Sixteen Scandals, written by Sophie Jordan, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: This is the first YA historical romance that I have read by Sophie Jordan and it is really good! The story starts with Primrose Ainsworth waking up on her 16th birthday with high hopes of celebrating a major birthday and coming out in society. Unfortunately, her family barely acknowledges her birthday and they are just focused on her older sister’s wedding. Prim decides to go across the street to her best friend, Olympia’s, house. The receives a warm reception there and is treated to Gunter’s for shaved ice. While she is sitting there, she sees a super cute boy. That boy, Jacob, stops by their table because he knows Olympia’s famous mother. He wishes her a happy birthday and she is smitten. But she know that was just a one time sighting and she really doesn’t have any expectations. That night Primrose and Olympia hatch a plan to sneak out to Vauxhall Gardens. They have heard stories of fun and scandal about Vauxhall Gardens. The night unfolds in unexpected ways and Primrose and Olympia get separated, pickpockets abound and trysts are happening in the bushes. Primrose runs into Jacob as she finds herself alone and looking for Olympia. Jacob joins Primrose on her Vauxhall adventures. They get to know each other over the course of the night, but then as chaos once again ensues, they get separated and Primrose heads home. Things do not get better for Primrose as she is facing an unimaginable fate. Will a mysterious invitation to Primrose and her family turn things around for her and give her and readers the Happily Ever After? 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This was such a fast and fun read. I am a huge fan of historical romance and of the author, but never realized she wrote YA historical romances. I think this is a perfect entry point for YA readers who are looking for romance and are open to historical fiction. The role of women, the city of London, the clothes and descriptions of family life are authentic to the time. Readers will be introduced to the ton, the Vauxhall Gardens, to carriages, Almacks and to the privilege that Duke’s bring to the table. This book will get future fans into the genre of historical romance. There are some historical connections that can be made for those students interested. However, I see this book as more of a fun, free choice book in the school library. The title is catchy, the cover is beautifully designed and there is just enough mystery and intrigue to keep a reader hooked. I also really enjoyed the quotes from an etiquette guide being crossed out at the beginning of each chapter and the beautiful lace incorporated on the pages. It adds a lot to the reading aesthetic. There is nothing inappropriate to be concerned about for a school library. If you don’t already have this in your high school library, you should get it!

Kissing Lessons, written by Sophie Jordan, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Hayden Vargas is just waiting to graduate. She lives in an unsafe environment and is counting the days until she can finish high school, move, get a job, and have her own place. She is gorgeous, confident and not concerned about what others think about her. Emmeline is envious of how Hayden seems to be a man magnet. Emmeline has never even kissed a boy; she is a high school junior. She thinks her big brother, Nolan, has a lot to do with her lack of fun in life. She has secretly had a crush on Beau for a while now. Nolan is hot, popular, smart, and in charge of his family after his dad died. He feels responsible for his sisters and does everything he can to protect them. Beau is Nolan’s friend and lives in the same poor neighborhood that Hayden lives in. He’s a player and has never committed to a girlfriend. Lots of high school drama is going on, but also some real issues dealing with friendships, living in poverty and not having a safe place to sleep. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is told in alternating viewpoints in the different chapters. Hayden, Nolan, Emmeline and Beau are the different narrators. Hayden has a bad reputation and she tries not to care. But really the most she does with boys is kiss them. In return, she is labeled as a slut. Hayden supports herself with a job because her mom is an alcoholic and drug addict. Beau does the same things with girls, he kisses them, but he is just labeled as a player and it is fine. Nolan and Emmeline live in a more privileged part of town, but they have suffered their own losses when their dad died. Nolan has to be the man in the family and protect him mom and sisters. He has had a steady girlfriend for two years, but now he is questioning his feelings because Hayden has really stirred up his emotions. I would say they both judged each other, without really knowing each other and that is incorporated into the story. Emmeline hires Hayden to teach her how to be seductive because she thinks there is something wrong with her since no boys seem to be interested in her. This book is recommended for grades 10 and up and I agree with that. There is mostly kissing in the book and I would say that it is pretty realistic for older high school students. There is a scene where there is slightly more sexual activity (not sex) and a lot of the reviews have reacted negatively to it. But the characters are 17 & 18 and consent plays a big role in any intimate scenes. The book has also been criticized for an abrupt ending, but the future is uncertain for all the characters as they are about to graduate. They might not know what the next month brings. So it’s a happy-for-now ending and not a typical happily ever after. Which is fitting for 18-year-olds. They are still figuring out their lives. I really enjoyed the pace, the dialogue, the setting. I think that it would be fine for a high school library and I’m guessing it would be popular with fans of contemporary romance. I thought it was a great read and really enjoyed it.

Mystwick School of Musicraft, written by Jessica Khoury, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary:  In this magical fantasy, Amelia Jones wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps and practice Magicraft - a combination of music and magic.  The story starts out with Amelia doing small Magicraft, like getting chickens unstuck.  The author establishes that a lot of what happens in the world, is powered by Magicraft - building, moving, cooking, etc.  Amelia lives with her grandma and her grandma is not supportive of her single-minded determination to get into the music boarding school that her mother went to.  Amelia gets her acceptance letter, but after a series of mishaps, she begins to think that she cannot cut it as a top-level Maestro.  Students arrive at Mystwick by a magic-powered purple Zepplin. Mystwick has beautiful grounds protected by an enchanted forest, with lakes and mountains.  Dangerous elements are being pulled into the school and it is up to Amelia and her friends to save themselves and their school.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  This is a great choice for existing Harry Potter fans.  I think music teachers and students will love the musical vocabulary and the magic that can be played with instruments. This is the first book in a series and I think readers will want immediate access to the rest of the books once they get hooked on this one.  It’s a little sad because Amelia’s mom died and she had to live with her grandma.  But she was very focused and worked hard on what she wanted.  A good lesson from the story is that you have to be true to yourself.  There are a lot of nice friendships formed, and there are some bullies to deal with.  Lots of upper elementary and middle school hijinks that readers will enjoy.  There is humor, adventure a few thrills and lots of magic.  A great choice for older elementary readers and middle-grade readers.  It’s a chapter book with a few beautiful illustrations that capture pivotal scenes.  I think the storyline, writing, character and setting development are appropriate to the target audience.  I think it’s a great free-choice read, fun for literature circles and/or summer reading.  Highly recommended for a middle-grade school library.

The Me I Meant To Be, written by Sophie Jordan, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary:  This book completes my Sophie Jordan YA Bookfest because I just finished all her YA novels.  I loved this one as much as I loved the other ones.  The main characters in this story are best friends, Willa and Flor.  Flor had a recent breakup with Zach Tucker and Willa is his next-door neighbor.  Willa has secretly been in love with Zach for years, but feels like he is out of her league.  Flor is a popular and gorgeous soccer player, whose home life is complicated.  Her tutor, Grayson, begins to catch on to how screwed up her home life is.  Flor and Willa, and the rest of their girl gang, decide to write a “girl code” document.  The most important thing on the list is that you can never date a boy that your friend dated or is interested in.  That is the most sacred rule of girl code.  The characters are all in their senior year of high school, but there are still a lot of complications happening.  The friendship unravels when Willa is forced to acknowledge her feelings for Zach.  She also has to let her mom know some hard truths about her own family. 

Straight Talk for Librarians:  This book is a great romance.  It is also a positive story about friendship, respect and strong female characters.  I love the friends to lovers trope and opposites attract.  The story explores age-gap dating - Flor’s dad is dating a woman half his age.  Readers will find a happily for now ending since it doesn’t go into the college years and beyond. It is for older high school readers as Zach and Willa are caught and cited for indecent exposure in a parking lot.  It turns into a mortifying experience, but leading up to it readers will find a topless scene. I would say it’s well within high school-appropriate content for most readers.  I enjoyed the relationship development between the couples and I love the elements of strong friendships, with a dose of forgiveness. I think it would be a good book club book and any sort of free choice pick.  I am a huge fan of Sophie Jordan books and I am sure this book will find its audience.  A good addition to most high school libraries.

Suffer Love, written by Ashley Herring Blake, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: This is a book that somehow sat on my shelf for a while and now I regret it. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down! It is a sweet romance, mixed in with adultery, families falling apart, moving and starting over and trying to navigate a new normal. Hadley St. Clair and Sam Bennett meet in school and are paired up for a school project. They both have secrets, but find that they can confined in each other and they are definitely attracted to each other. Before Sam, Hadley had been using boys as a distraction. She didn’t want to get attached to anyone because she saw how love was tearing apart her family. Sam is feeling responsible for his sister, Olivia, while his mom is ignoring both of them because of her own personal issues. There are secrets to navigate, trauma to overcome and the realization that life moves on. Hadley and Sam are perfect for each other, but their relationship also has obstacles to overcome. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This was a highly engaging read! I loved it from start to finish. The romance, the drama, the heartbreak. The chapters alternate between Hadley’s point of view and Sam’s. I do think there are mature themes in this book and it is intended for older students. It’s not graphic, just mature. There are some makeout scenes, but nothing over the top for high school. The romance is sweet and realistic. I think the issues worked through in this book are what many high school student can identify with. Parent infidelity is another mature theme in this book. There is some underage drinking going on at parties. The reader will be rooting for Hadley and Sam’s relationship to work out. It’s a quick, fun read. It does have some Shakespeare quotes woven into it. I see this book as a good addition to a high school library. It will most likely just be free choice reading or maybe a good book club choice as you can have lots of discussions about the events happening in this book.