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And Then There Were None
Christie, Agatha
Reviewed: November 1, 2023
If you are searching for a horror/mystery/thriller-type book, look no further than And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. This book discusses ten guests being tricked into being sent to Soldier Island in Southwest England. The story is about the mysterious disappearances of the guests living on the island. It explains what the guests think and how terrified they are of dying and being killed by a crazy lunatic on the island.
And Then There Were None is a true depiction of horror, full of surprises that keep you guessing about what is happening and who the... Read Full Review
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Divergent
Roth, Veronica
Reviewed: October 25, 2023
Divergent by Veronica Roth is a series with four books. (The fourth one is not necessary to read, but you can if you want.) Divergent features a world divided into five Factions: Erudite the smart ones (scientists), Dauntless the brave ones (soldiers), Abnegation the selfless ones (helpers), Candor the truth-telling ones (judges), and Amity, the happy ones (farmers). Everyone at the age of 16 takes a test to see which Faction they belong to.
The main character, Beatrice, was born in Abnegation. Beatrice hopes her test results will be Dauntless. However, her test... Read Full Review
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Pretties
Westerfeld, Scott
Reviewed: October 11, 2023
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld is the second book of the series Uglies. The book is about Tally Youngblood turning "pretty" and the side effects she endures when she becomes "pretty." The side effects make people sort of dumb, unable to think problems through, and she cannot cause a dispute. In the world of the Pretties, robots do everything for the people, making people lazy and think less.
After Tally becomes "pretty," she believes she is living the life. She is really popular and has a hot boyfriend. Tally's looks are beyond perfect, and she is extremely rich.... Read Full Review
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Mockingjay
Collins, Suzanne.
Reviewed: October 4, 2023
Mockingjay Suzanne Collins continues where Catching Fire left off. Katniss gets rescued from the arena and starts to live in District 13. Katniss is in shock and right away tries to find Peeta. She later finds out President Snow kidnapped him (I swear I hate this man!). Katniss tries to find and rescue Peeta, and she spreads propaganda with other people rescued from the arena like her. Eventually, Katniss saves Peeta, and I am going to stop there because that is when things get exciting!
I loved the end of this book! It is a beautiful tragedy. It was amazing but... Read Full Review
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The Education of Margot Sanchez
Rivera, Lilliam
Reviewed: September 27, 2023
The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera is an admirable novel that wonderfully captures the challenge of being yourself while being in an intimidating social circle. Throughout the novel, we follow the main character, Margo, whose family makes sacrifices to ensure she can attend a school that offers her the most lavish education one can receive. There’s only one problem: Margot doesn’t come from where her peers come from; her demographic background makes it hard for her to fully be herself. The pressure to “fit in” with the kids around her leads her to make bad choices.... Read Full Review
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The Fault in Our Stars
Green, John
Reviewed: September 20, 2023
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is about a girl named Hazel who was diagnosed with cancer when she was a child. Hazel starts to go to a support group for people who also have cancer, and Hazel meets people who later on become her friends. Her friends add a certain light to her life, making her enjoy things more and pushing her limits so as not to let cancer stop her from doing certain things in life. The short version is The Fault in Our Stars makes the reader know how it feels for people who have cancer and the struggles they have to endure. It teaches the reader to... Read Full Review
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Renegades
Meyer, Marissa
Reviewed: September 13, 2023
Renegades by Marisa Meyer takes place in a dystopian world where humans with different abilities create peace and order in a once-crumbled society. Nova, our main character, despises the Renegades. She creates a plan to destroy the Renegades and bring back power to her side, the Anarchists. However, she meets Adrian, a renegade with a huge secret and an enticing personality. Although Nova is very loyal, will it last forever?
This book had me wanting more from the start. The character development throughout the book is very relatable, as most characters are developing a... Read Full Review
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Catching Fire
Collins, Suzanne
Reviewed: September 6, 2023
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the second book of the series The Hunger Games. Catching Fire starts with Peeta and Katniss enjoying life free from the Games. But just when they were finally getting comfortable, President Snow announced that everyone who has ever won the Hunger Games will fight again—against other people who have experience in the games.
To survive their next Games, Katniss and Peeta develop some counter strategies. Katniss and Peeta start acting out a fake romantic relationship to get the audience to love them. They also start... Read Full Review
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Crime and Punishment
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor
Reviewed: August 30, 2023
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is as agonizing as it is intriguing. Dostoyevsky provides the unique experience of undergoing a brutal murder from the—wait for it—killer's perspective! The main character Raskolnikov is characterized as a poor student who is unable to go on with his law studies. He has a superiority complex, and he believes he is above morality. Although he believes he is above the law, he is burdened to find out that he is not free from a guilty conscience once he commits a heinous murder. Raskolnikov must then endure the punishments for his crimes.... Read Full Review
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American Psycho
Ellis, Bret Easton
Reviewed: August 23, 2023
American Psycho is a novel written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. The story follows the descent into total insanity of the main character and narrator, Patrick Bateman, an elite, narcissistic investment banker in Manhattan. The book portrays his daily life as skewed within a path of murder and crime, a vice in which he partakes in his free time. Released as a film in 2000, the movie recreation of the book depicts more of an underlying criticism of white-collar, high-society beings forced to adapt to everyday life, as portrayed by actor Christian Bale. Although Bateman’s mental... Read Full Review
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The Female of the Species
McGinnis, Mindy
Reviewed: August 16, 2023
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis is a complex exploration of modern-day rape culture ridden with morally ambiguous characters. The story’s protagonist, Alex Craft, is no exception. She lives with the fact that her sister was raped and killed only a few years prior to the book’s beginning, and even though all signs pointed to one culprit, the murderer was able to walk free. Alex now serves as a tragic reminder of the most gruesome crime her small town has ever witnessed, making her a social pariah within her community, but Alex prefers it that way. Because despite her... Read Full Review
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The Prestige
Priest, Christopher
Reviewed: August 9, 2023
The Prestige by Christopher Priest is about two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, in the 1800s. They are always fighting each other or sabotaging each other's magic shows to make people come to their own shows instead. Robert starts to get more popular with a new magic trick, and Alfred cannot solve how Robert does it. Alfred gets more invested in deciphering Robert's trick, causing his own and Robert's downfall.
The Prestige is one of the most confusing books I have ever read, but it is a good kind of confusing. This book just plays with you with all... Read Full Review