June Goodwin

June Goodwin, LCSW, graduated from Columbia University with a Masters degree in Clinical Social Work. She also possesses a Masters in Education with a specialty in Learning Disabilities. At the present time, she counsels children who are classified as emotionally disturbed.

Ms. Goodwin has immersed herself into the world of creative writing and regularly attends writer’s conferences and workshops as she completes a young adult novel. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

She maintains a literary blog that focuses on the craft of writing, book reviewing and promotion, and life issues.

Book Reviews by June Goodwin

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Black Ice is well done and guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats.”

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“Nearly every creature who lives here was once loved by a child of Earth, and loved the child in return.

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“You have to know what happens!”

Mari Mancusi takes on one of the less common creatures in young adult sagas: the dragon and goes on a rip-roaring tear with it.

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If I Should Die is the final book in the unique Revenants trilogy by Amy Plum.

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Dark Triumph, the second installment of Robin LaFevers’ His Dark Assassin series picks up precisely where her debut Grave Mercy left off.

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“Readers will find themselves cheering the protagonist, eager to find that light at the end of the tunnel . . .”

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“. . . leaves us eagerly awaiting the next installment. . . .”

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“Tahereh Mafi has proved herself a masterful plotter and storyteller.”

Unravel Me is Tahereh Mafi’s second book in a dystopian YA trilogy.

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“. . . not a warm fuzzy story.”

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“. . . skillfully crafted . . . in a fun-filled, thoroughly enjoyable package.”

Cat Crawford, just about to turn 16, is not in the mood to celebrate.

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“. . . laugh-out-loud moments and heart-pounding intrigue . . .”

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“Pretty Amy is a coming-of-age story without the comfort of padding.”

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“This sequel does not disappoint. Until I Die is exciting . . .”

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“Ms. Despain knows how to keep the action flowing. . . . The Savage Grace is a paranormal romance, but the love story takes a back seat to the action.

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“Ms. DeStefano does a good job of capturing that push-pull dynamic that is so common among adolescents: I hate it. I love it. I’m not sure what I’m feeling. . . .

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“. . . intriguing. Imbued with mystery, romance, high-stakes action, and paranormal adventure . . .”

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“This is a book for all women. For those who are mothers and for those who are not.”

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“Child Wonder is an apt title; the author excels at capturing the essence of a young boy trying to navigate changing events in his life.

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“Laini Taylor writes with a lush use of words. They’re lyrical and sweeping. The characterizations are layered and full-bodied.

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A Beautiful Dark is the debut novel of Jocelyn Davies. She’s an editor of young adult fiction and decided to take the plunge into the genre herself.

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The Eleventh Plague is Jeff Hirsh’s debut novel. It’s a dystopian YA saga about 15-year-old Stephen Quinn.

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“Karsten Knight easily captures a teen girl’s voice, doing so with snap and wit.

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“The poignant and shocking ending will leave the reader pondering this story long after the final page is turned.”

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Die for Me is the debut novel of Amy Plum, an Alabama native living the literary life in the French Countryside. It would not be unusual to find Ms.

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Divergent is the debut young adult novel of Veronica Roth, a young adult herself at the ripe age of 22.

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In her latest YA novel, Abandon, Meg Cabot puts a new spin on the Greek myth of Persephone. Persephone is the goddess captured by Hades, god of the Underworld. Ms.

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Sandra Steingraber is an internationally known ecologist and environmental educator.

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Invincible is the second installment in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s first foray into the young adult market. It follows the first book in the series, Infinity.

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Across the Universe is a debut young adult novel. The story is set aboard the spaceship Godspeed, bound for a new planet, 250 years in the future.

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The Lost Saint is the second book of a young adult trilogy, continuing the story of The Dark Divine.

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Vixen is a young adult book with a new edge.

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The Writer’s Guide to Psychology is on a mission. Its title tells it all.

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Sherrilyn Kenyon is a prolific writer of a number of paranormal series. Infinity: Chronicles of Nick, a teen novel, is the first in a series for young adults.

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The Mockingbirds is Daisy Whitney’s debut novel—and what a debut it is.

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Perhaps one can decipher what this book is about from its title: Hunger.

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Young adult paranormal novels have been awash in all things vampire, werewolves, and angels to name a few of the more prolific creatures.

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Suspect is a young adult mystery novel. Ellen, the mother of a young child has gone missing, and that young child is now seventeen-year-old Jen.

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When I first saw the name Meg Cabot, I immediately thought this was a new young adult book by the prolific author of such titles as The Princess Diaries series and the Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girl

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(Simon & Schuster, October 2009)

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The Duff is the debut novel of another young adult on the rise in the literary arena: eighteen-year-old Kody Keplinger.

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I Am Number Four is the first young adult novel from the infamous, best selling author James Frey and the debut novel of his co-author, Columbia MFA graduate, Jobie Hughs.

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Horse, Flower, Bird is a most unusual book.

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Writers for young people are often encouraged to pen their novels at a level no higher than high school and then jettison directly to adult books if desired.

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The Kneebone Boy commands immediate attention. Why? The cover. It’s dark, gothic, and beautiful. It beckons the reader to break open the spine and explore the prose within.

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 The first thing one notices about The Boneshaker is its eye-catching cover art. It’s vibrant, intricate, and unusual. It immediately draws in the reader.

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The Blue House Dog is a picture book that tells the tale of a boy and a dog.

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Having read two of Simone Elkeles’ prior novels, it was with much relish that I anticipated digging into Rules of Attraction.

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William Nicholson is an Academy Award nominated screenwriter (Nell, Gladiator) as well as an award-winning fantasy author and playwright. Rich and Mad is his first young adult novel.

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Return to Paradise is the sequel to Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles, the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Attraction and the breakout novel Perfect Chemistry.

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Mary Hanlon Stone’s debut novel is a fairly short book at 278 pages, but it is not short on the impact it makes.

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Halo is a young adult novel written by a young adult, eighteen to be exact, and by the looks of things, she has quite a career ahead of her.