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Sasha Drews
June 9th 2023
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
Rating: 4.6/5

Ender’s Game is a Sci-Fi novel which takes place in the future. In this story, humanity is expanding and colonizing the solar system and galaxy, but has encountered a hostile alien race. These aliens are called buggers, and the forces of Earth have been fighting them for many years. Other books follow this conflict before Ender’s Game, such as the Earth Afire series. The first war had been won by Mazer Rakham, but the buggers returned in Ender’s Game, hence the new training program. Although the war is devastating, lots of technology is recovered, further advancing the human race. Andrew Wiggin (Ender), a six year-old boy, is selected for a military training program. In this program, he plays special games which train him for a duty he does not know. He lives in space on a station where the training is held, along with many other gifted kids. During the years, he spends there, he makes friends and learns, but also experiences severe bullying and pain. This story follows his successes and struggles, and how they impact him and all of humanity.

I read this book for the second time and enjoyed it greatly. Although the introduction is slow, the book is incredibly written and tells a very interesting story. The plot and story elements are unique and the author’s writing style is very good. As you read, the story captivates you more as you uncover Ender’s true purpose, and as the pieces come together. Getting to re-read this book has also allowed me to reflect on the author’s craft and attention to detail which can be seen throughout. I would recommend this book to someone who likes Sci-Fi, or to someone who is a fan of Orson Scott Card. This is a very good book and I give it a 4.6/5.

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The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

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The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

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Nora Caropelo
June 10, 2023
The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones
Rating: 5/5

"The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England" by Dan Jones is a readable and engaging historical summary of the rise and fall of one of one of England's most important ruling houses, spanning from the 12th to the 15th century. Throughout the book, Jones weaves together political and military events with the personal lives of the Plantagenets, which offers readers a deeper understanding of their motivations, desires, and the impact of their choices. Dan Jones combines extensive research with a truly engaging narrative style, making his book a compelling read for history fans and general readers alike.

I would rate this book a 5/5 because it was well written and interesting. This book captures the story of eight unique rulers, and the different political situations of England, over nearly three centuries in a way that is accessible to all readers. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a thrilling read filled with war, murder, conquest, betrayal, and treachery in medieval Europe.

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Willa Stockton
June 9, 2023
The Insomniacs by Marit Weisenberg
Rating: 4/5

The insomniacs by Marit Weisenberg is about  Ingrid, and Van both about 17 year old neighbors. The book starts off when Ingrid who is a competitive diver freezes while doing her diving routine. She is now housebound and is trying to figure out what caused her to freeze during her routine because the only thing she remembers is seeing her life long crush Van on the sidelines. She starts to experience Insomnia making it so she can't sleep.  Days go by and she finds out that her neighbor van is also experiencing Insomnia. They start staying up together every night putting pieces of their memory back together and while doing so they figure out their neighborhood isn't what it seems to be.

I thought this book was super good and interesting, and I really enjoyed how it consisted of a lot of themes that I like, like love, and mystery.

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Evalin Perez
June 9, 2023
The Poet X by Elizebeth Acevedo
Rating: 4/5

Xiomara is the main character. She is a 15 year old girl who expresses her thoughts and feelings through poetry. In these poems she talks about the things she feels she cannot say aloud. She struggles with the expectation of staying true to her faith and begins to question if she even believes there is a god.

Growing up and living in Harlem, she is surrounded by drug dealers and teenagers becoming pregnant far before they are ready to be parents. Her best friend Caridad and her have to navigate high school together as they are finding out who they are and what they want to be.

I liked this book a lot. The author uses such beautiful poems to describe Xiomara's life and portrays herself as an author through Xiomara.

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Loucas Getman
June 8, 2023
The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette
Rating: 5/5

Our story starts when Robbie wakes up, late for class. He eventually hears another person, carol a blind women also going to the same school, but for some reason they don't see or hear anyone else, and the wildlife has exploded. That was until touré almost runs them over with a bike. In this book, a group of 7 people go though adventures and have to figure out what happened to everyone, without dyeing that is.

This book was just a fun read, simply put. I enjoyed the adventure and how it seemed so real. I like how it's an apocalypse but not your typical zombies-eat-your-brains stuff that's been repeated thousands of times.

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Levi Chaplain
June 8, 2023
American Born Chinese by: Gene Luen Yang
4.5/5

American Born Chinese is a graphic novel about Jin Wang through his high school journey. He struggles through his immigrant home life and his rocky high school career. The story gets even more wild when he meets a foreign exchange student. When he meets the student, he must face mystical gods. The book has amazing graphics and I recommend this book heavily to anyone. The beginning is a tad slow but it speeds up into an amazing story. The age group I most recommend this book to is middle to high school students but anyone can enjoy this graphic novel.

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Chase Hostetler
June 8, 2023
Acceleration by Graham Mcnamee
2/5
Acceleration is a book about a teenage boy and his friends that goes around Toronto trying to track down a psychopath. The main character is a 17 year old boy named Duncan and his friends agree to work with him. The reason he is doing this is because he finds a leather filled diary that has specific dates on women who planned on getting murdered. Duncan decides to step up for these women before anything bad happens. The other reason he tries to do this is because the summer before he was swimming with one of his friends named Maya, she drowned and was unable to save her and was traumatized by her screams and panicking. He hopes to find this killer to make up for Maya's death since he was blamed for not being able to save Maya. This book is unsettling and it expresses themes of guilt.

For me this book was very slow paced and boring but at the end it finally got good. I don't like books that are slow progressing stories that eventually lead to something good in the end because I like action throughout the book. The rating that this book would get from me would be a 6/10 with a recommended age group of 40 and above. I don't really think teenagers would like this book as for me it was very slow and just not my type of book.

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Coleton Schade
June 8, 2023
Overturned by Lamar Giles
Rating: 4/5

Nikki, the main character of this story starts out by picking up her Dad from death row after he killed his best friends in a gambling issue. He was able to maintain his innocence for 5 years and eventually his murder conviction gets overturned. However Nikki doesn't want anything to do with him because she soon learns that her Dad isn't the same person she knew before he went to prison, and it doesn't help the situation when not soon after we learn that shes also living a life of crime by working in a secret operation. Nikki has been playing illegal card games in a casino in Vegas to save up enough money to go to her high school graduation. But once her dad comes back for the first time Nikki learns that she had much bigger things to worry about and she will soon be gambling for her life.

This book would be really good for someone that enjoys mysterious thrillers with a lot of plot twists. I personally liked this book but there were definitely some spots that I felt like never got answers towards the end. But in my opinion I think that the start of the book is a 5/5, you were constantly learning more and more about the characters and the short stop sentences the writers uses keeps you wanting to know what happens next. The reason it got a 4/5 from me is mostly just because i didn't enjoy the end of the book as much as the start but I am very picky when it comes to book so the fact that i kept my attention for that long is impressive enough for me to tell others to give this book a try for at least the start.

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Graham Pasciuto-Wood
June 7, 2023
One of Us is Lying
Karen M. McManus
5/5
Bronwyn, Cooper, Nate and Addy  are thrust into the spotlight after their classmate Simon dies in front of them. Simon was none to post secrets about kids in their school and after his death, secrets about each of the four of them slowly started to get leaked. Each of the teens try to unravel the mystery of how their secrets were leaked after Simon's death. They each struggle with life after they are exposed.
I really liked this book, something I enjoyed was the multiple perspectives. I would rate it a 5/5 because it had a really good story and twist in it. The best age group for this story is highschoolers because it has some more mature topics than other books, it was a really good read and I would definitely recommend it to other people.

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Maki Winner
June 6, 2023
The T Guide by: Gigi Gorgeous and Gottmik
Rating: 5/5

The T Guide is an informational book written by transgender authors. The T Guide is made for people who are thinking they might be transgender or none-binary and for people who want to learn more about the topic of transgender. The book is about the experiences the authors have gone through when they discovered they were transgender and what it was like fore them to transition along with a lot of other peoples experiences with the topic.

The T Guild is also a nice read because its not a novel type of book, all the words that are in the book were pulled from a interview, where Gigi and Gottmik were just having a conversation with each other on the topic of transgender. I would give The T Guide a 5/5 because its very informative and it helped me think more deeply about how I want to express myself to the world, and helped me think about if I think transitioning is the right thing more me.

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Junior
June 8,2023
bud not buddy by Christopher  Paul Curtis
rating 4/5

Bud, Not Buddy is a novel written by Christopher Paul Curtis, which tells the story of a ten-year-old orphan named Bud Caldwell. In the book, Bud is on a mission to find his father during the Great Depression in the United States. Throughout his journey, Bud faces many challenges and obstacles, but he never gives up. Bud is a determined and resilient character who shows readers the importance of perseverance, hope, and friendship.

I liked the book because its powerful and is a really good book.

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Ellis Austin
May 31, 2023
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
4/5
My Friend Dahmer, by Derf Backderf, is a true story of Jeffery Dahmer. It is told by someone who went to high school with him and knew him personally. Jeffery was a quiet kid that no one really liked nor disliked. He liked to impersonate special needs people to get a laugh out of the other kids. He also was very interested in dead things. He dissected animals in a shed in the woods behind his house. At home, he did not have a good family life. He fell into deep alcoholism but was never caught at school. After the high school graduation, nobody heard from him until he became a serial killer and was arrested.

I really liked this book and it had a very interesting plot. The story really hooked me in and I always wanted to keep reading. I have never learned about him before so it was all new to me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes mysterious storys.

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Amelia Shaw

June 6, 2023

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Rating: 4.25/5

These Violent Delights is a fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The story takes place in 1926 in Shanghai, and follows Roma and Juliette, whose families are the leaders of rival gangs. After what people start to refer to as a contagion of madness causing members of both gangs to start tearing their own throats out, Roma and Juliette team up to try to solve what is causing it, knowing there won’t be a city for either of them to one day rule over if they fail.

This book was fantastically written. The way the author described the setting and events was incredibly immersive. The only reason I didn’t rate this book 5/5 was because parts of it were kind of slow. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating fantasy with quite a bit of action and a great romance subplot.

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Liam Anderson
24 May 2023

The Exorcist By:William Peter Blatty

Rating 2/5

Book reveiw 2

The book I chose is The Exorcist, personally I didnt like the book very much, and only got a quarter threw it. While the exorcist is a classic, i found it boring, and to long. Every once in a while, it would get good, than there would be a long drought of anything happening which i found boring and forgettable. I wouldnt recommend this book to people who like a book that will constantly keep you hooked, if you like horror with a long build up, than I would recommend this book to you.

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Lucian Landey
May 26, 2023
Too Cool by Duff Brenna
Rating: 5/5

After Triple E steals a car and escapes from reform school, he goes back into town and picks up his friend and the love of his life, Jeanne. They drive deep into the freezing Colorado wilderness, running from the tailing police. After finding themselves stranded and very alone in a freezing car,  Triple E begins to unravel the past, and with it, his mind.
This book grabs you at the very beginning, sucking you into its world with the tension and the excitement that being with Triple E causes. I would say this book is up there with some of my other favorite books, it is a disturbingly exciting book which never has a rough or boring patch to it. The book is short, and while I wish I could return to Triple E's horrifying world and his lovely Jeanne, the ending was perfectly executed, as with all other aspects of the book. I would definitely recommend Too Cool, but it is a very graphic and disturbing book within the mind of a poor abused teenage criminal, which is not something for everyone.

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Margot Kalmanson
May 23. 2023
That Weekend by Kara Thomas
3/5
The weekend of prom, Claire, her friend, and her friend's boyfriend sneak away to a lake house to get away from the prom. They were supposed to go up the mountain to camp, but 48 hours later Claire wakes up with blood on her hands and no recollection of what happened before. Kat and Jesse are gone, and no one can seem to find them. As time goes on, Kat and Jesse are still nowhere to be found and Claire still has no memory of being struck on the head by some mysterious person. She decides to take matters into her own hands and try to figure out where they are or if they are even still alive.

This book has an interesting plot.I liked being able to read the whole investigation and the thought processes of different characters, especially Claire after she was injured. I found that the pacing was pretty boring because not a lot was happening in long spans of time. I would rate this book a 3/5 because it was interesting, but not great. I would not recommend this book to someone else because I think there are better books like this that you could read.

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Silas Blum

May 8, 2023

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

4/5

Four years after the mysterious murder of her favorite teacher, Brynn Gallagher dreadingly returns to her former high school with one incentive- to uncover the true story behind this mystery. As more of the past is uncovered, more of the present is shaken up and secrets are revealed- about the dead teacher, classmates who found the body, corrupt school, and even her own family.

I think this book was a well-written mystery. I rated it a 4 out of 5 because it was not as good as this author’s previous novels, but something I found interesting was how she referenced them throughout this one. This book is a good read for most middle to high school students who want a suspenseful mystery to immerse themselves in. I liked how not only did the plot and mystery unravel, but the reader could also see main characters develop and fall apart as the story progressed. This book was full of unexpected twists and secrets.

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Ann Worthington
February 1, 2023
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: 5/5

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about Evelyn Hugo, a secretive celebrity that is now giving away her entire life story to Monique Grant, a journalist who is going through a divorce. Throughout Evelyn's story, Monique comes to realize the power in herself, and the rich woman in front of her. This story will make you ask why Evelyn is sharing her story, and why Monique Grant is chosen to tell it to the world. The twists and turns of the book are like no other.
This might just be my favorite book ever. It's so so good, I read it so fast and I wish I could read it for the first time again. If I could give it 6/5 stars I would because the author truly will keep you turning pages and make you admire Evelyn Hugo the same way everyone else on the planet seems to do as well. If you don't have a book to read, I am begging you to read this one because it's just that breathtaking.

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Chase Hostetler
January 20 2023
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Rating 5/5

This book follows three different stories during three different time lines. Three of the main characters are Isabel, in the beginning of the book she starts off in Cuba during 1994. During this time her country is rioting and their family is unable to rest due to police trying to find her father. Their plan is to set sail across the Caribbean sea with a homemade raft. The second Character is Josef and his story takes place in Germany during the 1930's. During this time the Nazis took over and his family was threatened to be put into a concentration camp. His families plan is to set sail on a ship hoping to start a new life. The third character took place in Syria in 2015. His homeland is torn apart by the war. His family's plan is to walk a long way towards Europe. During these times these specific families experience catastrophes while trying to get to safety and start a new life in a new area.

I rate this book a 5 out 5 of because of the way the story ends and how the book transitions from one story to the other. This book was amazing and I would definetly read it again.

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Cash Dundas
January 18th, 2023
Sports, Teamwork, achievement
Overall rating: 5.0

The story is about an English teacher/comic book writer who gets very interested in his high school's varsity basketball team on a journey to winning the California state championship. After hating sports and steering clear of them his whole childhood Mr. Yang follows this team around the country writing about the player's individual stories and the team's story on their way to the state championship.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 and I recommend it to anyone who likes graphic novels or sports. I read it very quickly because I just couldn't stop and I really enjoyed it.

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Gabriel Arms
January 20th, 2023
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'enge
Rating: 3.5/5
This story follows siblings Meg and Charles Wallace along with their newfound friend Calvin. Charles meets some witches, named Mrs Who, Mrs Which, and Mrs Whatsit. The witches aren't evil, however, and have supernatural powers to travel through space and time. Meg's father has been missing on a mission for a long time, and they suspect the witches have something to do with that. Soon they realize their father is on a faraway planet and want to save him. So, they go on an adventure through space to save their father and resist against powerful enemies.

I thought this book was good but it was written a long time ago which threw me off at times. Overall I give it a positive rating.

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Caleb Wong
January 11th 2023
The Crossover by Kwame
Alexander
Rating:4/5

Two twin brothers Josh and Jordan do everything with eachother and they are going into there 8th grade basketball season. They were given nicknames made up by there creative dad and they are Mc Nasty (Josh) and JB (Jordan). The two twin brothers have a naturual love for the game and you can tell where they get it from. There dad Chuck Bell was a profesinol basketball that could've been great if he wasn't to battling with bad family past health issues. So instead there dad retired and settled down with a sweet calm, caring, Women to balance out his wild personality. The boys mom is the asistant principal and makes sure the boys stay out of trouble, and on the other hand the boys Dad is a proud father that has fun and chill personality. Getting back to the boys they are special talents and they are a dynamic duo on and off the court. This soon changed though when Jb started talking to the new girl named Alexis at school. Him and Jb would slowly drift apart and this wouldn't be good with them finding there dad is having bad health issues. As the Basketball season goes on Mc Nasty will be in a tough position emotionally epsecially heading into playoffs.

This Book in my opinion was very great plot wise durring the story between the emotional changes. This also hits home with my love for basketball. Having a brother I can understand sort of was protagonist goes through this story. Which is one of the main reasons I enjoy this story so much. The author does a great job showing emotion and sequences. The only flaw I have about the book is the pacing with I feel some key parts going by way to fast. Besides that I believe the book is really solid. I would definetley read a sequel if there was one.

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Lauren Flisakowski
January 9th, 2023
A Map for Lost Girls by Jessica Taylor
Rating: 4/5

Two sisters, along with a boy they just met, get stranded on a small island near Puerto Rico and have to learn to fend for themselves. The two sisters were in Porto Rico for a vacation after their parents got a divorce. Their mom is a mess and the boy they're with lives alone, so they quickly realize help isn't coming. The story is told in two alternate timelines, the present day, which is their survival on the island while trying to stay sane, as well as individual character growth that helps them to work together and stay alive. The past timeline is focused along on the friendship of the two sisters, and what ultimately drove them apart from each other, after being so close. As the two alternate timelines go along we figure out what broke their friendship, how they came to hate each other so much, as well as how they currently see each other.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. With the mix of drama, romance and suspense, I rarely wanted to put the book down after I started reading. The book really captures the feelings of the characters as they were trapped on the island not knowing if they were ever going to get off or even survive. I was engaged in both the past and present storylines because the author did a very good job of leaving each timeline on a cliffhanger. I had to keep reading until the next two chapters to find out what happened, as opposed to only 1. Overall I would give this book a ⅘.  I would definitely read this book again in a few years.

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Lucas Katz
Jan 9, 2023
The berlin boxing club by Robert Sharenow
Rating 5/5
Set years before WWII in Germany, the story follows a fourteen year old boy named Karl Stern. He had a normal life until his first day of school were bullies revealed he was a Jew. Karl had never considered himself a Jew, but as Nazis started to became more popular throughout Germany it became easier to find who was Jewish. After he had been beaten his father made a deal with a famous German boxer Max Schmeling to teach Karl how to box. Soon Karl starts to become very passionate in boxing. But as Jewish rights start to get non-existent, Karl is faced with a number of problems he has to face in order to protect his family.
This book is very well written and while reading i feel like i'm right with Karl for the whole story. Every problem and victory he has to face feels real with genuine emotions that make me feel empathetic for his situation.

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Book Review
January 5, 2023
Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Souhanneau
Rating 5/5
Lexi Harrington

This book follows the young ballerina Mia Jenrow, who has just been accepted into a six week ballet program. This program was not easy to get into and her family had to make a lot of sacrifices to send her there. When she gets their, she makes many friends, and prepares to study as a level four dancer, but is surprised to find out she is being bumped up into the highest class. There she is able to try out for lead rolls, and learn from only the best instructors. Determined to give all her attention to dance, she works no stop, until she is interrupted by a handsome french boy. She has to learn to balance, ballet,  her love of France, her families weird history, and the boy she wants to be with the most.

I really enjoyed this book. If you're looking for an easy, and cheesy romance book I would definitely recommend this book. It is very lighthearted and fun, but very addictive.

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Sasha Drews
January 6th, 2023
The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 3.5/5

Set during WW2, this book is a nonfiction story about the leaders of bomber forces and the power struggles between them. It follows the "Bomber Mafia", which was a group of American Air Force commanders who firmly believed in new bombing technologies and their morals. The Norden bomb sight was one of these inventions, and it promised to make precision bombing possible. The "Bomber Mafia" utilized this invention in an effort to wage a new kind of war. They believed that there was a more ethical way to fight, a way that didn't include the loss of millions of lives. However, not everyone agreed, and so they struggled hard. This story is a tale of their struggles, their achievements, and losses, and how they affect us now.

This book is well written, and includes many little-known facts, perspectives, and details about famous events. It has a clear order and is easy to read. These make it very informative while still being readable. Although it is pretty good, it is not very dramatic or exciting because of its fact based nature. This makes it somewhat of a boring read and dreary at some points. I would still recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about WW2 bomber forces or the Allied commanders during the war. You learn many things you didn't know, and gain a new perspective.

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Coleton Schade
January 12, 2023
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
Rating 4.5/5

In 1930 a Jewish boy that goes by the name Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis who have taken over their home town as they invade the surrounding area. Yanek and his parents try to stay hidden for as long as possible sneaking out at night to retrieve necessities.  Eventually Yanek gets  ends up getting caught and sent to one of the concentration camps. As he watches everything hes known and loved get snatched away from him he gets sent to different camps and gets marked as prisoner B-3087. World War II rages around him and he faces things that will hunt him for the rest of his life. Will he end up getting out or lose his will to fight?

Most books don´t catch my attention so when I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next I was very excited. The book tells Yenek´s story very well and it shows a lot of emotion when you read it. Overall it's a really good book and I suggest everyone at least give it a shot because I promise you wont be disappointed.

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Willa Stockton
January 6, 2023
Paper Towns by John Green
Rating 4.5/5

In Orlando, Florida Quentin a senior in high school weeks away from graduation is startled by a knock at his window by a girl named Margo he has not interacted with since they were nine. She requests Quentin to help her get revenge on her friends who wronged her. He agrees and they spend the night buying their supplies, and trespassing. Only a few weeks after his adventures with Margo she becomes missing, but she makes sure to leave clues for Quentin. Quentin picks up quickly on the clues left for him and convinces Margo's other friends, Lacey, Radar, and Ben to help him find Margo. The clues end up leading them to a abandoned mini mall where its obvious Margo had spent some time camping out in the building as there are more clues left and maps scattered across the the floors and walls. That's when they find Margo's multiple mentions of somewhere called "Paper Towns" But they didn't think too much of it. Some people start to slowly give up on finding Margo but Quentin is determined. Finally on the day of graduation he finds that Margo is in a place called the "Paper Town" in New York, yet she is leaving the next day which gives Quentin 24 hours to find Margo.

I really enjoyed this book although I felt it got slow at times it was worth it. The story captures the genres of mystery, love, and justice. It is very engaging and you look forward to reading more!

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Lucian Landey

January 3, 2023

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Rating: 5/5

Valentine Michael Smith is a Martian. A human being raised on mars, he is taken back to his home planet, where he must adapt to our earthly cultures. Set in the not so distant future, in a world where we can fly to mars, where taxis are driven by robots and can fly. Smith meets many different, very human personalities during his adventures on earth.  He also must learn to understand the human concepts of desire, and most importantly love.

This book is an all time sci-fi classic, and quite possibly one of the most well written books I have ever read. It is a thrilling ride of wonder, hard to put down, and a book that will leave you with answers to questions you never knew you were asking.

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Evalin Perez
January 6, 2023
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Rating: 5/5

This story is set in Dublin Ireland. It is about two queer Bengali girls named Humaira "Hani" and Ishita "Ishu."

One day Hani comes out to her friends as bisexual. They completely invalidate her identity and say that she can't be bisexual because she's only ever been with guys. In a panic Hani blurts that she actually is seeing someone and her name is Ishita Dey. A girl her friends know and hate.

Ishu is an academic overachiever and she's the complete opposite of Hani. She gets an unexpected call from her sister at college one day and she comes home with some news that upsets her parents very much. Because of that Ishu is hopeful that she can be Head Girl and make her parents see that she is on the right track for a good future. She agrees to help Hani in order to gain popularity for her campaign.

Hani and Ishu start to develop real feelings for each other but no one wants to say anything because it was all supposed to be fake.

I would definitely recommend this book it's full of really great moments between the two and was overall just a really cute book.

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Junior Adams
January 6, 2022
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 5/5
Rating 5/5

Starr Carter is the protagonist in this story, and the story is about how her friend Khalil gets shot and killed by a white police officer that thought he had a gun when it was only a brush. Starr witnessed him getting shot and started protesting for Khalil. When they were protesting the police came and started arresting people and throwing tear gas. Starr throws the tear gas back at the police. They go to the store to get milk for their eyes then kings comes and starts a fire in the store.

They came out alive from the fire. King and Starr's dad Maverick were starting to argue then starts little brother pulls a gun out from his dad's back and was about to shot king. Starr starts yelling at them because her little brother Sekani pulled a gun out. King ends up getting arrested and the family ends up moving out of the hood.

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Graham Pasciuto-Wood
October 5, 2022
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Rating 5/5

Citra and Rowan were just revived after being dead for three years at the bottom of the sea after the last book. During this time Greyson has become the representative of a global religion and struggles with the pressure and threats that this job comes with. Citra, also known as Scythe Anastasia, tries to bring down the Scythe Godard who has now become the most powerful man on the Earth and is quickly shaping the world into his image.
This book uses figurative language well and never feels awkward when it occurs. The book does a great job of balancing all the different plot points and points of views.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the first two books or enjoys science fiction. It is a fitting finale to the trilogy and sets up for new stories down the line.

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Liam Anderson

January 6, 2023

Sam by: Tom Hallman JR.

Rating: 5/5

This book is about a 9th grader who has a Facial Disfigurement. This book follows his struggles with going to high school and undergoing surgery and almost dying. This book is very powerful and I really recommend it to anyone who likes books that keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Rating 4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book just because it talks about and hints about very big concepts. It is about a seventh grader of color loves to draw. His mom and dad decide to enroll him in a private school that he does not want to go to instead of the art school he does. It talks about middle school but I think it is about middle school and high school. I plan to keep reading the kill order as my next book.
-Levi Chaplain

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Silas Blum

January 5, 2023

Everything Sad is Untrue By Daniel Nayeri

5/5

Khosrou “Daniel” Nayeri is an Iranian refugee weaving a web of short stories before the reader as if he is Scheherazade in the 1,001 Nights. He is the author of this book, and it is told from the perspective of a younger version of himself. The stories he tells are from his own experiences in a hostile Oklahoma classroom, his family’s stories of immigration and religious persecution, and the heroes and kingdoms of his ancestors’ past. Daniel’s classmates do not take him or his stories seriously, as they tell of his past’s vast wealth and beauty not reflected in him. But he has to stake his claim to the truth, because at his core, he is a storyteller of the truth.

I thought this book was a well-written mix between autobiography and narrative. It was hard to put down because each time I finished a short story, a new one would start. This is a perfect read for most middle and high school readers who like realistic fiction, intense stories, or even fantasy, because the stories span different times and points of view even though they all contribute to the book and its theme. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 because I appreciated the character development and flow from story to story, and overall, I thought it was a unique way to form a collection of short stories.

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Mika Winner
January 5, 2023
They both die at the end by Adam Silvera
Rating: 5/5

Two boys get a call from Death Cast telling them that they will die at some point in the next 24 hours. They meet each other online and decide to meet up so they won't be alone on their end-day. Over the course of the 24 hours they go on adventures, get involved with not so good action, and create  a great relationship with their families and friends but and even better relationship with each other.

I would really recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure, drama, (kind of) romance, and sad story.

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Ellis Austin
January 3, 2022
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
Rating: 5/5

Jeffery Dahmer, A crazed serial killer, had very many odd intentions. This is a story written by his old friend and classmate. It tells from the perspective of someone who actually knew him. The attention to detail on Dahmers personality and his actions is astonishing. The book goes through a timeline of his life.
Dahmer was a very quiet kid who never had any real friends. This book tells about his life in high school. He started to fall into deep alcoholism during his time as a student. He was never caught drinking at school. He had problems at home with his parents always fighting. He would dissect animals in the forest behind his backyard. There was a shed behind his house in which he would dissolve animals to see the bones. Dead bodies always interested him.
For the most part, after he graduated high school along with all of his classmates, he was not seen. There was a couple times in which he ran into them. These moments where just brief exchanges.
I think that this is a very interesting book. It tells from a perspective that is not seen a lot. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes non-fiction stories.

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Amelia Shaw
January 3, 2023
Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear, and Light, by Michael Grant
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

One moment, everything in the town of Perdido Beach is normal. The next, everyone over the age of fourteen disappears. Gone.
Now, all of the kids are left to fend for themselves. At first, it seems like a dream come true: no school, no rules, and no one to stop them from crimes. Soon, they find themselves running out of food, and just wishing that life would return to normal. There's no escape from town, due to the forcefield like struture around the town, that blocks them from even seeing the outside world. As far as they can tell, they're the only people left. In addition, there's no internet. No way of asking for help, or accessing the outside world, if anything even remains there.
As if that isn't enough, some of the kids in town have started to develop weird abilities. Abilities that shouldn't be possible. Both animals and humans seem to be mutating, causing indescribable horrors within the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone), as the kids have named it.

Brief Descriptions and RatingsFor Each Book (Spoiler Free!)
Gone- Everyone over the age of fifteen disappears, leaving a couple hundred kids to fend for themselves. Among them are Sam Temple and Astrid Ellison. After a fire starts in town, Sam runs into the building, saving the kids in it. Everyone admires him for doing so, but he doesn't want to be in the position of power he gains after saving them. As he approaches his 15th birthday, he wonders if he will disppear too. Meanwhile, Astrid, nicknamed "Astrid The Genius" by her classmates, seems to be the only one who really understands how terrible the situation is. She is trying to figure out how any of this is possible, while taking care of her four year old brother, Pete.
Rating: 4.5/5
Hunger- Tension is rising in the FAYZ, as "normal" kids form alliances against those who have started to develop superhero-like abilities. This is only added to by the fact that they are running out of food, and very few people are activly trying to do something about it.
Rating: 4.5/5
Lies- Astrid has put together a town council, in hopes to bring some level of control and order to the FAYZ. But, much bigger problems are coming up, even worse than any problems they've faced before. A creature that can only be descirbed as darkness, called the Gaiaphage, is attempting to take over, and it's methods of doing so have horrendous results.
Rating: 4/5
Plague- Personal issues between the main characters are interrupted when a deadly plague spreads through the FAYZ. At the same time, animals continue to mutate and kill.
Rating: 4/5
Fear- Some kind of stain starts to spread across the forcefield, and the kids inside soon realize that they're close to being in total darkness. The kids, who had previously started to split up, are now back to relying on each other more, as they prepare for what this darkness will mean for their chances of survival.
Rating: 4.5/5
Light- The Gaiaphage has found a way to take over the FAYZ. It is the most powerful being in Perdido Beach, meaning that the kids aren't sure they'll make it through this time.
Rating: 5/5

The Gone series is a brilliant YA dystopian sci-fi. The writing style is very fast paced, and despite containing six books, all about 400-600 pages long, it never gets repetitive. The found family elements and brilliant characters make the story even more devastating.
These books can be very disturbing. The trigger warnings include as follow: Abelism, abuse, addiction (drug and alcohol), body horror, bullying, eating disorders, graphic violence, and self-harm.
I would highly reccomend this series to anyone who likes fast paced books, sci-fi, and/or shocking plots.

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Margot Kalmanson
December 27, 2022
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Rating: 4/5

This book takes place in a fantasy country, Illea, where a monarchy rules and a system where all subjects are divided into castes, from Eight, which is complete poverty and destitution, to One, which is the royal family. As the prince of Illea becomes of age, a Selection is held to find his bride amongst the women of Illea. America Singer is a Five and was chosen to participate in the selection. Although most women her age would love to compete for the prince's love/crown, America's heart is elsewhere, for a Seven. As she competes in the Selection, America feels conflicted as she learns more and more about the prince.

This book is the first of this series. It was very entertaining, and the cliffhanger at the end made me want to read the next book. I would recommend it to someone looking for an easy-going read who enjoys Fantasy and Fiction, but it is not very complex writing.

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Book review
January 6,2022
Code of Honor by alan gratz
Rating: 5/5
Kamran Smith is a boy in his senior year of high school who has found himself in the middle of a terrorist attack on the united states of america. His brother, an ex army ranger supposedly joined al-Qaeda and his terrorists. He had led an attack on the US embassy and some other things. Kamran thinks that his brother Darius is innocent and didn't do those things and he was forced to, but no one else thinks so. At first it was just people avoiding and bullying him at school because he and his brother are Iranian and everyone thinks that his brother would turn because of their race. Kamran is then abducted by the US government, and interrogated but he knows that Darius is innocent. Or so he thought.
This is a very well written story in my opinion, and is very different from his other books, such as refugee and ground zero. This book had exceeded my expectations and was more focused on one story, rather than two or three. Not only is this book a good read, but it has a good plot, charterers and some plot twists. This book keeps you on your toes and you never know what will happen next.

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Ann Worthington
December 22, 2022
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Rating: 4/5

Esther Greenwood is at a one-month paid internship at Ladie's Day Magazine, where she spends her days editing for the magazine, as well as being taken to parties that end with her taking care of her drunken roommates. Once the internship is over, she ends up stranded not knowing what to do or where to go in her life. She liked the idea of becoming a poet but not only was that unreasonable for a woman at the time (the 1950s), but she also became unable to write, read and sleep when she returned home and fell into a deep depression, or she described as being stuck in a bell jar.
The Bell Jar is not only a story that faces what it's like to know what to do with your life, especially for a woman limited to her career path. And it also tells a story about Esther, and the way Sylvia Plath described her depression to a point where she was "unfixable", I believe that this story was Sylvia's way of writing about her own depression when Sylvia committed suicide one month after the book was published.
I loved this book. I genuinely believe that I won't find another book again that can portray depression the way The Bell Jar can. Please know the trigger warnings before you read this book, but other than that I would highly recommend it. The only reason I rate this a 4/5 and not a 5/5 was because the pacing of the book in my opinion could have been better, but if you are someone that doesn’t mind that I really hope you can get your hands on this book.

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Student Model
May 26, 2022
Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Rating: 4.5/5

Mo, Luke, Violet, Drummer, and Hannah have been best friends their entire lives. Everyone around town knows them as the "monsters," a nickname they gained after they all played the wild things in a performance of Where the Wild Things Are when they were little kids. The monsters spend every summer together, swimming, watching movies, going on adventures, and doing everything else their hearts desire. On a hot, dry, summer afternoon during their last summer before college, the monsters visited the Gap Lake, the deepest swimming hole in the mountains, just as they'd done many times before. All was well until Luke decided to light a pipe he'd brought along and Hannah violently hit it from his hands. The pipe hit the ground of the forest which was currently at extreme risk of wildfire. Next thing they knew, the monsters were the culprits of one of the largest and most damaging wildfires. When questioned by the police they did what they thought was their only choice: lie. Suddenly the monsters are rapped in too many lies to juggle and it's not long before one of them cracks. And when one monster cracks - they bring the rest down with them.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it. The plot is full of unexpected twists and secrets you would never expect. It is extremely engaging and hard to put down!