This book follows ex-convict Shadow, once he is released from prison and enters into a new job as the assistant to Mr. Wednesday (more commonly known as Odin). Shadow doesn’t believe the fact that he is surrounded by gods, until Mr. Wednesday introduces him to god and god and shows him undeniable evidence. Mr. Wednesday is using Shadow as a mean of amassing the older, more forgotten gods into an army ready to retaliate against the new gods of the modern era. Technology, for example, is depicted as a god, but a socially removed and young god. This has been one of my absolute favorite books to read because of how it explores the change in worshiping from ancient gods and folklore into technology, media, and trends. The book is so complicated because it brings together ancient gods of cultures from around the world.

Each have different origins and purposes, and the role Shadow plays as the representation of humanity only intensifies the surreal feeling of the book.
I liked how I was able to relate to Shadow, as bring subject to the controlling factors of society, whether they be demanding gods or media outlets. I appreciated how well-researched the cultures written about were, and how there isn't a page in the book that doesn’t bring about another point to think about, something like morality or control. The book is also very entertaining and a fascinating storyline, and I would highly recommend it to any reader. I would give it five out of five stars.

This book is a mix of old folklore and spirituality, racism, social stereotypes, and empathy. It revolves around a family who face racism from the white grandfather of black children. The main characters are the mother, the son, and the baby daughter, who relies more on her brother than her own mom. Her mother spends more time doing drugs than raising her kids, so the grandparents have generally brought them up. Their father, a white drug dealer, is in prison, and the book follows the family’s road trip to go and pick him up. The novel switches between a modern setting, and the prison but from the 1940s, when the black grandfather was in jail. The story analyzes the reasons behind a broken family, and brings to light the continued racism in the southern USA. However, the spirituality plays a role because another character who joins the road trip is the mother’s dead brother, who appears as a ghost and brings up the idea of family. I enjoyed this book very much because of its complexity. The book can be a slow read, as all the scenery and characters are continually described in precise detail, but the author leaves no point unexplained. The meanings behind the plot are subtle, and the supernatural aspect is a good point of interest to tie together the past and the present. I loved the honesty behind the author’s writing, and I enjoyed the beautiful writing style. I would highly recommend this book, and would give it four out of five stars.

This books follows Elliot Schafer as he leaves behind the modern England and travels instead into a magical land where he enrolls in a sort of a school.

Students, called cadets at the camp/school, can choose between war training and council training, meaning fighting or diplomacy. He befriends Luke Sunborn, the fan favorite of the camp and a promising soldier, through a truce that they made regarding the third member of their group, Serene, the only elf who joined the human army and who they both try to help by offering extra lessons. Elliot’s mission slowly becomes peace in the Borderlands, the name of the magical place he now lives in, because he doesn’t like their dependency on war as a means of existence. The book then follows the three friends as they navigate treaties and violence and meet many magical creatures. This is by far the best book I’ve read this year. There is a sense of empathy for all the characters, realistic romances, delicate friendships, and other harsh realities that rarely appear in young adult literature, not to mention the reverse gender stereotypes and raging pacifism that become center points of the plot. I loved the detail in the story and how everything in the story in interconnected. I could barely put it down, and would highly recommend it. I would give it five stars out of five.

This book follows two teens who have Cystic Fibrosis and are receiving treatment in the same hospital. The girl is fairly strict with her routines, but she slowly falls for the rebellious boy who ignores the doctors’ advice and avoids his medicine. While this book was interesting, especially in regards to the medical aspect, the plot as a whole wasn’t all that unique.

The idea of a forbidden romance, even due to medical conditions, was not terribly exciting. I would not recommend this book for anything other than a quick, cliché romance read. It isn’t too deep and the end is very predictable. I initially chose this book because I thought it would go more in depth into the lives of the main characters lives and explore CF, but the book is almost totally limited to the hospital. I would give it two and a half stars out of five.

The Giver is a dystopian novel that illustrates the story of a young boy named Jonas. Jonas lives in a futuristic society that has eliminated the concepts fear, pain, and diversity. He is the only different person within his society, to which he has unique capabilities and characteristics than that of other individuals. He is put through many challenges and barriers that he must overcome. This leads to his absolute desire to explore the outskirts and find the ultimate truth of his fate.

The Giver is a dystopian novel, where it brought a unique setting and plot-line for the reader. It was interesting and did not follow a dull story-line that was expected. The whole story concludes to be a 4 star rating, as many parts of the story were surprising and unexpected which maintained the attraction and interest into the story. However, the story lacks a consistency with its line of events, which leads to certain parts being extremely intriguing, and other parts of the story being slow and boring. This loses the reader at some point.

Personally, the book was well written and was very captivating for me. It was surprising with its plot-line of action, and I enjoyed most about the futuristic society and the uniqueness of it. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Pittacus Lore has written another masterpiece with The Fall of Five. In The Fall of Five, new characters are introduced and old friends return to fight. The Garde finally find their last member and work to train as a team.

However, the Mogadorians are working just as hard and become more desperate to kill all of the Loric. In this novel, the fun and dramatic adventure started in I am Number Four continue and the characters are further developed. However, The Fall of Five is full of additional thrills and a plot twist that will shock you.

I liked this book because it was very suspenseful. This book was unpredictable and I found that part particularly enjoyable. I picked this book because it is from a very good series. I can relate to Will because he is not easily spooked. However, when he is spooked, it is really, really bad.
This is one of the best books I have read this year.

Reviewer Grade: 9

In the sixth book of the Ranger’s Apprentice, Will, the protagonist, is a full fledged ranger. He is tasked with infiltrating Macindaw and finding who is leading a coup on the lord there. The book is kinda slow to build up the story and events. However, it is worth continuing to read because it gets really good. I liked this book because it leaves you on your toes once you get into it. This book is hard to predict but it is possible to guess what is going to happen. One of the best books I have read this year.

Reviewer Grade: 9

In the fourth novel of the series The Ranger's Apprentice, The Battle for Skandia, Will, the protagonist, finds himself stuck in Skandia. Will must help the Skandians repel an invasion. I liked this book because it leaves you wondering, who is going to win. This was a book that was very unpredictable, which I find very enjoyable. I picked this book because it is the fourth book in a really good series. I can relate to Will because he finds himself being required to help those who do not want help. This is by far the best book I have read all year so far. I would recommend this series to anyone who prefers speed and intelligence over raw strength.

Reviewer Grade: 9

In the third novel of Ranger’s Apprentice, The Icebound Land, Will, the protagonist, finds himself a captive of the Skandians. The Skandians are a group of people who raid coastal cities. He is bound to become a slave of the Skandians. The reason I liked this book is because it was very unpredictable. I can relate to the character Will because he is intelligent and thinks outside the box. The best part of this book is the beginning because it makes the reader excited to read the rest of the book to find out what is going to happen. I picked this book because the first and second books were very good.