The Reason I Jump (review by Zina J. ’14)

January 7, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Reason I Jump, a non-fiction New York Times bestseller, was written by Naoki Higashida, a Japanese young adult with autism. The book contains fifty-eight questions and answers about autism based on Higashida’s personal experience as well as his paintings and short stories. As bestselling author David Mitchell explains in the introduction, although guide books, academic books, parental memoirs, and autobiographies — specifically success stories — about autism are common, no book from the perspective of a child struggling with autistism has been available; as a result, this book is revolutionary. The translation excellently expresses the author’s voice and struggles and has changed my perspective on autism. This book is a must-read for anyone associated with the autism community, including parents, doctors, and therapists. – Zina J.’14

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The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (review by Catherine H. ’17)

December 2, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When the aliens come and the human population is brought to its knees, only a few unlucky people survive. Cassie Sullivan, her brother, and her father were lucky enough to live through the first few waves, but when they are separated, her only mission is to find them. Armed with a gun and her wit, Cassie struggles to stay alive in this apocalyptic world. When she meets the mysterious Evan Walker who offers to help her, she doesn’t know whether or not to trust him. Rick Yancey has imagined a truly terrifying world where the enemy looks human and no one can be trusted. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the action and the plot, the strange love triangle just doesn’t seem to work out so well. Some of it was confusing and not well connected. I would only suggest The 5th Wave to people who are looking for a sci-fi or dystopian read. – Catherine H. ‘17

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Lies by Michael Grant (review by Kai A. ’17)

November 10, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian 1 Comment

Lies by Michael Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With Sam no longer in charge, and the Council debating but not acting, Zil and his Human Crew are allowed to grow more extreme in their efforts against the freaks, and Caine moves in as he becomes more desperate to survive. Worst of all, Drake has survived, and so has the Darkness; it lingers in some minds, spreading rumors. Grant overcomes the challenge of matching the dynamics of a FAYZ-like society and the mentality of children to the characters’ thoughts, hopes, and dreams, and he excels at creating a storyline that comes together in a beautiful, intense climax. However, he often fails to explain each event and motive sufficiently, instead he relying on cheesy, artificially emotional explanations and overly stereotyped characters that I’d expect from an amateur author. Also, I feel that he tries to create an atmosphere of foreboding, but the foreshadowing and the predictability of the characters all too often give away the best twists in the plot. Therefore, I recommend Lies only to those searching for quick-paced, dystopian action but not necessarily good writing or deep characters and compelling ideas. – Kai A. ‘17

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Allegiant by Veronica Roth (review by Eddie S. ’17)

November 10, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allegiant, the third and final installment of Veronica Roth’s critically acclaimed Divergent series, takes off immediately where the second book left off, providing readers with an effortless transition. Readers and characters alike are forced to cope and adapt to some new circumstances, however. Previously, as the factions are rendered merely a scheme, a newer, larger setting is introduced. In addition to the plot shift, alongside Tris’s love interest Tobias Eaton shares narration. Roth cleverly makes this change in order to provide further insight into their relationship and the individual development of the two protagonists. Truthfully, the genuine beauty of this book lies in the bold, visceral outcome of the story. Filled with raw, intense emotion, virtually no one is left unscathed, and the ending is bound to elicit acute feelings and startle readers. Roth alters several concepts in terms of narrative, develops the prevalent relationships and themes, and wraps up the story with a stirring ending, ultimately providing readers with a riveting finish to the trilogy that does not disappoint. – Eddie S. ‘17

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Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (review by Andrew R. ’17)

November 4, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As Commander of the City Watch, Sam Vimes is one of the happiest, wealthiest, and most powerful men in Ankh-Morpork. And he owes all his success to his mentor, John Keel, who taught him all he knows nearly thirty years earlier. Today, as Vimes chases a dangerous murderer through the streets, both men are sucked through a time portal and land in the Ankh-Morpork of thirty years ago. It’s bad enough that Vimes is stuck in one of the darkest periods of the city’s history—but the situation is made much, much worse when the criminal kills John Keel before his time. While writing a time-travel novel, many well intentioned writers fail to come up with a convincing theory for how to send their characters to another era; Pratchett avoids this trap entirely by intentionally putting forward the least convincing, but most entertaining, argument I’ve ever read. Science-fiction purists may have a hard time swallowing his theory (which includes monks with brooms, quantum physics, and the Baked-Bean Tin of Universal Oneness), but any other fan of the Discworld will enjoy this City Watch novel as much as the rest of Pratchett’s series.

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Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

October 30, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ship of Magic is the first book of a delightful trilogy that details the adventures of 7 or 8 POV characters, featuring the headstrong Althea Vestrit as the catalyst in a fictional world shared by Robin Hobb’s other series. Due to the ambitions of her brother-in-law, Althea has been stiffed out of her inheritance, the prized Vestrit family liveship that she has spent her entire life aspiring to captain. She will stop at nothing to regain her birthright. Meanwhile, out at sea Captain Kennit has goals of his own, which involve stealing a liveship of his own. The wills of beautifully written and believable characters clash in this adult fantasy novel which guarantees to keep all readers on the edge of their seats. With the character of Wintrow, a thirteen-year-old priest made a slave by his own father, and the seemingly sentient liveships, Ship of Magic raises interesting ethical questions about what is moral and what isn’t, concerning the ownership of another sentient being. All in all, this book is strongly recommended to high fantasy fans looking for a wonderfully inventive series to keep them occupied for awhile. – Elisabeth S. ’16

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The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (review by Nikita R. ’16)

October 22, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen-year-old Percy Jackson is once again brought into a world full of danger and uncertainty when he undertakes a dangerous quest to rescue his best friend Grover from a vulgar, monstrous Cyclops. Traveling with his half-brother Tyson and his comrade Annabeth, the trio experiences a lifetime of adventures as they encounter the mythological foes of legends, from the cunning sorceress Circe to the fearsome monster Charybdis. Full of engrossing, distinct characters, the strongest point of Sea of Monsters is the rich, humorous dialogue that reveals a phenomenal level of characterization, while also making the reader chuckle. Riordan’s world of mythological wonder mixed with relatable personal struggle makes this novel a must-read for teenagers and adults alike. – Nikita R. ’16

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Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (review by Allison W. ’16)

October 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian 1 Comment

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind, Daniel tries to uncover the truth about Julian Carax, an author whose books are being burnt. As he visits people in Barcelona who know about Carax, he learns that some people do not want him to discover what happened to Carax and his work. At the same time, Daniel grows up and finds many parallels between his life and Carax’s life as he makes new friends and finds the danger in his quest for knowledge. Daniel’s maturation during his search also serves to make the story more realistic than other books which cover many events and realizations in a short period of time. By itself, The Shadow of the Wind is a wonderfully gripping story, though it is similar to some of Zafon’s other books, such as The Midnight Palace. – Allison W. ’16

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The Hunger Pains by The Havard Lampoon (review by Kai A. ’17)

October 11, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Based on The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Pains follows Kantkiss as she unwittingly accepts being volunteered for the Hunger Games in place of her sister, Princess, and proceeds to the Capital with the affable but pudgy Pita. The Harvard Lampoon pokes fun at Collins’s sensation, distorting it into a laughable story revolving around Kantkiss’s obliviousness, which allows The Lampoon to mock the characters and plot in a sneering, sarcastic tone. The Hunger Pains begins with an introduction of the main characters and a creatively expanded historical background, though a little too much emphasis on names and an incredible amount of stereotyping. Additionally, the humor is enjoyable but sometimes limited, starting out as juvenile and transforming into inappropriate. In summary, The Hunger Pains is a quick, easy read made for those who are easily amused and need a laugh, but nothing more. – Kai A. ’17

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Brown v. Board of Education: A Civil Rights Milestone and Its Troubled Legacy by James T. Patterson (review by Zina J. ’14)

October 11, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Brown V. Board of Education: A Civil Rights Milestone and Its Troubled Legacy by James T. Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book, Brown v. Board of Education: A Civil Rights Milestone and Its Troubled Legacy, contextualizes the landmark Supreme Court case, establishes the prerequisite stance of African Americans, and analyzes the effects of the court case educationally, socially, politically, and economically. James T. Patterson excellently supports his arguments with a variety of evidence, such as pictures, primary evidence, secondary evidence, and charts. For example, Patterson cites a shocking statistic regarding the huge investment difference for African Americans and white students prior to the court case – 228.05 vs. 570 dollars. However, the book would have been even stronger if he expanded more on the effects of Brown v. Board on other underrepresented groups and movements, such as the feminist wave. Nevertheless, a Brown University professor, Patterson is clearly an expert in the subject. The book is a must-read for all Americans, especially historians, to greatly appreciate the civil rights movement and better understand the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case. – Zina J. ’14

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