Awards

Almost American Girl is an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha about her journey to America and her experiences there. I always find it interesting to read about other people’s experiences, but I especially enjoyed this one because of its format. It is graphic novel style, making this a fun, quick read. The illustrations were very pretty and so was the writing! I loved this book, and it gave me a window to someone else’s life that I really enjoyed reading about!

Almost American Girl is an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha about her journey to America and her experiences there. I always find it interesting to read about other people’s experiences, but I especially enjoyed this one because of its format. It is graphic novel style, making this a fun, quick read. The illustrations were very pretty and so was the writing! I loved this book, and it gave me a window to someone else’s life that I really enjoyed reading about!

Out Of My Mind is a fantastic book about Melody, a girl with cerebral palsy. Contrary to popular belief, Melody is a very smart girl and has a lot of ideas and things she wants to say, but her disability has, until now, held her back. At her new school, she joins a team for smart people who compete with other groups of smart people to prove they’re smarter. I loved this book so much and even cried at some point. Beautiful story and writing, this was my third favorite read of 2025!

Out Of My Mind is a fantastic book about Melody, a girl with cerebral palsy. Contrary to popular belief, Melody is a very smart girl and has a lot of ideas and things she wants to say, but her disability has, until now, held her back. At her new school, she joins a team for smart people who compete with other groups of smart people to prove they’re smarter. I loved this book so much and even cried at some point. Beautiful story and writing, this was my third favorite read of 2025!

Rebecca. Samantha. Haley. Katie. Ashley. Growing up, Nora became many different girls as she helped her mom con criminal men, learning a lesson from each persona she took on. Now, having escaped that life and her mother, she is living with her older sister, Lee, finally trying to start over and be a normal teenager. But an awkward bank trip with her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend turns deadly as two bank robbers enter in the middle of their visit and hold everyone in the building hostage. Now, Nora must pull off the biggest con of all: getting out of the bank alive.

I didn't have many expectations going into this book, as I just picked it up for a summer reading program. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked "The Girls I've Been"! The story alternates between the disastrous bank robbery and Nora's past, going through the different cons she was involved in and the different girls she became. This structure was perfect for creating suspense and made it almost impossible to put this book down! Additionally, the writing style was very easy to read and intriguing (despite a few minor typos), and the romance plot between Nora and Iris was sweet and didn't take away from the tension and suspense at all! I loved that "The Girls I've Been" was not only a thrilling story, but also fearless social commentary about the hardships that Nora was exposed to growing up. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try for an easy, thrilling, and meaningful read!

Rebecca. Samantha. Haley. Katie. Ashley. Growing up, Nora became many different girls as she helped her mom con criminal men, learning a lesson from each persona she took on. Now, having escaped that life and her mother, she is living with her older sister, Lee, finally trying to start over and be a normal teenager. But an awkward bank trip with her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend turns deadly as two bank robbers enter in the middle of their visit and hold everyone in the building hostage. Now, Nora must pull off the biggest con of all: getting out of the bank alive.

I didn't have many expectations going into this book, as I just picked it up for a summer reading program. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked "The Girls I've Been"! The story alternates between the disastrous bank robbery and Nora's past, going through the different cons she was involved in and the different girls she became. This structure was perfect for creating suspense and made it almost impossible to put this book down! Additionally, the writing style was very easy to read and intriguing (despite a few minor typos), and the romance plot between Nora and Iris was sweet and didn't take away from the tension and suspense at all! I loved that "The Girls I've Been" was not only a thrilling story, but also fearless social commentary about the hardships that Nora was exposed to growing up. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try for an easy, thrilling, and meaningful read!

Set in occupied France during World War 2, “The Nightingale” tells the story of two sisters navigating their lives that become forever changed. Vianne has never spent her life alone. While living a quiet life with her husband and daughter in a small French town, she believes nothing will come of Hitler’s army terrorizing her country. When her husband is enlisted to fight for France, she finds herself alone for the first time and must discover how to balance keeping her family safe while fighting for what’s right. Opposite of Vianne, Isabelle has always dreamed of becoming a hero and fighting for her country. When she discovers the newly beginning French Resistance, she doesn’t hesitate in risking her life to save downed airmen all across France. However, when Germany begins losing the war, the consequences for spies become more serious, and Isabelle must decide how far she is willing to go for her country.

This book devastated me. Kristin Hannah describes all of the horrors of World War 2 in brutal, unflinching detail. More than that however, she put in so much research into learning about the French Resistance and the role women played, and she writes their courage and bravery with such passion. I think this a novel everyone should read, as the lessons of humanity and good vs evil will stick with me for a long time. I feel like everyone hears about how terrible war is, but accounts such as the ones in this novel, even while fictional, truly prove how war ravishes humanity and communities.

A year after her girlfriend's tragic passing, Felicity Morrow has returned to Dalloway School for her second attempt at graduation, heading back to her old room at the campus' historic Godwin House. Felicity has always been drawn to the occult, and Dalloway only feeds her obsession: Godwin House is even supposedly haunted by the ghosts of the Dalloway Five, five young women who died under mysterious circumstances on Godwin Grounds. But the occult is no longer a place of solace for Felicity, not when she's convinced her dead girlfriend, Alex, is haunting her, and Felicity is now only interested in her grades and graduating.

Unfortunately, the new Dalloway student has other plans for her. After her debut novel won a Pulitzer Prize, Ellis Haley enrolled in Dalloway School to research the Dalloway Five for her second book. Ellis is a method writer, putting herself in her character's own insane adventures, and Felicity can't help but be drawn to her intelligence and whimsy. And eventually, Felicity reluctantly agrees when Ellis asks her to help her research the Dalloway Five. But when strange events begin to follow Felicity wherever she goes, Felicity is forced to confront the ghosts that plague her mind - including Alex.

Perhaps the summary of this book sounds straightforward. I will tell you it's not. Perhaps, it's because Felicity is an incredibly unreliable narrator, which may throw some people off, but the book left me unsatisfied and with more questions than answers. Initially, I thought the Dalloway Five would have more importance to the plot, but truthfully, not much is revealed about them or their deaths either. In fact, the whole magical/paranormal circumstances surrounding Dalloway are fairly muddled and confusing, and by the end, I was confused what role magic even had in the whole book. Perhaps it was intentional, as the author was likely trying to make the reader question reality, but I feel like it could've been executed better.

It is important to mention that Felicity suffers from psychotic depression, which heavily impacts her narrative. As I have never dealt with this condition, I will not speak for people who have suffered from this disorder. There are also side characters who struggle with mental health issues. The reviews I've seen online regarding the representation of mental health in the book are mixed: some people say the characters with issues are portrayed in a very bad light, which is ironic considering that Felicity mentions at some point how people with mental disorders are often seen as crazy/insane. Others feel seen by the author and satisfied with the portrayal; the author herself has battled psychotic depression and wanted to touch on her own experiences.

These points aside, I personally did not connect to any of the characters in the book. A lot of the side characters felt flat and incredibly pretentious, and I personally disliked Felicity and Ellis. There has also been some discontent online regarding the representation of the two POC characters; one character's biggest purpose in the book was to tell Felicity about racism. The beginning of the book set off a nice tone, and I liked reading about the history of Dalloway and the whole historical lore behind it. However, the rest of the book dragged on for so long I had trouble even remembering what happened. Then, the book started picking up at around 70%, and the rest of the book was packed with random twists and turns to the point it felt like a completely different story. The ending was rushed, and the big twist felt like it was thrown in at the last minute, though I must say I didn't see some of it coming. There were also other random plot points added in that I felt like weren't necessary. This book felt all over the place for me, and it didn't give the greatest reading experience, but it does have its audience, and perhaps I may recommend it to a friend or two.

Those who live in Barkley Cove are more than happy to accuse the mysterious "Marsh Girl" of murdering beloved quarterback Chase Andrews. But there is so much more to Kya Clark than that. After being left to fend for herself at the age of ten, Kya learns to live off the land, developing a deep love for nature and its wonders. And as she grows older, she is forced to navigate the complexities of first love, loneliness, and heartbreak. "Where The Crawdads Sing" alternates between Kya's coming-of-age story and the ongoing murder investigation, leaving you constantly wanting to know what will happen next.

I was really looking forward to reading "Where the Crawdads Sing" because of its original and intriguing genre-blending. However, I think that Delia Owens may have tried to incorporate too many ideas into one story. The time skips were incredibly disorganized, with chapters and chapters devoted to the span of a few days with little action, followed by massive time skips that threw off the pacing, making this book boring, repetitive, and predictable. Along with this, the writing style was all over the place and the dialogue was poorly written, especially as the author unevenly incorporated North Carolina dialects for no apparent reason. In addition to these issues, I could not get invested in the romance plot, as the love triangle seemed forced, unnecessary, and confusing, hypersexualizing Kya and undermining her character development. Overall, I am sad to say that "Where the Crawdads Sing" did not live up to the hype for me, though I'm sure some readers will enjoy it.

All Talasyn has known is the Hurricane Wars. Her whole life has been composed of fighting and defending her land of Sardovia from the tyrannous Night Empire. Following a devastating blow and a shocking discovery, Talasyn meets Alaric, the newly crowned Emperor of the Night Empire. Despite being sworn enemies, the two must work together to face a new and rising evil.

This book was really fun to read! I saw a lot of people saying it gave the same vibes as Rae and Ben Solo from Star Wars, and while I don’t really like that comparison, I love Star Wars and I could see a little similarity with the world Guanzon wrote. I do wish the novel was a little less romance focused, as I feel as though some elements of the romance plot overtook the main fantasy story. Overall, this was a very fun book, and I’m excited to continue with the series!

All Talasyn has known is the Hurricane Wars. Her whole life has been composed of fighting and defending her land of Sardovia from the tyrannous Night Empire. Following a devastating blow and a shocking discovery, Talasyn meets Alaric, the newly crowned Emperor of the Night Empire. Despite being sworn enemies, the two must work together to face a new and rising evil.

This book was really fun to read! I saw a lot of people saying it gave the same vibes as Rae and Ben Solo from Star Wars, and while I don’t really like that comparison, I love Star Wars and I could see a little similarity with the world Guanzon wrote. I do wish the novel was a little less romance focused, as I feel as though some elements of the romance plot overtook the main fantasy story. Overall, this was a very fun book, and I’m excited to continue with the series!

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata is such an interesting and unique book, following a woman throughout her life facing trauma and coping with it in many unhealthy ways. She's unable to become a "cog in the machine" as she grows up, straying further and further from society. This book changed my perspective on many things, and I found some parts unsettlingly familiar. I went into the book without any knowledge of it, however as it is a sort of psychological horror and there were quite a few scenes with disturbing topics such as sexual assault, violence, and child abuse/neglect. Without spoiling too many things it's safe to say it's a very heavy read, but I found it to be extremely worth it, as it was thrilling, captivating, and I loved how the characters were written. (I'm in grade 12)

Jurassic Park is a sci-fi thriller about a park that has figured out how to clone once-extinct dinosaurs and has invited two paleontologists to tour it. I chose to read this book because I love dinosaurs and have seen all the Jurassic movies. I enjoyed this book because it is an exciting thriller with lots of dinosaur action. I also appreciated how the author didn't hold back with the consequences of bringing back dinosaurs. Overall, this is a creative and masterful novel that I highly recommend.

Jurassic Park is a sci-fi thriller about a park that has figured out how to clone once-extinct dinosaurs and has invited two paleontologists to tour it. I chose to read this book because I love dinosaurs and have seen all the Jurassic movies. I enjoyed this book because it is an exciting thriller with lots of dinosaur action. I also appreciated how the author didn't hold back with the consequences of bringing back dinosaurs. Overall, this is a creative and masterful novel that I highly recommend.

Jurassic Park is a sci-fi thriller about a park that has figured out how to clone once-extinct dinosaurs and has invited two paleontologists to tour it. I chose to read this book because I love dinosaurs and have seen all the Jurassic movies. I enjoyed this book because it is an exciting thriller with lots of dinosaur action. I also appreciated how the author didn't hold back with the consequences of bringing back dinosaurs. Overall, this is a creative and masterful novel that I highly recommend.

Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi adventure book about a scientist and former schoolteacher, Ryland Grace, who has been tasked with a mission to explore another planetary system to discover the secrets of a sun-dimming microbe that threatens Earth. I enjoyed this book because it is filled with heart and comedy. I also appreciated how the author took time to explore the science of Grace's discoveries. It had a few flaws- sometimes the science distracted from the pacing, and some characters' choices didn't make sense. Overall, this is an amazing book that I enjoyed- I highly recommend it!

The highest honor a girl in Huaxia can achieve is to become a concubine pilot, to be paired with a boy to power the giant robots, called Chrysalises, that defend their nation from aliens lurking outside the Great Wall. But this profession results in a high mortality rate for girls, who always seem to be less capable of withstanding the mental and physical strain of piloting than their male counterparts, and their contributions are largely ignored. When Zetian's older sister is killed during a battle by her male co-pilot, Zetian offers herself up to the system with one goal in mind: avenge her sister by killing her killer. She succeeds and gains notoriety as the Iron Widow, a woman who sacrifices male pilots in battles instead of the opposite. In an effort to control her newfound power, Zetian is paired with the most powerful - and the most hated - male pilot in Huaxia, Li Shimin, known mainly for murdering his brothers and his father. But even with the world hellbent on keeping her on a leash, Zetian refuses to be silenced. She will do everything in her power to tear apart the pilot system responsible for the death of her sister and thousands of other girls.

This book is the exact definition of unhinged - it gave a raw and unfiltered depiction of female rage that was at times a little relatable. The author was able to encapsulate Zetian's feelings about her status in such a visceral and devastating way that I could not help but root for her. The story was fast paced and intriguing, with many twists in both the characters backstories and the plot that left me continuously turning at the pages to read more. I also loved the China-based setting coupled with the futuristic technology and mechas - it was truly unique. However, as much as I loved this book, I still do have some issues with it. The nation's patriarchal system isn't really given any historical context, even with the secrets Zetian uncovers in the end. I also found some of the characters, including Zetian at times, stereotypical or lacking in depth. The ending was full of giant plot twists, some of which I found a little rushed or random. But despite these critiques, I did enjoy this book for its boldness, and I might consider reading its sequel as well. And as a side note: the author is hilarious, I love them, and I also love Yizhi.

Clarice Starling is only a trainee at the FBI Academy, so when Jack Crawford, Section Chief of the Behavioral Science Unit, asks her to interview the infamous cannibal serial killer, Hannibal Lector, she jumps at the chance to come face-to-face with one of the most infamous criminals of all time and prove herself in the eyes of the Academy. And even though Lector has refused to speak with any interviewers from his cell in Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, he takes a special interest in Clarice. Soon, it becomes apparent to Clarice and the FBI that "Hannibal the Cannibal" knows the true identity of Buffalo Bill - the serial murderer the FBI has been working desperately to catch. Soon, Clarice is swept up in the frantic pursuit of Buffalo Bill, racing against the clock with the help of Lector's clues to find him before he claims his next victim.

I watched the film adaptation of "The Silence of the Lambs" before reading the book, and I was shocked to find that this is one of the most accurate book-to-film adaptations I've ever seen. Almost every plot point and sequence was accurate, and many times entire scenes were taken word-for-word from the book. That said, already knowing the plot of the movie did not take away from my enjoyment of "The Silence of the Lambs." The perspective switches from Clarice Starling to Hannibal Lector to Buffalo Bill himself built the suspense and perfectly portrayed each plot twist. I was also pleasantly surprised with the portrayal of Clarice as a main character (however, I will say that she and many other aspects are a book are sexist and outdated, as it was published in 1988). Overall, though, this book is iconic, and I would recommend it to preexisting fans of the movie and those that enjoy thrillers and serial killers!

Five years ago, the small town of Fairview was struck by a tragedy: popular high school senior Andie Bell had gone missing. Her body never turned up during the investigation, but all the evidence found pointed to only one prime suspect: her boyfriend, Sal Singh. Thus, the story goes: Sal Singh murdered Andie and then committed suicide. The case was closed. The proof was clear as day. Everyone believed it.

But Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure.

Now in her senior year of high school, Pippa chooses to do her capstone project on this very case, first only just to cast doubt on the results of the original investigation and on Sal's guilt. But her research sends her down an entirely different path: the more Pippa examines the circumstances surrounding Andie's disappearance, the more clues she finds pointing to the possibility that Sal maybe wasn't guilty of anything after all. And it is these leads that eventually put Pippa's life in danger, as threats from a mysterious someone begin to pop up left and right; someone here definitely does not want her unearthing Fairview's - and Andie's - secrets.

I think the first thing that stood out to me in this book was the formatting: it switches between Pippa's project log entries and a more conventional third-person viewpoint of the story, which I think was an interesting literary choice. It was nice seeing glimpses into Pippa's head and the results of her research as well as how the people surrounding her interacted with her. The story was paced decently, I liked seeing the humorous banter between some of the main characters, and although I must admit that certain parts of the plot sounded a little unrealistic, it is ultimately just a novel, so I wasn't too bothered by it. I think the main problem I had with this book was that the writing felt a little juvenile and awkward at times, but overall, this book was decent. I doubt I'm going to continue with the trilogy, but the first installment wasn't that bad in my opinion.

Five years ago, the small town of Fairview was struck by a tragedy: popular high school senior Andie Bell had gone missing. Her body never turned up during the investigation, but all the evidence found pointed to only one prime suspect: her boyfriend, Sal Singh. Thus, the story goes: Sal Singh murdered Andie and then committed suicide. The case was closed. The proof was clear as day. Everyone believed it.

But Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure.

Now in her senior year of high school, Pippa chooses to do her capstone project on this very case, first only just to cast doubt on the results of the original investigation and on Sal's guilt. But her research sends her down an entirely different path: the more Pippa examines the circumstances surrounding Andie's disappearance, the more clues she finds pointing to the possibility that Sal maybe wasn't guilty of anything after all. And it is these leads that eventually put Pippa's life in danger, as threats from a mysterious someone begin to pop up left and right; someone here definitely does not want her unearthing Fairview's - and Andie's - secrets.

I think the first thing that stood out to me in this book was the formatting: it switches between Pippa's project log entries and a more conventional third-person viewpoint of the story, which I think was an interesting literary choice. It was nice seeing glimpses into Pippa's head and the results of her research as well as how the people surrounding her interacted with her. The story was paced decently, I liked seeing the humorous banter between some of the main characters, and although I must admit that certain parts of the plot sounded a little unrealistic, it is ultimately just a novel, so I wasn't too bothered by it. I think the main problem I had with this book was that the writing felt a little juvenile and awkward at times, but overall, this book was decent. I doubt I'm going to continue with the trilogy, but the first installment wasn't that bad in my opinion.

The world building in this book was amazing and made the story feel so immersive. I loved the dual perspectives because they helped show both sides of the conflict and made the characters more complex. The pacing was fast, and there were so many emotional and suspenseful moments throughout the novel. Some scenes were heartbreaking, but that made the story even more memorable. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy and dystopian romance.

The world building in this book was amazing and made the story feel so immersive. I loved the dual perspectives because they helped show both sides of the conflict and made the characters more complex. The pacing was fast, and there were so many emotional and suspenseful moments throughout the novel. Some scenes were heartbreaking, but that made the story even more memorable. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy and dystopian romance.

The world building in this book was amazing and made the story feel so immersive. I loved the dual perspectives because they helped show both sides of the conflict and made the characters more complex. The pacing was fast, and there were so many emotional and suspenseful moments throughout the novel. Some scenes were heartbreaking, but that made the story even more memorable. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy and dystopian romance.

The world building in this book was amazing and made the story feel so immersive. I loved the dual perspectives because they helped show both sides of the conflict and made the characters more complex. The pacing was fast, and there were so many emotional and suspenseful moments throughout the novel. Some scenes were heartbreaking, but that made the story even more memorable. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy and dystopian romance.

This book was intense, disturbing, and impossible to put down. The suspense kept building with every chapter, and the anonymous messages created so much tension. I really appreciated how the story addressed racism, privilege, and toxic school environments in a way that felt powerful and realistic. Chiamaka and Devon were both compelling characters. The twists had me genuinely shocked and would highly recommend to those who enjoy YA mystery and thriller!

This book was intense, disturbing, and impossible to put down. The suspense kept building with every chapter, and the anonymous messages created so much tension. I really appreciated how the story addressed racism, privilege, and toxic school environments in a way that felt powerful and realistic. Chiamaka and Devon were both compelling characters. The twists had me genuinely shocked and would highly recommend to those who enjoy YA mystery and thriller!

This book was intense, disturbing, and impossible to put down. The suspense kept building with every chapter, and the anonymous messages created so much tension. I really appreciated how the story addressed racism, privilege, and toxic school environments in a way that felt powerful and realistic. Chiamaka and Devon were both compelling characters. The twists had me genuinely shocked and would highly recommend to those who enjoy YA mystery and thriller!

This book was intense, disturbing, and impossible to put down. The suspense kept building with every chapter, and the anonymous messages created so much tension. I really appreciated how the story addressed racism, privilege, and toxic school environments in a way that felt powerful and realistic. Chiamaka and Devon were both compelling characters. The twists had me genuinely shocked and would highly recommend to those who enjoy YA mystery and thriller!

This sequel somehow managed to be even more intense than the first book. The action scenes were amazing, and the dragons were still my favorite part of the series. This is a massive roman-tasy novel and really delivers high stakes, intense political building, and a dramatic climax. Violet’s growth throughout the story made her feel even stronger as a protagonist, and the emotional tension kept me invested the entire time. The ending completely shocked me and left me desperate for the next book.

I honestly did not expect to enjoy chess this much in a book, but this story made it so entertaining. Mallory was funny, smart, and relatable, and the chemistry between her and Nolan was adorable without feeling overly dramatic. I liked how the book balanced romance with themes of pressure, ambition, and family responsibility. Some parts felt a little predictable, but overall it was a super fun and addictive read. Highly recommended for those who enjoy contemporary romance!