The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Pages: 318

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: historical

Notes for parents: Some mildly frightening scenes

The Inside Cover

When a rumor that her uncle is squandering away the family fortune surfaces, Katharine Tulman is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of childlike rules, who is employing a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine becomes torn between protecting her own livelihood and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And things are made even more complicated by the developing feelings Katharine has for her uncle’s handsome apprentice.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle’s world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its thrills and romance.

What the Inside Cover doesn’t tell you:

It told too much! On the author’s website, there’s a perfect description of the book that should have been on the cover:

Katharine Tulman discovers a fantastic world where science seems like magic when she arrives at her uncle’s remote estate to have him committed to a lunatic asylum. But instead of a lunatic she is confronted with a genius inventor with his own set of child-like rules, a brooding apprentice and a mysterious young student of science, the dwindling family fortune and the hundreds of families her uncle is using it to support. Having Uncle Tulman sent to the asylum is no longer an easy choice. And that’s when Katharine Tulman begins seeing things that aren’t really there.

This creates intrigue without revealing all of the interesting parts!

What’s good?

This is a compelling mystery with excellent characterization and a vibrant setting. While Katharine is a bit lacking, Uncle Tully, his helpers, and the townspeople are intriguing and very likeable characters. The town itself is charismatic and the mansion is a fascinating maze of rooms that come alive with their descriptions. The pace of the story is even—like a ticking clock—which makes the end a bit unnerving (and quite exciting!) when things speed up considerably. While there’s not a lot of action, there are many twists and turns that keep the story appealing.

Best part: Uncle Tully’s automatons are fun.

What’s not so good?

This story suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. While Uncle Tully’s trinkets aren’t enough to make this steampunk, and the story isn’t dark enough to be gothic, there are definite under tones of both genres with some history and mystery and Victorian romance mixed in. Pair that with a writing style that is, at times, so frenetic that it’s confusing and you wind up with a story that feels a little…schizophrenic.

Worst part: Thanks to a cover description that gives too much away, I often found myself waiting impatiently for things that I already knew were going to happen.

Recommendations þþþoo

This probably deserves more than three checkmarks, but when I compared it to other four-checkmark books, I felt it came up just a little short. Regardless, it was a fun read with characters I look forward to meeting again in the sequel. Recommended.

Cameron, Sharon. The Dark Unwinding. New York: Scholastic, 2012.  (hardcover)

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Pages: 329

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: science fiction / dystopian / horror

Notes for Parents: Contains graphic violence and scenes of horror. Not for sensitive readers!

The Back Cover

An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it’s turning friends into murderous strangers. For those who survive the brutal earthquakes and the first wave of the killing, the world is a different, deadlier place. Society has fallen apart. No one can be trusted. For four teens struggling to stay alive in a world determined to kill them, it means all they have is one another—if they can trust one another—and the hope that their future holds something greater than mere survival.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?

This is a brutal and graphic story of survival in what quickly becomes a darkly violent and horror-filled world. The desperate plight of a group of teens fighting to stay alive is told with a frantic pace with practically no down time. Around every corner, evil lurks and letting your guard down for even a moment can mean a horrible, torturous death. Man’s capacity for evil is exploited with an explosive force as man’s will to survive is equally tested. There’s a deeper philosophy at work that carries great potential if it can be sustained throughout the series and will have readers wondering what they would do in the same situation.

Best Part: The bust reference from Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret on page 69.

What isn’t good?

Basically this is a sophisticated end-of-world zombie story. While the bad guys are more refined and calculating than your average zombie, they’re just as robotic and deadly. I didn’t enjoy jumping between five different character points of view—it was disorienting—and the mysterious person called “Nothing” was…weird. Hopefully that will make more sense in subsequent books in the series.

Worst part: “Take it back!” I thought this was a phrase reserved for 8-year-olds. Lame!

Recommendation þþþþo

The part of me that was hooked by the desperate pace and heart-pounding action wants to give this book a five. The part that values originality, flow, and character development would give this a three. So, four checkmarks it is! This isn’t quality literature, but it’s a great story. Recommended.

Roberts, Jeyn. Dark Inside. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Pages: 307

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: paranormal

Notes for Parents: Some mature themes

The Back Cover

Nobody Owens, know as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy—an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Body leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

After the murder of his family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where he’s taken in by a ghostly couple and raised by the citizens of the cemetery. While he longs to be an ordinary boy, the graveyard offers him safety from his family’s killer who is still searching for him.

What’s good?

Gaiman’s engaging writing style and rich characterization creates a sophisticated fairy tale full of surreal wonders. This witty and quietly emotional adventure is full of charm, and Bod is thoroughly loveable as he comes-of-age with the support of his ghostly foster family in the graveyard. There is a delicately crafted balance between the sweet and macabre as even the reader begins to feel as though the graveyard is safer and more inviting than the world outside its gates.

Best Part: Silas…actually I love the entire graveyard community!

What isn’t good?

It’s a children’s story that begins with a triple homicide. While I personally found the story fascinating, sensitive readers may not like the dark and sometimes ghoulish tone.

Worst part: None!

Recommendation þþþþþ

This was a compelling and fantastical tale that I found thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were wonderfully drawn and memorable and the setting was beautifully macabre. Highly recommended.

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper, 2008.

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

Pages: 278

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Dystopian

Notes for parents: Some mature scenes, violence

The Back Cover

Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn was born after the war and only knows the life of a salvager. His family was among the few who survived and took to roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There Stephen meets Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. When they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing—and their lives—forever.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

I think the back cover tells too much.

What’s good?

This adventure is a bit slow, but evenly paced, and a little wordy but well-written. The main character of Stephen is excellently drawn and his thoughts, motives and emotions are realistic and compelling. The dystopian world is believable and the action is gripping.

Best part: Stephen is a very well-drawn character.

What’s not so good?

Unfortunately, this is a cookie-cutter dystopian story. The slavers, the can of pears, the hidden utopia, and the bad guy amongst the good guys…it’s nothing new. I felt like the book shot itself in the foot from the beginning with a back cover that revealed too much. I knew what was coming – dad’s going to fall into a coma, Stephen’s going to find Settler’s Landing, Jenny and Stephen are going to do something stupid – so the story felt slow as I was waiting for these things to happen. No mystery, no suspense, no excitement. Great characterization and well-written action scenes were its saving grace.

Worst part: Jenny was nearly impossible to like.

Recommendations þþþoo

Dystopian novels are all the rage, and to be quite honest, this is just another cog in the machine. However, I love dystopian novels and felt adequately entertained by the end. Recommended.

Hirsch, Jeff. The Eleventh Plague. New York: Scholastic, 2011.

What the Dog Said by Randi Reisfeld

Pages: 239

Intended Audience: Tweens

Genre: Real life (with a bit of talking dog)

Notes for parents: Deals with issues of grief

The Back Cover

Gracie thinks her dog is talking to her…and she can’t believe what he has to say.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

Ever since her police officer father was killed a few months ago, Grace hasn't wanted to do much of anything. She's pulled away from her friends, her grades are plummeting . . . it's a problem. The last thing Grace wants is to be dragged into her older sister Regan's plan to train a shelter dog as a service dog. But Grace has no idea how involved she'll get – especially when a mangy mutt named Rex starts talking to her. Has Grace gone off the deep end? Or might this dog be something really special? Either way, he is exactly the therapy that Grace needs.

What’s good?

This is a moving tale of a young girl dealing with the death of her father. It’s funny and honest with believable characters and great dialogue. The story has a bit of everything - drama, comedy, mystery, a little suspense, and a lot of charisma, especially from the dog. The story is drawn to a beautiful end.

Best part: The interesting facts about training service dogs!

What’s not so good?

It’s a simple story that avoids many of the complexities of real life. If you’re a picky reader, you may ask a lot of questions (like why would her mother even allow her to be in a class with that guy?!), but the savvy ready will take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the overall message.  

Worst part: Regan is a little difficult to like.

Recommendations þþþoo

It’s an easy read, it’s entertaining, and it made me cry at the end – a good kind of cry. Recommended.

Reisfeld, Randi. What the Dog Said. New York: Scholastic, 2012.