The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am struggling to write this review in the same way I struggled to read the book. I am torn between tremendous admiration for the author’s creativity and thorough research and my grudging admission that the novel failed to truly transport me the way a five-star novel should. Whitehead’s unflinching portrayal of the savage inhumanity of American slavery is an important if not entertaining read. He manages to pack it all in, from slave ships, to depraved plantation owners, to medical experimentation and sterilization, to sadistic slave catchers. His overlay of magical realism by employing an actual, physical underground railroad to transport slaves from the deep south to the free north is brilliant. The writing is well-crafted and the pace is swift. Despite all of this, I had to push my way through this book, and my hesitation wasn’t solely attributable to the harsh and violent realities it portrayed. I agree with other reviewers who felt they were kept at a remove from characters, either because they were underdeveloped or because the story was told in the third person. I felt the nonfiction objective of this book overpowered the fictional structure it was built upon. It was as though Whitehead wanted construct a complete litany of the abuses associated with this nation’s heritage of slavery more than he wanted to tell a compelling story. The story was a vehicle for the litany. A well crafted vehicle, for sure, but not really a five-star novel. ~ Ms Dimmick

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Do I really need to say any more? Set in Texas, Ari and Dante are two Mexican-American teens who strike up a friendship at the town pool over the summer. This was a great audio book, and probably just as great to read if you are a fan of YA realistic fiction. I listened to it on the Axis 360 App if you want the audio book. ~ Ms. Steiger

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A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho

A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finley and Betty were friends for years before Finley’s parents split up and she moved to NYC with her mom. They remained close because Finley returned to their small town in Maine every summer to live with her dad. But the fall of their senior year, when they were both supposed to be applying to NYU, Betty died under mysterious circumstances. Finley is convinced that Betty was killed by her boyfriend and sets out to prove it when she returns for the summer following graduation. This is a gritty mystery with lots of twists and turns. ~ Ms. Steiger

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Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, by Matthew Dicks

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a clever premise! Budo is 6 year-old Max’s imaginary friend, and he has survived longer than most imaginary friends (who typically disappear in kindergarten, when children make their own, real friends) because Max is “on the spectrum” and doesn’t have any real friends. Budo helps Max navigate the confusing social environment of school, and protects him as best he can from bullies and from “getting stuck.” But there are limits to Budo’s power in the real world, and when Max faces some serious danger, Budo feels helpless and incapable of mounting a rescue effort. Budo is also in danger, but of a different kind. If he is successful at getting Max to be independent and help himself, will Budo cease to exist like so many other imaginary friends? The book gave me great insight into the thoughts and challenges faced by autistic children while at the same time telling a faced-paced and thrilling story of manipulation, deceit and derring-do. I could have done without the author’s obvious agenda when it comes to certain styles and strategies of teaching, but it didn’t detract too much from the good story. ~ Ms Dimmick

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My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, by Stephanie Perkins

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A perfect holiday read — stories you can chip away at during the margins of your day. Most are very sweet, heart warming romances. A few cross the border into syrupy and are almost offensive in their use of teenage romance tropes, but they’re easy to skip past in favor of the next. There’s a nice mix of contemporary realistic fiction, mystical realism and pure fantasy, and while they are holiday-themed, they do not focus exclusively in Christmas (though it does dominate). The authors, a veritable who’s who of YA fiction, seemed to genuinely enjoy crafting their contributions to this delightful collection. ~ Ms Dimmick

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Spontaneous, by Aaron Starmer

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

(This is a review of an ARC from Edelweiss)

You think your senior year was stressful? Trust me, it’s got nothing on what’s going on at Covington High. The seniors there are so tense they’re ready to explode. Literally.

When a case of spontaneous combustion breaks out among the senior class – and begins spreading – Mara Carlyle takes it the way any cliche-ridden teenager would: cracking jokes, doing drugs, and hooking up with a new boy. Luckily her best friend Tess is there to talk her down, and the new boy, Dylan is mysterious and surrounded by rumors (burned down a store? fathered triplets? maybe!) Throw in government agent who implies there’s more to what’s going on than it seems, and you have what could be a great, dark-humored read.

I really wanted to like this. But oy, it just didn’t work for me. The premise was there, if not entirely new (Heathers? Buffy?) but Starmer just couldn’t seem to pull it over the goal-line. The ending peters out and you just never get any answers or resolution for the characters, which irritated me. Even if I don’t like a character, I want to know what happens to them!

And I didn’t like the characters. The main problem is Mara – she’s just an incredibly unpleasant character – and that was before the kids started exploding. Yes, she’s far too cool for school, and for this book even. I had no interest in what she was thinking or doing, and couldn’t figure out why any of the other characters were so interested in talking to her either.  – Ms. Schoen

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The Movie Version by Emma Wunsch

The Movie Version by Emma Wunsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a review of an ARC from NetGalley. Spoilers ahoy!

Amelia’s life could be a standard sit-com set-up: white, middle-class family in upstate New York, parents run a restaurant, two cute fighting twin younger brothers, and a handsome, popular, adored older brother. But when Amelia comes home form a summer baby-sitting gig, something is off. Her older brother Toby has changed dramatically, and spends all day locked in his room getting high, or scribbling furiously in a notebook.

It becomes clear fairly quickly that Toby’s problem is more than just drugs, and that there’s something seriously wrong. Amelia tries to cover for her brother – partially out of sibling loyalty, and partially because she is too wrapped up in her own life (new boyfriend, learning to drive) to worry about her brother. But after Toby has a psychotic break, no one can ignore it anymore. The book centers around how Amelia and her family cope with the situation. Amelia’s main response is to think about how all of this will affect her. Is that the perfect behavior? No. Is it normal for a 16-year-old (or really, for a human being)? yes.

I’ve seen some complaints that the book treats mental illness as a plot device, and that the characters don’t treat mental illness appropriately. But I think the main issue is that the blurb makes it seem like it’s going to be a fun light romance, and it’s definitely not. This is a serious book about a teenage girl coping with a sick brother. She doesn’t handle everything perfectly, or even particularly well. But to me that felt honest.

One issue I did have was the sex scenes. I have no problem with them being there, but the writing was – awkward, and felt a bit gratuitous. They could easily have been toned down or taken out and not hurt the plot or character development. – Ms Schoen

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Student Review: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson (reviewed by Tajea B)

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first female Muslim superhero is finally here, and she’s not afraid to kick some butt. G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel successfully caught my eyes with its amazing illustrations and storyline. Reading Ms. Marvel is almost like going on an adventure through your imagination. The plot in this adventure breaks a new ground. When we meet Kamala in her non-super state she’s a 16 year-old geek, who’s loyal to her close friend and disinclined to rebel against her observant family. Don’t get me started on her “sad nerd obsession with the Avengers” (3). She writes elaborate fanfictions about them and tries to get her parents to understand, but of course they don’t. Kamala seems out of place, even in her diverse high school. She can’t seem to “fit in” with the other teens. Throughout the comic we see how it is a struggle to not only learn new superpowers, but also live a double life. I will say this book is a big deal to American Muslims, and the children of Muslim immigrants, to see themselves represented in an amazing book like this. It also shows how wonderful teenage Muslim minds think and how they cherish their faith. If I could, I would give every single student in high schools everywhere a copy of this comic. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about Muslim culture or who loves a good laugh and superheros. ~ Student: Tajea B

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Student Review: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (reviewed by Brandon L.)

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The thriller of Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief exhibits the adventures of Percy Jackson. Zeus’ lightning bolt is stolen and Poseidon, his brother, is blamed for the theft. Zeus demands his weapon is to be returned by the summer solstice. As Percy and his mother leave for vacation, an unlikely event occurs and the two are separated; Percy enters Camp Half-Blood and Sally, his mother, is held captive. In Camp Half-Blood, a very important topic is covered. Percy learns more about who he actually is; he learns about his identity. When the demigods discover that he is the son of Poseidon, they set him, along with his friends Grover and Annabeth, out on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt. If they don’t before the summer solstice, a war will break out between the gods. Out in the real world, all of the monsters are set out wanting to kill Percy. But during these adventures of fighting these creatures and reaching places of dismay, Grover, Percy’s protector, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, ultimately help Percy get to the Underworld, where they believe the bolt is, and bring it back to Olympus. Though this is his main goal to others, the topic of love overthrows this goal. Percy’s love for his mom makes the retrieval of Zeus’ lightning bolt seem small. Percy’s ultimate goal is to be with his mother again. Whether he chooses to risk his life to stay with his mom, or to stay safe and live with his kind in Camp Half-Blood, it ultimately shapes who he is meant to be.

Readers of all different kinds of genres will enjoy Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. Whether comedy, or mythololgy is interesting to the reader, it has a little bit of both. The personality of Percy and his friends will make a reader laugh out loud. At the same time, the adventures they take down relate directly to ancient Greek stories. It also exhibits the love between friends as well as love between family members. A reader that is into the explicit fight scenes that are present in violent books, this one might disappoint as the fight scenes do not go deep into the blood and gore. But whether the reader believes it will definitely not be interesting, or it will be the greatest ever, everyone should read this book. ~ Student: Brandon L.

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Student Review: Specials, by Scott Westerfeld (reviewed by Jennifer U.)

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the Specials by Scott Westerfeld. It was the third book in the Ugly series. The book is about a dystopian society. There are two groups of people, the ugly’s, who are the average people in our world, and the pretty’s. Once you turn 16 you can choose to have the surgery performed on you and your whole body gets changed to look perfect. It sounds like a great choice, but what the citizens don’t know is the government plants lesions in their brains which causes them to not care about anything and not challenge the government. However Tally and her friend Shay run away before the time comes to get changed. They meet a whole new group of people, the Smokies. The Smokies tell them all about the lesions and how they have invented a cure but sadly, the government finds Tally and Shay and turns them into not only pretties, but specials. Now Shay and Tally have lost all the information they learned and know nothing. They have to figure out how to get their brains back before the whole town is ruined. It was a good book and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to readers who likes fantasy, romance and books about dystopian worlds~ Student: Jennifer U.

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