All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a YA novel that won the 2015 Goodreads Winner for Best YA Fiction. Not only did it win the Goodreads award, but it's in the works for a movie pretty soon. It's about a boy with clinical depression who is contemplating suicide. He meets a girl at school who is grieving the loss of her older sister in a car accident. While working on a school project to see the "natural wonders" of their state, a romance ensues and one of them finds healing.

Sex: There IS a sex scene in this book. It's fairly mild compared to some other YA books, but it's there. Sex is also discussed casually and joked about between male friends graphically.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Theodore, the main male character, is contemplating jumping from a building when he sees Violet, the main female character, next to him. He talks her down. Theodore thinks about death and depression a lot. Theodore's father is abusive. Violet lost her sister in a car accident. There are several instances of bullying and fighting at school. Someone in the book dies and it's a little graphic. Depression is a major theme.

Language: I would classify this book as moderate. Theodore curses quite frequently and 4 letter words are you used sporadically in the book.

Alcohol/Drug Abuse: There is drinking but it's not a main theme.

Final Note: This book is popular. It's won book awards and it's going to be a movie, so it's something high school kids have either already been exposed to or probably will in the near future. Jennifer Niven's writing is beautiful and the story of Theodore and Violet is captivating. But, the material is heavy. It took me two tries to read it and I still can't get it out of my head. It affected me as a grown adult, so that's just something to consider.

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The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

The Ethan I Was Before is a middle grade fiction novel by Ali Standish. Ethan and Kacey were the best of friends. But when a terrible accident rips them apart, Ethan and his family pick up and move from Boston to a small town in Georgia. Now Ethan must figure out what life looks like moving forward. He meets Coralee and is enthralled by her marvelous stories. Can the two of them share secrets and give each other the friendship they both long for? Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are several suspenseful scenes. Death is a big part of the story line as well. Final Note: I loved this book! This is Ali Standish's first novel and she hit it out of the park. It was hauntingly beautiful. My heart ached for Ethan. I think readers grades 6-8 would really like this one.

What is The Rapid Reader?

Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane is a YA fiction novel by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Written in three different perspectives by three different authors, this romantic comedy tells readers what really (maybe) happened in history with Lady Jane Grey. This book was on Publishers Weekly's list of top YA books for 2016. (And it was well-deserved!) Sex: During the Edward and Gifford chapters, the boys often comment on the figures of women. People are under the impression that Gifford is a "ladies man." Two of the characters are in an arranged marriage and the book does mention in the last chapter that they "totally consummated." There are sexual innuendos but nothing graphic. Language: Extremely mild, especially for a YA book. Drug/Alcohol Use: A few mentions of drinking. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There is a war and plenty of people are threatened with losing their heads, but since this book is a comedy, it's nothing graphic or seriou...

The Rapid Reader

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