Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The threequel (?) to the Hunger Games and the last book in the trilogy, this book is an adventure in which Katniss and friends set out to overthrow the leader of Panem and all 13 districts, President Snow. While in District 13, they along with President Coin come up with a mischievous plan to take down Snow. Will their plan come to life or will it be destroyed early? I would recommend this book to anyone of any ages who loves adventure and suspense. This book is filled with tons of adventurous and suspenseful events, along with some gory deaths. If you like adventure or suspense, check this book out! ~ Suchir K.

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, is the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy. In this spine-tingling and action-pact story, we follow a very mature and robust teenager Katniss, who must grow up fast and lead a war against the ‘Capitol’. This Capitol is the center of Katniss’ cruel government that regulates everything everyone in her society does and once a year forces 24 kids from her country, Panem, to fight to the death. Unfortunately, Katniss was not only made to do this once, but again the following year. Finally Katniss has had enough of her oppressive government and agrees to fight for the people she loves most. She becomes known as the ‘Mockingjay’ and not only leads her country into war with the Capitol, but becomes a symbol of hope for everyone who has lost it. Although this book started off a little slow, it really became suspenseful and full of surprises as it moved along. I would defiantly recommend anyone who already read the first two books to read this one, so they can see how this amazing series ends. Additionally, the intense action scenes and passionate love in this story makes it an ideal book for boys and girls to read.

Dylan Serra- Period 4                          

Being the final of an epic trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, this book concludes the story of Katniss Everdeen with an intense plot. After being rescued by rebels of District 13, Katniss is convinced to represent rebellion by becoming "The Mockingjay." She is reunited with her childhood companion, Gale and in the absence of her beloved Peeta, Gale tries to comfort her. Becoming torn between the two, Katniss requests the right to kill President Snow after his capture as well as many other things in return for being their "Mockingjay." This also included the rescue of Peeta. After his rescue, their reunion is less than pretty. What has the capitol done to Peeta? Nonetheless, he is put through training and is assigned to Katniss's team for an assault on the capitol. Will they succeed? And who's arms will Katniss wind up in? Gale's? or Peeta's? If you've read the previous two books of the trilogy, then I highly recommend that you finish it. If you haven't, then I would suggest reading the first two first. This book can be arguably the best and worst ending of the epic series. I encourage you to experience it yourself. (For sci-fi, adventure genre lovers). ~Frankie W. (Period 7/8)

Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien

The most Interesting book that I read this year was Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien. In this book, Tolkien sets the story in a medieval world known as Middle-Earth which is filled with a vast amount of mythical creatures some more dangerous than others.  The story surrounds a particularly peaceful race known as the Hobbits. They are notorious for their short stature and politeness. They live in a village called the Shire which is protected by natural barriers so they are isolated from the events of the rest of Middle-Earth. The main character in this story is a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins. He is one of the richer hobbit families in the Shire and therefore is more respected. One day a friend of his named Gandalf (old wizard) comes to the Shire and they find a dark secret about Frodo’s uncle and one of his valued possessions. It is an old ring which Frodo’s uncle found on one of his many adventures. As Gandalf and Frodo learn about the rings dark and dreadful history, they must find a way to destroy it which they will find rather difficult.  As the two companions journey across Middle-Earth, they encounter many interesting characters and must overcome perilous trials.

  After reading this book, I thought it was an interesting fantasy novel which captures an entire other world. I would recommend this book to anybody who has a long attention span and admires medieval fantasy novels as well as action and thriller novels. The one problem that I saw in this book was that characters would occasionally ramble on about certain aspects of the journey at times that I did not find interesting. Other than that flaw, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was an entertaining read as well as interesting. ~ Eric C. (per. 3)

  The Fellowship of the Ring, Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings, is not for those with a short, medium, or even long attention span. It is for those few who have an iron will and an attention span that will outlast time and space. But for those who are still awake after the Thirty page prologue, it is an amazing book. J.R.R. Tolkien has created an amazing world, full of well developed characters and immersive settings. Even though he can sometimes go off on two page tangents about the fate of a horse, he mostly sticks to the plot, but even then, it takes a while to work through. A very important piece of advice to readers is not to be deterred by the beginning of the book. It seems slow, pointless, and in general a big waste of time. But this could not be further from the truth. this is where a majority of character development for the Hobbits is done. And seeing how the whole series is dedicated to the adventures of these Hobbits, it is paramount that we learn as much about them as we can. After the first few chapters, the action begins to slowly, but surely, build. As the danger of the situations increases, so too does the tension, mainly because we have spent so much time with them. learning about what they keep in their attics, how they interact with each other, and how they interact with the world around them. they are the epitome of well developed characters, and when they are in danger, the reader feels real distress (partly because after reading about them for Two-Hundred pages, it would be rather dissatisfying for them to be killed by a random squid).
    The main characters, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, and Boromir, will not be discussed in great detail in this review, mainly because readers will get enough of them from reading The Fellowship of the Ring themselves. but an important thing to note is that all of these characters are very distinct, and any Lord of the Rings fan (which is most people who survive the first book) would be able to correctly pin a character to his quote, even with no context. This is what makes Tolkien's writing stand out above all others: the vividness in which he does everything. Developing characters, describing landscape, or discussing how to deal with the One Ring (for six solid pages). While it does take an ardent fan to finish the book, those who do will cherish it forever. The only complaint that can be made about Fellowship, and the whole series, is that there are only about five women in over six books. But other than that, it is a perfect book for anyone interested in the fantasy genera. ~Kyle S. (per. 3)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

In the second book of the Harry Potter series, Harry is warned by a strange house elf named Dobby that bad things will happen to him if he returns to Hogwarts this year.  Thinking nothing of it, Harry completely disregards the warning and he and his best friend Ron Weasley soon learn that they should have listened better to this warning.  When they attempt to go through the pillar between platforms 9 and 10 to reach the Hogwarts express at platform 9 and ¾, they find that they can’t get through and have to illegally fly an invisible car all the way to Hogwarts.  After the school year starts, however, people start being found petrified throughout the school hallways and many frightened students are starting to say that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again.  Harry, Ron, and their other friend Hermione then start to try and find out what exactly this chamber is and then try to find it.  The rest of the book shows the characters in the book find the Chamber of Secrets and then stop all of the petrifying that has been happening.  This is a science fiction book and it is also part of the Harry Potter franchise.  Be sure to read this book if you love to read science fiction!  Chris R.-(Per. 2)

Starters by Lissa Price

Starters is about this girl named Callie that lives with Micheal and Callie's lil brother Tyler. There was this war when the three were little and now they don't have parents. The live in this abandoned building and they are trying to survive and have a better life. Then Callie reads this ad about a job and the job is letting them transfer another person's soul in her body and she gets paid after three rents. If I remember right, it was 500 dollars or something. But on the third rent something goes wrong. An assassin ender called Helena rents her body. After one day and 30 min the transmissions stop and Callie turns to her old self, but she still hears the voices and she then goes on missions hoping to get the voices out of her head. ~Julius R. (per. 12)

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

When a plane from Britain gets shot down during battle in World War II, a group of British schoolboys end up on their own in a deserted, tropical island. With no parents around and complete freedom, the boys start out their new lives with enjoyment. Also, for precautionary measures, the boys set up a fire so that if any passing ship or plane may find them. At first, life is good for these boys, however over time the boys experience frustration, and anxiety with each other. For instance, when the boys found out that a ship and a battle plane passed without taking notice of the boys being stranded, anger brews up amongst the schoolboys. In the end, some of the boys end up hunting each other like wild animals. Anger, fear, and frustration take over the boys leading them to mental instability, thus leading them to radical actions. I highly recommend this book to teenagers, because of the suspenseful scenes and events making this book impossible to put down. So, if your heart is yearning for a good novel filled with action, suspense, and crazy teenage boys, this book is perfect for you. ~ George A. (per. 3)

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is an easy yet fantastic summer read. It is from the point view of Ponyboy Curtis who lives in a society where power means everything. The boy struggles with his life ever since his parents' death which leaves him no choice but to look up to his brothers and gang for support. The members of his gang are known as the Greasers for their signature greasy hair and lower class lifestyle, while their rivals, the Socs, are shown as snobby, rich kids who love to pick up a fight. With both groups constantly battling for the throne within their town, Ponyboy has to learn the hard way between what is right and wrong and even gets himself into a huge mess that only he can fix. Careless actions lead into major conflicts and will make you grip onto the book until the last page. This is definitely one of my all time favorite books and I’m sure anyone who gets his/her hands on it will enjoy it as much as I did.

-Asfa Arshi p.3

The Batboy by Mike Lupica

Being able to be in the lights in Comerica Park is a humbling experience, even if you are just a batboy. Brian Dudley had an opportunity to have this experience and he jumped on it as fast as he could.  Ever since he was a little kid, his father took him to Tigers games in Comerica, and he had some great times. Unfortunately, those memories will have to last him a lifetime, as Brian's father left him and his mother years ago. Going back to actually work on the field he used to adore with his father brings him joy like no other. His happiness is even greater once he hears that his favorite player of all time, Hank Bishop, is coming out of retirement and will be playing for the Tigers once again. Brian is the happiest he has ever been, but his time at Comerica does not go exactly as expected. 

Mike Lupica always creates engaging characters and heartfelt stories behind them, and this book is no different. I really enjoyed his books Heat, as well as Travel Team. Anyone who has read those books, or just enjoys sports in general should definitely read this book. ~Alex W. (per. 3)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eragon by Christopher Paolini is the first book in the inheritance cycle. It starts out in a land called Alagaësia, where an evil Tyrant known as Galbatorix controls the entire empire. Through the lands live Humans, elves, dwarves, Urgals, and many other mysterious creatures. Long ago the lands were kept at peace by dragon riders, those who had a pact with dragons and became bonded together. Eragon is a young boy who lived on a far away town not even on the map, called Carvahall. One day traders come in and he finds a small blue sapphire for sale. He buy the rock, not realizing that it’s actually a dragon egg; until it hatches. Eragon is left to take care of the dragon by himself, until the king became aware of his secret. People were sent to hunt down Eragon and his dragon called Saphira. Together they run away from Carvahall and make way to a group trying to resist Galbatorix. Guided by a mysterious librarian, who knows how to fight and use magic; what will await Eragon on his adventures.  I recommend this book to those who have big imaginations or enjoy fantasy books because it’s a very good book.

Ansuman Das. Per:3.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini is a phenomenal book expressing the importance of friendship. Eragon is a young man who lives on a farm with two lifelong friends. His not so normal life turns even stranger when he finds a sapphire colored stone in the Spine; a dangerous forest where he has hunted for years. After trying to sell and trade the stone to multiple people he decides to keep the stone, and over a period of time find out that the stone is not a stone, but an egg. The egg hatches into a sapphire colored dragon he names Saphira. Together, Eragon and Saphira work together to get back the kingdom of Alagaesia back  from King Galbatorix by following the ways of the ancient Rider’s. – Tyler M (2)

Eragon, a story by Christopher Paolini, follows a farm boy through his journey after discovering a dragon egg in his local forest while hunting. After the egg hatches, he is thrust into a world of mystery, with absolutely no guidance. Leaving his family behind, the boy, Eragon, takes his belongings and leaves with the local storyteller, who seems to know much more than he should. At first, Eragon is confused, and reluctant to do anything. After all, he was just thrown into something he didn't even ask for. Eragon's first months are hard, but through both touching and humorous moments, Paolini builds the relationship between Eragon and his new found friend. Eragon's reluctance starts to fade, and the reader can see Eragon, who used to be a small, unnoticed farm boy become something much greater as he embraces his responsibilities and learns to defend himself and work hard. Through time, Eragon discovers that a great fate awaits him. Well written and captivating, this story follows a young boy from his weakest moments to his strongest revelation that will leave readers hungry for more. I would recommend this story for anyone who is interested in adventure, drama, and action. Any fans of fantasy will not be disappointed, as Eragon fulfills everything a reader could
want, and so much more.

-Priya Bhave (Period 4)

Game of Thrones by George R. R Martin

I have recently read I have recently read Game of Thrones book one by George R. R Martin. The book takes place in the fantasy world of Westeros where there presides seven ruling kingdoms all under command of one king who sits on the iron throne. The book is read very similarly to Lord of the rings because it is in fact very similar! The book is about the anarchy that occurs after the current king dies. There are a slew of main characters, many who actually die! It is a very fast, high octane adventure that is a must read to all fantasy fans. ~ Alex C. (per. 7/8)

Runaway by Megan Cabot

This book is the sequel to Being Nikki by Megan Cabot.  In Runaway,  Nikki Howard continues in her search to uncover the horrible deeds of her boss, Robert Stark.  Although there's a twist in this story; Nikki Howard is really Em Watson.  She was given a brain transplant when her body was supposedly killed by a flat screen tv crushing her in which her brain was swapped with Nikki Howard's.  Everyone thinks she is the real Nikki and has no idea that being hidden away from the rest of the world is the real Nikki Howard, just in a different body.  But what's the big deal about being Nikki Howard?  Nikki Howard is an international super model who is the face of  Stark Enterprises, a multimillion dollar company who trumps all other companies by selling anything and everything possible.  Their newest item they have released is a Stark Quark, a miniature laptop geared to the efficiency needs of young adults and students.  Although this new laptop looks extraordinary, the students don't know the truth behind the security system put on it.  Every time they enter information it's being loaded and saved onto Stark's mainframe.  However, Stark only saves the information for the young, healthy, attractive users.  What could  Stark be planning to use this information for?  Throughout this book Nikki (otherwise known as Em) searches for the truth behind the Stark Quark's and the illegal brain transplants funded by her boss Robert Stark.  With the help of her on-again off-again boyfriend Christopher, Robert Stark's son Brandon, her roommate Lulu, her sister Freida, and even the real Nikki Howard, she discovers things she could have never imagined.  This book along with the first in the group is a great combination of mystery, adventure, and a bit of science fiction here and there.  I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first book, probably teenage girls, who are looking for a little bit of every genre in one book

~Amanda Evans Period 4

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

The book I read was Perfect by Ellen Hopkins. I really liked this book because it showed what perfect is in the perspective of four different teenagers, each one trying to achieve perfection. Perfect is the kind of book that you can relate to and learn from. The four main characters in this book are Cara Sykes, who is trying to live up to her parents expectations while dealing with her sexuality. Kendra Mathieson, who has been in beauty pageants her whole life and is trying to be a model, but develops a health issue before her plastic surgery. Sean O'Connell who is trying to get a baseball scholarship into Stanford, but develops a bad drug addiction. Lastly, Andre Kane III, who is from a wealthy African American family who wants him to have a successful paying career when his true passion is to dance. Each character is trying to tell their parents who they truly are inside and what they want to be, but all their parents are too wrapped up in their own careers and lives. I really recommend this book if you yourself are trying to explain to your parents who you really are, or if you're just tired of playing the role of "perfect". ~Amber M. (per. 12)

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir is the first book of the Heir Trilogy by Cinda Williams Chima. The book starts off with a normal boy with a heart condtion which makes him takes pills everyday. One day he forgets to take the pill and goes to soccer practice and somehow blows one of the players away and make the goal. He later finds out that he is one of the 5 Weirs ( Warrior, Seer, Enchanter, Wizard and Sorcerer). He later finds out that being a warrior makes him a target to groups of Wizards known as the White rose and the Red rose and receives training to survive.

I would recommend this book greatly to anyone who likes to fall into the world of books and lose track of time. I read this many times but still fascinates me. The next 2 books the Wizard heir and the Dragon heir also add to the fun. ~ James K. (per. 12)

Hero by Mike Lupica

A book that really caught my interest was the book Hero by Mike Lupica. Its about a 14 year old boy named Billy Harriman. Basically he's your ordinary student who goes to school. Although his father is the one who is looked at as extraordinarily different. It is one normal day and his father is out on a mission somewhere out of the U.S. Until on his way home on his private jet with his captured target, his jet is shot down and lands somewhere in the U.S. It turns out Billy Harriman's father had been a extraordinary hero with unnatural powers. Until one day he is given one thing of what his father wanted to cherish with Billy is a coin. What Billy hadn't known one day was that coin had given his father his powers to be a hero. He soon discovers this when hes walking through the park alone with his friend and both of them are mugged for the coin. Until he instantly has a adrenaline rush combined with the power of the coin and fends off the muggers very easily. Throughout the story Billy tries to confront the evil and discover what had happen to his father thus making him the so called hero. I would recommend this book to those who look for a book with action and a good story to follow in a book. ~Steven Baksa (P.12)

The Eye of the Warlock By P. W. Catanese

The Eye of the Warlock By P. W. Catanese is a book about the sequel or a universe after the ones of the common fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. This book centers around the main character Rudi, who lives in the house of Hansel and Gretel. He lives with two girls, who’s names are Lucie and Elsebeth, and his Uncle and Aunt. He’s aunt is very cruel while his uncle, is nice but weak. He felt like he lived a boring and hard life, so when a stranger asked Rudi to find Hansel and Gretel’s treasure, he agrees and takes Lucie and Elsebeth with him. However things go very wrong, as evil enter the forest that they lived in. Elsebeth and Lucie get held hostage by a warlock and will only give them up for Hansel. Will Rudi save the girls? Read to find out.

I would recommend with book to anyone that likes fantasy, adventure, and old folk/fairy tails. I felt that the plot was good and it was a relative easy read and the action had a very fast pace. It was a good book overall, however the characters were very mysterious and strange. They’re were may parts that were interesting and fun about the book, however in the end I felt that I wanted more from the author. ~Jason W. (per. 3)

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler describes the life of the teenager Anna, who has been crushing on her best friend's brother, Matt, who she has known throughout her whole childhood. Unexpectedly, he starts giving her signs that he is also crushing on her, and she soon finds out that he is in love with her, too. What can stop two people who love each other from being together, right? Wrong. What will her best friend, Frankie, think of their relationship? In the long run, Frankie's approval means more than anything to Anna. If she does approve, are they going to experience the life together in which Anna had in mind? As so many thoughts are scrambling through Anna's mind, suddenly everything came down to a crash. Now what will she do when she has the perfect opportunity to meet new boys and find a whole new life? Will she be able to find a spot for Matt deep in her heart, but also meet someone new without forgetting him?

I would recommend Twenty Boy Summer to anyone who can relate to relationships now working out, or someone who can connect to making a strong commitment to something or someone, and it all falls apart in the end. Anna has waited for what seemed like forever to finally be with Matt, and when she gets her chance, she didn't even get to share the news with anybody before she even gets to spend time with him. After it happened, she doesn't know what to do; she thinks that if she moves on, she would be unfaithful to him. This book would also be more entertaining for girls, since it is from a girl's perspective about learning to take new opportunities and not letting the past get in the way of her future. ~Dana P. (per. 4)

 

One book that was a memorable book to me was Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. This book is about two girls who have been best friends their entire lives. When the two girls go to California for summer vacation, Frankie decides they should find Anna her first boyfriend by meeting one boy every day. What Frankie doesn’t know is that Anna has already had the perfect summer romance. It happened with Frankie’s brother Matt, who died in an accident the year before. Anna’s romance dies with him, but her secret lives on. They meet new boys and have flings with them. But when Anna gets serious with one of them, things start to change. Frankie doesn’t know about Anna and Matt’s relationship and Anna tries to keep it this way. However, things don’t always go as planned.

This is a great book for people who love romance and summer fun. The story line is very creative and you will want to keep reading. The reader will find out many mysterious things about Anna and Matt’s relationship and everything in between.

–Josette Rogers (4)

Getting It By Alex Sanchez

Being the kind of person I am, I tend to pick the most random books in the library. I had noticed a book with a shirtless boy on and it got my attention, as I picked it up, I read the back and I just couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t argue with the book, I read this book day and night, during school, on the bus. Getting It is about a guy named Carlos, who is a virgin and has never kissed a girl before. He’'s determined to get the popular and hot girl; Roxy Rodriquez, who has no idea who Carlos is. He is determined to get a makeover, after watching a TV Show. But getting a makeover by Sal; a guy everyone thinks is gay, isn’t as easy as it sounds. With his friends, how was Carlos going to be able to get this makeover without them thinking he is gay? After all, he is doing all of this for a GIRL. ~Amanda L. (per. 2)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Heartfelt and captivating, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a great book for anyone who is likes history or wants to learn about the civil rights movement. The book is set in the summer of 1964 where Lilly Owens sets off on her own, away from her abusive father, in search of the truth. Did her mother really want her? Along the way she meets August Boatwright, a head strong black woman who has a lot of insight on life. The kind woman invites Lilly into her house, where she learns beekeeping, religion, as well as the meaning of family. As if Lilly’s problems weren’t enough, the racial tension in the book opens her eyes and the readers to the way people were treated during the civil rights era. This book focuses not only on the problems of an individual person but also on the worldly problems that took place during this time.

~Mary (period 2)

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Emerson Watts was just a normal girl who enjoyed playing videogames with her best friend Christopher, and could care less about what others say about her. One day her sister, Frida, drags Em to the grand opening of the new SoHo Stark Megastore. Also going to the mega store are heartthrob singer, Gabriel Luna, and the new face of Stark, and supermodel Nikki Howard. At the Megastore, in the blink of an eye a huge tv hanging above the head of Frida starts to fall. Em, without hesitation, pushes Frida out of the way, being crushed herself. When she awakes she realizes not only that she should have died, but that she is not in her own body. Lastly she realizes that this is no ordinary body. She is in the body of none other than Nikki Howard.
Kristen Dery
Period 12

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

11 Birthdays is about a girl named Amanda who is turning 11, but she has to relive her birthday over and over again. She can’t figure out why her birthday never ends, but she will do anything to stop it from happening again. Amanda spends each day a little differently, hoping that one day it might stop repeating. Throughout her journey, she makes new friends, starts over with old ones, gets into a lot of trouble, and discovers her true passions. 11 Birthdays is a very relatable book because the main characters are very real. It took me back to the time when I was 11 and made me remember all the memories I had just like Amanda. I remember all the feelings I had when I was going to turn 11 and be in middle school. Overall, it was a great, fun book to read. I recommend it because it is fun to read and it is very interesting. ~Sreya A. (per. 7/8)

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book talks about bullying and teen ager's life and obstacles. 13 reasons why is about a girl that kills herself because of 13 reasons and she makes 13 cassette tapes and send them to the people responsible for her death. This book is a great book because it teaches you that words and actions that you think are fun, could really hurt people and that if you see someone that needs your help, dont hesistate because you could do a difference in someone's life without even knowing.

-Dina Shenouda
period 2                          

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The book I chose was one I have read not too long ago this year. Graceling, by Kristin Cashore, is a very unique fantasy novel, with lots of well-rounded characters and an interesting plot. The main character, the independent heroin Katsa, is graced with the gift of killing. In this land, the graced are respected and considered lucky to be blessed with their gifts and each of their eyes being a different color. Because of this gift, the king uses Katsa as his personal secret weapon and executioner, and to inspire fear in his subjects. On one of her many missions assigned to her by the king, Katsa runs into Po, another graceling from a faraway foreign land. They end up running away together, traveling around the countries that surround Katsa’s home country. I would recommend this book to any reader who either loves fantasy, adventure, or both. This book is great for getting away from reality with its hooking plots and surprises. It is a very nice read, good for readers of many levels because it does not have too complicated vocabulary or plots, but enough so, along with its very realistic and connectable to characters, that more advanced readers would also enjoy it. ~Nicole H. (per. 3)

The book, Graceling, by Kristin Cashore is a fantasy genre based on the medieval age; where kings ruled the land and kingdoms fought each other with swords and shields. The main character is about a girl named Katsa, the niece of the king of the strongest kingdom in the lands. But back to the main character, Katsa, has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight. How? She’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an innate ability for a specific skill. Her innate ability is the ability of killing; or in other words an assassin. But she doesn’t know that her life is about to change when she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills and different colored eyes. As the days drag on, she never expects to become Po’s friend… Or the truth about her own Grace… Or about a very terrible secret that is hidden far away; a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. I recommend this book to anyone with the love of fantasy (or at least interest in fantasy) and a not-sexist book.

-Paul Lee; Period 3

Babyville by Jane Green

I was strolling in the teens section at the EBPL and I came across a pink cover, I never judge a book by its cover, so I take the book, read the back and I was hooked. I finished this book in a course of a week I refused to put the book down. For any girls who are a sucker for a love story or drama, this is definitely your type of book.  It’s worth it for girls who love drama in books, romance and love. Babyville by Jane Green, is about a girl named Julia, Maeve and Samantha. Each of the girls deal with their own personal lives, with Julia and Mark having personal issues, Julia does everything she can to have a baby with crazy voodoos. Samantha has a child and is dealing with her own issue as well, being a part of an affair never leads to good things right? Maeve has a secret twist of her own with Julia and Mark's relationship. With their own story, the book is split into 3 parts with their own drama and story.~Amanda L. (per. 2)

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

The book The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is very interesting and captivates the reader.  This book chronicles the lives of two unlikely friends, a princess and a peasant.  In the princess's story the princess wants to go out and experience the world, and really get a feel for the people she is ruling.  However, the current queen feels that is not a lady like thing to do and restricts a lot of her freedom.  Even more so than this problem, the kingdom is slowly being taken over by wizards who have enchanted the queen, and have intentions for the princess and a young wizard to marry in  order for wizards to once again rule the kingdom.  On the other hand there is the peasant who lost his dad in the war and must now support his family by any means possible.  One day he stumbled on a powerful wizard amulet which puts him in the line of fire of the wizards.  Though these characters are so different their fates are intertwined, and both must escape their fates and restore balance to the kingdom.  In my opinion, this book is a good read for people who love fantasy based novels because this book does have wizards and magic.  Also, I would recommend this book to people who want to be exposed to different styles of writing, because the book has two different stories happening simultaneously and it is really neat how the author organized and chose to write it. (Dhiraj Peddu Period 4)

MAUS by Art Speigleman

Maus was a fantastic graphic novel about the life of Vladek Speigleman, the author's father, who was a World War II survivor. The characters of course are depicted as mice! Well... not all of them. The German Nazi character's are drawn up as cats, which i thought was clever because it showed the happenings of World War II as a cat vs. mouse game.  Art is even in the story because the plot line flops between memories Vladek is telling and the current time Art is asking for them. The main story, or plot there rather is about the times and memories Vladek had from the time before the war, in his home of Poland to the heart of the war when he ends up in Aushwitz, a hostile German concentration camp. Along the way you find out more about Art's mother, Anja, who Vladek misses greatly. This book is a great read and even though it's a graphic novel, I learned more reading this book than i have most other books. It would be great for anyone who's interested in reading, plus Mr. B said it was awesome. -- Tom Berzok Period 4

The Haunted by Jessica Verday

The Haunted by Jessica Verday is both scary and exciting. It talks about how this girl moves into a new house and meets some new neighbors and friends. One of her neighbors isn't quite normal though. She later finds out that her neighbor is a ghost. However, she cant help but fall in love with him. Later on in the story though, she finds out that one of her friends is a vampire and wants to kill her and her so-called "ghost-boyfriend". The guy that's a vampire, breaks into her house with some of his friends and fights her and the ghost. Overall, this book is filled with action and romance at the same time. I would recommend this book to people that love stories that are scary and exciting with a little bit of romance in it. ~Sandra C. (per. 12)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth’s Insurgent, sequel of her Divergent, is a riveting tale of decisions, violence, romance, and heartbreaks. In this post-America story, civilization is split into factions. Dauntless for the brave, Amity for the peace-loving, Erudite for those who seek knowledge, Abnegation for the selfless, and Candor for the honest. There is also the factionless, those who could not pick a faction or those who were exiled from their chosen faction. There is also a faction that most hide; a faction that has a name but is feared by Dauntless leaders because they are immune to simulations. The faction is Divergent. These are the people who do not fit in any one faction; they would have an aptitude for more than one. Beatrice (Tris) Prior is Divergent and so is her boyfriend Tobias (Four) Eaton. War broke out among the factions when the Erudite used their knowledge to place Dauntless initiates under a simulation that caused them to attack Abnegation homes in the dead of night. Being Divergent, Tris manages to shut down the simulation but not before her parents and many other Abnegation leaders and citizens are murdered on their own front lawns. Soon, the Dauntless ally with the factionless and Amity. As they prepare for war, Tris realizes that there may be crucial information in the Erudite compounds. She must now abandon Tobias and ally with his abusive father to invade Erudite headquarters before the Dauntless, Amity, and factionless attack to create a bloodbath. As she fights her own demons of grief and pain, she also fights against those who want her life and those who want to change her world forever. I would recommend this to anyone who like an intense story because it’s an exhilarating thriller full of twists, heartbreaks, romance, and impressive insights about human nature.

~Monica Srivastava
Period 7/8

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Hungry for an exciting and extraordinary good book? Well, you have come to the perfect place. The novel Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher will certainly be an amazing book that you will never forget. This story is about a high school student named T.J. Jones, who excels in all sports. However, he didn’t want to try out for the football or basketball team at Cutter high school, even though lots of the teachers wanted him too. T.J. doesn’t like how obnoxious jogs are always thinking that they are superior to everyone else, and he didn’t want to be like any of them. Instead, T.J. tries to make a point that anybody should be allowed to be on a sports team at Cutter high school, and he forms a swim team under the guidance of a teacher named Mr. Simet. For this unique swim team, T.J. recruited a special group of kids that some might even call outcasts of the school. T.J. recruits a variety of different kids, and all of them have almost no experience in swimming. However, T.J. used to swim, so he had some experience, plus he was also very talented. T.J. recruited six other guys to form a seven-man swim team: the mentally challenged Chris Coughlin, the obnoxious and extremely intelligent Dan Hole, the kind and talented bodybuilder Tay-Roy Kibble, the rude Andy Mott, the quiet Jackie Craig, and the obese Simon DeLong. Although this team had their differences when they first came together, they eventually became great friends and improved every day. They also faced multiple challenges including not even having a pool at their high school to practice, and an annoying bully, Mike Barbour, trying to get the school to dismiss their swim team. The novel Whale Talk would be a superb book to read, due to its realistic and interesting story line, and the fact that it can inspire anyone that they shouldn’t be afraid to be themselves and always strive to do their best at whatever they are working for.~Adrian B. (per. 3)

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser.

This year, I read the book Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser.  This book mainly focuses on a teen who suffers from an obsessive compulsive disorder and struggles growing up with her strange quirks and rituals.  I really enjoyed reading this book because it gave me a better understanding of the disorder and the amount of stress and anxiety the sufferer feels from their family, friends, as well as themselves, to get better.  What I really found interesting about the main character, Tara, was that her attitude really was to help her family and friends, not torture them.  However, her parents, before Tara’s diagnoses, take all her peculiarities to the head and drive her, as well as themselves, crazy.  In fact, her mom actually believed slapping would cure Tara out of her abnormal habits.  When that proved to be a failure, they decided to go to therapist after therapist after therapist to find a cure. However all, surprisingly, did not diagnose her with OCD, but instead with attention deficit disorder and immaturity.  Towards the end of the book, we finally see someone solve the puzzle to Tara’s “problematic behavior”.  It was her OCD.  Apparently, OCD isn’t a very commonly known disorder; so consequently, most therapists don’t know what to classify symptoms of OCD as.  Ultimately, Tara learned a lot about her disorder and eventually, went to a psychologist to get better. I found this book really interesting and informative.  I really liked how the author had written in first-person to illustrate the mental-battle that Tara had experienced through all this.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.  It is an easy read for those who face self-esteem or self-acceptance issues or even for anyone who’d just like to fill up on their OCD knowledge.  --Sairah V. Per 3