Shade Me by Jennifer Brown

Shade Me is YA fiction novel in the new Nikki Kill series by Jennifer Brown. Nikki does not see the world like everyone else. She sees things in a variety of colors, a condition called synesthesia. When a fellow classmate is brutally attacked, Nikki uses her synesthesia to follow clues and try to figure out what really happened.

Sex: Nikki is sexually active. The scenes aren't terribly graphic, but it's obvious that it's happening. Also, one of the main story lines is about an escort business and Nikki pretends to be an escort to try to get information.

Language: Moderate to high.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Several mentions of drinking at parties and in the home of underage people. Nikki is drugged. One character is known for stealing and selling drugs.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are a couple of deaths in this book. One character is brutally beaten and in the hospital. Nikki is involved in several physical altercations.

Final Note: I typically like Jennifer Brown, but I personally was not a fan of this book. The material was very mature and, at times, hard to read.

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

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The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

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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 ...

The Rapid Reader

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