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That Was Then, This Is Now
Hinton, S. E.
Reviewed: August 10, 2022
Look, I love The Outsiders. It's a novel by S.E. Hinton that you've at least heard of if you haven't read (and loved). After I was assigned The Outsiders, I was left wanting more of Hinton's other works. I wanted to explore her writing style, which I quickly fell in love with after reading The Outsiders. That's when I picked up the book she wrote four years later, That Was Then, This Is Now.
The novel follows, once again, an engaging cast of characters set in a world that, a little way into the book, seems to be familiar to readers of The... Read Full Review
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The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald, F. Scott
Reviewed: August 3, 2022
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place during the early 1920s. The novel is written in the first person, with the narrator (Nick Carraway) becoming friends with Jay Gatsby, a millionaire who throws lavish parties weekly. Gatsby has been in love with Daisy (Nick's cousin) for a long time, but now Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan. Jay Gatsby's ambition is not only to become opulent but also to be with Daisy. Gatsby and Daisy begin having an affair, leading to overwhelming conflicts between Gatsby and Buchanan's marriage.
As I read this novel, I enjoyed the turn... Read Full Review
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We Are Okay
LaCour, Nina
Reviewed: July 28, 2022
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour starts with the protagonist Marin living alone in the dorms of NYU over winter break. She sits here waiting for her former best friend Mabel to come from sunny L.A., to whom she hasn’t spoken in months. Told in a narrative of flipping back and forth between the past and the present, this novel tells the story of Marin's life in the before, in California with her grandfather, and why she ran away and ended up here in New York City alone. I have read this book multiple times, and each time I take away new meanings and messages from LaCour’s words, watching... Read Full Review
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Twilight
Meyer, Stephenie
Reviewed: July 20, 2022
Twilight is a popular Young adult fiction novella written by Stephenie Meyer that follows 17-year-old Bella Swan after she moves with her father to Forks, Washington. Shortly after moving to forks, Bella meets Edward Cullen, who is very handsome and mysterious. She then takes it upon herself to find out what he’s hiding, and when she does, she falls in love with him. Twilight takes us through the stages of their relationship and the obstacles they encounter. It is a very old novella series that is still read by many people today because the relationship between Edward and... Read Full Review
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House of Hollow
Sutherland, Krystal
Reviewed: July 13, 2022
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland follows Iris Hollow as she lives a seemingly normal teenage life, though strange events seem to follow her and her older sisters. Flashback to when Iris was young, she and her two sisters inexplicably disappear, coming back a month later with no memory of their time away and with changed appearances. The book starts when Iris’s mega-famous eldest sister Grey goes missing, with only perplexing clues in her wake. While reading this book, I went on a paranormal adventure with Iris as her normal life turned more and more supernatural. Intoxicating... Read Full Review
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Tell Me Everything
Enni, Sarah
Reviewed: July 7, 2022
Tell Me Everythingby Sarah Enni is a book that doesn’t fail to entrance me and present me with the heartfelt portrayal of Ivy’s journey in navigating her relationships, both old and new. Throughout the story, unbeknownst to herself, Ivy takes steps to do things for others—all because of the anonymous app called VEIL. She is also growing out of her shell and slowly changing for the better. However, things start to collapse—all because of her—she needs to take the necessary steps to walk out of her shell to fix what she broke.
This story does an excellent job at revealing... Read Full Review
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Imaginary Borders
Martinez, Xiuhtezcatl
Reviewed: June 30, 2022
Imaginary Borders is a blend of narrative and informative writing that talks about climate change. Climate change is a hot and sometimes controversial topic in today's world. There's an increasing divide between those who advocate for change and those who are suspicious about the activism devoted to climate change. Over the last few decades, this topic has received more and more attention, with this book being just one of the many examples of how people have used their voices to address the situation. Here, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses a casual tone where he's almost having a... Read Full Review
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1984
Orwell, George, 1903-1950.
Reviewed: June 17, 2022
1984 is a fictional novel written by George Orwell that tells the story of Winston Smith, who lives under the watchful eyes of Big Brother in the nation of Oceania. He works in the Ministry of Truth where he is responsible for altering historical records in order to fit the needs of the Party. Here, he meets a dark-haired girl named Julia whom he falls in love with. However, the Party reprimands any sexual acts or forms of love among its people. Yet, Winston and Julia fulfill their need for love with each other and manage to keep their relationship a secret from others. After... Read Full Review
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The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Hand, Cynthia
Reviewed: June 8, 2022
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand is a story that deals with grief over the loss of a sibling. This story follows Lexie Riggs after her little brother Tyler commits suicide. This novel goes into great detail about how Lexie feels and how she copes with guilt after Tyler’s death, but it also includes how others around her react and go on with their lives after finding out what happened.
When Tyler committed suicide, it was a huge shock to everyone who knew him because he was popular and was seemingly happy. Shortly after his death, Lexie is forced to see a... Read Full Review
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The Book of Unknown Americans
Henríquez, Cristina
Reviewed: May 25, 2022
Cristina Henríquez’s The Book of Unknown Americans is a story of immigrants rather than immigration. From the perspectives of different characters, the novel speaks of the experiences of different South American immigrants and how their lives intertwine. The novel explores themes of love, chance, and loss all from the perspective of characters aged fifteen and up.
Even though the stories that the novel explored were all about the immigrants and their families, all of Henríquez’s characters have different personalities making the book an engaging read. Ranging from humor... Read Full Review
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Vinland Saga 1
Yukimura, Makoto
Reviewed: May 18, 2022
The manga Vinland Saga follows a young boy named Thorfinn and his quest to seek revenge for his father, Thors. The Manga follows the present-time for the first few chapters and then jumps back into Thorfinn’s past, giving the reader his backstory and his reason for seeking revenge. This Manga is filled with interesting characters from neighboring villages who serve as antagonists. This Manga is the first in the volume set, consisting of 25 volumes.
This Manga was pretty fast-paced as some of the dialogue was more so the emotions the characters had through the images.... Read Full Review
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People We Meet on Vacation
Henry, Emily
Reviewed: May 11, 2022
I am personally not into books whatsoever but this book really caught my attention because of the plot. It's about a girl and a guy who were best friends and they would go on yearly vacations in the Summer until one year, something happened that resulted in them not speaking again. This is something that could happen to anyone which is why I found it very relatable. Then it unravels into a story about how they rekindled their relationship and how it eventually turned into something even more. This is definitely a romance novel and I would definitely recommend it to anybody who likes... Read Full Review