ACTION: Most of the action is centered around abuse. Drake and Pierce both have physically abusive parents. There are several abuse scenes throughout this story. Both boys get slapped around. Drake gets kicked and beaten with intention to kill. These scenes are brief but intense and may be upsetting for sensitive readers and victims of abuse.

ADVENTURE: Adventure is bound to happen when you put a group of high school kids together! Amie and her new friends have to solve two mysteries: Who’s behind the vandalism? And the mystery surrounding the Uranium mines. Mystery, action, and a little danger are the perfect combination for this story with a third act that will leave your nerves on edge and turning pages to see how it all works out!

ROMANCE: Tressa has a crush on Josh. The feelings are mutual. Drake seems to have feelings for Amie. It’s unclear if she feels the same way. Any romance seen here is completely innocent. It’s cute and refreshing.

RELIGION: While this book is categorized as Christian, there’s barely anything here in terms of religion. Tressa wants to pray with Amie and Grandpa before a meal. Grandpa mentions that he used to pray, but it’s been a while. There’s no other mention of Christianity going forward. Anyone, no matter their religious background, will enjoy this book.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This book was, for the most part, an enjoyable read. As always, scenes depicting any kind of abuse are difficult to read, but these scenes are necessary to the story. I especially loved that one of the main characters, Tressa, was deaf. I loved her character so much! It’s always fun for me to read disability representation of any kind. I thought the author handled the subject beautifully. Uranium Downs is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy a good mystery with interesting characters, and a story that will leave you feeling emotional by the end.