D.J. Jamison's Blog, page 5
January 21, 2014
‘Witchfinder’ a grim YA fantasy
I don’t see “Witchfinder” by Ruth Warburton becoming the next YA blockbuster, but I enjoyed the book for the differences that will potentially make it slightly less popular on the mass market. For one thing, it’s set in London in 1880, giving it an old-fashioned vibe. Secondly, it’s a tad more grim than many of […]
November 20, 2013
Great YA freebies on Kindle
I love free reads. My pocketbook loves free reads. But the library in my small hometown can’t handle my appetite. That’s where I break out my Kindle and go schlepping through free offers like a virtual Dumpster diver. (No offense meant by the simile, but there are some real pieces of trash next to the […]
November 17, 2013
Dystopian malaise
I have the dystopian malaise. I’m generally the ideal fan for the dystopian novel. I loved The Hunger Games, and the Legend and Divergent series. I enjoyed the first two books in the Matched series by Ally Condie — I’m sure I’ll get around to book three — as well as The Debt Collector serial […]
October 14, 2013
Lunar Chronicles a creative series worth exploring
A series including cyborgs, androids, wolves, royalty, people of the moon … what more could you ask for? In February, Marissa Meyer released the second of her series, The Lunar Chronicles. If you’re like me, you’re always in the market for a good series, and you can’t go wrong with this one. I was hesitant to […]
October 8, 2013
‘Skin’ delves deep in emotional transformation story
“Skin,” by Donna Jo Napoli, is one of those special reads: One so full of truth and pain a book review simply cannot do it justice. The book surprised me in its intensity as it pulled me into the heart and mind of a teenage girl on the brink of the biggest, most terrifying change […]
September 27, 2013
‘Notable’ takes YA series on adventurous detour from high school
“Notable,” a companion novel to “Awkward” and “Invisible” gets off to a slow start, but takes readers of Marni Bates’ Smith High novels on a new, exotic journey with plenty of adventure before they reach the final page. Though “Notable’ is a continuation of a series, it can also stand on its own. Chelsea Halloway, […]
September 10, 2013
“You Are Mine” a beautifully told journey from oppression to expression
When delving into a self-published work, you never know for sure what you’ll get. Books like “You Are Mine,” by Janeal Falor, are precisely the reason I take the gamble. The beautifully told story of Serena, an oppressed girl in a society where women are the property of warlocks, captured me from Page 1. Serena […]
