Reviews written by Samantha Randolph

With a vicious Constable rampaging and the appearance of a mysterious bunch of Luck Uglies that call themselves Fork-Tongue Charmers, Rye O’Chanter has a lot on her plate. When danger once again strikes her village, her and her family must flee to the Isles of Pest, her mother’s homeland. There,...

Do you ever start a book and, after just a few pages, know how magical it’s going to be? THE LUCK UGLIES cast its spell on me early on, and I fell head over heels for the world, characters, and writing. The premise is insanely cool, mixing creepy creatures, nontraditional...

If I had to pick three books that either capture the importance and needed freedom for animals and/or the complex dynamics of people with disabilities, I would pick The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, and this book, How to Speak...

One Witch at a Time takes a spin on the traditional ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ tale. Rudi Bauer just wanted to have a good, successful day at the market place when his neighbor, Susanna Louisa, sells his family cow for beans. When the beans prove to be magical, magic from...

Alice may not have been quite as extreme as her parents were about environmentalism before they died, but she still firmly believes in the cause and wants to take strong action. After her own activism routes seem sub-par, Alice discovers a hidden world of environmental vigilantes at her high school...

In this stunning conclusion to The Originals prequel trilogy, Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah are pitted against each other as they attempt to take on New Orleans. Each sibling’s loyalty is put to the ultimate test, and they must decide how far they are willing to go to keep their family...

In the second installment of The Originals prequel trilogy, Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah Mikaelson realize how quickly they can fall from the power they worked so hard to secure. The nuances built in the first book continue over in this sequel, leaving every plot point full of excitement and power....

As an avid watcher of the show, The Originals, I can’t get enough of this three member, somehow kind and cutthroat family. The Rise, the first book in the prequel trilogy about The Originals, follows Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah Mikaelson as they flee from their vampire-hunting father to New Orleans...

The third book in the Whidbey Island saga continues the story of Becca King and her group of friends. Becca is still trying to hide from her stepfather; closer to her, mysterious fires are occurring on the island, making the new arrivals to the island look suspicious. ...

The Edge of the Water, sequel to The Edge of Nowhere, takes Becca and the inhabitants of Whidbey Island on another mystery involving a suspicious seal this time. My favorite part about this novel is the development of Jenn. In book one, readers only got a brief glimpse of her...

The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George follows young Becca King, a girl who can hear thoughts of others as she hides from her murderous stepfather on Whidbey Island. The mind reading paranormal element is interesting, and the author does a wonderful job of mixing teen angst and uncertainty alongside...

Rook by Sharon Cameron perfects the art of storytelling, complete with rich sensory descriptions and a keen use of the most necessary words. As each chapter moves along, tension, conflict, and relentless pacing build and build until the reader is left nearly breathless and with a thousand paper cuts in...

Fairy tale retellings are my catnip, especially when the story incorporates multiple fairy tales. Both Rapunzel and Jack the Beanstalker take the stage in Grounded, and their story is unlike any other that I have read. The third person narrative packs all the heart, voice, and emotion that first person...

Crossing Into Brooklyn ventures into a smorgasbord of important discussions from gender issues to socio-economic prejudices to highly dysfunctional families. The author, Mary Ann McGuigan, does a remarkable job of presenting realistic situations of societal issues that demand attention in an open, inclusive manner that never overwhelms the reader. Morgan’s...

Alex keeps having visions that ruin her life. When someone named Porter leaves a mysterious message saying he can provide answers, Alex takes a chance and meets him. Through him, she learns that she is a Descender, someone who can access their past lives (and in her case, there are...