The Prepared Parent (A Common Sense Review) ‘The Gathering’ (Shadow House #1)

(The following review is not meant to dissuade or endorse but rather to inform parents and readers of content. Careful effort has been made to point out what parents may find useful, but please use your own discretion as 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed)

Title:

‘The Gathering’ (Shadow house #1)

Intended Audience:

Readers 8-12 years old

Synopsis:

A group of kids are summoned to a strange mansion for seemingly normal purposes, but each for different reasons. Some think they are attending a school, another connecting with a lost relative, and another thinks they are there for a movie shoot. But when they arrive, the house is anything but normal. Soon they find themselves trapped in the sinister house. Who summoned them and for what purpose? Together they must unravel the mysteries of the house and discover what secret connects them all if they ever hope to escape.

Themes:

Horror, mental illness, ghosts, suicide, self worth

Language Content:

Mild: An instance of “Shut up” and one character is mocked and called “Crazy Poppy”

Romantic Situations:

None

Violence and Gore:

Some blood is mentioned. Characters are chased and attacked by creepy, malevolent kids in masks. A boy is hit in the side of the head with a broken violin. In a flashback, someone is killed by a heavy object falling on their head.

Frightening Imagery:

Creepy pictures in the book of things like broken baby dolls, and kids in animal masks. Talks about the forest in Japan where suicides are committed frequently. Dolls are discovered with nooses on their necks. A ledger is discovered that tells of the cruel things the director did toward the orphans in his charge like depriving them of things they love and trying to take away their identity in order to make them empty vessels he can control.

Magic and the Occult:

The house is seemingly haunted by angry spirits and the children were summoned there by an unknown force.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol:

None noted

Disrespectful Attitudes:

The kids are sometimes flippant with each other and sarcastic, but in the end they learn to work together.

Final Thoughts:

Shadow house is a creepy thrill ride that is exciting but may be a bit too intense for some young readers. The images inside are very cool and interesting, but also could be quite frightening. Overall, a fast paced read that will keep the reader trying to solve the mystery untill the end and make them excited to read the next book in the series.

Emily A. Steward is a writer of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her books can be found on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.



The Prepared Parent (A common sense review) Spirit Hunters

(The following review is not meant to dissuade or endorse but rather to inform parents and readers of content. Careful effort has been made to point out what parents may find useful, but please use your own discretion as 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed)

(Caution: contains spoilers)

Title:

‘Spirit Hunters’

Intended Audience:

Readers 8-12 years old

Synopsis:

Something feels terribly wrong with Harper’s new/old home and cold spots, the feeling of being watched, and a series of accidents are only the beginning. When Harper’s younger brother gets a new invisible friend, he becomes withdrawn, irritable, and even violent at times. Harper must work quickly to unravel the secrets of old house, and her own past if she is to help her brother before it’s too late.

Themes:

Supernatural, mystery, ghosts, diversity, friendship, racism, family

Language Content:

Main character calls a lot of things stupid. A girl says her grandmother’s dog should have been named, ‘jerkface’ or ‘Pain in My Butt.’ Siblings do quite a bit of name calling. They call each other things like, doofus, idiot, butt head, boob, and brat. They also say shut up, buzz off fat cow, and nasty little turd. Older sister says “D*** it.

Romantic Situations:

None noted

Violence and Gore:

Several instances of ghosts perpetrating violence against main character. Harper is pushed down the stairs by invisible force, she’s had her arms broken in the past when she was slammed into the ground by ghost. A ghost uses a firetruck to slice open her arm and wound is deep and gushes blood requiring trip to hospital and stitches.

One of the ghosts was sadistic when he was alive and tried to hurt his brother a lot. We see several flashbacks of this. The boy smashes a toy car into his brothers face, making his nose bleed, he also makes his brother fall and get burned on an oven, and tries to push younger brother into well, and falls in himself and dies. When her little brother is under the sadistic ghost’s influence, he grows violent and volatile. He punches her in stomach, breaks a dog’s foot, hits his mom in face and chest and hits oldest sister in the face causing a broken nose.

Frightening Imagery:

There is mention of a girl who killed herself. Also rotting corpse with bugs crawling in and out. Brother has evil, vacant eyes. She finds out former owner of house used to lure homeless people to the house, poison them, and experiment and shock them while they were dying.

Magic and the Occult:

Talks about summoning the dead and ridding people of evil spirits. There is a rumor that the man who used to live in their house made a pact with the devil in order to live forever. Main character finds Ouija board, Tarot cards, and a crystal ball in the attic. Grandmother is a shaman and has altar in her house with images of Korean Gods. Harper uses bells, chanting, holy water, salt, and charms in her fight against evil spirits and to perform exorcisms.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol:

None noted

Disrespectful Attitudes:

Harper is not happy with moving and she has a grumpy/annoyed attitude. She starts her journal entries with a list of “Things I hate.”An old woman at a supermarket makes mean comments about Harper’s race because she is Korean and says she isn’t a real American. Instance of African American spirit being feared by other spirits because of her race. Harper harbors a lot of resentment toward her mother for keeping her apart from her grandmother for years because of her talk and involvement with the spirit world. At one point they have a fight and Harper leaves with her grandmother. There is some resolution at the end, and the grandmother is accepted back into their lives. Harper begins last journal entry in the book with “Things I love.”

Final Thoughts:

Some content might be a bit too mature for young children, and they may find the sadistic nature of the ghost disturbing. Overall, Spirit Hunters is an interesting, fast paced read that deals with self-acceptance and not judging things you don’t understand.

Emily A. Steward is a writer of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her books can be found on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.

The Prepared Parent (A common sense review) ‘Ghosts’

(The following review is not meant to dissuade or endorse but rather to inform parents and readers of content. Careful effort has been made to point out what parents may find useful, but please use your own discretion as 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed)

Title:

‘Ghosts’

Intended Audience:

Readers 8-12 years old

Synopsis:

Cat and her sister Maya are uprooted from their home and move to a new city with their family because Maya has cystic fibrosis and her parents believe the sea air will help improve her health. In this town, there is a strong tradition of celebrating the Day of the Dead. As the festival draws near, Cat discovers that the town is not like any she’s been to before. In this town, there are ghosts! When her sister almost dies, Cat must come to terms with death and her own understanding of it, in a town where death literally walks among them in the form of friendly loved ones who have passed on before.

Themes:

Light fantasy, Day of the Dead, coming of age,
dealing with death, sisters

Language Content:

Main character says “Gosh.”

Romantic Situations:

The main character kisses a boy on the cheek. Her sister teases that she is in love with him.

Violence and Gore:

Ghostly skeletons seen throughout the book.

Frightening Imagery:

The ghosts are a bit spooky and accidentally take breath away from Maya who passes out and nearly dies.

Magic and the Occult:

Ghosts of ancient ancestors appear to the main characters. Burning of incense and activities related to Day of the Dead.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol:

None noted

Disrespectful Attitudes:

When Cat is upset about moving, she respond to her parent with “Ew, I’d rather die.”

Final Thoughts:

Ghosts is a graphic novel that explores Mexican culture around Day of the Dead. It grapples with complex issues that many children must face including moving to a new home, having a sick family member, and even death. This book is likely to resonate positively with readers interested in these themes, along with a hint of light fantasy.

Emily A. Steward is a writer of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her books can be found on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.

The Prepared Parent (A Common Sense Review) ‘Foundling’ (Monster Blood Tattoo #1)

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(These are both examples of the same book with a different cover design)

(The following review is not meant to dissuade or endorse but rather to inform parents and readers of content. Careful effort has been made to point out what parents may find useful, but please use your own discretion as 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed)

Title:

‘Foundling’ Monster Blood Tattoo #1

Intended Audience:

Readers 12-15 years old

Synopsis:

In a world filled with monsters and monster hunters, Rossamünd, has lived a rather dull existence at the foundling home for boys and girls. He dreams of adventure on the high seas as he waits for his turn to be chosen for a profession, as most foundlings are when they come of age. But when a stranger appears and finally chooses him, it is not for a role in the navy as he desires, but rather for a job as a lamplighter. While not the job he’s dreamed of, he accepts, and hopes the job is more exciting than it sounds. But once in the big, wide world, things don’t go as expected and poor Rossamünd is swept up in a perilous adventure where he meets all sorts of interesting and dangerous characters that will test him to his very limits, and force him to question the world he thought he knew.

Themes:

Fantasy, maritime adventure, courage, loyalty, monsters

Language Content:

Mild. Instance of someone calling a person stupid and a dolt. Rossamünd gets mocked for having a girl’s name in several places and for crying. Cursing is mentioned, but not specific words. Some made up curses- E.g. Rossamünd calls someone a “Looby.” A sailor claims to know the river’s lumps and bumps as well as the warts on his rear.

Romantic Situations:

A man is said to be “Good with the ladies” and not really the marrying type.

Violence and Gore:

Rossamünd is bullied by another boy at the orphan home who threatens to thrash him. The boy beats him up during combat practice to the point he needs medical care. There are several fights with monsters that are electrocuted by a monster hunter. Not particularly graphic. Uses words like, “A gruesome scene,” and mentions the bodies of dead monsters, but leaves much to imagination of reader. A man is swarmed by imp-like creatures and killed. A caged creature says he wants to squash Rossamünd’s eyeballs and eat him up.

Frightening Imagery:

The book talks about special monster hunters who have their bodies surgically altered in order to better fight and they must drink foul potions to keep themselves alive. A man has a box on his face with organs inside that helps him to sense things. When the box is removed his face is deformed. A creature (not shown) is said to be made from other dead monsters and stitched together to form a hideous, bloodthirsty, monstrosity.

Magic and the Occult:

I didn’t notice any spell casting. Most of the magic-type things and health potions seem more alchemy and science based. Certain potions use what the main character thinks of as dark and evil ingredients.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol:

A woman has some alcohol in her possession that she says isn’t meant for children. Rossamünd drinks something referred to as “small wine” while eating at some kind of inn/pub.

Disrespectful Attitudes:

Rossamünd is very polite even with those who are treating him badly. One of the things he must learn is to stand up for himself and learn when to say, no.

Final Thoughts:

Foundling is a wonderfully crafted story with great detail and time spent on world building almost akin to Tolkien. Rossamünd is a genuine and likable character that evolves as the story goes and must show inner strength and resolve as he faces his fears. Some of the monsters may frighten younger readers and there are moments of unfair harshness from the people Rossamünd encounters as he tries to get to his destination. The story is simple yet advanced enough to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, and will leave the reader excited to continue the adventure in book 2.

Emily A. Steward is a writer of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her books can be found on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.

The Prepared Parent (A common Sense Review) ‘The Stonekeeper’ (Amulet # 1)

(The following review is not meant to dissuade or endorse but rather to inform parents and readers of content. Careful effort has been made to point out what parents may find useful, but please use your own discretion as 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed)

Title:

‘The Stonekeeper’ Amulet # 1

Intended Audience:

A graphic novel for readers 7-12 years old

Synopsis:

After surviving a brutal car accident that claimed her father, Emily and her family move to a house deep in the country that was abandoned by her late, great grandfather. In this mysterious house, she discovers a magical amulet that speaks to her and guides Emily and her brother into a magical world. There, they must navigate through many dangers in order to find and save a loved one who was taken from them.

Themes:

Fantasy, steam punk, loss of a parent, horror, mystery, adventure

Language Content:

Contains instances of, “Oh my Goodness” and “Pain in the butt.”

Romantic Situations:

None

Violence and Gore:

The amulet is used to magically kill fantasy creatures. Many non-humans attack and kill other non-human creatures. The mother is injected with poison, and the mother’s nose is bleeding after car accident.

Frightening Imagery:

Car crash that results in father’s death, mother is attacked by
tentacled creature and captured.

Magic and the Occult:

Magical fantasy creatures throughout. Main character gets an amulet that can talk and lets her use magic. Her brother refers her as a wizard and a witch. Characters are trapped in a fantasy world with magic and creatures.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol:

None

Disrespectful Attitudes:

Mother fights with daughter as they work through a shared trauma. The fight
ends with a hug and tears.

Final Thoughts:

Amulet is a fantastical adventure set in world filled with tеtentacled monstrosities. The monsters and violent encounters might frighten younger readers. Additionally, the character embracing the power of her magical amulet and being referred to as a witch at one point, might be a point of contention for those who wish to avoid references to the occult. With these exceptions aside, Amulet is an exciting tale about a family that fights, but respects and loves each other. You will root for them as they work through trauma, uncover mysteries, and try to survive in an alien world.

(Review written by blog contributor, Chad Steward)

Emily A. Steward is a writer of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her books can be found on Amazon.com and at participating retailers.