, deceit, betrayal.

The Unknown Spy is recommended for ages 16+.

_This review was written by Emily.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Wendy Lamb Books House for a review.

Museum of Thieves
by Lian Tanner

Publisher's Note:  Welcome to the tyrannical city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime. Goldie Roth has lived in Jewel all her life. Like every child in the city, she wears a silver guardchain and is forced to obey the dreaded Blessed Guardians. She has never done anything by herself and won’t be allowed out on the streets unchained until Separation Day.

When Separation Day is canceled, Goldie, who has always been both impatient and bold, runs away, risking not only her own life but also the lives of those she has left behind. In the chaos that follows, she is lured to the mysterious Museum of Dunt, where she meets the boy Toadspit and discovers terrible secrets. Only the cunning mind of a thief can understand the museum’s strange, shifting rooms. Fortunately, Goldie has a talent for thieving.

Which is just as well, because the leader of the Blessed Guardians has his own plans for the museum—plans that threaten the lives of everyone Goldie loves. And it will take a daring thief to stop him. . . .
Museum of Thieves is a thrilling tale of destiny and danger, and of a courageous girl who has never been allowed to grow up—until now.

Overall Review:  Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner is a solid addition to the world of children’s fantasy.  Her cast of characters, “some quite charming and some quite chilling”, are varied, likeable, and believable.  Goldie and Toadspit, the main characters, are determined, capable children and will appeal to both male and female readers.  Set within a city obsessed with protecting everyone from everything is a museum that looks like Night at the Museum with an attitude.  Tanner knows how to turn a phrase and she is given high marks to her free-flowing dialogue, quality writing, and imagery. Also excellent was the action that pushed through to the climax.  Museum of Thieves is the first in a trilogy and recommended to young fantasy and adventure lovers.  Overall Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Content Review:

VIOLENCE:  several mild instances  

PROFANITY:  one mild instance

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES: a few mild

RECOMMENDED AGE:  9+

Overall, violence was brief, non-detailed, and often merely reported.  Specific violence noted was as follows:  report of an explosion and the death of a child; a character almost being hit by a vehicle and being knocked into a ditch; report of a dog killing a cruel master; report of a character breaking a leg; a dog attacks some soldiers and there is blood on a dog’s muzzle; character(s) verbally threaten to kill someone; a dog attacks a group of people and  “was upon them, his great teeth snapping”; a dog is shot and injured and bleeds; there is a struggle between characters and a character is tied up; a character is shot and killed; there is a brief battle between soldiers and some of the soldiers are killed; a character is slapped.

One mild religious profanity was noted.

Themes were mild in nature and included some of the following:  independence, personal responsibility, overprotection, betrayal, thinking before acting.

The publisher recommends this book for ages 9-12 and unlike many of the books I have read recently, I agree with that recommendation.  The danger, peril, and violence are not extreme and the book feels like an appropriate fit for 9-12 aged readers.

Museum of Thieves is recommended as a clean read for ages 9+.

This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Yearling  for a review.

Related titles:  ?  Ring of Fire, just about any children's fantasy

_The Tiger's Curse
by Colleen Houck

Publisher's Note:  The last thing teenager Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing over the summer was meeting Ren, a mysterious white tiger and cursed Indian prince! When she learns she alone can break the Tiger's curse, Kelsey's life is turned upside-down. The unlikely duo journeys halfway around the world to piece together an Indian prophecy, find a way to free the man trapped by a centuries-old spell, and discover the path to their true destiny.

Overall Review: For lovers of romance novels and those young fans that enjoyed the Twilight Series, Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck will fill the ticket with all the elements that made the Twilight Series popular:  the style of writing, the tone, the girl next door, the love triangle, the fabulously wealthy and gorgeous love interests, etc.  Those readers should take this book to the beach and enjoy it!

From a literary perspective, the book falls short.  Tiger’s Curse is categorized as a “fantasy-romance”, but the fantasy part plays second fiddle to the romance, which comprises the bulk of the book.  The writing struggles on several fronts.  There is a lack of urgency to the plot, and obstacles, though rarely encountered, are overcome with relative ease.  Also, basic questions surrounding key plot points were never addressed or resolved leaving critical storyline gaps.  Related in first person by the main character, Kelsey, the book is casual in tone, “telling” at a more superficial level than “showing”.  More ink is devoted to describing the bathroom on a jet than to the transformation of a main character from tiger to man. Yes, there was a lot of detailed description, but the story never went more than skin-deep.  Dialogue seemed forced and flat other than one great argument/exchange at the end of the book.  Character motivation seemed insufficient to justify some of the characters’ actions and character personalities seemed inconsistent.  This was especially true for the protagonist, Kelsey. 

Overall, loved the tigers, loved the premise, loved the exotic location (India!), and loved the book cover artwork, but found the writing quality to be disappointing and the romance to have a tendency to be over the top at times.  Overall Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Content Review:
VIOLENCE:  a few mild and a few moderate instances

PROFANITY:  none!

SEXUAL CONTENT:  several mild and two moderate instances 

MATURE THEMES: some mild

RECOMMENDED AGE: 16+

Overall tone of violence is mild to moderate with much of the violence involving animals or being fantasy based.  Mild violence included the following:  a character’s arm is cut with a dagger and bleeds; characters struggle and one falls, hitting head and resulting in a death; sounds of animals fighting in the distance; two animals fight; sharp plants cut some characters; there are some illusions of a variety of sad or disturbing scenes; characters are chased and attacked by monkeys; a character is bit by a snake.  Moderate violence included the following:  two tigers fighting; two tigers hunt and devour their kill; a character has a disturbing dream with images of a stabbing and a death; a character is attacked and bit on the neck by a fantasy creature.

Language was Squeaky Clean!

Overall, sexually content was mild and not troubling for an audience 16+.  Specifically, mild sexual content consisted of several instances of a character kissing another character on the forehead or lips and touching/caressing the face/check/chin; a character sitting in another character’s lap.  Moderate instances include two extended scenes with multiple kisses on the lips, neck, face, ears, etc. (limited to shoulders and above), but most of the ink was devoted to the female character’s thoughts.  Other related content includes a character receiving a back massage, some sexual tension in a scene when characters stand close to each other, and a scene in which two characters spend the night in the jungle sleeping (literally) next to each other.

Mature themes lightly touched upon were freedom, jealousy, betrayal, and self-esteem/fear of rejection.

Tiger’s Curse is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+!

_This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House for a review.

The Tiger's Quest
by Colleen Houck

Publisher's Note:  Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.

Overall Review:  Fans of Colleen Houck’s first book, Tiger’s Curse, will enjoy her second novel in the series, Tiger’s Quest.  It is similar in tone and retains many of the same elements.  As Houck’s second novel, Tiger’s Quest shows some improved, although spotty, writing.  Dialogue continues to be a challenge, but there are several passages that flow well and lose their stiffness.  Likewise, a couple of the fantasy-battle scenes are well-executed.  However, character, plot, and pacing problems continue to plague this series.  Focusing exclusively on romantic feelings and angst and coming off a weak ending in the first book, it is hard going for the first 150 pages until the plot actually begins.  The characters leisurely move through the narrative without much urgency or difficulty until they encounter the “fourth” test.  At this point, the characters are truly put through some paces and it becomes clear that a character is in peril, suffering, and in mortal danger, thus finally establishing the urgency that the series has desperately needed.  Unfortunately, this momentum is squandered by a character literally taking a break and doing her laundry.  Character consistency, motivation, differentiation, and likability continue to be lacking.

Where Tiger’s Quest excels most over Tiger’s Curse, is with its strong, compelling ending that provides some enticement to check out the next book in the series.  If you were a fan of the first book, Tiger’s Curse, then you will probably continue to enjoy the series in Tiger’s Quest.  Overall Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Content Review:
VIOLENCE:  a few mild to moderate scenes

PROFANITY:  none

SEXUAL CONTENT:  a few mild to moderate scenes

MATURE THEMES: a few mild

RECOMMENDED AGE: 16+

Violence included the following:  two characters/animals fighting; dreams in which a character sees a tortured character; a character is tortured; a moderate and extended battle involving martial art weapons, punching, hitting, biting, tranquilizer guns, lightening between men and animals, with implied deaths; a moderate scene where an animal attacks a character and two animals fight; a moderate battle between characters and some birds; a moderate battle involving explosions, people falling from towers, kicking, punching, bleeding, etc.; a character punches another character.  

Language is squeaky clean in this book.

Sexual content is similar to that found in the first book of the series.  Primary sexual content involves kissing:  kissing of hands, kissing of fingers, kiss on the cheek, trying to get a character to kiss another character, etc.  Descriptions were brief and kissing was limited to the neck and up.  A few scenes had some passionate kissing, but still within the aforementioned parameters.  Other sexual content included a character receiving a massage, sirens tempting some characters, and a character repeatedly “coming on” to another character.  Two characters (literally) sleep next to each other a couple of nights.

Mature themes lightly touched upon were freedom, jealousy, betrayal, and loyalty.

Tiger’s Quest is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+.

_This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House for a review.

The Coming of the Dragon
by Rebecca Barnhouse

Publisher's Note:  Rebecca Barnhouse weaves Norse gods, blood feuds, and a terrifying dragon into this spectacular retelling of the end of the Old English poem Beowulf.

When he was a baby, Rune washed up onshore in a boat, along with a sword and a pendant bearing the runes that gave him his nickname. Some people thought he was a sacrifice to the gods and wanted to send him right back to the sea. Luckily for Rune, King Beowulf disagreed. He lifted the boy from the boat and gave him to Amma, a wisewoman living on a farm far removed from the king’s hall, to raise as she saw fit.

Sixteen years later, Rune spends his summers laboring on the farm. And at King Beowulf’s request, he comes to the hall each winter for weapons training. But somehow he never quite fits in. Many people still fear he will bring a curse on the kingdom. Then a terrible thing happens. On a lonely crag on a mountain that belongs to the giants, someone awakens a dragon. It is time for Rune to find the warrior inside himself and prove to the doubters once and for all that he is a true hero.

Overall Review:  Rebecca Barnhouse certainly doesn’t make it easy on Rune, the sixteen year-old protagonist in The Coming of the Dragon.  In fact, she never cuts him a break and this may be what gives him authenticity and keeps the reader guessing about plot direction.  Filled with self-doubts and constantly second-guessing decisions that he has made, Rune seems a very real person indeed.  (Finally, a thoughtful hero who transforms and grows over the course of the narrative!)  Also, this book achieves real character depth in several of its supporting players through some high-caliber writing, while never sacrificing plot progression.  Inspired by the epic tale of Beowulf, the storyline begins before the encounter of Beowulf and the dragon and then continues the narrative beyond the action outlined in the poem.  Barnhouse provides an outstanding Author’s Note at the end of the book expounding upon the original poem and her inspiration for the book.  The Coming of the Dragon has all the elements and the tone necessary to become a classic for years to come and is highly recommended!  Overall  Rating:   4.5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

VIOLENCE:  several mild and three moderate instances

PROFANITY:  one mild instance

SEXUAL CONTENT:  none

MATURE THEMES:  a few mild

RECOMMENDED AGE:   12+

In general, violence is the typical medieval fare of sword fighting, archery, and such.  Much of the violence was dragon versus man rather than man versus man.  Descriptions throughout were brief, non-graphic, often implied, and at times I felt were more “action” than violence.  Mild instances included an accidental injury of a character’s leg by a scythe while harvesting; report of five men dying by dragon attack; report of ancient battles and the deaths that happened; reports of more deaths as a result of dragon attack; a character encountering a body that has been charred by dragon fire; a vision of a possible battle with flames; a dragon sets houses aflame and two “figures fell”; a character appears to fall off a cliff.  Moderate instances include a character coming to a farm to find it destroyed by dragon fire and all the inhabitants dead with some of the bodies being badly charred; an epic battle between Beowulf and the dragon where the dragon breathes fire and bites, inflicting poison, as Beowulf attempts to find a weak spot to place his sword (this scene comes almost straight from the poem); a final battle scene between men involving tackling, hitting, arrows, sword fighting, etc. and several deaths occur (non-graphic in nature, but a somewhat extended scene).

One mild profanity was noted.  A common medieval bathroom term that today is considered somewhat coarse was used twice. 

General and mature themes included were loyalty, loneliness, isolation, and responsibility; courage and cowardice; peace and war; revenge/vengeance and forgiveness.  The treatment of the themes was mild in nature.

Other content of note includes a character being cruel to another character by attempting to urinate on him.

The mild content of this book would make this an enjoyable read for medieval enthusiasts and accomplished readers as young as fourth or fifth grade, but on the other end of the spectrum, the 16 year-old protagonist gives this book some true upward readership breadth. 

This book is a Clean Read for ages 12+!

This review was written by Cindy M.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Random House for a review