Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Book Review - The Project
📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖
by Courtney Summers
After almost dying in an accident that killed her parents, Lo Denham also loses her sister Bea to The Unity Protect. Years later, a man comes into the investigative magazine she works at claiming The Unity Project killed his son. With this recent development, Lo is determined to prove the group is the cult they are. She also hopes to reconnect with her estranged sister. The more time Lo spends investigating them, the deeper she finds herself inside.
Told in alternating viewpoints of Lo in the current timeline and Bea in the past, this suspense story will have you wondering what will happen next. There are, though, clues and hints that will allow for guessing and trying to put the pieces together. This book can be heavy at times, dealing with topics such as death, suicide, and of course, being part of a cult, and may not be for every reader. Lo, Bea, and the other characters are well done, and readers will find themselves wondering who they can trust and like.
Friday, March 26, 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Book Review - This Will Be Funny Someday
📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖
by Katie Henry
Isabel isn’t much of a talker. She can’t get a word in at home, and at school, her boyfriend is always speaking for her. One day she accidentally stumbles into a Comedy Show Open Mic and finds herself on stage performing. She ends up making some college-age friends, whom she leads to believe she is a junior in college, not high school. Her new friends take Isabel under their comedian wings, and she now finds herself as Izzy V, an inspiring comedian. The problem is that she keeps secrets from both people in both parts of her life, which causes even more trouble when they collide.
While Izzy may be an inspiring comedian, this book does tackle some heavy topics. Izzy is white, but two of her new friends are BIPOC, so the issues of racism and white privilege come up. Also, Izzy is in a toxic relationship with her boyfriend. Though some of the characters are jerks, the rest are great. This book is a story of growth and learning to find your voice. Izzy is smart but naive, and readers will appreciate that realistic quality in her. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Book Review - You Don't Live Here
📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖
by Robyn Schneider
A massive earthquake in California results in the death of Sasha's mother. With her mother gone and father not in the picture, Sasha moves to Orange County to live with her conservative grandparents. Now responsible for Sasha's upbringing, her grandparents want what they view as best for her. This means taking advanced classes, joining mock trial, avoiding art, and getting involved with their friend's grandson Cole. Sasha wants to take classes she can handle, take art, avoid mock trial, and spend time with Lily. The problem, she also wants to please her grandparents. Sasha has to struggle with losing her mother, being someplace new, her grandparents' expectations, and trying to figure out who she is.
If you are sensitive to books dealing with parental death, skipping this book is recommended. One of Sasha's conflicts is her sexual identity, which is a significant issue with her conservative parents, which could be a sensitive topic for some readers. For those who can handle a book with those topics, this is an intriguing book about self-discovery worth reading. The pacing of the book is slow but still engaging. Sasha is white, but her friends feature some racially diverse characters, including Lily, who is Chinese-American. Mini spoiler, there is some minor sexual content between Cole and Lily, but it stops before anything gets too bad.
Library Catalog - E-book - Downloadable Audio
Friday, March 12, 2021
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Book Review - Rent a Boyfriend
📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖
by Gloria Chao
Hoping to get out of accepting a proposal from the wealthy (and slimy) Hongbo, a young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community, Chloe Wang hires a fake boyfriend. Rent for Your' Rents, specializes in matching female members of the Asian community with boyfriends their parents would approve. The relationships are pretend and often just temporary. Chloe hires Drew, or Andrew, when working, to come home with her for Thanksgiving. Things go well, and the pair end up talking after the gig is over, and Chloe hires him for other holidays. As the two get to know each other, they begin to fall for each other. Unfortunately, Drew doesn't know if Chloe is falling for Drew or Andrew.
Told through both Chloe and Drew's perspectives, this is a fun romantic comedy for those who enjoy the genre. Chloe and Drew's dynamic is enjoyable. The dynamic between Chloe and her parents is realistic and relatable. The book is based on a premise that actually occurs in Asia but is a fictionalized version taking place in the United States.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Friday, March 5, 2021
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Book Review - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow was born on the unluckiest day of the year. Being born on Eventide means being cursed, blamed when things go wrong, and doomed to die on her eleventh birthday. On the night of her birthday, a mysterious and magical stranger, Jupiter North, comes to Crow Manor and whisks Morrigan to Nevermoor. Jupiter has selected Morrigan as his patron to compete for a spot in the Wunderous Society. Those vying for a spot must compete in a series of trials, the last showing their knack. The problem is, Morrigan doesn’t know what her knack is and why Jupiter wants to help her.
If you are a fan of fantasy books, you should give this one a try. This is the first in a series but ends on an excellent conclusion if you don’t want to read the rest. The author has created a fun world, and readers will enjoy envisioning it for themselves. The characters are likable, and as it’s a fantasy include some interesting ones such as a giant talking cat. Readers may notice similarities to other fantasy stories, but this brilliantly done book can hold its own.
Library Catalog - E-book - Downloadable Audio
Monday, March 1, 2021
Peer Reviews Wanted
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