Throwback Book Review - 10 Blind Dates

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

10 Blind Dates

by Ashley Elston

When Sophie walks in on her boyfriend Griffin discussing breaking up with her, she is heartbroken. Thankfully she has a built-in escape as she is spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house. To help Sophie’s broken heart, her Nonna thinks Sophie should go on some dates. Ten dates, to be exact, with the guy and activity selected by one of the members of her large family. Some she won’t have to worry about, such as her cousin Sara’s and her other cousin Olivia’s pick. In contrast, her evil cousin Jo’s and crazy Aunt Patrice’s are unknowns. Then Griffin pops up, asking for forgiveness so it should be simple, but reconnecting with the boy next door throughout the process makes it complicated.

It doesn’t have to be the holidays to enjoy this fun and entertaining read. Some parts of the story are corny but easy to forgive. While Sophie’s dates play a significant role in the story, it is also about her growth over her time there and reconnecting with her large family. Readers will enjoy finding out who her dates are, what the activity is, and just how it goes.

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Throwback Book Review - Dear Martin

Throwback Book Review

Miss. Amanda still thinks you should read this!

 📖Recommended for Grades 9 and up📖

Dear Martin

by Nic Stone
The cop didn’t care that Justyce was a good kid and Ivy League bound. All he saw was the color of his skin, landing Justyce in handcuffs.  In order to deal with his struggles of race inequality today, Justyce turns to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., writing letters to the late activist to look for answers and explain how the events happening in the world today, are shaping him.
Wonderful and relevant, this is a book not to be missed. Justyce is a character all readers will love, admire and feel for. The supporting characters are an intriguing bunch filled with both likable and unlikable characters. The unlikable characters are supposed to be such though, and an important aspect of this story. 

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Book Review - The Hobbit

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Reviewed by Scared Heart Academy 9th Grader Michelle V.

Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the dwarves set out on an adventure to get the dwarves kingdom back from an evil dragon. But they have a few problems along the way.

It was a very long book. But, it was interesting because day after day they were on that mission there was always someone standing in their way. Whether it was goblins, wolves, or a giant evil dragon they still found a way out alive.

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Book Review - Blackout

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Blackout

by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon

Six interconnected short stories written by six talented best-selling authors. When a blackout hits New York City, black teen love starts to shine. From two teens on a long walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn to two more helping out in an elderly home, to more. Things change when the lights go out.

Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon are the brilliant minds behind this book. While Clayton, Stone, Woodfolk, Thomas, and Yoon all have one-and-done short stories, Stone’s story is broken into chapters woven throughout the book, helping bring them all together. Each story is fabulous on its own, but together, they’re phenomenal. The characters in the book are all Black teens but vary in gender and sexuality. While, at its heart, the story is a romance, there is some humor thrown in. This book is one you can’t go wrong reading.

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Book Review - Last Chance Books

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Last Chance Books

by Kelsey Rodkey

Books & Moore has been in Madeline Moore’s family for generations, and she has dreams of taking it over from her aunt. When Prologue, a chain bookstore, opens up across the street, the fate of Books & Moore is put in jeopardy. It also doesn’t help that Madeline is also dealing with family drama. Then there’s Jasper Hamada, the cute customer who turns out to be the son of the family who owns Prologue. The two find themselves in a prank war that turns out to be less harmless than they thought.

Told entirely from Madeline’s point of view, this is a fun story with lots of drama. Madeline herself can be a tad annoying at times, but she often comes from a good place. While it takes place in the summer after Madeline’s senior year of high school, it doesn’t feel like a typical summer story. The dynamic between Madeline and Jasper is excellent, and readers will enjoy following them throughout the book.

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Book Review - Night

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Night

by Elie Wiesel 

Reviewed by High School for Community Leadership 12th Grader Lorymar M.

Night is a memoir of a young Jewish boy and what he experienced during the Holocaust. The book first stated out in a small town that Wiesel lived with his family. Later on his family and other Jews in town are picked up by Nazi officers without knowing what was coming to them.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Holocaust and who wants to learn more on the topic. Having this book be written by someone who experienced such tragic things makes you feel some type of way. Personally it made me want to read more and educate myself on this topic.

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Book Review - The Box in the Woods

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

The Box in the Woods

by Maureen Johnson

Stevie Bell is back solving another mystery. Gaining fame for solving the Ellingham mystery at her boarding school last year, Stevie is asked to solve another case. The new owner of Camp Wonder Falls has asked Stevie to come to the camp and help the “Box in the Woods” murders that occurred years ago. So with her best friends Janelle and Nate along, Stevie is off to see if she can be the one to crack the case.

Stevie solved the Ellingham mystery over the course of three books, but readers will find out by the end of this one if she solves it and how. If readers haven’t read the three previous books, they won’t be lost, as this book can stand on its own. There are some returning faces, but readers will also meet several new characters. The story alternates between the present time and also the time of the murders. Readers will enjoy trying to solve the mystery with Stevie and may not see how the ending coming.

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Book Review - Fat Chance Charlie Vega

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Fat Chance Charlie Vega

by Crystal Maldonado

Charlie Vega is a fat brown girl in a predominantly white suburban town. Everyone seems to have an opinion on how she should look, including her mom, who constantly leaves her weight loss shakes. It doesn’t help that her best friend Amelia is gorgeous, and people often overlook Charlie for her. When Charlie starts spending time with her classmate and co-worker Brian, things begin to look up. However, when Charlie learns that Brian asked Amelia out first, she can’t help but wonder what it means.

Charlie is a great role model because she tries to love her body and herself for who she is. However, she is still human and does have plenty of doubts as well. Brian is a swoon-worthy book boyfriend that readers may find themselves wishing to be real. While a romance, this is also a story of self-love, friendship, and mother-daughter relationships.

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Book Review - Just Our Luck

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Just Our Luck

by Julia Walton

Leo's anxiety causes him to get into a fight at school. As a result, his dad orders him to take a self-defense class at a local gym. Evey works at the gym, where Leo is taking the class. He has been told to stay away from her since her family supposedly cursed his family. Realizing he doesn't want to be in self-defense, Evey tells Leo she will switch him to hot yoga that meets at the same time. There is a catch, as Evey needs Leo to help her with a revenge project. The pair end up spending time together, curse or no curse.

While Leo's mental illness plays a role in this story, there is so much more to it. Through Leo's perspective, the story is told via a journal he has to keep for his hot yoga class. There is bullying that occurs in the book. Still, Leo doesn't let that stop him from following his passions which include knitting and photography.  

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Book Review - Be Dazzled

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Be Dazzled

by Ryan La Sala

Raphael “Raffy” Odom loves cosplay and views each new costume he creates as a work of art. Even if his mother disagrees, he is willing to do whatever it takes to win Boston’s Controverse Champion-ship of Cosplay with his best friend, Mae. His partner was supposed to be his once-boyfriend Luca, but he broke Raffy’s heart, and now they are competing against each other. When things start to unravel, Raffy may have nobody but Luca to turn to for help.

Alternating between the weekend of the convention and the months leading up to Raffy and Luca’s break-up, this book is a must-read. The characters are likable, and those that aren’t are ones you will love to hate. There are many references to anime and fandoms, but one’s lack of knowledge of them won’t take away from the story. At times the book slips into too much crafting detail, but the boring part can be easily overlooked. Heavy topics are balanced with fun and humor, and ultimately a great message.

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Book Review - Happily Ever Afters

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Happily Ever Afters

by Elise Bryant

Tessa Johnson has only ever seen herself as the leading lady in the stories she writes. Stories she only shares with her best friend, Caroline. After moving to a new town, Tess is accepted into a prestigious Creative Art School. She is finally ready to share her stories with others, except Tessa has been met with major writer’s block. Luckily Caroline has a plan, get Tessa’s crush Nico, who also happens to look like the love interest in Tessa’s story, to fall in love with her for inspiration. As the plan goes on, and it looks like Tessa may be getting what she wants. She also finds that she may be losing things, such as her sweet new neighbor Sam.

Tessa’s story is a sweet and fun read. Readers will have fun choosing sides if they want Tessa to end up with Nico or Sam. This book may be a love story, but it also deals with many other factors, including family and friendship. Tessa’s older brother Miles has disabilities, which is a significant aspect of her life, and affects her relationship with her parents. A wonderful part of this book is that it features a diverse cast of characters. Racism and Ableism do exist in this book, but they do not control the narrative. Oh, and just a side warning, Sam is a baker, so be prepared to be craving the yummy treats he makes throughout the book.

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Book Review - This Will Be Funny Someday

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

This Will Be Funny Someday

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.

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Book Review - You Don't Live Here

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

You Don't Live Here

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.

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Book Review - Not So Pure and Simple

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Not So Pure and Simple

by Lamar Giles

When his finally available longtime crush Kiera volunteers for a church group, Del is right behind her. That's how he accidentally finds himself in the purity pledge group. Not wanting to lose his shot at Kiera, Del sticks with it. Lucky for him, there's Jameer, a fellow pledger and Kiera's best friend. The two make a deal; Jameer helps Del with Kiera, and Del gets answers from his Healthy living class that Jameer isn't allowed to take for him.

Honestly, besides being a little longer than it probably needed to, this is an enjoyable book. The characters are realistic and relatable, as well as entertaining. This story covers many hot topics. These include the debate of the type of sexual education taught in school, the different ways teen mothers are treated versus teen fathers, and masculinity. If any of these topics aren't right for you, skip this read. If you're good with them, this is worth the read.

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Book Review - The Cousins

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

The Cousins

by Karen M. McManus

Twenty-four years ago, the four Story children were disinherited by their mother with contact cut off. Now their children, who are basically strangers, are curiously invited to her island resort for the summer. Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah have no choice but to go, as their parents are hoping this invitation means something good for them. The longer the cousins spend on the island, the family secrets they brought with them start to come out. There are even more family secrets that they discover along the way.

Fans of Karen M. McManus will not be disappointed by her latest stand-alone novel. The story alternates not just between Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah's perspectives, but also Aubrey's mom Alison back in 1996. The primary and supporting characters are an intriguing mixed bunch that will have you wondering if you should like them or not. This page-turning thriller will keep readers on their toes till the very end.

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Book Review - Let’s Call It A Doomsday

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Let’s Call It A Doomsday

by Katie Henry

Ellis Kimball is a preparer; for the end of the world, that is. Her anxiety doesn't help the situation. When leaving therapy one day, she meets Hannah Marks in the waiting room. Hannah informs Ellis that they were destined to meet because Ellis fears the end of the world, and Hannah knows when it's going to happen. As doomsday draws near, the search for answers seems to lead to more questions.

Though maybe a tad longer than needed, this is an intriguing read with an excellent portrayal of mental illness. Ellis and Hannah are both white, but the rest of the cast is more racially diverse. While about the potential end of the world, there is some humor in the story and moving moments. 

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Book Review - Sisters of Sword and Song

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Sisters of Sword and Song

by Rebecca Ross

When her sister Halcyon is sentenced to fifteen years for murder (and running away like a coward), Evadne offers to take half her sentence. The judge won't allow her to take half but will allow her to serve the five years of her sentence. The part Evadne takes on is the time at Halcyon's commander's home and the father of the boy she killed, working as a servant. Now Evadne finds herself not only wrapped up in her sister's sentence but the mission she had been on before her conviction.

 This story is a standalone high fantasy novel that alternates between both sister's perspectives. There are many twists and turns and trying to figure out which characters were good and evil. The books include a map and a list of the magical artifacts mentioned in the book to assist readers in the story. Those looking for a great fantasy read but don't want to take on a whole series should be sure to give this a read.

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Book Review - Early Departures

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Early Departures

by Justin A. Reynolds

Jamal’s best friend Quincy, aka Q, dies in a freak accident just to be brought back to life by a mysterious organization. The thing is, Q is just going to die again, as reanimation only gives him a limited amount of more time. Also, Q is technically Jamal’s former best friend, as the pair haven’t been friends since Jamal’s parents died, and he planned Q for what happened. With this second chance, Jamal is determined to make things right with Q, but there are complications as Jamal can’t fully explain why. Only a few people know Q is reanimated and set to die again, and Q isn’t one of them.

Though longer than it needs to be, this is still an intriguing read that will make you question how you would handle this situation if you were in it. While this book is a work of science fiction, it isn’t heavy into it beyond the reanimation itself, making it a lighter sci-fi novel. Despite the impending sadness of Q’s death, there is humor in the story, including transcripts of videos the boys made back when they were initially friends. If you can get past the slow start, this is worth the read.

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Book Review - Charming as a Verb

   📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Charming as a Verb

by Ben Philippe

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm anybody, except for his neighbor and classmate Corinne Troy. After uncovering Halti’s dog walking scheme, Corinne decides to blackmail him into helping her improve her image at school and getting her a better recommendation to her dream school. As the two spend time together, Halti discovers he enjoys hanging out with Corinne and that maybe she may provide a way to help him get into his own dream school.

A fun romantic comedy that starts with a nice dose of blackmail. The story is told from Halti’s point of view. Readers will get insight into what it’s like for him to be a first-generation Haitian-American looking to meet his father’s expectations. While Halti and Corinne are terrific and likable characters, Halti’s friend Ming often steals the scene or makes it better. Readers will love the authenticity of the characters and the ways they can relate to them.

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Book Review - Girl, Unframed

   📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Girl, Unframed

by Deb Caletti

Even before she got on the plane, Sydney had a bad feeling about heading to San Francisco to spend the summer with her mother. It doesn't help that her mother is a famous actress Lila Shore. Meeting Lila's new boyfriend, Jake, doesn't ease Sydney's worries. Jake's an art dealer who seems nice, except when he's not.

"Girl, Unframed" is a fantastic YA thriller that will keep you hooked. Sydney is not the most likable character, but readers are likely to feel for her and her situation. Honestly, the only appealing character is the dog, Max. Readers know some crime has been committed and will have to figure out what happened as Sydney unravels her tale. There are fun hints at the start of each chapter in the form of notes of the evidence exhibits.

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