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Category: Teens

Book Review: Age Matters

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Age Matters by Enjelicious

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This webtoon follows the life of 29-year-old Rose Choi, as she struggles to get her life back together again. After her ex-boyfriend cheated and dumped her, Rose is in need of a job. She eventually takes over her best friend’s odd job, which includes cooking and delivering meals to an unknown boss. This boss, however, turns out to be 23-year-old Daniel Yoon, the CEO of a successful business, Lime. Though their relationship starts off a little rocky, with Daniel’s secretive and cold demeanor contradicting Rose’s upfront, honest personality, the two eventually fall in love with each other. This light-hearted, humor-filled romance story was a fun summer read and I would definitely read it again!

–Review by Teen Volunteer, 8/8/24.

Book Review: I Think Our Son Is Gay

Posted on by Maya Escobar

I Think Our Son Is Gay by Okura

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This manga follows the lives of mother Tomoko Aoyama and her eldest son, Hiroki. Hiroki is gay, but is too afraid to tell the rest of his family, including his mother, father, and younger brother, Yuri. Despite this, Tomoko knows her son is gay, but wants him to come out on his own. Yuri is also aware of Hikoki’s sexuality. Tomoko’s husband, constantly travels for work, but unintentionally hurts Hiroki’s feelings because of his outdated views on gay people and homosexuality. This slice-of-life manga makes the perfect read for anyone, as it covers the challenges of growing up, as well as relationships with family and friends. I love reading the manga series and I enjoyed the light-hearted story and humor throughout all of the books!

–Review by Teen Volunteer, 8/8/24.

Book Review: Purple Hibiscus

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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In the compelling novel, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the story is set in Nigeria, where it particularly centers around the life of 15-year-old Kambili Achike. Growing up under the strict, religious rule of her father, Eugene Achike, Kambili, Jaja, her older brother, and her mother are constantly faced with Eugene’s erratic actions to keep strict religious purity and practice a foundation in their household. Kambili and Jaja are sent to visit their Aunt Ifeoma, Eugene’s sister, in Nsukka. They soon realize how vastly different Aunt Ifeoma’s household and family dynamic is from their own experiences. Faced with a newfound freedom and expression, Kambili begins to question the strict oppression provided by her father and is soon faced with a desire to find her own voice and identity. This fascinating story offers ideas of family dynamics, oppression, and religion that clash in order to create a unique and beautiful perspective. I loved reading this novel, it was amazing to be able to explore the different personalities and aspects of each character, and I highly recommend it to anyone else!

–Review by Teen Volunteer, 8/8/24

Book Review: Chain of Thorns

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

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As a huge fan of Cassandra Clare’s work and the Shadowhunter Chronicles, I’ve been eagerly waiting for the third book of the trilogy The Last Hours for many years. You can only imagine my excitement when I finally got my hands on Chain of Thorns.

For some context, the book is based in the Shadowhunter universe in the early 1900s. Shadowhunters are a race of human-angel hybrids, and were created centuries ago by the Angel Raziel to protect the world from demons. Their angel blood gives them enhanced strength and agility to aid them in their fight against evil.

The story starts from where the second book left off: following the main character, Cordelia Carstairs, as she attempts to escape the danger and heartbreak of Edwardian London. But while she tries to forget her sorrows, Cordelia is forced to return to the city after receiving shocking news that threatens the wellbeing of her and her loved ones. She finds herself unable to confide in her closest friends who are each dealing with their own internal struggles.

All of the Shadowhunters – except Cordelia and her friends – decide to abandon London to seek safety in Idris, the Shadowhunter homeland. Left alone in a city void of its usual liveliness and facing imminent death, the small group must face a deadly army with nothing but courage and trust on their side.

The writing of this was amazing, with unexpected twists to gut punching scenes to witty lines that make you laugh. One thing I love about Clare’s books is that no named character can be labeled as ‘unimportant’, and this book is no different. Cordelia may be the star, but one could easily resonate with one of her friends, or even one of the ‘villains’. There are some segments where it is clear that she wants to wrap it up quickly to keep the plot going, but at least that means a reader hardly has time to be bored!

The main characters have a bittersweet full-circle moment in the epilogue, with a scene where the characters reflect on how far they’ve come since the beginning of the series, setting the stage for future possibilities. I do have to say that some of the characters sadly didn’t have a very satisfying ending compared to the others, or a part of them was mentioned previously in the story but not expanded upon. I think it would have made it even better if everyone had their fair share of justice.

Despite those flaws, Chain of Thorns is a compelling finale to The Last Hours series overall. It seamlessly weaves together intricate character development, intense battles, and heartfelt moments. I would recommend this to fans of romance, fantasy, and action, though it is important to note that the story contains sexual content, as well as violence and substance use. If you’re someone who loves some thrilling fantasy and you haven’t tried the series yet, this is definitely for you.

-Review by Teen Volunteer, 7/18/24.

Book Review: Supernova

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

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Supernova is the last book of the Renegades trilogy. The Renegades are a faction created to restore order to Gatlon city by capturing villain anarchists whose goal is to wreak havoc. It is good to note that most Renegades and Anarchists hold different superpowers. The story revolves around Nova Artino who holds two identities. She is a member of the Renegades but secretly works undercover for the Anarchists in spite of revenge for killing her family (well, according to her perspective). 

Although Nova clearly seems to side with the Anarchists at this point, her feelings about the situation get even more complicated when she develops an affection for Adrian Everhart, a dedicated Renegade, who also happens to be a sentinel, or one that operates outside of the Renegade’s jurisdiction. 

As the story progresses, the Renegades and Anarchists begin fighting over the Ace helmet, a super helmet that amplifies superpowers. It becomes the main point of the story as Nova is tasked to retrieve it for the Anarchists. She does so, but not easily. In the end she successfully returns the helmet to the Anarchists.

These events push the Anarchists and Renegades into a massive battle in which just as the Anarchist leader is about to be executed, the Anarchists come in clutch and pull off a convincing victory against the Renegade forces. Many Renegades also end up losing their powers and dying. Surely a massive blow. How can they get back up?

Adrian is also taken captive in the aftermath of this battle. In order to retrieve him, the Renegades march to the Anarchist base. The anarchists demand that the Renegade captain drink a potion (that ends up not harming him) in exchange for Adrian. The Renegade captain accepts but the Anarchists still don’t return Adrian. Nova, who was working along with the Anarchists at this time, is tasked with killing Adrian. This is also where her double identity is revealed to the Renegades. The Renegades explain to Nova that the Anarchists killed her family and not the Renegades. Learning this truth, Nova sides with the Renegades in a final battle that permanently defeats the Anarchist forces.

This book was entertaining to read due to the sheer amount of action and battle scenes. However, some sections of the book dragged too much on trivial details that did not contribute much to the plot. While the superhero genre is quite typical, the book approaches it in a unique way to create a different experience. It is also nice that the main character holds a double identity since it contributes so much to the complexity and messages of this book. The themes of betrayal and loyalty are presented very nicely at the resolution and the book ends convincingly.

However, this book did have several downsides to it. Superpowers were obtained through traumatic experiences and lost in dumb ways. While the story is not supposed to be realistic, I think this is taking things too far out of the realm of sensible things. My biggest concern reading this book was that Nova could never figure out who truly killed her family and then just believed the Renegades at the end. That was the one big unconvincing scene in the story.

I would recommend this book to young readers who enjoy action-packed stories with intricate character dynamics. While not the pinnacle of the genre, it offers a fun and engaging experience that many will find enjoyable. 

-Review by Teen Volunteer, 7/15/24.

Death Knell: A Shadowdark RPG Megadungeon 2024

Posted on by Lauren Pfendner

A bell tolls throughout the seven realms, bringing with it a fear of the unknown and a quivering dread that chills all mortals’ bones. A mysterious dungeon island has appeared, a dark peak in what was once open oceans. United for the first time in centuries, the nations of Regnis send heroes to explore its depths and the dark secrets–or treasures–within.

Join us for this is a virtual Shadowdark RPG Megadungeon, with rules based on traditional D&D 1st Edition, and using Discord and Owlbear.rodeo. Players can explore a vast new dungeon level each week (from June 26 – July 31) with Game Masters from across the country. Open to ages 13-21. Limited registration, so act fast!

Book Review: Almond

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn

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As a huge fan of global literature, Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn no doubt comes to mind
when I think of my all-time favorite books. I read this book around three years ago and was
immediately struck by its prose, plot, and engaging yet simple storyline. In that vein, this book
was incredibly easy to read and I was able to finish it in two days.

Almond follows the story of a boy named Yunjae from childhood to adolescence. The
unique point of the story comes from Yunjae’s brain condition called alexithymia, which makes
it near impossible for him to feel emotions like fear, anger, and happiness. Due to his condition,
Yunjae spends most of his childhood in the company of his Mother and Grandmother who
attempt to teach him how to function in society despite his condition.

The rest of the book follows Yunjae’s complicated relationships he forms in school. Most
notably, one with his friend Gon. Through this friendship, Yunjae’s emotional range is
broadened as his world expands with new experiences and social situations. He faces tragedy
when both his Mother and Grandmother are victims of random violence. Yet, this experience
teaches Yunjae about his emotions and deepens his relationship with Gon.

To me, the plot of this book was beautifully simple in the way that it felt relatable and
interesting. The dialogue was easy to follow, and each character felt distinctive and highly
developed. The book is broken up into three parts representing major plot or character shifts, this
kept me engaged as a reader and worked nicely with the flow of the story.

My favorite element of this book was the friendship between Yunjae and Gon. This
relationship felt very natural and their dialogue reminded me of friendships in my own life. The
two characters have conflicting personalities; Yunjae is shy and cold, Gon is outgoing and
emotional. This makes their friendship very dynamic and interesting to read about as you are
able to see the ways they push each other out of their comfort zones and complement each other's
personalities.

However, I felt that the second half of the book lost some of the quality that the
beginning had. The book begins to center Gon’s development and focuses on a storyline that felt
a bit rushed and random. This new plot involves Yunjae having to rescue Gon from a violent
gang. However, it felt as though this conflict came out of nowhere and became a bit confusing.
Still, I loved this book overall and consider it one of my favorites. I would recommend it
to anyone who feels stuck in a reading slump as it is very easy to read. I also would recommend

it to anyone who loves character-driven stories and simple plots. Moreover, the book has
beautiful descriptions and dialogue, it feels like any line from the book is a memorable quote.
One of my personal favorites is this one:

“From what I understood, love was an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force
something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so easily, so often.
People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.”

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 4/14/24.

Book Review: Out of Darkness

Posted on by Maya Escobar

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

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Historical fiction books to me are considered to be one of the best genres out there. It allows authors to take pieces of history and turn them into personal stories that tell the story of those who came before. Out of the Darkness is a novel by Ashley Hope Pérez that beautifully lives up to what a historical fiction book should be.

This story is based around the historical event of the 1937 New London School explosion. The story begins with a young Mexican-American teenager, Naomi Vargas, and her two younger twin siblings, Carrie and Beto. In September of 1937, they are forced to move from their loving but poor home with their grandparents in San Antonio to New London, Texas to live with the twins’ father and Naomi’s stepfather, Henry Smith.

Henry had previously been with Naomi and the twins’s mother, Estella, but then left her while she was dying due to false pregnancies, a side effect from Henry’s abuse towards Estella. Naomi was also abused by Henry and is uncertain about living with him. The twins go to school at the New London School while Naomi stays at home doing household chores and longing to leave Texas and Henry.

However, this sadness takes a turn when Naomi and the twins meet Wash Fuller, an African-American teen around Naomi’s age living in the segregated area in New London, Egypt town. The four bond over feelings of being an outsider in a primarily white town. Soon enough, Wash and Naomi also fall in love, and enjoy their time together with the twins.

While life is getting better for the Vargas, the universe seems to have other plans. Henry slowly becomes more abusive and controlling towards Naomi and the twins. He desperately wants all of them to feel like a family so in order to do this, he proposes that him and Naomi get married. Naomi is shocked by Henry’s proposition and is also scared that once they get married, she could never see Wash again and never leave Texas.

To prevent this from happening, she makes a plan with Wash to leave for Mexico with the twins, and hide away from Henry. In an unfortunate turn of events, Carrie killed during the New London School explosion, creating a non-sealable hole in the Vargas family, and prompting Henry to push even more for the marriage. Just as Wash, Naomi, and Beto prepare to finally leave for Mexico along with Wash’s family, Henry finds out their plan.

Angered by the betrayal from his own family, Henry kills Wash and forces Beto to kill Naomi. After being forced to kill his own sister, Beto then shoots Henry, ending the source of pain and suffering and destroying the only connection to his broken family. At the end of the book, Beto leaves for Mexico with Wash’s family and lives out the rest of his childhood with his grandparents.

I am and will forever be awed by this book. It is truly remarkable, and the author did an amazing job crafting such a beautiful, meaningful story that teaches a lot about family and gives us an insight into what segregation was like in the late 1930s in Texas. I especially like how the author went deep into each and every one of the characters and gave them special story of their own that makes the readers feel even more connected to them.

Although this story included a lot of difficult topics, like sexual abuse and segregation in the south during that time, the author wrote this book in a way that kind of showed the reader how important it was to talk about these topics because it made the story what it is and provided a deep depth into the book overall. Out of scale of 10, this book deserves a 100 because it is truly amazing and it is a true work of art. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and I would definitely read another book by this author.

-Review by Teen Volunteer, 2/23/24
To submit a review of your own, email the YA Services Librarian at askbelmont[email protected].

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