Julie Clarke seems to have everything in her life perfectly planned out before her: an aspiring writer, she hopes to get accepted into her first-choice college and someday move out of her quiet home of Ellensburg with her music-loving boyfriend, Sam. But in an unexpected turn of events, Sam dies in a car crash during senior year, flipping Julie's life upside down and destroying all her plans for the future. In an attempt to forget him, Julie throws away all she had relating to Sam and even avoids going to his funeral. Her pain nonetheless still lingers, and in a moment of desperation, she calls his number just to hear his voicemail again...except Sam picks up, even though he's still dead. The two of them have somehow become reconnected through their phones, giving them a second chance at goodbye. But as Julie continues to call him, refusing to let go of Sam's presence, she slowly notices how much she's hurt her own friends and Sam's family through her isolation and buried grief.

Although I didn't find this book as gut-wrenching as some other people, You've Reached Sam is still an emotional story that touches on the grief of losing a loved one. I personally saw the concept of the main couple's reconnection through their phones as a good metaphor for Julie's refusal to move on from her tragedy and how it affects those around her. I did find it hard to connect with the characters in the novel however, especially the side characters, as they felt very one-dimensional. Julie's love story with Sam didn't feel as deep as Julie herself thought it to be (I didn't really care for their romance, although this book is romance centered), and Sam's character fell flat. I couldn't describe much about him other than his kindness and his love of music, and even during his phone calls with Julie and the flashbacks, he only felt like a passing, shadowy figure rather than a real character and love interest who I'm supposed to feel something for. I did find Julie's character development interesting; her character was admittedly annoying and selfish at times, as some other readers have pointed out, but I think her rocky personality is a good example of how hard loss is to handle at such a young age and how everyone has different reactions and ways to deal with grief. I enjoyed seeing her navigate through her trauma and learning to balance living in the present while holding on to little pieces of her past. The pacing of the book had some issues; the second half dragged on a bit too long and was very repetitive in its utilization of Julie's flashbacks. But the ending was a very touching and poignant close to the book as well as Julie's character arc.

This novel may not have had the biggest impact on me, but I was still moved by some parts of the plot. It's not the most well-written depiction of grief in literature, but the story does have some beauty in it, and I can appreciate its message.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a dystopian novel set in a future where people are strictly divided by age and appearance. Littlies are young children who live with their parents until they turn twelve, when they are labeled Uglies and move into dormitories in Uglyville. When they turn sixteen, they are pressured into undergoing an operation that changes their appearance to become Pretties, who can move to the paradise of New Pretty Town. The story follows Tally, a fifteen-year-old girl a few months from her sixteenth birthday, who is looking forward to becoming a Pretty and joining her best friend Peris in New Pretty Town. Like most Uglies, Tally sees the operation as a turning point in her life, as Uglies are treated in a way that makes them feel inferior to the Pretties and pushes them to undergo the surgery. One day, Tally befriends another girl her age named Shay, who doesn't want to become a pretty and tries to convince Tally to join her before running away. Things only go down from here, as Tally is offered an impossible decision by the authorities and begins to learn the truth about the operation and the seemingly idyllic nature of the society she grew up in.
This book was a great read, and I really enjoyed the concept. The characters were written well and were realistic in a way that showed off their individual motivations and traits. Shay and Tally's views on society and being pretty are clearly different, and that affects their actions throughout the story. The ending is powerful, written so similarly yet different from the beginning of the story, which helps to emphasize Tally's character development and shows how much the events of the story changed things. Something I especially liked about the story was its unexpected plot twists. Some parts surprised me, proving my predictions wrong and making the story even more engaging. The novel is packed with symbolism and themes of conformity, individuality, and beauty while being easy to read and understand. It does great as the first book for the series, sparking interest in the world and characters and making readers want to know what happens next. I recommend this book for fans of science fiction and dystopian novels with some adventure and good plot twists.

The Hobbit is a well-known book, widely considered a classic by many people. It takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world, Middle-earth, and follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who also makes an appearance as a side character in the author's series, The Lord of the Rings. The novel is an adventure in which the wizard Gandalf convinces Bilbo to join him and twelve dwarves in hopes of finally being able to infiltrate their stolen home on Lonely Mountain to reclaim their treasure and take down the dragon Smaug. The group embarks on a journey, traveling to many different places, discovering objects that could help them on their mission, and facing obstacles along the way. It's a complex story with diverse and unique concepts that set it apart from some other novels of a similar genre.
While I enjoyed the story and the world-building, along with its distinctive plot, I wasn't very familiar with the story's writing style, and it was slightly difficult to understand the story at times. Another part that slightly threw me off was the characters' voices and personalities. It was a bit difficult to grasp their individual traits, which is something I tend to look for a lot in stories. Sometimes they seemed to break character or switch between two character tropes, which was a little confusing. However, those points were likely because of my unfamiliarity with the author's writing, as The Hobbit was the first of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books I’ve read. Other than that, the novel was a very good read that I enjoyed, from the world-building to the deeper themes of greed, bravery, and heroism. The contrast between Bilbo around the beginning of the story and around the end shows the character development in Bilbo over the course of the story and contributes to the impact of the story. The events were also written very well, and the adventure was exciting. The mood and tone were also described in a way that strengthened the imagery and made it more vivid. Overall, it was a good read, and I would definitely recommend it for those who enjoy books with a mix of adventure and fantasy with deeper under

Harley Quinn Ravenous is a YA fantasy superhero novel. This book is the second of three Harley Quinn novels in the DC icon series. The DC icon series is known for its unique, intriguing, and refreshing take on DC villains and heroes; this book encompasses all of these traits. Harley Quinn Ravenous continues to follow Harley's adventures throughout college. My review grade of Harley Quinn Ravenous is a solid 10.

The Winter Soldier: Cold Front is a YA novel that focuses on Bucky Barnes' life before and after WW2. What I like most about this book is that it goes back to the comic book origins of the winter soldier. One thing I disliked about the book is how he and Steve Rogers met. This is an intriguing story that combines Bucky's past and his future. My review grade on The Winter Soldier: Cold Front is a solid 7.

In this prologue and upbringing of one of Disney’s greatest villains, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hafsah Faizal envisions his childhood. When Jafar and his brother Rohan were young, their mother told stories about a golden scarab and a magical lamp. As time goes on, Jafar’s protection over his younger brother, Rohan, is shadowed by his parents untimely deaths, the siblings resort to thievery and mischief. Jafar’s longing for the House of Wisdom sets the two on a journey to the city of Maghriz. The brother’s are trapped in a game of power by Maghriz’s Sultana. As Jafar’s ambition grows more and more, brotherhood steps out of the picture. Will Jafar corrupt himself for a position of power or will he give it up for his brother’s sake? Faizal’s book “The Wishless Ones” shows what steps it took for Jafar to become Agrabah’s royal vizier in a suspenseful, thrilling, wicked tale.

This book is both excellent and engaging. I personally picked this book because of “Aladdin” being one of my childhood favorite movies. I enjoy how this book captures ideas said in the movie. The book shows you that Aladdin is not the only way romance ends. In this book, you will find that Jafar’s experience with romance differs from the one you see with Jasmine and Aladdin. Anyone, Disney enthusiast or not, will love the story and plot of this book. However, the book lacked some important details that could have changed and adapted more like the story with Iago, Jafar’s pet parrot. I loved how the description of characters and their emotions played out; I thought it was very powerful, her descriptions. I can relate to Rohan who finds himself calmer in the shadow of someone else. This book was amazingly written so that you can understand Jafar’s actions in the popular Disney film.

There’s a reason The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to have cultural influence over 100 years after L. Frank Baum wrote it. Aside from its popular adaptation as a movie in 1939, which earned the story most of its visual representation, the original itself is a solid piece of children’s entertainment. Something about the isekai into a fantasy world coupled with these unique characters has kept a spot in pop culture that’s hard to deny. The world-building itself is likely why others continue to adapt Baum’s work today.

As an adventure, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has great character motivations which accentuate their individual flaws. From Dorothy wanting to return home to the Scarecrow wanting brains, the Tin Man wanting a heart, and the Lion wanting courage, each character has a part to play so that the entire team can achieve their goals. That anyone can find at least one character they can relate to speaks to the universal nature of the cast. To top it off, all of this is accomplished in a format that’s approachable to everyone, including the children it was originally written for.

Even though the strength of this story still stands up today, comparison to the movie version highlights some of its weaknesses. The end seemed to ramble for quite a bit, even if there were interesting concepts introduced that highlighted the fantasy aspects of the story. I can appreciate that it wasn’t framed as just a coma dream like the movie does, which helps to sell the journey as true character development. Overall, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains a classic piece of literature and is an easy enough read that everyone should try it.

A great fantasy classic that still holds up, I give The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 4.0 stars out of 5.

The third book in a large series always feels like it doesn’t have the weight of expectations on it and can relax into its own story. It’s far enough from the first book that it doesn’t get as many direct comparisons, but it’s also taking advantage of any feedback from the second book that either worked or didn't. Ozma of Oz isn’t nearly up to the level of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it pulled enough elements through to make it feel as successful as that first book.

First, Ozma of Oz brought Dorothy back. Her missing presence in The Marvelous Land of Oz left me longing for the reaction of an average human to these fantastic settings and characters. Second, the plot felt much more simple compared to the second book. The singular focus helped bring the characters together for a common goal that didn’t get distracted by introducing too many different ideas and concepts for this world. That they weren’t even in Oz for most of it probably helped, since it didn’t have the burden of tying everything back into that land’s lore.

Of course, even in the areas where it was successful, Ozma of Oz doesn’t quite live up to the strength of the first book. Sure, it has a better antagonist than The Marvelous Land of Oz, but he pales in comparison to the threat of the Wicked Witch of the West. Since her desire to return home did not fuel Dorothy’s adventure, this just feels more like a fun jaunt through a new world instead of a concerted effort to leave. Overall, it still felt like a return to what made the original great.

The return of Dorothy and a simple plot to the Oz series, I give Ozma of Oz 3.5 stars out of 5.

His Majesty's Dragon follows British Navy Captain William Laurence after he captures a dragon egg from a French ship. This book takes place during the Napoleonic wars, and instead of airplanes European air forces use dragons. Laurence must leave his comfortable life behind when he is required to become the dragon's master. Laurence befriends the dragon (named Temeraire) and together the two learn how to fight alongside other dragon's and their riders against France.

I found this book very enjoyable. The characters, the plot, the writing style, and of course the dragons made me enjoy the story as I was reading it. However, it had a slower pacing compared to other books I read which sometimes made it hard for me to pick up the book. I also found the descriptions of how the dragons are ridden into battle confusing, and I wish the author had used a more clear explanation.

If you are a fan of historical fiction and fantasy, I think this is a great mix of both genres. It is slow at times but still an interesting read, which is why I rated it 4 stars.

Avery Grambs is used to barely scraping by: with her mom dead, her dad nowhere to be found, and her half-sister's abusive boyfriend moving into their small apartment, Avery spends her days living inside her car and can only dream of a stable and financially secure future. That is - until she gets summoned to the will-reading of the late businessman Tobias Hawthorne (who also happens to be filthy rich)...and finds out that he left her almost all of his assets under a certain condition: she must live in the enormous Hawthorne estate for at least a year to inherit.

For her, it should be a perfect turn of luck: she'll never have to be worried about money ever again, right? But Avery is just as confused as the family. She's never met Tobias Hawthorne and has no familial connections with him that she knows of. Furthermore, the Hawthorne family are obviously not very pleased with a complete stranger inheriting what should have been rightfully theirs: Tobias' daughters firmly believe Avery is a con woman, and their hypercompetitive sons - Grayson, Jameson, Xander, and Nash - see her as an obstacle, a puzzle to solve. But as cryptic messages behind Tobias' will reveal themselves, Avery finds out that her inheritance is indeed part of a game, engineered by the puzzle-obsessed businessman, and she becomes entangled into the Hawthornes' complex family drama as she discovers secret passageways and compartments, as well as the secrets kept by the Hawthorne boys, unraveling truths of stories better left untold that could destroy the family - and Avery herself.

I will be honest, this novel felt extremely messy, and I had a very hard time describing the plot to other people asking about the book who haven't read it already. However, The Inheritance Games does have its merits. Barnes does a good job at giving her book emotional output: there were moments in the story where I genuinely felt pity for what some of the characters have gone through, and I feel especially sorry for the two prospective love interests, Jameson and Grayson. The intricate family drama was a bit excessive and made the novel feel like an on-paper-rendition of a soap opera, but it was intriguing, and I felt engrossed in it (although I really hope they find a way to resolve it somehow). The storyline itself, although it had its golden moments, moved along way too slowly for me and never seemed to get anywhere: the book spans 91 chapters, and by chapter 60, I was wondering when it would end - or if it would ever end, for that matter. The ending as well was incredibly unsatisfying: most of the questions posed about Avery's inheritance at the beginning of the book were either not answered at all or very vaguely addressed, and the cliffhanger only infuriated me more. I do understand that this book is the first in a series, which would explain the cliffhanger, but I felt so tired out from the plot that I considered not reading the rest of the books. There were also not as many puzzles as the plot promised, which disappointed me, and the story was mainly focused on the family drama as well as Avery's strange relationship with Grayson and Jameson (which isn't a completely bad thing, but I started this book thinking there would be more puzzles, and the few that were in the plot were only okay, not brilliant).

As for the characters, I honestly found Avery to be a slightly dislikeable main character: she was as much of a mess as the Hawthorne brothers were, and at times she was honestly kind of stupid. I did enjoy Xander and Nash. Xander was such a funny, lively character, and his obsession with robots and mechanics made him even more endearing. And Nash, unlike most of his family, was actually level-headed and calm, and I respected him for his demeanor, even though his role was also supposed to be controversial, as well as Xander's. Overall, the book was an entertaining read, and there were parts of it that I did love, but it did feel melodramatic and stretched out. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series, but this book was by no means a completely unpleasant experience.