Reviews written by Teri Polen

I'm not a frequent reader of YA contemporary, but whatever this author writes, I read - her books are just that good. Always. This novel is dark, intense, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking and difficult to read at times. The teenage characters drink, swear and have sex and there are...

This was an intriguing and enjoyable read - yet, not what I expected. The snarky dialogue between Alice and her dad is both humorous and loving. The friends Alice makes at her new school are fun, intelligent, and kind of unexpected for an expensive boarding school and the budding romance...

I had some mixed feelings about this book. What I liked: There's a good mystery here and the reader will wonder where to place the blame. After the loss of her stepbrother, Lana's pain and confusion seeps through the pages, and I felt it with her. When...

I had such fun reading this book. My oldest son turned me into a dinosaur nerd when he was around 5 years old (he carried plastic dinosaurs with him wherever we went), so I loved the adventure and wonder of discovering new dinosaur breeds and fossils in this novel. ...

Well - I didn't think it was possible to like the second book in this series any more than the first - I was wrong. Alex is now a little wiser, more mature, and very aware of what's expected of her. She also knows what she wants...

I love this author's writing - beautiful, haunting, distinctive. Vivid descriptions and evoking feelings in the reader? This author can accomplish more with one sentence than others with a whole page. How do I describe this story? It contains anywhere from one to three unreliable narrators, dark...

What a fantastic followup to Alive, the first book in this series! The author uses a nice technique for reminding the reader what happened in that book - something I appreciated. Again, the group finds themselves in unfamiliar territory - this time a new planet where they...

A YA thriller with comp titles of The Maze Runner and The Cabin in the Woods? Yes, please. I don't know how I missed this one when it was first offered on Edelweiss, but I'm so glad I was able to get a copy at the last minute. This book...