(2) YA In Ink, Leora exposed her community's intolerance of nonconformists. Now, Saintstone's leader forces Leora to spy on the dreaded (untattooed) "blanks"--whom Leora learns aren't the threat she's been conditioned to fear. Readers will be interested in how propaganda and fear rally both populaces against a perceived enemy. Imbued with original fairy tales and symbolism, and lightly touched with magic, this suspenseful sequel will draw readers in.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) YA Apprentice inker Leora creates skin tattoos that trace "worthy" citizens' life stories, preserved as books after death. When a criminal is tattooed with a crow, signifying that he's to be forgotten, Leora remembers that mark on her late father, making her question what she's been taught. Amid the narrative's original myths, tattoo imagery, and traces of magic, readers will find thought-provoking commentary on commemoration, belonging, and oppression.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. After his son asks to see his tattoos, a father explains each piece of art on his body and how it reflects a moment in his life; Wheeler's fine India ink, dip pen, and watercolor illustrations replay the anecdotes. A bit precious and lacking the child's voice, this book is an ode to--and an item for--the new generation of hipster parents.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) YA In this second book, Mara, apprentice to the Messenger of Fear, is continuing to learn how to punish the wicked, selfish, and violently hateful. But in meting out justice, Messengers are themselves being punished: a tattoo marks each horror they've inflicted. Cloaked in contemporary geopolitical events and prejudices, the gory, otherworldly fantasy offers readers a window into the value of compassion.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) YA From jewelry and makeup to transdermal implanting and scarification, Gordon explores the cultural history of body beautification and its varied contemporary practices. The chatty teen-speak ("ancient people really liked their bling") and fascinating photos of celebrities and people from around the world will thoroughly engage teenagers itching to get that daring haircut or first tattoo (sorry, parents!). Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings series. This dense volume presents readers with the myriad medical concerns and dangers surrounding the popular customs of piercing and tattooing, though it maintains some balance by offering the health and well-being positives (e.g., scar coverage). Blandly designed, text-heavy pages are broken up by striking (often provocative or graphic) photographs, "Did You Know?" sidebars, and inserts with primary source material. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings series. These dense volumes offer balanced explorations of tattooing and piercing as cultural practices dating back to ancient times and as contemporary customs for self-expression; Teens delves into the trends' implications for young people. Blandly designed, text-heavy pages are broken up by striking photographs, "Did You Know?" sidebars, and inserts with primary source material. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings titles: Tattoos, Body Piercings, and Teens, A Cultural History of Tattoos, and A Cultural History of Body Piercings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings series. This dense volume offers a balanced exploration of the debate surrounding body modification as art, first delving into the traditional artistic uses of tattooing and piercing in world cultures, then addressing the artistic value in contemporary practices. Blandly designed, text-heavy pages are broken up by striking (often provocative) photographs, "Did You Know?" sidebars, and inserts with primary source material. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings series. These dense volumes offer balanced explorations of tattooing and piercing as cultural practices dating back to ancient times and as contemporary customs for self-expression; Teens delves into the trends' implications for young people. Blandly designed, text-heavy pages are broken up by striking photographs, "Did You Know?" sidebars, and inserts with primary source material. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings titles: Tattoos, Body Piercings, and Teens, A Cultural History of Tattoos, and A Cultural History of Body Piercings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 On the Radar: Street Style series. Edgy topics with "pros and cons" will provoke discussion. The daring art represents whimsical self-expression in a variety of wacky forms. The chaotic page design may challenge some readers. The many flavors of hip "street style" include branding (like Coke and Apple), street art, tattoos, piercings, and spray paintings. Is it attractive? Is it legal? Readers can judge for themselves. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these On the Radar: Street Style titles: Cool Brands, Graffiti Culture, Body Decoration, and Street Art.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) YA After her younger half-brother Jay disappears from their rural Nebraska town, Mia and Sol--a hot new-to-town guy bearing an eerily familiar tattoo--are whisked away to a dark, magical otherworld that seems oddly linked to Mia's mysterious past. While some aspects of the story are fairly predictable, fans of supernatural fantasy will enjoy the world-building and will look forward to a sequel.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Magicomora. A boy relates the fantastical (and sometimes violent) stories that his peripatetic dad tells him, many of which are about his various tattoos. The writing is solid (if wordy), but the stories tend to blur together. Evocative digitally colored pencil drawings on tea-stain-colored pages call to mind old-fashioned promotional circus posters.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Fourteen-year-old Nyssa bears a special tattoo. Hidden by her hair, three lines of writing hold the secret to the survival of the exiled clan Nyssa belongs to, the Keepers of Knowledge. This appealing fantasy features a strong-willed young woman whose heroic journey to save her people from annihilation by the Shadowmen takes her away from home and back again.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Monster Blood Tattoo series. Learning he is a monster in the shape of a boy, Rossamünd is torn between loyalty to his brave monster-fighting mistress and the world of monsters where he belongs. This dense, engrossing book requires immersion in Cornish's invented world and language. The plot build-up is leisurely, but the exciting final sequence and emotional conclusion are rich rewards. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(3) YA Though Jay Li seems like any other teenager, albeit with a mysterious dragon tattoo, he's on a quest to find a community to serve and protect, just like his shapeshifting dragon ancestors. Engaging characters bring an Arizona border town to life as de Lint skillfully weaves Chinese folklore, Mexican cooking, barrio rock, gang violence, and desert beauty into this satisfying coming-of-age fantasy.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(3) YA Monster Blood Tattoo series. While training as a lamplighter, Rossamünd confronts danger on monster-ridden roads while facing intrigue and prejudice at home. Still collecting odd friends in unexpected places, the meek orphan slowly but surely asserts his strength and resourcefulness. A stirring climax is well worth the long, leisurely buildup; its power is in Cornish's meticulous world-building of the richly detailed Half-Continent. Appendix. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Lee Bennett

(4) YA When Sammi and her four best pals decide to seal their friendship with tattoos, they take their chances with shady tattoo artist Dante. Sammi backs out, incurring her friends' wrath but sparing herself the tattoo's unexpected supernatural side effects, while her friends become Dante's pawns. Dark and violent, this page-turner contains some mature themes that aren't fully developed.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(3) 4-6 Men whose backs are covered with colorful and elaborate tattoos resembling maps, are turning up dead or are in danger. In their sixth thrilling adventure set in eighteenth-century feudal Japan, Seikei and Judge Ooka embark on a dangerous mission to find out the truth behind the tattoos while discovering plots against the Emperor.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Caz and Lucy get thrills from stealing into people's bedrooms. One night a sleeper wakes and shackles Caz with a magical bracelet that leaves behind a tattoo--and the gift/curse of telepathy. The story moves quickly and eventfully. By highlighting Caz's crudeness at the beginning, Joyce underscores her more compassionate and mature perspective at book's end.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker

(4) YA Leslie, a teenager seeking to forget her traumatic past, acquires a tattoo that, unbeknownst to her, makes her a living tool for the Dark King of the faeries. Heavier and more ambitious (if less enjoyable) than Wicked Lovely, this companion novel also centers on a love triangle but explores a bleaker emotional landscape, resisting a tidy ending.

Reviewer: Amy Lee Bennett