_ Heist Society
by Ally Carter

Publisher's Note:  When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected. Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Overall Review:  Meet Kat, a cleverly believable fifteen-year-old sleuth in a cast of sassy characters on a mission to save Kat’s dad from a dark enemy with a bad reputation.  As the daughter of a professional thief, Kat has always been his assistant by necessity, not by choice.  Then there’s Hale, Kat’s gorgeous guy friend and willing accomplice.  Although Kat’s left the family business once and for all, Hale’s begging her back into it and she’s in over her head.  As she assembles her own group of teenage partners in crime while running around the globe, you will feel you are right along with her. In a witty escapade that cannot be put down, there were no wasteful words -- a brilliant adventure with just the right amount of love and intrigue.  Since I enjoyed Heist Society so much, I will definitely be looking for more from this ingenious author, Ally Carter! Overall Rating is 5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
PROFANITY: none

VIOLENCE: none

SEXUAL CONTENT: none

MATURE THEMES: mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 14+

A refreshingly clean, enjoyable read.  Nothing much to complain about, but if I must be picky, there is one character who is noted for her ample chest, long legs and short skirts.  Also a brief question of male nudity, although it doesn’t turn out to be actual nudity.  Another character is noted to have an ample chest in quite a few instances, although not in an overly sexual way. 

Honeymoon Heist is recommended as a Squeaky Clean Read for ages 14+.

_This review was written by Jen.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer.
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Disney/Hyperion for a review.

_ The Incovenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck
by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Publisher’s Note: Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
 
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.

Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.

But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?

Overall Review: If you are a fan of romance, you’ll love this one!  Although light on substance, the romance is sweet, fun, and takes a long while to come!  Charlotte definitely has her own mind and is as crafty as a fox when it comes to getting her own way!  She is funny and spunky.  I love all of her plans, even though, as an ‘outsider’, you can see all the obvious flaws (along with the predictable outcomes)!  As a headstrong and spoiled young woman, full of her own ideas about life, her father thinks she needs to be tamed a bit.  Enter Alex Hambly, a titled (yet poor) member of the English aristocracy.  I loved Alex’s laid-back personality.  He takes things in stride all the while knowing that he usually has the upper hand!  His mother loves to spend money, his brother is a bit mentally challenged due to the rigors of a war he endured, his father passes away suddenly, and he himself is a dreamer—full of the desire to follow his calling as an astronomer.  Therefore, he finds himself in dire need of money to save his family from ruin.  What better circumstances to bring two people together?  The banter between Alex and Charlotte (or Charlotte and anyone) is fun and the bargains they continually make are pretty silly!

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck has all the elements of the predictably perfect romance novel: Two people loathe each other but always seem to be thrown together; they fight in public as well as private; someone outside of their relationship sees through the fighting and throws them impossibly together…and then… What better recipe for a great romance novel!?  It’s the perfect curl-up-with-a-warm-cup-of-cocoa-on-a-long-dark-winter-evening read. Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:
VIOLENCE: A few very mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few mild instances

PROFANITY: None

MATURE THEMES: Very Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: Ages 16+

Violence consists of fist fights and a character believing he is always being followed or attacked by soldiers, etc.

Sexual content consists of the following:  talk of corsets; a few tense moments when the characters are attracted to each other (nothing occurs); some kissing (three instances); some talk of consummating the marriage (they aren’t going to so they can have the marriage annulled).

Mature themes included arranged marriages and life choices.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is a Squeaky Clean Read that can be enjoyed by Ages 16+.

_This review was written by Emily.
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer
This book was sent to Squeaky Clean Reads by Waterbrook Press for a review.

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_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 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.

A Sound Among the Trees
by Susan Meissner

Publisher’s Note: As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love. 

Overall Review: It is so difficult to begin new life with someone.  If you add to that that the someone you just married is a widower with children, then it gets even more complicated.  To add to that mix, you’ll be living in the house where the new husband’s first wife grew up…and with her grandmother who raised her!  AND, there seems to be something wrong with the house itself!  Does the house really bear a grudge against the family? Is it haunted? Or is there something else going on?  It is most definitely time to find out and to fix it!  These families need to move on!

While the ‘contemporary’ section was good (the story was interesting and the characters fairly engaging) the historical section (written entirely in letter form) was FANTASTIC!!  Once again, Ms. Meissner proves her prowess at historical fiction!  The characters were marvelous, the descriptions and details were perfect…I loved it!  It amazed me how both sections were completely different!  There was a totally different feel between the family living in the ‘present’, and the people during the Civil War time period.  The way she portrays the hardships of the war, of helping people, and the acts of unselfishness and love, were just beautiful!  If you are an historical fiction buff, or enjoy reading about the U.S. Civil War (with, of course, a little romance thrown in for good measure), then A Sound Among the Trees could be your cup of tea!  Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 Stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: A few Mild and some Moderate instances

VIOLENCE: A few Mild instances and one Moderate instance

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few Mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Moderate

AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+

There were a few mild instances of profanity (seven noted; mostly religious in nature) along with some more Moderate exclamations (17 were counted altogether).

The violence mostly centers around the historical section of the book, as it takes place during the civil war.  The Moderate instance occurs during a terrible battle in Fredericksburg, VA, where the entire town is leveled and the narrator describes the feelings and sounds and mentions seeing copious amounts of blood in the streets and lamenting the life lost.  There are also more mild instances, such as when stories of the war are told, and also when characters show up gravely injured or in prison.

The sexual content is mild.  There is one mention of a newly married couple needing privacy (more so than being in the room next to another family member), and one instance where a character mentions that after sex with her new husband, she wonders what he is thinking.

The Mature Themes are mostly all moderate.  There is the hardship of meshing two separate families together (with new marriages, etc.), loss of family members (death and leaving), supernatural occurrences and beliefs (there is a spiritual ‘medium’ involved), superstition, paranoia, secrets, mental illness, and war.  Other themes also include forgiveness, resilience, and courage.

A Sound Among the Trees 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 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+.

The Golden Spiral
by Lisa Mangum

Publisher’s Note:  His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he’s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back . . .

The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.

As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante—or doom him.

With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point—and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected—and unlikely—ally.

Overall Review:  Wow.  The Golden Spiral is the perfect example of why time travel—whether possible or not—should not be messed with!  What a ride!  We experience with Abby the horrors of having someone mess with your past—and it is not pretty!  Zo is so angry with her, and you never know where he’ll strike next!  The possibilities for change in the past/present/future are limitless and absolutely horrible in the hands of someone as ruthless as Zo!  I loved watching how Abby dealt with everything that was thrown her way—she’s a girl who thinks well on her feet, and knows where to turn when she needs help!  I like her as a character because of the fact that everything she does is driven by her need to help others instead of herself. 

This book is even better than the first—it is a lovely young adult book, just like its predecessor The Hourglass Door.  There are some vague parallels to many other popular YA novels (but not in a bad way), and a super intense cliffhanger, but it’s just so much fun!!  Lisa Mangum proves once again that she is a master of tension and delivers a book full of crazy twists and turns that will make your head spin!  Overall rating is 5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: One very mild instance and one moderate instance

VIOLENCE: Some mild and a few moderate instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few very mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild to Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

There is one moderate exclamation of profanity (telling a ‘bad guy’ where to go…) and one very mild instance (mentioning a place).

The violence is usually very mild.  It consists mostly of threats, being followed, etc.  There is one moderate instance where a character with a knife attacks two others: One is blinded and the other is killed.  A character plans to kill another to stop him.  A character changes another’s past in order to alter the reality and make it awful.

There are some mild kissing moments between two characters.

The mild mature themes include friendship and loyalty.  The more moderate themes include time travel and its’ devastating effects in the wrong hands, revenge, mental illness (we see, often, the character who went mad in the first novel, and it is at times a little unnerving), and dealing with overwhelming circumstances.

The Golden Spiral is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+!

The Hourglass Door
by Lisa Mangum

Publisher's Note:  Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan:  good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail.  But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down.  He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before.  Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him.  Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around.  Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Overall Review:  The Hourglass Door is engrossing from page one.  The tension of crushes and spats with friends send you traveling back to your days in high school!  It’s a perfect read for young adults—the average soon-to-graduate-from-high school girl meets a mysterious and over-the-top attractive young man, they fall madly in love, and then something totally crazy happens.  I suppose some of the dialogue is a bit clichéd and some of the plot seems slightly familiar, but it is written with pizzazz!  Lisa Mangum knows how to keep up the tension and keep you guessing! 

As I read this book, I thought, “Hey, I was an average girl in high school—why didn’t I have something amazing like this happen?”  Maybe I didn't have my own Dante enter my high school classroom, but despite that, I enjoyed every page of this novel!  If you're a fan of the Twilight series, and you're looking for something written with the same intensity and style (but without the vampires or werewolves this time), then this is for you!  I’m ready to delve into the next book in the series!  Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Content Review:

PROFANITY: One moderate instance and a few very mild instances

VIOLENCE: Some mild instances

SEXUAL CONTENT: Some mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild to Moderate

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 16+

There was one moderate exclamation of profanity (telling someone where to go).  There were also some words used to describe some of the horrible places or situations they are in and in relation to Dante’s Inferno. They weren’t used as exclamations or in a profane way, but they are there (about 5 or 6).

There is some violence, but it is mostly mild.  There is some slapping and anger.  A character cuts another with a knife.  One character is evil and hurts others.  Some characters are branded with chains around their wrists.  Nothing is ever overly descriptive, but there is a lot of tension.

As far as sexual content, there is some kissing and thoughts of kissing.  For being a romance, there wasn’t that much!  There is a great strain of romantic tension that is upheld throughout the story, without anything ever going over the edge--especially since most of the time the main characters are not really allowed to touch.

Mature themes would include dealing with relationships (mostly of the girlfriend/boyfriend variety) and the effects of time travel.  Some of the moderate occurrences: There is a character who is driven mad from going somewhere they shouldn’t have gone, which was sad, and there is a very evil character to deal with.  The favorite hangout of many characters is at a place called the Dungeon which is somewhat like a bar setting.  There are different 'drinks' made there , but none of them are alcoholic.  Mostly, there is a great deal of tension!

The Hourglass Door is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 16+!!