The Last Knight

This is the first book I've read by Hilari Bell, but I will be looking for more. This is a very fun story, with a knight errant and his squire who have unfortunately come onto the scene about a hundred years after knights errant have ceased to exist. They spend the book questing, learning about friendship and justice, and generally having a very good time. I enjoyed the story and hope I can find the next book in this series!

Backwater

Backwater is a story about family. The Breedlove family, to be exact. They have been lawyers for generations, ever since their ancestor had written on his tombstone: "O, wouldst that all my sons be lawyers/Lest my heart break with the anguish/That they have become lesser men". What a lot to live up to - and what kind of person would want that on their tombstone? At any rate, the guilt trip worked, and almost all of the Breedloves turn out to be lawyers.

The main character, Ivy, wants to be an historian and is working on a history of their family, which is a point of contention in their family. Most of them think she is wasting her time, and should be working toward law school anyway, and are very upset about the whole thing - especially since she keeps bringing up all those Breedloves who weren't lawyers. Ivy ends up taking a trip to visit her aunt, who is a hermit, in order to understand her family better and ends up bringing the whole family back together and healing some very old wounds.

This book is very clean, and is a great discussion starter. Every family has its "skeletons", and things that they prefer not to talk about, but it's important to keep communication lines open and to allow and answer questions honestly. The Breedlove family had never allowed that and was on the verge of falling into pieces when Ivy started finding out the truth. Instead of the truth being as destructive as they had always feared, it turned out that the lies and fear had actually been the problem all along. That's true for every family, and I think this book is a wonderful way to start teaching children that families are not perfect, but that they can be encouraging and loving as they are.

Ever

Levine has written several wonderful books, including Ella Enchanted - which is a great movie and an even better book, and Fairest, which I also very much enjoyed. Ever is another great hit. Levine's books feel like fairy tales populated by real people. The heroes and heroines have personality flaws and heartaches and usually end up living mostly happily ever after, but not completely. In Ever, for example, the heroine ends up both with and without the people she loves most, which is the most I can say without giving away the story. :)

Ever has some eastern influence, including the worship of many gods - the main male character is the god of wind, and you meet several other gods throughout the story. These gods are friendly and well-meaning, but prone to mistakes. Otherwise I saw nothing that would be objectionable as a parent. The characters must face trials to prove their courage and overcome their fears, and show loyalty both to friends and family.

Hope Was Here

I walked away from this book thinking it was one of the best teen fiction books I'd read in a long time. The title really grabbed me, and I love the way the author used the idea of hope and the main character Hope interchangeably - that it's "hope was here", and also "Hope was here". I recommend this book - it's very clean, fun to read, and is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Hope is a teenager who lives with her aunt. Her mother actually named her Tulip, which was the worst name ever, and Hope changed it when she turned 12. Her aunt is a short-order cook and Hope has worked as a waitress for several years when they move from New York City to Wisconsin. They've moved several times to work in different restaurants, and this move turns out to be monumental for both of them.

There is so much to the story-line in this book that makes it wonderful. There is a political campaign that the teenagers all get involved in, there's a little bit of romance for both Hope and her aunt, and there are deep family relationships that are very touching. Hope has spent her whole life dreaming about finding her father one day and eventually learns that fatherhood is not just about biology, it's about love.

The Amaranth Enchantment

The Amaranth Enchantment was written by Julie Berry, and is her first book. I hope she writes more. To be perfectly honest, the plot was predictable and the ending completely unsurprising, but it was a charming book and a fun read. It's like a cross between Cinderella and A Little Princess. The poor orphaned girl is taken in by her terrible aunt and her kind but browbeaten uncle. She is rescued by her fairy godmother, fights off the horrible bad guy, and ends up marrying the prince. Not an unusual plot-line, but the characters were fun and the story did take some interesting twists. This book won't change the world, but it's an easy, fun read and very enjoyable.