Book Reviews by Genre: Contemporary

Emily Henry is an author whose work I've enjoyed, so Beach Read was on my list right away. The story follows January and Augustus, two accomplished novelists and college rivals, who become neighbors and work together to overcome writer's block caused by their resurfacing trauma. They challenge each other to new genres and experiences and definitely don't fall in love along the way. January is a fun character to read about during her most embarrassing and romantic moments, despite each situation being exaggerated so much that it felt silly. Augustus' personality was a little bland and I wished there was an actual reason for them to become enemies instead of the overused misunderstanding trope. However, the message of valuing family despite their faults and taking a leap of faith for the sake of your individuality is important. I'd say this book isn't life-changing, but good to read if you can relate to any struggles with parental relationships or feeling obligated to stay in a relationship that is just average.
Grade 12

I appreciated a more realistic, but equally heartwarming, romance novel to break up the many cookie-cutter books of the genre. In The Kiss Quotient, the main character Stella seeks advice to find a romantic partner. It's only a matter of time before the man who agrees to help makes her reconsider who she is looking to impress. Stella's witty lines and her experience with Asperger's were interesting to read about and made me appreciate the romantic scenes even more because not every party or conversation went as expected. It was also cool to follow a main character that is self-confident and extremely brilliant. Nothing particularly stuck out to me as negative about the book, but it was fast-paced and surface level which just isn't my favorite kind of book.
Grade 12

Normal People by Sally Rooney beautifully follows Marianne and Connell’s on again off again relationship. I really loved this book and I felt as if I was there growing with the characters. This story does not follow much of a plot, it is more about watching Marianne and Connell grow and develop as people. Rooney addresses mental health and abuse and the way Marianne and Connell were always there for each other literally makes me scream. The story begins when they are in high school with Connell being a well liked soccer player and Marianne being pretty much the opposite. It follows them through college and all their ups, downs, mistakes, and triumphs. This is a fairly easy read and I was able to finish it in no time at all.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a fictional autobiography written by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong. It is written in the form of a letter from a Vietnamese-American son to his illiterate mother.

To me, it was a surprise to hear that this novel was a work of fiction. The scenes constructed were so raw and real and written with so much emotion, that I automatically figured that this was a memoir. However, I later discovered that this book was fiction, with a couple of truths sprinkled in. I really loved the format that Vuong decided to use in this book because the letter format felt very lyrical and poetic at times. The book was refreshing and easy to follow, as opposed to the topics discussed in the book. As an Asian-American myself, there were many topics addressed in the novel that I could really sympathize and relate with, and while the subjects addressed could get pretty heavy and difficult to read through at times, I was grateful that Vuong took it upon himself to shed some light to many real issues and experiences. While I personally enjoyed the lyrical writing and could sympathize with the difficult subjects, I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone. There are many scenes in the novel that could be triggering and too much to handle, and even I felt like I had to put down the book a few times to get a break. I would recommend that before anyone decides to read this book, they should look up the content and trigger warnings. However, those that do decide to start this novel will definitely not be disappointed.

The Love Hypothesis is a cute romance novel that takes place in an academic setting. Olive, our protagonist, is a PhD STEM student attending Stanford, and Adam, her love interest is a professor at the college. I was initially a little hesitant about this book because while the age gap between Olive and Adam isn't concerning, their power dynamic is. Conveniently, however, it is revealed that Adam is not one of Olive's professors and manages another section of students. Even though Adam and Olive were never really "teacher-student," it still made me a little uneasy, especially since the two attend the same college. The novel basically establishes its plot through Olive and Adam having a fake relationship together. Adam needs this fake relationship to convince his higher-ups that he's not leaving Stanford and has put down roots, in order to unfreeze funds needed for his research projects. Olive, on the other hand, needs a fake relationship to convince her best friend Ahn, that she has no feelings for a boy she had gone out on a couple of dates with, after realizing Ahn is interested in the same boy herself. In order to persuade Ahn to pursue her feelings, Olive strikes up this fake-dating deal with Professor Adam Carlsen, thus leading the two of them into a real future together.

The Love Hypothesis, in my opinion, has everything critical for a good, cheesy, romance. The fake-dating trope, many sweet situations, and a love interest who seems cold and cruel on the outside, but turns out to be a softie just for Olive. While the novel may have the right ingredients for a swoon-worthy romance, however, there was something missing. Olive as a protagonist was a very 2d character and was someone I could not find myself relating to or even being interested in. While it was refreshing to see a female woman lead pursuing a career in STEM, there was nothing else all that interesting about Olive. I also didn't like the author's choice of using the topic of sexual assault only as a plot device, in order to bring the story forward and the characters closer.

On the other hand, Adam was a classically written love interest. Strong on the outside, and soft on the inside, he had all the criteria needed for a typical male lead in a romance novel, and while it may seem overdone to some, I think Adam was a great portrayal of such traits.

Overall, The Love Hypothesis was an interesting romance novel, and I enjoyed its academic setting and some of the scenes involved. However, there were a couple of aspects of the story that could have been tweaked to make the story more enjoyable. In my opinion, many romance-lovers would probably enjoy this novel, but I found myself wanting more.

Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurstson, is a contemporary fiction novel regarding the tale of Janie Crawford and her quest to find love. I like how the book introduces the characters in the beginning, after Janie's journey to find love, and then Janie tells her best friend about how she ended up where she was. Originally, her grandmother wed her to a man she was uninterested in. In fact, she was so uninterested in her husband that she ran off with another, more exciting man. The more she stayed with the exciting man, named Joe Starks, (she eventually married him), the more he hurt (physically/emotionally) her. Later, Joe dies, and she has little to no remorse over his death. A couple months later, she meets Tea Cake, and eventually falls in love with him. The part that I don't like about this book is that Tea Cake has a lot of warning flags, but they all seem to fly over Janie's head. I don't know if the author intended for the main character to be foolish or not, it simply shocked me how willing Janie was to devote herself to Tea Cake.

This is a delightful book with great diversity and a unique topic of life on the radio. I loved how Shay and Dominic's personalities complimented each other throughout the story, especially as Shay experienced misogyny and the two worked to combat it. The romance was light-hearted and side conflicts like grief were refreshing to hear about. One thing I disliked, though, was Shay's reaction to an age gap of five years between her and Dominic. She constantly threw in "old jokes" and generational-gap comments despite them both pretty much being millennials. It made the age gap more of an issue than it would have been without such dialogue and even contradicted the author's message against unfair gender norms. Would an age gap like this have been discussed if Dominic was the older one? Other than that, this book got me back into NPR and podcasts so I recommend this any day!
Grade 11

Songbirds is about the disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus--women who had no choice but to leave their families in Sri Lanka or Vietnam or the Philippines and find work as maids in the homes of Cyprus's wealthy class. Nisha, whom the story centers on, is a Sri Lankan woman who has faced much loss. She comes to Cyprus, leaving her daughter behind, and becomes a mother figure for Aliki, the daughter of a somber, grieving widow named Petra. Though Nisha has such an impact on the people around her, especially Petra and Aliki, she is merely seen as a maid, overlooked, taken for granted. In a parallel plot line, Yiannis is a poacher who hunts songbirds for a living. He and Nisha have a secret relationship, which would jeopardize everything if discovered by Petra, and when he finally tells Nisha about the poaching, she is deeply disappointed in him, though Yiannis doesn't stop his senseless killing of songbirds. One night, Nisha goes missing. What ensues is a long, agonizing search in which the police refuse to do anything and Petra begins to realize that she relied on Nisha for nearly everything and didn't appreciate her while she was there. Petra and Yiannis team up, determined to find out what happened.
In my opinion, this story could've been told so much better. The metaphor of the songbirds was far too loud and became redundant and irritating. Lefteri could've more effectively woven together the plot lines of Petra and Yiannis without being so blunt with her metaphor. However, I did find it very interesting--and saddening--to learn about the missing domestic workers of Cyprus. Just as in The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Lefteri brings to light real issues that go beyond news coverage and should be talked about but somehow aren't. These maids are just as human as anyone, having sacrificed lives in their home countries for the benefit of their families. I would have enjoyed this novel more if the pacing had been faster and the plot hadn't been so repetitive; the characters also weren't the most likable.
I wouldn't necessary recommend this book, but the premise is worth knowing.

I'm normally all for an enemies-to-lovers rom-com book with good diversity, but this book did not do it for me. For such a lengthy read, there was no substance and Catalina was constantly repeating herself. The story involves Catalina needing a date to her sister's wedding in Mexico and agreeing to take her work enemy, Aaron Blackford. First of all, Aaron had no personality. A tall, ominous Caucasian man with dark hair is really the only description. The banter was alright, but became boring and repetitive after a while. Then, all of Catalina's internal dialogue discussed this wedding, which only got a couple pages of description when it finally happened! But what bothered me most was how the entire book revolved around this pity party for Catalina. It was interesting to read about this (unfortunately) common occurrence that a couple with an age gap or existing in a professional setting tends to be accepted only for males, but this message could have had a better reach if the main character wasn't complaining every other page that her life was completely ruined, even years later, by this misogynistic disparity. She even clarified that she took a new job offer because of the experience, not because she was trying to escape. However, the author contradicted this statement by devoting most of the book to a "feel bad for me" mindset. Readers will empathize more with the main character if they aren't guilt-tripping everyone. Less is more!

Many people I know enjoyed this book, so it was disappointing when I read it and didn't love it. The story's concept of two people reuniting every November 9th and making amends with the past is intriguing and the pacing kept me entertained, but the character's interactions were unrealistic and annoying. This didn't seem to be an accurate portrayal of grief or guilt. Fallon was independent and witty for the first part of the book, then she changed to be so forgiving and needy! It isn't fun to read about an inconsistent character because it takes creates a disconnection between the reader and the author's writing. Hoover's books are short and generally motivating to get out of a reading slump, but the content is just not for me.
Grade 11

Admission is a book about the life of a Princeton admission officer Portia Nathan, who struggles to juggle the life changing impact of college decisions with old regrets, new beginnings, and constant change.
That's all I can really write for the summary of this book, since anything more would perhaps spoil the entire book. The story starts with an admissions officer: a simple yet captivating protagonist, not only through the controversy of her position but through the personality in her words. From the beginning we know she's hiding something from us, but it isn't so vague as to be annoying or so pressing as to be overwhelming. It shows how she views her secrets as simply things from her past that are occasionally a blip on her radar, then disappear beneath the waves yet again. Soon, the story begins to spiral into different directions, showing us more of her life as it begins to fall apart. One thing this book does excellently is show the struggle of college admissions alongside the details of Portia's life, often intertwining and combating the two ideas. They contrast brilliantly: young, fervent minds struggling to make their impact against the stark background of a middle-aged woman's fight for purpose. Another thing I find fascinating and amusing is how this book goes in so many different directions and yet holds the exact same tone, making for a roller coaster of a novel that still feels consistent and grounding. For example, the nameless secret we're told about from the beginning is finally revealed (of course) and despite the groundbreaking discovery and impact that ought to change the book from a distant examination of a woman's life to a fraught soap opera, the book still makes it known that the story, as a whole, hasn't changed. Despite seemingly dramatic or strange occurrences, everything is still realistic, showing how ridiculous things often happen to seemingly ordinary people.
This book was entrancing to me. Despite my usual near-hatred of realistic adult novels, this book stood out for a variety of reasons. First, it had real heart. The characters felt real, their mistakes felt earned, their gains were uplifting, and their motives were stark. I never met a single character in this novel that I didn't feel could walk out of the pages and shake my hand. Secondly, the prose is beautiful, and displays sordid emotion. One thing I often critique in adult realistic fiction is the lack of prose as an attempt to drive home the meaninglessness of adult life. This novel was willing to show its protagonist genuinely struggle with heartache and depression and nostalgia through gripping, raw language. It was also willing to be funny at parts, to show how, even when life is at its worst, there is often so much to laugh about. Finally, the ending was simple, yet so fitting and beautiful. It really encompassed everything the character had gone through, and made me feel hopeful for their future and respectful of their past. All in all, I believe this book is excellent for any seeking books about college admissions, raw and real characters, stunning prose, witty humor, and stunning writing.
Reviewer Grade: 11

Offering a nuanced understand of identify and lived experiences, Peters poses the question, “What constitutes family?” The complexities that accompany transness, family, and self expression are explored beautifully in the book.

Donna Tartt and her debut novel The Secret History is one that will stick with me for quite a long time.
The Secret History follows insecure Richard Papen, a somewhat timid boy from Plano California. Richard, desperate to leave Plano and his unattentive parents, decides to go to college at Hampden, a school in Vermont, specializing in Humanities. Of course, when Richard arrives, he completely falls in love with Hampden and its very "Dead Poets Society" vibe to the school. Previously wanting to be in the medical field, but soon after developing a distaste for the field, Richard promptly decides to turn to studying the classics. We discover Julian, the only teacher of Greek in the college, who only takes five students a year in his class. Somehow, Richard makes it into this selective course, becoming the sixth member. We as readers are introduced to the slightly odd and quirky members of the Greek class, and come along with Richard as he slowly develops a friendship with each of them. However, Richard deduces that something is off about his new friends, and with this, dark secrets are unraveled, and we watch as each of the classmates descend into madness.
The Secret History touches upon the study of human morality, and the concept that terrible things hold a kind of beauty to them. I really enjoyed reading this novel and being forced to face psychological dilemmas. What is good? What is evil? What makes someone good or evil? The Secret History really led me around by the nose, and I enjoyed the twists and turns I experienced because of this novel. There were many influential quotes in this story and the writing was beautiful. Even though the novel might have a darker mood, I couldn't help but be enraptured by every word Tartt set out for me.
Overall, if you enjoy a "dark academia" style of book, and is willing to read this novel with an open mindset, The Secret History is definitely for you.

Reviewer Grade: 11

Neil Gaiman has written a lot of different books. His writing has been hit-or-miss for me, but nothing that's truly middle-of-the-road average. That was until I listened to Neverwhere. I appreciate how Gaiman narrates most of the audiobooks of his works that I've listened to so far, and Neverwhere was in line with the narration quality I expect from him. However, the content felt so mediocre that I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if it came from any other different British authors like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams (both of which are talented writers, mind you).

There's a distinct flavor of British comedy that comes through in the absurdist naming of characters and places in Neverwhere. Perhaps it's why I felt this book was so generic. It's your classic "Institutionalized" story where a man has (what seems to him) a stable life, only to have this life upended by a fantastical parallel world introduced by a character he eventually ends up falling in love with. While his interaction with this "London Below" made the main character invisible to his old life, he takes far too long to realize that the status quo he seeks is no longer desirable to him.

Maybe it's that I don't connect with these kinds of stories. They just seem so "meh" with bland characters trying to go back to their bland lives that it's always so obvious to the reader their life would be so much better in this new reality. Of course, I probably wouldn't pursue this fantastical new reality given the choice in my own life, but that's beside the point. Neverwhere contains all the trappings of this type of story, which is certainly entertaining for a bit but gets annoying the longer the main character refuses to change into their new selves.

An average institutionalized story with average British humor, I give Neverwhere 3.5 stars out of 5.

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.

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.

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a feel good book that will leave you rooting for January and Augustus. These two famous authors have nothing in common except that they are neighbors. One night, they make deal. Augustus will write something happy with the help of January’s expertise in romance and January will interview surviving members of a cult to write the next Great American novel. Whoever writes the bestselling book wins. Nothing else will happen, right? Beach Read reveals how being opposite in every way could quite possibly be the best thing. I highly recommend this book to anybody who needs a feel good book.

Once There Were Wolves is a story about a biologist leading a team of scientists trying to reintroduce wolves into the highlands of Scotland in order to heal the damaged ecosystem of the area.

Main character, Inti (the biologist), has mirror touch synesthesia which is a rare condition where a person feels a similar sensation in their body to the physical sensation another is actually feeling. Inti is independent, determined, and single-minded. When it comes to the reintroduction of the wolves to the area, she will not let the local farmers deter her, even as the wolves pose a serious threat to their animals. And things get a little hairy.

The present day scenes unfolding this story are interspersed with flashbacks of Inti's childhood and trauma she experienced as a young girl.

This is a beautifully told story with interesting characters, a strong environmental theme, and a bit of mystery. Once There Were Wolves was my first Charlotte McConaghy book and I will definitely look for more!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry tells a story everybody can relate to: what to do when a friendship becomes something more. Alex and Poppy have been best friends since college and as a tradition, go on a spectacular one week vacation every summer. Until two years ago, when everything collapsed and neither have spoken to each other since. Now, Poppy hopes to rekindle this friendship by convincing Alex to go on a final vacation. Will this week long vacation be enough to fix the past or was this “friendship” never meant to be? People We Meet on Vacation will have you rooting for Poppy and Alex as they maneuver through love, life, and lies. I highly recommend this book to anybody who craves unpredictability.
Reviewer Grade: 11

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction novel that you won’t be able to put down. Amateur journalist, Monique Grant, is requested to do a private interview with one of the most mysterious Old Hollywood stars, Evelyn Hugo. We follow Evelyn as she retells her elegant and scandalous life as a movie icon. But why does Evelyn want to do an interview now and why did she choose an unknown journalist, Monique Grant? The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will lead you through the twists and turns of Old Hollywood life and how a single mistake can change a persons life in an instant. I highly recommend this book to anybody that wants a captivating book that will leave you guessing until the very end.