Book Review - The Queen of Nothing

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

The Queen of Nothing

by Holly Black

Jude Duarte, High Queen of Faerie, has been exiled by High King Carden to the mortal world until pardoned by the crown. When Jude’s twin sister Taryn shows up announcing her husband Locke is dead, she asks Jude to pretend to be her in the trail. Returning to Faerie is risky for Jude. If anybody discovers she isn’t Taryn, she could be killed for coming back before allowed. Jude, though, is eager to return, but her homecoming proves anything but simple.
Jude’s story that started in The Cruel Prince, and continued in The Wicked King does not disappoint in its ending. Characters that are loved and loved to be hated are back and true to form. There are many surprises throughout the book, including a few draw-dropping ones. A fantastical read that will have readers turning the pages to find out how it all ends.

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Book Review - Since You’ve Been Gone

📖Recommend for Grades 7 and up📖

Since You’ve Been Gone

by Morgan Matson

Emily has no idea where Sloane has gone. Her friend just disappeared without any warning or explanation. As Sloane was always the one planning what the girls would do, Emily feels lost without her. That is until a to-do list shows up in the mail from Sloane containing tasks like “Hug a Jamie” and “Steal Something.” Emily hopes that by doing completing Sloane’s challenges, she will get clues to what happened to her or that she will be there in the end. As Emily makes her way through the list, she finds herself growing and forming new relationships.

The story alternates between Emily’s life in the present without Sloane and memories of when Sloane, which helps support the feelings she has of not having her friend around. Even though Sloane leaves Emily without warning and no contact other than the letter, readers will find she is a great friend in the way her to-do list helps her. Those who Emily meets away are as superb as Emily. By the end of this book, readers will wish one of their friends would give them a list like Sloane gave Emily.

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Book Review - Game Changer

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Game Changer

by Tommy Greenwald

An incident at football camp has landed thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood in a coma. His family, friends, and classmates support Teddy and his recovery by flocking to his bedside and posting on an online page set-up for him. Teddy's teammates say what happened to Teddy was an accident, but others think there is more to the story. It doesn't help that some of the players are being slightly suspicious.

Multiple voices tell this story in various formats such as dialogue, texts, transcripts, newspaper articles, and posting on social media. Readers will be turning the page to find out what exactly happened to Teddy and if he will recover while trying to put the pieces together themselves. Despite many of the character's connection to football or questioning the safety of it, this is more than just a sports story.

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Book Review - The Art of Breaking Things

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

The Art of Breaking Things

by Laura Sibson

Seventeen-year-old Skye wants to survive her senior year and get out of her hometown by way of art school. When her mom’s ex-boyfriend Dan pops back up into their lives, Skye’s plan slowly starts to change. Skye feels she needs to get away now more than ever, but how can she leave her sister Emma with him there? Something happened with Dan the last time he was around, something Skye hasn’t exactly shared. She’s spent the years since numbing the pain with drugs and alcohol, but now that he is back, something needs to change, and her art may be the key.

The Art of Breaking Things is a powerful story dealing with a difficult topic that isn’t for every reader. Dan hurt Skye in a way that no person should hurt another, especially when one is a child. The picture it paints about one’s life after abuse is heartbreaking and done brilliantly. Readers will feel for Skye and her struggle between sticking to her plan and wanting to protect her little sister.

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Book Review - The Losers Club

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

The Losers Club

by Andrew Clements

It's the first day of school and Alec has found himself in the principal's office for reading in class instead of paying attention. There, the principal informs Alec that summer school is in his future if he doesn't get his act together. When Alec's brother reminds him about attending the extended day program this year, Alec is excited. He thinks it means three uninterrupted hours of reading after school instead of reading in class. But recreational reading in the extended day program isn't an option, not unless Alec starts a club for it. To deter people away, Alec calls his reading club The Loser's Club, but things don't exactly go as Alec planned.

The Losers Club is an enjoyable read with wonderful and relatable characters. There is more to this story than just reading about kids reading. Alec also has to deal with several dilemmas. From dealing with a bully named Kent (especially since they both have a crush on Nina) and making sure his grades are high enough to avoid the homework room. Whether you are a book lover like Alec or not, you should give this book a try.

As this story contains many readers, there are many books mentioned within, with a complete list in the back

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