Tag Archives: fiction

Get a Grip by Alyson Shelton

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Victoria Waddle

This compact novel (186 pages) is narrated in free verse. It has wide appeal, but is an especially good purchase for librarians seeking work on sibling death and grief, competitive gymnastics, changes in friendships that take place as kids get older, and hi/lo literature for tweens and teens. Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Sports, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book review, book reviews, books, family problems, fiction, friendship, hi-low reading, parent-teen relationships, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Sometimes We Tell the Truth

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Victoria Waddle

Sometimes is, in fact, a modern telling of Chaucer’s tales with teens as the pilgrims. Except that these pilgrims are not making a commitment to the Almighty. They are going to Washington D.C . on a six-hour bus trip with their Civics class teacher. Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Literary Read Alike, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book review, book reviews, books, Canterbury Tales, family problems, fiction, friendship, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Victoria Waddle

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico While I usually focus on YA and adult books for high school students (age 14 and up), sometimes very edgy, I received this sweet graphic novel because I have a Substack … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged books, communication, family, fiction, Graphic Novel, grief, middle-grade-fiction, plants, succulents | Leave a comment

Uncultured: The Children of God Cult

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Victoria Waddle

Mestyanek Young grew up in the Children of God cult (often referred to as ‘the Family’). Her experience there is horrifying. Her childhood traumas are so numerous, it’s hard to understand how the cult even exists. Why don’t its members run the other way? Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Non-fiction | Tagged book review, book reviews, books, child abuse, child molestation, child sexual abuse, child-parent relationships, Children of God, cults, fiction, Mestyanek Young | Leave a comment

Acts of Contrition: Short Stories on Pre-Sale Now

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Victoria Waddle

I Have a Book! My book of short fiction Acts of Contrition: Short Stories is now available on pre-sale from Los Nietos Press. The official publication date is March 15, 2021. Yeah, the Ides of March! Thankfully, I’m not superstitious. … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Short Stories | Tagged Acts of Contrition, fiction, short stories, Victoria Waddle | 4 Comments

Inlandia Journeys Teen Issue is Live!

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

Submerged by Shaina Boal I’m so excited about the latest teen issue of Inlandia, which is live now! “Despite the notion that we are voiceless, it seems to me that the challenge of a good creative writing instructor is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Grief, Non-fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult Literature | Tagged essays, fiction, Inlandia Journal, Inlandia Literary Journey, poetry, short stories, teen writers, teenage writers, writing advice, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Horror: The Haunting of Hill House

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Victoria Waddle

This is actually a post from my blog about authors and writing. I thought it would be helpful to some here as it has links to a lot of good horror. Please have a look: http://victoriawaddle.com/2018/10/30/horror-the-haunting-of-hill-house/

Posted in Family Problems, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Supernatural | Tagged fiction, H P Lovecraft, horror, Shirley Jackson | Leave a comment

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Victoria Waddle

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews There really is a dying girl in this novel, so to say that most of it is a lot of fun seems weird. But it is fun. You should … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Humor, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, cancer, child-parent relationships, children of alcoholics, coming of age, creativity, death and dying, family problems, fiction, friendship, grief, humor, Jesse Andrews, JLG, Junior Library Guild, life skills, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, mental depression, Teen Issues, YA fiction | Leave a comment

Sci-Fi/Future Dystopias: “Oryx and Crake”

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Victoria Waddle

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Snowman (as in Abominable), who was once known as Jimmy, appears to be the last human being on earth. His existence doesn’t seem much worth living–the environment is in ruins and he cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Controversial Issue/Debate, Environmental Issues, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Over 375 pages, Sci-Fi/Futuristic | Tagged Adult books for teens, biotechology, book reviews, death and dying, divorce, environmental destruction, family problems, fiction, future dystopia, genetic engineering, global climate change, global warming, grief, human rights, Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake, science fiction, technology | 1 Comment

Romance” “Game of Love”

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Victoria Waddle

Game of Love by Ara Grigorian Though a citizen of Great Britain, Gemma Lennon is a Spanish beauty with azure eyes. While her celebrity has made her wealthy, it is her talent as a tennis player that she dreams … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Romance | Tagged Adult books for teens, Ara Grigorian, celebrity, family problems, fiction, friendship, Game of Love, love, rape, romance, tennis | 1 Comment