by Sophia H., Sofie L., Morgan A., & Ellie G.
Imagine this... you have your whole life planned out. You know what college you want to go to, what you want to study. And you know exactly what it takes to get there. In the book Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell, Vassar Spore has all that. But when her estranged Grandmother sends her a letter and plane ticket inviting her to backpack throughout South East Asia, all her planning goes awry. In a decision shrouded in secrecy, she founds herself yanked into her grandma's crazy “live in the moment” lifestyle. Will Vassar learn to live life unplanned? This romantic, adventurous novel explores all sorts of ways to enjoy life. We recommend this book to adventure lovers aged 10+.
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Joseph O,, Theron S,, & Kobie W.
The nail-biting science fiction novel from 1986, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Ender Wiggin comes back from Ender’s Game for another round of trouble on an exciting adventure to speak the truth of the lives of the dead on Lusitania, a planet hundreds of thousands of miles away from earth, and of the living alien race, the piggies. Ender’s goal is to find peace with the piggies. Science fiction is interesting, but difficult to write. The author must preserve the theme, like wonder as Card did, but keep it realistic, give it it’s bonds to the real world. That being said, this book comes with several mature themes including murder, nudity, adultery, cursing, incest, and more. We would recommend this book for readers 12 and up. After reading this 2nd edition to the Ender’s Game saga, we would rate it an 8 / 10. It was gripping, exciting, but just like Ender’s Game, the ending was a cliffhanger of sorts. by Emma C. and Noah B.
If you are a mystery novel lover then this book is for you. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, written by Mark Haddon, is written in the first-person perspective of Christopher Francis Boone, a 15 year old boy with Asperger’s syndrome. This book takes place in the middle Swindon, England. Christopher likes to think of himself as a very smart person. He is very good with numbers and geography. He lives a life with many obstacles in his way due to his condition. He absolutely hates being touched and he has a hard time understanding others’ emotions. The way his unique way of thinking is translated into a first person perspective makes this book a very interesting experience for the reader. We definitely enjoyed this book. We found it to be very interesting and different than anything else we’ve have ever read. Christopher’s mind tends to hop from one idea to the next, and all these seemingly random tangents are included in the story. This makes for an amazingly unique journey for the reader, being put into the shoes of someone whose brain works differently. This interesting style writing will keep you very engaged and always wanting more. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is more for seventh graders and above, as some sections are somewhat difficult to understand, and it includes strong language. This novel is an example of an interesting and unique way to tell a story, and we undoubtedly recommend it. by Ava, Chloe, Anna, Whitney, and Mason
by Jenna G, Naomi B-L, Miranda D, Grace F, & Isa B
For people who love realistic fiction, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is perfect for them. Melinda, a shy, distant freshman in high school, struggles with depression over an incident that happened the summer before school started. Mel's friends abandon her because she keeps the secret of her wrangle hidden. Characterized by her bitten lips and relationship with art and trees, Mel has a hard time adjusting to her new life and old friends. We recommend this book to anyone over the age of 12 who enjoys reading about topics that are difficult to deal with and are really going on in the world. Speak does a great job of incorporating very adult topics while still delivering it in an easy way to cope with. Mature topics are usually kept quiet, however Speak has a skillful job of developing character growth in a subtle and consistent way. by Marie P,, Maya H., & Finn F. In Highly Illogical Behavior, John Corey Whaley describes the fictional yet realistic situation in which 16 year old Solomon Reed hasn't left his house in three and a half years. Solomon has a severe panic attacks caused by an awful case of agoraphobia (the fear of places or situation that might cause panic). Enter Lisa Praytor, a senior with her sights set on the second best psychology school in the country. Lisa, along with “help” from her boyfriend Clark set out to help Solomon and erase his fear. While Lisa’s motives to help are only to use Solomon to write a college essay, the group end up becoming great friends and help each other fight through multiple emotional obstacles. Highly Illogical Behavior was a very well-written book. It didn’t seem forced or surreal, it seemed like a sad story you would hear from your neighbor about the boy down the street. The genuine quality gave this book a whole other level. This double narrative book gives an unparalleled amount of beautifully crafted exposition and emotional interest. While the first half is pretty slow, it is incredibly effective and hooks you. It all comes crashing down near the end of the book. The climax and resolution are more rushed than a McDonald's drive through worker during rush hour. This single flaw we have with the book is a common mistake made by young or inexperienced authors, despite the wall breaking first section. We recommend this book for ages 14+ because it was a book that could be emotionally hard on kids. This book also contains some suggestive elements and a fair amount of swearing. It takes a lot to understand mental illness. We would strongly recommend this book to anyone, especially those looking for realistic romance that doesn't go over the top with the graphic descriptions of romance, just be prepared to be disappointed at the end. This book may not have a lot of pages, but it certainly has an emotional level not matched by many others. by Max Y., Caroline H,, Kaj W,, and Elana H.
Fight Club is a book about a man who meets an odd friend through a series of strange events where the man is involved in multiple support groups and turns the support groups into a violent anarchist organizations. The only setting ever mentioned in the book is an address, 5123 NE Paper Street, and we never find out what city the book takes place in. The main character and His friend Tyler Durden meet each other in a tough time in both of their lives. After his house burns down the main character moves in with Tyler and shortly after they start a fight club and everything comes together. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk was a very enjoyable book. The beginning was a little abrupt and confusing, but after that it was a very good story. By the middle, the author explained more of what was going on which made the book a lot less confusing. We enjoyed the writing style and the descriptions. We recommend this book, but keep in mind this is a mature topic meant for 9th graders and up. This book had some intense themes and topics for younger ages. by Molly D. Abby C. & Zachary R.
John Green’s Looking For Alaska is a great book for anyone searching for a great young adult romance novel. This book follows Miles “Pudge” Halter on is search for what he calls the “Great Perhaps”. A journey which takes him to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama and introduces him to many interesting characters- including the beautiful, wild, self-destructive Alaska Young. He experiences many new things both amazing and terrible, all until his world comes crashing down. Pudge and his friends must learn how to deal with love and loss, and through it all they become stronger, smarter, and have a higher appreciation for life in all it’s beauty. Looking for Alaska is perfect for any teenager who is searching for their own “Great Perhaps”. John Green does a phenomenal job of understanding the reckless teenage mind. He has a wonderfully heart wrenching style that will make you cry and laugh all at once. However, be aware that there are some mature topics in the story that some younger kids may not understand. But for mature people 13 and up, Looking for Alaska is a fantastic read. by Ava B, Mason M, Chloe C, Anna H, &Whitney Toutenhoofd
Atlantia by Ally Condie, an attempt to save a dystopian civilization, reunite a family, whilst maintaining an entertaining and captivating plot for the reader, has epicly failed. This fantasy book has a promising beginning: setting up a world with two realms, the Above and the Below. The Above, being a world above land is said to be toxic and dangerous, and Below being “beautiful” and “safe.” Rio tries to find out clues about her family's past, while maintaining her safety. This book had a potential for a captivating plot and interesting characters; however, turned out boring and unfortunately inadequate to what the reader expects. There is little to none character work throughout the plot. And all through the book it is predictable and dull. I would not recommend this book to someone who seeks adventure and intrigue. If you are searching for a simple and easy read, this book is good for you. by Sully K. and Shae W.
The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter is an insightful story about a young girl discovering her place in world through struggle, challenge, and pain. This realistic fiction novel takes place in Pennsylvania, following the self discovery path of Cassie. Cassie, just released from a psychiatric ward goes to college and into the real world for the first time. While confronting her haunting past, she makes friends and breaks unhealthy habits and family connections. We found this book captivating and real. The characters insightful, and the mood was stunning and direct. This story really captures the feeling of being in a dysfunctional family environment with the pressure to be perfect. We recommend this book for mature 9th graders because it deals with hard emotional subjects, that may not be appropriate for younger readers. |
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