Adult Book Reviews

Carrie Soto had it all. Since training with her father since the age of two, she has become the only women’s tennis player to win 20 grand slams. Her career was shaped by grueling and tireless matches, and now one woman threatens to take it all. The year is 1994 and Nicki Chan has officially matched Carrie’s record of 20 slams. Not willing to let her greatest player title be taken, Carrie makes the shocking decision to come out of retirement at age 37 in order to defend her record.

Wow! This book was really exciting! I originally picked it up because I’m a tennis player and was very interested to read a book about tennis, and Taylor Jenkins Reid did not disappoint. Carrie Soto is not by any means a character I felt compelled to root for, but as she continued to develop and her story evolved, I found myself inexplicably drawn to her passion of the sport. I specifically enjoyed how Reid developed her character through the coaching of her father, Javier. Despite the bumps and complications of their relationship, Reid describes a genuine and emotional connection between the father and daughter, and it was beautiful to read.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a cozy, heart-warming story about a caseworker who investigates a top secret orphanage filled with magical children. This is not an intense read by any means, and it has a good bit of humor as well as some lovely commentary about the nature of love and chosen family. I thought it had a relatively slow start, but I'm very glad I stuck with it. I think this book is meant to open the hearts and minds of the reader alongside the protagonist. A refreshing, wholesome story that kept me hooked until the very end.

The Case for a Creator is a fascinating non-fiction read. In this book, Strobel recounts his travels across the country interviewing scientific professionals across disciplines, including cosmology, astronomy, physics, biochemistry, genetics, and consciousness. His goal was to investigate each of these fields to determine whether scientific evidence points towards or away from the possibility of an intelligent creator, or God. This book is, at times, a more difficult read, but it has been truly mind-opening. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of religious stance.

I found Jane Eyre surprisingly emotional and engaging. Jane is such a determined and independent character, especially considering the time period the book was written in. I really appreciated how the story shows her personal growth and moral strength. The gothic elements added some suspense, especially in the Thornfield parts. Some sections were a bit long, but the story and characters made it worth it. It ended up being one of my favorite classics.

This book was interesting, but also a bit frustrating for me. The writing and atmosphere are really powerful, and the setting feels dark and intense. However, a lot of the characters are difficult to like, especially Heathcliff and Catherine, which made it harder for me to connect with the story. I still appreciated the emotional intensity and the way the novel explores obsession and revenge. Even though it wasn’t my favorite, I’m glad I read it because it’s definitely unique among classic novels.

This book felt really atmospheric to me. Fitzgerald’s writing style is beautiful, and the way he describes the setting and the characters made everything feel vivid. Gatsby himself is such a mysterious and tragic character, which made the story more compelling. I also liked how the book explores themes like the American Dream and how people chase illusions. Sometimes the symbolism felt a bit heavy. But overall, it was a really interesting and thoughtful read.

This book is really entertaining, especially in the second half. In this book, the Augurs go to the Boundary to try to fix it but end of going through and getting stuck, Wirr handles politics and preparing the capital for evacuation, Caeden discovers what he must do to save the world and struggles with his immortal friends, and Asha discover what she must do to help the Boundary effort with her new wealth of power. I really enjoyed the unique struggles Caeden went through with the friends he is enemies with but has loved for centuries, it is a very intriguing dynamic. Davian’s captivity was always exciting to read as it explored his new relationships and struggles to exist in a world they can’t survive in and Asha’s new responsibilities show important themes about the cost of power. The first half of the book can be a bit slow as the setup continues and the entire series in general can be a bit confusing with the timeline, but I think the confusion isn’t too much of an issue and the ending more than makes up for any slog in the first half. It is a somewhat sad but satisfying end that tied up any loose ends very nicely and made me want to read it again as soon as I was done.

This was a good book but some parts were a bit slow to get through. In this book, Davian and Ishelle train at Tol Shen and have to begin dealing with the issue of the failing Boundary, Caeden grapples with who he is and what his duties and past are because of that, and Wirr and Asha handle the major political fallout with the Augur Amnesty, the new Tenets, and having a Gifted as the Northwarden. This story has a lot of setup and world-building for the next book so it can sometimes feel a bit slow. However, Caeden’s journey was really satisfying, especially for people like me who enjoy the type of character that is basically immortal so have to deal more with issues of protecting their friends and the world and having complex relationships. It isn’t the best of the series but it is still good and important.

I loved this book more than I expected to. At first, the language felt a little too formal, but after a few chapters I got used to it and started enjoying Austen’s humor. Elizabeth Bennet is such a strong and witty character, and watching her relationship with Darcy develop was really satisfying. The social commentary about class and marriage still feels surprisingly relevant today. Some parts move slowly, but the dialogue and character interactions kept me interested. Overall, it’s one of those classics that actually lives up to the hype.

This book was very thought-provoking and interesting. It tells the story of Davian and Wirr, who run away from the boarding school for Gifted people they live at, and Davian’s journey in learning what his powers are and how to use them. It also explores Caeden, a boy on the run with strange abilities but no memory of who he is, trying to remember himself and help his friends; and Asha, maneuvering through politics in her new state as a Shadow with new friends helping her. I love the character development and writing style this book is full of, plus the plot twists I never saw coming but understood in hindsight were really nice. The characters’ journeys were very exciting, and I found myself reading this constantly, even on reread. I’m glad this whole series came out before I read it, so I didn’t have to wait for the next one.

Jet Mason will be dead in 7 days. When an intruder attempts to murder her on Halloween night, miraculously, Jet survives the initial attack. However, due to other underlying medical issues, doctors are convinced a deadly aneurysm will kill her in a week. In a race against time and health Jet decides she's going to officially accomplish one last thing before the end: she's going to solve her own murder.

This was the most heartbreaking Holly Jackson book I think I've ever read. Despite the dark and depressing topics in this novel, Jackson expertly weaves the most beautiful and heartwarming lessons about life. Jet's character might go down as one of my top favorite characters of all time, as the emotions and actions she displayed were so utterly human and raw in the most terrible of circumstances. As this book is a mystery, I was absolutely on the edge of my seat the whole time! I was desperate to know who Jet's attacker was, and many other plot twists started coming to life. The concept of a woman solving her own murder is so original and far-fetched, but Holly Jackson executed the story perfectly.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury follows the story of a fireman named Guy Montag. While in our time a fireman might put out fires, in Fahrenheit 451 the fireman's job is to start them. In this time, all books are banned and any book found is burned. In this world knowledge is an enemy to the power of the government and they try to do everything to stop the spread of knowledge through books. Screens and advertisements are everywhere, there is no way to hide. Montag who originally is against books and enjoys his job meets a girl named Clarissa McClellan who talks to him about happiness and his job. Through the conversation Montag starts to question if what he is doing is right and starts to realize that books might not be as bad as he thought.

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that everyone should read. Fahrenheit 451's theme about the importance of books and the preservation of knowledge cannot be understated. The characters and events in the book are very fleshed out and the development of Montag as a person makes you think. The setting, plot, and characters are all excellent and make for a novel that you do not want to put down.

This story was just as amazing as the first book of the series. There were so many interweaving stories as different sides fight to put a new king on the throne after the last one died with arguments over who the heir is and whether a section should secede. It’s very complex but has nuance that was interesting and didn’t confuse me despite its complexity. It’s a long book but it feels like it goes but in a flash with how captivating and entertaining it is. This is a book I wish I could read for the first time again.

When Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, the last thing she needs is to add a 2,000 guest Chinese-Indonesian wedding to the mix. Luckily, her immigrant mother and three meddling aunties are prepared to do whatever it takes to hide the body and successfully cater the wedding. With the aunties dealing with a wedding, a body, and Meddy’s unexpected college sweetheart, nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

I thought this book was really cute! I wasn’t exactly sure what premise I was expecting due to the many different conflicts, but I thought the aunties were hilarious and the plot was executed well. This book was very fast paced and not at all hard to read, and I especially liked the author’s note of how this book was a love letter to her culture and her family. I feel like it made the cultural elements of the novel much more compelling. Overall, the book was very simple and shockingly kept me in suspense the whole time just because I had no idea which way the story was going to go. “Dial A for Aunties” was definitely a fun and easy read.

"Project Hail Mary" is a science fiction adventure telling the story of Ryland Grace, a man who wakes up with amnesia in a sterile room with no other human besides two corpses. Confused and terrified, Grace slowly pieces together the gravity of his situation: The world is ending, and he might be the only man capable of saving it.

This book was so good! I was nervous when starting the novel, as I did not enjoy Wier's previous books such as "The Martian," but I was surprised at how much better "Project Hail Mary" was! While it can be heavy on the scientific elements, Wier never strays from the plot, and I found the story was pretty easy to understand despite the science. Also, I really enjoyed how we, as the readers, work with Ryland Grace to learn the mission at the same pace he is. Since he starts the book with total amnesia, he gradually learns along the way of his purpose and the true motivation of his mission, and as such, the readers do as well. I feel like if I were more interested in science this book could've been even more amazing, but I just don't have the same understanding as I'm sure others do. So, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves or is interested in science, even if they do not like to read. I feel like it captures the elements of a standard novel and the science influence very well.

This book, while it wasn’t my favorite, was definitely good in a way that feels almost objective. The War of the Five Kings continues to rage on and Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion create plans for power, bringing the other sides to submission, and to get what they want. Sansa wants to escape her captivity and takes on a new identity once free and Arya explores her new life in Braavos. My only issue with the book was personal preference for characters and stories I wish had been more prevalent, such as Arya, but the writing style is still incredible and the politics so common in this book are definitely appealing to a lot of people and to me a large portion of the time. This was a bit of a slower and harder one to read, but it was still quite interesting.

This book absolutely changed everything about how I read. Any time I tried to pick up any other book before finishing this one, all I could feel was a distinct desire to be reading this instead. Ned Stark tries to navigate politics as the Hand of the King, Bran recovers from a traumatic injury and begins discovering capabilities he never knew he had, Jon works his way up the ladder as a recruit at the Wall, Arya tries to live in King’s Landing while still pursuing her passions, and Sansa is stuck between love, hurt, and loyalty between her betrothed and her family. The storylines were complex and nuanced but understandable and the writing style was so good it made many other books after it feel like children’s books in comparison. Truly an incredible read.

It was just a regular farm until the animals revolted. The animals had had enough cruel treatment and decided that they were going to run the farm. The pigs took charge reading the farm. One pig took control with his nine ferocious dogs and killed all those who opposed to him. The animals worked as slaves from them on out, never complaining because if they did, they knew they would meet their rent. As the pig says in the book, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

“I Do?” is a LGBTQIA+ romance featuring the main characters Chad and Raudel. Chad considers himself as a lowlife. He works at a yogurt shop and didn’t go to college. While staying at his sister’s house for her wedding, he realizes that she invited her friend from high school, his long-term crush. Chad tries to avoid Raudel, but it proves hard when they’re staying in the same room with only one bed for a full week.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. The pacing was too fast, the romance between the characters didn’t feel fleshed out, and it was overall too short. I definitely enjoyed the premise, I just think the book should’ve been longer, so the character relationships could’ve actually developed properly. If you like fast paced romances, then I would recommend it. However, I don’t recommend it to fans of slower developed romance.

Sinter is in his mid-twenties, living in London for an acting job. He misses his friend since high school, Andy, who is in Seattle living his own life. While in London, Sinter starts to have different feelings towards his friend. He ends up moving back to Seattle to rekindle his friendship with Andy. But somehow, more than friendship rekindles, despite Sinter’s confusion on his sexuality.

This book is okay. The relationship felt somewhat forced, not enough for me to get invested. I didn’t really feel a form of connection to the main characters. My favorite character was one of the side characters, who I was hoping to get more lines almost throughout the whole book. It didn’t really feel like they had depth. The plotline is decent in the beginning, but then a wrench gets thrown into it. One of the classic but annoying tropes that I don’t like was used. It kind of made me want to drop the book, but I stuck to it. The book didn’t really improve much after that. It was decent enough; it just doesn’t really stick out to me.

“Of Mice and Men” tells the story of the duo George and Lennie, two laborers searching for work in California in the 1930s. Both increasingly different, with Lennie being large but having the mind of a child, and George being small and quick, the two navigate a world of tyranny and hardships, and find their friendship challenged as well.

This was an unexpected surprise to read in my English class, and I was delighted at how enjoyable it was. For a relatively simple storyline, Steinbeck didn’t hesitate to implement heavy topics and emotional themes. It was a very short and fast read, and the ending absolutely broke me! I was not at all prepared for how heartbreaking and eye-opening this story was. It felt like I was getting an unfiltered glimpse into America’s past, and I was not at all prepared for how brutal a relatively simple life in the 1930s could be. Lennie and George’s friendship was so pure, but the unfortunate reality of their situation was so depressing and it amazed me how Steinbeck was able to portray it in so few pages.

What happens to the world if a deadly pandemic were to rush through the world? What happens when the world and civilization as we know it collapses? Station 11 attempts to answer that question by following the lives of many characters through the past and present. Arthur is a celebrity who can't seem to keep a marriage. Kirsten was only a child when the flu hit but now she is traveling in a traveling symphony sharing their love for the arts with the few towns that exist. The Prophet, obsessed with airplanes, wants to make the world normal again in... interesting ways.

The idea and the events behind Station 11 are amazing and the pandemic made me very interested in what this book could be. I find the characters to be interesting to learn about and see how they grow and change overtime. The themes of relationships, family, civilization, memory and reminiscing are powerful and make you think. Unfortunately I find that the plot of the book is nonexistent at times and can sometimes drag on. It also can feel very confusing at times as almost everything in the book is connected to every other thing making it hard to keep tract of the plentiful amount of characters and objects on top of the non linear format . Overall I would say that this novel is overall a good read with very captivating stories and themes but with some issues with plot.

“Pride and Prejudice” is a contemporary classic following the life of a young woman in 19th century England. Through the love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the novel tackles themes of gender roles and societal status, reflecting the life of Jane Austen as well. Wow, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this novel. Despite being a classic novel written in the 1800s, Austen’s writing was so easy to understand, and I even found myself laughing at her sarcastic and witty humor. The love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy was not awkward to read or hard to understand in the slightest, and their conflicts really emphasized the themes Austen was trying to convey. I can strongly say that the essay I had to write for this novel was the easiest essay I’ve ever written as I enjoyed dissecting every part of this book! I can see why Jane Austen has such a notable reputation, and in my opinion, it is very much deserved. I believe I will be forever glad to have read this book; despite being centuries apart, Elizabeth remains to be one of the most relatable female protagonists in classic literature, and it amazes me how ahead of her time Austen was while writing her.

Poppy and Alex have been best friends for years. Despite being polar opposites, they’ve always bonded over one thing: traveling. After ten summer vacations, something disastrous happens to potentially split them up forever. But Poppy has one last vacation planned, and one last chance to prove that they may be more perfect for each other than originally thought. This book was an unfortunate disappointment for me. I was very excited to read it due to the movie releasing and my previous enjoyment of Henry’s other novels, but her story just fell flat in this one. Neither of the main characters were very likable to me, and the conflicts felt very predictable and boring. It wasn’t all terrible, and there were some parts that made me smile, but compared to her other works where I was laughing out loud and giggling about it to my friends, I couldn’t help but be a little let down by the execution of the storyline. If you’re an avid romance or Emily Henry reader there may be more enjoyment to find within this book, but unfortunately it wasn’t it for me.

The Glass Castle is an amazing memoir that follows the life of a young Jeannette. Jeannette grows up in a very poor and dysfunctional household that lives a nomadic live. She moves from place to place making it hard for her to make friends other than her older sister and younger brother. Her parents often argue and find themselves living in places that could barely pass as a home. During the course of her life, she experiences many difficult events that make her even more resilient. Throughout the book there are also flash forwards which take place in New York City once Jeannette has gotten older and shows the dynamic of her family many years later.

This book is an excellent read! The storylines, plots and relationships between characters are very interesting to read. Coming from someone who is not very similar to Jeannette, Jeannette Walls has done an amazing job putting me in the shoes of someone like herself and opened my eyes to the life and struggles of people who are not like me and who struggle to afford basic necessities. This book will teach you a lot about how other people live, resilience, the strong bond of family and making anywhere a home. I would recommend anyone read this book!

Maus is a graphic novel taking place over many countries during the Nazi occupation. Maus has an intriguing art style which includes countless amounts of symbolism. The decision to portray people as animals helps further the relationship and power structure during the Nazi occupation. Mice represent the Jewish people while cats, who are a natural predator of mice, represent the Nazis. Artie Spiegelman is a young cartoonist mouse who is eager to learn more about the history of his father Vladek who went through the holocaust as a Jewish person. This book is full intriguing story telling that includes Vladek recounting the life of a Jewish person in hiding during the Nazi occupation and the intricate relationship between Artie and his father Vladek as well as Vladek and his previous wife. The book dives deep into the different tactics and ways that Vladek used in order to evade the Nazi cats.

Before reading Maus, I was not a reader of graphic novels. Maus has shaped my perception about what a graphic novel can be. Maus uses stunning graphics to portray a meaningful, impactful and thought provoking plot. I was captivated while reading the book and often times found myself wanting to continuing reading. Those who are new to the graphic novel genre and those who are familiar with the genre will love this novel.

“The Screwtape Letters” is a satire Christian fiction told in an epistolary format about a demon mentoring his nephew to corrupt a Christian man. I had to read this book for my honors English class, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Not only are there a variety of Christian themes explored, Lewis writes with a sardonic humor that made the novel very immersive. I especially enjoyed Screwtape’s character, and it was fascinating to see how his characterization changed throughout the book. Despite the novel not following typical writing patterns such as prose or even the development of side characters, I found that it was a very fast and easy read that grew more interesting with the annotations I made. I would recommend this book to those with an interest in Christian philosophy, or those who may be seeking a relatively simple novel within the classic genre.

Nearly a decade ago Lane Roanoke ran away from the Roanoke residence, determined to never go back...

Lane Roanoke did not have an easy childhood, constantly wondering where she truly came from. When her mother passes, Lane is surprised when her grandparents offer to take her in. The Roanoke residence is nothing as she would have imagined, but it feels like home. Her near in age cousin, Allegra, whom her grandparents have raised, is something of an enigma, keeping Lane company and curious. However, when Lane learns the terrible secret of the Roanoke's, she can't bear staying any longer. Now she is back a decade later for one reason; Allegra has gone missing. As she tries to uncover the truth of her cousin's disappearance, Lane is reminded why she left in the first place...

"The Roanoke Girls" was a book that one wants to see what happens at the end. However, the plot twist is not very shocking, which was slightly disappointing. The book also covers difficult topics, however, emphasizes important themes. I likely would not read this again but glad I gave it a try.

The world of romance and dating has changed; with a simple submission of DNA, you can find the one meant for you. This is the purpose of Match Your DNA, a company that uses DNA to find someone's perfect other. Five different people with very different lives have been matched. As these strangers connect with their matches, secrets are revealed... and Match Your DNA may not be everything the world has come to believe it is.

"The One", although a very interesting concept, was difficult to get into. It did not feel like much of the thriller and took quite some time to get interesting. The ending was also somewhat disappointing and could have gone into more depth on what happened. Although it wasn't a favorite, it did explore interesting themes.

Stephanie and Jasmin are two completely different women. Stephanie is a successful news director who's simply on a business trip; Jasmin is a women looking for safety, finally leaving her abusive boyfriend. However, after fatefully meeting on the same plane their lives become intertwined in a way they never would have imagined. Both women have gone missing, with evidence leading both of their disappearances to the same man. However, there is more to the story than meets the eye...

"The Business Trip" was intriguing and difficult to put down. The book is written through multiple perspectives, offering unique insight into the story. The plot twist, although interesting, was not completely my favorite.