Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place...

Jillian’s Review:

This was a fun, wonderfully descriptive read. Cori, the main character, has a great personally with plenty of room to grow, and she does just that through the novel. I loved that she was blind to the vises of the boy she crushes on, just like we usually are at fourteen (or any age for that matter!), and then as she grows older her eyes are opened more and more.

There were many great, realistic side-characters who easily feel like friends—or villains, depending on who we’re talking about. Even the “villains” weren’t all bad, which made them all the more realistic.

I couldn’t decide who I liked best between the two boys that were obviously the ones Cori would choose between and I felt the way it all ended up was a bit rushed. Too many pages were used up on unimportant content that could have been cut, leaving room for a less hurried, more realistic ending. But at least this one had an ending and a happy one at that.

A fun, clean read for girls 10 and up (though there are a few cuss words that felt completely out of place from the rest of the novel).

The Domino Effect by Andrew Cotto

This book was sent to me by the author. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your work. Great book!

On the back cover:
"The Domino Effect is the story of Danny Rorro, a charismatic kid from Queens poisoned by the past. A series of painful defeats have left him scarred and isolated from his neighborhood, his parents, and, most significantly, the benevolent ways of his childhood when he was known as "Domino." With great insight, imagery and wit, Danny recalls his past in Queens and his coming-of-age at Hamden Academy. This fast-paced and powerful story is rich with conflict, humor, tenderness and music- just like life, especially when coming-of-age."

Jennifer's Review:
I liked this book. The story was a page turner, I had to know what would happen next. I would have finished in a few days except that we are coming up on Christmas. Danny is very believable and I found myself rooting for him through the whole book...almost. There is one moment where his mistake was a bit too disgusting but he figured that one out, too. (He pooped in the wrestler's shoes.)

Neat story from beginning to end. Now, for the reason I can't give this book five stars. The language and sexual content. I understand that teenage boys can have naughty mouths but I don't want to read about them. Plus, all of the content about what boys may do or think in private was too much. I have to take away a star and a half for this. Otherwise, a great book.