York: The Map of Stars by Laura Ruby

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In the third and final book of the York series, two twins, Tess and Theo, along with their close friend Jaime are working to save their city while a rich man, Darnell Slant, and others are working to tear it down. While dealing with this, Tess and Theo are still trying to comprehend a photo from long before they were born with people that look… just like them? Meanwhile, they’re also trying to figure out their friendship with Jaime. Throughout the book, they work on solving the Morningstarr Cipher and learn more about their pasts.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy science fiction, mysteries, and time travel. I did not read the first two books, but I was still able to understand. It was interesting to see Tess, Theo, and Jaime work through their friendship while also preventing a catastrophe. I would give this a 3/5 because it could be difficult to follow and understand which time period the section was in. However, I do think that it could very enjoyable to some, it was just not my preferred style.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 1/15/21

Forget This Ever Happened by Cassandra Rose Clarke

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In the summer of 1993, teenager Claire is forced by her mother into taking care of her sick grandmother in the small town of Indianola, Texas. Claire is less than thrilled about this arrangement. She doesn’t want to leave her life in Houston or her crush Josh, and she and her grandmother don’t exactly get along. On top of that, her grandmother’s house is old, dark, and hot, and Indianola is not exactly the most exciting place in the world. Claire quickly discovers that there is more to Indianola than there seems though. Soon after Claire arrives she meets Audrey, your typical perky, blonde cheerleader who lives down the street. Claire can’t shake the feeling that there’s something a little off about Audrey though, and can’t figure out why her grandmother keeps forcing them together. And then of course Claire discovers that there are monsters living in Indianola, alligator-like creatures with fur that can speak and stand up like a human. It’s at this point that Julie, the other main character of the story, is introduced. Julie has lived in Indianola all her life, and her family owns many of the businesses in town, including the local exterminator service charged with returning any monsters that stray too close to town to their home at the Indianola power plant. Julie, forced by her father to work at the exterminator’s, meets Claire when she comes to pick up a monster at Claire’s house. Claire and Julie bond over their shared love of movies and video games and begin developing feelings for each other. They also work together to determine why the monsters keep visiting Claire’s house talking about an “astronaut” that Claire needs to stop, how the monsters first came to Indianola, and how Claire and Julie’s families are connected.

Forget This Ever Happened is a mystery filled with suspense, though it can move a little slowly at times. The book has many plot twists that I enjoyed and never saw coming, including who the true villain of the story is and how Julie’s cousin Lawrence plays into Audrey’s plan. I also liked how the author developed the relationship between Claire and Julie. I think it is realistic in that many people experience the anxiety of not knowing whether their crush feels the same way, and can relate to questioning their sexuality.

My biggest issue with the novel is that although it does have many plot twists, certain aspects of the mystery are revealed too quickly. For example, it’s clear from almost the moment we meet Audrey that she is not what she seems, and it very quickly becomes obvious that she is the “astronaut” the monsters keep referring to. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the perspective of the novel alternating between Claire and Julie. As the reader I had access to more information than Claire and Julie did individually and was able to put the clues together before them. I found it rather frustrating having to wait for them to arrive at the same conclusions.

Overall, I would give this book a 4/5, and would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and sci-fi with a little bit of romance mixed in.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 2/21/21

Half Life by Lillian Clark

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This book is about Lucille Harper, a high schooler who strives for perfection in everything she does. This obsession with overachieving causes her to become isolated from her friends as she repeatedly chooses school over spending time with them. When she receives an email from a company called Life2 asking her to be a beta-tester for producing a human clone, she accepts the request, hoping a clone of herself will mean she won’t have to choose between friends and good grades. However, Lucille soon finds that having a clone is a lot more complicated than she originally thought. She wasn’t expecting her clone to have a mind of its own, and she’s forced to go along with all of the decisions that Lucy, her clone, makes. The workers at Life2 also plan to take Lucy back to their laboratory after a month so that they can present her to other companies. As it becomes clear that Life2 will do anything they can to ensure the success of their business, including tearing Lucy away from the new friends she’s made as a human being, Lucy and Lucille have to think of a way to take down the company…before it’s too late.

My favorite thing about this book is how relatable parts of it are. The author highlights the negative side effects of aiming for perfection, and she also shows how split-second decisions sometimes lead to involvement in something much bigger than expected.

I thought this book was really well-written, and I would give it 5/5 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys science fiction novels!

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 2/27/21

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

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The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel set in the New England area of the United States, which is known as the Republic of Gilead. In this society, the former United States government has been overthrown and has changed into a military dictatorship under Gilead. Since then, this new regime quickly expanded its power, ultimately controlling everything from the rights of individual people to religious studies. Offred, a Handmaid (a fertile woman whose role in this society is to provide children for high ranking men), narrates the story, which focuses on her individual experiences as well as the general day-to-day life of a Handmaid. Through Offred’s narration, she reveals her past and present, retelling how Gilead came to be, her current life as a Handmaid, the family she had and lost, the fall of women’s rights, and rising resistance. As Offred brings her story to life, she uncovers the horrors hidden beneath the utopia that Gilead appears to the outside world.

The thing that astounded and made me enjoyed this book immensely is that the details Atwood incorporates into the book draws from real events in history, thus making The Handmaid’s Tale under the category of speculative fiction. It’s incredible that when I read the book, I believed that every single detail came from Atwood’s imagination, because, in a way, they were too horrid for me to perceive they’re part of our history. It truly changes how I view the world from now on. Another thing that’s incredible about this book is how Atwood uses colors to describe the roles of different women in Gilead—Handmaids wear red, Wives wear blue, Marthas wear green, Aunts wear brown, and Econowives wear red, blue, and green stripes. For me, it’s interesting that every color fits the role of each category of women and because I believe it plays a vital role in the story though it’s not highlighted; it reveals the morals of Gilead and a glimpse of its functions. Overall, The Handmaid’s Tale presents warnings of all sorts to its readers and proves a wonderful read, that stands the test of time (did I mention it was published in 1985?!)

Though The Handmaid’s Tale is a great book, it’s certainly not for everyone. I would recommend this book to those who are not disturbed by darker themes and are open-minded; after all, it does not shy away from the corruption it presents.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 12/18/20

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

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This book follows Liv Fleming, a high schooler whose biggest worry is performing well in school and maintaining her friendships – that is, until her dad goes missing for four days and makes his return by streaking through town, an act that is witnessed by most of Liv’s classmates. Upon Mr. Fleming’s return, he sets about teaching Liv and her friend Doug how to prepare alien traps, claiming he was in an alien lair during the time that he was missing. When Mr. Fleming disappears for a second time and doesn’t return, Doug assumes that the aliens captured Liv’s dad once again, and he thinks that the only way to bring him back is to continue monitoring the traps. Liv follows through the motions half-heartedly, not wanting to upset Doug but also not truly believing that aliens are real. However, on a day three years after her dad’s disappearance, she has to reconsider her version of reality when she discovers a creature in one of her dad’s traps that’s unlike any other being she had ever seen. She’s forced to make a difficult decision: should she turn this creature into the authorities, or should she try to collect information from it about where her father is?

I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant to read this book at first because I don’t normally enjoy sci-fi novels, but I was drawn into the storyline after the first chapter, and I could barely put it down after that. My favorite thing about this book is how complex it is, with several plot twists, so the storyline isn’t too predictable. By the time I reached the final 50 or so pages, I found myself twisting my blanket anxiously because I was so nervous to see how the book would end. The one thing I didn’t like about this book is that there were some confusing aspects of the plot. Overall, I would give this book a 4.5/5 rating. It’s a great book for anyone looking for a thriller to keep them reading past their bedtime!

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 12/18/20

Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

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This book is about Poe Dameron, a teenage boy who is yearning to escape his home planet of Yavin 4. He often gets in trouble, and all he really wants to do is be able to fly his plane and have adventures like his mother often did. So when a group approaches him saying they are looking for a pilot to get them of off Yavin 4, Poe immediately wants to accept. The group seems a little shady though, and is he really willing to leave his whole life behind? But Poe realizes that this might be his only chance to get off the planet so he accepts. What he doesn’t realize is that he has just joined one of the most wanted groups in the whole galaxy… the Spice Runners of Kijimi. But Poe is already too deep in to escape now… what will happen to him now? This books goes on to show Poe’s adventures with the Spice Runners.

I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Star Wars, flying, and maybe adventure. However, if you are a fan of realistic fiction or dystopian like I am, I would not recommend this book. I found this book a little bit boring and it felt a little bit drawn out. Other than that it was a pretty good book, just not my style. The author did do a really nice job of writing the book, and I could see the thought that went into making this book easy to read.Overall I give this book a 3/5. If you like Star Wars or flying, this may be a good book for you, but other then that, I don’t necessarily recommend it. Thanks for reading my review 🙂

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 12/16/20

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

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This novel is a Snow White retelling with Sophie/the princess as the main character. Though some parts of the story definitely diverge from the original, many parts are kept the same, such as the existence of the stepmother. In this story, the stepmother/queen asks the mirror, “mirror mirror on the wall, who will bring about my fall” and the mirror ends up showing Sophie. Fearing that she might lose her beloved crown, the stepmother sends out her huntsman to take Sophie’s heart. While the huntsman succeeds, Sophie ends up living with the help of seven strangers who build Sophie a new heart. The story continues as we follow Sophie who tries to navigate her way through her new life and see if she can ultimately defeat the true evil behind it.

First, the characters. Sophie is described as too soft-hearted, too kind, and too foolish. The thing is, she was definitely too foolish. As a seventeen year old girl, I just could not believe that she couldn’t figure out the prince, Haakon, was a fraud. I knew from the moment we met him all he wanted from Sophie was the crown. It frustrated me greatly that Sophie would constantly yearn for him and even put herself in danger by wandering outside of the safe cottage that the seven men (they were so nice) graciously let her stay in until she realized that he was evil. However, I do love good character development. Sophie did grow a lot on her journey to find her heart. She acknowledges that although being kind can be a sign of weakness, it ultimately will win out over being severe. For the other point of view we are given besides the queen and huntsman, the King of Crows. The King of Crows who is later revealed to be Fear was the actual evil being. He manipulated the queen to kill Sophie. It was also revealed that he took many other people’s hearts and ate them (what?!). I personally do not have a strong opinion of Fear. He was neither great nor terrible. For the side characters, Arno and Will. Arno was probably one of my favorite characters even if he was not in the spotlight. He had a sad backstory that tied in nicely with his current state and even though he had many opportunities to abandon Sophie, he stayed with her as an almost father figure. The same can be said for Will, the love interest. He also had every reason to leave Sophie, as she stood for the crown that did nothing but harm Will’s family. I probably would have left, oops!

Time for plot. The plot overall was pretty convenient for Sophie. Every time she almost died, she somehow was alive again (oh wow!) Especially at the end, when the creatures trapped in Fear’s castle were released and immediately joined Sophie and her crew to take her crown back. Not too believable, in my opinion. The novel does pick up after around halfway through, after she meets Arno and Will and starts her quest to get her heart back.

The messages in this book were pretty solid. There was a lot of talk about a woman being in power and how it can affect someone’s mental state and how they perceive those around them as being untrusting and deceiving. Also I liked how the story was tied into the heart and love and how being loving does not equate to being too soft. 

Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars. I would recommend this medium paced book to people that don’t have a problem with not getting attached to characters and who like fairytale retellings that have a nice message behind it.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 12/14/20

The Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis

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Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis re-imagines the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty in a dystopian romance. Years ago, an earthquake hit New York, separating the heroine of this story, Jade, from her mother. Years later, the city is nothing like it was before: instead of cement roads, there are cobblestone streets; instead of cars, there are horses and carriages; instead of houses and skyscrapers, there is a single towering castle. Above all, New York now has a queen with the ability to strip emotions away. Jade, too, has changed; she no longer has feelings, her heart cold as ice, and she works as part of the all-women queen’s guards, the Black Hearts, where spends her days staring at the ruins of the city. However, things start to take a turn when the queen’s son, Asher, returns from his runaway. For once in Jade’s life since the earthquake, she starts to feel emotion, from Asher’s constant taunts that spark anger to his steady gaze that cause her heart to skip a beat. As Jade and Asher grow closer, Jade’s icy heart starts to melt, and she begins to question her loyalty; is she on the queen’s side or Asher’s?

Jade won me over as soon as she introduces herself: “I wish I could say I was the hero of the story. A resister. A rebel. Someone who lived to bring an end to the queen who stole my childhood—my mother, my life, my very world. But I’m not. I’m not the good guy. I’m the one who puts the good guys in their graves.” From the start, I understood that Jade is going to be an unconventional heroine that I am going to love. Honestly, the novel was a delightful read, especially the romance within. The romance between Jade and Asher was slow and sweet, with plenty of moments between the two that was swoony and adorable. Davis was able to make the simplest acts of touching hands to looking in each others’ eyes way more compelling than that of romance scenes packed with complex actions. Additionally, there was no love triangle in sight, which I greatly appreciated. The only complaint that I have about this book is that I feel like it doesn’t completely represent the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Even though I can see how it incorporates the classic tale, there’s just not enough resemblance; if I were to go into the book without knowing that it’s supposed to be a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, I would have no idea until about half-way through the book. On the other hand, Gathering Frost does give off a fairy tale vibe, due to some things being too convenient and the fulfilling ending (it checks off all the boxes in a fairy tale). Overall, I enjoyed Gathering Frost, and I look forward to reading the next book in the Once Upon a Curse series, Withering Rose.

This is the book for you if you enjoy re imagined fairy tales with kick-ass heroines and story lines filled with cliché romance along with action scenes.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 11/30/20

Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

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Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri is a novel about five children—Bicé, Belle, Victoria, Valentine, and Christian—who all disappeared from England one night, only to appear again in New York as teenagers with their governess, Madame Vileroy. Their mysterious appearance causes rumors to arise, and their outstanding progress in one of New York’s most prestigious high school adds to the aura of strangeness that surrounds the five. As the group continues to rise above with the help of their governess, who gives each one of them a gift (ability to stop time, to have extreme beauty, to read minds, to turn back time, and to steal anything), the five soon find that their successes come with a cost: their souls. As their wicked governess continues to supply their gifts, each individual struggles with whether to continue with their sins or to give up their power while still given the chance.

In my opinion, Another Faust has an extremely captivating story line that I didn’t expect it to have when I went into reading, and it was also thought-provoking. The way the authors crafted the characters was another thing that I enjoyed because I can relate to each of them through my struggles as a human with perfection and the prices I’ve paid in my own life to overachieve. However, although the premise and the characters of the story are amazing, I sensed as if something was missing while reading; it just wasn’t enough. My only complaint about this novel is I feel the authors could have expanded more on the plot and the characters to make it richer darker, deeper, and more elaborate—if it did, it might’ve been one of the most clever and creative books I’ve ever read.

Although Another Faust may not be at its full potential, I believe it is worth the read. It has enough complexity to get the reader wanting to find out more and truly is a refreshing supernatural read.

The Secret Runners by Matthew Reilly

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This book is about Skye: a teenage girl who has the perfect life. Or at least, that’s what it looks like. Skye (or Blue as some people call her) lives in one of New York’s most expensive apartments with her Mom, her super rich stepdad, and her brother, Red. She goes to one of New York’s most exclusive private schools. But Skye’s life isn’t perfect, and she knows it. She doesn’t particularly like her mother who judges her all the time, and she misses her father. She’s really an outcast at school, even though she started out really popular at her old school. Oh, the world is going to end on March 17th. At least that’s what the old wacko scientist said before he died. Skye isn’t sure what to think about the world ending, but she doesn’t have much time to think about it. Red has just told her about a tunnel – a very secret tunnel that only the popular crew knows about. A tunnel that can transport you somewhere… but where? When Skye finally gets an invitation to go into the tunnel, she realizes that the tunnel leads to a different New York… but where? With the world (maybe) coming to an end, Skye needs to figure out where this tunnel leads to… and fast.

I really liked the realistic aspect of this book. Even with it being a dystopian book, all the other elements except for the tunnel were things I can imagine happening in real life. It took place with most of the main characters as high schoolers, and the author did a really good job of making the characters really realistic. I also loved that this was a dystopian book, and it was a little scary, but not too much.

I usually don’t like thriller books, but I think this was a great one for anyone looking for a good book to read.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there were some parts about it that were pretty predictable, and there were also a lot of swear words in it. Overall, I give this book 4.5/5! I thought it was pretty good!

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 11/30/20