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Book Reviews by Teens, for Teens! |
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The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This is a book about a society without women. Also, everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts. This book implies that, without women, society crumbles, which is pretty fair. The plot starts when a woman falls out of space. The general premise is really convoluted, but I would be able to enjoy it if the book was well written and explained it well, allowing for me to become invested in the world. Instead, the book is written in broken English, making reading it a miserable time. Listen, call me old-fashioned, but I like my books readable. I honestly am surprised this book got a movie. :( "
What does this book remind you of? "It's kind of generic but not ripping anything specific off."
What made you interested in reading this book? "I had heard good things from a friend."
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Sofi and the Bone Song
by Adrienne Tooley
Book Reviewed by Junho
"In this book, music is revered and only the five Musiks are allowed to compose and perform music. Each Music is allowed to take on one apprentice in their lifetime, and all Musiks are forbidden from using magic. The main character, Sofi, has been undergoing rigorous training her whole life to become her father's apprentice and eventually become a Musik herself once her father passes away. However, at the audition, a girl by the name of Lara steps up and performs beautifully, even though she was playing an instrument that she had never played before. Sofi was convinced that she had illegally used magic to enhance her performance, and is bitter that Lara had gotten the apprenticeship instead of her. The rest of the book focuses on Sofi's musical journey and how she learns to enjoy the music she plays instead of forcing herself to improve or practice. The book also puts a heavy emphasis on the relationship between Sofi and Lara, and their developing romance. Overall, this was a great book that I enjoyed a lot due to it's interesting plot, beautiful world, and dynamic characters. The characters especially felt alive, and the romance felt rewarding and fun to read."
What does this book remind you of? "This book doesn't really remind me of any pieces of media, but being a musician myself, it reminds me of my own personal experiences."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Readers who enjoy romance, fantasy, and music would enjoy this book."
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The Waking Forest
by Alyssa Wees
Book Reviewed by Junho
"In this book, the main character Rhea is able to see dark visions, including her own violent death. One such vision is of a dark forest that is lurking in her backyard, taunting her to enter by showing an enticing path that carved deep within its depths. One day, a strange man appears that offers to reveal the secret of the forest if Rhea is able to guess his name. At the same time, some of the chapters are written about the witch of the forest, who is able to grant wishes to the children in her forest. The rest of the book follows these two characters as the forest becomes more and more alive and strange things begin to occur. Overall, the book contained an enticing plot, beautiful writing, and complex characters. My only gripes with the book are that the plot is sometimes a bit convoluted and the wording can be hard to follow at times."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminds me of the book The Drowned Woods, as both are dark fantasy novels."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Someone who enjoys dark fantasies with fairytale-like elements would enjoy this book."
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The Poppy War
by R. F. Kuang
Book Reviewed by Bella
"Rin is a war orphan from Rooster Province, how could she possibly ace the Keju, a nation wide test to find the most talented youth? How could a peasant girl be accepted into Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan? Rin knows she will be outcast, but she doesn’t care she is able to escape and arranged marriage and finally get her chance to do something worthwhile. But while she is studying at Sinegard she discovers she possess an extraordinary, lethal power the art of shamanism. Ron discovers that gods beloved long dead are still well and alive, and that one of them has his eyes on her. Her country is on the brink of war, and her powers may be the only hope Nikan has but she soon learns that the god that chose her may cost her humanity in order to win. Please read the trigger warnings for this book before starting! There are some very disturbing parts in this book."
What does this book remind you of? "This book kind of reminds me of The Priory of the Orange Tree! They are both great books with incredible magic systems and great world building!"
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fans of high fantasy and unhinged main characters!"
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Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Book Reviewed by Junho
"This book is about an angel, Aziraphale, and a demon, Crowley, teaming up to stop the Armageddon simply because they enjoy spending time on Earth. The two have to track down the son of Satan, who had been mistakenly swapped for a different child at the hospital, in order to stop the end of the world. There is also a separate plot concerning the four horsemen of the apocalypse, each with their own funny twist (for example, Famine, on of the horsemen, is actually a dietician). Overall, the book was very enjoyable to read, with an interesting plot and witty humor. Every step in this unlikely journey was fun to read simply due to the depth and humor of each character making every situation feel alive. This also makes it different from other end-of-the-world apocalypse novels, as it is far more light hearted and witty than any other apocalypse book, movie, or piece of media that I have ever seen. Altogether, this makes it one of the funniest, most enjoyable books that I have read this summer and one that I will definitely read again."
What does this book remind you of? "This book kind of reminds me of the Avengers series, as even though the universes are completely different, the Avengers are also often trying to stop the end of the world with a somewhat similar witty humor."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Readers who enjoy apocalypse stories, as well as those who enjoy humor and comedy will enjoy this book."
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
Book Reviewed by Tula
"Al Capone Does My Shirts is from the POV of a 12-year old boy who is forced to live on Alcatraz when his dad takes up a job there. Moose (his nickname) is a kind and caring boy who always has to take care of his sister, Natalie. Natalie has autism and is the reason why they moved to Alcatraz in the first place. She is going to a special school to help her. Moose's mom is a worried, but very empathetic woman. She has given her all for Natalie and Natalie's new school is one of her last chances. Moose's dad is very persistent and works so much with barely any rest. The story takes place mainly on the Island of Alcatraz in 1935. This book was very interesting, so I couldn't put it down. At some points in the book I was sad or scared for the characters and at other points I was so happy for the characters. It is very good and I highly recommend it."
What does this book remind you of? "Nothing really, it's very unique."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People who like mysteries and/or historical fiction."
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Better Than The Movies
by Lynn Painter
Book Reviewed by Bella
"Liz Buxbam has always been obsessed with rom-coms, and she has always believed in the true Happily Ever After. She always believed her Happily Ever After would be with Micheal, but her hopes were dashed after he moved out of town years ago. But now, he’s back in town and Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar, even befriend Wes Bennet. Her annoyingly attractive next door neighbor is the perfect candidate for the typical romantic comedy fantasies, but he’s only been a thorn in Liz’s side since they were kids. But for some reason Wes and Micheal are hitting it off, so Wes is Liz’s in with Micheal. But as Liz and Wes scheme of how to get her noticed by Micheal, Liz starts to notice that maybe Micheal isn’t the right one for her! As they grow closer, she must reexamine her own ideas of happily ever after."
What does this book remind you of? "Places We’ve Never Been by Kelsie West!"
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fans who love a good rom-com!"
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The Do-Over
by Lynn Painter
Book Reviewed by Bella
"Emilie wakes up on February 14th thinking it will the greatest Valentine’s day she’s ever lived, only to get in a car wreck on her way to school AND discover that her ‘one true love’ is still hung up on his ex. After her disaster of a Valentine’s day, Emilie escapes to her grandmothers house for some comfort. She passes out on the couch and wakes up to find herself back in her own bed on Valentine’s day all over again! It seems like she’s stuck in some kind of disaster time loop that she can’t wake up from! Forced to watch her boyfriend cheat on her over and over again. And another constant? Nick Stark who she keeps running into.. literally. How many days can a girl watch her life go up in flames? And when things finally get better, what happens when the do-overs come to an end? I love Lynn Painter so much it’s not funny."
What does this book remind you of? "Reminds me a bit of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning!"
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fans of rom-coms!"
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Leviathan Wakes
by James S. A. Corey
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This book is a space adventure set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, and is functionally a murder mystery. The book's worldbuilding is incredible. It has a really realistic and deep approach to interplanetary conflict and politics. It also explores how environments with different gravity impact biology. And I think the best part of this series is that it never stops at the surface. Not only do we see what being born on an asteroid does to someone biologically, we also get to see how that impacts their culture, living options, and even space racism. I truly think that the story of this book, which is still solid, is not the highlight, but the world itself is a pleasure to be immersed in. Great book :)"
What does this book remind you of? "Science-fiction books have pretty similar elements, but I think this is a cross between Hitchhiker's Guide and something like Dune. And maybe Guardians of the Galaxy.
Who would enjoy reading this book? "I would recommend anyone try it, especially if you enjoy space stories."
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Caliban's War
by James S. A. Corey
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This book is where the series really gets good. I love this book so much. It takes the incredible world established in the first offering and builds on it with a far more interesting story, better character work, and incredible battle sequences. I have yet to watch the TV show, but I don't even think I need to confidently say these are some of the most well-thought-out sci-fi battles ever. I highly recommend reading this book, even if you didn't fall in love with the first one. Such a fun read. Give it a shot :)"
What does this book remind you of? "Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune, Hitchhiker's Guide."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Anyone who liked the first one."
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Sixteenth Watch
by Myke Cole
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"I barely remember this book, and I just read it. I am a really big sci-fi fan, which led me to get this book, but tbh it wasn't anything special. I would say read this if you want something to read. This book is about a war on the moon and the Marines leading the charge for the U.S space force. It was fine, but nothing super special, at least for me."
What does this book remind you of? "Its closest to a traditional war movie but in space."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fans of hardcore military sci-fi."
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Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia
by David Graeber
Book Reviewed by Junho
"In this book, Graeber uses the research that he conducted during his time in Madagascar to write a narrative around the pirates that were settled in Madagascar. He pulls from multiple different sources and pirates to create a fairly concise and readable account of pirate society and the pirate system of government. This society is more complex than I expected, with pirates setting up governments and systems of rule that was completely radical for the time. The captains, who were leaders of their corresponding crews were voted into their position and didn't really hold much power, only stepping into place when situations were dire or the crew was headed to battle. The pirates also were able to conduct trade with actual merchants, and would often be respectful to the Madagascar locals. Overall, this book pleasantly surprised me, as even though I initially expected it to be difficult to get through, the author manages to write in a fairly light-hearted tone while explaining interesting topics. This brought up a whole new perspective of pirates for me, as I previously thought that each crew was completely independent with little to no leadership."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminds me of the movie series Pirates of the Caribbean, as while it is heavily romanticized, it still draws similarities to the real-life pirate societies explained in this book."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People who enjoy pirates and nonfiction would like this book, as well as people interested in learning about new things."
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Dogs of War
by Sheila Keenan
Book Reviewed by Junho
"The book revolves around three soldiers and their dogs, with each story being its own kind of chapter. The first dog, Boots, is a medical dog that helped find wounded soldiers in no man's land during the first World War, and is led by Donnie, an underaged soldier that has owned Boots since before the war. The next dog, Loki, is a sled dog that works in Greenland during World War 2 and helps transport sled operators. The third dog is Sheba, who worked to sniff out traps during the Vietnam War and was owned by Lanford, a veteran. Sheba's story is told a little differently, as it is told by Lanford after the war already ended and he had come home. Overall, this book was enjoyable to read and provided interesting stories about war dogs and their various uses throughout multiple wars and conflicts. The book also highlighted the deep bond between the dogs and their owners, as they had to rely on each other to stay alive. Although each story was different, this bond between dog and owner was always there, no matter which dog or what war."
What does this graphic novel remind you of? "This book doesn't really remind me of anything, as I never really thought to look into military service dogs in depth before."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People who enjoy war stories and dog lovers would enjoy reading this book."
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New Hanover County Library
201 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401
910-798-6301www.nhclibrary.org |
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