Book Reviews
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
5 stars
Jay Reguero only has plans to spend his final days as a senior in high school playing video games with his best friend Seth before attending the University of Michigan. Nothing else occupies his mind–until the call bringing the news of his cousin Jun’s death. With no one at home wanting to talk about the incident and feeling a pang of guilt for losing contact with Jun, Jay decides to travel to the Philippines.
During his time in the Philippines, he uncovers the events leading up to his death, including the effect of President Duterte’s drug war on his cousin’s life. Jay also reconnects with his family and culture he left behind on his last visit to the Philippines seven years ago.
Every clue slowly pieces Jun’s story, a story which Jay has a difficult time believing, together. How could the same affectionate boy crying over a neglected, dying puppy also become a victim of the drug war?
Not only does Patron Saints of Nothing heavily tie in the ongoing drug war in the Philippines into the plot but also is a story of discovery and rejoining a shattering family of hate. This book beautifully intertwines current events with fiction. – Elaine
The Red Scrolls of Magic Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
Rating: 5/5
All Magnus Bane wanted was to have a perfect romantic vacation in Europe with his new boyfriend Alexander Lightwood. Against all odds the Shadowhunter is at last his boyfriend, and Magus was determined not to let anyone ruin Alec’s first ever vacation. Their first destination is Paris – the city of love. All was well, until Magus was informed that there was a demonworshiping cult called the Crimson Hand wreaking havoc. And rumor says that Magnus himself is the founder and new leader. Alec and Magnus must travel across Europe to find and discover who the actual leader of the Crimson Hand is before it is too late. They meet Shinyun Jung who claims to be a former acolyte of the Crimson Hand, and is hunting them down to get revenge. Demons seem to be everywhere they go, and the cult always seems to be one step ahead of them. They discover that Shinyun is lying, she is the leader of the Crimson Hand and her ultimate goal is to bring Asmodeus-a Prince of Hell- to Earth. In this story of love, trust, and acceptance, Alec and Magnus become closer than ever before and reveal secrets they thought would stay buried. – Aanvi
Almost, Maine by John Cariani
5/5
“Almost, Maine” is a fantastic fictional story based on a play with the same name. The book is set in the town of Almost. Almost so far north, it is described as almost in Canada. The book is a romance, but is set in such a beautiful setting with existential thoughts creeping in everywhere. The book focuses on the people of Almost, and how on one strange Friday night, a strange lightness filled the population. It focuses on different people, and the haves and have-nots of relationships. The book is so elegantly written, and will have you feeling the strange lightness that overcame the people of Almost that night. All though the romantic elements may stir some people away, I beg them not too. The first chapter alone is enough to hook you instantly, with beautiful imagery and thoughts pouring out of the page and straight into your brain. Each reread of this book never fails to elicit the same reaction, one of intense philosophical thinking and pure euphoric joy. John Cariani does a fantastic job of taking a sight based play and transcribing it brilliantly into literacy. I beg you to try this book, nothing will captivate or hold your attention more than the amazing philosophical romance, “Almost, Maine.” – Owen
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
In Inside Out, there are two types of people living in a building called Inside: scrubs and uppers. Scrubs lived in the lower levels and performed all the arduous labor, while uppers, who lived in the upper levels, got better jobs and lifestyles. Uppers and scrubs weren’t allowed to interact with each other, so they were required to stay on their designated floors. Trella, the main character, works as a pipe cleaner, so she knows her way through all the heating vents and air ducts of Inside. One day, her only friend Cog brought her to meet a prophet, nicknamed the “Broken Man”. He told Trella that there was a place called Outside and that it was accessible through Gateway, but he needed her help finding it. He needed Trella to bring him his port in his former office (he was once an upper) which had information about Gateway. Trella is able to retrieve the port, but Cog is captured in the process and Broken Man must go into hiding. The port turns out to be ineffective because of new security measures. Trella then meets two other scrubs named Logan and Anne-Jade and an upper named Riley. All three of them are willing to help Trella find Gateway. Sneaking through the vents into Riley’s room on the upper floors, Trella, Logan, and Anne-Jade are able to access the files that Broken Man was looking for. Later on, Trella realizes that the scrubs and uppers must unite to revolt against the Trava family, which controls all of Inside, but she is warned of a spy working for the Travas. In her quest to find Gateway, she uncovers truths about her past and what Inside used to be.
-Joanna
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo
Rating: 5/5 stars
This nonfiction novel is about a fateful night in Detroit, Michigan, where Vincent Chin, a Chinese-American man, was beaten to death by 2 white men, who were only sentenced to probation for his murder. After a fight broke out at a club between Vincent and his perpetrators, they ran into Vincent again and they both ambushed him, escalating to the point of one of the men fatally beating Vincent with a baseball bat. This horrific crime had been racially motivated, since there was high anti-Asian sentiment in Detroit in the 1980s since American automobile companies laid off workers due to the high competition of foreign automobile producers, like Japanese companies Nissan and Toyota. This was made even worse in Michigan, which was the center of huge American automobile companies like Chrysler and Ford. However, none of these circumstances were taken into consideration when the killers were sentenced in court (without the presence of the prosecution or any of Vincent’s family members), as the judge let them off with a few years probation and a $3000 fine. Vincent’s death deeply outraged the Asian community and sparked an Asian-American Movement led by Helen Zia and other Asian-American civil rights lawyers, and led to the first federal court case involving an Asian American. Even with the emergence of grassroots organizations, such as the ACJ (American Citizens for Justice) who fought for Vincent in court, and the case making it to the supreme court, in the end, Vincent’s killers still walked away from the crime without spending a day in jail. This novel explores the perspectives of multiple people involved in the movement for Vincent’s justice, as well as the perspective of Vincent’s perpetrators, to illustrate a historic and tragic event in America.
– Edan
Invictus By Ryan Graudin
Rating: 4
Time-traveling is fun. It is the hope and dream of many. In Invictus, time-traveling is a profession for the bright and talented. Farway McCarthy is one of the bright and talented, and will soon join the ranks of time travelers. But an error on his final exam derails his dream. Faced with the possibility of never being able to do what he loves, someone approaches Farway with a job offer and a time-traveling ship. Suddenly, time travel is once again an option for Far. The job entails going through time to steal historical objects to sell in the present. Though slightly on the illegal side, Far takes the chance and becomes the captain of the Invictus, the unconquerable, time-traveling ship. Along with his crew of close and reliable friends, Far is successful in heist after heist. Then, of course, a heist goes wrong. During a routine steal, the crew encounters a mysterious girl with a suspicious amount of knowledge. The crew is distrustful of the girl with her unknown motives and origins. The girl leads them to question what they know about time and their universe. As they uncover details of history, they are set on the most complicated heist of their careers
-Cymberly
Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4.5
Cytonic is the third book of the Skyward series. Spensa, a human pilot who has been fighting for the survival of her species, takes a portal to the Nowhere, where she hopes to learn more about the weapons that the Superiority, the confederation governing the galaxy, is planning on exterminating her people with. Throughout the book, Spensa explores this treacherous region of space, discovering valuable information about her enemies and also herself. To her surprise, she meets people living in the Nowhere and learns about how difficult it is to return. During the entirety of her journey, Spensa grapples with her sense of duty to her people and her growing weariness from fighting for her entire life. Brandon Sanderson does an amazing job keeping his characters, including Spensa, true to life. Amid the world-ending cataclysms, the revolutionary discoveries, and the danger-fraught battlefields, Sanderson keeps Spensa real through her internal conflicts and very human fragilities. Spensa feels real, and her problems are easy to sympathize with, despite being on a galaxy-ending scale. Cytonic is a great science fiction book, and I would recommend it to young adults on the younger side, around the 11 to 14-year-old range. Although Cytonic may work as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading the first two books of the series first, both of which I also highly recommend.
-Kevin
Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
This contemporary romance novel is a modern take on the classic, Pride and Prejudice. Zuri Benitez loves her Highland neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn- it’s where her life, her family, and her home is. However, she notices many changes around her neighborhood, like an organic gourmet restaurant popping up, all a result of gentrification. She feels as though she is slowly losing her neighborhood, loathing the new upper class, white people moving into where her childhood memories were made. She especially dislikes the Darcy’s, a Black family who recently moved into a mini-mansion across from Zuri’s apartment complex. From the moment they arrive, it’s clear they are very rich, and in Zuri’s opinion, quite snobby as well. Mostly, it’s the younger son, Darius Darcy, who expresses his disgust and discomfort with his new home, as he has no interest living in Highland or interacting with the people. He makes this very clear to Zuri when they first meet, furthering the divide between the teenagers. Zuri despises his family due to their nonchalant wealth and privilege, although the rest of her own family, including her 3 other sisters and parents, love and welcome the Darcys’ to the neighborhood. Even worse, they even think Zuri and Darius would make a great couple. Through many odd coincidences, Zuri and Darius always run into each other, and the pair start to get to know each other more. Zuri can no longer deny her romantic interest in Darius, but will they be able to overcome their family and class differences for a potential relationship?
-Edan
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Rating: 4/5 stars
In This Mortal Coil, the main character is a 17 year old hacker named Catarina Agatta who is living in a world rampant with a plague called the Hydra virus. The Hydra causes humans to become “Lurkers”, which are people who have lost their minds and become cannibals. The infected Lurkers eventually explode, spreading the virus through the air. The only way for a non-infected person to temporarily stay safe was to eat the flesh of an infected person. Two years before the start of the book, Catarina’s father, Lachlan Agatta, was kidnapped by an organization known as the Cartaxus. She has been living alone in the Black Hills ever since she lost her father. One day, a mysterious man who claims he’s from the Cartaxus named Cole Franklin shows up at Catarina, or Cat’s doorstep. He informs her that her father has died, but he left her a message that he had developed a vaccine that was encrypted into a code. Cole seeks Cat’s help because of her adept hacking abilities. At first, Cat doesn’t trust him because he is from the Cartaxus, but she eventually realizes that she has no choice but to follow him if she wants to put an end to the Hydra plague. Together, Cat and Cole must work to decrypt Lachlan’s code and release the vaccine to the public to save humanity. Along the way, Cat finds out shocking truths about her and Cole’s pasts. Throughout the story, Cat had always looked up to her dad and hated the Cartaxus, but she is shocked when she unravels more about her past.
Joanna
Paper Towns by John Green
Rating: 4 stars
Paper Towns by John Green follows a quirky, cautious boy named Quentin as he finishes his last few months of high school. Ever since he was a boy, Quentin has been in love with his next-door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, a mysterious and charming girl who is loved by all. Despite being very close when they were younger, Margo and Quentin fell out of touch and followed separate paths throughout high school. This is why Quentin is shocked when Margo walks up to his window on a random Wednesday night and asks for his car. The two of them proceed to spend the entire night together, completing each of the thoroughly planned tasks Margo had worked on for the night. This not only caused Quentin to take risks and step out of his comfort zone, but it also gave him hopes for a future with him and Margo. The next day in school, however, he is disappointed to find out that he definitely won’t be spending time with Margo any time soon, and Quentin is left with a mystery created by Margo to solve. With the help of his two best friends, some newfound courage, and his love for Margo, Quentin dedicates his final days of school to his girl next door, piecing together the true mystery that is Margo Roth Spiegelman. This book does an incredible job of including humorous, adventurous, and serious moments, making it a very fun, yet emotional read. It touches on the difficulties of leaving home and having to grow up, while also discussing the liberation of it all. I particularly enjoyed Quentin’s relationships with his friends and schoolmates throughout the book. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book, and the ending was unexpected. If you enjoyed John Green’s other novels, I would recommend this as a great book to read.
– Lindsay
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
In Lei’s world there are 3 castes: Paper, Steel, and Moon. Lei is Paper caste, the lowest of the low. But she is different, instead of the normal blue, green, and brown eyes of her caste, hers are golden. Some say she has been blessed by the gods. The royal courts have heard word of Lei, she is stolen from her family and brought to the place to be one of the king’s Paper Girls. It is a highly converted position, but also the most demeaning. Usually there are only eight, but she is the ninth. During weeks of training at the opulent Hidden Palace Lei finds something that she never expected, love. Wren Hanno is the daughter of Lord Ketai Hanno, the leader of the most powerful Paper (human) clan in Ihkara. She was brought up with one purpose: to kill the Demon King. However, something unexpected happens during her time as a Paper Girl, she falls in love. She who has only done what was expected of her has fallen into something forbidden, something that could get both her and her love executed. They meet in secret, and Wren teaches Lei to protect herself until something goes wrong. On the night of the assassination, Wren is sent away and it falls to Lei to complete the task. . . Rating: 4/5
-Aanvi
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
126 years after WWIV, letumosis, also known as the “Blue Fever”, has caused a worldwide pandemic. Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, lives in New Beijing, the Eastern Commonwealth with her stepmother and 2 stepsisters. Though she is the only source of income for her family Cinder is considered a second-class citizen due to her cyborg status. Her market stall is where she meets Crown Prince Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth. Later the same day Cinder’s stepsister Peony contracts letumosis, and her stepmother volunteers her for the cyborg draft, a program that tests potential cures for the plague on cyborgs. There she discovers that she is a Lunar, part of a race who evolved from a human colony on the moon and have developed the ability to control bioelectrical energy. Lunars can make people see things differently, believe things that they normally wouldn’t, and do things that they normally wouldn’t do. The Lunar queen, Levana is rumored to have killed her sister and her niece to get the throne and uses a constant glamor. The night of the ball a girl with long blond hair warns her that Levana means to kill Prince Kai, whom Cinder has grown to like. When she gets there secrets and identities are uncovered and Cinder’s future becomes uncertain. In this dystopian retelling of Cinderella, Marissa Meyer gives the reader a story full of love, betrayal, and lost feet. Rating: 5/5
-Aanvi
Awake in the World by Jason Gurley
4 of 5
I think that Awake in the World by Jason Gurley is a great book. I don’t particularly like the style of books where one chapter is one perspective of one character and another chapter is a different perspective of another character, but that is probably just my preference. Despite my disliking for this style of books, I think that the author, Jason Gurley, did a great job because I found the storyline easy to follow, and I love the overall flow and easiness to reading this novel. I love the contrast between the two lovers: Vanessa and Zach. The background for the story is that it takes place in a small poor town in California. Zach is poorer and he does not seek for any potentially prosperous future. However, Vanessa is wealthier and has more empowering ideas than Zach. Both suffer family issues, and I think that that is one reason why they are brought together. If you want to read the book, I high encourage it because you will not be able to stop it once you delve into it. It takes you, the reader, into their lives, and you will have to read yourself to see where their fates will lie.
-Ethan
Far from the Tree by Robin Benway
3 stars
Only sixteen years old and a student in high school, Grace placed her own baby girl “Peach” up for adoption. She had mixed feelings about letting her go; “Peach” would do better off with a family that would be able to support her, but guilt fills Grace with the idea of abandoning her. In the process of trying to recover, Grace decided to venture on a journey of discovering her own story before her own adoption. She found out that she has an older brother named Joaquin and a younger sister named Maya. Together the three siblings tried to piece together what exactly has happened to their birth mother and support each other through their struggles in their own lives. This heartfelt novel captures the essence of how family can be more than just blood. It places the reader into Maya’s, Grace’s, and Joaquin’s point of views, giving the reader a complete perspective of the story. There were some moments in the book where the pacing was a little bit slow, however it was made up with the suspense and sudden turn of events towards the end of the story. It was really an interesting and thought-provoking read for me.
-Elaine
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
Rating: 3/5
The novel Tiger Eyes starts out with 15-year old Davis “Davey” Wexler, her brother Jason, and her mother Gwen, attending the funeral of her father, Adam. Davey’s father was shot at his 7-Eleven store in Atlantic City. After the funeral, Davey and her family move to Los Alamos, New Mexico to live with Adam’s older sister, Bitsy, for the rest of the school year. Bitsy and her husband Walter do not have any kids of their own, so they start to treat Davey and Jason like their own kids, which upsets Davey because she does not want to be parented by anyone except her own parents. One day, Davey rides a bike down to a canyon, where she meets a boy named Wolf. Davey introduces herself as Tiger, and Wolf comments that she has sad eyes like him. However, Davey is unwilling to discuss the cause of her sadness with Wolf. Later, she befriends a girl named Jane and an old man named Mr. Ortiz after volunteering at a hospital. Jane turns out to be an alcoholic, and Davey does everything she can to help her overcome her addiction. She also finds out that Mr. Ortiz is Wolf’s father and that she and Wolf are both going through the loss of their fathers. Wolf leaves after his father dies, and Davey does not see him again. After everything that had happened, Davey is finally able to speak about and cope with her father’s death with a counselor named Miriam. When the school year is over, Davey and her family move back to Atlantic City to restart their lives. Although this was a great novel, I gave it 3/5 stars because I am more interested in action novels.
-Joanna
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Rating: 4/5
Scythe takes place in a world far into the future, where the years can no longer be assigned with a number. Almost all the world’s problems, anything that could lead to the peril of mankind, are solved by the almighty Thunderhead, except for the problem of human immortality. Controlling the population is the job of the Scythedom, the only thing the Thunderhead can’t touch. Feared and worshiped by people, Scythes live for however long they want and can do whatever they please. The cost of this life of luxury is only attainable if one can pass the Scythe apprenticeship and bear the burden of taking one life a day, while remaining unbiased and humane. Renowned Scythe Faraday takes two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, as his apprentices, and at the end of their apprenticeship, the winner will attain the honor of being a Scythe, while the loser must perish at the hands of the winner. Readers follow these two protagonists on their journey to fight for their lives, train for future killing, and deal with corrupt Scythes standing in the way. The author, Neal Shusterman, keeps the audience hooked with the different perspectives of Citra and Rowan, cliffhangers, and fascinating plot twists throughout the book.
-Lena
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
5/5 rating
In a sequel to Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, six characters navigate their path after conducting the crime of the century. Kaz Brekker, the ruthless leader of the Dregs, focuses on saving Inej, the stealthy spy, who is kidnapped by Wylan Van Eck’s, the master bomb maker and cartographer, father. Meanwhile, Nina Zenik, the heartrender, and Matthias Helvar, the Fjerdan, along with Jesper Fahey, the sharpshooter, law low on account of their heist of kidnapping the most valued prisoner of the Fjerdan Ice Court, Kuwei Yul Bo. The six outlaws must save Inej from the clutches of their enemies and simultaneously keep Kuwei safe. Kuwei is a wanted fugitive because his father created a drug known as jurda parem that enhanced the Grisha powers. A Grisha is one who has supernatural powers aimed toward a specific area of expertise, for example: healers for medical aid, heartranders for controlling one’s heart, squallers who control the wind, and more. In the midst of the conflict, Jesper’s father comes to visit and learns that his son does not attend the Kerch university but rather has become the most skilled gunman on the Island. The crows must also defend themselves from the Kerch embassy and Shu soldiers who are after Kuwei Yul Bo and his father’s drug. As the leader, Kaz formulates a cutthroat plan that ensures the victory of the crows, despite losses along the way.
-Saanvi
Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Rating: 3
Nannerl Mozart is Wolfgang Mozart’s older sister. A talented musician in her own right, Nannerl has hopes and dreams of inspiring audiences and becoming a successful composer. But, the doors to music are closed to her as a girl. Her musical career will be limited to accompanying her brother only while they are young. As Nannerl approaches an age where musical performance is no longer acceptable, she will have to give up what she loves for a boring life. No matter how good she is, Nannerl will never be able to achieve her aspirations.
While Nannerl’s musical career is closing, her brother’s career is only getting better. Wolfgang is a prodigy performing and composing for the influential of the time. Any involvement Nannerl has in music is dismissed. Nannerl loves and cares for her brother, but she can’t help but feel some jealousy. Then from the imaginary world of her childhood, a stranger offers Nan a way to achieve her dreams, for a price. Nannerl falls into the fantastical and strange world that could potentially make or break her future. She will need to decide what she values more in life with the decision ahead of her. Nannerl could resign herself to forever living in her brother’s shadow or she could risk everything for a chance to live her dream.
-Cymberly
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Rating: 3.5/5
Taking place in a world divided between groups known as the Scholars and Martials, Laia finds herself caught between the two warring sides. Laia has a deep hatred for the Martials, especially after they accuse her brother of working for the Scholars, rebels of the Martial Empire, and kill her two guardians in the process. However, Laia is powerless to bring her brother back, so she goes in search of the Scholars to seek their help. One rebel group reluctantly accepts her request after much persuasion, but in return, Laia must disguise herself as a slave to enter and spy on Blackcliff, the most notoriously elite military academy in the Empire. At Blackcliff, there is another person who shares Laia’s hate for Martials. Elias Veturius is a trainee, one of the best students and has living conditions much better than an average citizen, but he hates everything the Martials stand for. He wants to desert the academy in the near future, except Elias’s plan falls apart when the powerful and mysterious Augers choose him as one of the four candidates for the next trial to choose a new emperor. Laia and Elias eventually meet and feel themselves drawn towards each other despite all their differences, but they cannot be together. Elias fails the last stage of the emperor competition and is sentenced to death, leaving the fate of the Martial Empire to the wicked Marcus Farrar. Laia manages to help Elias escape, but with the future of the Empire resting on their shoulders. Sabaa Tahir leads the readers on the protagonists’ path full of dark secrets and surprises while the two protagonists fight for what is right
-Lena
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
5 out of 5
Artemis Fowl is an amazing book, with an abundance of detail relating to characters, places, and events. The author perfectly mixes the worlds of modern technology and fantasy into a beautiful piece of literature. Over the course of the book, you meet a cast of characters from across different species and races that you grow to love by the end. The main character, Artemis Fowl, is the son of a criminal wanted across the globe, and Artemis hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps. After Artemis’s dad has an incident with the Russian mafia, Artemis works to rebuild his father’s legacy, while also taking care of his mother, who is bedridden after the loss of her husband. All of the characters in the book seem fully fleshed out, as if they were people you knew. They all have different flaws and strengths that make them more relatable and real. From the beginning to the end, you can see all the characters evolve, and especially Artemis, as he becomes less closed off and more caring. Artemis Fowl is a book that perfectly blends James Bond style action with fantasy elements, almost creating a whole new genre. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who like action, sci-fi, or fantasy. It’s the first book in a series of 8 books, so if you enjoy the first one, there is plenty more to satisfy you.
-Zach
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen is a perfectly crafted book. The world that Aveyard has crafted is vast and expansive, but she manages to explain it perfectly as the story goes on. The book tackles serious topics in an easy-to-read way, making it perfectly digestible for your average reader. The imagery in the book is so vivid it makes you feel like you stepped into the world it’s taking place in. There are many well-crafted characters, many providing important details and exposition in dialogue that feels like normal conversation. The main character, Mare, is born as a peasant, or a Red, but discovers a power that no other Red has, and the elite Silver royalty do their best to cover it up, in fear of a revolution. Over the course of the story, you watch Mare on her journey to explore her new environment, with the threat of capital punishment always looming over her head. You feel immersed in the story as you read about Mare being forced to hide her true identity and masquerade as a princess, and struggles through daily life while avoiding her past. I would recommend this book to anyone above 13, as it sometimes gets a little mature or violent, but is a good read overall.
-Zach
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
3 out of 5 stars
I usually sing Karen M. McManus’s praises, but this book was disappointing. The main characters are introduced and their lives are explained, but I didn’t feel like I connected with them. They certainly aren’t bad, they are just lacking in depth. Most of the book is backstory, and it is long and complicated. There isn’t a distinct mystery, and many of the plot twists were strange, unnecessary, and easily expected. The understood mystery really only starts to unravel toward the end of the book. There’s not much of an opportunity for the reader to piece the clues together and figure out the mystery, like in McManus’s other books, because there is little evidence to work with. It seems as if she thought of the storyline while she was writing the book instead of planning it out beforehand. It didn’t feel like the story parts were connected. The ending in the book is so out of place that it isn’t even shocking. This book pales in comparison to all of McManus’s other books, which are fantastic. All that being said, the plot was a great idea, it just wasn’t executed properly. It didn’t seem like she cared about the storyline. The characters’ battles with their parents were actually pretty interesting, and although I believe the backstory portion of the book took too long, it was still enjoyable to read. As always, McManus’s writing is incredible, but the story wasn’t gripping enough for me. This is a personal opinion, however, and some may prefer this style of mystery over McManus’s other books. Overall, while this book was lacking in many places for me, it was still a relatively interesting story and worth reading.
-Sam
Artemis by Andy Weir
I didn’t have a chance to read The Martian, Andy Weir’s first novel which I knew a lot of people really liked. So I figured that the 2nd one might not be super enjoyable. I am glad I was wrong. The novel has very captivating plot. The book is about a girl named Jazz who moved to a city on the moon called Artemis. She used to live in Saudi Arabia and moved when she was six years old. Jazz’s father owned a welding shop, and one day Jazz and her father had an argument which led to a big accident which caused her father’s shop to be destroyed. Jazz felt incredibly bad and tried her best to try to help to pay his father back. She would make money by smuggling contrabands into Artemis. One day a rich business man saw Jazz skill and wanted her to work for him and was going to pay her a salary double the cost of her dad’s Welding shop. The job she signed up for was super dangerous and found the business man assassinated in his own home. Jazz realized what she got into and tried to leave as soon as possible. In my opinion this story has a few themes but the main one is morality because Jazz realized that she lost her morals and tried to do anything to get some money. She learned later that people have limits of what they do for money. Overall, for me it was an easy and enjoyable read and I would definitely would recommend this book to middle schoolers and high schoolers because most of them are into science fiction and also the main charge, a young woman from Saudi Arabia is doing anything to try to make money, and teens want to start working to make money which can make them relate with Jazz. Highly recommend this book to the teens because believe they can take the most out of it.
Roman
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
5/5
Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon, follows new adult Madeline Whittier, who has severe combined immunodeficiency. This rare genetic disorder, known also as bubble baby disease, confines her to her house, with no contact to the outside world. Her only human contact is her mother Pauline and her nurse Carla, as her father and brother passed away long ago in an automobile accident. Madeline finds comfort in books as her escape. Her boring life changes though, as a new family moves in next door. They have a son, Olly, and the two soon befriend each other and communicate via the internet. They begin secretly meeting, as as secrets come out about Madeline’s own lives, risks are taken. Nicola Yoon uses masterful writing, as well as clever style, to weave this excellent tale of risk, reward, and failure. Yoon combines basic paragraphs with interesting excerpts, such as texts, FAQ’s, dictionary entries, pictures, websites, and many other forms. Each new section of the book reveals more about Madeline’s own life and personality, while simultaneously moving the plot forward in a fun and interesting way. Nicola Yoon uses the extraordinary style of including everything to weave a tale of discovering the very meaning of everything. While maybe not relatable to most readers, every reader will connect with some part of this story; while simultaneously being hooked on its interesting and elegant plotline. Everything, Everything is a truly extraordinary read.
-Owen
The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed
Rating: 4/5 stars
In the book The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World, by Amy Reed, it tells the story of teenagers Billy and Lydia, who both live in the poverty stricken, run-down town of Fog Harbor in a dystopian version of the United States of America. They both have immense childhood trauma from their broken families: Billy’s mother died of an overdose when he was four years old, leaving with his abusive grandmother while Lydia’s mother tried to leave her and her father when she was a toddler but was suddenly killed in a car crash. Even though Lydia and Billy arecan relate to each other through their childhood traumas, they have polar opposite personalities, as Billy is a relentless optimist (though he’s really in denial of his messed up home life) while Lydia is a constant cynicist, too guarded to trust anyone. However, as the saying goes, opposites attract and the teens form an unlikely friendship. During this time, Billy learns some devastating news- his rockstar uncle, Caleb Sloat, relapsed after his first performance out of rehab and is on the run. Billy is torn at this news since he had idolized Caleb as a hometown hero, his hero; he was able to leave his abusive household and build his own success. However, Caleb ends up right where he started as he hides out in Billy’s attic, swearing Billy to keep his hideout secret from everyone else. As Billy follows Caleb’s every command, including buying him illegal weed, Lydia grows concerned for his well-being. Yet she’s also mentally unwell, as she keeps seeing a “ghost” follow her around: the ghost is an image of her younger self, which plagues Lydia’s life as she tries to manage her trauma from her mother leaving. Throughout the story, Billy and Lydia come to terms with their dark pasts by trying to open up to each other, and end up unknowingly helping each other through their strange friendship. I really liked this novel since it was easy to read but also told a very thorough and raw story of grief and anger at the world. I also especially liked how the author did not romanticize the tragedies of Billy and Lydia’s life and demonstrated in the novel how the character’s healing was a constant process.
-Edan
Legend by Marie Lu
In a futuristic world the United States has been split into East and West sections. The Republic in the west, and the Colonies in the east. Both sides want to take over the whole of the States and have been fighting a war to do just that. In the Republic your worth is determined by the Trial, a test of knowledge and physical ability. All those with the lowest scores are taken from their families to “labor camps” never to be seen again. All except one. Daniel Wing or Day escaped his fate and has become the Most Wanted criminal of the Republic. He helps those who don’t have much, and does everything he can to undermine those with power. He is a legend on the streets, both feared and respected. Living on the other side of Los Angeles is June Iparis. The first to get a perfect Trial score, she is being steered toward a military career just like her brother, Metias. June and Day have no reason to cross paths, leading the lives that they do. Until Metias is murdered. June sets off to get revenge for her brother’s death, sure that she will be the one to find and capture the elusive Day. Secrets are uncovered and people are lost, but new legends are made as well. Rating: 4/5
-Aanvi
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Rating: 5
Spoiler alert… if you haven’t guessed from the title They Both Die at the End what is going to happen, you may need to come back to this book. Set in New York, the book centers around two teens, Mateo and Rufus, who both get the call from a new company called Death-Cast that they will be dying today. After being told of their untimely fate, both teens decide to use the new app, called Last Friend, leading them to find each other. At first after meeting each other, they are both unsure of the situation, but together through their journey of trying to fit a whole lifetime into one day, they learn that sometimes the closest relationships in life come from a place that you would never expect. The book is written in very short chapters, making it easy to get through and is unique in the fact that every chapter has a different narrator. Throughout the course of this book, it takes so many twists and turns at any given moment a reader’s heart may be pounding with fear, shock, anger, sadness, and most of all joy. I highly recommend this book for teens interested in an amazing story about friendship, love, and loss.
-Kayli
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rating 3/5 Stars
Fever is about a girl named Matilda “Mattie” Cook who must survive an epidemic of yellow fever that is spreading through her hometown of Philadelphia. Mattie runs a coffeehouse with her mother and a black cook named Eliza. One day, Mattie and her mother realize that yellow fever has broken out after Mattie’s childhood friend, Polly, died from it. As yellow fever continues to spread, the markets close down, robberies increase, and people flee to the countryside. Mattie’s mother gets infected, so she sends Mattie and her grandfather to go live with the Ludingtons, who are friends living in the countryside. However, things don’t go as planned when Grandfather catches the fever and is denied entry into the area. Mattie and her grandfather end up going to Bush Hill, an abandoned place that was turned into a place to treat fever victims. Grandfather recovers and goes with Mattie back to the coffeehouse only to find that it along with the garden has been trashed by robbers. Mattie struggles to find food and is only able to salvage a meager amount of vegetables from the garden. Later that night, Mattie hears robbers entering her house looking for valuables to sell. She screams and gets the attention of the robbers and her grandfather. Just as the robbers threaten Mattie to tell them where their valuables are, Grandfather comes down with a gun aimed at the robbers. One of the robbers leaves while the other swerves around Grandfather and punches him many times in the face. Mattie grabs a sword and cuts the robber with it, making him leave. Grandfather dies from his injuries, and Mattie is left alone to find her way through the rest of the yellow fever.
Messenger by Lois Lowry
Rating: 5/5 stars
Messenger is about a young boy named Matty who lives with an old, blind man named Seer in a seemingly perfect place called Village. Many residents of Village are people who fled their home towns because of the cruelty they suffered there. Matty, who came to Village when he was just a boy, is one of these people. The people of Village had always treated each other with kindness and welcomed new people until one day, Matty noticed something odd. His schoolteacher, who was always kind and welcoming, started a petition to close the borders of Village, restricting access to any more newcomers. Many villagers joined him, and soon Village voted in favor of the schoolteacher. The Leader, who oversaw Village, was saddened by this decision and did not know what had happened to the town. One day, Matty visited his first Trade Mart, which was when people could trade with the Trademaster, who came from outside Village. Matty found it strange that people who attended the Trade Mart did not bring anything with them to trade, but their wishes were still approved by the Trademaster. Matty soon figures out that people have been trading parts of themselves away, which was why people like his schoolteacher were acting strange. Desperate to see his daughter before the borders closed, the Seer asks Matty, who could easily navigate the Forest, which led to places outside Village, to retrieve his daughter Kira before it was too late. Matty sets off on his journey, but notices that Forest seemed to be hostile toward him, which it never had been before. With his home rapidly falling apart, Matty must find a way to bring Kira back and save Village.
-Joanna
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5/5
Celaena Sardothien is the best assassin in Erilea – or she was before she was captured and sent to the worst prison camp in existence. After a year in Endovier she is dragged out to meet Crown Prince Dorian who offers her the thing she wants most: her freedom. To earn it she must win as his champion against 23 others in competition to become the King’s Champion. While at the beginning there is little doubt between Celaena, Dorian and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, that she will win the competition her confidence is shaken when the bodies of her competitors start being found around the castle with their organs missing and strange marks written their blood on the walls. With the help of her friend Princess Nehemia she must find out who or what is doing this before she becomes their next victim. I would highly recommend this book to anyone no matter what genre they prefer. This story has assassins, magic, duels, and romance so people who like reading about any of those will definitely enjoy this book. The romance aspect didn’t overshadow the plot or feel forced which is one of the things I most enjoyed.
-Aanvi
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
3 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book was solid. I liked that it explored Saoirse’s struggle with her mom’s condition and how she eventually came to terms with it. The romance itself was well-written, although the idea of the “montage” was definitely not what I expected the book to be about. The relationship wasn’t organic like relationships in some other books. The chemistry between the Saoirse and Ruby was there, but the idea of planning out the entire romance was a little odd. The story was predictable, but still enjoyable. Saoirse and Oliver’s friendship was intriguing and entertaining. Oliver turned out to be an awesome character with depth, although he didn’t get much “screen time”. Saoirse’s growing relationship with her dad’s fiancée was interesting too, and I liked that she ended up realizing Beth was delightful and impressive. It bothered me that Saoirse’s problems with her dad and his aggravating personality weren’t really resolved, although the author insinuated that they were. It seemed like Saoirse just became more understanding, but her dad didn’t try to change. This was also annoying because Beth says that he tries to improve himself, but I never actually saw him attempt to be a better person. It felt as though he was just given a free pass. I was slightly disappointed by the book’s ending. However, I think it was essential to the theme of moving forward with one’s life while not forgetting about the past. I gave this book 3 stars because it was enjoyable, but it still followed the basic romance prompt and there were a few holes in the plot.
-Sam
Goldfish by: Nat Luurtsema
4/5
What would you do if suddenly, the one thing you were good at, the one thing you and your friend had planned out for your career, falls flat? You lose not only your passion, but your best friend too. Goldfish explores this scary situation but the bright outcomes it can have. Lou has been swimming all her life, and was extremely good at it. When she places dead last at a qualifying swim meet, she is forced to abandon her dreams of attending a training camp, while her best friend Hannah does. Lou must now survive on her own, awkward in a school with friend groups already formed. Lou learns that no matter how scary and terrible life can seem, it will get better and ultimately reveal new passions and possibilities. This book is especially important for teens to read, as highschool is the time when things become competitive, and not everyone is going to succeed at everything. Learning that failure can blossom to new heights is a value of utmost importance. Goldfish displays that perfectly. It’s so important to never give up and to stay optimistic, and to always face life with humor and fun. Goldfish perfectly shows how teens should navigate through the difficult times that life, especially high school, can throw at them, and how the highest peaks can come after the deepest lows.
-Owen
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Rating:4
This book really didn’t shy away from the graphic nature and harsh reality of what it’s like dealing with severe mental illness and the aftermath of handling horrific trauma. I feel a lot of books can dampen or sugarcoat certain aspects as they’re afraid of saying it how it is, but Girl in Pieces was very visceral and real. That of course did make for a really upsetting and hard to read experience for the most part, but it felt necessary. It didn’t feel glamorized or overly polished – it just was. It plainly detailed some experiences that a lot of people will probably relate to have gone through and it’s important we talk about these things. Because this is the reality for a lot of people out there struggling. The storytelling here was very poignant and despite the harshness of the actual details of the plot, it still managed to be quite soft, delicate and beautiful. Though the story in itself was pretty heavy, there was still an underlying lightness to it all and a real feeling of hope. The road to recovery is an extremely difficult and messy one and it really does take an army sometimes to give you that push to try and heal yourself, which I felt this book did a great job of showing. By no means was the journey for Charlie easy, but it was realistic. I think the plot in itself was brilliant and everything was well handled. I especially loved the ending and everything coming full circle, it made my heart so full to read that last sentence.
-Arie
The Hunger Games by Susan Collins
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
In the novel, The Hunger Games, by Susan Collins, it follows the story of Katniss and her unfortunate role in their messed up society. They live in a dystopian society ahead of our time called Panem, with 12 districts all under one central government, the Capital. Each year, every district is required to offer up one boy and one girl from the age of 12-18 to participate in the yearly Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are when children are thrown in an arena to fight to death, to remind each district that the government has total power and control. Katniss is 17 years old and has yet to be reaped. However, it is her sister Prim’s first reaping at the age of 12. Unexpectedly, Prim gets reaped and chosen for the hunger games. Katniss knows Prim is too young, and does not want her to go through that, so Katniss volunteers to take Prim’s place. Katniss is scared of leaving her family, the only people she’s loved, but the boy tribute who gets chosen to be with her, Peeta Mellark, becomes the person she can’t be without. Katniss thinks maybe her and Peeta can win the games together, and come home. In this amazing book by Susan Collins experiencing the thrill of the games and the romance to come.
-Alli
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rating 5/5
Avery Grambs is a financially struggling high school student whose plans are shaky at best, living with her older sister Libby and her abusive boyfriend, until one fateful day a letter arrives. The letter is personally delivered by a young man named Grayson Hawthorne. Avery finds that billionaire Tobias Hawthorne has left her virtually the entire fortune! The only issue is that she must stay in his mansion with his whole family, who are very angry, having not earned the inheritance they believe is their birthright. Avery is in danger, her family, friends, and even her life on the line, as the 2 daughters of Tobias Hawthorne and his 4 grandsons attempt to win back their share of the fortune from her. The grandsons are the charismatic Grayson, disinterested Nash, the ‘cool’ Jameson, and the bright Xavier. Each tries to find out why Avery inherited the money instead of them. Each is attempting to get the answer first. But with hostile family members lurking around every corner, Avery may need to enlist the help of a few enemies. Why was the fortune left to a girl that Tobias had never met? Will she end up solving the mystery? Or will a jealous, cheated family member solve it first? Find out by reading further!
-Julia
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 3.5/5
Alina Starkov’s biggest problem was her crush’s good looks. Being his best friend since they were kids at the orphanage, she thought both that and pretty Grisha girls were the most annoying issues she’d encounter. Instead, Alina and Mal’d regiments are assigned to cross the Fold, where few make it out alive. Alina knows it’s the end when their skiff is ambushed by volcra, screams filling the air. Except she wakes up on the other side and meets the infamous Darkling face to face, who proclaims her as the world’s one and only Sun Summoner, savior of all of Ravka.
The first half of this novel is so slow and I almost stopped reading. As the first book of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, most of the content is spent world-building and getting to know the characters. Persevering through is worthwhile because the story really picks up after the halfway mark and unravels Alina’s conflict of whether to think with her head or with her heart. She has her country’s fate resting on her shoulders and is balancing two guys at the same time. I recommend this book for those who like fantasy, slow-burn romance, and actually surprising plot twists. Shadow and Bone is definitely worth the read, especially for the other amazing books in the series.
-Lena
Looking for red by: Angela Johnson
Rating: 4
It’s now the beginning of the Fall season. Looking for a book that talks a little about ghosts and hauntings but gets down into the alive, deep human emotion of grief? Looking for red does just that. At the center of the World was Red, Mona, Mark and Mike. They were the happiest people in the world, their heaven on Earth was sitting by the very sign that said, “At the center of the World”, but yet they were completely oblivious about it. It was only until looking back from the grated grief of Mike’s present day that he realized there was nothing like sitting at the center of the world with the people you care about most. Missing Red is about missing someone very important and vital to your life. At first I thought it was about the color red but as I discovered in this book it is something different and much more. It was Chapter 9 where Mike didn’t know what life would be like without Red and that truly etched the hurt felt by Mike,” Before now was all the times with me and Red”. Mike can no longer be with Red so Mike thinks about Red, particularly the day before the disappearance, when Red was behind the garden shed. Mike continues to see Red by that garden shed but knows he’s no longer truly there or is he? Red is seen by Mike, by Mona, and Jo, so is Red truly missing? Are they looking for Red because he is missing or because they see his ghost? Further in Chapter 9 Mike does puzzle us when he states I knew Red was still around when Frank and Cassies car broke down. Who is Red? Is Red missing and what actually happened? Is Red truly a ghost like Mike says exist in Chapter 19, page 80 or did he run away like he did when he was nine? Are they truly looking for him? There are characters in this book that Mike thought were bigger than life and couldnt be shaken by it but are deeply affected by the sightings/hauntings and happenings of RED.
-Abigail
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Rating: 4/5
Clarissa (Clary) Fray is a 15 year – old girl living in New York City with her mom. One night at a club she sees a group of three teenagers kill another teen whose body disappears immediately after. What’s more unusual is that no one else can see them, only her. The next night Jocelyn – her mother – disappears after a panic -filled phone call. Her ordinary life turns upside down when she finds out about shadowhunters – people who kill demons – and that her mother was once one of them. That was before she turned her back on the Circle, a powerful and malicious group of shadowhunters that were trying to exterminate all demons and downworlders (vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and faeries), without caring about the consequences. Now Clary is determined to find her mother no matter the cost. I really enjoyed reading this book because it had so many different elements woven together. Vampires, werewolves, and New York City itself all came together to tell the story of a girl just trying to find her mother. I do wish that there was a little less romance and more of a focus on the story and all the events that were happening. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5.
-Aanvi
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Rating: 4
Rose and her family have been coming to Awago for many summers. Ever since Rose was little, she and her parents would stay in a cottage and visit the beach. One of the highlights is being able to see her best friend Windy. This summer, the two girls start to try new things like watching horror films late at night. They also begin to pay attention to the emotional lives of adults and older teens around them and eavesdrop into their arguments. Rose begins to realize that something is not quite right with her mother and the clerk at the store. Her mother is always yelling at her father and wanting to spend time alone in her room for days. The store clerk argues loudly whenever Jenny calls or visits, leaving Jenny in tears. Rose and Windy try to figure out why they both seem a bit off all while making the most of their summer visit in Awago.
The gorgeously drawn graphic novel depicts Rose’s and Windy’s summer at Awago. Not only is the plot stunning but also the illustrations. It touches on some heavier topics not often spotlighted in other young adult novels or graphic novels, which makes its story unique and interesting.
– Elaine
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
2 Stars
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging is told through the diary entries of Georgia, a fourteen-year-old girl living in Eastbourne, England. Angus–Georgia’s mixed-breed cat–terrorizes the next-door neighbor’s poodle, her little sister Libby is a typical snot-nosed toddler who says the wrong things at the wrong time, and her parents are embarrassing and just don’t understand her. Georgia’s diary entries are amusing and witty as she faces these problems at home, all the while trying to conquer insecurities and her lack of a boyfriend. Though the language used throughout is at the level of an average fourteen-year-old writer, many of the characters lack depth. Even Georgia, for example, is just a quick-witted teenager with a few insecurities. Rather than trying to tackle these issues through self-love or other means, Georgia allows her insecurities to spread to her view of others, such as her frequent comments on the weight and looks of others, especially teachers at her school. Georgia is extremely melodramatic, making it difficult to read the book without getting sick of her incessant whining. Georgia makes comments about depression or suicide after the smallest of inconveniences, though it seems like she doesn’t actually suffer from either. On top of that, Georgia often makes casually racist, homophobic, or otherwise upsetting comments, especially those towards lesbians. She brings up time and again that it would be horrible to be a lesbian, making the book difficult to read and generally very off-putting. Though Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging has its moments, the cons definitely outweigh the pros. It is quick-witted and (occasionally) humorous, but the main character is insufferable and the book’s language and lack of depth made for a boring and unpleasant read.
-Bianca
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
Rating: 2/5 stars
Keir Sarafian is a senior in high school who has just been accused by his crush/girlfriend Gigi Boudakian of raping him. But Keir thinks that he could never do something like that and the situation was a misunderstanding because he is a good person. Before the event happened, Keir was a kicker for his high school’s football team. Sometimes he would be asked to play other positions like cornerback when no one else could. During one game, he was asked to play cornerback and guard a receiver. Just before the receiver could catch the ball, Keir punches him in the face, leaving the receiver unconscious and earning himself the nickname “Killer”. Even though the receiver recovered, some people, including Gigi, were horrified at what he had done, but Keir thought that he was only doing his job and that he was still a good person. As Keir’s graduation day was nearing, he wanted his two sisters who were in college to come back, but they said they couldn’t make it due to exams the next day. Gigi’s boyfriend Carl, who is in the military, was also supposed to attend her graduation, but he couldn’t. Keir and Gigi both felt that their loved ones had let them down, which was inexcusable. Later that day, they decide to go to the university of Keir’s sisters to surprise them, but they find out a truth that shocks Keir. After considering everything that led to Gigi’s rape, is Keir deceiving himself and painting himself as the good guy, or does the world have it all wrong? I rated this book a 2/5 because it’s hard to understand the author’s message and the ending is unfinished.
-Joanna
This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew
Rating: 2
The book is about the author, Kimberly Drew, yearning to connect everyone, particularly the blacks to black art. Kimberly’s Aunt’s and Uncle’s immersed her at a young age into the art world by taking her to museums and she wants to do the same for everyone else. Kimberly does not want anyone to say that black artists did not exist. She wants to resist the erasure of black artists. She is aware of Carter G. Woodson’s quote,” If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile traditions, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world and it stands in danger of being exterminated”. So Kimberly works diligently in connecting black art to social media helping to expose the people who don’t come out to seek it themselves. Kimberly went to college to learn about art and wasn’t satisfied with what was being taught. She discovered on her own alot of black artists and mentions them by name in the hope that the reader googles them. She carefully chose them to help guide, educate and inform the reader. She also has her own blog and Instagram page where she posts all the art shows she attends along with some images. Sometimes Kimberly can come off angry about the lack of diversity in art and her post takes on the angry tone. She is learning to refine her writing to be more strategic instead. Her voice in the art world has become strong and she became an Associate Online Community Producer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for three years. At the end of the book Kimberly describes herself as an activist and a proud angry black person who loved art as long as she could remember.
-Abigail
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
(4 / 5)
High school life and its pressures affect everyone in different ways. For some students, grappling with the expectations of society can be detrimental towards their mental health and well being. For others, it might seem as though they are doing fine, but in reality, there is a large amount of internal turmoil waiting to be dealt with. Do teens truly think before they do or say? If given the chance, would a teen live their life again? For 17 year old Samantha Kingston, she was given the chance to do it all over. After a night out ending in a tragic fatal accident, Kingston is given the opportunity to reflect on her actions and her mistakes– by reliving the same week of her death repeatedly in order to right her wrongs. This book is an amazing representation of the true value of life and the consequences words and actions have on others. I would recommend this book to other teens in the hopes of bringing awareness to the reality of bullying and the virtue in treating others the way you would like to be treated. Dismantling social hierarchies and seeing the true value others hold around us courses as a common theme throughout the book, which holds the moral of the story. An exciting and very eye opening read!
-Danya
October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman
Rating: 5/5
This book is based on the tragic death of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was tied up to a fence in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming and beaten to his death by two anti-gay men whom he met at a bar. The two men pretended to be gay and lured Matthew into their truck where he was brought to his death and undiscovered for eighteen hours. The numerous poems in this book are so meaningful because they show so many different possible perspectives of people, whether they knew Matthew or not, and even of objects like a tree and the fence that he died on. Other examples of perspectives the poems are based on are Matthew’s cat, a mother, a father, Matthew’s parents, a doe, the stars, the man on the moon, Matthew’s killers, the jury, a journalist, and people coming to the fence to pay their respects to Matthew. These different perspectives show how Matthew’s story impacted so many people and how they can come together to prevent anti-gay hate crimes like this from happening again. I love how the author wrote these poems in such an artistic and expressive way about such a dark and serious situation. What makes Matthew’s story even more impactful is that the incident happened right before the author was about to give a speech, which Matthew intended to attend, for Gay Awareness Week at his college.
-Joanna
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Night Diary takes place during a tragic and less-known part of history, which is the 1947 India-Pakistan partition. The splitting of the two areas caused a massive migration in which people of different religions (primarily those who were Hindu and Muslim) were forced to move to their respective new nations. It was an incredibly violent and dangerous time that is not very well-known, but this book shares a lot of information about the time period. The story is told through the diary entries of the main character, Nisha. The twelve-year old Nisha is forced to leave everything behind and move with her family to the new India. They live as refugees for weeks, slowly moving on foot. During their harrowing journey, the family experiences much trauma, peril, and fear. Nisha, meanwhile, questions how their lives could have changed so dramatically and how they were supposed to pick a side in such a violent conflict. She struggles to come to terms with their new circumstances and all the pain that had come with them. This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is written in a more simplistic way than one might think, but it makes the writing more realistic because you truly believe it was written in a young girl’s diary. At the same time, however, the book does not shy away from difficult topics, going into detail about some of the family’s near-death experiences. It is an incredibly emotional and compelling story filled with love, trauma, and culture. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested.
-Anika
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Rating: 4
Aristotle and Dante take us through two summers that are full of swimming, broken bones, cracked ribs and lots of exploration of feelings and emotions. Aristotle’s Dad is a silent suffering veteran of the Vietnam War. He lives in an ecotone full of raw pain. He continues to fight this war in his head and dreams, never talking about it. Aristotle, his son, is one of the main characters of the book and is an introvert himself. He also fights his own private war in his head of self discovery while his new friend Dante is open and honest about himself and his sexuality. This book briefly delves into the secrets of the universe as it slowly reveals Aristotle’s secret feelings towards Dante. One universal secret revealed is that pain is like a storm that comes out of nowhere sometimes. You see, Aristotle was in pain and denial of his own secret feelings even though he felt something swimming around inside him that made him feel bad about it. At the end of this book this relationship of two boys transitions from friendship to romance.
-Audrey
Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren
4 / 5 stars
Horror Hotel is a spooky, good read for the Halloween season or just any time you are in the mood for some scary reads. The book’s main premise is simple; a YouTube group titled the Ghost Gang, composed of Chrissy, Emma, Chase, and Kiki visit a supposedly haunted hotel to film some content. What they do not realize though, is the paranormal twist that would befall them. Horror Hotel is part of the Underlined series, which are a set of romantic, thriller, and horror based stories that are all very enjoyable to read. This book is a classic fun journey though a spooky murder case. The premise is a bit unique and eye-catching, as modern things and titles such as YouTubers are not things I am used to seeing. It creates a more digestible tale though, as it is easier to imagine yourself as a young adult in the shoes of these characters portraying the new generation of young adults. The story contains a pleasant amount of present day connections that make the read more enjoyable. The base murder plot is a little uninteresting, but overall the unique present day vibe and funness of the book warrant a read in my opinion.
-Owen
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Rating: 4/5
America Singer’s feelings begin to change as she spends more time with Prince Maxon. In this second novel of the Selection series, a multitude of problems plague America and her survival journey among the other Selection participants. Angry rebels mob the royal palace multiple times, sparking fear in the upper class as the castle goes into lockdown and shots are fired. Growing jealous of the time Maxon spends with the other girls, America leans toward Aspen, her childhood friend and guard at the palace for comfort. However, the repercussions for romantic affairs are severe, and America and Aspen are toeing a fine line. Maxon actually holds America in high regard, granting her access to illegal knowledge and almost proposes, but the King is furious, leaving America in a dangerous position. I love this book series! The protagonist is a strong person who goes against social norms for what is right and the suspenseful romance between the characters is very entertaining. However, the characters are a bit rash at times and definitely make some bad decisions, which can get annoying. America’s doubt in Maxon gets old and the story can seem cliche at times. Ultimately, I enjoy reading this book very much and I recommend it to those who like drama, love triangles, and a little mystery.
-Lena
