Goodreads Choice Award/Nominee

I would highly recommend "Here in the Real World" to any introvert looking for a lighthearted weekend read. When Ware's parents want him to be a more "normal" boy, they send him off to a summer camp, hoping he'll learn to like social interaction if he gives it a try. But instead of actually attending the camp each day, Ware hides out with a girl he meets named Jolene.

Jolene has been inhabiting a local church over the summer, and growing a small garden there. Since she's not willing to move, Ware begins helping with the garden every day, and a friendship blossoms between the two. However, trouble emerges once again when the two hear of city plans to demolish the rundown church. It's up to the two kids to save their garden - and the environment - before it's too late.

I found this story to be reminiscent of "Hoot" by Carl Hiassen, and think anyone who likes realistic fiction should give it a read. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I thought the low level of supervision the children had was a bit unreasonable and not realistic in today's society. But other than that, it's a superb book.

I picked this because the plot seemed very captivating, and it turns out it was! I also picked this because it was a different genre than what I normally read. The book kept me very hooked and contained many plot twists. Divergent has easily become one of my favorite books of all time.
The setting is a dystopian setting, in a post-apocalyptic era in Chicago. Society is divided into factions, which members stay in their whole lives after the Choosing Ceremony. Depending on which faction you are in, you abide by different rules. Tris Prior got an unusual result from her aptitude test, a dangerous result called Divergent. This means that she doesn’t belong to one faction. She transfers factions and does her best to keep her Divergence a secret, all the while making friends, and enemies, in her new faction. And then war breaks out, and suddenly, her Divergence comes in handy.
This book is absolutely amazing and kept me hooked the entire time. I was actually disappointed when I finished it because I wanted to keep reading, but it is one of the best books I have ever read.
Reviewer Grade: 8.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a literature novel that has a unique writing style. Bennett switches between characters quickly which can be hard to comprehend at times. Eventually, the style becomes common and the book begins to flow better. The story line follows Desiree Vignes and Stella Vignes, the twins, and their daughters, Jude Winston and Kennedy Sanders from 1968 to 1986. Bennett does an stunning job at conveying the contrasting lives of these girls and the hardships that each one goes through, produced by their own actions or not. Yet, the lesson they learn is that all secrets will be spilled and how you react matters most.

A Slow Fire Burning is a great book which the reader won’t put down. A gruesome murder takes place, and the police swiftly need to find who was responsible. The three main characters all seem guilty and are unwilling to cooperate with the investigation. They personally knew the victim but withhold any information about the murder. Which can only mean one thing. That the murderer is among the three characters! I enjoyed the plot and suspense. A Slow Fire Burning is a thriller that has an unpredictable but a wholesome ending. This was an excellent read and I strongly recommend it.

One of Us is Lying is about four high school stereotypes: the Smart Girl, the Jock, the Homecoming Queen, and the Bad Boy. One day, all four of them, plus the Class Gossip, wind up in detention. When the Class Gossip dies, it soon becomes evident that foul play was involved, and that the Class Gossip knew a secret each of them is desperate to hide. As the rumors fly and reporters circle, all four will have to figure out what happened before they become convicted, caught out, or killed.
At this surface, the book has a wildly simple premise. It's almost like a clue game: a group of simplistic characters with a simple defining theme rushing to find a shadowy murderer while they all hold their own secrets. And this is fine for a mystery. If I'm being quite honest, I've read about five hundred different iterations of this plot, with a high school murder and a killer on the loose and the main characters with secrets and suspicions. The song and dance is familiar and comforting, but, excluding the mystery itself, lacking in individuality and flavor. However, this book makes a few key deviations that make the plot feel new and exciting without diverting from the familiar high school murder plot. For one, the characters each have adequate and interesting development, specifically tailored to bring them out of the labels the book put them in itself. And the development isn't token, like a pretty girl learning to love the joys of football or the jock getting into baking or the usual clichés. The development is relevant to the modern era, like the crushing need for perfectionism in the college application process, or the way mental health struggles can wreck a family, or the superficial weight our society assigns to looks. In a lot of ways, its not the characters learning to overcome their stereotype, since each of them feels they don't live up to their's perfectly. It's about how society at large forced them into that stereotype. It's actually really impressive that the author managed to pull of five substantial character arcs! On that note, the book creates a far more realistic high school environment than most YA books. There's no really token "popular group" that is played up too much and taken too seriously. School is a genuine issue, and there are struggles with maintaining grades. There are more named characters than the main cast, and you get a sense other people have an actual life outside the central plot. Also, the book is just paced really well, letting you see the lives of each character while moving the plot along at a steady and fascinating pace. It can be funny or heartbreaking at times, and the mystery itself is satisfying and interesting upon reread.
All in all, this was in no way a groundbreaking novel. The plot is predictable mystery, with the usual twists and turns and not much beyond it. However, the deviations this book makes to the usual mystery formula make it a worthwhile and fun ride!

I strongly recommend this book. It is very interesting, there are so many topics that can be evaluated regarding the main character Nora Seed and how she appreciated her life, people, friends, lover, opportunities (mainly opportunities) and how the "Boat of Opportunity" can pass again in this in between place called " The Midnight Library". Nora represents in many aspects, when a person reaches the lowest point of her / his life, with lack of hope, depression maybe and when as a person you fell unwanted or unappreciated, however there are always opportunities to correct your path. She had so many versions or opportunities to choose a life that can suit her completely, however those versions did not give her that sense of "ownership" and many were "good " lives, (almost ideal), she felt in that way (i.e. Marriage with Ash and a completely family).

The narrative is very light.- The introduction of topics like Quantum Physics, traveling between this kind of "dimensions" provide certain explanation to the situation that she is experiencing. I think that the main message will be that: We as human beings need to pay attention to the small things that are around us and that forms our lives which are very important. Don`t waste your life, try to life as possible, take opportunities and enjoyed but the only way to enjoy is by living it fully and learning and deciding and making yourself ready to take control of your life and decide to live it as "full" as you can.

This book is cute. We follow Natasha, a science and fact-based person, trying to do everything she can to prevent her family from being deported. And Daniel, a creative, hopeless romantic, is doing everything he can to please his parents by going to a Yale alumni interview. While on their own ways, their paths intersect. Daniel becomes determined to prove to Natasha that love is more than chemicals and is a real thing. While Natasha is determined to not fall in love with Daniel and stop her family from being deported.
As said before, this book is cute and explores what life is and what it can be. It does have a form of insta love, but it works with the setup and plot and is well used. I loved Natasha, she was relatable because of her fact-based ways. Then, Daniel was the kind of person that people are drawn to, funny, creative, and peotic. This book explores how much one person can affect so many other people's lives. It shows so many people besides the main character, and we learn so much about them. It is such a hopeful book and it's sp refreshing. Natasha and Daniel's relationship is rushed especially in the beginning. The social and racial aspects of this book are amazing, it was so well explained. There was history so that you could deeply understand why it was the way it was. This book makes you ponder about life, the universe, and fate. The chapters are so short that is it an easy and quick read. Overall it's a cute book that makes you think about life.

Legend by Marie Lu is a dystopian novel with its own flair. Some dystopians can feel the same, but Legend is unlike any other. We follow June and Day who couldn’t be more polar opposites. June will someday become the best general the Republic has seen and Day is the Republics most wanted criminal. Yet, they cross paths and June’s ultimate goal is to take down Day. Like a classic dystopian, this novel will take you through twists and turns and you will never expect how it ends. I loved this book because of the relationship June and Day have. I highly recommend this book to anybody who love dystopian novels.

Krystal Sutherland creates a uniquely haunting atmosphere in House of Hollow, a story about three sisters who experienced a mysterious incident in their childhood which left their eyes pitch black and their hair bright white. Iris, the youngest sister, tries her best to blend in and lead an ordinary life, which proves very difficult; Vivi is a rebel who embraces her appearance; Grey, the oldest, is stunningly beautiful and remarkably successful, a secretive celebrity phenomenon. When Grey disappears without warning, Iris and Vivi embark on a bizarre, dangerous journey which will change the way they see themselves--and their sister--forever.
House of Hollow is filled with twists, turns, and tumbles into dark places. It will leave readers on the edges of their seats, dreading what comes next yet filled with a desire to know the full story. Sutherland's beautifully frightening, masterful plot is perfect for anyone who is craving something new and different and enjoys horror, suspense, and fantasy. House of Hollow serves as a reminder to us all: nothing is as it seems.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas is such a heart felt novel. This is the 5th book in A Court of Thrones and Roses series. Yet, this book strays away from Feyre as the main character and we follow her sister, Nesta. Nesta shows us that even in the darkest of times, you always have to fight to find that light. That hope is possible, and everybody is worthy of love, even when you don’t deem it. This book is one that will stick with you and possibly change your outlook on life. I highly recommend this book for anybody that loves romance, adventure, and wants to completely forget about life.
Grade 11