Tag: Young Adult

25 October 2021

Book Review | Elite (Collective Underground #2) by Kristen Young

If you are interested in Elite but haven’t read Apprentice, the first book in Kristen Young’s Love Collective series, then please stop reading now and read Apprentice first.

Why? Because Elite starts almost exactly where Apprentice ends, so it’s impossible to write this review without including some information that’s going to be a spoiler for Apprentice.

Click here to read my review of Apprentice.

Still here? Then I’m going to assume you’ve read Apprentice.

As I said, Elite starts where Apprentice ends: with Kerr Flick aka Cadence about to have her memories of her first five years restored. She discovers she didn’t fail her Watcher exam, and has been accepted as a Watcher.

Now she has to navigate endless training under the direct supervision of a senior official, balance that against her newfound knowledge about the Love Collective, the Haters and Lyric, and work out what her new dorm-mate is thinking … Who can she trust?

It’s a fast-paced and compelling story set in a dystopian future that pretends it’s utopian, and keeps the masses quiet with an endless diet of apps and entertainment (bread and circuses, anyone?). As with Apprentice, the story has clear parallels with our own world, and the ending is both an end and a beginning. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Elite by Australian author Kristen Young is the second book in the Collective Underground series, a fast-paced and compelling story set in a dystopian future that pretends it’s utopian. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Click To Tweet

Thanks to Enclave Publishing for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kristen Young

Kristen Young was born (and spent a memorable first few months of her life) in the UK, grew up in Sydney, but now lives in the Central West of NSW with her husband, three children, and slightly neurotic dog. She has been involved in church-based ministry for over 20 years, and loves helping people of any age to see how awesome Jesus is.

Kristen has had a number of books published, beginning with The Survival Guide series of devotions for teens. What if? Dealing with Doubt is a book for anyone from high school age onward, and aims to help anyone struggling with doubts about God, Jesus, or faith. In more recent years she has been writing fiction. Apprentice is her first published novel.

Find Kristen Young online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Elite

Where do you find safety when your world is falling apart?

Apprentice Flick thought the Elite Academy was the answer to all her problems. But the revelation of her past turned everything upside down. Now, she is caught between two worlds set on a collision course.

Will she embrace the chaotic memories that flood her every waking moment? Or will she run to the security of her Elite training?

Discovering her parents’ identities takes her to a secret underground bunker where she finds new friends, opportunities, and maybe even love. But Flick must decide where her allegiances lie soon, or the Triumph of Love festival might bring about her demise.

Find Elite online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

2 March 2021

Bookish Question #166 | Can you recommend a book that helps young people deal with difficult issues?

I don’t read a lot of children’s books (well, my youngest has finished high school), so I’m definitely going to focus my answer on Young Adult titles. However, I do have one picture book to recommend:

Marty’s Nut-free Party and Emily Eases her Wheezes by Katrina Roe: picture books which explain allergies and asthma in an age-appropriate and fun way.

Young Adult

Invisible, Invincible, and Being Jazmine by Cecily Paterson: a compelling trilogy about a deaf teenager that addresses both the difficulties of living as a hearing-impaired person in a hearing world, but also at the challenge all teenagers have with fitting in with their peers and finding their place.

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof: a Christian historical novel about a teenage boy suffering from a fatal illness.

Perfect Mercy, Amazing Grace, Love, Mercy (the Beautiful Lives series) by Elaine Fraser: a series set in an Australian high school, with each book dealing with a different issue high schoolers face—peer pressure, body image, social justice, and sexual orientation.

The Boy in the Hoodie by Catriona McKeown: a term’s worth of detentions, an unlikely friendship, and some lessons about life.

That’s my list. Can you recommend a book for children or young adults that helps younger people deal with difficult issues?

22 February 2021

Book Review | Memphis Grace by Catriona McKeown

Grace is having a tough year.

First, her best friend leaves moves away from school with no warning and goes no contact. Then she’s put in a group with the class losers for the group science project, and her final grade depends on doing well in the project. Failure is not an option–if she doesn’t pass Year 10 science, she won’t be able to follow her dream and become a nurse.

Home isn’t any easier. She’s the second daughter of a solo mother with no qualifications, so who works all hours as a waitress to make enough money to keep her family fed. There is no money left over for luxuries, like new clothes. And her mother is too tired to pay much attention. She prefers to watch and rewatch her favourite Elvis movies.

So when Cooper Daly shows he’s interested in Grace, she is more than interested. No matter that he’s her best friend’s boyfriend. Mikayla is gone, and has ghosted them both, and Grace has always had a crush on Cooper. And he’s rich. And generous, buying her clothes and other gifts.

Yes, that was a red flag for me.

As a result, I found the first half of the novel frustrating. The characters couldn’t see the obvious (well, what I thought was obvious). Adult-me could see endless red flags that Grace, her friends, her sister, and even her mother ignored. The only person who saw anything wrong was Jack, the autistic boy in Grace’s science class. The second half was much better, as Grace starts thinking for herself more, and realises that she needs to take responsibility for her life rather than letting other people tell her what to do.

But I can’t blame Grace for her decisions early in the novel.

She’s sixteen, and her decisions and actions aren’t out of line with normal teenage behaviour. And while her life hasn’t been necessarily easy, she’s been raised by a mother who is still grieving the loss of her son, and who still believes in the happy-ever-after of Elvis movies. As such, Grace is all too believable as the damaged child of damaged parents, all of whom are doing their best but not always doing enough.

Memphis Grace is a young adult novel that deals with some tough themes—bullying, teenage sex, date rape, peer pressure, and disability—in a sensitive and realistic manner. Recommended for mature teen readers.

Thanks to Rhiza Press for providing a free ebook for review.

About Catriona McKeown

Catriona McKeown lives on the Fraser Coast in Queensland, Australia, with her husband of 25+ years and three daughters.

She is passionate about issues of social justice and often writes with such ideals in mind. Her current studies are in Inclusive Education; she is passionate about education that allows every child to reach their full potential and has a particular heart for gifted teens as well as those with autism.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and a Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education. Catriona hails from country Victoria, lived a short stint in Western Australia, and has now settled on Queensland as her home state.

Find Catriona McKeown online at:

Website | Facebook

About Memphis Grace

Graceland was named after the King of Pop’s mansion by her Elvis- obsessed mum. But she’s not rich, not famous and definitely not noticeable.

She’s always just been Mikaela’s best friend.

That is, until Mikaela leaves school without explanation and Graceland finds herself noticed by Cooper Dally. Popular boy and Mikaela’s EX-BOYFRIEND. Now she’s the centre of attention: big parties, new dresses and girlfriend to Cooper. Graceland is finally changing her stars.

But Cooper has expectations Graceland can’t meet. And when the truth behind Mikaela’s leaving comes out, Graceland realises Cooper might not be the guy she thought he was. Worse, it could cost Graceland more than she’s willing to give to be noticed.

You can find Memphis Grace online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

6 November 2020

First Line Friday | Week 160 | Memphis Grace by Catriona McKeown

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Memphis Grace by Catriona McKeown, a book that’s been on my to-read pile for ages. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Memphis Grace

Graceland was named after the King of Pop’s mansion by her Elvis- obsessed mum. But she’s not rich, not famous and definitely not noticeable.

She’s always just been Mikaela’s best friend.

You can find Memphis Grace online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

2 November 2020

Book Review | Remind Me Why I’m Here by Kat Colmer

Remind Me Why I’m Here is a fun Australian Young Adult fish out of water story.

Maya Sorenson of Chicago, Illinois, thinks she’s headed to Barangaroo in Sydney, Australia, famous for its harbourside views. Instead, she’s headed to a sheep farm in Barangaroo Creek, hours away from the Sydney beaches and cafes. To make things worse, she arrives at the farm to find Ruth, her host sister, has had to leave to nurse a sick family member. Instead, she’s going to be shown around by Gus, Ruth’s brother, who plainly has somewhere he’d rather be.

Gus’s dreams are digital, and he had his summer planned and paid for–a design course in Sydney. Why can’t their brother Pat look after this girl? Pat loves the farm and always wanted to be a farmer. But his dreams are over now he’s in a wheelchair following a farm accident. The result? Two brothers trapped in roles they don’t want, a trapped tourist determined to tick off her to-do list, and more than enough guilt to go around.

Maya and Gus don’t have a good start, especially given May has no interest in staying on a farm.

While Maya learns to enjoy her real Aussie farm experience, she’s also battling with Gus–which gives a lot of opportunity for some fun scenes. Together, they both have to learn to deal with their guilt, and stand up for themselves to get the lives they want.

All that sounds very serious. Remind Me Why I’m Here is anything but. Kat Colmer has a unique ability to deliver soften the blog of potentially tough messages with excellent writing and a healthy dose of humour.

Thanks to Rhiza Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kat Colmer

Kat Colmer is a Sydney-based Young Adult author who writes coming-of-age stories with humor and heart. She has a Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship and loves working with teens and young adults. When not writing, teaching, or reading the latest in YA fiction, Kat spends time with her husband and two children.

Find Kat Colmer online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Remind Me Why I’m Here

An Australian to-do list. A broody host brother. A disaster in the making.

When Maya leaves Chicago armed with an important Aussie must-do list, she assumes she’s heading to Barangaroo with its beautiful Sydney Harbour views–NOT Barangaroo Creek, a fly-ridden, wi-fi dead zone hours from a decent body of water. Like that’s not bad enough, her home-stay host brother Gus clearly wishes she’d landed in somebody else’s sheep paddock.

Gus has important plans this summer– plans that do NOT involve helping an animal-phobe from the States tick off items on her seriously clichéd must-do list. So he devises a list of his own–one guaranteed to send Maya packing, allowing him to enjoy the last of his freedom before he trudges off to agricultural college.

But Maya doesn’t scare that easily and soon sparks fly. Before long, Gus and Maya discover hidden depths to clichéd bucket-lists and secret summer plans. Because sometimes it takes someone half a world away to remind you why you’re really here.

You can find Remind Me Why I’m Here online at

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Remind Me Why I’m Here below:

9 October 2020

First Line Friday | Week 156 | Remind Me Why I’m Here by Kat Colmer

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Remind Me Why I’m Here from Australian Young Adult author Kat Colmer. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Remind Me Why I’m Here

An Australian to-do list. A broody host brother. A disaster in the making.

You can find Remind Me Why I’m Here online at

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

30 September 2020

Book Review | Nine by Rachelle Dekker

Lucy has lost her memory.

All she knows is that Olivia has sent her west, to Corpus Christi, to find Summer Wallace and the robin. People are after her, to find the secret Olivia buried in her mind. Lucy meets Zoe, a waitress, in the first place she finds, and the two join up to get Lucy to Corpus Christi and hopefully figure out who Lucy is, who is chasing her, and why.

Nine is a fast-paced novel with lots of questions.

The early questions are obvious: who is Lucy? Where has she come from? Why can’t she remember anything? The more challenging questions are those that appear as the novel progresses: who is Zoe? What secret is she hiding from her past? Who does Seely work for? Can Lucy and Zoe trust him?

The novel is set in our world and in our time, but has dystopian elements. I hope.

It centres around the supersecret government department Olivia and Seely work for, and where Lucy aka Nine was born and raised. It’s one of those novels that gets you wondering about what the US government is up to in Area 51 or deep in the Colorado mountains … or other places. What is happening to people—children—in the name of research and politics?

There were a few things about the writing that bugged me. Some scenes were violent and showed the torture of children or teenagers. Was that necessary for the story? I don’t think we needed to see Nine almost drown while the “leader of the free world” watched (in case you’re wondering, he wore a blue suit and red tie). Zoe also had trauma in her background, but that was from a certified religious extremist, not from a government in “the land of the free”.

The evildoers worked for an unnamed organisation they refer to as Xerox, just not the Xerox we know (although I suppose Lucy and her compatriots were copies of sorts). And I wasn’t convinced by Seely’s character—it was never clear whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Some readers might appreciate this ambiguity, but I like to know. I also found the ending somewhat abrupt—maybe there will be a sequel to answer the remaining questions.

The story isn’t overtly Christian fiction, but the overall message has definite echoes of John 15:13.

The writing is excellent, and there are solid themes about identity and sacrifice. Recommended for fans of speculative and dystopian young adult fiction.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Rachelle Dekker

Rachelle Dekker is the Christy Award-winning author of The Choosing, The Calling, and The Returning in the Seer series. The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker and coauthor with him of The Girl behind the Red Rope, Rachelle was inspired early on to discover truth through the avenue of storytelling. She writes full-time from her home in Nashville, where she lives with her husband, Daniel, and their son, Jack.

Find Rachelle Dekker online:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Nine

Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn’t seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.

Award-winning author Rachelle Dekker throws you into the middle of the action and keeps the pressure on in this page-turning story that, asks Are we who the world says we are–or can we change our story and be something more?

Find Nine online:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Nine below:

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

3 July 2020

First Line Friday | Week 142 | Can’t Beat the Chemistry by Kat Colmer

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Can’t Beat the Chemistry, a hilarious young adult novel from Australian author Kat Colmer.

Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Can’t Beat the Chemistry

Ionic and covalent bonds are a piece of cake for MJ. But human bonds are a little harder …

There are only two things MJ wants in her final year of high school:

1) Glowing grades and …

2) To convince uber-smart, chiselled-jaw Jason they’d be a winning team outside the science lab as well as in.

Tutoring deadbeat drummer, Luke, isn’t part of the plan. After all, he has average intelligence, takes disorganised notes and looks like a partied-out zombie at their study sessions! Not even his taut biceps will win MJ over.

But MJ learns that she could be tutored in a few life lessons too: That sometimes there’s good reason to skip chemistry tutorials. That intelligence is so much more than a grade average.

And that sometimes you can’t beat the chemistry.

You can find Can’t Beat the Chemistry online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

14 June 2019

First Line Friday | Week 97 | Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall:

I’m the mother of a sixteen-year-old, and I’m fully on Mom’s side in this conversation!

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Purple Moon

Selena’s life isn’t turning out to be the fairy tale she imagined as a kid.

That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad kicked her and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a new beginning for Selena … but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn’t how Selena was planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to give up her “bad habits” for this.

Things don’t seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn desperately needs her, a secret that’s been hidden from Selena for years is revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin’s nasty pranks, she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that come along with them. Will she follow her mom’s example in running away, or trust that God still has a fairy tale life written just for her?

You can find Purple Moon online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

14 December 2018

First Line Friday | Week 72 | Gone Too Soon by Melody Carlson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Gone Too Soon by Melody Carlson:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Gone Too Soon

An icy road. A car crash.
A family changed forever.

Hannah Josephson had always been the “perfect” daughter. Kiera couldn’t live up to her before, and she certainly can’t now that her older sister has died in a car accident. But the image she carried resentfully of Hannah is challenged when she finds her dead sister’s diary and begins to read. Apparently Hannah’s final year wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought.

Caught in a pattern of blaming each other, the Josephson family is falling apart. Their father has left, their mother is mixing opiates and alcohol, little sister Maddie has been shipped off to spend the whole summer with their grandmother, and Kiera feels utterly alone with her grief and anger. A summer job helping at a park in a poor section of town provides a friend and a purpose.

But it’s Hannah’s diary that fills her thoughts. For the first time in years, she feels close to the sister she’s lost. But can the knowledge she gleans about her possibly help her patch back together the family that seems determined to implode?

Find Gone Too Soon online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.