REIGN OF SHADOWS, by Sophie Jordan

The story: Luna is blind--but since she lives in a world forever darkened by an unending eclipse, her other senses have become so sensitive that she copes just fine--well enough to save travelers lost in the woods, which is how she meets Fowler. Luna is the long-hidden daughter of the slain king and queen, and when the new king's soldiers follow the travelers to her Rapunzel-esque tower, her guardians realize the king is bound to hear about her survival. Desperate, they send her off with Fowler, who's bound for a land where the sun is reputed to shine. The only things that stand in their way--the darkness, Fowler's inability to trust, and the underground Dark Dwellers that hunt and eat humans. It's only as the teens learn to trust, and eventually love, each other that it begins to appear they have a chance--at least, until Fowler's true identity is revealed, and all is lost. Or...is it?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13, Sexual content R; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, political killings, scenes of monster horror, general gruesomeness) PG-13; overall rating R.

Liz's comments: This story contains a sex scene, which (no matter how "tasteful") in my opinion makes it better suited for grade 9-up. Apart from that, though, I found the traveling scenes, which comprise about half the book, straight-up boring. They might as well have been sitting having tea and conversation in the tower, because the Dweller attacks were cheesy and the rest was just walking. Only when they reach the village of Ortley does a bit of plot surface, and there's a twist at the end that some readers will have guessed (I did) but most teens won't...except for the part that most teens won't make it to the end unless someone tells them about the sex scene. Even then, they probably won't think it's worth the time they spent. Not a fan, even if the author does live in Texas.