Book Review - All We Have Left

📖Recommend for Grades 7 and up📖

All We Have Left

by Wendy Mills

            Two girls, one event, each with their own story. All Muslim Alia was doing was visiting her father at work; she never thought she would find herself in the midst of a terrorist attack. Jesse doesn't remember her brother Travis, but her life has been shaped by her families’ response to his death on September 11, 2001.

            A truly compelling story with dual narration set 15 year apart. Readers will find themselves hooked waiting to see what happens to Alia as a result of 9/11. When it comes to Jesse, readers will empathize with her and the way her life is after the attacks. This story is as much about healing and understand as it is Alia and Jesse. A wonderful and touching story about somebody at the Twin Towers that day and the life of somebody who wasn’t, but whose life has been shaped by it.  

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Book Review - 2 for 1 - This Is Our Story and The Lying Woods

📖Both Books Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

This is Our Story

by Ashley Elston

            Five boys go hunting in the woods but only four make it out alive. While only the shooter knows who killed Grant, they all make a pact to keep quiet. Kate is devastated when she finds that the boy she has been texting is dead, but she can help get him justice through her internship. The deeper she digs, however, the more she discovers she may not have known Grant as well as she thought.

            This mystery will suck you in with the first few pages. The chapters from Kate’s perspective are wonderfully supported by the unknown killer in a way that is full of information, but leave no hint of his identity. Readers will be turning the page to find out just who shot Grant. The only flaw in this book is the idea of Kate being so involved in this case is completely unrealistic.

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The Lying Woods

by Ashley Elston

When Owen Foster’s mom shows up at his elite boarding school, his world is turned upside down. Turns out, his privileged life has been funded with stolen money, and now his father has disappeared, leaving Owen and his mother with nothing. The business his father owned employed many people in the town, leaving them with no jobs or money and hate towards Owen and his mom. The only place Owen can find solace is at a pecan orchard where his father once worked and the man running the place is willing to take a chance on him.

            A riveting story that will keep readers on their toes. The story alternates between Owen’s story in the present and the summer of ’99 when his parents met. Although Owen may irritate readers at times, he is ultimately a likable character and readers will feel for his and his mother’s situation.

        

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