Book Review: Jane Eyre

Title of Book
Author
Bronte, Charlotte
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is one of my favorite pieces of classical literature that explores the human experience through the story of an orphaned young woman, Jane Eyre, who remains steadfast in her beliefs despite the challenges she faces. Bronte's writing style is emotional and descriptive, immersing the reader in a detailed and symbolic representation of 19th century England. The novel's structure is well-crafted, with each chapter building upon the last to create a story that is hard to put down once you're reading. The character development is impressive, with Jane and supporting characters adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The novel explores universal themes of love, morality, and social class, making it a timeless classic that truly can resonate with any reader. Jane becomes a relatable character throughout the novel as she overcomes a variety of issues, and I found most of the drama she was involved in to be both intriguing and entertaining. Overall, Jane Eyre is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a good story or classic literature, especially one that explores coming-of-age and romantic ideas. Personally, this is one of my favorite novels across any genre as I have read it multiple times.
Reviewer Grade: 11.

Reviewer's Name
Addison

Book Review: The Merciful Crow

Title of Book
Author
Owen, Margaret
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

This book was unlike any other I've read before. I got it annotated by a friend as a Christmas present, and it was the best gift in the world. The first line alone shocked me, and made me want to keep reading. I love when a book starts off really interesting, and Margaret Owen nailed it. The characters are so funny, especially Jasimir, and Tavin is a wonderfully written brave and witty character too. I felt like I lived in the book, it was so vivid and the imagery was amazing. The gore was just enough to have an impact, but not be overwhelming. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. Can't wait to read the sequel!!!
Reviewer grade: 11

Reviewer's Name
Mackenzie

Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down

Title of Book
Author
Green, John
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

I absolutely love John Green and The Fault In Our Stars, so what inspired me to read Turtles All The Way Down, was just wanting to read all of his books. It was so worth it. I really had no idea what to expect when I opened up the book. Aza is sweet, but also struggles with alot, and it was sad, but cool to see the world from her perspective with her anxieties. The plot about Aza and Daisy investigating Russell Pickett's disappearance was entrancing. I was in disbelief when I found out what Pickett left his inheritance to, instead of his sons. The romance between Aza and Davis is bittersweet, and navigates the rocky road of distrust, and understanding. I am so excited that this book is going to be made into a movie, but it's story in paper form will always be special to me.

Reviewer's Name
Mackenzie

Book Review: Divergent

Title of Book
Author
Roth, Veronica
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Divergent is a book that really drew me in as I was reading. The story starts from Beatrice Prior’s (also known as Tris) point of view. Within the world that she lives in, there are five factions. These factions being dauntless, candor, erudite, abnegation, and amity. Tris ends up choosing to go into the dauntless (the fearless) faction. Among being placed into the dauntless faction, Tris Prior meets Four. Four and Tris “hit it off” after seeing each other and the fall in love quickly. The two have different personalities which seems to click. The novel follows Beatrice and Four as they laugh, love, keep secrets, butt heads, and much much more.
I really like the variety in genres of this book. The book does have romance, humor, fantasy, but it also has action and mysterious elements to it. The short chapters make this book really good at keep the reader’s attention span. The scenes described in vivid detail allow you to feel like part of the story and envision it in your mind. This book is the first of three books. The three books were turned into movies and the first one being Divergent. If you’re looking for a read that is compelling enough to keep your attention span, have a little of every genre, and describes scenes in extreme detail, this book is for you!
Reviewer Grade: 8

Reviewer's Name
Abigail

Book Review: The Selection

Title of Book
Author
Cass, Kiera
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

The Selection was a very fun book for me to read, because it was a quick read fantasy book. It incorporates all the elements a romance lover looks for in a book. It is a love triangle, enemies to lovers, and friends to lovers novel all in one. America is a very strong and independent character, but we see her become more open minded and willing to work with others instead of fighting them. It is cool to see her perspective on the life she wants change as she gets to know Maxon, but she never forgets the change she wants to make for the people of her past life. The book was not my all time favorite, because the plot can be a little more predictable at times, and some parts are slower. Although, it is definitely worth reading.

Reviewer's Name
Mackenzie

Book Review: Every Last Word

Title of Book
Author
Stone, Tamara Ireland
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

This book left me stunned. It has a plot twist that no one could see coming. I was amazed by the character development of Sam, and by how her relationship with her new friend Caroline turned out. Learning about Sam's pure obsessional OCD was really cool and eye opening to what could be going on in someone's mind without us ever knowing. Sam was in many ways also very relatable, and I loved her. She shows the audience that they are not alone in wanting to find a place where the fit in, or find friends they feel safe around. Every Last Word also has a sweet hint of romance, but it is great because it doesn't overpower the main story of Sam's struggle with her OCD and how she found healing in poet's corner.
Reviewers Grade: 11

Reviewer's Name
Mackenzie

Book Review: The Inheritance Games

Title of Book
Author
Barnes Jennifer, Lynn
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

I chose the Inheritance Games to read, because I love fantasy, realistic fiction, and dystopian books. This one caught my eye especially from the cover. I know, never judge a book by it's cover, but this one ended up being great. This book is one I can safely say I will reread many times. It was hard to put down, because it incorporates mystery, romance, and the feeling of being in an escape room so perfectly. It is not only cool to see Avery solve the puzzles in the Hawthorne house herself, but to try solving them from the perspective of the reader. The Hawthorne boys are witty, and each so unique, they are easy characters to love. Especially Jameson, who is a very dynamic character, always doing and saying the unexpected. This book was far from predictable. It is a given that once you read the first book you will want to read the sequel, because the series as a whole is fantastic.
Reviewer grade: 11

Reviewer's Name
Mackenzie

Book Review: Wrath of Empire

Title of Book
Author
McClellan, Brian
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Wrath of Empire is a fiction book by the author Brian McClellan. It is the second book in the Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy. This trilogy is also a sequel trilogy to the amazing trilogy The Powder Mage. I chose this book in particular because of how much I loved both the first trilogy and because the previous book Sins of Empire left an amazing cliffhanger in preventing the rise of another god. I chose to read the first book of the first trilogy because the author, Brian McClellan, was strongly recommended for fans of Branden Sanderson's work (another fantastic author). The book largely follows 3 main characters: Lady Flint, a minor character from the previous trilogy who leads a mercenary group known as the Riflejacks, Michel Bravis, a spy that double-crosses the group he double-crosses for, and Mad Ben Styke, a cavalry leader focused on escorting and protecting a magical savant (the savant, Ka-Sadiel is trying to prevent the creation of another god). Each character was exceptional in their own way; personally, I enjoyed Michel's sections the most because of the consistent location (both Lady Flint and Colonel Styke are travelling to prevent a creation of another god, but Michel stays in the same location for the majority of the book). This book was full of surprises as amazing characters died and lied while striving to bide their time. None of the characters are wholly relatable because I am a child that could not survive a war. At moments, however, nerves would build and sympathy would be drawn from the reader (e.g. when Michel didn't know if he could ever find an important character in a massive city). This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year.
Reviewer Grade: 10

Reviewer's Name
Ryder

Book Review: Every Soul a Star

Title of Book
Author
Mass, Wendy
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

“Every Soul has a Star” by Wendy Mass is a lighthearted novel about three main characters that must learn to adapt to new surroundings. 13-year-old Ally’s parents have owned Moon Shadow campground all her life. She grew up there with her little brother Kenny. Ally’s grandfather was always fascinated by stars and comets, when he passed Ally inherited his meteorite chunk along with his love for space. Bree on the other hand is another 13-year-old girl, however, she has a love for shopping and style. She has been nothing but excited to go to high school during the fall and climb the social ladder within her school. She wants nothing but to be popular when her life flips upside down and her parents (scientists) purchase Moon Shadow campground. Jack, a boy who has always stood out by being overweight and an avid gamer who feels most comfortable alone, must attend summer school because he failed science in his previous year. He is offered the chance to attend Moon Shadow campground for a week to study an eclipse as a substitute. When Ally and Bree meet up their plan falls into action, they must convince their parents to cancel their plans. When they meet Jack as well, they must all work together to fulfill the mission Jack’s teacher sent him on.

Reviewer's Name
Cailyn

Book Review: Watership Down

Title of Book
Author
Adams, Richard
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

This is a book designed for lovers of Xenofiction (books from non-human perspectives). "Watership Down" is a book about a warren of rabbits. Hazel's brother Fiver has a disturbing vision that prompts him and others to leave the warren. Along the way they run into other, sinister warrens. Interwoven with the story, short segments describing the mythology of El-ahrairah ( a figure similar to Robin Hood).

Some may be familiar with the violent reputation of "Watership Down". This is an earned reputation. Although no main characters die, they do suffer grievous harm. Aside from that, there is a vivid and disturbing description of the original warren's description. However, I felt that the most disturbing parts of the books were the parts exploring the almost dystopian warrens the group meet. If you plan to read this book, keep this in mind. Do not read this if you are sensitive to violence.

If you can get past the disturbing content, this is an excellent read. The characters are incredibly charming. Hazel is an inventive leader, who sometimes acts recklessly to show off. Fiver is a timid rabbit who has glimpses of the future, based on the famous Greek oracle Cassandra. Bigwig is a gruff ally, who occasionally doubts Hazel's leadership, but has a big heart. The plot is equally as interesting, leaving me anxious at parts when things seemed to be going eerily well. The segments regarding El-ahrairah are also entertaining, giving insight into the rabbit culture.

All in all, if you aren't sensitive to violence, I would definitely recommend trying this book.

Reviewer's Name
Rose
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