• Book cover for The Hunger Games

    The Hunger Games

    Collins, Suzanne

    Reviewed: March 2, 2023

    In The Hunger Games there are 12 Districts. The Capital, which exists outside of these Districts, maintains control of the Districts by having the Districts play a game called The Hunger Games. Every District is forced to choose one boy and one girl to play this twisted game in which 24 people enter an arena—and they have to fight until there is only one winner left standing.

    The Hunger Games is one of the first chapter books I ever read, and I fell in love with it! This book is one of the reasons I am a bookworm. The book is very balanced and does not overwhelm... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for The Haunting of Hill House

    The Haunting of Hill House

    Jackson, Shirley

    Reviewed: February 22, 2023

    The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a horror genre book. I read this book for an assignment for my last year of high school, and I loved it! At first, I was skeptical due to its genre being horror. And let me tell you, I cannot deal with horror at all, but this book was amazing. At the start, the book is slow, but you get attached to it very quickly. Shirley Jackson gives the reader an option: Is the house haunted, or are the characters' minds playing tricks on them?

    What I also love about this book is the main character's growth. At the beginning of this... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Eighth Grade

    Eighth Grade

    Burnham, Bo

    Reviewed: February 15, 2023

    Eighth Grade (2018) is a coming-of-age movie written and directed by Bo Burnham. It stars Elsie Fisher as the main protagonist, Kayla Day, who tries her best to navigate the end of eighth grade. She dedicates her last week of school to seeking validation from her classmates after they showed her indifference all year. Kayla attempts to do so by trying to talk to them, which occurs as an awkward display of rambling and an averted gaze. Kayla then tries to do impulsive actions in an attempt to act like her classmates, whom she wishes to be more like. However, the main reason why... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for The Goose Girl

    The Goose Girl

    Hale, Shannon

    Reviewed: February 8, 2023

    The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale is a story based on a German fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm. It describes the most impactful part of the life of Anidori Kiladra Talianna Isilee. Having stolen the right to rule in her kingdom, she was sent to marry the crown prince of a foreign land and become their queen, oblivious to many fatal enemies that stood in her way. Soon her royal life plummets when the enemies strike. From witnessing her friends slaughtered to getting a knife held in her back, she was sorely doomed for a painful future. But as people say, you can always find hope if... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for The Inheritance Games

    The Inheritance Games

    Barnes, Jennifer

    Reviewed: February 2, 2023

    The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the first book of The Inheritance Games series. The book follows Avery Kylie Grambs, a high school girl who lost her mom and is now living with her step-sister Libby. Avery has just discovered that Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire, has left her in his will. However, Avery will not simply inherit the fortune. She must play Tobias Hawthornes' inheritance game. To earn her reward, she must go to Texas and live in the Hawthorne House for one year—along with Tobias' four grandsons. Avery must work together with the Hawthorne... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

    Pirsig, Robert M.

    Reviewed: January 25, 2023

    Based on author Robert M. Pirsig’s actual experiences, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a story about Pirsig’s relationship with his eleven-year-old son as they take a motorcycle trip across America. The journey is an opportunity for them to rekindle their relationship in the wake of Pirsig’s recovery from intense depression. As they traverse the twists and turns of America’s highways, so too is the reader taken down a winding path of philosophical inquiry. The focus of Pirsig’s narration alternates between past and present as he recounts his lifetime of studying... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Five Feet Apart

    Five Feet Apart

    Reviewed: January 19, 2023

    Five Feet Apart (2019)

    Five Feet Apart (2019), directed by Justin Baloni, is a suspenseful and on-your-toes type of movie. Stella is a 17-year-old girl who deals with cystic fibrosis and has spent most of her life in the hospital. She meets a young rebellious teen named Will, who also has the same illness. Once they meet, there is an instant spark, but just meeting is a huge risk because patients with CF have to maintain a distance of 6 feet to keep both patients safe. The more they get to know each other, the rules become less important. They both don't have a... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for The Catcher in the Rye

    The Catcher in the Rye

    Salinger, J. D. (Jerome David), 1919-2010.

    Reviewed: January 12, 2023

    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger focuses on the experiences of Holden Caulfield as he travels around New York alone. After Holden is expelled from Pencey Prep, he decides it's best to escape to New York for the last few days he has at school before heading home to face his parents. He jumps from place to place in New York, from hotels to bars; he never seems to stay in just one place. Along the way, he meets with old love interests, friends of his brother D.B., and more. Holden mentions how the people he meets and everyone around him are phonies and dishonest. These people... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for From Twinkle, With Love

    From Twinkle, With Love

    Menon, Sandhya

    Reviewed: January 5, 2023

    From Twinkle With Love is a spectacularly funny and heartwarming romance all in one. We follow aspiring director Twinkle Mehra as she works through the racial, gender, and social injustices of the film world, and an even more difficult challenge: the high school social system. Twinkle is what they call a groundling, someone who lives more in the shadows of the school, usually smart and always not popular. She has had a major crush on this guy called Neil Roy, a swimming prodigy and total hottie, for a very long time. Not only that but now dating Neil will give her an opportunity... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Nimona

    Nimona

    Stevenson, ND

    Reviewed: December 21, 2022

    Nimona by ND Stevenson is a stand-alone graphic novel. In this story, there is a shapeshifter who decides to become the sidekick of the villain, Lord Ballister Blackheart, but it turns out Blackheart is not as bad as society makes him out to be.

    Nimona is a more light-hearted story for those who do not like angst, and it is appropriate for teens of any age. The genre of this graphic novel is comedy and action. As the story progresses, Nimona learns to be more comfortable with who she is, which is something that a lot of people can relate to.

    I really... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

    Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

    Noah, Trevor

    Reviewed: December 14, 2022

    In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah shares his earnest, wholehearted experiences growing up in South Africa. A series of conflicts on race, culture, and values teach Trevor how to live and adapt to the modern world around him. Noah was born in 1984 to a single mother, Patricia, and though Apartheid ended in 1994, racial segregation was nowhere near accomplished throughout society. As Trevor follows his mother throughout the story, he grows, messes up, and learns from his experiences about what makes humans, humans. As he connects with his family and his brothers, Andrew and Isaac, he... Read Full Review


  • Book cover for Crazy Rich Asians

    Crazy Rich Asians

    Kwan, Kevin.

    Reviewed: December 7, 2022

    Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is the first book in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. The story focuses on Rachel Chu as she travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicolas Young, and then meets his family. But things start to take a turn towards the unexpected as Nicolas’s family is actually filthy rich, and they start to look down on Rachel for her lack of wealth and a notable bloodline.

    This is one of those books that you do not want to put down—with the vivid scenery of the grand buildings and beautiful islands and, not to mention, a roller coaster of emotions... Read Full Review


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