Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Reviewed by: Shuaib A.
SUMMARY
Thomas and his friends find themselves having to cross The Scorch, the hottest and most burnt out area of the world. It is a 100-mile trail filled with a giant abandoned city, people very badly infected with the Flare, and extremely bad thunderstorms. With everything out to get them, will the gladers survive or, will they end up dying in the scorch?
PERSONAL REVIEW
The Scorch Trials is a good book for many reasons, and in this personal review, I will explain why I liked it. The first reason is because the book now gives more reasons to why WICKED is doing what they are doing. This makes the book good because you want to read more and discover their intentions. Another reason is because the book makes sense. There are no parts in the book that don’t make sense-unless you didn’t read the first book. This makes it a good book because everyone can understand it. The last reason is because the book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. The book finishes off with an ending, with a little intro into the next book, so it doesn’t end into an annoying cliffhanger.
CONCLUSION
All in all, the book is a good book because it gives more reasons why WICKED is doing what they are doing, making the plot more interesting, there are no parts that don’t make sense, and lastly because the book doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. Overall, I would recommend this book to a friend of mine.
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
Reviewed by: Anika M.
SUMMARY
The novel, Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton consists of 6 stories of unique individuals in different periods of times coming together to set a larger narrative of science and its effects on society. The book shows the gradual descent of our world into a near dystopian society over trying to become a ‘perfect’ human. It’s a mix of realistic and science fiction, contemplating and reflecting on the ethicality of the future of the age of technology alongside what makes us human. The first three chapters are all based in the near future, within a century or so of present time and feature advancements like organ transplants and eradicating diseases. Meanwhile the final three chapters on the other hand all include drastic jumps in time, feeling like just snapshots of a very distant future where we can become practically cyborgs and take on features of animals and nature.
PERSONAL REVIEW
I thoroughly enjoyed this book against what I had predicted. The set up of 6 individual stories all from different points of times really hooked me into the world the author created. It was especially interesting for me to figure out how the character Reverend Tadd was the thread between all the chapters, either being mentioned or having a main role. There were also little details about certain characters like Alexios and his habit of creating anagrams which really grounded them, making them seem more human when they were described as very non-human which I applaud the author for. This book makes you ask very large questions that you may have never explored before, like what is the line of humanity, will we know when we cross it and overall what defines us as humans.
The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century
Reviewed by: Chris W.
SUMMARY
A fast paced nonfiction depicting a remarkable event occurring during World War I, in which several of the most wanted Prisoners Of War (pilots belonging to the Allied forces), banded together and broke free from their confinements in a valiant escape attempt. The team of prisoners encountered several dangers and threats along their journey, including being buried alive while tunneling, getting caught while digging out, staying in prison, or trekking to another country, starvation and depletion of energy, etc. The gang is tasked with not only surviving, but also navigating to freedom under intense pressure. Their bravery and heroism sparked a flame for the Allied Forces, encouraging them to fight fearlessly during dark times in the war.
PERSONAL REVIEW
This historical documentary guides us through the story boldly, including endless tension, suspense, and even some stunning black & white images of the escape, tantalizingly leaving us craving for more. For example, during a scenario in which some of the POWs are trekking to another country, they use a fake cover story of guards escorting an escaped lunatic to try and lower others’s suspicions about them. All the while, we are wondering if the story will succeed in convincing others or not, and the tension/suspense builds dramatically. Along with this, the account is rich in detail, and the narration is flawless, with tons of intricate features, and specific techniques being used, such as multiple conflicts, description, elaboration, dialogue, etc. All of these elements lead me to praise the novel with nine and a half out of ten stars. I would definitely recommend this nonfiction to anybody that enjoys a high-speed action, a gripping thriller, or a good historical fiction, as this tale fits within those categories perfectly. Overall, an absolute masterpiece describing the tale of a group of escapees during World War I crafted by Neal Bascomb, that almost anyone can certainly appreciate.
The Great Depression and the Fall and Rise of America’ by Marc Favreau
Reviewed by: Phylicia
SUMMARY
Crash: The Great Depression and the Fall and Rise of America is written by Marc Favreau, and published April 10, 2018. It is informative, and good at describing the events of the 1930s; including what happened before and after the depression. It includes narratives of important figures as well as historical photos. These included chapters talking about the major events during the depression, such as the dust bowl, the new deal, and even World War Two. The book also includes a timeline and a glossary.
PERSONAL REVIEW
I personally had found it quite intriguing and learned a lot. The way the book is organized made it very easy to read and comprehend. It even clears up some common misconceptions. One common misconception is that people blame President Herbert Hoover for making America go into a Great Depression. Although he was not the specific cause of the Great Depression his lack of action made America worse. I appreciate that Favreau also discusses the hardships minorities had to face in the book; talking about how they were also in poverty, certain rules they had to follow, and discrimination. Favreau paints a vivid description of the harsh reality that Americans went through throughout the 1930s. I find it important that books that try to tell our history should be explicit so that readers can comprehend the nuances of the time period. I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in reading and studying history. It is a great book and I hope other young adults enjoy this book too.
Dig, by A.S King
Reviewed By: Tyler T.
SUMMARY
Dig, by A.S. King, is a difficult book to explain. I’m not even going to begin to try and describe the plot. Just know that it’s an incredibly strange and moving story that covers many topics, such as family, abuse, greed, racism, labeling, white supremacy, and much more. This book is told via The Shoveler, Malcolm, The Freak, Loretta, and CanIHelpYou? – five very different teens, who were connected in some way. Their stories are all imbued with pain and heartbreak, as each is dealing with one or more social ills. You’ll get introduced to a huge and complex family, and as you get guided through the complicated story of this family, filled with conflicts and sub-conflicts, you might think to yourself that this book might be a bit too much. The adult elements, including strong language, drug use, sexual occurrences, and more, make this novel a quite uncomfortable read, but the ending, to some, makes the entire read worth it.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Dig was a very weird but spectacular read. In fact, there were many parts where I didn’t fully understand all of the words that were being thrown at me. After managing to finish the book, I realized that it isn’t a read that everyone will enjoy, or even be able to take in. There were many times where I wanted to stop reading, where I found myself having to stop mid-paragraph and get up from the couch to look at something or do something that didn’t make my stomach churn, where I had to simply stop and think. Some parts of the book where I had to do this was during sex scenes, and parts where there was underage drinking. This book is like a sucker punch to the gut, but I find that we all need to experience it. Why? Because racism is real and is not going anywhere, no matter how many protests occur, no many how many people speak up. Sexual assault happens every single day and a lot go unreported. Depression is more present today in the lives of children than ever before. Acceptance is something that people are not familiar with, and all this needs to change. It’s time to open our eyes to what the world has become and start changing it, enough is enough. A.S. King shows us just how deeply rooted these issues are in our society and how we need to be the ones to start digging up these roots and changing them. We are not our parents nor are we our grandparents. We have the power to change history with the way we use our words and with how we guide our actions. Let us start taking the way we treat others, the way we treat ourselves, seriously. Overall, I felt like reading Dig was important, since I introduced myself more in depth to adult mature topics, and controversial topics relating to society.
What if it’s US by Becky Albertalli
Reviewed by: Naira J.
SUMMARY
In this part of the story, Arthur bumps into Ben at a post office while Ben is mailing a box full of his ex-boyfriends stuff. They end up leaving each other without getting the other persons name or phone number. Eventually, Arthur puts up a poster at a coffee shop to find Ben, and they contact each other
In the second part of the book, Ben and Arthur go on their first date. Multiple times. They go to an arcade, and Ben isn’t really completely there, so they go on multiple “do over” first dates to try and get it perfect. After everything is going well, Ben’s friend Dylan almost dies.
This part is the ending of the book. Arthur goes back to Georgia and Ben Stays in New York.
PERSONAL REVIEW
I think that this book shows good character development. Ben developed as a character because he learned to let go of things (Arthur) and learned to communicate with Hudson. Hudson and Ben are now friends again, and their friend group is slowly patching things up with each other. Arthur is learning to let go of people (Ben) and they both see the world a little bit different.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me
Reviewed by Tyler T
SUMMARY
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, by Mariko Tamaki, follows Frederica “Freddy” Riley, a high school student who’s dating Laura Dean, one of the most popular girls in school. Laura Dean, with her confidence, charisma, and good looks, seems like Freddy’s dream girl. Freddy seems head over heels in love with her. The only issue with their relationship is that Laura Dean may not treat Freddy all that well, as they even break up a couple of times. However, Freddy just seems to keep ending back with the one she thinks is the one. With the help of her best friend Doodle, Freddy searches for guidance from Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, as well as Anna Vice, an advice columnist. But as Freddy’s relationship with Laura Dean gets more intense in all the wrong ways, Freddy finds herself still going back to Laura Dean, even at the cost of her friendship with Doodle. Freddy will have to look both deep within herself as well as outside to those who can see her relationship with Laura Dean with more clarity, so she can choose what will work best for her heart and the hearts of those she cares about. Throughout this journey filled with ups and downs, you’ll experience a lesbian love story that isn’t all that perfect, guided along by mature topics ranging from LGBTQ to pedophilia, and finally, glued together by stunning artwork (as this is a graphic novel).
PERSONAL REVIEW
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me was a type of book that I’ve never read before. And the fact that it was a graphic novel as well, made me not want to close out of it until I was finished. The first thing that caught my eye right away, was the artwork. I’ve never seen such expressionistic art in a graphic novel, and it could be seen that pink was the major color that took over the illustrations. Pretty much every one of us has been in a toxic relationship at least once in our lives, whether it’s a sexual/romantic relationship or a “friendship”, where it’s all about being taken for granted or not feeling valued enough despite putting every effort into it. Of course, everyone realizes that in their own time and that’s the premise of this graphic novel. The main toxic relationship of this graphic novel was, of course, Laura and Freddy. There were many times where I wanted to punch my iPad (which I was reading the book on) due to the atrocious actions of Laura Dean. One of these moments was how she told Freddy to go over to her house when she knew Freddy had other plans and seemed amused that she turned up despite having a private appointment to attend and suggested the appointment wasn’t such a big deal after all then. In fact, many of the books I read include ignorant or uncaring characters like Laura Dean, that make me want to just jump into the story and do something. In conclusion, it’s always fine to introduce yourself to something new, even if the method you do so is through reading a book. For me, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me brought me through a complex journey concerning all the troubles you could face as a teen, while at the same time, introducing me to sensitive topics that I feel are best to be educated about at a young age.
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson with lyrics by Malik Shariff, Reviewed by Tyler T
SUMMARY
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson with lyrics by Malik “Malik-16” Sharif, follows three main protagonists: Quadir, Jarrell and Jasmine. who are all dealing with the death of their friend Steph (or brother in Jasmine’s case), who has been murdered. Steph was really into rap music, but never did anything with his songs during his life. He was robbed of an incredible opportunity to follow his passion with music and share the world his gift. However, after his death, his three friends find all of his songs and lyrics and think that it is a shame to let such a good voice go to waste. Steph’s songs were not all about sex and drugs, but they talked about the hardships of life and of living in the hood. So what do Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine do? They publish Steph’s songs with a mission to make him a huge hip-hop star, pretending he is still alive. However, as Steph’s songs gain in popularity and more and more people want to meet this “up-and-coming artist”, things start to get a little complicated. In parallel to this, the three friends want to use the money earned from Steph’s success to find out what really happened to their friend. Throughout the entirety of this well-developed novel, you’ll truly learn about the lengths people will go for the ones they love.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Everyone handles grief in different ways and I found it very interesting the way these three characters handle their grief by continuing to love and honor their friend. This is as much a novel about three teenagers dealing with grief as it is a coming-of-age story. The way the author, Tiffany Jackson, chose to tell the story with alternating point of view chapters really allowed each character to fully develop. It also really helped with pacing and the plot of the story. I had a lot of fun reading Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A lot of young people that read this book will likely not understand most of the nineties references. A lot of these references are related to a deceased rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., or Biggie Smalls. Another set of references I also presumed from the novel were to the late Tupac. The nineties, though, represent a significant chunk of my life and I absolutely loved all of the references to music and hip-hop culture. Even though I wasn’t alive during the nineties, a large part of my heart is with hip-hop and I’m glad that I spent a lot of my time listening to classic hip-hop, including hip-hop from the nineties. I enjoyed that the conversations the main characters were having came directly from that time and that culture and space that so many people can relate to and draw memories from. Not to mention the fact that the author dropped so much knowledge when it comes to Black history – gems that I’m hoping people will research and learn from. Overall, I enjoyed this book. Jackson’s writing style can easily hook readers because it’s so easy to relate to. Let Me Hear a Rhyme is a definite-read novel that paid homage to rap music, late rap artists, while at the same time, tying in a bit of romance and illustrating multiple inspirational themes, including friendship, hardship, love, and more.
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson Reviewed by Tyler T
SUMMARY
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson tells the story of best friends from Washington D.C., Claudia and Monday, living in their early teens, both black girls who live completely different lives. While Claudia’s family is very supportive and present in her life, Monday isn’t so lucky, as she lives in terrible conditions with her brothers and her mother, who isn’t the best. The two girls were inseparable until the day Monday went missing. Keep in mind that Monday had never missed a day of school. Claudia has no idea what’s going on and why no one will listen to her. Claudia goes through days, which turn into weeks, which turn into months, which turns into a whole year without Monday, and has to withstand bullies, schoolwork, looks, and a first love. She knows that she has to do something to bring Monday home, because for some reason, nobody else seems to even notice she’s gone and it seems as if she’s the only one concerned about Monday’s disappearance. While being tasked with important school exams, Claudia decides to dig to the bottom of the situation to find out what really happened to Monday, but not even Monday’s sister, April, seems to be of any help. Through the length of this novel, you’ll question yourself about how much we [don’t] care for kids and teens that are dubbed “irrelevant” or “unimportant”.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Monday’s Not Coming was definitely a novel filled with all types of emotion. What would you do, if you couldn’t find someone close to you, like a family member or a friend, and no one seemed to care or want to help? This is an important story, given that tragedies like this happen much too often in real life. Many aspects of the read appealed to me, especially the nature of the timeline throughout the book, which is corresponded to by the unique chapter titles. The chapters take upon names relating to “The After,” “The Before,” and the time after or before each of them. I’ll admit, the timeline was difficult to keep up with, but as I got deeper into the story, I got fairly used to it. Despite the overall theme of friendship, Monday’s Not Coming is sorrowful and devastating. It’s intensely gripping, but deals with some vivid imagery that’s hard to process, partly due to the violence as well as the domestic abuse, but mostly because of the whole plot: a young girl being extremely worried about a person that was close to her for much time. This hard-hitting story, obviously filled with tons of emotion, is one you’d definitely want to read to make you think and consider what’s happening in America and the world today. Tiffany D. Jackson is an author that I am quite enjoying for the moment, as I’ve also read another book, Let Me Hear a Rhyme, by her, so it’s likely I will continue to venture through more of her works in the future.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden focuses on two different emotional times in the life of one woman named Mia. In the “current” timeline she has just started a new job as part of a spaceship crew that flies to different locations and does renovations on the mysterious architecture of past civilizations. In the “past” timeline, Mia is a first year at a girls boarding school. She then befriends and slowly falls in love with another student named Grace. Slowly the backgrounds of these two women, and of the members of Mia’s crew, unfold to reveal a web of connections and drama that will ultimately surprise you. The entire universe seems to only be populated with females, except for a nonbinary character named Elliot, who uses they/them pronouns. This is a book about friendship, love, growing into independence and self-confidence, along with mostly simple but gorgeous artwork. This fairly long fantasy/sci-fi graphic novel that flips back and forth between different points of the life of Mia is sure to be one of the most beautiful, romantic, and stunning graphic novels you’ll ever set your eyes upon.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Throughout this summer, I’ve been exposed to many books that contain or discuss LGBTQ+ topics, and to my amazement, I’ve seemed to enjoy those types of books. One of my favorites is On a Sunbeam, half because of its remarkable illustrations, and half because of the two-sided plot where both sides eventually intertwined, resulting in every aspect of the book finally making sense. It felt as if LGBTQ+ was the norm in the universe of this book. I enjoyed the nonbinary character, Elliot, and how they were a unique character, but still accepted by their space peers. I was able to make a connection to our world, where the acceptance that Elliot received doesn’t always happen today. You may be another race or follow another religion, and some people just won’t accept you for who you are. On a Sunbeam drifted away from the controversial issues and conflicts through present day Earth and introduced an imaginative world with fun things like fish spaceships. If this wasn’t more than enough for my satisfaction, the art was just extraordinary and perfectly corresponded to the narrative or whatever was happening at a moment in the book. All in all, On a Sunbeam is by far, one of my favorite graphic novels / webcomics that I have read to date.
Sadie by Courtney Summers , Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
Sadie by Courtney Summers is about 19-year old Sadie, who definitely has not had the easiest of lives. She never knew her father and her mother abandoned her, leaving her to take care of her younger sister Mattie. One day Mattie is found dead, and Sadie is devastated. Sadie is determined to find and kill the man who killed her sister, because her sister was her everything. Told in alternating narratives from Sadie in the first person on her quest to find her sister’s murderer, and also from West McCray, a radio host recording an investigative podcast on the disappearance of Sadie, with a mission to track Sadie down. You’ll dive straight into Sadie’s journey and learn all about who she really is. While also covering critical issues including poverty, abuse, poor parenting, suicide, etc., this murder-mystery thriller will be that one book that hits you hard in the chest. This isn’t your typical sit-down book that you’ll enjoy, but rather one that is depressing, heartbreaking, and extremely emotional.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Reading Sadie was indefinitely a trip away from the types of novels I normally dig through. Personally, I thought the two-perspective style of writing was a very impactful way to structure the story – I was able to get the real and raw look into the mind of Sadie along with a look at how others, like West McCray, viewed her. Sadie was one of the most dimensional and complex characters I’ve ever followed in literature. Her driving heart to get to the bottom of the tragedy that occurred to the only sibling she had, really made me think about my own family. It could be seen that the story surrounding Sadie was about sisterhood, and even though I have a brother, I could definitely relate to Sadie’s mission of revenge. If you have any siblings that you care for, this book is one that you should absolutely take a look at. The ending really surprised me, and sorry if I’m spoiling anything, but I truly wish that Sadie is still alive. Overall, this book was extremely hard to digest and internalize. It gave me a sense of darkness, that not everything can go the way you want or be positive. I was addicted to reaching the end of this novel due to the fact that I wanted to unravel the murder mystery, but during this, I had to conjecture sick feelings about what was really going on. Sadie really left a hole in my heart that I don’t know what to fill up with. An all-around novel filled with adventure, mystery, sadness, and controversial issues; this book was just what I needed this summer.
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly, Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly starts where the classic tale of Cinderella ends. Nearly everybody knows what happened to Cinderella and the happily ever after ending she got. This book is not at all that. Isabelle is the younger of the two ugly stepsisters of Cinderella. Isabelle and Tavi (Octavia) used to try to ruin Ella’s life, and now their lives are the ones being ruined – they are abused, harassed by townspeople, and overall, shamed. Ella is considered beautiful, while Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn’t matter, though, since these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. With this being the case, Isabelle must overcome numerous obstacles to find her true path to redemption. This twisted and interesting retelling of Cinderella from another perspective is definitely not the typical fairy tale known by humans.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Stepsister, obviously inspired by Cinderella, ended up being one of the most all-around novels I’ve read to date. Complex characters and a layered plot make this telling a wonderful coming-of-age story about becoming true to yourself and finding meaning in your life. The artistic book cover, illustrating a broken glass slipper and blood, automatically pulled me in. However, I expected a lot more darkness throughout my read. To be honest, the most terrorizing event that occurs is in the first chapter when both of the stepsisters butcher their feet in an attempt to fit the glass slipper. On the other hand, I enjoyed how the author formatted the chapters; some long, and some really short (1 page). I felt like this helped pace the book accordingly and balanced everything. Lastly, I loved the character development. Adding in Fate and Chance who are both battling to change Isabelle’s outcome was an aspect that made this retelling extremely unique. Chance and his motley crew were an abstract cause of frivolity in this otherwise heavy book about revenge, self-consciousness, etc. I would without a doubt join Chance’s crew if given the chance (ha-ha). The world may seem heartless and cruel sometimes, but there is always a glimmer of hope and Stepsister reminded me that we often just need to discover it for ourselves.
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson , Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson follows 16-year old Elena Mendoza, who was born through parthenogenesis, which can be explained as more of a supernatural miracle rather than a scientific miracle. Speaking of supernaturalism, Elena performs a miracle herself at a Starbucks, where she completely diminishes a wound on her crush, Freddie, who was shot by a boy named David Combs. Elena discovers she has supernatural healing abilities, and in addition to that, inanimate objects talk to her, one day telling her she must save the world and keep on healing. However, the more Elena uses her healing ability, the more people disappear. More unexplainable occurrences stack on top of one another and Elena knows that returning to normal is impossible, as the future of humanity is all on her shoulders.
PERSONAL REVIEW
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza was very strange, but most of the time, an enjoyable read for me. There were many quotes throughout the novel that struck me hard, including this one (which I forgot the page number of): “People who’re suicidal believe they want to die. They make a choice to actively end their lives, and they’re determined to do it. There are others who simply give up. Whatever happens, happens, even if it’s death.” I thought this book was full of meaningful quotes as well as philosophical elements that really tickle your brain. However, I spent a large portion of this book showing severe hatred and frustration towards Freddie. While she was going through depression and personal issues, she overall treated Elena like a worthless piece of trash. I was frustrated in the way that she and Elena somehow ended up happily together, but I just didn’t think that Freddie deserved someone as good as Elena. All in all, The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza combined supernaturalism along with LGBTQ+ and mystery/suspense aspects to create a novel in which I enjoyed greatly, partly also because it focused more on character development and interactions rather than plot, which you don’t see every day in a book.
Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin, Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
The 1918 Flu Pandemic was one of the worst diseases, if not the worst disease, that has affected the human race. No natural disaster or war could get anywhere close to matching the death toll of this disease. Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin goes back in time to examine everything about the Influenza Pandemic of 1918: the origin, the science, etc. More importantly, this book discusses the possibility for another worldwide pandemic today, and we all know that this possibility isn’t a possibility anymore, as we are in the midst of it as of now. You’ll be exposed to fascinating but deadly aspects of the 1918 Flu and learn things you’ve never heard of before.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 was a very informative piece of non-fiction that may have gotten me hooked into the world of diseases a bit. The scientific data engrossed me, for example, the last few chapters describe how modern scientists discovered the origins of the disease by uncovering bodies of WWI soldiers as well as Inuit villagers who died in Alaska and were preserved in permafrost. The author then details the difference between H1N1 (the 1918 ”demon virus”) and H5N1 (modern bird flu). I felt like this data was very, very cool to read about, in fact, it made me Google countless queries I still had about several pieces of data. The thing I could relate to about this book, in fact, we could all relate to, was the chance of another worldwide pandemic emerging in the future of the publication date of the book. It’s true, and we are currently living in the COVID-19 Pandemic, which everyone has likely heard of and is being talked about more than a person can reasonably handle. This makes this book as relevant as ever, and I was excited to dive into this book to drift away from the news channels and sites blabbering about COVID-19. Overall, Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 taught me many, many facts that I never would’ve thought I had an interest in being educated about. This book made me appreciate the hardworking healthcare professionals that desperately help the sick as well as help the future by collecting important data and research to prepare for possible upcoming outbreaks. I am definitely more interested in non-fiction, now
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Reviewed by: Chris W
SUMMARY
In our modern day society, many varieties of stereotypes have sprung up, such as being a poor black, a nerdy asian, and so on. On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas, explores this nontrivial matter. The plot of the story involves the stereotype of how young black people are being oppressed so that they do not have the freedom of speech. Brianna, otherwise known as Bri, conforms with this stereotype perfectly, as she is a young black girl from the hood. Her father, an upcoming rapper, passed away in a gang shooting, and the rest of her family takes part in drug dealing one way or another. Due to this, essentially everyone who she knows views her as a hoodlum. However, as an aspiring rapper hoping to follow in her father’s footsteps, she believes that she can break free from the prison that contains her; society’s view of who she is. After her first viral song blows up, she becomes more and more involved in controversial matters, along with being portrayed by the media as a menace to society. She has little say in what the media says about her, demonstrating that the stereotype about racism is indeed true. Bri is pressured to prove society wrong about the stereotypes that define her by using her lyrics, and this way, she reaches towards her goal of being free from the projects.
PERSONAL REVIEW
On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas, covers many controversial topics, ranging from stereotypes, racism, identity, prejudice, acceptance, poverty, etc., and most of these topics are very powerful within our society. The novel contains serious themes, and symbols, that should be broadcasted to the world. For example, some of the subjects in the book mentioned acceptance for who you are, and as an asian who has been made fun of for being nerdy, I felt this personally. I can imagine that the book also relates to many other specific individuals that have been systematically oppressed. This book represents the voice that we have wanted, and thus is a very powerful piece of literature. Overall, I would say that this novel helped to conquer the misunderstandings of who we are, and so I found it was a very compelling read.
Spin by Lamar Giles
Reviewed by: Chris W
SUMMARY
Spin, by Lamar Giles, follows the tale of two young African American teens, Kya Caine, and Fatima Fallon (a.k.a Fuse), both of whom resent each other. Kya dislikes Fuse because of her family’s wealthiness, while she on the other hand is the daughter of a single mother. However, both of these characters have a common tie: their mutual friend Paris. Kya is Paris’ neighborhood friend, whilst Fuse aided Paris in advertising her music on social media, eventually becoming her companion. Tragically, one night, Paris is murdered mysteriously. Both Fuse and Kya rush to the crime scene to see for themselves what happened, and although they dislike each other, their pain and sorrow greatly increases once they find that their peer has been killed. At first, they accuse each other of the crime, but as time goes on, the pair realizes that in order to find out who the real killer of their friend is, they will have to grow out of their differences, and work together to solve the mystery. Through the course of the novel, we will be introduced to topics such as growth and development, family class, and much more, that make the story an enticing mystery.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Spin, by Lamar Giles, was not a typical murder mystery that only included murder, leads, findings, etc. Spin had a much more fascinating take on what we deem a mystery novel, taking on multiple other factors besides the murder; kidnapping, sabotage between rivals/competitors, and more importantly, growth between characters and their relationships. I feel that the connection that grew between Fuse and Kya throughout the plot of the story was the major aspect of the novel. It signified that the book was not only a mystery novel, but also a coming of age story, teaching us to learn to grow out of our differences, and work together. Personally, I can relate to this coming of age topic, as multiple times in my life, I have argued with my sister, however later I would come to realize that if only both of us came to an agreement, we could both fulfill our separate goals. I would strongly recommend this novel to whoever is a teen and hasn’t read it yet, as they will learn a valuable lesson about maturity and development, that might be reflected in their own life. In conclusion, although this book is a murder mystery, I feel that it is also a bold novel that deals with the topic of coming of age. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book filled with development, and I feel that I was educated heavily on the subject of maturity/coming of age.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden Reviewed by: Tyler T
SUMMARY
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden focuses on two different emotional times in the life of one woman named Mia. In the “current” timeline she has just started a new job as part of a spaceship crew that flies to different locations and does renovations on the mysterious architecture of past civilizations. In the “past” timeline, Mia is a first year at a girls boarding school. She then befriends and slowly falls in love with another student named Grace. Slowly the backgrounds of these two women, and of the members of Mia’s crew, unfold to reveal a web of connections and drama that will ultimately surprise you. The entire universe seems to only be populated with females, except for a nonbinary character named Elliot, who uses they/them pronouns. This is a book about friendship, love, growing into independence and self-confidence, along with mostly simple but gorgeous artwork. This fairly long fantasy/sci-fi graphic novel that flips back and forth between different points of the life of Mia is sure to be one of the most beautiful, romantic, and stunning graphic novels you’ll ever set your eyes upon.
PERSONAL REVIEW
Throughout this summer, I’ve been exposed to many books that contain or discuss LGBTQ+ topics, and to my amazement, I’ve seemed to enjoy those types of books. One of my favorites is On a Sunbeam, half because of its remarkable illustrations, and half because of the two-sided plot where both sides eventually intertwined, resulting in every aspect of the book finally making sense. It felt as if LGBTQ+ was the norm in the universe of this book. I enjoyed the nonbinary character, Elliot, and how they were a unique character, but still accepted by their space peers. I was able to make a connection to our world, where the acceptance that Elliot received doesn’t always happen today. You may be another race or follow another religion, and some people just won’t accept you for who you are. On a Sunbeam drifted away from the controversial issues and conflicts through present day Earth and introduced an imaginative world with fun things like fish spaceships. If this wasn’t more than enough for my satisfaction, the art was just extraordinary and perfectly corresponded to the narrative or whatever was happening at a moment in the book. All in all, On a Sunbeam is by far, one of my favorite graphic novels / webcomics that I have read to date.