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

Neverwhere 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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The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout (review by Connie M. '17)

The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Golden Spiders started out with an intriguing hook but it didn't really follow through. The plot also dragged on and did not feel resolved at the end. Detective Wolfe accepts a case for a cheap price (one of the main factors that actually convinced me to read the book), but really he only does it because he is paid his usual high price by someone else who is also involved in the case. Thus, unlike other popular classic detective stories (e.g. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple), the detective is investigating the case largely because of the payment and not because they love the job (which, in my opinion, makes them better detectives). Furthermore, Wolfe's assistant, Archie Goodwin, often runs errands for Wolfe that are promising in terms of leading up to a plot twist, but when Wolfe finally explains the solution, little of the rest of the book seems to relate to the answer. Anyway, this book seemed promising, but really didn't live up to expectations set by the summary.- Connie M. '17

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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (review by Daphne Y. '16)

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Da Vinci Code begins with a dramatic standoff between the curator of the renowned French museum, the Louvre, and a mysterious hooded figure. By the end of the first chapter Dan Brown is already leaving the reader with an insatiable hunger for more. Full of absolutely ingenious wordplay, puzzles, and riddles with one plot twist or cliffhanger following another, Brown manages to keep readers on their toes and dying to read the next chapter. He also switches points of views in each chapter from one main character to the next, and even includes the voices of the antagonists, thus providing a comprehensive and omniscient understanding of all the characters in the book. Overall, The Da Vinci Code is the kind of novel that is simply impossible to put down; riveting and genius from start to finish! - Daphne Y. '16

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Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (review by Kshithija M. "17)

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first of several books following the adventures of famous Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon, Angels and Demons features a race against time as Langdon and his companions attempt to find a canister containing the explosive anti-matter before the Vatican City is destroyed. The book begins when an assassin sent by the Illuminati murders a CERN scientist researching anti-matter; the scientist’s daughter Vittoria Vetra accompanies Langdon as their investigation of the murder leads them to Vatican City. The plot thickens when anti-matter appears to have been placed at the Vatican by the Illuminati and several important cardinals are also missing. Angels & Demons leaves readers racing to keep up with the protagonists as they charge through the Vatican and questioning the truth as the plot twists and turns uncovering more details at every turn. This book is a perfect mix of a mystery and thriller, and both history buffs and action lovers will be left curious and excited for more of Robert Langdon’s adventures after reading this novel. - Kshithija M. '17

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Snuff by Terry Pratchett (review by Andrew R. '17)

Snuff by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After starring in seven previous Discworld novels, it’s time for street urchin-turned-policeman-turned-nobleman Sam Vimes to take a vacation. But no reader will be surprised when Vimes uncovers a smuggling and trafficking business that’s thriving quietly in the countryside—after all, the policeman knows from years in the City Watch that everybody is guilty of something. Unfortunately, Snuff marks the degradation of some of the Discworld’s most complex characters. The city’s resident tyrant Vetinari, who in the past has embodied the role of the omniscient chessmaster, seems inexplicably to be losing his previously iron grip on his rule; meanwhile, Vimes’s butler Willikins, a nod to Jeeves from P. G. Wodehouse’s novels, has somehow morphed from the perfect “gentleman’s gentleman” to an unnecessary free-thinking, free-acting double of Vimes himself. And Vimes’s signature cynicism in believing that the policeman isn’t so very far removed from the criminal, while fresh six or seven novels ago, now feels stale and repetitive. So, while readers will recognize Pratchett’s style and wit in Snuff, those of us who have stuck with Vimes since Guards, Guards! so many books ago will find this novel uncomfortably familiar. - Andrew R. '17

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Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes (review by Maya V. '17)

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The sequel to Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring is extraordinary. The first novel, following the stories of young adults from different kingdoms of Mytica, ended at the point in which all of the characters met. Now, the teenagers live in a time of greater turmoil than they had lived in before. Whether controlled by murderous parents or harassed by brutal soldiers of other kingdoms, they must constantly watch their backs to avoid death. In such circumstances, the characters have to find a way to not only bring back peace to their land, but also manage their personal issues. If you expect a typical continuation of the story in which the teens team up and fight resistance as best friends forever, you are most definitely mistaken. You will be stunned at the turn of events that occur instead. Incorporating the side characters from the previous novel as main characters in the sequel, one can develop a broader view of the situation, given the several new perspectives. Containing even more gut-gripping moments, horrific murders, mystery, romance, and excellent writing, Rebel Spring is a must read! – Maya V. ‘17

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White Oleander by Janet Fitch (review by Sarisha K. '17)

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

White Oleander, a riveting drama about self-discovery in a life fraught hardships, is a book so enchanting and so harshly honest, it touches the heart. The story follows Astrid Magnussen, a young girl who's poet/artist mother, Ingrid, is her only influence and her idol, until Ingrid is jailed for the murder of her boyfriend. Astrid is thrown into the chaotic and often horrifying foster system, and finds that the art of survival is one she has to learn entirely on her own. As she is pushed from one foster home to another, each with its own troubles, Astrid discovers a world of injustice, and yet, also a world with small blessings. She learns to see the duel natures in humans, and the true colors of her mother, whose ethereal beauty and sharp intelligence is marred by a vindictive, self-righteous streak. White Oleander, the debut novel by Janet Fitch, proves that storytelling is not just entertainment, it's an art. The characters and the descriptions are all built up with such effortlessly beautiful prose that it's impossible to not fall entirely in love with White Oleander. – Sarisha K. ‘17

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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (review by Allison K. '15)

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sebold's novel is a refreshing take on the emotional aspects of life after death; when fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon is raped and murdered by neighbor George Harvey, she watches as her family is forced to carry on without her, slowly crumbling apart. Her father and little sister Lindsey, the only ones to suspect Harvey of her murder, try to investigate and gain closure, while omniscient Susie is helpless to direct them towards her killer. The work possesses a tragically poignant affect that impresses the importance of second chances and absolution. Sebold delicately weaves together her austere version of the afterlife, the innate ties of a grieving family and her projection of Susie’s feelings and reactions onto the the living world. The Lovely Bones is bound to draw in any reader with its capability to both invoke mystery and compel empathy for Susie on her journey for inner peace, vindication, and completion. – Allison K. ‘15

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The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (review by Anushka D. '15)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Rory Deveaux first transfers from Louisiana to London, she can’t help but feel out of place in her new surroundings. However, just as Rory starts to call her boarding school her home, her life is suddenly disrupted as a nearby killing spree shockingly similar to that of the Jack the Ripper murders begins. When horrific footage of a woman being slaughtered by an unseen force comes to light, police suspect a ghostly hand is behind the ordeal. Rory finds herself in the midst of the mess when she is able to spot the murderer and inadvertently becoming his next target. The Name of the Star is brilliantly written. Rory is an ensnaring character: witty, brave, and charming, and she carries the narrative with both stunning confidence and loving vulnerability. While Johnson does introduce a love triangle, it is subtle and does not detract from the story. Johnson ends The Name of the Star with a compelling plot twist hooking readers for the sequel: The Madness Underneath. Anyone looking for a thriller will be thoroughly satisfied!

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