Peer Book Review - I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez

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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

by Erika Sánchez

Reviewer says: 8th grade and up

Librarian says: 10th grade and up

Julia Reyes, a Mexican-American high school student, just lost her sister and it’s hitting her harder than she thought it would. Never really having a relationship with her older sister she tries to find something, anything that will tell her who her sister really was. As she embarks on this journey she navigates her way through life, trying to cope with her mental health, familial struggles, and the everyday challenges that come with being a teenage girl.

I like this book. I feel like many people will be able to resonate with it in some way. Especially the way she struggles with her self confidence, and trying to see eye to eye with her parents. Also, the fact that she never gives up on her dreams, no matter how tough life gets, can be very encouraging.

Reviewed by: V.W., 10th grader at St. Anthony's

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Book Review - They'll Never Catch Us

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

They’ll Never Catch Us

by Jessica Goodman

Cross-country runners and sisters Stella and Ellie Steckler are determined to get scholarships to help them get out of their town. After events that unfolded last season, it looks like a scholarship may be out for Stella, but Ellie still has a shot. That is until a new girl, and star runner Mia joins the team. When she disappears, all eyes are on the Steckler sisters as suspects.

Alternating between Stella and Ellie’s perspectives, this book is part sports story, part mystery, and part suspense. It is also just as much about the sisters as it is about what happened to Mia. Readers aren’t likely to predict what is revealed but will have fun trying to guess. Warning, this book is a tad slow to start, but worth it in the end, if you can stick through it.

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Book Review - The Ivies

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

The Ivies

by Alexa Donne

The Ivy League, also known as The Ivies, are eight prestigious universities in the North East United States. At Claflin Academy, The Ivies are also five girls who would do anything to get into an Ivy League Schools. When ringleader Avery gets rejected from Harvard, the student she believes took her spot suddenly turns up dead. Olivia is one of the Ivies and was also accepted to Harvard but knows better than to share that information. She suspects Avery and her friends may be behind the murder, and she is determined to prove whether it was them or not.

The story is told from Olivia’s point of view, and readers discover the book’s many twists and turns as she does. The characters are a mixed bag of likable and not, and Olivia is thankfully not painful to spend the whole book with. If you’re looking for a good mystery-thriller novel, this is one to highly consider.

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Book Review - Rise to the Sun

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Rise to the Sun

by Leah Johnson

It's the weekend of the Farmland Music and Arts Festival. Olivia and Toni both have their reasons for attending this year's festival. Olivia's last break-up left her an outcast back home, and she could use a weekend of fun with her best (and only) friend Imani. Toni has been attending the music festival since she was a kid, and this year hopes to get her big break in the talent competition, just like her dad once did. When these two girls meet by chance, they discover they may need the other's help to get what they want. As the two spend time together, sparks also start to fly.

The story takes place throughout a single weekend and is broken down into three sections, one for each day. Olivia and Toni alternate as narrators allowing for insight into both of them individually and as a pair. Readers are likely to find themselves alternating between liking and not liking each of them as well. While a Queer Romance, this book is also about self-discovery and growth. Even

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Book Review - Little & Lion

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Little & Lion

by Brandy Colbert

Suzette returns home to L.A. after spending the year at boarding school in New England. Between the fact that L.A. is where her friends and family are and an incident that occurred right before heading home, she isn't sure she wants to return to boarding school in the fall. Her stepbrother Lionel also needs her support, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Things get complicated when Suzette finds herself not only crushing on her old friend Emil but on this new girl she met. This girl is the same one who Lionel is also crushing on.

Little and Lion is an excellent portrayal of how mental health often affects a person's living life and their loved ones. This book covers many aspects of diversity regarding race, religion, ability, and sexual orientation. While's mental illness is a significant plot point, the other is Suzette coming to terms with her sexual identity. The story's main plot takes place over the summer, but there are flashback chapters included that are important to the story.

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Book Review - Concrete Rose

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Concrete Rose

by Angie Thomas

Seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter is the son of the former gang leader for the Kings Lords in Garden Heights. He himself joined them for protection and used the gang's connections to help take care of his mom while his dad is in prison. His life isn't perfect, but it works, and it helps to have a fly girlfriend. Maverick's world is turned upside down when he finds out that the three-month-old baby he thought was his buddy King's son is actually his. With his son's mother leaving the baby in his care, now Maverick finds himself with a kid to take care of on top of everything else. Can Maverick juggle taking care of his family, school, work, and his friends? Can he also handle the other curve balls life is going to throw his way?

Concrete Rose is a can't miss prequel to Angie Thomas' award-winning novel The Hate U Give. While The Hate U Give is about Starr Carter, Concrete Rose goes back to when her dad Maverick learns that Seven is his son. The books can be read in either order as the prequel won't really spoil the original story. Those who read the first book will love returning to Garden Heights and seeing familiar characters when they were younger. The characters, both familiar and not, are all great and well developed. Maverick needs to tackle a lot throughout this story. Readers will enjoy following his journey and seeing what choices he makes. Teens should be aware book handles many heavy topics. These topics include violence, death, gangs, drug dealing, parents in prison, sex, and teen pregnancy and parenting. 

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Book Review - The Project

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

The Project

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. 

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Book Review - Breathless

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Breathless

by Jennifer Niven

Claudine "Claude" Henry's life is divided into before and after the floor dropped out from under her. Before, she lived happily with both her parents. After, Claude learns they are separating, and her mother whisks her away to a remote island off the coast of Georgia. Spending her time on this island isn't how Claude imagined spending the summer after graduation. She isn't thrilled about the change and isn't sure what to do. Then she meets Jeremiah "Miah" Crew, a boy who often spends summers on the island and has things he doesn't want to talk about with anyone like Claude. Miah helps Claude in ways she wasn't expecting, but they can't fall in love as they are both leaving come August.

An intriguing story about Claude's journey over one summer. The book is a little slow-paced and, in ways, seems longer than it needs to be. Despite this, Claude's story is captivating. Within the story, readers get insight into the history of Claude's family who lived there, but the ending to that is sadly unsatisfying. Claude has smart but blunt conversations with her friends about various topics, including sex and consent, so if those topics make you uneasy, I'd skip it. Fans of Sarah Dessen wouldn't be amiss to give this one a try unless the previously mentioned topics make for skipping.

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Book Review - A Danger to Herself and Others

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

A Danger to Herself and Others

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Hannah has found herself institutionalized after her summer program roommate falls out of their dorm room window. Nobody knows what happened that night, but she is considered “a danger to herself and others.” Hannah is determined to do what she has to return home. After all, she says what happened wasn’t her fault. Enter Lucy, she may have her baggage of her own, but she also may be the only person who can help Hannah work through everything that’s happened.

 If you’ve ever heard the term unreliable narrator before and didn’t get what it meant, this book will help you understand that. We are getting the story from Hannah’s point of view and how she perceives everything that happened. Hannah has lives life with at least one mental illness though we are never told what exactly it is. While the ending could have been better, the overall story is intriguing and will leave readers guessing how it all plays out.

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Book Review - They Wish They Were Us

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

They Wish They Were Us

by Jessica Goodman 

In a fictional community on Long Island, everything looks perfect, but that isn't the case. Jill Newman is determined to make her senior year the best ever; she's one of the Players after all. The Players are a not-so-secret society at Gold Coast Prep, and being one is supposed to make things easy. However, three years ago, her best friend Shalia Arnold was killed by her boyfriend, Graham, during a Player task. Now, Graham's saying he's innocent, and it's Jill who his sister texts asking for help to prove it.

This story is a fantastic mystery that is great for fans of One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Though predictable at times, the story will still keep you on your toes. The book's events and the characters may be out there, but that's what makes it all the more fun.

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Book Review - Be Not Far From Me

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Be Not Far From Me

by Mindy McGinnis

It was supposed to be a fun night camping in the woods with her friends. Then Ashley catches her boyfriend cheating on her and, in a drunken rage, runs off. The problem is, it’s dark, she’s drunk, has no idea what direction she ran in, and falls into a ravine. Come morning, Ashley quickly realizes she is lost. It is unlikely anybody will know to come looking for her as they probably assume she just went home. Now with nothing but the clothes on her back and knowledge of survival skills, Ashley might rescue herself. A survival tale that is not for the light of heart as there are some gruesome moments described in the story. Amber spends the bulk of the book alone in the woods, but she often reflects on her life, mainly her time at camp, where she learned what she is now putting into action. Each chapter focuses on a different day she spends lost in the woods, making it easy to keep track of how long she is there.

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*Please note that UPL does not currently own a physical copy of this book but you can request it from another library

Teen E-books

Miss. Amanda’s Teen Reads Picks

For Grades 9-12

The library may be closed but you can check out these awesome titles as e-books.

Just download the Libby or Overdrive App to your smartphone or tablet.

Fiction:

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Lovely War by Julie Berry

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Non-Fiction:

Courage to Soar by Simone Biles

Life Inside My Mind by Jessica Burkhart

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Book Review - Patron Saints of Nothing

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Patron Saints of Nothing
by Randy Ribay
It’s been years since Jay stopped writing his Filipino cousin Jun and even longer since he saw him in person. Upon learning of Jun’s death in connection to the drug war in the Philippines, Jay decides to change his spring break plans. Instead of staying home in the states playing video games, Jay, feeling there is more to the story of Jun’s death, decides to travel back to his country of birth to figure it out. Despite being born in the Philippines, he is viewed as an outsider due to being raised in the states. This causes him to face many roadblocks in his journey for truth.
Though Jay’s story is one of fiction, the Philippine Drug War is an actual event that started in 2016 and continues today. Those interested can do research on the topic for a better understanding. Jay’s story is realistic and messy, with Jun’s actions before his death, causing issues within his family that continue after his passing. Readers will sympathize with Jay’s hope that his cousin’s death wasn’t the result of him using drugs but rather a horrible mistake. The author wonderfully weaves Jun’s letters to Jay, as well as memories of Jay’s last visit, into the story to help show why Jay feels the way he does about Jun’s death. A heartbreaking story about family and personal growth with a bit of mystery and education.

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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 - Allegedly

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Allegedly

by Tiffany Jackson

When she was nine-years-old, Mary B. Addison killed a three-month-old baby, allegedly. As she wasn’t saying much, the media filled in the blanks and blasted the main piece of news, a black girl killed a white baby while under the care of the black girl’s mother. Convicted by the jury, Mary was sent to Juvie then released to a group home. Now at sixteen, Mary finds herself pregnant. Upon hearing that there is a good chance her child will be taken from her once born, Mary decides it may be time to speak up and tell the truth about what happened that night. However, she doesn’t know what to do when her fate lies in the hands of somebody who can’t be trusted, her mother.

A compelling read that will have readers wondering what’s going to happen next. Jackson wonderfully writes Mary in a way where readers will be indecisive. They won’t know if they should feel for her and her situation or believe she did it and that she is getting what she deserves. Despite everything, Mary is an inspiring character in that she isn’t trying to let her situation keep her down. Readers should be aware that there are some sensitive topics, as well as content they may find inappropriate for them and foul language throughout the book.

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Book Review - Missing

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Missing

by Kelley Armstrong

            When people leave Reeve’s End, they don’t tend to come back and Winter Crane plans to do the same. A girl goes missing and Winter rescues a boy named Lennon who claims to know about her. Then Lennon disappears and his brother Jude turns up looking for him. Winter begins to question what is going on and if those who leave and never return are doing so by choice, or if something bigger is at play.

            A bizarre and suspenseful mystery you really need to pay attention to. Readers may find Winter annoying and the story “out there” but will still turn the page to find out what is going on.

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Peer Book Review - Green Lantern: Lights Out

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Green Lantern: Lights Out

by Justin Jordan

Reviewed by 8th Grader Carlos U.

When a new being threatens to whip out all lantern corps, it takes the help of everyone to try and defeat Relic. Even enemies must join forces to save the day.

I enjoyed the action and suspense. The story and the back story was great. I even saw some of my favorite characters. 

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Book Review - I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

by Erika L. Sanchez

            Julia (pronounced who - lee – uh) and her older sister Olga are complete opposites. Olga is polite, helps around the house, respects her parents, and takes on traditional Mexican values. Julia wants to be more like her other American born peers and not follow so many rules. In other words, Olga is the perfect Mexican daughter, while Julia is not. When Olga dies suddenly, Julia makes the discovery that her sister kept secrets and may not have been so perfect after all. She sets out to discover these secrets all while struggling with her parent's expectations that seem to have grown since her sister’s death.

            When it comes to stories of being first-generation American/children of immigrants, Julia’s is not one to be missed. Julia is dealing with a lot over the course of this book and readers are likely to find themselves sympathizing and/or empathizing with her at various points. Her parents, particularly her mother, are not parents readers will be longing for but the reasoning behind how they treat their daughters is explained over time causing readers to understand them a bit more.     

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Book Review - The Great American Whatever

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖 

The Great American Whatever

by Tim Federline

            After the death of his sister Annabelle, aspiring screenwriter Quinn stopped going to school and rarely even leaves his room. Now, with the encouragement of his friend Geoff, Quinn not only leaves his room, but he re-enters society, where things seem to look up. He meets a cute guy who may actually like him back, but there are other secrets that could bring him down again. As hard as he tries, Quinn's life may be one screenplay he can't write the way he wants.

            In a lot of ways Quinn seems old for his age, but also young and vulnerable at the same time as a result of his sister’s sudden death. Quinn’s grief is only one layer of this though. His budding romance, friendship with Geoff, screenwriting dreams, along with his grief, all tell his story. Throughout the book, Quinn makes numerous film references but one does not need to be a movie buff to enjoy them. 

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