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Author: Maya Escobar

Book Review: Crying in H Mart

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

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Funny enough, I did actually first hear of this book while I was at H Mart a few years ago. I had always meant to pick it up, and this summer I finally did. I have to say, all the raving reviews I have heard about this book are spot on. The story itself is very moving and detailed, and a lot of what Zauner mentions about growing up with an immigrant mother can strongly relate to myself, which made the read even better. 

The novel starts when Zauner is 25 years old, and recalls how her world first shifted when she first discovered that her mother had stomach cancer. Triggered by grief and sadness, she reflects on how she had begun to lose sight of the times she spent with her mother before her illness and how recalling those memories even led her to becoming culturally connected and find solace in cooking Korean foods. Thus, this leads us to the core of why this book is called, Crying in H Mart. 

While reading this, I was really glad to hear the perspective of someone who grew up with the same issues of not being able to entirely relate to their immigrant parents due to the vast cultural difference, and also how lack of connection to language put up barriers. The way Zauner writes is in a very relatable style and her reflection is very raw and understanding. I loved reading her book, and at times, it even made me laugh, smile, and cry. 

I would definitely recommend this book to almost anyone, because even though you might not be able to relate to Zauner’s writings of grief, her story is still powerful and serves as a brilliant read. 

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/27/25.

Book Review: Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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I recently dived into the mind-bending, plot-twisting, extraordinary world of this novel, Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and all that I have to say is wow. It had been a while since I picked up a mystery-horror book and I was looking for a book that could fill the empty void I had, and this novel did it’s job. 

To begin with, the novel describes the story from the point of view of Sade, a new student at Alfred Nobel Academy, an international boarding school in England. After the sudden death of her father, she enrolls at the school and meets her mysterious roommate, Elizabeth. Before she even has the time to get acquainted with her, Elizabeth goes missing, and Sade begins to work together with Elizabeth’s best friend, Baz, in order to figure out what happened to her. They soon discover that the school has been hiding secrets about Elizabeth’s whereabouts and discover hidden connections between Elizabeth’s past and the current students at the school. 

Honestly, it was so amazing to see this novel’s plot come together and reveal such a fascinating story. I did not expect for the story to expand from Elizabeth’s disappearance, to the secrets of the ultra-rich, popular students at the school. The main character, Sade, herself is such an interesting character because as we dig deeper and deeper into the story, we find out about her past, and her older sister Jamila, who is the reason for Sade wanting to come to the school in the first place. The book is filled with little anagrams throughout the chapters that hint to the story and plot and the best part is that you don’t understand how it’s all connected until the very end. In fact, there were times I had to go back and reread some of the chapters to figure out what exactly they were alluding to!

To put simply, this book was an incredible read and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, I am not kidding. I would definitely 10/10 recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, good, mystery book and I wish I could read it all over from start to finish to experience how good it was to read this book again. 

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/27/25.

Book Review: Passing

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Passing by Nella Larsen

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I recently read Passing by Nella Larsen, and honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of it. The story was about two childhood friends, Irene and Clare, who reconnect years later. Clare is passing as white, even though she’s actually Black, and Irene starts getting caught up in Clare’s complicated life. I thought the concept of the book was interesting, because it’s about identity, race, and fitting into different worlds. But at times, I thought it was kind of confusing. The writing style was a bit old-fashioned, and sometimes I had to reread parts just to figure out what was going on. There were moments where I wasn’t sure what the characters were doing and where they were. For me, the pacing also felt a little slow and boring. The story focused on small details, which made it hard to stay focused. Even the ending left me a bit confused. It happened pretty quickly that I wasn’t sure what it was about. Overall, I didn’t even know what was the main point of this book. As a reader, I didn’t connect with it much. It was hard to follow at times, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/18/2025.

Book Review: The Kitchen God’s Wife

Posted on by Maya Escobar

The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan

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As an Asian reader, I love reading books about the Asian American experience because I can relate to them a lot. The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan is an example of one, and is by far one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time.

The story revolves around a Chinese-American woman named Winnie Louie and her relationship with Pearl, her daughter. When she believes she is dying, Winnie reveals a lifetime of secrets to Pearl, including her experiences in China during World War II and her abusive first marriage. This forces Pearl to confront her own secret regarding her multiple sclerosis, a life-changing disease that she was hesitant to mention to her mother because of her mother’s superstitious beliefs. Ultimately, these revelations strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.

Winnie was raised in China whereas Pearl was raised in the United States, so they inevitably have different views of the world. The narrative switches between their perspectives, which is a really good way of keeping a reader engaged because you can empathize with both characters despite their conflicting opinions. Winnie recounts her life beginning from her childhood with her mother, her father’s second wife who mysteriously disappears one day, to when she moved to the U.S. Her story is very well written with just the right amount of detail, not so much that you start to skim pages but not so little that it’s not captivating. The tension peaks regarding Pearl’s true parentage, indicating that their stories are seamlessly linked – Winnie’s doesn’t necessarily end before Pearl’s begins.

Even though the mother-daughter relationship is emphasized the most, other relationships are also significant in the story. We see the importance of sisterhood between Winnie and Helen, a friend who stuck by her side throughout her first marriage up to the present day. Their friendship was unlikely as they disagreed on many small things. However, the harrowing experiences of war taught them to appreciate each other’s company despite their constant disagreements. Their strong bond directly refutes the idea that ‘blood is thicker than water’ as they were endlessly loyal and kept each other’s secrets through everything. It is Helen that convinces both Winnie and Pearl to finally tell each other what they’ve been holding in.

The major themes of The Kitchen God’s Wife are the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the impact of war and displacement, and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. All three are inextricably linked in this novel and are well-developed. As someone who was raised in the west by parents who had moved from Asia, this book resonated with me. If you share a similar experience or have migrated yourself, I definitely recommend you try it!
 
Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/17/25.

Book Review: That Devil, Ambition

Posted on by Maya Escobar

That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller

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In the novel, That Devil, Ambition, the story follows Fabian Galloway, a poor but smart student, who has to participate in a deadly competition in his class. To graduate, students have to kill a devil hidden among their professors. Fabian, who is driven by both the ambition to win and the fear of being subjected according to his background, forces him to make allies with two of his classmates: Credence, a math genius with a strong moral compass, and Euphemia, a socially awkward outcast amidst the rest.

I expected it to be a lot more about the competitions, but in actuality the story was more about survival and trust, and also, how willing the characters were able to trust each other in order to survive. 

What I loved most was how each character had a distinct voice and motivation. I thought of Fabian as one of the admirable characters because I appreciated his ability to be calculated and to thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else. During the opening chapters, when he was carefully accessing everyone in his class, it gave me a taste of exactly what to expect from Fabian, and I was right. Credence and Euphemia bring different perspectives: Credence wants to do the right thing, even when the right thing might get her killed, which I disagreed with, but it was still interesting to see in her character. Euphemia is more unpredictable, and hides a lot of her own emotions away from her two allies. It was interesting to see how people with such different personalities are drawn to each other and work together in an effort to achieve their own goals. 

In the end, I would definitely recommend That Devil, Ambition to readers who enjoy dark academia and morally complex characters. I did disagree with some of the characters perspectives, but the story did keep me hooked and I couldn’t have picked a better book as my first introduction to fantasy novels. 

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/8/25.

Book Review: The Utopian Generation

Posted on by Maya Escobar

The Utopian Generation by Pepetela

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The Utopian Generation follows four young people, Sara (a hopeful doctor), Aníbal (an intellectual scholar), Vítor (an aspiring political leader), and Malongo (a soccer player), as they navigate life in Lisbon in 1961, during times of uncertainty and carrying the hope for a liberated Angola. 

While reading this book, I was at first uncertain about the historical fictional aspect, as I hadn’t ever read something detailing intimate events that happened in a completely different country and environment. However, I was shocked to find out that while reading the book, you didn’t have to worry about whether the characters or the setting related to you or not. It was clear that the authors purpose was to immerse the reader in stories they’ve never seen before a show a world through multiple perspectives and experiences. 

I loved how each chapter shared a different characters’ life and struggle, especially as they move through their lives with a lot of hope for the future and also, fear for the future they might inherit. Each of their stories were unique and carried a perspective I had never even seen before, so you can imagine how shocking it felt to read this is almost hear their voices telling you their story.

Above all, I would definitely recommend this book to almost any reader. Even if you are not used to reading historical fiction, I truly believe that this book will keep you captivated and eager to hear the stories of people who seems almost worlds away. 

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 8/8/25.

Book Review: Shadow and Bone

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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Out of the 20 fantasy novels that I’ve read, this is my absolute favorite. Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, has the most unique and captivating storyline bringing many new aspects of fantasy to life.
Shadow and Bone is the first book of a three-book series by Leigh Bardugo. It occurs in a fantasy universe where there are those with and without superpowers. Those with powers are called Grisha, and are sorted into three groups: The Corporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki. The Corporalki can manipulate the human body, allowing them to either heal, kill, or change someone’s body. The Etherealki are summoners, meaning they can control one of three elements: wind, water, or fire. The last group are the Materialki, who can manipulate materials such as stone, metal, glass, etc. The story takes place in Ravka, where there is a First and Second Army. The First Army is made up of soldiers without superpowers, while the Second Army is made up of Grisha, individuals with a superpower.
The main character is Alina Starkov, who unknowingly is a Grisha and in the First Army,
with her best friend Mal. But when her power shows itself in a dire situation, she is
transported to the country’s lavish capital where she can be taught to strengthen her
powers. Although, nothing is as it seems.
I thought that this book was expertly written and there was not a single moment where I
was bored and contemplating putting the book down. The messages of self-acceptance,
loyalty and love were intelligently integrated into the story and further increased the
superb reading experience. Throughout the book, Alina’s character development, as
well as those around her, was brilliantly transformed to show her transition from being a
grunt in the First Army to being Grisha, who are highly thought of.
Overall, this book gets a 10/10 from me. It has an amazing plot, with many twists and
turns. It has such good character development in the main character, Alina. And, the
themes of the book paired so well with the book’s plot. This redefined my own
perspective on the fantasy genre and I will have a hard time finding any book nearly as
good as Shadow and Bone and its trilogy.

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer 7/25/25.

Book Review: Hooky

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur

Hooky is a 3-book fantasy series written and illustrated by Miriam Bonastre Tur. It follows the story of 2 young witch siblings, Dani and Dorian, in a world with magic and witches. Beware, there is budding romance in it. This is also only a review of the first book.
The series starts off with Dani and Dorian missing the bus to magic school and deciding that they will stay with a tutor for the next 9 months. But very early on, the story kind of strays from that topic because the twins then proceed to accidentally steal a dragon egg and make enemies of powerful witches in the first few chapters. What’s even weirder is that they don’t seem to be that bothered by it in the next few chapters. They also get into interesting, but dangerous situations like for example almost getting burned at the stake and making friends with princess Monica of one of the non-magic kingdoms opposed to magic. But besides that fact, things are doing okay for them for the most part as they had made a few more friends like Nico, a town troublemaker and former apprentice of the Soothsayer (a.k.a Master Pendragon who they have been staying with) and Mark, a waiter at a local cafe who has a history with Nico.
Throughout the story they have a lot of hijinks which strain the group relationship at times. Oh! And there is a prophecy that one of the siblings will become the ruler of the witches. Overall, it’s a good story with very interesting characters and their dynamics with other characters. It has a few moments which really pulled at my heartstrings and made me almost want to cry because of how sad they are.

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 6/26/2025.

Book Review: Delicious in Dungeon

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

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Delicious in Dungeon finally answers the question that has plagued fantasy genre lovers for so many years. Can you eat the monsters? Delicious in Dungeon answers yes, you can. Delicious in Dungeon (shortened after this point to D in D) is a fantasy Manga series illustrated and written by Ryoko Kui. In it, a group of adventurers has to make their way through a massive dungeon that takes days to finish to save one of their teammates. Because they don’t have any food, they must kill and cook the monsters that attack them to survive.

This review will be specifically only for the first volume, which is the first three chapters plus some bonus content. I have not read the other volumes, so I can’t comment on the manga as a whole, just this volume. This is also not a review of the anime adaptation. Warning: There will be some very minor spoilers beyond this point. 

The main hook of D in D is the main character, Liaos, and his group of adventurers fighting a dragon. During the fight, Liaos’ sister is eaten by the dragon, and the rest of the group is teleported out of the dungeon by a spell. Weirdly, the group seems to care little about actually saving Liaos’ sister. They get sidetracked often, even though they are on a time-sensitive mission. Even Liaos himself seems more invested in trying to kill monsters to eat than trying to save his sister. But despite that, the group doesn’t come across as uncaring or unlikable. Liaos is wonderfully weird. His first thought when fighting a monster is “Can I eat this?”?. He uses his encyclopedic knowledge of monsters’ anatomy to strike at their weak spots and exploit their behaviors, but despite all of his weirdness, he has a heart of gold. He is supportive of his teammates and is empathetic enough to know when they need help. Even though his obsession with monsters is borderline deranged, he is a good team leader. Senshi, the dwarf, also brings a lot to the team. He is skilled in cooking dead monsters, and through the manga, he cooks a variety of delicious meals using monster parts. Dwarfs in fantasy often can trend into stereotypes, but Senshi cooking makes him distinct from your average dwarf character. 

By contrast, Chilchuck the rogue and Marcille the wizard don’t have much to do; Liaos and Senshi’s knowledge of killing and eating monsters is much more useful than Marcille’s magic or Chilchuck’s lockpicking skills. Even when it feels like Marcille’s magic should be useful, it backfires on her. On top of Marcille’s magic, there are multiple jokes about how her trying to do something only for it not to work, to the point it feels kind of mean. Chilcuck is good at disarming traps, but that happens only once. Overpowered characters aren’t fun, but underpowered characters aren’t fun either. My favorite teams in stories are ones where every character brings something to the team, but Chilcuck and Marcille are mostly useless.

Overall, the jokes in D in D are decent but not great. Mostly, it’s jokes about Liaos’ weird obsessions with monsters and how cooking monsters is a funny idea. While the jokes do get a bit repetitive, the delivery is good enough for me to laugh out loud a few times.  But the real highlight of D in D is the cooking.  It delivers on its monster-eating concept wonderfully with dishes that look both tasty and gross. The monster cooking is enhanced by weirdly in-depth drawings of the anatomy of the monsters. There was a lot of thought put into how to make different monsters’ scientifically plausible biology. For example, instead of being magic, living armor in D in D is animated by a hive of hermit crab-like slugs that use armor as shelter. The thought put into the monsters’ biology sets the monsters in D in D apart from monsters in other stories and breathes new life into tired tropes.  

Overall, I liked D in D. It was funny and is different from anything else I have read so far. It’s worth a read if you’re into comedy or if you’re looking for a story that brings a few new twists to the fantasy genre. The first book is available at the Belmont Public Library. The television adaption is also available on Netflix at time of writing.

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 5/4/2025.

Book Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Posted on by Maya Escobar

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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In a world that often moves a little too fast for my liking, I tend to find comfort in the stories that have stood the test of time. The ones that pull you in with charm and imagination rather than unrealistic (and unwanted) plot twists. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is most definitely one of those stories.

While most people know Oz through the old-school lens of the 1939 film, the original book offers a world that’s even more eccentric and layered. Yes, Dorothy and Toto still get swept up in a cyclone and dropped in the magical Land of Oz. Yes, she follows the yellow brick road with a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion. But between the lines, Baum weaves something more than a simple children’s fantasy; he creates a whimsical fable about desire, illusion, and the things we believe we’re missing.

Dorothy is not your average fairy tale heroine. She’s practical, polite, and surprisingly unfazed by things like talking animals and evil sorcery. Her companions, too, are more than comic relief—they represent the classic “if only” fallacy: If only I had a brain. If only I had a heart. If only I had courage. Yet as the tale progresses, Baum gently nudges the audience to notice that each character already has what they think they lack. 

The world of Oz itself is strange in the best way. Populated by fanciful creatures like flying monkeys and porcelain people, it’s filled with details that feel both oddly specific yet still heartwarming. You get the sense Baum had fun writing it, and that playfulness comes through on the page.

That said, not everything lands perfectly. The pacing can feel uneven, and the final confrontation with the Wicked Witch of the West is surprisingly brief. The Wizard himself is more “con-man” than “conjurer”, and Dorothy’s journey home wraps up a bit too neatly. Yet these discrepancies are easily overshadowed by the joy it brings to the readers.

All in all, The Wizard of Oz is a delightful, classical read, and I highly recommend it for those who haven’t yet had to experience this refreshingly sincere tale. 

Reviewed by Teen Volunteer on 4/10/25.

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