Tag Archives: Coming of Age

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Solitaire by Alice Oseman (review by Hita T. ’23)

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SolitaireSolitaire by Alice Oseman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Tori Spring, a cynical and pessimistic teenager, only likes her brothers Charlie and Oliver, her best friend Becky, blogging, and sleeping. Her life, to her, is uninteresting and dull, and as she enters Year 12 at Harvey Greene Grammar School (more commonly known as Higgs), she expects nothing interesting to happen. However, everything changes when Solitaire struck.

Solitaire, an anonymous organization, starts to run pranks in Higgs and what begins as a few minor pranks leads to more large scale events. Tori’s life is suddenly turned upside as she and Michael Holden, an eccentric student who is new to Higgs, tries to find out who is behind Solitaire. However, the answer might be closer than she expects…

Told in the perspective of Tori Spring, Solitaire, a YA novel, captures the life of an English teenager living in today’s era. Solitaire required a second reading from me as it did not exactly engage me the first time, but when I read it the second time around, the plot twists and the mystery had me on tenterhooks until the very end. -Review by Hita T ’23

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (review by Anya W. ’20)

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1)Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d looked at this book a few times before, and rejected it because the summary seemed a bit flat, but then the release of the film rekindled my interest, and I was thrilled to find the novel on overdrive. Once I finally got to reading it I did not regret my decision.

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, is sweet romance shaken up with a healthy dose of teen angst and youthful irresponsibility. Abertalli tells a tale of staying in, coming out, and ultimately finding oneself. It was a great read for a sunny day. -Anya W. ’20

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Nietzsche and the ‘Burbs (review by Sophia G. ’21)

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Nietzsche and the BurbsNietzsche and the Burbs by Lars Iyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just finished the book Nietzsche and the ‘Burbs by Lars Iyer. Overall I enjoyed it, however, sometimes the main characters were far too edgy for me. They often lament life rather than embrace it, rejecting the concept of amor fati that the real Nietzsche held so close to heart. The book is about a suburbian band of British misfits who try and make music to escape their boring lives as well as adventuring to entertain themselves. Most of the plot points, relationships, parties, whatever, are pretty normal for the YA genre, however I find they are handled with far more poetic prose. If you enjoy long flowing sentences and sardonic humor as I do, then you probably will like this book. If you aren’t a fan of some what emo main characters, I would avoid. Overall, it’s a well written and very original look at the coming of age genre, with some lovely turns and twists. -Sophia G. ’21

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Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (review by Anya W. ’20)

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Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted DaughterChinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I opened this book, I was unaware that it was an autobiography. In fact, it took me reading about a quarter of the way through until I was sure that it was in fact, a book of facts. In some ways, that was a bit disappointing; not, however, because the book was badly written, but because by that point in the story, I felt the author had suffered enough to deserve more of a fairytale ending than reality usually grants.

Mah’s poignant tale of abuse, defiance, and survival is a brilliantly written work for those with the stomach to read her history of pain. It was without a doubt one of the most engaging autobiographies I have ever read. Her writing is clever and just the right amount of detailed: enough imagery to immerse oneself, but not enough to bog down the story. Currently, I’m keeping an eye out for more of her works. -Anya W. ’20

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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (review by Anya W. ’20)

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The Poet XThe Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What’s a girl to do when she’s got too much to say and no one to pour it out to? Fill journal after journal with words turned into verse, spilling her story across pages for no eyes but her own. A diary of free verse is an indulgence Xiomara can allow, one not banned by the strict rules of her cold home, but what about a poetry club? A boyfriend? A crisis of faith? Covering for her brother? As the walls close in, Xiomara has to grow up and decide what’s important, and how far she’s willing to go to keep it.

Acevedo’s freeform masterpiece is a touching and realistic portrayal of adolescence. She perfectly captures the mindset of someone on the verge of adulthood–the contrast between affection and suffocation day in and day out. -Anya W. ’20

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Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (review by Sofie K. ’20)

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Girls Made of Snow and GlassGirls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“If they love you for anything, it will be for your beauty.”

One kingdom, completely immersed in ice, the cruel outcome of an age-old curse. Two stories intertwined, each pivotal to the other. In one: a girl from the outside comes to power beside a widowed king, her glass heart colder than the eternal winter around her. In the other: a girl born and raised within the castle’s walls, created out of snow in the image of the late queen. Her only maternal influence has been her outspoken yet stoic stepmother.

And only one can be queen.

But Lynet doesn’t want the crown. Far from it, actually. She simply wants to find her own path instead of turning into the queen her father wants her to be. Besides, why would she want to take the crown away from Mina, who so desperately wants to rule over the warm, curse-free South she was raised in? Mina has everything: looks, power, composure. She makes a much better queen than the little girl who spends her free time climbing trees and stalking the new surgeon.

But life is never that simple, is it?

Girls Made of Snow and Glass takes the classic tale of Snow White and spins it in a completely new direction. For one, there are no dwarves, and Bashardoust gives Snow White–usually portrayed as a helpless child–a sense of empowerment that princesses in old fairy tales just weren’t given. It’s a fast-paced, emotional journey of self-reflection and learning what it truly means to love. – Sophie K. ’20

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee (review by Tasha M. 20)

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The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1)The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Henry “Monty” Montague embarks on a Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend, he expects a year of glitz, of parties and flirting, and just generally enjoying himself. He does not expect to be the target of a manhunt.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is easily the best historical fiction I’ve ever read. Without bogging the reader down with details, Lee weaves in a few key historical points. Additionally, the tone of the writing was perfect – right from the first page, I knew that Monty was part of the British aristocracy simply from the narrative style. The plot was engaging right from the start, accelerating beautifully right up until the end. I also appreciated the lack of an “epilogue” chapter that only serves to tie up loose ends.

Lee develops her characters spectacularly. I found myself invested in Monty’s growth from a devil-may-care attitude to someone who genuinely cared for the people he was close to. The romance was believable; Monty and Percy did fight as opposed to staying in a utopian love the entire time.
In short, The Gentleman’s Guide blew me away in every respect, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good fiction book. – Tasha M. ’20

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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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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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