Tell Me Three Things (Reviewed by Hita T. '23)

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are three things that Jessie Holmes is trying to come to terms with. One, her mother dies. Two, she moves in with her dad and his new fiancé (who he met online) to Los Angeles. And three, she keeps receiving messages from Somebody/Nobody (or "SN"), who claims to be her virtual guide in Wood Valley High School. Jessie can’t decide whether it is a hoax or if she can trust SN to help her.
Taking a leap of faith, Jessie begins to rely on SN. Over a series of emails, and later on, text messages, they become close allies. As time progresses, Jessie can’t help but want to figure out who SN really is in real life. She eventually narrows it down to three boys who could potentially be SN, but the real question she faces is, “Which one of them is SN?”

Buxbaum pulls the reader through the novel with flawless narration, quirky and witty characters, and smile-inducing moments. Well-paced, humorous, and engaging, Tell Me Three Things will pull readers who love YA novels and light mysteries.

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Nemesis by Brendan Reichs (Reviewed by Sofie K '20)

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Every two years, Min dies.

It's always the same man, time and time again. He appears sometime on her birthday, kills her, then she wakes up the next day as if nothing happened. She doesn't know why, or what Noah, subjectively the town's most attractive (and rich) boy, has to do with it, but it happens. On top of it all, a giant asteroid called the Anvil is threatening to destroy Earth... in like a week.

I really wanted to like this book. I hadn't seen this premise too often before in books, so it seemed that it would live up to the hype. But it just didn't make sense. The twists came out of nowhere (they were barely hinted at), so they felt super jarring, and the storyline with the asteroid seemed really separated from the plot. When Reichs tried to tie it all together at the end, it just felt really forced. It's overall not a terrible plot, it just seemed disappointing compared to what it could have been.

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Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (Reviewed by Anya W. '20)

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A cleverly built, intricately weaved world sets the stage for our peek into the life of a desperate gunslinger in a world that has no patience for women with minds like hers, and no future for people born in places like her homeland. Hamilton seamlessly accomplished what must have been an incredibly difficult narrative feat: creating a character coldhearted enough to survive the vicious sands of her homeland, but also one human enough to still create interest and sympathy within readers. While quite a few cliche YA twists could be seen coming from a mile (or a couple chapters) away, Hamilton manages to overcome them in a page turner rife with themes not quite so common in her genre, from the fact that family isn't always there for you, to the limits of humanity, and that kindness is not always the keystone to living.

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Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (Reviewed by Ms. Pelman)

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Told in alternating points-of-view: Penny, a college freshman and Sam a drop-out who works at a coffee shop. Penny is navigating her first year away from her mom (it's just the two of them, and their relationship is close, but rocky), and chasing her dream of becoming a writer. Sam is nursing a broken-heart, while trying to make ends meet. In fact, his life is kind of a mess and he's just trying to keep it together. The two are introduced by Penny's roommate because the two have a complicated family history. When Penny finds Sam on the street during an awkward and distressing moment, she helps him out. From then on Penny becomes Sam's "emergency contact" and their 'round-the-clock text conversations will alter their lives forever.

Funny and heartfelt; engaging and entertaining, Emergency Contact will appeal to readers who enjoy the snappy, witty dialogue found in John Green novels, and the characters you come to love in Rainbow Rowell books.

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Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (Reviewed by Anya W. '20)

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sancia Grado is quite possibly the best thief in Tevanne. Not in the least because of what exactly the metal plate in her head can do--but it's safer not to talk about that. She's still not quite sure how stealing a box from one merchant house turned her into the most wanted person in Tevanne, and the only one capable of communicating with the powerful artifact that has the entire city foaming at the mouth.

Gregor Dandalo is the only living son of the family controlling another one of Tevanne's four merchant houses and trying his best to bring order and law to the commons: the only part of the city not controlled by the merchant houses. It seems like a stroke of excellent luck when he manages to find the thief who blew up half the docks stealing from a merchant-house safe. Then, he spots the assassins and well, things get complicated.

Orso Ignacio, employee of the Dandalo merchant house, might have made a mistake when he bought an artifact from an excavation site without his employer's permission. Especially now that the key's been stolen and he has no hope of learning from the scrivings it contains. Hopefully, the thief Gregor has 'arrested' can get the key back in exchange for her freedom.

Bernice is a gifted scriver, and has no idea how she got caught up in fixing her bosses stupid mistake. At least the scenery's nice.

Bennett's novel is a study in intricate world-building, and he crafts a diverse cast characters, from heroes to villains to antiheroes, with compelling backstories and motivations all the while seamlessly weaves in ethical quandaries that dissect the foundations of each character. Although sometimes his writing became unnecessarily wordy, this book is an excellent starting point to a very intriguing fictional universe. My main issue is with the side characters. While some are nicely fleshed out, the background villains seem flat and evil for the sake of evil. The romance is also lacking chemistry and feels shoehorned in for no good reason, which is a shame, considering the amazing characters involved in the relationship.
-Anya W. '20

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Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen (Review by Anya W. '20)

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Viola Li has a Plan. After the end of her first trip with her aunt, to Africa, she's working on several more bake sales to raise money for the causes she's written about. A few more of her scheduled vacations, and she'll have just the right resume for acceptance as a journalism major to her dream school in Dubai.
Except, as it turns out, sometimes the malaria vaccine can give you extreme, permanent, photosensitivity. Thanks to her professional disaster manager parents, Viola's entire life and all her plans for the future are permanently deconstructed within a week. All that's left now is figuring out how to cope.

Chen's novel is a good beach read, and typical YA. The romance, while not badly-written, is not particularly epic-it would have had the same impact as a friendship. However, her writing is excellent at evoking empathy within the reader, and breathes life into her main characters.
-Anya W. '20



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

The 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)

Girls 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 Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (review by Anya W. '20)

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts by Douglas Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On a rather boring Thursday, a rather boring (but mostly harmless) planet known as Earth is demolished by a Vogon construction crew to clear room for a new hyperspace overpass, along with most of its inhabitants, who rather unfortunately had yet to invent a method of faster than light travel and therefore had neglected to see the clearly posted notice in Alpha Centauri. Ford Prefect, writer for a new edition of the "Hitch Hiker's Guide" and alien who's been stranded on Earth for the past decade-and-a-half is not content with vaporization. He takes up his usual pastime, Hitchhiking, bringing along one Arthur Dent, a boring, regular, specimen of humanity if there ever was one, who also happens to be a very good friend.

One of the landmark novels of science fiction and a great influencer of pop culture, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a must read. Adams writes a ridiculous romp through worlds and galaxies on an unimaginable scale, and mixes ridiculousness with unspeakable horrors in just the right proportion to make his book a comedy instead of a textbook. One of the great advantages of science fiction and fantasy novels is the ability to wave away plot holes with "magic" or "science," but the methods Adams uses to rationalize his fantastical universe are so creative that they hardly deserve the title of Applied Phlebotinum. - Anya W. '20

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Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee (reviewed by Anya W. '20)

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's tough to be an American born Chinese girl in San Francisco in 1906, and Mercy Wong knows all about it. But, for all that she was born and raised in chinatown, she'll let it shape her but not define her. So, after she finishes her last year at the only public school in the city open to kids from chinatown, she seizes the first opportunity she can get to con (beg, borrow, barter, blackmail) her way into a better school. After all, St. Clare's will help her get a foot in the business world, so one day her weak younger brother won't have to take over her father's laundry business. Things go all right, at first. Then they devolve. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and Mercy is nothing if not tough.

Lee's Outrun the Moon is a riveting tale of prejudice, friendship, and loss, set against the wonderfully dramatic background of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Her characters are dynamic and multifaceted, each with their own stories, weaving a well-built picture of many different lives converging by chance. Lee paces her story well for the most part, and my only request is an extra hundred or so pages in the middle to allow more time for characterization. Even though the romance is predictable, it is still fairly sweet, and the rest of the novel more than makes up for it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. - Anya W. '20

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Shine by Lauren Myracle (review by Anya W. '20)

Shine by Lauren Myracle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Victim:
Patrick -- Cat's ex-best friend, currently in a coma the hospital after being found beaten at the gas station where he works, the victim of a hate crime against gay people.

The Investigators:
The sheriff -- says it's probably some out of towners from a nearby college. Case closed.
Cat -- has her own ideas about it. After all, the sheriff can't exactly implicate the son of the man who funds his campaign in a hate crime.

The Suspects, according to Cat:
College Boy -- out of towner college boy who mocked Patrick at the gas station before the incident.
Tommy -- the richest kid in town. For all that they hung out, he never stopped bullying Patrick. He was present at the party where Patrick was last seen conscious. Also, as Cat can attest, he likes to molest 13 year old girls.

The Witnesses
Beef: Cat's surrogate older brother, who drove everyone home and isn't talking.
Bailee-Ann: Beef's girlfriend.
Robert: Bailee-Ann's 11 year old brother with fetal alcohol syndrome who was there to watch his sister come home.
Christian: Cat's older brother. Even if he was willing to talk about what he knew, Cat knows better than to believe in him.

Myracle writes a gritty portrait of small town life. Even her side characters are multifaceted and capable of growth. Shine is well paced and satisfying, with the right number of twists and an ending that is not too neat. Definitely a lovely reason to read away a day. - Anya W. '20

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Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen (review by Anya W. '20)

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mira doesn't know what she would call a major turning point in her life. Was it the walk when she decided that this year's yearbook theme would be New York City? Was it the day she found her father in bed with his TA? Was it the day when she found out about her parent's open marriage? Was it the day she found out that her family had no time left?

At some point though, Mira shut down, and she can't-isn't-won't ever be the same again.

Jensen's novel written in free prose is a heart wrenching expose on the beautiful, terrible mess we call family. She writes unflinchingly of parents' mistakes and the intolerance of youth, and manages to still infuse it all with a sense of understanding, and of the importance of acceptance and compromise. I love how dynamic her main character is, and how Jensen still allows the side character be multifaceted, with their own emotions and goals. While some plot points may seem trite, they are at least comparatively minor. This is a good, solid read that won't leave you feeling like you wasted your time. - Anya W. '20

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Powerless (The Hero Agenda, #1) by Tera Lynn Childs (review by Anya W. '20)

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A mark to determine it all: a Hero, a Villain, or nothing--like Kenna, daughter of the late head of the superhero league. Kenna is sick of living life as an extra, and as the only child of Dr. Swift, the superhero league's most loyal scientist, she has the resources to work on her project--even if it's not technically approved. She's determined to make her own place in the world, come hell or high water, or (hot) Villians, or shadowy conspiracies from the Heroes she reveres, or kidnapped teenagers, or friends dating on the dark side, or missing mother, or... you get the idea.

The book is good, and has great potential as part of a series, however, as a standalone, it feels like it could use some work. While Powerless's exposition is folded seamlessly into the storytelling, there isn't quite enough worldbuilding. At the end of the novel, a snippet of the next book in the series reveals some crucial details that the main character would have known (and should have thought of) during her long periods of questioning everything in the first book.

The requisite YA romance is impulsive in a way that is rather out of character for Kenna. It also suffers a bit from the "guy can ignore boundaries if it is to protect the girl, because it is romantic" trope. If the main couple's relationship is ignored, however, Powerless is an excellent story with a realistic main character (even if the others are somewhat flat), an intriguing (if somewhat rushed) plot, and strong friendships. - Anya W. '20

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The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani (review by Anya W. '20)

The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Priyanka's aunt told her she would be happiest if she didn't expect too much from marriage if she was obedient and kept quiet and kept the house. So a week after meeting Sanjay, like a good daughter, she packs up for a new name, a new family, and a new country. Of course then, when her new in-laws inform her that she is to take a job and contribute to the household finances, that's exactly what she does. She's still not quite sure how she went from a secretary to a reporter, though.

Kavita Daswani's bittersweet novel is a story about finding oneself in the midst of difficulties. While I first read the novel several years ago, I feel that a second read allowed me to understand better the facets of the characters: how Priya's hopeless malleability stems from naivetee and fear, but not weakness of character, Sanjay's blind but well-intentioned misogyny, and how most characters, no matter how kind or cruel they seem, are simply attempting to fulfill their own motivations, even if it means using Priya, and how her failure to completely escape the cycle that chains her down for being a women is not a romantic ending but a precursor to future tragedies.

At its surface level, The Village Bride of Beverly Hills is an enjoyable beach read; beneath, it has enough questions and conflicts to prompt several essays. - Anya W. '20

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

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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Sourdough by Robin Sloan (review by Tasha M. '20)

Sourdough by Robin Sloan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lois Clary, a typical Silicon Valley programmer, receives a sourdough starter from two brothers who are part of a small community called the Mazg. As Lois bakes with the starter, she observes strange effects - each loaf has a face in the crust. She quits her job and devotes herself to running a stall at a farmer’s market, where she encounters rather eccentric products - from cricket cookies to fungus-infected lemons - and a vendor who has a dark idea about how to use Lois’s unique sourdough starter.

Although the plot moves slowly at first, it soon accelerates and finishes with a conclusion that truly provides closure. However, I definitely wanted to see more of Lois’s internal journey, especially at key moments like quitting her job. Nevertheless, this lack did not significantly change the experience - Sourdough, still forced me to distance myself from the comfortable world I know and consider larger things.

Sourdough is less an entertaining read than a meditation on life in all forms and the impact of technological progress. If you can get past the premise (which, I will admit, I was skeptical of at first), Sourdough will make you contemplate that which we know but never stop to really observe. - Tasha M. '20

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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (review by Sofie K. '20)

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“People always love people more when they're dead.”

In Will’s world, it’s kill or be killed. In this world, you don’t grieve or cry over deaths, you get revenge. That’s what he thinks as he steps onto the elevator, gun tucked in his waistband, ready to kill the man who took his brother’s life. And then the elevator stops, and someone he long thought to be dead enters the elevator and asks him to check if the gun is even loaded.

Long Way Down is not a story about love or happy endings. It’s a story about revenge, morals, and family. It’s about discovering truths hidden under lies, and discerning right from wrong.

It’s also poetry. You don’t see many books written through poetry in the YA genre these days.

In just a single elevator ride, Long Way Down managed to make me feel a myriad of emotions ranging from sadness to anger and shock. The characters were expertly developed, and the concept was gut-wrenchingly original. Each verse of the poems is laced with deep emotion and heavy messages and morals, and it just about makes you scared of what could come through those elevator doors. - Sofie K. '20

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To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough (review by Sofie K. '20)

To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There’s always that one kid in every high school that everybody knows for some reason, whether good or bad. That’s Erin Blake, found next to the dead body of her mother when she was just two years old, now obsessed with finding the culprit with the help of her two friends and biology teacher. But when another murder and some conveniently placed evidence that may or may not link her to the crime scene turn up, Erin finds herself of the other side of the Do-Not-Cross line as a suspect.

To Catch a Killer definitely appealed to the murder mystery loving side of me. It was a fast paced book with fairly likable characters, although the romance in the book was rushed to a point where it almost seemed like a separate story altogether. It was well paced for a short book, and the plot kept me engaged until the end. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants a quick read, or just a book to curl up with for fun. - Sofie K. '20

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Warcross by Marie Lu (review by Tasha M. '20)

Warcross by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marie Lu’s Warcross at first seems like an overdone virtual reality dystopia, but provides a somewhat original take on the topic. Emika Chen, a hacker barely able to pay rent, shocks the world by “glitching” into the international tournament of Warcross, the most popular virtual reality video game. The creator of Warcross enters her into the tournament to gain inside information on someone trying to infiltrate the systems.

Lu’s future world is believable and immersive. The description was well-mixed with plot that was engaging and moved at a decent pace; however, the ending confused me and seemed like it should have been the first chapter of the sequel.

The characters were incredibly well-developed, especially Emika. She comes off as a strong, knowledgeable protagonist, but later on, her vulnerable side begins to show. While I would have liked to know more about the supporting characters, they had unique personalities. Also worth noting is the characters’ diversity: along with the Asian-American protagonist, Warcross features a disabled character, a gay character, and a Hispanic character. My only criticism is that the romance seemed forced.

All in all, Warcross is an enjoyable but not spectacular read, especially for fans of YA or science fiction. - Tasha M. '20

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (review by Sara Y. '21)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas showcases the current struggles and protests of African Americans through the perspective of a relatable teenage girl, Starr. While driving back from a party, Starr witnesses the death of her childhood friend Khalil after a Caucasian police officer pulls them over and shoots him. Khalil was unarmed. Starr struggles to use her voice to speak up for Khalil and his family amid the chaos that has become her life, facing problems with her friends and family. The writing pulls the reader into the story with its dynamic plot and complex characters. The Hate U Give, which has gotten a movie and will be in theaters this October, is an eye-opening must-read story about race and social class for teenagers and adults alike. - Sara Y. '21

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