In case you are new to my blog… every month I post about 3 YA books that I’ve read, each month in a new genre. So, if you’re not interested in other teen books you can skip past this Book Review Post. I’ll still be sending out quarterly posts marked UPDATES regarding news about my own work.

But for those of you who have kids, or grandkids, or you yourself like teen books (like me!), each month I’ll introduce some of my favorite Christian and Catholic YA books.

I’ve decided to provide more reviews because there are a few things I’ve learned since I had my first book published:

1 – So many of the teen books published by the big publishing companies contain messages that don’t match the values of many families.

2 – There are a lot of fantastic, clean, faith-based books out there. Books that are entertaining yet wholesome and reflect Christian values.

3 – These types of books can be really hard to find. So, I’d like to introduce you to a few new adventures.

This month’s books all are about characters who are dealing with some serious heart breaks within their families. All are contemporary stories, and all feature a female protagonist who is struggling with deep issues. But they are all very different types of stories so there should be one to fit your personal taste. I’m featuring one middle-grade story with bits of fantasy, one fun romance with a beautiful message, and one more serious southern drama.

There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Truth be told, I am a big fan of Christian author Jenny B. Jones. I love her writing style, her engaging characters, and their snappy dialogue. I also have always been a sucker for a great romantic comedy. But what I love the most about this author’s work is the way she includes faith and deeper subject matter within these fun romances.

When Finley Sinclair spends a semester abroad to follow her late brother’s travel journal, she discovers more than she was searching for as she grows close to her host family, the elderly woman she is assigned to visit for a school project, and the egotistical celebrity that is in town filming a movie.

This was such an enjoyable, fast read with a sweet romance and great characters that helped Finley grow throughout the story. (I especially enjoyed the spunky nun.)

While There You’ll Find Me has a lot of fun elements, this book also deals with the loss of a family member and eating disorders, both of which are horribly painful difficulties that some young people face. In addition, there was a very powerful storyline about forgiveness that will stick with the reader long after the book is finished.

The Locket’s Secret by K. Kelley Heyne

The Locket’s Secret is a sweet yet powerful story about dealing with tragedy. This wonderful book for middle grade students focuses on the importance of family. The story follows Carrie and her family during their move across the country to a new home. This homeschooled teen struggles to deal with leaving her home and friends, as well as the recent tragic loss of a younger sister. Carrie’s coping mechanism is to withdraw into an imaginary world to help manage the grief. The story alternates between Carrie’s real life and the adventurous fantasy that she imagines for herself.

I thought this was a beautiful story that shows how profoundly difficult it is to handle the loss of a loved one. Carrie struggles but eventually learns that family is her strength. This would be a great book to read as a family as it offers plenty of great discussion opportunities. I also liked that the family homeschools their children. I haven’t seen that included in many books.

Turning in Circles by Michelle Buckman

If you love a good family drama, Turning in Circles might be a great book for you. Michelle Buckman is a very talented writer. She fills this novel with beautiful, descriptive prose and a gripping story. At times the dialogue and characters seemed like something from another era, but that is part of the charm of this story.

This is the story of two, extremely close, sisters and the drama that tears them apart. Turning in Circles is powerful, heart-wrenching, and really makes you think about the small decisions we make that can have a lasting impact and can lead us down a path we never thought was possible. It made me want to wrap my arms around my children and not let them out of my sight. There were some unique characters throughout the book that triggered many different emotions. I was so frustrated with the parents in this story. They were both so wrapped up in their own worlds that they did not see what was happening under their own roof. Although, this is probably a very realistic depiction of life. This book would be great for an older teen book club.

All these books can be found on Amazon. I’ve set links – just click on the highlighted titles. For those who don’t use Amazon you can also check Barnes and Noble online or www.indiebound.org where you can search for books and the local bookstores that might carry them or order them directly from the website. You can also ask your local bookstore or library to order the books for you.

Next month I’ll be reviewing three more Christian/Catholic teen novels. But if you’d like more reviews before then you can always check out my recommendation section on my website: YA Recommendations.

If you’ve come across this post on Facebook and would like to get my monthly reviews sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up on my website – www.LesleaWahl.com.

Until next month – Happy Reading!

In case you are new to my blog… every month I post about 3 YA books that I’ve read, each month in a new genre. So, if you’re not interested in other teen books you can skip past this Book Review Post. I’ll still be sending out quarterly posts marked UPDATES regarding news about my own work.

But for those of you who have kids, or grandkids, or you yourself like teen books (like me!), each month I’ll introduce some of my favorite Christian and Catholic YA books.

I’ve decided to provide more reviews because there are a few things I’ve learned since I had my first book published:

1 – So many of the teen books published by the big publishing companies contain messages that don’t match the values of many families.

2 – There are a lot of fantastic, clean, faith-based books out there. Books that are entertaining yet wholesome and reflect Christian values.

3 – These types of books can be really hard to find. So, I’d like to introduce you to a few new adventures.

March is always a time of spiritual reflection as we journey through Lent. So, it seems like an appropriate time to highlight some books about spiritual gifts. I truly believe we all have gifts from God, unique talents that our creator has blessed us with. In fact, this is a topic that I include in all my books. But this month’s featured novels explore the possibility of God using people in very extraordinary ways. These fictional books, which include a mystery, a contemporary romance, and a dystopian adventure, are about teens that have been given unique gifts that they must figure out how to use.

Where You Lead by Leslea Wahl

Where You Lead is my newest novel that was released in September. The story begins with Eve, an average teenager living in New Mexico. Her life is far from exciting, but when she has an odd vision of a teen boy named Nick, everything changes. Although she has never met this boy and has no idea where he lives, Eve feels God is calling her to find him.

This search leads to a grand adventure set in Washington DC. Nick and Eve, who both have the courage to say yes to God’s calling, find themselves entangled in a mystery involving international trade agreements, foreign political affairs, and missing Confederate Gold.

The opening scene of this book is based on a thought that flashed into my mind over 25 years ago when my husband and I were newly married and had just moved to Washington DC. I always thought it would make a great beginning to a book. Years later, after I began my writing career, I thought back on this idea and tried to figure out how I could make it work in a YA novel. Finally, inspiration struck, and that little idea grew into my latest adventurous mystery.

The Healer by Susan Miura

This Christian YA novel is the story of Shilo Gianelli who has been granted an unusual gift from God – the ability to heal.

Shilo is a high school soccer player with a cute boyfriend, an annoying sister, and a best friend who seems too busy for her. But an unusual encounter with a teen mom and her injured son suddenly sends Shilo’s life spiraling out of control.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Miura and thoroughly enjoyed her writing – especially the voice of Shilo. Miura captured the sass and sarcasm of a teen girl perfectly. While some of Shilo’s actions were frustrating, they totally made sense for a teen girl’s emotional mind.

I really thought this was a fascinating idea and concept. I loved the fact that Shilo must learn that this power is a gift from God. She is the vessel for His healing power and cannot pick and choose whom to heal. I appreciated the message that God has a divine plan, and we don’t always know the reason that some prayers are answered and others are not. The Healer is an enjoyable book with wonderful characters, exciting scenes, and a thought-provoking message.

The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert

Looking for a hard-to-put-down Dystopian novel? The Gifting might be the book for you. This Christian novel is the first book in a series and, be forewarned – it will be hard to stop reading after the first book. This novel grabbed my attention, and the idea of a prophetic gift was intriguing.

This YA novel, while very modern day-ish, is set in a future where religion is all but banned. Science is the answer and has proven faith to be false and irrelevant. To ensure only healthy babies are born, this “advanced” society tests all pregnant women for any imperfections in order to cleanse people of any abnormalities. When teenager Tess begins seeing things that others do not, the only reasonable conclusion is that she has some sort of psychosis – which would be extremely dangerous and life-threatening to admit.

Dystopian stories are always interesting and make you think about where we are headed as a society and how our actions today could alter things in the future. While this book’s futuristic concepts are fascinating and terrifying – the author also brings up some serious issues that teens today can relate to – cliques, bullying, drugs and even the dangers of exploring the occult. Great book for older teens.

All these books can be found on Amazon. I’ve set links – just click on the highlighted titles. For those who don’t use Amazon you can also check Barnes and Noble online or www.indiebound.org where you can search for books and the local bookstores that might carry them or order them directly from the website. You can also ask your local bookstore or library to order the books for you.

Next month I’ll be reviewing three more Christian/Catholic teen novels. But if you’d like more reviews before then you can always check out my recommendation section on my website: YA Recommendations.

If you’ve come across this post on Facebook and would like to get my monthly reviews sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up on my website – www.LesleaWahl.com.

Until next month – Happy Reading!

In case you are new to my blog… every month I post about 3 YA books that I’ve read, each month in a new genre. So, if you’re not interested in other teen books you can skip past this Book Review Post. I’ll still be sending out quarterly posts marked UPDATES regarding news about my own work.

But for those of you who have kids, or grandkids, or you yourself like teen books (like me!), each month I’ll introduce some of my favorite Christian and Catholic YA books.

I’ve decided to provide more reviews because there are a few things I’ve learned since I had my first book published:

1 – So many of the teen books published by the big publishing companies contain messages that don’t match the values of many families.

2 – There are a lot of fantastic, clean, faith-based books out there. Books that are entertaining yet wholesome and reflect Christian values.

3 – These types of books can be really hard to find. So, I’d like to introduce you to a few new adventures.

February is the shortest month of the year so what better time to showcase some entertaining short stories. All these tales are companions of full-length novels, and will provide readers with a taste of different books and authors. If you are intrigued by the stories you can check out the related novels. As an extra bonus, since these are all 130 pages or less, I am highlighting four stories this month.

Drive! By Corinna Turner

Corinna Turner has an uncanny ability to create unique worlds in her dystopian and fantasy novels. In Drive!, she takes the reader into a Jurassic Park type of society where dinosaurs, and the danger they pose, are quite real. This story is the first in her unSPARKed series, where we meet, Darryl, her brother Harry, their father, and his fiancé. Though the story is brief, it is jam-packed with intense action. The main character, Darryl, is one tough teen who can take care of herself. Unfortunately, the rest of this series is not yet available. I, for one, can’t wait to read more.

Unlikely Witnesses By Leslea Wahl

This story is the longest of this month’s recommendations and is technically a novella. It was so much fun to write because it combines the characters from two of my YA novels, The Perfect Blindside and An Unexpected Role. When Sophie, Jake, Ryan, and Josie spend a week together on a family vacation in the Colorado Rockies, they become involved in an all-new mystery. (Sophie and Ryan are cousins – surprise!) This story is told from each of their perspectives, giving each chapter a unique voice. Intrigue, adventure, and the message of being an unlikely witness for Christ fuel this fun adventure. You can get this ebook for less than a dollar.

The Monk’s Castle by AJ Cattapan

This short story from AJ Cattapan takes the characters from her middle-grade novel, 7 Riddles to Nowhere, on a new adventure. One of my favorite parts of 7 Riddles to Nowhere was the tour of Chicago that Cattapan provides the reader through her incredible descriptions. She has done that again in The Monk’s Castle which is based on an actual mansion in Chicago. Expect the unexpected when Kam and his friends attend an event at the haunted castle, and one of them goes missing. The Monk’s Castle is available as a free download.

Bound to Find Freedom by Theresa Linden

Bound to Find Freedom is a short story featuring characters from Theresa Linden’s Liberty dystopian trilogy. When young teen Andy sneaks off to help with his older brother Dedrick’s mission to rescue people from the government-run city of Aldonia, things don’t go as planned. This story gives reader an introduction to this dystopian world that the author has envisioned. As always, Linden has created some memorable characters and powerful messages in this exciting story. Bound to Find Freedom is available as a free download.

All these books can be found on Amazon. I’ve set links – just click on the highlighted titles. For those who don’t use Amazon you can also check Barnes and Noble online or www.indiebound.org where you can search for books and the local bookstores that might carry them or order them directly from the website. You can also ask your local bookstore or library to order the books for you.

Next month I’ll be reviewing three more Christian/Catholic teen novels. But if you’d like more reviews before then you can always check out my recommendation section on my website: YA Recommendations.

If you’ve come across this post on Facebook and would like to get my monthly reviews sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up on my website – www.LesleaWahl.com.

Until next month – Happy Reading!

In case you are new to my blog… every month I post about 3 YA books that I’ve read, each month in a new genre. So, if you’re not interested in other teen books you can skip past this Book Review Post. I’ll still be sending out quarterly posts marked UPDATES regarding news about my own work.

But for those of you who have kids, or grand-kids, or you yourself like teen books (like me!), each month I’ll introduce some of my favorite Christian and Catholic YA books.

I’ve decided to provide more reviews because there are a few things I’ve learned since I had my first book published:

1 – So many of the teen books published by the big publishing companies contain messages that don’t match the values of many families.

2 – There are a lot of fantastic, clean, faith-based books out there. Books that are entertaining yet wholesome and reflect Christian values.

3 – These types of books can be really hard to find. So, I’d like to introduce you to a few new adventures.

The three featured books this month are all familiar stories that have been redone in unique ways. They include:

a reworked fairytale with a surprise twist,

a futuristic version of a well-known classic,

and a modern day telling of a beloved children’s story.

These fresh perspectives are perfect for the fresh new year. Enjoy!

Cinder Allia by Karen Ullo

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, but it probably won’t be the last. This retelling of the famous fairytale was such a delight. There were so many fantastic twists to this new version that made this story engaging and fast-moving.

What happens when our heroine’s prince is killed in battle before he can rescue her from her cruel life? What any strong female would do, of course, solve the problem herself.

Armed with faith, a sword, and some unlikely allies she ventures out to find her new path in life. But will Allia be able to find love and happiness when faced with overwhelming odds including deception at the palace, betrayal amid the noblemen, wicked lies, tragic heartache, and unfathomable cruelty?

I would recommend this book for older or mature teens. The language was stunning but quite ornate. A great read to expand a vocabulary but could be difficult for younger readers to follow. It was a clean read but there were some innuendos of mature situations. However, because of the more ornamental language those aren’t extremely obvious. Overall, a very enjoyable teen novel.

Unclaimed by Erin Cupp

This book is a retelling of the classic novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This YA version adds an exciting twist – it’s told from a futuristic viewpoint. Unclaimed is the second book that I’ve read by this author and I thoroughly enjoy her writing style.

Before we get started, I have a confession to make. I’ve actually never read Jane Eyre. I know. How did I possibly miss that beloved classic? I’m not sure but it is indeed true.

Brace yourselves. I have another confession to make. Instead of now reading Jane Eyre in order to determine how similar this modern novel compares to the Bronte original, I actually just read the Wikipedia summary. I probably lose some street-cred as a book reviewer but for the sake of saving time, so I can get to more books on my way-too-long “To Read” list, I went with the less time-consuming option.

Thanks to Wikipedia, from what I can tell, this story follows the storyline of Jane Eyre even as a clever futuristic remake. But don’t worry, if you are like me and have not read the original, there is no need to panic – this book, the first in a trilogy about Jane E., is a standalone delight.

I really liked the future details the author has imagined. The main character, Jane E, who is technically classified as an unclaimed embryo, is fabulous. This character who has no family and is alone in the world was so wonderful. I was rooting for her from the very first page and cared more and more for her through each challenge she faced. Great book!

The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman

The Shadow of the Bear is a modern retelling of the Grimm fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red. This book is the first of the author’s Fairy Tale Novels where she takes an old story and creates a fresh and entertaining tale for modern teens. This exciting novel – part mystery, adventure, and fairy tale, is about sisters Blanche and Rose and how their lives are forever changed when a mysterious stranger named Bear happens upon their door, in the “wilderness” of New York City.

There are many things I enjoyed about this book including the very different personalities of the sisters and the incorporation of faith. I especially liked how the innocent sisters found themselves in several precarious situations, a mixture of unlikely predicaments and some very real and relevant dangers of today’s teens. This book is loaded with fantastic topics for discussion – being taken advantage of, stealing, drinking, bullying, drugs, hazards of dating. I will offer a bit of a warning though – if you value your sleep, don’t read this book close to bedtime because the second half of the novel is a real page-turner and you won’t be able to put it down. You’ve been forewarned.

All these books can be found on Amazon. I’ve set links – just click on the highlighted titles. For those who don’t use Amazon you can also check Barnes and Noble online or www.indiebound.org where you can search for books and the local bookstores that might carry them or order them directly from the website. You can also ask your local bookstore or library to order the books for you.

Next month I’ll be reviewing three more Christian/Catholic teen novels. But if you’d like more reviews before then you can always check out my recommendation section on my website: YA Recommendations.

If you’ve come across this post on Facebook and would like to get my monthly reviews sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up on my website – www.LesleaWahl.com.

Until next month – Happy Reading!

In case you are new to my blog… every month I post about 3 YA books that I’ve read, each month in a new genre. So, if you’re not interested in other teen books you can skip past this Book Review Post. I’ll still be sending out quarterly posts marked UPDATES regarding news about my own work.

But for those of you who have kids, or grand-kids, or you yourself like teen books (like me!), each month I’ll introduce some of my favorite Christian and Catholic YA books.

I’ve decided to provide more reviews because there are a few things I’ve learned since I had my first book published:

1 – So many of the teen books published by the big publishing companies contain messages that don’t match the values of many families.

2 – There are a lot of fantastic, clean, faith-based books out there. Books that are entertaining yet wholesome and reflect Christian values.

3 – These types of books can be really hard to find. So, I’d like to introduce you to a few new adventures.

December seems like a great time to review a few books about saints. During Advent, as we contemplate and celebrate the birth of Christ, we can also learn some incredible lessons from His most faithful servants.

Treachery and Truth by Katy Huth Jones

Are you familiar with the well-known Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas? Have you ever wondered about the inspiration for this classic song? If you’re like me, the answer is probably, no, you never gave a thought to the words you were singing. Well, lucky for us, Katy Huth Jones was curious about this character.

Treachery and Truth is the fascinating true story of Good King Wenceslas. This is an exciting and wonderfully written story about this beloved Czech duke, who was a faithful Christian during a time filled with pagan gods, betrayal, and war.

The book is cleverly written through the eyes of the Duke’s faithful servant. This was an intriguing way to tell this story. Though this novel is a work of fiction, the story is based on the facts known about this historical figure and draws the reader into his fascinating life. It was inspiring to see how this young hero’s faith and goodness affected so many around him.

Treachery and Truth would make a wonderful addition to your December reading.

The King’s Prey: St. Dymphna of Ireland by Susan Peek

Susan Peek has a series of books about saints titled God’s Forgotten Friends – Stories of Little Known Saints.  One of the taglines she uses is – the saints weren’t boring why should their stories be? And that sums up her novels perfectly. She uses the historical facts and incorporates them into exciting adventures about some saints you might not have heard of.

I have loved all of Susan Peek’s novels, but I think The King’s Prey is her best book yet! She has taken this story about a little-known saint and created a heart-pounding adventure. For those who don’t know, Saint Dymphna was an Irish Princess in 628 who had to escape from her deranged father. There are not a lot of facts about St. Dymphna, but it is known that she fled across Ireland from her father with the help of several people from her father’s court and a local priest.

While this book is about a Princess, don’t let that fool you – it’s a great book for boys as well. Since not much information is available about those who helped Dymphna, the author has used her incredible story-telling skills to create an unforgettable tale about two estranged brothers with a heart-breaking past to add even more excitement to this fascinating story. The combination of perfectly timed humor, riveting chase scenes, and swashbuckling fights make for a must-read book.

One note – St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those afflicted with mental and emotional disorders. Her story makes for great discussions but also might not be appropriate for younger children.

To the Heights: A Novel Based on the Life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati by Brian Kennelly

What an incredible look into the life of an incredible man. Pier Giorgio Frassati is a somewhat newer saint, having lived in the early part of the 20^th Century. Because of this, there is a lot known and documented about this saint. I thought the writer did a good job of keeping to the facts but making it feel more like a story than a dry biography. The reader is able to get a wonderful sense of Pier Giorgio through this book, which at times almost felt like a collection of inspiring short stories.

Frassati was an Italian man, born into a wealthy family. He was well educated and is now the Patron Saint of Catholic teens. This young man loved his faith and spent his short life caring for others. I had known just a little about Frassati through my son and his youth group. But there were so many things I learned and was touched by:

His incredible faith and devotion to the poor. Even at an early age, Pier Giorgio went out of his way to assist others and make them feel special.

His family’s indifference to these things. I was amazed at the constant struggle he had in focusing on his faith without his family’s support.

His strong friendships, especially with this sister. This was a young man who had many friends and loved their comradery. And the special relationship he had with his sister was touching.

He touched so many people in very powerful yet simple ways. This is the big lesson from this book. We all have this ability to help those in need, pray for others, and be kind to everyone we meet. Often saints seem to be people who did really incredible things, but this book is a great example of how everyone can really make a difference.

All these books can be found on Amazon. I’ve set links – just click on the highlighted titles. For those who don’t use Amazon you can also check Barnes and Noble online or www.indiebound.org where you can search for books and the local bookstores that might carry them or order them directly from the website. You can also ask your local bookstore or library to order the books for you.

Next month I’ll be reviewing three more Christian/Catholic teen novels. But if you’d like more reviews before then you can always check out my recommendation section on my website: YA Recommendations.

If you’ve come across this post on Facebook and would like to get my monthly reviews sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up on my website – www.LesleaWahl.com.

Until next month – Happy Reading!