Book Reviews by Genre: Fiction

This was an absolutely amazing book! In Skyhunter Talin, the main character, is part of a fearless and talented group of soldiers called strikers. Regardless of the pain and sorrow she experiences she continues to defend the country of Mara from the Karensa Federation. However it all seems hopeless, until she meets an escaped federation soldier who changes everything. I really loved learning about and connecting with the characters in this book, and the constant action and tension made it almost impossible to stop reading. Although one of my favorite parts of the book might just be the little mouse. I would definitely recommend this book!
Reviewer grade: 8

Wonder is a coming of age fiction starting with a boy named August. August, who has never been to school before, has to learn the hard way of fitting in. He was born with mandibulofacial dysostosis, which caused August's cheeks and other facial features like the mouth, ears, and eyes, to form differently at birth. When I first read this book, I was so intrigued from the first page, and this book taught me so many life lessons, and that you shouldn't care what others think of you. The story explains August's battles, the overwhelming feelings he encounters, from friends, and family, all while having the trouble of people's reaction to his face. August taught me to be brave and have courage to do things that are new or challenging. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone struggling to find themselves in life, it taught me so much.

This book was very good. I loved the authors development of characters and plot in the book. The romantic scenes were very age appropriate for 13 year olds. I was intrigued by how she explained the main storyline and how the main character came to be.

Marissa Meyer's Cinder is a sci-fi retelling of the classic tale Cinderella. It follows Cinder, a young cyborg mechanic, as she struggles with the people's discrimination against her and her fear of the deadly plague slowly overtaking the Earth. With the looming threat of universal war, and her complicated relationship with the crown prince, Cinder is caught up in political drama, scientific breakthroughs, love, loss, and shocking realizations about her past.

This book deals with heavy themes of discrimination as Cinder is made an outcast for her cybernetic makeup. It also displays themes of racism in the behaviors of the citizens of the Earth and Moon towards each other. Throughout the story the stereotypes of both sides challenged and understanding is established between the groups.

This book was a unique and interesting read keeping the reader invested through every twist and plot point. I would highly advise it for young adult readers who enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, or just classic fairy tales.

Where do I even begin...This book started off in a dystopian world. Where magic existed, underground fights, and a corrupt gonverment. The most compelling feature of Caster is it's magic system. In the dystopain city of Lotusland, magic is not a "free gift." It is a destructive force that draws energy directly from the Earth, causing enviromental catasrophes, like earthquakes and pollution. Worse, "full casting" physically hurts the caster, leaving painful wounds that serev as a constant reminder of what using this power costs. Sixteen year old Aza Wu is our main character, and our protaganist. Driven buy adult responsiblties, a theme that is rooted in the story's Chinese inspired setting. She carries the weight of her family's survival on her shoulders. Her journey isn't about saving the world; it's a personal struggle, to pay off gang debts, svae the family tea house, and solve the mystery of her sister's death. Aza is flawed and often makes reckless descisions, but her loyalty makes her a character you can't help but root for. While the ending can feel slightly abrupt or flat for those hoping a tidy resolution, it perfectly sets the stage for a bigger conflict. The writing is sharp and can make you see the world thorugh your mind's eye, making the tournament duels feel cinematic and urgent. Caster is a spellbinding and pulse bounding read that will leave you wondering, what's next?

The Book Thief is a very emotional book set in Nazi Germany during WW2. The story follows a young girl named Liesel Meminger, who is sent to live with a foster family and finds a love for books, even though the world around her is falling apart. One of the most unique parts of the story is that it is narrated by Death, which gives everything a different and interesting perspective. What makes this book so good is how it connects you to its characters. The author uses creative language and symbolism making every detail important. Liesels relationships, especially with her foster parents and Rudy (her best friend) feel real, raw and deep. There are a few downsides: the pacing is a little slow at times, especially in the middle and the narration could be confusing for some. Death also reveals future events which can take away the suspense at times. Overall, The Book Thief is a very good book that leaves a lasting impact. Its emotional, meaningful and is different from much of the stories about WW2. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or character-driven stories.

I picked the book Lesson in Chemistry because I'm currently taking Chemistry and this bright cover and its status as a PPLD top checkout caught my eye. The story follows Elizabeth Zott, scientist who ends up hosting a TV cooking show to teach women about science. I loved Elizabeth’s fierce intelligence, but it was frustrating to read about the blatant sexism she faced in the lab. I really related deeply to Elizabeth’s struggle for professional respect, making this one of my favorite reads of the year.

I chose this book because I had heard so much about the story and wanted to see if the rest of the book was just as haunting. The plot of the main story involves a small town gathering for an annual ritual that seems innocent at first but ends with a shocking twist that I truly did not see coming. What I enjoyed most was Jackson's ability to make the mundane feel terrifying, however some of the shorter sketches felt a bit unfinished compared to the other in the bunch.

I picked up this book because the title made me curious about what happens after the school bell rings, and I know PPLD recommends it often. This book tells a story of ten short sections about different students from the same middle school all walking home in the same direction. I really liked how the stories were funny and relatable, but they also had some deeper moments that made me think about my own friends. My favorite part was seeing how the characters' paths crossed in small ways, though I wish some of the stories were a little longer because I wanted to know even more about the kids! It didn't quite end the way I expected, which was a cool surprise.

An amazing book that was absolutely thrilling, enticing, and heart-wrenchingly emotional! One of my all time favorites and it will always be near and dear to my heart. It's full of adventure, growing from trauma, and making new connections with people you never would have expected. In a whole world of fantasy this book was absolutely fire (see what I did there :) !!!

It was the most perfect, cheesy romance imaginable! While being unfortunately highly unrealistic, Poppy and Alex's story was so silly and fun to go along with. Honestly a refreshing read that wasn't too heavy but had enough weight to have a good plot!

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of those iconic literary texts that evaded my entire educational career. Remedying this, I have finally sat down to read this famous book, and I think more people would benefit from its narrative if they’re encouraged to read it as well. While the events are fictitious, the world Harriet Beecher Stowe paints with her words is probably closer to reality than most people at the time realized, thus educating people (mainly Christians) about how their beliefs should not be aligned with slavery in any way.

First and foremost, the format of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is still entertaining. The story itself is strong because it shares so many similarities with things happening in the lead-up to the Civil War. Things that most people of the time were likely ignorant of. We may take these events as common knowledge after all the history books that have been written about slavery, but to those in its contemporary era who didn’t know this was happening, it’s quite an enraging piece of literature that spurs one to action. The trick with reading it today is making sure to actually engage with the original material.

Partly because of all the adaptations of this work, some themes and characterizations are lost as people associate with the versions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin that ultimately form negative stereotypes for African Americans. I went into this book expecting these things but was pleasantly surprised to find that these characters really shined in their depiction of humanity. That there’s hope to defeat such an ugly beast of humanity’s greed makes me wonder if any other modern works will be written that expose things in a way to get the masses mad about what’s currently happening in our world.

A well-written exposé on the evils of slavery, I give Uncle Tom’s Cabin 4.5 stars out of 5.

The Outsiders is a great book for many reasons. One of the reasons is the personal development. The Outsiders follows the story of Ponyboy Curtis as he is faced with many challenges. The action and emotional moments in the book kept me interested the whole book. I recommend this book because it shows how you can overcome challenges just like Ponyboy.

This book follows the adventure of a misfortunate scholar named Humphrey Van Weyden. During a trip by boat he is knocked over board and finds himself saved and in the service of the unfeeling tyrannical captain Wolf Larsen. Throughout the book Van Weyden philosophically debates with his counterpart Wolf Larsen on kindness and intellect versus survival of the fittest. Van Weyden is eventually forced to confront Larsen and make his way back to civilization.

The book spends most of its narrative highlighting the absolute differences between the two main characters. Due to this focus the books story tends to be slower and sometimes repetitive. The book provides an excellent example of how environment shapes character and what beliefs are most important when confronted by challenge. The book has a compelling concept that unfortunately suffers from an excess of dialogue and not enough story progression or narrative.

There are nonfiction biographies about famous people, then there are books like Blonde, which fuse fictional narration techniques with mostly biographical details of a person’s life. While not entirely historically accurate, it is intrinsically entertaining. In fact, I would deem that Blonde is perhaps the most entertaining version of Marilyn Monroe’s life to be put to the page (given that you're listening to the abridged version like I did). It might be too over-erotic in places, but the trauma of being deemed and treated like a sex symbol for decades really comes into focus in this intimate portrayal of Norma Jeane.

Blonde is interesting in the way that it almost feels like an autobiography from Marilyn’s perspective. The almost breathless whispering affectation comes across and has such a well-thought-out explanation as to really convey Monroe’s internal monologue through these words. The progression of her life feels completely out of her control, but her ability to adapt and make the most of what she wanted to get out of it. That her endless stream of male suitors feels more like a used doll passed down the line instead of something she actively pursued really highlights how little autonomy women of the era had—even women as well-known as Marilyn Monroe.

Trying to make Monroe’s life into something more puritan would have been a disservice to the effect she had on society. While this could have been done in a less explicit manner, it drives home the central themes of the book. From a modern context, even 26 years after its original 2000 release, Blonde shows how oppressive the patriarchy was/is. Objectification has not improved in the meantime, even if the #MeToo movement has made voices calling out abuse more prevalent. In the end, Marilyn’s life is tragic, and the contextualization in Blonde merely brings this into uncomfortable focus.

An intimate and semi-fictional account of Marilyn Monroe, I give Blonde 4.5 stars out of 5.

I recently read "What the Woods Took" by Courtney Gould and I loved reading it. Each chapter left me wanting to keep reading and know what happens next. I loved the plot twist with what happens with *spoilers* Hannah. Gould did a great job, in my opinion, building the relationships that the main characters were building throughout their time in the forest, she also did well with Devin and Sheridan's relationship. I think it was well written and the descriptions made me feel like I was actually there. The scenes where the main characters were fighting the mimics and trying to survive were amazing. I loved reading "What the Woods Took" and highly recommend it if you are into thriller books.

Caraval circles around two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, or Tella. These sisters live on an island called Trisda that their father governs. They also have a shared interest; they both have dreams of seeing the magical performance of caraval, where it is said that the audience participates in the show. During caraval, some go mad, some get lost in the beauty and extravaganza, some simply go for the adventure, yet most go for all three. Caraval is run by the magical caraval master, Legend, who's identity has remained a mystery by most people. The point of caraval is to play with the mind of the people involved, yet it is all supposed to be only a game. Scarlett and Tella fear they aren't able to travel to caraval due to the fact that their father doesn't allow them to leave their island, yet a chance arises when a sailor gives them an offer.

This book was so magnificent. I don't know if I've read a book and needed it into a movie so much. It was a magical experience and although I am now on the third book, and final, book in this series, I do think this one was my favorite for sure. I will admit that I usually get pretty picky about my characters in book, I liked most of them in this one. Overall a great, attention grabbing book.

As my children get into longer books (and can pay attention to audiobooks), I’ve appreciated some of the stories that they have chosen. One such book was Jacky Ha Ha by James Patterson. The story of a goofy kid trying to find her purpose—or at least who interacted with adults who saw her promise—was an amusing coming of age tale. The problem with the narrative was mostly around the negligent father figure who was absent for most of the story. This subplot was my main qualm with the book.

The titular character in Jacky Ha Ha frames the story as an acceptance speech years in the future, where she no longer suffers from the stuttering that gained her this nickname. The presence of mentors at her school who saw her clowning as a potential for improv and acting is the engagement I want from those who are teaching my kids, so I appreciate that push to have Jacky try things that might make her embarrassed or push her outside her comfort zone. These days, it seems rare that someone outside the family would show an interest in mentoring a child who is frequently in detention, so I like to think that people like that still exist.

Unfortunately, the familial conflict revolved around Jacky suspecting that her father was having an affair. The number of evenings he was outside the home, leaving the large family of kids to fend for themselves for dinner was honestly grossly negligent. The explanation for his absence in the end wasn’t the satisfying twist it was meant to be because it still glossed over the fact that Jacky had made this whole scenario up because he wasn’t there to actually parent these kids. Overall, that left a sour taste as it was such a crux to the plot.

A good story about mentoring troublesome kids, but with some troubling parental neglect, I give Jacky Ha Ha 3.0 stars out of 5.

Some of the best science fiction ever written has its basis in reality. These “what-if” scenarios often pull from actual processes and procedures that help ground them while still being entertaining. Knowing that Michael Crichton always digs deep into the science of his stories, it’s no wonder that The Andromeda Strain is an engaging examination of what happens when an unknown pathogen comes to Earth and wreaks havoc on the biosphere in odd and mysterious ways. Of course, the core of this story is the safety steps it takes to combat a terrifying virus.

This book mostly splits into two stories: one about the tragic effects of the titular “Andromeda Strain” and one about the purification rituals the scientists need to perform in order to come up with a way to counter it. Half is hazmat suits performing autopsies to learn what happened, and half is multi-layer clean-room (and extreme contingency) protocols to ensure this deadly virus cannot escape the facility meant to research it. Both parts of this book are engaging in their own way, with their twists and reveals that drive the story forward.

My singular qualm with this book is that there’s all this build-up and tension as more details are revealed, only for the climax to be anticlimactic. That there’s ultimately no need for a vaccine or protocol to keep the population safe makes it feel like all that work was ultimately wasted. Still, I really enjoyed The Andromeda Strain for the peek into extremely competent individuals following highly detailed rules meant to keep everyone involved (and even the whole world) safe from the alien virus. It might come across as stiff and more non-fiction than many would like, but I’d almost consider this book as an early example of today’s hard sci-fi.

A journey of competence that lacks some payoff, I give The Andromeda Strain 4.5 stars out of 5.

I love historical fiction. That is why I loved the book refugee. The reason why it was not a five star is because it was hard to follow all three stories but other than that, it was a great and wonderful book. Refugee helped me learn about the historical event through three different stories. I loved comparing all of the stories and their timelines. Refugee is a very clean book for all teens.

I love Edenbrooke so much, when I read it became one of my new favorite books. The main character is belittled in regard to how perfect her sister is, and she just lives in the shadow of her sister. Edenbrooke is the perfect example of a main character finding her own story. The romance is real and makes you not want to stop reading. The plot is loveable which makes you fall in love with the book. It is simple but beautiful, Julianne Donaldson did a fabulous job.

Continuing the story of the Hero association infiltrating the Monster HQ, the Class S heroes have been shown to demonstrate their value of power against the Dragon level monsters all while keeping a really good dialogue between the two sides. The art style, as always, is phenomenal especially on the fight scenes. The story so far has been so good now that we get introduced to more characters and lore behind the Monster King Orochi's origins.

While the Arthurian legend has always fascinated me, I wasn’t entirely sure how much of what I knew was just condensed through other adaptations and interpretations and what was in the original story. I finally took it upon myself to read through this huge multi-volume set to find out what it’s actually about. To say it disappointed me would be an understatement. Perhaps it’s the prose, or the translation, or just the story structure, but I have never been so bored by a piece of literature since I forced myself to read Ulysses .

Early on, Le Morte D’Arthur had enough recognizable events to keep me engaged. The origins of Arthur’s birth. The Sword in the Stone. Lady of the Lake and Excalibur. Then, things fell apart. So much of the focus in this book was on random battles and jousts that I could hardly believe the famous stories that were gleaned from this tome even existed in this form. After a while, I was just forcing myself to sit through it just to say that I’d covered the source material.

Considering this is the earliest story (aside from the Bible) that I’ve read all the way through, it can be forgiven for being obtuse and unfocused. I’m more glad that the salient story beats have been distilled in Cliff Notes and other adaptations so that I don’t have to dive in and tackle this unwieldy story again. My curiosity wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, but my masochism forced me to finish it. Ultimately, if you’re also curious to read the original manuscript that inspired so many drama-filled tales of chivalrous knights, I’d say just pick up something that covers all the good bits and ignore the original.

An overly long book that doesn’t even seem to focus on anything it’s known for, I give Le Morte D'Arthur 2.0 stars out of 5.

Divine Rivals is a fantasy story about Iris Winnow and Rowan Kitt, two aspiring journalists who begin as enemies in the workplace but later become much, much more after Iris' letters, who she had believed were being sent to her brother, Forest, who was at war, ended up in Rowan's hands.

Divine Rivals is truly one of the best love stories I've ever read. The world in which the story is set it is amazing, and the book executes the enemies-to-lovers trope perfectly. The words the author used to describe everything are extremely immersive, and it makes you feel as if you're actually in the story yourself. The story itself is spellbinding and heartbreaking, and I am very excited to read the sequel.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was how confusing all of the myths and legends about the war are. Other than that, this book was fantastic. Five stars.

Hayla Swinton is the funniest gurl in her class but due to her being overweight she judges herself. During a school assembly, they have a talent show where Leo a very funny comedian performs. After that she falls head over heels for him. He is a scholar fit very popular guy Hayla finds out that he performs at his dad‘s family, friendly pub , but he doesn’t know what to perform so Hayla starts making up material and slipping it into his locker. She goes to the open night at the family friendly pub that his dad owns and watches him, little does she know Leo put her name down to perform that night she gets up stage very nervous is going well so far until she sees Leo and her best friend Chloe flirting with him this leads to her getting very embarrassed saying I’m done and walking off stage when Leo’s dad walks up, he reaches for the microphone, but Hayla gives him a big hug. The next couple of days were torture for her and her three best friends got in a fight brcause Chloe flirting with Leo. Leo finds out that Hayla was the one who was writing all of the comedy he wants to reform to be the comedy comedian of the teen comedian of the year. But Leo is just using her after her friends. Telling her this she still doesn’t believe them, but then she sees him kissing another girl after they thought they had a connection. This causes Hayla to also join the teen comedian of the year contest.

I chose to read this book Becuase it shows no matter how you look you can do what you love and I was in the mood for a rom-com because it was very funny.I dint like how fast everything was moving though

Celaena Sardothian is an assassin who is summoned to the council because she’s giving a once in a lifetime chance to become the Kings champion to win her freedom from the work camp she was trapped in for being an assassin if she can defeat 23 killers, thieves and warriors in a competition she will be released from this prison. It goes through many different plot twists throughout the book and a love triangle between the crown, Prince and the captain of the guard. I read this book because I like fantasy and it was a lot of drama happening and I liked that I didn’t like how it ends on a cliffhanger

If you are a person who adores fantasy or is looking for an unforgettable book series, i highly recommend reading warrior cats. The main character is a housecat named rusty who lives a comfortable life under human care. One night, he spots cats from a clan known as thunder clan. The 4 clans are unrecognized by anything other than the cats themselves and have social structure that keep the clans aligned. The cats were known as graypaw, lionheart, whitestorm and the clan leader, BlueStar. After recently receiving a prophecy of fire saving thunder clan through rusty, they quickly take him in as he gains the clan name Firestar. (After becoming leader due to bluestars death.) Firestar quickly befriends Graystripe, and their bond stays ever strong even after Graystripe begins having splits loyalties between clans. He uncovers secrets of the forest, as clans turn on one another, and clans begin to lose hope of peace after devasting impacts on the forest. But his kittypet roots surface back up and causes more discrimination and drama to this series.

This book has me so invested because of how many layers this book has, it has friendship, love, death, emotional trauma, bad pasts that come back to bite you and deep impact on the reader. You will fall in love with the amount of characters there are and all the mixed personalities within this book. The book describes seemly real life scenarios through the lives of these cats and has genuinely moved me greatly by how touching they are. There are characters that miss out on opportunities as a clan member, people who go crazy and turn more vile, elders who have seen it all, and kits who never got to meet their parents.
The author's sense of detail and imagery when making this book is beyond amazing, i can picture exactly what the characters are like and make you feel you are living inside the book.

overall this is an amazing book series to read if you enjoy animals, deeply rooted backstories, and characters that keep you guessing then this is a wonderful book and personally my favorite series ever. This is a family friendly book, and I recommend for all ages. This is a very long book series so if you fall in love with these books, you should never run out of books to read!

When Chloe learns that her birth mother unexpectedly has another child, the last thing she expects is for her mother to name her next of kin for guardianship of her new sister. Not hesitating to say yes, Chloe learns that she does not meet all the requirements, and must enlist in a foster care program where she and another perspective guardian must work together to care for their siblings.

This book was very cute. It is a romance following two adults in their young twenties trying to care for their siblings amidst dealing with the foster care system. I’m lucky enough to have never needed to be in the foster care system, but I thought that the thought and care that the author implements regarding these situations was very sweet. Some parts of the book however seemed very convenient to the point that it did not seem realistic. So many coincidences happened in the main character’s favor that it was a little hard to believe. Other than that, this was a very easy read, and I really enjoyed the romance story.

Five years ago, Wendy Darling and her brothers went missing in the woods. Six months later, only Wendy was found, and her brothers were never heard of again. It's the story that has haunted both the little coastal town of Astoria and Wendy's family. Now, as an 18-year-old ready to head to college, Wendy is intent on starting a new life away from the tragedy.

Unfortunately, her plans are interrupted when children from the town start disappearing.

Naturally, the police link this new string of disappearances to Wendy's case and begin questioning her. But despite their urgency, Wendy doesn't remember anything from the six months she went missing. To add to it all, one day, she stumbles upon an unconscious boy in the woods. Except the boy is not just any boy - he's Peter Pan, a figure who Wendy thought only existed in the tales her mom used to tell her and her brothers when they were little. But Peter Pan is in danger, and unless Wendy confronts her past - plus whatever sinister being lies in the woods, they might lose the missing children for good.

I think my favorite thing about this book is its unique setting: it's realistic, but there's also a little bit of magic intertwined in it thanks to Peter Pan. I also loved the spooky descriptions of the woods and personally think it helped add suspense to the story. The beginning of the book pulled me in instantly, and the end wrapped everything up quite nicely (it also left me feeling a bit emotional). However, the book began to get repetitive towards the middle - a lot of it was Wendy and Peter being tortured, Wendy questioning what was happening, and Peter trying to distract her while also not being of much help. I found Peter's character quite irritating at times (although he was funny), and Wendy herself was kind of flat; a lot of the side characters also felt like afterthoughts. I did find myself rooting for Wendy and Peter's relationship, however; they developed a genuine emotional bond that didn't feel forced, and I liked the parts where they helped comfort each other through all the emotional baggage and trauma they went through. It's also an interesting clash of two completely different worlds - a girl who's legally an adult and a boy who isn't supposed to grow up - although this wasn't really explored much in the book. The author also did a good job portraying Wendy's mental warfare (i.e. her guilt and PTSD from her past), and her character arc and journey to healing were well written. Overall, Lost in the Never Woods was a creative story with a very raw portrayal of trauma (and overcoming it), and although it has its faults, the book did leave a strong emotional impact on me, and I can't say I didn't enjoy it.

This book dives into great detail about the Five Nights At Freddy's universe, telling three short but immersive and entertaining stories in one book. All of the stories follow a similar theme, to be careful what you wish for, find joy in the simple, less than great things, and that if it seems too good to be true, it more than likely is. It manages to deliver the message while still giving the stories their own, sturdy points and plots outside of it.

I had no trouble imagining the locations and characters within this story, and I found them quite relatable. It describes things wonderfully, as someone who has always struggled with picturing what books describe in my head, I had no trouble with this one. While this book certainly isn't for the faint of heart, it is totally worth a read.