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Book Reviews by Teens, for Teens! |
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The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
Book Reviewed by Juniper
"The main character is Percy Jackson, a snarky preteen who can be pretty clueless, but makes up for it with his humor and descriptive abilities. I'd say that it was a good length, but that it goes by fast. The main plot is that Percy finds out that his dad is a god, Yay! But everyone thinks he stole something that he didn't, No! So he has to go on a quest with his BFF Grover, and this kind of weird girl Annabeth. It's the start of a series that deals with things in the same quick and witty fashion and I would definitely recommend it for kids who are starting to get into longer books."
What made you interested in reading this book? "I got this as a Christmas gift from my older brother who loved them when he was my age. I started reading it in a lifeguard stand at the beach and it really set an inviting tone!"
What does this book remind you of? "I'd say that it's similar to Harry Potter with the magical aspect and the main character being introduced to things with you."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "I'd say that anyone who wants a lighter and more humorous series would love it! And anyone that likes good world building."
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The Trials of Apollo
by Rick Riordan
Series Reviewed by Steuart
"This is the follow up to the massive Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series, as well as the return to a first-person perspective from the third-person used in the latter series. This change, as well as the new protagonist, hinders this series immensely. Apollo is a bad protagonist. The elements of Percy which made him so great, humor, fish-out-of-water-ness, and power are all ruined here. He isn't funny, his knowledge is artificially limited for plot convenience, and he sucks until magically he doesn't for plot reasons. This ruins the entire series, as everything potentially cool is warped through having to see it through Apollo's eyes. His annoying commentary ruins literally every scene. If you are a fan of the series' before this, I would recommend skipping this one. It isn't comparable and doesn't add anything to the lore worth caring about. Skip this."
What made you interested in reading this book? "I grew up with the Percy Jackson series."
What does this book remind you of? "Percy Jackson, but bad."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Not many people, to be honest."
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The Once and Future King
by T. H. White
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This is a modernized (to the time of writing) retelling of the King Arthur stories. I was not expecting to like this book, let alone to love it. I don't care about King Arthur. I don't usually love fantasy. But the way in which this book is written is so compelling. It is funny, emotional, engaging, and makes you think in a way that I feel like the stories were always meant to. Connecting to stories so old is very hard, so this retelling makes things that are normally not interesting fun to read about. I never thought I would actually care about Lancelot, for example, but this story made me. If you think you might like classical fantasy like this, give it a shot."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fantasy lovers, and/or people who like the sort of British humor that this book features."
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Signs Preceding the End of the World
by Yuri Herrera
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This is a book originally written in Spanish, translated to English by Lisa Dillman. It follows Makina, a survivor in a hypermasculine, crumbling world. She is sent on a mission to cross over the border into America in an attempt to find her brother who went missing long ago. Along the way, Makina will face many challenges, from environmental to governmental to bigotry. She will also make some new friends. This book is written in a very interesting way, in which to feel like a story passed down through generations like a myth, yet also tackles modern political issues like immigration, racism, and police brutality. I find this disparity fascinating to read, and it makes the story worth reading in my opinion. Overall, this is a very interesting book, written in a very compelling manor that I would recommend giving a shot. The bonus of reading a story written for an entirely different audience. which is Spanish-speaking, is worth noting."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People wishing to read something unlike much else."
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Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys
Book Reviewed by Katie
"Between Shades of Gray follows the story of a Lithuanian teenage girl as her and her family get taken from their home and travel north to a work camp. On the way, she makes friends and connects with those in the same situation as her. Throughout her journey north she documents events through drawing and hopes that they reach her father. I loved this book and the characters just like I love all of Ruta Sepetys' books. I love how she is able to teach readers about lesser known historical events while keeping them engaged with her characters and their stories. I could not put this book down! I loved the writing style, characters, plot, everything! I highly recommend this book and all of Sepetys' others to everyone."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminded me of other Ruta Sepetys books as well as The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. They are all historical fiction novels told through teenagers."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "History lovers!"
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The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
Book Reviewed by Katie
"The Fountains of Silence switches perspectives every chapter and readers get to see the story come together before the characters do. It is set in 1957 Spain while under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco and most of the characters are teens or young adults. Ana works at the large American hotel in Madrid where she meets Daniel, a young photographer visiting from Texas. They travel Madrid together and Daniel photographs the conditions there under the fascist dictatorship with the goal of bringing them back to America to bring attention to what is happening in Spain. I had never heard of the Franco dictatorship in this much depth before so it was super interesting to learn more about it. I also love how it is through the perspective of young adults; it makes it easier for me to see myself in their place. I could not put this book down and I was always reading it in my free time. Her writing style keeps me engaged throughout the whole novel."
What does this book remind you of? "This book is similar (in plot and characters) to Sepetys' other novels and it also reminds me of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. All of these novels are historical fiction told though teenager viewpoints.
Who would enjoy reading this book? "History lovers!"
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One of Us is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This is a classic murder-mystery. The standout feature of this story is the characters. Each chapter changed perspectives to each character, one of which, as the title implies, is lying. Each character is super likeable and compelling, which adds suspense because you both want to trust what they say and are also searching for potential lies. Every narrator is presumed to be unreliable, which is super interesting and done very well. The ending is the only pain point for me here. I think some will love it, some will hate it. Overall though, this is definitely worth reading, if nothing else but for the excellent character work."
What does this book remind you of? "Very typical murder-mystery, so it has similarities to all of the other stuff in this genre."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Mystery fans, people who like realistic, fun characters."
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
by Holly Jackson
Book Reviewed by Katie
"This book follows Pippa, a high school senior, as she dives deeper into a closed murder case and tries to prove the killer is innocent. This is a five-star book through and through. I love the concept and how Holly Jackson executed it. I was engaged and could not put this book down once. The characters are funny and the author's writing style makes them come to life. This was such an easy read and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series (and watch the new show)!"
What does this book remind you of? "It reminds me of Jessica Goodman's books."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Readers who like true crime."
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Killer Instinct
by Jennifer Barnes
Book Reviewed by Bella
"Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes is a 'natural', someone with a natural-born talent for profiling. This ability of hers has landed her a spot as a part of an elite FBI program that consists of 5 teens with natural crime-solving abilities. After a harrowing run-in with a killer, Cassie hopes the team sticks to solving cold-cases from a distance. But when a brutal new serial killer starts piling up bodies, the naturals are forced into an active case that hits close to home. The killer is an almost perfect copycat of Daniel Redding, Dean's father's brutal kills. As the Naturals dive farther deeper into the case, they are forced farther into a psychopath's psyche. Will the Naturals be able to solve the killer's twisted mind games, or will they be forever trapped in these games? This series is one of the best I've ever read, I love it so much. :')"
What does this book remind you of? "Reminds me of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller with great plot twists!"
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We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
Book Reviewed by Katie
"We Were Liars follows Cadence as she goes on her annual summer trips to her grandfather's private island with her extended family. It follows her friendship with the cousins who are around her age and a romance with a family friend. The book deals with loss, grief, romance, and memory loss. At first, I really didn't like this book because nothing was really happening and there was no substance. As it went on it got a little better but the ending of the book is truly something else. It might be one of the best plot twists in a book that I have ever read. The beginning of the book was a little difficult to get through but once I fell in love with the characters it was a super easy read!"
What does this book remind you of? "The setting and characters reminded me of The Summer I Turned Pretty."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Readers who love a crazy and emotional plot twist."
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Paper Girl
by Cindy R. Wilson
Book Reviewed by Katie
"Paper Girl is told in alternating perspectives (my favorite!!!!) by two high schoolers, Zoe and Jackson. Zoe has severe social anxiety and hasn't left her house in over a year but her mom hires a math tutor (Jackson) and the two hit it off. While Zoe works up the courage to start going out more, with the help of Jackson, she can't help but feel that Jackson is hiding things from her. I thought that the writing style, concept, and characters in this book were perfect! It was such an easy read and the storyline was so cute. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to romance lovers."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminded me of "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green. The main characters were similar since their anxiety (Paper Girl) or OCD (Turtles All the Way Down) stops them from doing certain things. Both books are also from their perspective so it's a more interesting read."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Fans of John Green and alternating perspectives."
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Zac & Mia
by A. J. Betts
Book Reviewed by Katie
"Zac and Mia is the story of two teenagers who are neighbors in the oncology wing of the hospital. The novel follows the two trying to live a normal life after treatment but they always end up finding their way back to each other. I thought that this book was alright. The romance aspect was barely there but the storyline was still entertaining. On the other hand, I found both Zac and Mia very annoying main characters with no chemistry. All in all, the idea of two teens getting cancer treatment in the same hospital and then falling in love is okay but I just think it could have be executed better. It was still a pretty easy read since the book was relatively short and straight to the point."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminded me of Five Feet Apart because of the hospital setting and they are both romances."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People who like lots of twists and turns in a story."
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Feed
by M. T. Anderson
Book Reviewed by Katie
"This book takes place in a futuristic setting where most of the population has a 'feed'. The feed is a device that gets implanted into your head and basically becomes a computer in your brain that advertises you stuff all the time. The main character, Titus, meets a girl named Violet on a spring break trip and they become friends. But what happens when they decide to go against the feed...? This book was okay. I had a little trouble getting through it and the beginning was especially rough because of all of the 'futuristic' terminology that was used. I was super confused at the beginning but I got into it more and more the further I read. Overall, it is a super interesting commentary on technology and social media."
What does this book remind you of? "I haven't read or watched anything like this book."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "Dystopian lovers."
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Steve Jobs: A Biography
by Walter Isaacson
Book Reviewed by Steuart
"This is an incredibly comprehensive and well-constructed overview of Steve Jobs' life. Walter Isaacson documents everything from his childhood to the founding of Apple to his death from cancer and every little event in between. Isaacson never holds back, revealing some information that leaves Jobs looking both like a genius and a monster. He does a masterful job of balancing Jobs' own testimonials with those that contrast them, creating a comprehensive picture of a very complex life full of both terrible and excellent decisions. If you have any interest in either Jobs or Apple, or just want to observe a masterpiece of a biography, give this book a read. It provides fascinating stories and insight to a fascinating, world-changing individual's life."
What made you interested in reading this book? "Steve Jobs is a very intriguing figure I wanted to learn more about."
Who would enjoy reading this book? "People interested in tech, Apple, Jobs, or just those who like cool stories about cool people."
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Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
by David Sheff
Book Reviewed by Olivia
"A brief overview of the story is that of a loving father. David Sheff has a son, Nic, who struggles with an addictive personality and substance abuse. David writes throughout his memoir about how his son’s addiction not only affects his son, but also him as a parent and his family as a whole. Throughout the book, David gets very personal and raw and emotional when speaking on the subject of drug abuse because it hits so close to home. The book timeline starts around the beginning of Nic's life and continues on through his journey from David’s perspective. I really enjoyed this book because of the raw feeling and how I felt so close to the characters because of the author's writing style. The length is pretty digestible and it’s a normal length of a novel, about 300 something pages. The project I had to do on this book was about rhetorical analysis, and it really helped me understand the context of the book and how the perspective of the author being the father of the subject really affects how the story is told. If this story was told from any other outsider perspective, it would be a completely different. I also think it’s interesting how Nic has also written a book about his journey with addiction and I think it would be interesting to compare and contrast his book with David’s book. This book is definitely worth the read and is very well written! And once you finish the book, you can watch a wonderful film to go with it."
What made you interested in reading this book? "Originally, I heard about the movie starring Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell that is based off of this book. After hearing that the movie was based on a true story, I immediately became intrigued. What prompted me reading this book was actually a AP Lang project."
What does this book remind you of? "This book reminds me a bit of Girl Interrupted, and also Girl in Pieces because both of them struggle with mental health issues and a bit of substance abuse issues.
Who would enjoy reading this book? "You would enjoy this book if you like memoirs about hard hitting topics and also emotional perspectives to real life issues. Readers who like to learn about a topic from putting themselves in someone else’s shoes would like 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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