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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