Category Archives: Mature Readers

Alex Stern Books: Ninth House and Hell Bent

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Victoria Waddle

Musings on Leigh Bardugo’s Alex Stern series, trigger warnings, and books in the high school library. Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mature Readers, Supernatural | Tagged book review, content warnings, Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo, Ninth House, Trigger warnings | Leave a comment

Serious Summer Reading

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

Want beach reads but summer is your only chance to read intellectually stimulating books? The solution: A ‘Serious Summer Reading’ list. Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Grief, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Non-fiction, Supernatural, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, diverse stories, family problems, historical fiction, parent-teen relationships, poetry, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Girl Made of Stars

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

A realistic portrayal of how people react to learning about the rape of a classmate. Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Mature Readers, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, family problems, friendship, parent-teen relationships, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Time to Support the Local Literary Scene

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

Note: I have this up on my VictoriaWaddle.com blog, but am adding here because several of the books recommended below would be great for teen reads and in high school libraries. As shut down orders were put in place to … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Multicultural, Non-fiction, Short Stories | Tagged book reviews, Inlandia Institute, Los Nietos Press, Meg Pokrass, pelekinesis Press, Selena Chambers | 2 Comments

Adult Fiction: “Skippy Dies”

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray Skippy Dies has been described by more than one professional reviewer as ‘hilarious and horrifying.’ I would say that it is hilarious for a very long time, and then suddenly horrifying. This is true … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Humor, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, bullying, Catholic boarding schools, child-parent relationships, death, death and dying, family problems, friendship, grief, Ireland, parent-teen relationships, Paul Murray, romance, school problems, Skippy Dies, Teen Issues | Leave a comment

More Than Romance: “Love and Other Theories”

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass After freshman year of high school, Aubrey and her three best friends are on to an important reality: high school relationships don’t often last; in fact, given that high school students move … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Alexis Bass, book reviews, boy-girl relationships, friendship, Love and Other Theories, mean girls, parent-teen relationships, romance, school problems, Teen Issues, teen sexuality, YA fiction, YA literature | 1 Comment

Adult Books for Teens: “Girls and Sex”

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Girls and Sex by Peggy Orenstein For adults who really want to be honest with teens about sexuality, this is the books we’ve been waiting for. For teens–guys as well as girls–who are having trouble navigating teen sexual culture, … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Non-fiction | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, bullying, child-parent relationships, family problems, gay teens, high school students, nonfiction, parent-teen relationships, romance, Teen Issues, teen sexuality, teenage boys, teenage girls | Leave a comment

Mystery, Romance: “Period.8”

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Period.8 by Chris Crutcher The problem with having too great a time span between reading Chris Crutcher books is that I forget how good they are. Forget how the fast-talking, conscience-driven teens can connect with teachers who care about them. … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Mature Readers, Read 180, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, bullying, Chris Crutcher, family problems, friendship, hi-low reading, high school students, JLG, Junior Library Guild, parent-teen relationships, Period.8, Read 180, reluctant readers, romance, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | 1 Comment

Romance: “Forever for a Year”

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Forever for a Year by B. T. Gottfred Fans of romance, teen angst, realistic fiction, child-parent relationship issues–this is your next read! Yes, all of you. I’m so glad I went to the Ontario Teen Book Fest and found … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged B.T. Gottfred, book reviews, family problems, Forever for a Year, friendship, high school students, parent-teen relationships, romance, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

“The Alex Crow”

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith Andrew Smith has another novel that will easily become a hit with teens and YA librarians. The publisher describes it as the interweaving of four stories–that of “of Ariel, a Middle Eastern refugee … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Humor, Mature Readers, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Andrew Smith, book reviews, family problems, parent-teen relationships, rape, refugees, reluctant readers, sci-fi, science fiction, Teen Issues, The Alex Crow, YA fiction, YA literature | 1 Comment