Sheena Boekweg

What if Abigail Adams, who was famously remembered as instructing John Adams, the second President, to "remember the ladies," what if she took it upon herself to create a secret society to make sure the "ladies" would have a voice in government?

That is the premise of this YA novel, set in the late 1920's. Cassie and her friends are members of this secret society. She has been chosen to someday become the wife of a powerful man. Others in the society become Mothers to powerful men, or Spinsters, who are actually warriors, or Gossips, who are spies. The society, through grooming young women for important, though background roles, has helped steer the country in a fairer, more moral direction.

The story revolves around the competition for the love of "Priority 1" a young man who has been chosen by the society to someday become President. Elsie is keen on winning this role, though she has the nagging feeling she'd rather be the President than be married to him.

Interesting premise. A few historical references. Fantastic cover art!… (mere)

So, Alchemy is the first of a new series written by three very talented women. Each author took one main character, and wrote those chapters. It gave the characters distinctive voices.


The reality in this book is kind of gritty. In parts of the book, I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't. Frankly, I love that. I enjoy going back and trying to figure out exactly what was happening for any particular person, especially if they appear to be different from how they have been acting. The fact that part of the effects of being infected with magic includes insanity, to one extent or another, plus having a conspiracy theorist among the cast, and it can be hard to figure out which character to believe sometimes.

All in all, a good first book of a series that I will look forward to reading.… (mere)

Ever been on the wrong side of an in-joke? Ever wanted a do-over with someone you screwed up with? Ever been in a dream that made you feel trapped? Welcome to the Glitch Kingdom. Imagine a computer game so big and vivid you can feel like you're really there, then imagine that actually happening. This is the situation a bunch of teens find themselves in. Most were selected following a worldwide competition, but there's one who was snuck in for a different reason and that inclusion came with consequences. Now the software is glitching with fatal consequences and unless someone wins the game quickly, it won't be pretty. This is a fascinating plot, well done and is extra enjoyable for serious role playing gamers like I am. Definitely strong consideration for any library where action fiction is valued and/or teen patrons are into gaming.… (mere)