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What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi (review by Anya W. ’20)

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What You Left BehindWhat You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ryden Brooks has a thousand problems. Soccer. Getting a UCLA scholarship. His not technically *together* relationship with his coworker at Whole Foods. His deteriorating relationships with his friends. The fact that his mom is dating again. Getting over his dead girlfriend, who he might as well have killed and finding the notebooks that he is absolutely certain she left him–even if no one else believes him. Making sure his six-month-old daughter, Hope, is being taking care of.

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi is good. It remains truthful. While often selfish and prone to questionable decisions, Ryden felt real. Authors often have a difficult time creating teen characters without making them far too immature, or irredeemable. He was just a kid who wanted a life, but life is forcing him to make adult decisions early, and sometimes, he has difficulty handling it. I would have liked a bit more depth to Jessica Verdi’s other characters, especially Ryden’s mother, Alan, and Joni. I love the way she wrote. –Anya W. ‘20

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The Other F-Word by Natasha Friend (review by Anya W. ’20)

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The Other F-WordThe Other F-Word by Natasha Friend
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well it’s about to get weird cuz I have something to tell u.

Ok.

R u ready?
I’ve decided to find r sperm donor

When Hollis Darby-Barns gets an email via her dead mother’s account from Milo Robinson-Clark, the half- brother she has met exactly once, she’s most certainly not interested in tracking down their donor. Even using the Donor Progeny Project to see if they can contact any of their other half-siblings is a bit of a stretch . . . so why is she agreeing to all of this?
A unique, heartfelt story about two teens trying to find their place in the world by learning more about their past, and by extension themselves, The Other F-word by Natasha Friend has it all. From family dysfunction to forgiveness, from romance to friendship, Friend handles it all spectacularly. Honestly, my only complaint is that I want more. I want to see the characters interacting and growing and achieving their goals. The open ending left a lot to the imagination and hope. I want more. –Anya W. ‘20

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Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (review by Fiona W. ’21)

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NeverwhereNeverwhere by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Richard Mayhew is an average young man who lives in modern-day London with an average life and and average job. One day, he finds a ragged and bloodied girl dying on the side of the road that nobody seems to notice but him. He takes it upon himself to help her and learns that two assassins are chasing her, and a whole city resides underneath London that he never even knew about.

As I have been a fan of many of Neil Gaiman’s books, I hoped this book would not disappoint. And it didn’t. The character development of all the main characters was unique and fulfilling. The imagery of each scene made me feel like I was right alongside Richard. And the ending still had me in tears.

Gaiman mentions in the introduction that while he is not one to write a sequel, he would love to revisit the world of this book again one day. (And I hope he does, too). As someone who dislikes fantasy novels, this book changed my mind about the genre and I hope it may impact you, dear reader, as well. – Fiona W. ‘21

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Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth (review by Sofie K. ’20)

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Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark, #1)Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After the hype and attention that Veronica Roth’s Divergent series received, I was very excited to hear about a second series in the works.

Cyra and Akos, like many YA novel characters, are two sides of the same coin. Separated by social class and the races of their people, the two meet when Akos and his brother are captured by the royal Shotet fleet, and delivered right to Cyra’s doorstep. Though Cyra is the sister of the tyrant that rules the Shotet people, she rebels against her family out of love for this new stranger. As if the plot wasn’t cliche enough, every person on this planet has a special power, or currentgift. Cyra has the power to cause excruciating pain to anyone she touches, which her brother exploits to get information. Akos, on the other hand, has to power to cancel out anyone else’s currentgift through contact. The characters conveniently balance each other out, obviously created for one another.

While the book’s concept was quite unique, the characters had little to no originality. Cyra and Akos reminded me of a reversed version of Tris and Four; it felt like I was reading the Divergent series all over again. Hopefully, the second book will give the characters their own personalities and develop their stories more. – Sofie K. ’20

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Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (review by Amelia H. ’19)

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Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, #1)Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Daughter of the Forest, a retelling of a classic fairytale, is set in the ancient British Isles. The beginning of the book follows a girl named Sorcha as she grows into a teenager and has to protect her father’s lands from invaders. She is thwarted when an evil sorceress turns her brothers into swans and she has to find a way to change them back. The setup of the book was fascinating, but Sorcha’s character arc is so conventional that I knew how the story would end when I was less than halfway through the book. Marillier’s world-building draws on folk tales and mythology and creates a vivid landscape, but the plot quickly descends into predictability. The story has promise, but anyone even vaguely familiar with fantasy tropes might as well close the book a third of the way through and fill in the rest themselves. – Amelia H. ’19

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A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (review by Angela C. ’21)

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A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are four Londons – Grey London, Red London, White London, and Black London. Kell, a Traveler, is one of the few who can move between the cities. Unfortunately, one of his hobbies lands him into a difficult predicament and he has to jump from city to city to fix the problem. He’s joined on his adventures by Delilah Bard. “Lila” is a great thief – quick on her feet, has fast, light hands, and notorious in Grey London. All of this changes when she accidentally steals the wrong stone from the wrong man.

Add in a charming prince, a towering castle, a handful of kings and queens, an Enthusiast named Neil, and several royal guards and there’s a perfect story for almost anyone!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about magic and needs some entertainment during the school year! – Angela C. ’21

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Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (review by Anya W. ’20)

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Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist, #1)Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The destiny of a samurai’s daughter is to marry well to bring honor to the family. Even 17-year-old Mariko is no exception, never mind the fact that she’s smart enough to be a step or two ahead of most everyone she meets. But when her convoy to meet the betrothed her father selected for her is attacked and only Mariko survives, she knows that the only way to protect her family’s honor is to destroy the ones who attacked her. So, with no way to contact her twin brother, she sets off dressed as a boy in order to infiltrate her only lead: a bandit group called the Black Clan. The thing is… what Mariko finds is a lot closer to family. The novel definitely had some strong elements, from the premise of the plot to more realistic character reactions then some YA novels. However, the author’s attempts at creating chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest, while (refreshingly) present, were oft clumsy. Furthermore, the ending of the book, even with the clear set-up for a sequel, feels a bit rushed it would have been nice to have more time with various character and their reactions to recent plot developments. – Anya W. ’20

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Pandemic (The Extinction Files Book #1) by A.G. Riddle (review by Saloni S. ’21)

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Pandemic (The Extinction Files #1)Pandemic by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bioterrorism. We’ve read about it in the news, heard from the TV anchors, but have we truly understood the plausibility of a global pandemic from a bioterrorist attack?

In the seven hundred page science fiction novel Pandemic, the first book in the Extinction series, author A.G. Riddle explores our vulnerability to a pandemic in an interconnected, global world; Conner McClain, head of a group of scientists known as “the Citium”, releases a deadly viral strain deep into the heart of the developing countries of Africa. While these events are taking place, protagonists Desmond Hughes, who is struggling to regain his memories, and Peyton Shaw, an epidemiologist at the CDC, scramble to find the cause and cure of this outbreak before it takes even more lives. This well-researched novel takes us deep into the world of the epidemiologists and public health workers who place themselves in danger in order to save the lives of others.

As the disease spreads across continents infecting and killing millions, Shaw and Hughes unveil treacherous secrets hidden deep inside the core of the Citium and tirelessly work to save the human race and to apprehend the criminals behind this deadly attack. Throughout this engaging novel, Riddle combines science and historic facts with the thrill of an action-packed story, further enthralling the reader. By alternating among different characters’ points of view, the author intimately communicates the heart-wrenching emotions from each stunning revelation, drawing the reader deeper into the storyline. You won’t be able to put this book down.

I read Pandemic on a plane and definitely enjoyed it more than watching movies; the book also makes one appreciate the importance of research and resources invested in the early identification of pathogens and response mechanisms. Overall, Pandemic is a great story and I would definitely recommend this book to a reader who wishes to read an enthralling, informative science fiction novel. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Genome, which will be released in October this year! – Saloni S. ’21

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Once and for All by Sarah Dessen (review by Anya W. ’20)

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Once and for AllOnce and for All by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After losing Ethan, Louna isn’t sure if she can ever fall in love again at all, and her summer job helping out at her romantically jaded mother’s wedding planning business isn’t doing anything to change that. Not even a friendship with Ambrose, the new hire and a natural playboy, or an intriguing bet will change that. But now, it is a matter of who will give up on the bet first: Ambrose, who has to find someone to go steady with for seven weeks, or Louna who has to go on two dates a week for the same amount of time. After all the winner’s prize (getting to choose who the loser goes out with next) is too good to turn down… And Sarah Dessen has rolled out another instant classic. Just like her other works, the novel is a cute romance with a few more serious undertones filled to the brim with lovable characters. While I would not have minded a bit of more rounding out of Ambrose and Jilly (the best friend) neither were by any means flat. – Anya W. ’20

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (review by Sachi B. ’21)

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Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Written by John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, is a heartwarming novella about two men working to achieve their dream of having their own farm. The novel revolves around the Lennie and George, the protagonists who are complete opposites. George, a smart and caring man, acts as a protector for Lennie, a hard-working man with the mind of a child. The duo work and travel together as migrant workers in California during the Great Depression. Though George sometimes criticizes Lennie for being an extra burden for him, deep down he knows that he can never abandon him. Both Lennie and George have absolutely no family; they only have each other. These two men work in a farm, dreaming of the day to have sufficient money to buy their own land. While the novel is mostly light-hearted, it takes a massive turn towards the end, which made me give it four stars due to the extremely depressing ending. Despite the climax of the novel, this book showcased the importance of friendship and how one always needs another human by their side. I would definitely recommend this short but sweet novel that teaches the important message of friendship. – Sachi B. ’21

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