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Know My Name: A Memoir
Miller, Chanel
Reviewed: November 3, 2022
Written by Chanel Miller, Know My Name is a captivating book that encompasses the author’s experience not only as a sexual assault victim but also as an Asian American. Miller was assaulted by Brock Turner, a former Stanford University athlete, and sentenced to serve only six months in jail after violating her boundaries. The memoir expresses the dark struggles many sexual assault victims face today and the corrupt justice system implemented to combat those who commit life-devastating acts.
In my opinion, Know My Name is one of the most eye-opening books I have... Read Full Review
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A Raisin in the Sun
Hansberry, Lorraine, 1930-1965
Reviewed: October 27, 2022
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry focuses on the life of the Youngers, a Black family living in the south side of Chicago in the 1950s. The family consists of Walter (Father), Ruth (Mother), Lena (Mother of Walter), Beneatha (Daughter), and Travis (Son). This family lives in a small, run-down apartment. This all changed when Ruth receives an insurance check for $10,000 because of her dead husband's life insurance. Each member of the family has different ideas on how the money should be used, which causes a lot of clashes between them all. Overall, the main focus is on the... Read Full Review
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A Memory of Light
Jordan, Robert
Reviewed: October 19, 2022
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the last book in an incredible series. It pulled all the threads woven throughout the previous thirteen books together very well and had me very stressed at many points. It is twisty, well-written, and left me with more questions than answers.
I would say that most of the book is planning, plotting, or fighting, which can be taxing, especially because of the constant death and tragedy. Rand is trying to create a legacy that will eliminate all war while juggling politics, preparing for the Last Battle, and fighting... Read Full Review
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The Raven
Poe, Edgar Allan
Reviewed: October 12, 2022
Poe's narrative poem follows the development of an unnamed speaker/narrator whose interaction with a raven causes him to go mad. The story implies that the narrator lost his lover Lenore and is greatly devastated due to her death. He decides to cope by reading, hoping it will drive his mind off the terrible circumstances. On a cold December night, the narrator hears knocking on his chamber door and wonders who it could be at this time. He opens it only to find no one, which causes him to question more. He looks around into the darkness and sees no one. Upon closing the door, a raven... Read Full Review
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Kiki's Delivery Service
Reviewed: October 5, 2022
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) is the fourth movie by the Japanese Company Studio Ghibli, whose other works include Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The story follows a witch named Kiki, who, on her 13th birthday, moves away to a seaside town with her talking cat Jiji. As Kiki continues to master her skills as a witch, she befriends new people like the owner of a bakery named Osono and a kid named Tombo, who she’s initially hesitant about. As Kiki lives with Osono and helps around the bakery, she comes up with the idea to start a delivery service with her... Read Full Review
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Concrete Kids
León, Amyra
Reviewed: September 28, 2022
Concrete Kids by Amyra Leon is a fairly tiny book from the Penguin Workshop Pocket Change Collective series that tells a story like many books. Leon uses playful words and unique vocabulary to tell her story as a young girl, up to her teenage years, and what she has experienced growing up. In this small book, she depicts her trauma and struggles throughout her childhood as a Black girl. She talks about how she had been separated from her birth mother without knowing her birth father and was put into the foster care system. From there, she constantly moved from house to house,... Read Full Review
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Along for the Ride
Dessen, Sarah
Reviewed: September 21, 2022
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is a heartwarming and incredibly adorable story that manages to show the readers how while things will not always be smooth-sailing, there will always be a hand reaching out when you need it. It is one of several teen romances written by Dessen, and it is about Auden, who has insomnia. After making a spontaneous decision that lands her somewhere she's never thought she would be, she meets Eli, who‘s an insomniac just like her. Together Eli leads Auden on a series of night tours around town, where they embark on a journey of excitement, love, and... Read Full Review
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Ikigai for Teens: Finding Your Reason for Being
García, Héctor
Reviewed: September 14, 2022
In life, everyone makes choices, from simply deciding what breakfast item they should have in the morning to deciding which college to attend. These choices could impact our lives greatly and decide if one would truly be happy.
Ikigai For Teens: Finding Your Reason for Being acts as a guidebook for young individuals who do not know what they are going to do in the future. The term “ikigai” is roughly translated as a “life goal” or literally “worthwhile life.” García and Miralles assist readers in how discovering what gets them out of bed every morning. They encourage their... Read Full Review
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The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts
Miller, Arthur
Reviewed: September 7, 2022
Set in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts, Miller’s classic play regarding the witch-hunts and trials displays a town that was driven by fear and submerged in hysteria. A once united community crumbles over the rumors that women within the town are practicing witchcraft, violating Puritan standards and moral code. Within this strict theocracy, neighbors are accusing neighbors of unleashing their spirits and practicing this forbidden craft. When a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, religious leaders and townspeople demand that she be brought to trial. Realizing... Read Full Review
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The School for Good and Evil
Chainani, Soman
Reviewed: August 31, 2022
Enter a treacherous world where destiny, desire, and friendship meet two girls on their unexpected adventure to The School for Good and Evil, the place where all fairy tales start. Sophie is the classic princess on a book cover; blonde, fair, the beauty of her town, and seemingly benevolent at every turn. Agatha, the “Graveyard Girl,” constantly wearing black, has a witch mother, and a cat with a less-than-sunny disposition appears as the antithesis of Sophie, destined to be the villain. Yet, once kidnapped and taken to the School for Good and Evil, Agatha is plopped onto the... Read Full Review
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Circe: A Novel
Miller, Madeline
Reviewed: August 24, 2022
Circe by Madeline Miller recounts the story of the goddess Circe’s life. Spanning millennia, this book documents her early years in the palace of her father, Helios, and later into her life in exile on the remote island of Aiaia. As I read this book, I watched Circe’s character development from a simple and naive child grow into an empowered and defiant sorceress. As Circe comes from Greek mythology, Miller weaves together classic ancient Greek stories into the life story of Circe, with cameos from famous characters such as the Minotaur and Odysseus. I adored getting to live in... Read Full Review
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The Outsiders
Hinton, S. E.
Reviewed: August 17, 2022
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a story about Ponyboy, his brothers, his unexpected group of friends, and the cruel reality that they were forced into—all because of their circumstances and social class. Ponyboy is an outcast and a loner from his perspective, yet he prefers it to be that way since he already likes doing activities by himself. But when tragedy strikes, and he is forced into a life filled with violence with those he cares about, it is up to Ponyboy and the boys to survive.
This dramatically-paced story is one that manages to use its words to draw you into... Read Full Review