The Odyssey is a very famous book by the ancient author Homer. It is about Telemachus, son of the famous king Odysseus, and his journeys. The literary techniques in this epic, including rhyme scheme, reveal a deeper meaning. I was intrigued by Homer's diction and his use of Greek gods to convey important points. Additionally, the abundance of vivid imagery, intricate metaphors, and extended similes give this epic some zest. The Odyssey is both a fun yet complex read, and I recommend it for everyone.
Reviewer Grade: 11

Safe Haven is one of Nicholas Sparks's many romance novels. Main character Katie's status quo is quite somber and desperate, with an abusive husband and no independent life of her own. Safe Haven shows Katie's journey as she struggles to get away from her old life. Although I normally do not enjoy romances, this one was different. The storyline was gripping and thrilling. The writing was perfectly suited for the plot. I recommend this book to anyone, whether you like romances or not.

Testimony by Anita Shreve is about a scandal at a local college-prep called Avery. It takes us through the events that led up to the scandal in an intriguing and intense way. The characters are beautifully written, which makes this book all the more tragic. Shreve takes an inhuman event an connects us to it through lovable characters, many different perspectives, and tough ethical dilemmas. Though this book is heart-wrenching, I strongly recommend it for Shreve's lucid writing.
Reviewer Grade: 11

The Ask and the Answer is the second book of Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series. In this continuation, we see the original characters Todd and Viola venture farther from home as they try to outrun the lies of their previous lives. This book is a wonderful mix of brilliant, sad, courageous, and painful. As soon as I finished this book, all I wanted to do was pick up the next one. Ness's writing style is unique, and the characters are relatable and real. The events that transpire throughout The Ask and the Answer provoke a wide range of emotions, which makes it engaging. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has read the first Chaos Walking book, which is called The Knife of Never Letting Go.
Reviewer Grade: 11

Less than Zero is a 1985 book that reveals the reality and hardships of being a teenager in Los Angeles. Though the majority of the kids in this book are filthy rich and spoiled, their lives are quite depressing.
This book is not for the faint of heart. However, it is extremely well-written and very evocative. Ellis does not hold anything back in writing this, which is part of my appreciation for it. The characters are hauntingly complex yet dry, which serves this book perfectly. I recommend Less than Zero because it feels real, and the bleak tone is very thought-provoking.

Typical chick lit. Well written but very formulaic. That's okay, it is what it is. I enjoyed the respite from deeper waters.

This is an amazing book. So stark and unforgiving, written exactly like Siberia and the arctic circle. This isn't an autobiography but it sounds like it could be. I have no doubt that Lina's circumstances happened to thousands during Stalin's reign. The writing was so realistic I could feel the wind and the cold and every terrible thing that came with it.

Partly due to the success of The Hunger Games , the Young Adult genre swerved into the survival/sci-fi/dystopian genres that also allowed The Maze Runner to have a ready and willing audience. With this being the case, I’d almost say The Maze Runner has more utopian sensibilities since the narrative encourages teamwork for survival, instead of a “winner take all” emphasis presented in The Hunger Games that valued selfish ambitions over communistic altruism. Plus, if you put 50 teenage boys in a box with no adult supervision, I think the logical conclusion would be more along the lines of Lord of the Flies instead of solving a deadly maze.

While the premise was interesting and allowed for a constant and steady pacing of inciting events, I felt there was not enough explanation in this first part of the trilogy, with very few questions being answered by the end and a lot of hand-waving to push the characters forward to a conclusion. In fact, having seen the movie adaptation, I was hoping the book was better suited to explain the ending, but it was equally as confusing. That being said, there were key elements in the book (like the telepathy) that didn’t make it into the movie.

Overall, the few main characters in The Maze Runner were interesting and unique, even if it took some of them two years to even figure out the simplest parts of the maze. Still, fear can be a huge hindrance toward progress, so I guess I understand their predicament. Additionally, despite using a euphemistic system of swears as part of the characters’ unique jargon, I couldn’t help but think that this book would have been a lot more inappropriate for a young adult audience if the actual swear words were used instead.

An interesting premise with engaging characters, I give The Maze Runner 3.5 stars out of 5.

This takes place in the same universe as Bardugo's other series, The Grisha Trilogy, but with different characters. It follows Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy who is offered to pull off the heist of a lifetime: to break into the Ice Court (which has never been breached) to rescue a hostage. He puts together a team of five other outcasts, which includes Inej Ghafa, a silent spy, Nina, a Grisha, Matthias, a convict, Jesper, a gunslinger, and Wylan, a runaway, to help break into the Ice Court. Keep in mind, my description of the characters is incredibly weak and do them no justice.
While the heist itself is brilliantly written and thrilling to read with twists and turns, this is a very character driven story, and these are incredibly well written characters. They each have their own voices, thoughts, feelings, way of expressing emotions, motivations, and backstories.
They are so complex and feel so real. While this book takes a while to get into (due to some confusing terminology) I got the hang of the world building reasonably well, it just took a bit. This is a very unique world, and along with the characters, makes for a strong, compelling, beautifully written read that makes me desperate to find the next book.

The first installment of James Dashner’s post-apocalyptic trilogy, entitled “The Maze Runner” has been hailed by critics around the globe as a ground-breaking and masterfully crafted novel. Dashner managed to exceed the status quo with his alluring and mysterious story. Now with the second installment to the series having been released, readers are begging the question, “Does ‘The Scorch Trials’
live up to the expectations set by Dashner’s previous novel?” Well, after having read and thoroughly reflected upon the novel, I am pleased to say that this book did a wonderful job of transitioning the narrative forward!

The narrative picks up where the last left off, with Thomas and the rest of the ‘Gladers’ having discovered that they bear participation to a sick experiment, hosted by leaders of a post-apocalyptic world. Thomas must come to terms with this truth, while also trying to discover more information about the strange reality he is now confronted with.

One of the most signature characteristics of Dashner’s novels are the unpredictable plotlines. It always seems that there is information hanging above the reader’s foresight, with twists and turns following each turn of the page. The grand puzzle of the Maze is yet to be solved in its entirety, so as the narrative continues, readers are left to form their own speculations.
However, that’s not to say that Dashner doesn’t leave clues for readers to catch. His use of foreshadowing is masterful, and its application in his writing makes for a wonderful reading experience.

I would certainly recommend continuing onto this read from the last, as the world first introduced by Dashner in the last novel is expanded upon in wonderful and creative ways. Whether you enjoyed the first installment for its enthralling plot, or its mysterious narrative, you’ll be pleased with Dashner’s continuation of the story, as it has brought a whole new level of masterpiece to his trilogy.

Reviewer's Grade Level: 10