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Content Review: Prism by Faye and Aliza Kellerman

Review by: Amy
  
Intended audience: 14-16               Age of main character: 15
 
Kaida Hutchenson, a purple-haired 15-year-old student at Buchanan High School in St. Denis (right outside "Hollyweird"), never expected the school field trip to Carlsbad to go so wrong. She thought that the worst part of it would be riding in a van without her best friend, Maria, and dealing with arrogant Zeke Anderson and laid-back Joy Tallon. But after the van crashes in the desert, catches on fire, and it begins to rain, the three enter a cave that strangely transports them to a parallel dimension in which everything, including their families, is the same—except that being ill is kept a secret and finding a cure is illegal. Kaida's narration of the events will keep readers' interest as they feel her frustration and confusion as to why she can't find an aspirin for Joy's throbbing arm or use any words associated with health care or medicine because the wrong people might hear. The mysteries unfold and dangers are explained through Kaida's new love interest, Ozzy, the rebel with a cause in a world without health care. This is an ideal concept for a story that is smoothly paced through new romances, new friendships, and suspicious family members while dealing with the underworld trafficking of medicine that can become deadly.
 


Sexual Content: 

There is no sexual content in this book.
 
  • Some kissing on the cheek and nose, once on lips.
 
 
Language: 

I would consider the cussing to be moderate.

For more details click here

 
 
Violence: The violence is minor.
 
  • Man gets hit by a car, minor details
  • There is a mention of a drowning and suicide, does not give the details.
  • There is a car accident, blows up. Everyone is Ok.
    
    
Other Notables:
 
  • Smoking in this parallal universe is not wrong, no one knows that it can kill you. So, there is a lot of smoking from  teachers and students. 
  • Reference to drinking vodka, beer 
  • Reference to minor drugs like weed   
 
Did I like this book? 
 Unfortunately, the ending is rushed, some seemingly important characters are left undeveloped, and there's no explanation of how and why the split in the parallel worlds came about. This powerful topic had great potential but it falters in its delivery. I liked the book all the way up to the very end. It felt like it could have had a few more chapters. It was good, the author had the right idea but it ended so abruptly. So sad.
 
 
Rating:  I would give this book a 5.5
 
 
Subpages (1): prism language