Reviews written by Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer

Eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson goes to Madrid, Spain with his family in order for his mother to reconnect with the country of her birth. He wants to be a photojournalist, much to the dismay of his oil tycoon father. It's 1957 and the country is under the fascist rule of General...

Urban legend in the town of Pender has it every October the Mumbler snatches a kid. Local authorities brush the legends off and say the kids died of either overdoses or other excuses. New kid Clara doesn't know what to think of the grisly stories. She becomes friends with the...

What worked: I'm a huge fan of the Lux series and LOVE Daemon. The relationship between Daemon and Kat is sizzling hot. I loved the first book in the new series, intrigued on who Evie might really be and why at first stand-offish Luc was so attracted to her. ...

Sixteen-year-old foster kid Elle Zoellner's life turns topsy turvy when a father, she never knew about, wants her to move to Tokyo. Elle feels as if she's living a real version of Cinderella's life. Her father, when he's around, is charming, funny, and someone she wants to know more about....

Annaleigh just wanted to be in charge of the lighthouse close to her island home. Rumors circulate on the island that her family is cursed. There used to be twelve sisters, but four of them died tragically. Then her father comes home with a new wife who doesn't want to...

Eighteen-year-old Casiopea feels trapped in her rich grandfather’s home in southern Mexico. She wants to leave their small town and experience life, but she's in charge of caring for her grandfather who treats her as the ‘poor’ relative. What keeps Casiopea going is her grandfather’s promise of receiving money at...

The start of thirteen-year-old Rachel’s summer doesn’t go as she planned. Tensions are high at her home and she knows that her parents are having financial problems. Then there’s her BFF Micah, who wants to be more than friends, but she doesn't feel the same way. She’s not sure what...

I'm a huge fan of graphic novels and this series is one that is sure to appeal to those who love an engaging tale set in outer space. I recommend readers start with the first book in the series to read how Cleopatra is transported to the future and...

Sixteen-year-old Bluebelle, or BB/Big Bones, loves herself. Forget that others say she's fat. After a recent asthma attack, she has a doctor's visit and is told she must lose weight. The doctor suggests she write in a food journal. Only the journal becomes much more than just about food. ...

Zahra wants the world to know the truth about her father. She believes he wasn't to blame for the deaths of people on the space ship House of Wisdom. So when Adam, the cult leader she'd followed since a child, says that their 'family' can take the deserted ship as...

Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie "Leo" Kolburg has a title, but not much else. She's heir to an older European spaceship.When the annual Valg Season comes around, her father 'hopes' she'll land an engagement with a rich suitor in order to save what's left of their family fortune. Then her childhood...

This is a enthralling telling of the brave Soviet airwomen who flew missions during World War II. They fought in combat, unlike the other Allied nations at that time. Their story hasn't been shared for some time. What worked: The stories of these brave Soviet women...

Miriam lives in New Jerusalem, a haven from the evil outside. She's taught to be submissive and obedient to their leader Daniel. When the ceremony the Matrimony comes, Miriam is excited as she feels Caleb will choose her as his wife. Nothing goes as planned and instead of being faithful,...

What worked: Just wowza. This is one intense, haunting tale of girls that are banished on their sixteenth year to release their 'magic' into the wild before they can come back home. The villagers 'fear' the girl's magic and set them out into the wilderness. Even though no one can...

It's been eighteen months since Hetty and her friends have been quarantined at the Raxter School for Girls. A deadly virus, the Tox, has infected them and the staff. They are left to fend for themselves while those around them either die a grisly death or are transformed into something...