Kendra Kodira's Review of:
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

HarperCollins. 2017. Science Fiction/Romance
(Listened to in audiobook format.)

Kendra Kodira's Review of:
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Delacorte Press. 2020. Mystery.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder incorporates various articles, transcripts, and project logs to truly immerse the audience in an authentic case. The unique framework of the novel highlights Pippa’s intriguing thought process, adding to the suspense as suspects and theories are searched through. Holly Jackson masterfully renders an absorbing, fast-paced plot with intricate surprises at every turn and a rewarding as well as completely shocking ending. Despite the complexity of the mystery, the novel fails to effectively address prominent themes of race, suicide, and abuse. Naturally, readers should be aware of mature themes heavily included because of the high school setting and older characters. 

With a similar plot centered on unraveling a murder intertwined with the protagonists’ personal life, those who’ve read The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes will be drawn into Holly Jackson’s novel. Lovers of mystery classics such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series will savor the shared theme present in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder of uncovering the dark secrets of others at any cost. 

Karthik Shankar's Review of:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
1876. Literature.

In the novel, a mischievous and rule-breaking boy named Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his step-brother, Sid. Due to his mischievous nature, he is put to work on chores and spends most of his day working. However, due to his cleverness, he persuades many people and makes them do all of the work for him. Later in the story, he goes to Sunday school where he makes a fool out of himself when he wrongly answers that the first two disciples were David and Goliath. We also learn that he falls in love with a girl named Becky Thatcher, whom he persuades to get “engaged” to him. Throughout the story, we see him performing acts and acting like a trouble-maker by doing things his aunt won’t let him do and getting in trouble as a result of it.

Throughout all of this, he is accompanied by his close friend, Huck Finn. One night, they sneak out to the woods where they mistakenly see the murder of a local doctor by a man named Injun Joe. (He later get involves and bring justices to the doctor.) However, one childish thing that he does is running away to an island with Huck and their other friend to become pirates. There, they live for a few days until Tom gets bored and sneaks back home where he sees that the people are all mourning the “death” of him. This is when he gets the idea of surprising everyone at his own funeral later in the week. He convinces his friends to do the same and they get prepared to eventually head back home. Find out what happens next by reading the intriguing novel by Mark Twain. You definitely won’t be bored when reading this book!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a classic book that was written by Mark Twain in the 19th century. It continues to be a controversial novel due to various reasons such as the inappropriate use of language and some of themes portrayed throughout the story. Due to this, the text would most definitely be recommended for students that are 15 years of age or older. One of the main reasons why it is a controversial text in modern day, however, is due to its use of racial slurs that are not appropriate in today’s world. Regardless, the book is a great read and it keeps the readers on the edges of their seats. It is most certainly a page turner since it is a story that portrays a life that is not very commonly known in today’s world. Some of the actions being performed in the text would be illegal today due to improved laws and rules. Ultimately, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a great story to read in one’s spare time. -KS 5/3/21




Saketh Gosetty's Review of:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Little, Brown & Company. 1951. Realistic fiction/Coming-of-age

Holden Caulfield, an angst-riddled teen, gets expelled from the private school Pencey Prep after failing four subjects. With one week left before being unable to return, Holden reflects

Saketh Gosetty's Review of:
1984 by George Orwell
Secker & Warburg. 1949. Dystopian Science Fiction/Satire

Orwell’s nihilistic novel takes place in Airstrip One (Great Britain) which is a part of on Oceania, one of three totalitarian super-states that are at constant war with other superpowers, Eastasia and Eurasia, in order to gain more labor power and eventually absorb the other states into one massive entity. The novel follows working-class member Winston Smith who discreetly opposes the rituals of the totalitarian Party and their figure of power Big Brother, who reinforces the values of “War is peace/ Freedom is slavery/ Ignorance is strength.” One of the enemies of the Party is a man named Emmanuel Goldstein, a traitor to the Party who is rumored to be the organizer of an opposing group known as the Brotherhood. Goldstein appears on the telescreens during a weekly routine known as “Two Minutes of Hate” where he states ideas that anger the crowd listening and solidifies the Party’s values.

Despite Winston’s despair for a society that has cheated him out of the brighter life that he experienced when he was younger, he gains a sense of hope from the thought of the Brotherhood and a group dedicated towards ending the Party’s rule. In the process of finding the answers to his questions about the existence and goals of the Brotherhood, life before the revolution, and how to take down the Party - all while hiding his motivation from the Thought Police - Winston comes across an antique store with sentimental value of the past before the revolution. Winston later uses the spare room of the store as a rendezvous point for him and Julia, a lady who works in the Ministry of Truth but secretly opposes the Party as well. The two engage in a secret affair where they share their collective hatred for Big Brother in secrecy. Will Winston and Julia be able to learn more about the Brotherhood and take down the Party before the Thought Police catch them and bring them to the feared Ministry of Love to be “vaporized?” -SG 2/26/21



Clara Armon's Review of:
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Arrow Books. 1952.

Santiago, a Cuban fisherman, has not caught a decent fish for eighty-four days, and because of this run of bad luck, he is struggling to have food to eat and the necessities to sustain himself. The boy, who he loves deeply, helps him in any way he can. The boy, Manolin, and Santiago, more commonly known as the old man, fish the first forty days together, but then the boy is forced to transfer to another boat by his parents.

On the eighty-fifth morning, the old man decides to go far out into the ocean, hoping for a big fish to take his bait. Finally, he feels the tug of a powerful fish. And with this, his journey begins. All alone far out in the ocean, the old man goes days battling with the great fish and surviving off raw seafood and one bottle of water. However, only after completing his first grand mission, a greater one commences. The voyage back.

Through this short novel, the themes of man versus nature - plus of failure versus success - are very prominent. The old man finally gets lucky, but then loses it all by the end of the story, lying in bed, exhausted, with ripped up hands, terribly sore muscles, and no prize from the trip.

The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway’s last major work of fiction, is seen as an American classic. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was a factor in Hemingway winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. The old man revolves around the thought that, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” From this read, one can learn about the mindset needed to have the ability to accomplish anything, even when unluckiness hits.
 

Clara Armon's Review of:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Scribner. 1926. Historical Fiction.

The Sun Also Rises is a story of American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to Spain to enjoy fishing and watch the bullfights. The trip was originally supposed to be Jake Barnes, a newspaper correspondent, and Robert Cohn, a professional boxer and ventured writer, taking a trip to Spain for pleasure and for experiences for Cohn to incorporate into a novel. But others join and make the trip miserable for Cohn, who feels like an outsider.

Hemingway uses many metaphors in this work. Over the course of the novel, Jake and Brett, the “sun” the rest orbit around, have a stable relationship and both love each other, but cannot be together due to, essentially, the war. The war, and fundamentally the death of true love, parallels the bullfights they attend. And the fishing trip expresses the freeness the men feel when fishing - freeness from all their problems, from women to wounds to wealth.

This writing by Hemingway is a strong display of the lost generation. The lost generation consists of those who walk the world directionless in the post World War I age. Within this reading, the characters’ struggles and the lostness they feel are prevalent. If you are interested in the life of the lost generation and expatriates attempting to find love and themselves, this is a read for you. It will make readers ponder how they may be dealing with circumstances in their life and how wounds from the past hurt individuals in the present and future. -CA 3/24/21
 

FANTASY:

Erica Gorelik's Review of:
Red Queen (Book 1) by Victoria Aveyard
Simon & Schuster. 2015. Fantasy.

Victoria Aveyard’s fantasy novel Red Queen kept me on my toes throughout the whole story. Each page left my jaw closer to the ground, and I never knew what was coming next, especially when it neared that shocking ending.

This novel takes place in a world where people are divided by the color of their blood, red or silver. Reds are poor and don’t have much to start off with; they go to school, and live an average life, getting conscripted into the army at the age of 18 if they do not have a job. Silvers, on the other end, live a lavish life; they have powers, literally and metaphorically speaking. They are rich and privileged, having the Reds do any and all of their duties for them, including fighting their wars.

Mare, a 17-year old Red girl, doesn’t hold herself to high standards. She spends her time as a thief, trying to supply what she can to her family before she gets sent off to war with her brothers and all the other Reds. She knows what the future holds until one day she finds that out her best friend, Kilorn, has lost his job and will be conscripted in a matter of days. In the time she spends searching for a solution for their collective issue, something gets in the way and a new opportunity greets her. Soon, Mare finds out she is much more than anyone could have ever imagined - a Red with powers. Join Mare to navigate her new life in an unfamiliar world as she uncovers secrets and lies - and remember: “anyone can betray anyone.” -EG 4/23/21

 

Victoria Kartashev's Review of:
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Penguin Random House. 2020. Historical Fantasy.

Everyone knows about the musical legend of Amadeus Mozart, the prodigy, the genius, the artist. However, few know about his equally talented sister, Nannerl. The Kingdom of Back is Marie Lu’s fantastical take on the life of Nannerl Mozart and how her life was lived, both on the stage and in her brother's shadow. However, her father has made it abundantly clear: Nannerl will play until she is of age to be married, and no longer. When a mysterious stranger from another world presents a magical solution, hope seems to appear for Nannerl.The Kingdom of Back spins a thrilling tale about a young girl warring between her ambitions and her morals.

The Kingdom of Back blends historical fantasy with thrilling mystery, wonderful adventures coupled with a side of action. As Nannerl discovers her own fantasy world, the reader breathes and fights by her side. Marie Lu’s immersive writing delivers yet another YA masterpiece in the form of The Kingdom of Back. 

The elements of history swirled in with a unique perspective are similar to those in books such as The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, or Bridgerton. - VK 4/14/2021




Karthik Shankar's Review of:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Scholastic. 2008. Fantasy.

Having been one of the most electrifying novel series in the world for the past 3 decades, all Harry Potter books take us into the imaginative mind of JK Rowling to experience a world full of magic, thrills, and heartbreak. In the fourth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the readers see a fourth year for Harry and his closest friends, Ron and Hermione, as they are going to a Quidditch match (one of Rowling’s unique creations). After watching an exhilarating match between Ireland and Bulgaria, they all head back to their tent only to be disturbed a few minutes later by an attack on the campgrounds where everyone is staying. It eventually turns out that the whole campground burns to the ground and everyone but Harry is gone. Harry sees a snake in the sky and realizes that Lord Voldemort (his enemy and the antagonist) is alive again and he will be coming for Harry soon. 

The text then skips forward to the students entering Hogwarts and enjoying a feast. At this moment, the headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore, announces that there is a Triwizard Tournament which will take place in Hogwarts that year. Then the other two schools that will be competing arrive and the festivities begin. It is clearly announced that students under the age of 17 will not be allowed to compete in the competition that could result in death. However, when the results are collected by Headmaster Dumbledore, people are shocked by the fact that Harry Potter, who is under the age limit, is one of the chosen participants for the rigorous competition. Read the fascinating text to find out what happens next and if Harry ends up participating in the competition! -KS 4/23/21
 

Carly Pinnix's Review of:
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Disney Publishing. 2010. Fantasy/Mythology/Adventure.

After Jason’s memory is taken, his life is flipped upside down. With just little fragments coming back to him here and there and in his dreams, he struggles with reality. He struggles with his identity. When Jason wakes up on a bus next to Piper, his so called girlfriend, and Leo, his so called best friend, he can’t remember them at all. Soon he is taken to an unfamiliar place called Camp Half-Blood with his two friends. He quickly learns that Olympus is in great turmoil and that he is needed in order to save Olympus. A quest is ordered and a goddess tells Jason that if he is successful he will get his memory back. Jason, Piper, and Leo all set off on a quest to help save Olympus.

Overall, I think this book was intriguing and would recommend it to others. Additionally, for people interested in Greek mythology, I would highly recommend this book because it is focused around the ideas of Greek mythology. This book had just the right amount of adventure, fantasy, and romance. It always kept me on the end of my seat and at some points got so tense I had to hold my breath. At some points the book seems a little cheesy and childish, but overall it was quite enjoyable. -CP 2/26/21

Jacob Bleecker's Review of:
Swimming Lessons by Lili Reinhardt
St. Martin's Publishing Group. 2020. Poetry/Mental Health.

One of the up and coming actresses of today, Lili Reinhardt stars on Riverdale. Although known for her role as Betty on the popular Netflix series, she debuted as an author in 2020 when she released Swimming Lessons, a collection of poetry over her lifetime. 

In the book, Reinhardt writes about romance and broken love, battling anxiety and depression, and finding the small successes in the big failures. 

Personally, this book came out at the perfect time. With all of the chaos in the world today, I found that Swimming Lessons was a great outlet for me. It brought some calm and clarity in what has been a messy year. Reinhardt’s writing is delicate and relatable for most, so I recommend giving it a read, even if poetry isn’t usually your cup of tea. 

My favorite poem reads, “This is how I know / I love you so much. / Whenever I see something / beautiful, I want you to / see it, too.”

Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Awards Best Poetry award, Reinhardt’s writing is catching the eyes of many, and it should catch your’s too. -JB 4/23/21



Jazzi Ben-Joseph's Review of:
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Viking Press. 1998. Self-help/Personal growth/Power.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a step-by-step guide on Machiavelli-style manipulation and at times morally dubious tutorials on how to gauge and exploit one’s surroundings. However, the merit of this book lies not in its capabilities to make its reader a tyrannical dictator, but rather in its ability to give the user tools to make small improvements to their everyday life. Critical thinking skills are essential for readers of this book; one must read without the goal of manipulating others, knowing not to take certain laws to heart and instead be aware when the techniques are being used against them. 

While certain laws may not be applicable to one’s daily life (see Law 15: Crush your enemy totally), other laws have practical uses in business, education, and social interaction. I find myself often using various laws, such as Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self interest, never to their mercy. The laws in this book help the reader understand the dynamics of social situations and how to use them to their advantage. The laws give the reader a better understanding of their social environment and allow them to gain power in whatever area they choose. -JBJ 3/24/21



Clara Armon's Review of:
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam
Portfolio/Penguin. 2012. Self-help.

Laura Vanderkam, the author of several time management and productivity books, has written What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast to help people use their mornings more productively - a problem that many of us struggle with. Through this book, she will help you realize that getting up early in the morning does not have to be irritable - there is a way to get up and be excited for the day to come; Laura Vanderkam will help you find that excitement. Laura is also a host for the podcast Before Breakfast and has co-hosted Best of Both Worlds. Mrs. Vanderkam posts self-help blogs regularly on her website and has several publications by well-known newspaper companies. Currently, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

One will enjoy this book if trying to utilize mornings strategically to become a part of the most successful people. Laura explains ways of improving morning routines by using others as examples and detailing how to rediscover valuable time and use time effectively. The book revolves around two main concepts. The first concept is to, as Laura says, “Spend more time on the things that matter, and less on the things that don’t.” The second concept is to find your most productive hours and use those hours carefully - fill them with the most important things. Some similar books written by Mrs. Laura Vanderkam include Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, and 168 Hours. I found the self-help book beneficial; it brought many great ideas into my life. In the book’s conclusion, Laura lists 50 tips; this ending summed up her points and delivered terrific information. The book also includes several pages of time-logs and a QR code to her website for more resources. If you are looking for a way to make great use of your time, read this book, for after spending the few hours reading it, you will get back hundreds of hours that could have been lost otherwise. -CA 4/23/21



Jacob Bleecker's Review of:
Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld
Simon & Schuster. 2020. Comedy.

Over the course of the last 45 years, comedian Jerry Seinfeld compiled his best jokes from his stand-up sessions across the country. His material will yank laughs from you, even if you’re in a bad mood. Each chapter is dedicated to his best content from each decade, starting in the seventies. Furthermore, portions of the book share his journey to becoming an extraordinary comedian, and readers can understand the grit it takes to be the only speaker in a room and the relatability needed to garner laughs from strangers.
 

The book is a fairly easy read, as it touches on most ages. Also, it isn’t necessary to read chronologically, making it easy to skip around from joke to joke.

 

I recommend this book for all ages, especially if you need a laugh. But, if you’re not convinced, take a look at this excerpt from the book:

 

Clara Armon's Review of:
My Invented Country by Isabel Allende
HarperCollins. 2003. Memoir/History.

Isabel Allende was born in Peru but grew up in Santiago, Chile with her mother, grandfather, siblings, and Uncle Pablo - then later with her step-father Ramon, never speaking of her father. Isabel indulges in deep detail describing Chileans’ mindset and how life is lived in the southwestern strip of Latin America where Chile lies.
 

She was an enthusiastic reader as a child and is still to this day, reading everything she gets her hands on and appreciating her education. When her stepfather got a job offer, they - her mother, siblings, stepfather, and herself - picked up and went to a different part of Latin America and then to a different continent as he got another job. Isabel returned to Santiago, Chile at fifteen, her mother staying in Europe with Ramon. She lived with her grandfather, who home-schooled her, and this created a lasting bond between them. She finished high school at the age of sixteen, quickly got a job, married her first husband and boyfriend in 1962, then had her first child, Paola, the following year and three years later her first son.

 

Meanwhile, in Chile, there were divides of political parties. After Salvador Allende, the previous president (the cousin of Isabel Allende’s father) died in Pinochet’s coup on September 11th, 1973, a day that would change all Chileans’ lives forever.

 

Pinochet will dictate Chile for over sixteen years and create complete terror in the country with extreme military violence, causing anyone with leftist beliefs to be in danger. Many had to escape the country or go into hiding, for if not, they would be tortured in one of the detention centers that had replaced the sports stadiums and some schools when Pinochet took over.

 

Through this novel, (one of Isabel Allende’s many, as she writes a new one about her life every year) one feels as if they experienced what Allende went through. One will learn about Chile’s culture and land, and will leave the book with a new view of the world, or at least understand Chile and its people better. -CA 2/21

Jacob Bleecker's Review of:
Notes From a Big Country by Bill Bryson
Doubleday. 1998. Memoir/Travel/Humor.

 

Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Big Country details Bryson’s life as a stranger to both England and America. 

After growing up in America, Bryson moved to England where he lived for over 20 years. All the while, he still thought of America as home, and while in England, he was labeled “the American.” It is safe to say that Bryson was uncomfortable, at least some of the time. When he moved back to America, he was optimistic about returning home.

However, he had a false sense of hope. After adjusting to the customs and traditions in England, Bryson was also out of place in America, the country he thought of as home. Bryson was “the man from England.” In each chapter, Bryson recounts a unique anecdote from his return to America, such as a day at the Hardware Store. He couldn’t call spackle its English word, but rather the British word, polyfilla. This embarrassment wasn’t rare either.

I enjoyed reading the book, because, although it was long, Bryson writes in a casual way. He uses humor and simple vocabulary to connect with his readers, and his stories shed light on the difficulties of being an outsider, something everybody has experienced at one point or another. 

I recommend the memoir to anybody who wants to read non-fiction in an enjoyable way. That is to say, not a textbook-like recounting of facts. You don’t have to know who Bryson is because his stories are applicable to others who feel the same awkwardness that he felt in new surroundings. At first, this didn’t seem like a book I’d enjoy because it was non-fiction and about somebody I didn’t know of, but, as I mentioned, it was a long but easy and likable read. I suggest giving it a try. -JB 4/23/21
 

Michael Wang's Review of:
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Farrar, Strous & Giroux. 2007. Memoir.

A Long Way Gone, written by Ishmael Beah, tells the true story of himself, going from a young, innocent child to an almost ruthless and emotionless boy soldier. This story takes place in the 1990s, when Beah was a child and lived in Sierra Leone. During this time, there was a terrible civil war that devastated thousands of normal people, especially children, as they tried to live their lives. Some people get lucky and were able to get out of this dark period alive, some didn’t make it out alive, and some, like Beah, come back alive, but they lose something that may be more important than their life.

Some of the things that these children went through, and may still be going through, seem almost unrealistic. This book taught me to be grateful for what I have and never take anything for granted. Disclaimer: This memoir is not meant to be enjoyable as in a happy story where everything is nice. This is a dark, sad, and eye-opening memoir that you will never forget. There are some parts of the book that I still think about even after I had finished reading it for weeks. With that being said, I still recommend this book to all people who would like to broaden their knowledge about the lives of children and people in general who may not be as fortunate as them. Just be aware that this book can get gruesome and hard to read at some points. But being able to learn about Beah and people like him and their journeys is a tradeoff that is worth making.

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