Sweet, by Emmy Laybourne

Sweet by Emmy Laybourne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. That was…not what I expected. How to describe it? Frothy teen romance meets The Walking Dead?

Former child star Tom Forelli has booked a gig hosting a celebrity cruise to launch a new sweetener, Solu. Fort Lauderdale teenager Laurel has snagged a ticket on the cruise to accompany her friend Viv. The two have a meet cute (he falls on her while showing off break dance moves) and between that and reality TV stars, discussions of teenaage angst and weight issues, the book seems to be shaping up as your standard light-hearted YA romance. Then things take a *very* different turn.

(Warning – some spoilers!)

Solu, it turns out, isn’t just a sugar substitute. It can also help you lose weight. Lots of weight. Turn obese people into famine victims amounts of weight. And that’s not the only effect it has on your body. The end of the book is a (literal) bloodbath, but mixed right in with doses of teen dreams (seriously – on the run from drug-crazed zombies, the two leads take time to snuggle). But while the plot doesn’t hold up to any serious scrutiny, and most of the characters are just stock figures, it’s an enjoyable, breezy read.

Ms Schoen

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Student Review: Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Reviewed by Sally N.)

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In her memoir “Yes Please,” Amy Poehler offers insightful comments told through a serious of witty, heartfelt and honest anecdotes. As she recounts everything from her childhood in Burlington, Massachusetts, to her improv life in Chicago, to her days at Saturday Night Live, she incorporates smart and kind advice about everything from self-perception to careers.

A very light and easy read, I enjoyed “Yes Please” although, it was trite at times, often lacked a flow from topic to topic and quite frankly was a little underwhelming. I would recommend this book to a forgiving reader and fan of Amy Poehler. I appreciated learning about her life and her words made me feel her warmth as a seemingly genuine woman but that was all it was; a comforting tale of her life with some shallow wisdom weaved in to the stories. Poehler’s personality seems to come across in this piece even though the writing is certainly not the best. She did use humor to her advantage with some quality jokes worked in to her stories that often saved some of the less interesting chapters. Overall, it was a classic celebrity memoir; fun and interesting but not a lot of depth and certainly not “literature.”~Student: Sally N.

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Student Review: Bossypants, by Tina Fey (reviewed by Katherine K.)

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When faced with the difficulty of picking a good book to read, one can never go wrong choosing Bossypants by Tina Fey. This book is both hilarious and heartfelt. Tina Fey writes about her life getting to where she is now and how her past has made her who she is. From theater camps, to improv groups, to SNL, and to 30 Rock, Fey gives the reader a sense of understanding as to how she became a producer, comedian and actress. Tina Fey does not limit her audience to just women or theatrical people, she appeals to everyone. Tina Fey does not limit her audience by telling stories and jokes everyone can relate to whether that being men, women or teens. The book does seem to appeal more to adults by the language and jokes. Jokes about politics and parenting make the book attract more adults and less teens. Teens do not have some of the experiences in life that Tina Fey talks about making the jokes hard to understand. This book should be read by anyone that is interested in going into the television business. Tina Fey talks about her life as a producer for SNL and the struggles behind having a family and working. She talks about the balancing act a working parent has to do and how hard it is, making the book relatable to working parents. Overall, Bossypants is a hilarious. Tina Fey does an amazing job making the book appeal to everyone through comical jokes. ~ Student: Katherine K.

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Student Review: Yes, Please, by Amy Poehler (Reviewed by Naomi H.)

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Yes, Please”, written by Amy Poehler about Amy Poehler, is without a doubt one of the most captivating, relateable, and interesting non-fiction books I have ever read.

“Yes, Please” is Amy Poehler’s autobiography, but it differs from many other common biographies in the sense that it isn’t linear. Rather than sit down and narrate her life from start to finish, Poehler instead chooses moments and time frames from her life and groups them into different sections. Each of these sections has some form of takeaway, which is loudly announced on an exciting and colorful page at the beginning of each section. These ‘titles’ say things like: “Figure out what you want. Say it loud. Then shut up” or, “short people do not like to be picked up”. While all the stories in the following section usually have something to do with whatever was on that first page of the section, mostly they’re all just very funny.

Ranging from her experiences on SNL, to Parks and Recreation, to friends, to lovers, to children, Poehler always finds ways to get laughs throughout the book. Amy Poehler’s style of comedy is, in my opinion, very individual and it really translates into her writing. One thing that she tends to do, on camera and in the book, is say completely ridiculous things that you simply cannot help but to laugh at. These are things like saying she is currently, while writing, considering calling her book “Mosquitoes love me: A Woman’s Guide to Getting Her Funk On”, or leaving in a seems-to-be-mistake note to the editors saying or asking something totally absurd. While these are obviously fake facts to get laughs, the majority of the book, believe it or not, is true. I think that Poehler intersperses these pockets of true and raw fact experiences between the jokes very delicately, and it leaves the reader feeling like they can really understand her.

Poehler’s story, in my opinion is one that is really interesting. While she might not have been homeless, or orphaned, or born in the spot light, she was passionate. She didn’t ‘get famous,’ she just pursued the career she loved, and she happened to be good enough to make it. Poehler narrates her normal, hectic, and hilarious life encounters in this captivating and memorable book that I would recommend to anybody.~Student: Naomi H.

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Student Review: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith (reviewed by Katherine B.)

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Want to read a detective novel, but too lazy for Doyle or Cristie? For a short, sweet, and heartwarming book, pick up Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Smith’s novel has all the elements of a great mystery- a first-rate protagonist, a compelling plot, and an unforgettable ending.

Mma Ramotswe, the story’s protagonist, is a middle-aged Botswanan woman who decides to start a detective agency after her father’s death. Mma Ramotswe drives from one mystery to the next, solving each through intuition and resourcefulness. Most of the mysteries are lighthearted and witty, but one is more serious. Gradually Mma Ramotswe uncovers more information about it, and eventually is able to confront a face of her country’s sinister problem.

Even though many chapters don’t feature much action (e.g., ‘Mma Matsuki Deals with the Mail’), The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is very entertaining. Mma Ramotswe comes up with a clever solution to each problem she’s given, which becomes even more interesting against the Botswana backdrop. The most mundane chores, like driving to meet a client, become infinitely more exciting when a snake glides up into Mma Romotswe’s car and she has to decide what to do about it.

Also, the novel is narrated with a very straightforward, understated voice. It says enough to provide humor and interest, without saying too much and impeding the flow of plot:

“’Have you been in my house before?’ he asked, knowing of course, that she had not. ‘Have you been to one of my parties?’
That was a lie as well, she knew. Mr. Patel never gave parties, and she wondered why he would pretend to do so.
‘No.’ She said simply. ‘You have never asked me.’
‘Oh dear,’ he said, chuckling as he spoke. ‘Then I have made a big mistake’”(99).

Although this isn’t all in the quote, this book is sad, sweet, funny, and beautifully honest- and the story’s simple, sincere voice captures this perfectly.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a cheerful, uncomplicated novel, or a painless mystery book. Despite its title, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency isn’t at all a girly book, and I recommend it highly to both girls and boys in search of a light read. ~ Student: Katherine B.

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Student Review: The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (reviewed by Maria H.)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, captures young readers’ interest by the characters for fighting for life and falling in love. Not only is this book a page-turner but also takes the reader on a journey through the life of a young girl with cancer. Hazel, one of the main characters, struggled with thyroid cancer that spread through her lungs since she was little. There is a tug of war that her parents win and make her go to a support group. At the support group she meets a young man Augustus close to her age that used to have cancer. Later on in the book Hazel and Augustus kindle a romantic and passionate relationship that leads to an intrigue with love. Reading more into the book, a relationship between the reader and the characters develop. The ending of the book has a little ironic twist to it. The Fault In Our Stars is a romantic novel with a tragic ending. This book gives the reader a sense that life comes with curveballs. I admired how the author kept the narrator Hazel herself. Hazel and Augustus were very believable because it was as if a girl told to story herself. In the very beginning when Hazel and Augustus meet each other he ignores that she has cancer and only admires how beautiful she is. In that point of the book I could already tell that Augustus had a true love for Hazel. The book connects to young readers as their journey through the book hopes to find love that lasts between Hazel and Augustus. I made a personal connection with the book because we both shared a tragedy. I would recommend this book to other readers because it captures a great interest. ~ Student: Maria H.

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Student Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie (reviewed by Benjamin A.)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sherman Alexie, the author, writes an amazing story. He creates an image of life very similar to high school kids in Newton, except for one thing, money. It is one of the most real, funny but at the same time extremely controversial due to the use of profanity and reference to sex. Overall, it was an absolute page-turner.

Arnold, the main character, begins the story by stating his condition. At birth he was diagnosed with an excess of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Basically, he had too much water in his brain. So, he has many physical problems and gets made fun of a lot.

During his first week of high school, Arnold is fed up with the fact that his school can’t afford books for everyone so he throws his book at his teacher and ends up breaking the teachers nose, resulting in Arnold being expelled and having to switch schools.

Arnold transfers to Reardan High School, a school completely the opposite of his old school due to the fact that it is made up of mostly rich white kids. Arnold clearly does not fit in financially. He soons develops a crush on the most popular girl in the school. She becomes his replacement for his best friend at the other school he went to named Rowdy. He tries out for the basketball team at his school and makes it. Before Arnold knows it he is playing his old school with his old pal Rowdy.

He then tells us about some crazy and weird situations that are funny but at the same time very very weird. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone but especially a high schooler because they can relate the best to it. ~ Student: Benjamin A.

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Student Review: Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes (reviewed by Aviva R.)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jojo Moyes’ British novel Me Before You is not a love story. It is a story that tells of the love between people, yes, but it is no prototypical boy meets girl fairytale; it’s a book about friendship, ambition, and what makes life worth living. It is one of the most unique, heart-breaking and thought provoking books I have ever read, filled with realistic, likable but flawed characters, whose struggles and insights into life leave the reader wondering: what would I have done?

Louisa Clark is a 26 year-old with a steady boyfriend, job, and generally ordinary and simple life. When the coffee shop she works at closes, she sets out to find a new job, and eventually stumbles upon a job as a caretaker for a quadriplegic man named Will.

Will was a rich, traveled, successful, intelligent 35 year old, until a motorcycling accident leaves him paralyzed, condemned to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He is rude, angry at the reality of life as a quadriplegic and at first, the two can barely tolerate each other.

Gradually, the two strike up an odd and unconventional friendship, filled with sarcastic banter and truthful conversation. Will has lived life to the fullest, but never will again. Louisa has almost never left her town, by Will’s terms, hasn’t lived at all. He berates her, “You cut yourself off from all sorts of experiences because you tell yourself you are ‘not that sort of person,’ ”You’ve done nothing, been nowhere. How do you have the faintest idea what kind of person you are?” As Louisa strives to interest Will in his new life and future once again, he tries to expose her to the wonders of the world.

Jojo Moyes draws us into a real world of intimacy, pain, and difficult choices. The book explores what it means to live a fulfilling life, leaving the reader lost in thought, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone prepared for lots of laughter and tears. ~ Student: Aviva R.

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Student Review: Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes (reviewed by Tema S.)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How do you persuade someone to keep living over the course of six months? Maybe through adventure, or love, or force… This is the challenge that Louisa Clark takes on in the beginning of JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You. With both a comedic and captivating storyline, Me Before You is a wonderfully written book about finding ways to move past one’s restrictions and escape or embrace the frustrations of life.

After losing her stable and long-lived job at a café in Britain, Louisa takes on a new one that ends up affecting not just the six months she’s been hired, but ultimately, the rest of her life. While trying to dissuade Will Traynor from settling on assisted suicide, Louisa looks at the world from a new angle and comes to understand what it’s like to live without access to all four limbs. Determined to show Will, a stubborn and bitter quadriplegic, the many activities that he can still take part in, Louisa goes on an internal journey, overcoming obstacles and learning to let go. Meanwhile, Will also educates her about all of the things and places she’s been missing out on. Conclusively, he teaches her to broaden her mind, while she teaches him to alleviate his pent-up pain and anger.

Using Louisa’s, Will’s parents, and a few other perspectives, Moyes manages to make each character accessible and easy to empathize with. Not only is switching between the characters an interesting writing technique, but it also enables the reader to comprehend more of the tangled emotions they are all feeling, which makes each character’s actions more apprehensible.

Overall, JoJo Moyes’ witty and heart-numbing Me Before You is most definitely worth reading. With the combination of laughable dialogue and tear-worthy scenes, this book deserves to be read by all. ~ Student: Tema S.

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The Martian, by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I never expected to enjoy a survival story set on Mars so much! Mark Watney is an astronaut on a mission to Mars and has been included on the crew because of his expertise in botany and his all-around fix-it skills. These skills and more come in extremely handy when the crew is blindsided by a fierce dust storm and forced to abandon the both the mission and Mark, who is impaled by a communications antenna and left for dead. Like everything else in the story, the idea that Mark could have survived the piercing of his spacesuit seems highly implausible until you learn about the science of blood coagulation in an environment like Mars. Andy Weir does an outstanding job of making science fiction read like contemporary, realistic fiction, and he does it with such a quirky, science-geek voice that the reader chuckles the whole way through this otherwise fast-paced science/math-packed adventure story. Much of the story is told episodically through Mark’s daily log entries, which is how you come to know, love and root for our resourceful hero in the face of impossible odds. Mark has the equipment to supply adequate oxygen and water for an extended stay, but no where near enough food to last the projected four years it would take for a rescue mission to arrive. Add to that the fact that he has no way to communicate with Houston, who thinks he’s dead and therefore has no intention of mounting said rescue, and you see how dire it looks for our hero. Nonetheless, Mark’s indomitable spirit coupled with his incredible resourcefulness and vast STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) knowledge make this a decidedly hopeful read. This will be particularly popular among space geeks and science nerds with a good sense of humor. ~ Ms. Dimmick

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