Fiction

I thought to speak was a very good book. It was well written and had very deep concepts to deal with. This book made me feel and almost cry for some of the characters.
Melinda is a ninth-grade outcast who goes down a trail of depression. She has a few friends but all her old ones don't like her anymore. As the story goes on you learn about Mel's life and what happened to make her slip up at school.
I personally really enjoyed this book because it was from a perspective of a girl that doesn't live the same type of life as me but I believe even if this is your situation you'll enjoy the book and could relate to the main character. Many concepts that can be hard to deal with are shown in this book. Including depression, school slump, the act of hurting oneself, lying, untrustworthiness, and one of the hardest to grapple with harassment and being shamed for doing the right thing. throughout all the ups and downs of his life as a ninth-grader, this book will give anyone insight into what happens behind the scenes of a troubled teen. How one can fall under the challenges of modern life and what it means to keep a secret that almost ruined your life.

Passing by Nella Larsen is a classic novel following Irene Redfield and Clare Bellew. The novel follows the timeline of the Harlem Renaissance and delves into themes of 'white-passing' amongst the black community.
Irene, the narrator of the novel considers herself to be a very levelheaded, calm, thoughtful woman, who looks out for her children and is a perfectly attentive wife. Clare Bellew on the other hand is Irene's childhood friend, and her personality is much more colorful than Irene's. When Irene and Clare reunite after many years, we delve into their complicated relationship and clashing personalities.
Passing is a novel that illustrates what the standards of beauty really are and educates readers on the logistics of what passing of as white can mean for a black woman back in the 1920s.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, as 'white-passing' was something I wasn't super aware of, and barely even knew it was a phenomenon in the 1900s. Larsen also created a very interesting dynamic between Irene and Clare and crafted very realistic characters. I enjoyed reading Irene's inner monologues, as it's pretty rare to see an author build up very dynamic characters, that are also painfully human. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, as it contained lots of powerful messages and themes, without coming off as cliche or overdone.

Reviewer Grade: 11

I was completely enthralled with this book from start to finish. Not only is Schwab's writing style elegant, making it easy to disappear in the book and forget that time exists, but the story: Addie LaRue selling her soul for immortality with the price of forced to be forgotten by everyone who meets her, was every bit as enticing as any other action-packed fantasy novel. And although she is cursed to be forgotten, her life changes when she walks into a ragged bookstore, only to be surprised when a young bookkeeper remembers her. With romance, dark magic, and heartbreaking twists, this book was impossible to put down.

I initially picked this book after seeing all the clout it was getting, as I'm sure many have noticed, it's popularity is unmatched. I walked into reading the story with a raised eyebrow, unsure if it would live up to its hype. It did. The story closely follows the Greek invasion of Troy after Helen is swept away by Paris, and if you have read the Iliad, then I am sure you already understand the plot. What differs from the work of Homer, however, is the pace at which Miller writes and the story she pushes. It is a beautiful rendition of war, love, and heartbreak. Between fighting battles and training with Chiron, Miller shows the sides of these famous heroes we all guessed at but never saw-- from running along a sun-warmed beach to tearing out hair, you will never be as deeply connected to characters as you will while reading this. My favorite part about this book was how beautiful Miller's incredible prose and the scenes that are forever engraved in my head: Thetis touching the chin of Achilles, Patroclus's hands on the gold of well-known armor, and a stone memorial built on the greatest hill, two figures standing side by side nearby it. This is not only one of the top book's I've read this year, but nearly the best book I've read in my entire life.

Junior-11

I chose this book because it is a genre I like to read, romance. This book was romantic and very funny. I was hooked throughout the entire book, and the plot twists just never seemed to end. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a story about a girl named Lara Jean. She writes love letters to boys that she’s loved, but she has never sent them. And one day, someone found them and sent them. One of the five boys, Peter Kavinsky, proposes that he and Lara Jean should fake a relationship because he wanted to make his ex jealous. The story follows their fake relationship as it grows into something more and Lara Jean realizes more things about herself and Peter. At first I thought this book might be a bit predictable, but it surprised me as it was not. There were plenty of plot twists to the story that kept me interested up until the end of the book. I really recommend this book to romance lovers and people who like realistic fiction.
Reviewer Grade: 8

The Selection by Kiera Cass is a teen-romance novel, following protagonist America Singer. America, along with 34 other girls is chosen to compete in The Selection. The Selection is a chance for these girls, coming from all sorts of social classes to seize a position in royalty. But for Prince Maxon, The Selection is a chance for him to find true love. We join America and the other girls as they journey to the royal palace to meet the Prince and compete for a chance to become future Queen of the kingdom of Ilea.
When I was reading The Selection, it reminded me a lot of the premise of The Bachelor. 35 girls all competing for the hand of a handsome prince? Sounds pretty much like the plot of a reality TV show to me!
And just like a reality TV show, I found myself completely hooked on this series. There was drama, romance, friendships, and even a hint of politics in this first book of the series. And even though some parts of the novel felt very cheesy and overdone, I couldn't help but want more. The Selection is the sort of book that you pick up for some lighthearted fun, just as you would binge a trashy reality TV show. While I definitely wouldn't recommend The Selection if you want something deeply moving, I'd make sure to give it a try if you're looking for something easy and fun to read to get you out of a reading slump.The Selection by Kiera Cass is a teen-romance novel, following protagonist America Singer. America, along with 34 other girls is chosen to compete in The Selection. The Selection is a chance for these girls, coming from all sorts of social classes to seize a position in royalty. But for Prince Maxon, The Selection is a chance for him to find true love. We join America and the other girls as they journey to the royal palace to meet the Prince and compete for a chance to become future Queen of the kingdom of Ilea.
When I was reading The Selection, it reminded me a lot of the premise of The Bachelor. 35 girls all competing for the hand of a handsome prince? Sounds pretty much like the plot of a reality TV show to me!
And just like a reality TV show, I found myself completely hooked on this series. There was drama, romance, friendships, and even a hint of politics in this first book of the series. And even though some parts of the novel felt very cheesy and overdone, I couldn't help but want more. The Selection is the sort of book that you pick up for some lighthearted fun, just as you would binge a trashy reality TV show. While I definitely wouldn't recommend The Selection if you want something deeply moving, I'd make sure to give it a try if you're looking for something easy and fun to read to get you out of a reading slump.

The Martian is a novel by Andy Weir about a lone astronaut trapped on a foreign planet, surviving solely off of his wits and knowledge. Andy Weir's premiere story is a tale of persistence, ingenuity, and the human need to help one another.
Mark Watney is an incredibly charismatic protagonist, and the fact that this is so obvious even without direct dialogue between him and other characters makes Weir's writing even more impressive. The format of the novel is unique, with Watney mostly speaking through logs of his time on Mars, before the perspective switches to his colleagues on Earth in a more common third person perspective. Although this format doesn't sound like it could be exciting, the book can be thrilling at times, as problems continue to stack up, making Watney's return to Earth more unlikely each time.
Overall, The Martian is a gripping story and a treat to adult fans of science fiction.

I truly enjoyed this book! The story follows a 12-year- old boy named Silas whose father becomes involved in a counterfeiting scheme against his will. Silas is told not to follow him when he is taken, but when a horse shows up at his door, he takes it as a sign and sets off on an adventure with his ghostly companion, Mittenwool. The love that Silas has for his father and the means he is willing to use to save him cause the reader to become attached to the young boy and root for him throughout. I give this book five stars for the masterful storytelling used by the author to draw you in, and it uses a simple story to convey a deep message through the love and courage that Silas demonstrates on his adventurous expedition through the wilderness. All in all, I most definitely recommend this book to anyone of pretty much any age from about sixth or seventh grade through high school as a fun read that pulls at your heartstrings a little. Enjoy!
Reviewer grade 9

Well that escalated quickly.

Here we are just floating along fly fishing with our main characters, when BAMMM - some bat-* crazy stuff goes down in the last 15-20% of this book. Sure, we’re given warnings along the way that something sinister is afoot, but there’s sinister and then there’s… whatever this is.

If you haven’t read Peter Heller before, The Guide does have the stylistic hallmarks of his novels. Restrained length, staccato sentences, and a slight dystopian undercurrent. It’s the not-too-distant future, and strains of the coronavirus are still part of everyday life. Much like there are flu seasons, now there are COVID seasons. (Talk about a bleak bummer!)

The titular guide of The Guide is Jack, a semi-tragic character who appeared in Heller’s 2019 book, The River. There’s enough of that backstory sprinkled throughout this follow up that it can be read as a standalone should you choose. Jack is now 25 and working at a chichi lodge in Colorado teaching fly fishing to rich peeps. He and the woman (young and beautiful, of course) he’s guiding sense that something is strange about the place and begin to investigate. Heller must have watched a Scooby-Doo marathon during lockdown in 2020. Meddling kids can always save the day, amiright?

Even if the resolution of the novel gave me whiplash, The Guide still managed to be my favorite so far from this author. Outdoorsy types will enjoy the setting and poetic language about fishing, and thrill seekers will get their payoff with the bonkers ending. I guess you could say Heller reeled me in with this one. (I'm here all week, folks!)

"Garden of Sins” is a thoroughly enjoyable, gripping read that keeps one at the edge of one's seat! It is a delightful escape into a Victorian world, and one which shows that we all face challenges with which we must deal; some more so than others. The characters are so modernly relatable and display such basic human emotions, that one can easily empathize, especially with the protagonists, Sarah Bain Barrett. Although it is set in Victorian times, Sarah doesn’t discriminate against others for their differences. She is a strong woman of character, yet torn between her love for her “collective” family, her father's trial and her husband. Sarah's intelligence, instincts and the factual information she discovers creates doubts, yet her love for her "family" is never in question. Her strength combined with her human, fragile side paint her as a highly compelling protagonist. As for Inspector Reed, although depicted in other well-acted mystery series which portray him as upstanding, honest and fair, in " Garden of Sins" he is portrayed as the villain and a dark character who is corrupt in violating the law by harshly and relentlessly threatening Sarah and her family in his quest to discover the identity of Jack the Ripper. It is refreshing that Rowland's writing doesn’t mask, nor romanticize the conditions of late 1800’s London, particularly in depicting the people and poorer, more dangerous suburbs. "Garden of Sins" is well written, thoroughly engaging and highly entertaining. The characters are complex as are the twists and turns of this Novel. This is a brilliantly written series!