Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  The prisoner is beaten and filthy.  He is cut on his arm and the blood drips onto the charm.  There is pain.  Two tigers fight each other and are hurt.  Tigers attack an antelope and eat it.  It is described in detail.  Kelsey has a nightmare of Ren on an alter.  There is chanting and a knife is plunged into his heart.  Monkeys attack Ren and Kelsey.  Trees with needles cut them.  The Kappa attack and Kelsey is bitten.  A snake bites Kelsey.

Sexual Content:  Kelsey undresses for a bath.  She puts on a dress that leaves her midriff showing.  There is hand holding, kisses to the hands and forehead.  Ren asks to kiss Kelsey.  There are several kisses throughout book.  The Queen’s Bath is where the King’s harem bathed.  It was a rite of passage for young men to sneak in.  Kelsey and Ren share the same bed to sleep.  They “spoon”.  Kelsey’s shirt gets wet and Ren says, “Perhaps that was my intention.”

Adult Themes:  The mythology of India includes many Gods and Goddesses who are worshiped and looked to for guidance and protection.  Kelsey is an orphan living with a foster family.

Synopsis

Kelsey never imagined when she accepted a job working at the traveling circus as a temp, that she would end up in India trying to break the curse of an Indian prince trapped in tiger form.  And not just any prince; a hundreds of years old, rich, handsome prince!  The way is enveloped in magic, adventure and romance.  With the help of the Indian Goddess, Durga, Kelsey sets out determined to help Prince Ren return to his rightful life as a man, not a tiger.

I loved this book.  It was a great story, full of adventure and magic.  I enjoyed the romp through India in the process.  Mythology in any culture is interesting, but somehow the world Houck created with the Gods and Goddesses of India was especially fascinating to me.  I really appreciated that this book was free of the bad language and profanity that I so frequently find in young adult fiction.  There was no sex or crass sexual language.  This was just a great, clean book.  I won this book in a Goodreads First Read contest and I’m so happy I did.  It’s one of the best YA books I’ve read in awhile.  Target audience for this book is YA, ages 15-25.  I would agree.  (Although I did let my 13 year old read this and she loved it too.)