YA Reviews

Reviews written by teens featuring YA and tween books, TV shows and movies! Teens can submit reviews to atayloritpl@gmail.com to be featured on the site!

October 10, 2021

Banned Books 2019 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Marshall Libraries

The Perks of Being a Wallflower focuses on upsetting, yet important topics such as teen mental health, and suicide prevention, while also including the importance of friendship, the power of words, and the consequences of taking certain actions. The story follows Charlie Kalmeckis, a 15-year-old boy who goes through his freshman and sophomore years of high school as a wallflower. After losing his best friend to suicide and his favorite aunt to a car accident, Charlie not only feels lost but alone, despite his family being by his side. He sits at lunch alone and feels anxious to get up and start a conversation. He takes his emotions to his books, entrancing himself into the story to feel more secure within himself. His English Teacher, noticing his love and passion for books, encourages him to analyze and understand the stories, which helps his deals with his loneliness. Later on, Charlie is finally able to make some friends. He approaches a group of seniors and they seem to be interested in Charlie as a person, so they quickly accept him into their friend circle and Charlie feels much less alone. The novel’s main message is about how life can be affected by meeting new people.

– Valerie Chow, student

October 10, 2021

Black Widow begins with the dark past of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), where she is seen as a child with her makeshift family, only to be taken away by the Red Room and separated from her family. The movie then jumps to what Natasha Romanoff has been doing while she was on the run from the government after the events of Captain America: Civil War. While hiding, her sister, Yelena, sends her a set of vials, knowing it will reunite the two sisters. They form a team together, break out their “parents” Alexei (The Red Guardian) from prison and Melina, who has been living on a farm. Together, they all go and bring down the Red Room once and for all. I was really anticipating this film when the Black Widow trailer was released and when I watched it in theaters, I thought it was a great movie. It was really action-packed and had many comedic moments.

– Valerie Chow, student

October 10, 2021

In Blue Period, Yatora is a perfect high school student, straight As, popular, and good at sports. Despite him being an all-around good student, he feels bored and empty with life. One day, he wanders into the art room where he discovers a piece of art created by another student in the art club and feels awed by the colors. Later, in an art exercise, his teacher asks his class to paint, and he tries to convey his words into painting. After this experience, he becomes invested in art and works hard to become one of the best artists to join the top public art school in Japan. It is really inspiring and the way Yatora is presented makes him feel like a real person. Despite Yatora’s drive for art, he is not naturally talented. Throughout the story, you can see his struggles and the amount of effort he puts into his artwork, in order to catch up with his other classmates who have practiced art much longer than he has. Even though he loves art, there are moments where he is frustrated and jealous, and it makes him a relatable character. I highly recommend this to any aspiring artists or people who just enjoy art, because this story is relatable and well written.

– Valerie Chow, student

October 10, 2021

This movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Dianna Wynne Jones and although there are some differences, Hayao Miyazaki directs Howl’s Moving Castle in an amazing way. The story begins with a girl named Sophie, who encounters the Witch of the Waste, who curses and transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. She decides to set off on a journey to discover a way to break her curse. During her search, she meets a living scarecrow who she decides to call “turnip head”. Turnip head leads her to a Howl’s moving castle and she enters, meeting Howl’s apprentice Markl and a fire demon named Calcifer, who is the one making the castle move. Sophie makes a deal with Calcifer, in which if she can break his link with Howl, Calcifer will in return, help her break her curse. Sophie begins her new life in the castle as the cleaning lady and she soon meets Howl, a powerful wizard who was under the command of the King and no longer wants to fight in the war. Howl brings her on an adventure as they try to avoid the King’s soldiers as well as the occurring War among her nation. One of my favorite things about this movie is the soundtracks and the movie’s animation is stunning. The movie has amazing characters and their relationships with each other are so heartwarming.

– Valerie Chow, student

October 10, 2021

In the film, Spirited Away, director Hayao Miyazaki takes you on a journey alongside a young girl named Chihiro, who ends up getting stuck in the spirit world. The plot begins with her family driving to their new home. Her father ends up getting lost and they end up in an abandoned theme park, filled with restaurants that seem to have freshly cooked food left unattended. Her parents decide to eat the food while Chihiro decides to wander around by herself. She meets a boy named Haku, who tells her to quickly leave the amusement park before nightfall, and once she returns to tell her parents, she discovers that her parents have been turned into pigs. The world slowly starts to shift into the spirit world, where strange creatures start to roam and the seemingly once abandoned amusement park comes to life. Haku finds her and insists that she works at a bathhouse, otherwise the witch will turn her into an animal like her parents. Throughout her journey to turning her parents back to humans, as well as finding a way to get out of the spirit world, you meet many different characters with interesting personalities. It focuses on Chihiro’s journey as well as the character development within not only her but also the other characters. It also won the Best Animation Feature award in the 2003 Oscars. The plot, background, themes, and characters are well connected to each other and it is an amazing movie to enjoy.

Valerie Chow, student

January 11, 2021

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Hosseini, Khaled: 9780739489505: Amazon.com: Books

In the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, the protagonist Mariam gives the readers a realistic point of view of the daily life of a married woman living in Afghanistan and the oppression they face daily. The evolution of her character throughout the novel shapes the meaning of the work as a whole and inspires the audience to find peace within yourself when faced with oppression and barbarous adversity. 

She plays the role of an uneducated Afghan wife living in the horror of her abusive husband, Rasheed. Mariam is constantly reminded by the fact that she is a “harami” and believes throughout her entire life she is unwanted and undeserving of the joys life can bring. One pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist is seen when Mariam is abused the first time by her husband Rasheed. The moment demonstrates the oppression of women living in Afghanistan and the harsh treatment they are enduring, but have no control over. Rasheed expresses his abusive behavior as social normality and how they live in a patriarchal society where the man shows dominance and women have no control over how they are treated. Mariam and Laila are living with Rasheed and with the strict laws imposed by the Taliban that deprive women of their basic rights. Both Rasheed and the Taliban have made it difficult for Mariam and Laila to “count the moons that shimmer on walls, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind walls,” thus, taking away their freedom and voice and representing the struggles the women face throughout the novel.

The protagonist, Mariam, grows throughout the story and as a woman which shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.  Mariam observes her growth and involvement as a character throughout the novel, from feeling unwanted and “unintended” to experiencing love and being capable of loving, despite the unpleasant and cruel hardships, abuse that she faced. The theme of remaining hopeful while enduring the worst is exhibited when Mariam is finally finding peace within herself, despite all of the oppression she has faced in her life along with all of the women living in Afghanistan. 

As one can see, the author of this passage creates a vivid description of how a woman is treated in a society centered around male- dominance, but eventually finds peace within herself, by killing Rasheed, and overcomes the discrimination that is put upon her everyday in society. The pivotal moment, Rasheed’s death, shaped the moral development of the story and of the novel’s protagonist, Mariam. Overall, I loved the book and how it showed survival in the face of an unspeakable tragedy. 

-Kashvi Mathur, Island Trees High School

December 21, 2020

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

The book Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys is about a young girl in the 50’s who resides in New Orleans, with hopes of going to an elite college. Jo, the daughter of a prostitute, was always bright. She knew from a young age that the path her mother took was not for her. Throughout the story we follow Jo on her journey of learning what challenges life has to offer. Jo is willing to move mountains to get into and attend her dream college.
In the novel, we are introduced to many characters, each one having their own unique personality. One of my personal favorites was Willie. Willie was the tough cookie of the town. She was loved by her friends, and hated by her enemies. She was a big part of Jo’s character development and played a large influence in Jo’s life. Willie added a sense of emotion into the
book because of how kind she was to Jo, but also tough on her when she needed it. Another one of my favorite characters was Cokie. Cokie is a car driver, with a big heart. He was another figure of support in Jo’s life. He did everything in his power to get her to her dream school. I personally loved his character’s generosity and kindness, especially when he didn’t have much to give. The novel also had a small romance plot. Throughout the novel we see Jo’s conflicting emotions between two boys. One, Jesse, a car mechanic with a big heart. Another, Patrick, Jo’s old friend who’s family was very supportive to her from a young age. Patrick and her seemed
perfect at first, but Patrick showed his true colors when he began seeing a girl from higher society. When realizing the difference between Jesse and Patrick, Jo sees where she truly comes from and how it will affect her life as a whole. I especially enjoyed the novel because of the time period. It took place in the 1950’s and it was very uncommon for lower class members to attend elite colleges, let alone a woman. I loved Jo’s character because she didn’t let her history stop her from achieving her dream. Overall, this was a great story. The book is filled with a lot of emotion and the author
added new events throughout the book, so it kept the plot exciting. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a page-turner!

-Gianna DeFiore, 11th Grade

December 21, 2020

Amazon.com: The Sun Is Also a Star (Yoon, Nicola) (9780553496680): Yoon,  Nicola: Books

The book The Sun is also a Star is a great read! This story gives the perspective of two lives: Natasha Kingsley and Daniel Jae Ho Bae. Immediately it becomes known that Natasha is an intellect and believes in concrete facts rather than emotions. On the contrary, Daniel is imaginative and likes to ‘go with the flow’. However, as the story progresses they fall in love while both holding a major secret. Will their feelings prevail being polar opposites?! I strongly recommend this novel, not only does it discuss romance with love at first sight, it provides an inside to the human psyche. 5/5 recommend!

Alyson Jairam, student

November 2, 2020

Cinderella (2015 Disney film) - Wikipedia

Cinderella (2015) – 5/5 stars

This movie is an absolute gem. Everything from the cinematography, to the characters, to the costumes, and to the acting is phenomenal. This movie is a remake of the original Cinderella movie released in 1950. I love how this movie was able to stay true to the original while also amalgamating new and improved elements. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that this movie is better than the original! The movie follows Cinderella, a girl who is abused by her stepmother and two stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. Constantly being told to wash the dishes and do the laundry drives Cinderella to become trapped in her own home. However, there seems to be hope for Cinderella when the kingdom announces that the prince is holding a ball for all in the kingdom. One thing that I prodigiously find appreciable is the fact that the movie elaborates on things that it didn’t in the original. For instance, the movie explores the relationship that Cinderella had with her parents before they died. Furthermore, I admire the fact that in this movie Cinderella meets the prince prior to going to the ball. In the original, the prince fell in love with Cinderella’s looks whereas, in this movie, the prince is able to learn about Cinderealla’s heart when he meets her in the forest. The audience also gets to learn about the prince’s personality and nature. Additionally, Cinderella’s blue dress in this movie is absolutely stunning; it is evident that a lot of thought and hard work went into designing the costumes. This movie explores the themes of forgiveness and being kind no matter what; it paints a powerful picture that teaches others to have hope even in the most harrowing situations. I highly recommend that everyone, including children and adults, watch this movie.

Enayah Khan, student

November 2, 2020

The Book of Henry - Wikipedia

The Book of Henry – 5/5 stars

This movie is an unforgettable masterpiece as it tackles important world issues and transmits a mighty and powerful message through the screen. The story follows Henry, an unequivocally intelligent young boy. Henry manages his house life and family, whether it be dealing with house bills or taking care of his younger brother, while his mother works as a waitress. Seeing Henry make a cupcake machine for his brother was such a sweet moment in the film! Henry has a pure heart of gold and wants to make a positive difference in the world. One day, after looking through his window, he unearths a dark secret: his neighbor is abusing his daughter named Christina. Even after calling reinforcements to deal with the situation, nothing happens as the father is part of the police force. Not wanting to be a bystander in such a harrowing situation, he immediately begins to plot a way to help by writing his ideas in a book. Until, however, an unfortunate and treacherous event unfolds which ultimately inaugurates a black hole in his carefully thought out plan. The book focuses on Henry’s family trying to save Christina from her treachery. This book amalgamates feelings of distress, happiness, sadness, and it leaves you feeling fulfilled in some way. I cried numerous times throughout this movie. Furthermore, it’s hard not to fall in love with the characters’ personalities. Henry’s ambition and strength, Peter’s innocence, and Christina’s talent really make this movie special. All of the actors did a phenomenal job in portraying the characters. This book spread a mighty, robust message about helping those in need. I prodigiously recommend this movie to teenagers as it has quite a dark plot and mature themes such as violence and the occasional cursing. This movie is extremely underrated, and it deserves a lot more recognition.

Enayah Khan, student

November 2, 2020

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – 3.5/5 stars

High School Musical: The Musical - The Series (TV Series 2019– ) - IMDb

This show featured on Disney Plus takes place in the iconic high school where the original High School Musical was set. The high schoolers are on their way to enact the High School Musical story about Troy, Gabriella, and all their friends for the school drama production. This series was prodigiously fun to watch especially because it differs from other Disney Channel shows; the added commentary of all the characters, as well as the removal of the laugh track, sets it apart. The series follows Nini, a girl who will play the part of Gabriella, and Ricky, a boy who will play the part of Troy. Due to the fact that Nini and Ricky took a break in their relationship in the summer, tension is stirred up between the both of them. Ricky wants to get back together with Nini, whereas Nini has moved on. As for the characters, there are many lovable ones as well as ones that you might learn to develop a love-hate relationship with. Nini, for example, comes off as stubborn and petty, but she also has her strong and empowering moments as a young girl who is making her way through life. There are also many other stories featured in the film involving, for example, the drama teacher and student drama. This series features both emotional and comedic moments. One of the best assets of this show is, of course, the spectacular songs. It is evident that the music and lyrics were well thought out. My personal favorite song is “Just for a Moment” as it is very heartful and soft. This series is particularly enjoyable as it is light-hearted. The only downside is that the plot itself is quite predictable. All in all, I prodigiously recommend this to all children and teens who are looking for a simple and sweet recommendation!

Enayah Khan, student

November 2, 2020

Aladdin (2019 film) - Wikipedia

Aladdin (2019) – 5/5 stars

This movie is a retelling of the original Aladdin movie created by Walt Disney Pictures in 1992. This movie is a cinematic masterpiece. From the characters, to the songs, to the costumes, and the editing, this movie is utter perfection. The story follows Aladdin, a young man who lives in the kingdom of Agrabah. He spends his days stealing bread and melons along with his Abu, his monkey sidekick, due to being poor. On the other side of town, in the Agrabah palace, lives Jasmine, a princess, who yearns to leave the castle walls to which she is bound to. Due to tradition, she is expected to be married to a prince soon. However, Jasmine doesn’t want to be married anytime soon; the only thing that she inadvertently wants is an escape from her boring castle bedroom. One day, she disguises herself and leaves to explore the kingdom. She encounters Aladdin on her mini expedition. Aladdin ultimately falls in her love with Jasmine, until he unearths the truth: Jasmine is a princess. He realizes that Jasmine can never be with a “street rat” like him, and she can only marry a prince. With the help of a genie, Aladdin embarks on a mission to win Jasmine’s heart and marry her. It’s evidently elucidated throughout the film that the producers tried to stay true to the classic movie by also adding a few new quirks. Furthermore, all the actors did a phenomenal job in capturing all the character’s true personalities, whether it be Jasmine’s sass, Aladdin’s ambition, and Jafar’s villainy. To accentuate, the songs in the film are amazing; they really capture the essence of the kingdom manifested; “A Whole New World” and “Speechless” are two powerful songs that make one want to get up and sing along. Overall, I prodigiously recommend this movie to everyone, whether it be adults or children!

Enayah Khan, student

August 5, 2020

Anne with an E (TV Series 2017–2019) - IMDb

The hit TV show, Anne With An E, sheds light towards problems that adolescents and adults may be dealing with such as racism, trauma, LGBT+, child marriage, abuse, and inequality in education, etc. In the beginning of the first episode, the main character, Anne, can be seen as an orphan child with red hair. These characteristics are not normalized in their community as the time period was around the late 1800s. As expected, she was often made fun of but then she began to realize and started embracing her differences. In the real world, many adolescents aren’t satisfied with their looks and should instead embrace their features and heritage like Anne. While Anne is an orphan, she soon discovers her true friends and family in the town of Green Gable. As the main character, Anne enjoys brightening the world with her positivity and handles situations without fuss and anger. As the episodes went on, I was able to feel a strong connection between the characters and their personal stories as they all had a conflict going on. This allowed the viewers to experience character development within this film while also experiencing real-world issues in another era. The director did an excellent job of unfolding a new issue every episode without making it vague and cliche. Throughout the first season, a young girl can be perceived as someone who is expected to keep up with the beauty standards by her mother. This perfectly relates to an issue in today’s world where there are many low self-esteem girls trying to fit in with society standards by changing themselves. You don’t need to change your looks to fit in. As long as you are happy with yourself and avoid comparing, you don’t need to change for yourself and others. This TV show isn’t overrated and needs a chance to be watched so more people can be aware of issues in our world while also enjoying a film with loveable characters.

-Kristin Phung, student

July 15, 2020

Amazon.com: Stranger Things Poster (2016) Netflix 24x36 inches A ...

Stranger Things: 5 Stars – This is most definitely one of the best series on Netflix. Each and every season is full to the brim with emotion. It’s the full package; it amalgamates the feelings of sadness, happiness, and it makes you laugh. The first season follows a boy, Will Byers, who mysteriously disappears after riding his bicycle at night. His friends and family go on a mission with the help of a telekinesis girl, Eleven, to return him to safety. In the second season, Will Byers deals with the repercussions of his disappearances, Eleven finds her mother, and the characters deal with a lab. Lastly, the third season becomes darker as the characters have to combat a larger-than-life monster. I appreciate how each of the characters in this series have distinct personality traits, and it’s quite entertaining to watch them grow as the series progresses. It’s hard not to fall in love with Eleven’s curiosity, Mike’s stubbornness, Lucas’ intelligence, Will’s creativeness, Dustin’s charm, and Max’s independent nature. The attention to detail in this show is immaculate; the show truly feels like it’s set in the 80s due to the walkie-talkies and clothes. The music and song selection in this show is impeccable. Furthermore, I adore how each season gives off drastically different vibes. For instance, the first season takes place in the Thanksgiving to Christmas season, the second season goes toward a more eerie, Halloween vibe, and the last season plays on the fun, light-hearted summer vibe. Additionally, I like how the series highlights the different relationships between each of the characters; there are family bonds, strong friendships, and romance. And with full honesty, I initially didn’t think I would like this show at all as I’m more into shows with drama and romance rather than dark plots full of mysteries and quests. After giving it a shot, my mind was completely altered. Despite watching this series multiple times, I’m still not bored of it. I’m excited to see the future of this show and where each of the characters end up. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery and sci-fi!

Enayah Khan, student

July 15, 2020

Tangled (2010) - IMDb

Tangled: 5 stars – I remember watching this movie at the cinema when it first came out, and I became obsessed with it. Since then, I’ve watched it multiple times. In fact, I watch it at least once or more every year. This film combines everything I could’ve asked. It has funny, sad, and happy moments, which, in my mind, are the elements to a perfect film. The story follows Rapunzel, a princess who is born with magical golden hair that has the power to heal. However, late at night, she is kidnapped by Mother Gothel, an evil woman. Mother Gothel takes her into an isolated tower to lock Rapunzel from the outside world. However, one day Rapunzel leaves the tower with a man named Flynn Rider to see what the world is really like. It is evident that each character was carefully constructed. Rapunzels’ outgoing and curious personality combined with Flynn’s confidence and charm truly make this film worth watching. The chemistry between both of these characters is immaculate. Not only that, the sidekicks, Maximus and Pascal, add a comedy factor. Even the villain in this film is highly interesting. Unlike other villains seen in books and other media, Gothel abuses Rapunzel emotionally. She brainwashes Rapunzel to believe that the world is entirely evil. She is manipulative as she makes Rapunnzel believe that she loves her even though she does not; she loves her hair. Furthermore, the songs in the movie are spectacular; “I See the Light” is my favorite. Additionally, this film has beautiful cinematography. There is a lantern scene that is absolutely gorgeous and truly magical; the animation is superb. I bawl my eyes out during the last few scenes in this movie. This movie took a beloved fairytale and made it even better. All in all, I would definitely recommend this film to children and adults alike; it is a cinematic masterpiece!

Enayah Khan, student

July 15, 2020

Film Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017) | ReelRundown

Beauty and the Beast (2017): 5 stars – This movie is a cinematic masterpiece. It is evident that each and every scene was intricately constructed; the attention to detail is made clear. This movie is a remake of the original “Beauty and the Beast” movie made in 1991. The story is about a prince who is cursed due to greed. The curse transforms him into a beast. The only way the spell can be broken is if he learns to love another before the last petal of a magical rose falls. The story follows Belle, an outsider in her own village, who is held captive by the beast in his castle. The story explores the theme of “beauty is found within.” I was so excited to watch this movie in the cinema as the original movie is one of my favorites. I was not disappointed in even the slightest way. I truly appreciate how this movie stayed true to the original while also adding new elements. For instance, the enchantress in this movie is given a bigger role and the backstory of Belle’s mother is given. It’s hard to not fall in love with each of the characters; the beast’s humor, Belle’s strong-willed personality, Lumiere’s charm, Cogsworth’s intelligence, and Chips’ curiosity truly make this movie worth watching. The song remakes are absolutely magical. My favorite song in this movie is “How Can  a Moment Last Forever” as it is sad and soft. Furthermore, I love how the castle had golden elements in its design which truly make the movie feel even more magical. The CGI in this movie is brilliant; being able to create a beast real-life looking objects takes a lot of skill. and I also appreciate the outfits in this film—especially the yellow ball gown. All in all, I highly recommend this film to children and adults alike.

Enayah Khan, student

July 13, 2020

Rudy movie review & film summary (1993) | Roger Ebert
Rudy (1993)

A few days ago, I watched a movie I have never seen before, and it instantly became my favorite movie.  This movie was called Rudy and it tells the story of a boy named Rudy Ruettiger.  Rudy’s dream was always to play football at Notre Dame, but nobody believed in him.  Rudy is the hardest working kid on every team he’s played on, and all he wants to do is prove to everyone that he can achieve his goals.  When high school ended, he had a chance to go to Notre Dame and check out the campus, but Rudy didn’t have the grades, and he wasn’t able to go.  He almost gave up on his dream, but when his best friend passed away, Rudy felt that he needed to grasp his dreams.  So, he went to Notre Dame and made a deal with the church.  Rudy took a class to see if he would be accepted into the college, and later was accepted.  All Rudy wanted to do was play football now, and in tryouts, he worked so hard and made the practice team.  He made the team since he worked really hard and never gave up.  Whenever the coach told him that it was the next person’s turn, he always got back up and tried again.  Rudy’s grades went up and he worked harder and harder in football and academics.  Everyone supported Rudy on the team, but his family doesn’t believe he made the team, and since he hasn’t been in the stadium to play a real game, he couldn’t say he was a part of the team.  All Rudy wanted was to prove them wrong, so he talked to the coach about playing, and he said that he could play one game in the next season.  Because of that, Rudy quit, and his boss encouraged him to keep playing.  When he showed up at practice, everyone was pleased.  The next season came and Rudy still never played, so all of his teammates were going to give up their jerseys for Rudy in their last game. So, at the last game, Rudy stood on the sidelines and ran through the tunnel, which is all he wanted to do.  While the team was in a huge lead, they let Rudy play a little bit and he did really good.  He sacked the quarterback and was carried and cheered for by his teammates.  Rudy was remembered for being a hustler and always wanted to keep going.  Rudy was an inspiration for many, and he was always motivated.  From watching this movie, I realized I should be more like Rudy Ruettiger, always working hard and being motivated.  

Jillian Sandez (8th Grade)

June 30, 2020

Amazon.com: Speak eBook: Halse Anderson, Laurie: Kindle Store

I believe that one of the most influential and memorable books I have ever read was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The book may be inappropriate for younger readers, as it mentions sexual assault, but nevertheless it is an important topic that must be discussed with girls and boys of all ages. Throughout the book, the reader is taken through Melinda Sordino’s journey with accepting and overcoming the rape that she suffered through freshman year. It occurred when she was at a high school party and a senior began to flirt with her and then eventually push her past her limits. She quickly called the police after the incident but did not tell anyone what happened, leaving them to assume that she called the cops to bust the party. Her classmates resented her after and began shamelessly ostracizing her. She was so ashamed that she refused to speak out about what had happened, causing her to isolate herself and eventually develop depression. The book is written in the first person point of view, allowing the reader to deeply connect with Melinda’s emotions and see how her mind works after the unfortunate event. Many mes throughout the book I was filled with sadness and rage trying to understand how the man was fine with ruining a young female’s life and watching her spiral into a mental disorder. However, the book is extremely motivational as it could provide other young individuals with the strength necessary to speak out on situations that have affected them or others that they know. For some, it could even act as motivation to treat the people around them with the most respect and kindness possible, as every ac on you make does not only affect you, but it also affects those around you. This book does an excellent job at raising awareness of a plethora of flaws in today’s society such as sexual assault, bullying, and depression, and I recommend this book to everyone. 

Claudia Rodriguez, student

June 30, 2020

Amazon.com: The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine, Book One ...

James Dashner continues to amaze readers in his more recent futuristic sci-fi series with tones and messages similar to his Maze Runner series. The Eye of Minds is the first book in the Mortality Doctrine book series; It is a sci-fi action adventure set in a futuristic age where people submerssing themselves into virtual reality is an everyday occurrence.The book focuses on Michael and his hacker friends, Bryson and Sarah, who are tasked by the VNS (VirtNet Security) to track down Kaine, a powerful hacker who has been taking people hostage in the virtual world and driving them to suicide. Although Kaine’s sinister plot seems rather gruesome, there is little gore described in detail. For people easily disgusted, the suicide witnessed in the first chapter is the worst it gets. The Eye of Minds is promoted as tailored for young adult audiences and certainly lives up to that by incorporating several YA cliches into the book, such as Michael being “the chosen one”, Michael’s parents missing for the entire book, and a hint towards Michael and Sarah being romantically involved in the following books. However, while they are certainly cliches, they aren’t necessarily a detriment. In fact, James Dashner weaves them into his plot fairly well and doesn’t make them overbearing. The book is a pretty simple read at the start with only a few confusing elements, but the ending makes everything clear in a satisfying way. , I would rate the book a solid 8/10 for young adult audiences. The book may not be a masterpiece, but it undeniably captivates readers and makes them come back begging for more. Ultimately, Dashner set a high bar with his previous Maze Runner series and, while it may not be as popular, The Eye of Minds certainly deserves similar praise.

-Frank Garger, student

May 21, 2020

Amazon.com: Go Ask Alice (Anonymous Diaries) (9781416914631 ...

During my junior year of high school, my English teacher let us pick a book of choice to read and observe. The book I chose was titled Go Ask Alice. It is a diary published anonymously to serve as a memoir for a young girl who struggled with addiction, eating disorders, sexual assault, and eventually died due to an overdose. Although it was quite a tragic story, this book almost felt like I was watching a movie; a movie so good that I was always left at the end of my seat, itching to keep reading. The style of the book was exactly like a diary, so it kept me from feeling bored because I wasn’t just reading chapter after chapter. Some diary entries were short, and some were many pages long, so the effect it had on the reader was like you were really reading someone’s diary. 

    The book started off very relatable, a young girl had just moved to a new town. She was struggling to lose some weight to make some friends, even though she resorted to unhealthy habits. She ends up getting caught up in the wrong group of friends as she starts to use various drugs, such as mariguiana, acid, cocaine, and other illegal substances. This leads her to spiral into a never ending story of recovery and relapse. She runs away from home and ends up using sex to cope with her addiction. As she repeatedly gets drugged and raped, she realizes she needs to change her ways, and get sober. The story comes to a shocking end when she gets drugged in rehab, and overdoses. 

This story made me realize how normal this lifestyle is for some people. This diary could be similar to many other people’s diaries; people that I may even know. Addiction is a disease, and if someone I know is struggling, I would do anything to help them so their story doesn’t end how hers did. It really put me in her shoes and wonder, what would I do in her situation? I recommended this book to so many of my friends and would read it a million more times if I could.   

-Victoria Cardillo, student

May 18, 2020

Aylssa Sandez, 11th Grade

May 15, 2020

Amazon.com: Me Before You: A Novel (Me Before You Trilogy Book 1 ...

Recently, I read the book  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  It was a very good book, in my opinion.  This novel was about a girl named Louisa Clark, who’s family depends on her job due to financial problems in their household.  She is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend Patrick, who is always obsessed with working out and training for marathons, nor always putting Louisa first.  Not long ago, her other job at the café was shut down.  Louisa needed to find a new job so she could support her family. At the job center there was one job that sounded somewhat appealing to her, being a caretaker for a quadriplegic named Will Traynor.  Will had gotten into a motorcycle accident, leaving him unable to have motion in his arms nor his legs.  When Louisa first starts her job, she realizes that Will has no personality, and does not like Louisa at all.  She wants to quit so badly, but she needs to support her family.  Will’s parents know something about their son that Louisa doesn’t know…and it’s life changing.  Will’s nurse, Nathan, also knows, but when Louisa finds out she really wants to quit, but she realizes her love for Will.  She has a choice, doing something to keep her happy and not Will, or to make Will happy, as much as it may hurt herself.  Although she realizes not everyone can be happy, she still wants to try, so she decided to take Will on small adventures.  All of these adventures were reasons to try to make Will live.  They went on vacation, walks (wheelchairs), explored new things, tried new things.  As soon as Will was about to go on vacation with Nathan and Louisa, something happened, life changing.  Still alive, but life changing.  He got pneumonia.  After Will’s sickness finished up, they went on vacation, their last hope for will to be alive….

– Jillian Sandez (7th Grade)

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January 30, 2020

My Hero Academia is a long-running anime and manga series by Kohei Horikoshi, debuting in Weekly Shonen Jump in July 2014. In a world where 80% of the populations have superpowers known as Quirks, there is one who stands above all of them. The No. 1 All Might is seen as the Symbol of Peace and Justice around the world. Izuku “Deku” Midoriya idolizes All Might and wants to be a Hero like him, but is crushed when he learns he is part of the few that have no Quirks, even though both of his parents have them. Because of this, he is relentlessly bullied by his fellow classmates, especially by childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo who has a Quirk that allows him to ignite his sweat and create explosions, being called “Kacchan” by Izuku. Because of a chance encounter with All Might later on, it is revealed to Izuku that a villain attack 5 years beforehand badly injured him, causing him to assume a skinny, almost emaciated form. After Bakugo gets held hostage by a slime Villain that was previously captured by All Might, Izuku’s body starts moving by itself as he runs over since the Pro Heroes can’t get close enough. All Might sees this and makes him re-evaluate his beliefs, turning back into his muscular and blowing the Villain away with a Detroit Smash. Later on, as Deku is walking home, he runs into All Might again who tells him that he can be a Hero after previously telling him he can’t. Izuku trains with All Might as he tells Izuku the secret of his Quirk: One For All. All Might’s Quirk is a special Quirk that can be passed down from generation to generation, getting stronger with each pass. He passes it on in a comedic moment by telling Izuku to eat a strand of his hair. For the next 10 months, Deku trains to be powerful enough to handle the strength of One For All and apply for U.A. High. The day of the entrance exam comes as Izuku meets multiple people he’ll grow a bond with as time passes. The exam involves maneuvering a cityscape and earning points by destroying 3 different types of robots, with a fourth one that costs no points. The test starts as everyone is destroying the robots except for Izuku, who has gotten no points. As the test nears the end, he sees one of the people he met before, a girl named Ochaco Uraraka, trapped under some rubble, with the 0 point robot approaching. Deku runs over and jumps up at the robot’s head and smashes it before it can reach Ochaco. However, the impact of the jump and the punch causes Izuku to break both his legs and one of his arms. Before he can hit the ground, Ochaco uses her gravity manipulation Quirk to float him up and reduce the impact. The test ends as an old lady known as Recovery Girl uses her Quirk to heal Deku. A week later, Deku is contacted by All Might via a pre-recorded projection. Deku thinks he’s failed the test since he got no points for defeating the robots, but All Might tells him he earned point through his selfless actions since being a Hero also involves saving innocents, earning him 60 points. This allows Deku to enroll in U.A. and start his journey towards being a great hero. He gets acquainted with his classmates as their teacher, Shota Aizawa. The students of Class 1-A have their Quirks put to the test in multiple events, including a 50-meter Dash and throwing a baseball a far enough distance. When Deku goes to throw the ball, his Quirk is temporarily “erased” by Aizawa’s Quirk, being told he’ll get nowhere if he can’t control his Quirk. Deku takes this into consideration and concentrates all the energy of his throw into a single finger, only breaking said finger from the impact. The baseball lands at over 700 meters and impresses Aizawa. The next day, All might bursts into class in a “completely normal way” in his Silver Age costume, explaining to the kids that a good Hero also needs a good costume to go along with them. The volume ends with Deku stepping out of a changing room with his Hero costume along with the rest of his classmates.

This Volume is a great start to a fantastic series. It explores the concept of a world with superpowers, but also explores the consequences, like power regulations, Villain attacks, brand deals, etc. The inspiration from American superhero comics is very apparent, especially in All Might who is drawn with heavy shading and a very colorful, yet simply costume, as well as with his attacks being named after states. I recommend this series to anyone who is looking for something fresh or someone who loves superheroes. Even if you’re not usually a fan of superheroes, I think this series will surprise you with what it has to offer.

– Alexander Reilly, Island Trees High School student

January 30, 2020

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The Hate U Give is a very powerful story revolving around the Black Lives Matter movement. It follows a 16 year old black girl named Starr who lives in the projects while attending a prep school mostly filled with white people. While Starr is being driven home from a party by childhood friend Khalil, they are pulled over by a police officer. When Khalil reaches into his car for a hairbrush, the officer mistakes it for a weapon and shoots and kills him. As tensions rise between Starr’s community and the police because of their failure to indict the officer that killed Khalil, Starr decides to support the protests for Khalil. After a run in with the King Lords (a gang running the community Starr is a part of), Starr and her community decide to stand up against them when the police arrive after they tried to kill Starr and get their leader arrested. Afterwards, everything mostly returns to normal, but Starr promises to keep the memory of Khalil alive no matter what.

The Hate U Give is a good story about a girl thrusted into a situation she has no control over and seeing it how it affects her life and everything around her. It also acts as a coming of age story as Starr slowly begins to realize that she should not have to keep her two worlds, being her life at home and her life at school, separate from each other. There is a big flaw involving the story, however. When Starr and Khalil are pulled over, Khalil is acting very disrespectful towards the cop and is even not listening to his orders at some points. While this does not give the officer the right to shoot Khalil, his hairbrush might have looked like a weapon to the officer because of the distance between them and since it was nighttime. Cops are putting their lives on the line and they never know who they might be dealing with, so they always have to be on guard. It is never shown that Starr mentions this to anyone, not even her family. While I do not think this would have stopped the protesting, it’s possible it might have changed the reasons said protests were for or even the methods they went about protesting. Even so, I still enjoyed the story. If the premise interests you or you want to read a story involving the Black Lives Matter movement, I suggest giving it a read.

– Alexander Reilly, Island Trees High School student

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November 19, 2019

The Great Gatsby was a really interesting book.. It had amazing symbolism and captured the readers attention!

Alyssa Pesce, Island Trees High School student

November 19, 2019

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

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This book started off very very slow. The first 100 pages (part 1 and 2) was as boring as reading the Webster Dictionary out loud for 3 hours straight. However, after discussing how slow the beginning was with my AP Lit teacher I was shocked to realize that the author wanted you to feel this way. He wanted to portray how mundane and god awful-boring the psych ward really was… to deepen the readers’ understanding of how staying at the ward would leave you more insane than how you first arrived.

And the ending (without spoiling anything) made me rethink the way I look at everything…

Have you ever watched a really good movie and stayed up all night thinking about the ending? This was that book for me.

I would definitely recommend this book… it is in my top 10 favorite books of all time.

Audrey Yackavage (Island Trees 12th grader)

May 21, 2019

In Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir, the dragonets finally free and have the whole world to explore. Their first stop is to visit Tsunami’s, the Seawing dragonet’s home in the middle of the sea.

The problem is they have to find it first. Meeting her mother is everything she ever wanted, but then why does something feel wrong? A mystery to solve, a dangerous path to take. Will the dragonets make it out safe and alive or be trapped somewhere yet again? Come find out in yet another thrilling adventure.

Kayla Watson, Island Trees Library Patron

 

May 18, 2019

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In the book Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, there is a war raging between three sisters for who will take the throne. There is a dragonet prophecy in which five dragonets are supposed to stop the war, but the dragonets don’t like living in secrecy for so long and think they are ready and escape. But trouble comes and finds them first.
         This first book in the series Wings of Fire, starts a new adventure that is thrilling and exciting. For me, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down! And eventually when I did put it down I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If you like fantasy and adventure, this is the book for you.

Kayla Watson, Island Trees Library Patron

January 30, 2019

Release Date: January 29, 2018

Where to start with this book! While A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer starts off slow, by the end of this almost 500 page-long book I was flying through dying to know what was going to happen next in this re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast.

The novel centers around Harper, a teenage girl with high functioning cerebral palsy living with her cancer-stricken mother and older brother Jake. Their father borrows money from the wrong people, and Jake falls into the role of henchman in order to protect Harper and their dying mother. One night, while Harper is standing watch as Jake goes on one of his “jobs”, she witnesses a woman being dragged down the street by a strange man.

Harper being Harper, she grabs a crowbar and tries to save the girl. Instead she is teleported to Emberfall, a magical land with a prince who, as the title suggests, is so very dark and lonely due to a curse placed on him by a scorned sorceress. Prince Rhen must re-live the same season in his castle over and over again until he can find true love. After going through hundreds of girls, with truly monstrous outcomes, he finally meets his match with Harper – a fiercely independent woman who does not let her disability control her life and is adamant about not falling in love with Rhen.

While Harper and Rhen’s will they, won’t they love story dominates most of the book, there is plenty of action and adventure for teens looking for more than just romance. In regards to characters, Rhen’s loyal Guard Grey is one of the best developed characters in the novel. He is loyal to the prince, yet there’s an air of secrecy that surrounds him that makes the reader more interested in Grey’s story than Rhen’s (I even began shipping Grey and Harper at one point because they develop such a wonderful relationship). There is also a good amount of world building as we learn about the people of Emberfall and their neighboring country who is on the verge of declaring war due to the dysfunction of the royal family of Emberfall.

I’m excited to read the next book in this series “A Heart So Fierce and Broken”, which is expected sometime in 2020!

-Amanda Hayman

January 18, 2019

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Release Date: April 2, 2019

This book surprised me in all the best ways. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good fantasy book that just feels original, but Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan goes so far beyond the typical YA fantasy making it one of the most intriguing books I have read so far this year. 

The book follows the intertwining stories of three characters: a prince, a divine girl who can talk to the gods and a monster (akin to Kylo Ren), set in a world at war. The characters and world come alive on the page as the reader is plunged into the harsh, icy world of a land ruled by gods and their enemy: the water-logged land of heretics who practice blood magic. Then there are the Vultures – twisted monstrosities who have given themselves over to blood magic completely becoming human-vulture hybrids with insane amounts of magic. 

Despite this book having the potential to feel like just another dark fantasy about a “chosen” girl, the protagonist Nadya breaks from the pack and becomes the princess who saves herself by the end of the novel. 

Full of twisted, dark romance, blood magic, betrayal and intriguing court politics set in a world uniquely its own – Wicked Saints is a wickedly good read for older teens looking for something a bit darker they can devour.

-Amanda Hayman

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Release Date: April 2, 2019

January 5, 2019

Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige was an excellent graphic novel full of adventure, romance and a strong female lead who carves her own path and creates her own destiny. This graphic novel is perfect for middle grade readers and comic fans who loved the recent Aquaman movie and were itching to learn more about Mera’s upbringing and origin story. While there are some differences and discrepancies between the Tidebreaker and the film, a huge one being Mera and Arthur meeting prior to the events in the film, fans of the original comics will love meeting Mera and learning about her past, first steps on land and how she learns to shape her own destiny.

Amanda Hayman