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Beloved by Toni Morrison (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

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Beloved (Toni Morrison Trilogy #1)Beloved by Toni Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A warning: Beloved is not for the light of heart. Sethe is an escaped slave and mother of three that heads for Ohio with her broken family, having lost her husband in flight. The trauma that she has endured as a slave and during her escape haunts her, so she does her best to repress those troubling memories. With the appearance of a figure from her past, however, she slowly begins to question the choices she once made with the interests of her children in mind. This novel is based off of real events and will sicken, disgust, and cause you great despair and shame for the United States and slavery. However, this novel also involves supernatural elements, with the presence of a main supporting character who is a manifest form of Sethe’s dead daughter. Overall, Beloved is recommended to anyone even a little bit interested in slavery for a new perspective, sorely needed as the years progress and the Civil War era seeps into the past. – Elisabeth S. ‘16

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Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins (review by Andy W. ’14)

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Bamboo PeopleBamboo People by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mitali Perkins expertly depicts the political and social conflicts within modern Burma/Myanmar through the stories of two teenage boys. We follow the paths of Chiko, an avid lover of learning and books, trapped in the midst of political turmoil, and Tu Reh, a Karenni boy who hopes to fight for his people’s freedom. Employing parallel structure, Perkins expertly weaves real depth within the problems these boys face. Their relationships of love, family, and friendship are extremely touching. Geographically, these two boys come from two different sides of a deep-rooted conflict; however, the similarity in their approach on life eventually causes them to become much closer than they ever expected. Anyone who is into coming-of-age novels should definitely read Bamboo People. It is not to be missed. – Andy W. ‘14

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Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (review by Monica K. ’14)

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Just ListenJust Listen by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If books were meals, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen would be the chicken noodle soup of the YA Lit world. The youngest of three sisters, Annabel Greene withdraws into herself following her sister’s eating disorder, her former best friend’s malicious bullying, her growing lack of interest in her modeling career, and the constant isolation at school and home. However, before she can completely fade away, she meets the music-obsessed, completely honest Owen, who helps her gain the self-confidence to speak of what really happened the night her remaining friendships were ruined. Dessen skillfully combines family story and romance with dashes of humor, making a very accessible, engaging read. Fans of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.Just and other novels by Sarah Dessen will enjoy Just Listen. – Monica K. ‘14

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Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr. (review by Monica K. ’14)

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Everything Matters!Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In thirty six years, everyone on Earth will die.

Entrusted with this knowledge since birth, Junior Thibodeau must navigate the messy thirty odd years with his alcoholic mother, silent, stoic father, and cocaine-addict-turned-pro-baseball-player brother, all while dealing with breakup from the love of his life and the mysterious voice in his head insisting a comet will smash into the Earth in T minus x amount of years. Sounds weird/awesome/crazy/exhausting? Well, I agree!

While the seamless interplay of first, second, and third person narrative, love, and family drama shows off Currie’s talent as a writer, Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr. has a detached and cerebral approach to it, unlike the more visceral, emotional first or third person perspective of most teen books. Rather than empathizing with the characters, I related more with the situations and messages woven into the novel. Fans of Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, The Magicians by Lev Grossman (who, by the way, are twins! I swear I had no idea.), and Kurt Vonnegut may like this book.

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The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb (review by Tiffany Z. ’17)

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The Book of Proper NamesThe Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The simplicity of the prose in Amélie Nothomb’s The Book of Proper Names may recall a children’s story, but in fact it belies the fairly bizarre nature of the novella. Lucette, a young mother, is extremely irritated by her husband’s predictions of their child being a perfectly ordinary person—so irritated that she feels the only way to disagree is to murder him. The rest of the novella is dedicated to the unusual yet somehow relatable life of Lucette’s daughter Plectrude, an equally unusual girl seemingly caught up in the threads of fate. Instead of attempting to defy her destiny, Plectrude ecstatically embraces hers—but is she really playing into the hands of Fate, or is she merely entertaining her own fantasies? The language of the novella is simple, but the complexity of thought and human emotion may make it a confusing read for many. However, Nothomb portrays her characters with startling accuracy and discusses many interesting ideas during the course of this book. For those who are willing to spend an hour or so on this piece, I certainly recommend The Book of Proper Names. Puzzling yet satisfying, it is definitely worth the short time it takes to finish it. – Tiffany Z. ‘17

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Screwed by Eoin Colfer (review by Mrs. Vaughan, Harker librarian)

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Screwed (Daniel McEvoy, #2)Screwed by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eoin Colfer successfully follows up his first adult crime novel Plugged with Screwed. Former member of Ireland’s UN forces in Lebanon and current New Jersey night club owner, Daniel McEvoy is back wending his way through the unintentional but thrilling labyrinth that comes with living on the seedy side. Small time Irish crime boss Mike Madden has McEvoy over a barrel and wiggling his way out forces loveable if slightly unbalanced McEvoy to suffer a host of dangerous fools and predicaments. The action is top notch and, like Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, littered with whip-smart humor. Colfer provides more back story in this second novel and weaves in information about McEvoy’s alcoholic father and doomed mother and brother as well as McEvoy’s experiences in the Middle East. Colfer further develops characters introduced in Plugged and adds a few more, all colorful and keenly crafted. Like his young adult Artemis Fowl series, Colfer proves he can sustain a character through more than one ever-twisting plotline. And like Artemis Fowl, let’s hope there’s no end in sight for McEvoy’s travails and adventures. – Mrs. Vaughan, Harker librarian

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Everwild by Neal Shusterman (review by Andrew R. ’17)

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Everwild (Skinjacker, #2)Everwild by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two near-legendary creatures are raising armies in preparation for their final confrontation, two feared individuals who have risen high in the ranks of the phantom-world known as Everlost. The Sky Witch patrols the clouds in the ghost of a monstrous zeppelin, searching for children to entrap and recruit to her troops, while her nemesis the Chocolate Ogre works to free all the spirits of Everlost by sending them into the final peace of death. The title of the second book in the Skinjacker trilogy is accurate in more ways than one: not only does Shusterman introduce the impassible wilderness of Everwild, he also picks up the pace of the plot. His fantasy realm followed strict rules in the first installment of the trilogy, but in Everwild the world is revealed to be a chaotic whirlwind of ghosts and monsters. This chaos, however, is exciting, suspenseful, and not unbearably confusing. The only difficult part about reading this novel is that the reader must choose a side in the imminent battle—so, to anyone who plans to plunge into this hectic fantasy world: beware, for each side is deeply, terribly flawed. – Andrew R. ‘17

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Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (review by Andrew R. ’17)

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Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant, #1)Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Ace detective, snappy dresser, razor-tongued wit, crackerjack sorcerer, and walking, talking, fire-throwing skeleton.” That’s how author Derek Landy describes Skulduggery Pleasant, who, in this first book of an ongoing series, must track down and stop his old nemesis Nefarian Serpine from acquiring a staff of unimaginable power. Fortunately, a young girl named Stephanie Edgley is eager to join the chase – and once she sees the world of sorcery and wonder – never wants to leave. While action and humor are scattered liberally throughout its pages, I found that this novel provides instant gratification, rather than the long-lasting satisfaction I tend to prefer. The characters are consistent but forgettable; the plot is engaging but not particularly unique. Fans of Artemis Fowl and The Bartimaeus Trilogy will enjoy reading Skulduggery Pleasant for pleasure, but should not expect a thought-provoking or memorable experience. – Andrew R. ‘17

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East of Eden by John Steinbeck (review by Meilan S. ’17)

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East of EdenEast of Eden by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Looking for a book that’s philosophical meanderings and gorgeous prose will make you dizzy? Searching for a story that will leave you intellectually and spiritually fulfilled? Longing for action and intrigue? Then East of Eden is the book for you! The novel that Nobel prize winner John Steinbeck described as the pinnacle of his career, East of Eden is an intricately woven literary masterpiece. Spanning three generations, East of Eden is a twisted version of the Bible tale of Cain and Abel. The story begins with Adam, an innocent, pure, young man whose childhood is a struggle against his abusive half-brother, Charles. Meanwhile, we meet Cathy, a twisted Eve, a monster incapable of feeling emotion for others. Their sons, Caleb and Aaron struggle as the opposing sides of human nature battle inside them. Steinbeck introduces countless subplots, each worthy of its own book. The story of Lee, the intellectual immigrant and Samuel Hamilton, who is based on Steinbeck’s grandfather. Despite being built on a biblical story, the book is more contemplative and generally spiritual than specifically Christian. East of Eden can be described as nothing other than an epic saga about all of humanity. It will touch your soul. – Meilan S. ’17

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The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (review by Andrew R. ’17)

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The Fifth Elephant (Discworld, #24)The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Captain Samuel Vimes, policeman and reluctant duke of the city of Ankh-Morpork, loves the thrill of the hunt he experiences every day as chief of the City Watch, but finds his role as a member of the aristocracy insufferably boring. Therefore, he is despondent when the lord of the city sends him off to be a diplomat in the far-off land of Überwald—but perks up considerably when the king of that region allows him to investigate the theft of a precious royal artifact. The Fifth Elephant, one of many Discworld novels following the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, is also one of the best. Vimes’ adventures in the gothic-style countryside of Überwald are a refreshing change from the usual urban setting of these books. Although he uses the clichéd characters of vampires and werewolves, the author gives them enough personality to differentiate them from the monsters of other modern novels. In addition, he gives the reader occasional comic relief by returning to Ankh-Morpork, where Vimes’ incompetent second-in-command struggles to keep control. Anyone who has already read the four preceding City Watch novels will enjoy this short excursion to a new, unique setting in the ever-entertaining Discworld. – Andrew R. ‘17

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