For any Hunger Games fans out there, this book is incredible! Sunrise on the Reaping revisits a favored character from the original books: Haymitch Abernathy. The book revolves around his experiences before, during, and after the 50th Hunger Games.
When Haymitch’s 16th birthday comes around, he must sacrifice himself for the one he loves and is selected to be in the “Second Quarter Quell” — a game with more opponents and decreased odds, especially coming from District 12. He faces challenging experiences in the Capitol with threats from President Snow, differentiating friends versus foe, and watching those he cares about die. He realizes after the games he will never be safe or at peace like he dreamed of.
The book brilliantly portrays themes seen throughout the original trilogy and the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: love, despair, resilience, and defiance. The relationship between these themes in all of Collins books made this book not only a heart-wrenching shocker, but it also explained how Haymitch Abernathy’s 50th games shaped the 74th Hunger Games. If you’re looking for a book filled with love, heartbreak, plot-twists, defiance, and a nostalgically classic dystopian feel, Sunrise on the Reaping is the book for you!

Eric Ly's life is falling apart. His best friend is dead, his sister is moving away for college, and Eric can't seem to deal with his loneliness and grief. So, in order to cope, he creates fake scenarios in his head to hold on to what he had, until one of them seemingly comes to life. During a summer trip to Japan, Eric had met - and shortly lost contact with- a boy named Haru. And now, in a random cafe in Chicago, Haru has miraculously found his way back to him. But the problem is no one can see Haru except for Eric.

Nonetheless, Eric now has a new person to connect with during these hard times - even if Haru may not be real at all. But his twisted imagination and lingering grief lead him to question the circumstances around him and lose control of his life. And slowly, Eric realizes he must come to terms with reality, even if it means he must lose Haru and the fake scenarios he's created.

When I first picked up this book, I had pretty high expectations for it. The book's concept intrigued me, and I also did enjoy reading You've Reached Sam, the author's debut work. That being said, this book somewhat disappointed me. The plot saw so many changes in direction to the point where it felt rather aimless, and Eric's self-destructive decisions did irritate me at times (which may have been the intention given Eric's mental state, I won't discredit that). Haru's character, despite his proclaimed importance in the book's blurb, was honestly not very important to the story, and I genuinely feel like the book could have sufficed without him. The story was like a collection of Eric's memories and experiences; this introspectiveness doesn't inherently make a book "bad," but these books also aren't for everyone. The climax of the book did have some emotional substance, and it was pleasant to see Eric find his way and grow from his grief, but overall, I found this book to be a bit directionless. However, I do know that the novel was also very hard for the author to write, having to match his newfound success for You've Reached Sam (which also touches on grief and loss), so I do wonder what he might have done had he not been creatively restricted.

"The Queen's Spade" by Sarah Raughley tells the story of Ina Omoba, better known as Sarah "Sally" Forbes Bonetta, who was Queen Victoria's African goddaughter. After being taken from her homeland in Nigeria and witnessing her friend's murder at the crown's hands, Sally is determined to get her revenge on Queen Victoria and her inner circle. Enlisting the help of her friend, Rui, Sally works behind the scenes to expose secrets and create chaos, ruining the lives of all those who had hurt her. This is a true story based on Sarah Forbes Bonetta's real life in the 1800s, reimagining her life to create a YA romantacy.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was really excited for its potential. The idea of reimagining such an interesting historical figure's story was really intriguing, and the revenge plot seemed exciting. However, after reading this book, I was sorely disappointed. The plot fell flat, as the storytelling was often confusing and seemed unorganized and even rushed. None of the characters were developed, and it was hard to like any of them. Additionally, the ending was dissatisfying, left a lot of unnecessary loose ends, and was not historically accurate at all, which was heartbreaking and took a lot away from Sarah Forbes Bonetta's story. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but the execution was so poorly done that I could not enjoy it. I would not recommend reading it.

The Cruel Prince is just straight up amazing. I LOVED Jude and her development as a character and how it was done. Cardan is a 10/10 no notes. This book is the original enemies to lovers and I am here for it! The only thing about this book is it can tend to have a lot of politics which might confuse readers but otherwise this is a masterfully written book that transports readers to the land of Faerie. Would recommend this to most if not all fantasy readers as it is a staple of the genre.

The Revenant Games had everything you could ask for--action fantasy and romance. Follow Bly, a 17-year-old looking for a way to bring back her dead sister after an accident she’ll never forgive herself for. She decides to compete in the revenant games. Anyone can play, but the games are deadly. Follow Bly on her breathtaking adventure as she fights for everyone she loves. It’s vampires versus witches and Bly wants to win for both sides. When she meets the boy who changes her view on life she can’t decide whether she saves her sister or the boy she loves.

After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was hesitant to pick up Throne of Glass, but I was pleasantly surprised. Throne of Glass is masterpiece. Celeana is a take no prisoners kick butt character and I fell in love with her narrating immediately. This is now my new favorite series, and I am happy to say it only gets better from here. Maas's world building skills are on full display here and mixed with the captivating plot, it was a quick and exciting read. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy with girl power main character!

A Court of Thorns and Roses was really disappointing mostly because of the main character Feyre. She was whiny, obnoxious and all around a dislikable person. I struggled to finish to read this book and didn't finish the second one. This plot has the potential to be great with a few tweaks and character changes but instead it fell flat. This book is all hype and no substance and the only redeeming part of the book was Rhys. I would not recommend this book to anyone with little patience for terrible books.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi follows Juliette, a teen girl labeled as insane and dangerous by the government. She has always felt alone due to her power, or curse, of destruction. She cannot touch another person without feeling immense pain. However, when one of the government officials takes interest in her powers, she is released from the asylum as he holds her hostage as a hopeful weapon. With the help of an old friend, Juliette learns that she might not be as horrible as she thought, and might be deserving of the love she has never had.

I really enjoyed this book! All of the characters, especially Juliette, have strong personalities and character traits. I especially thought seeing how Juliette's obsession with numbers worked as a way for her to cope from past trauma was interesting. However, I thought the book's pace felt slow at times and rushed at times. For instance, Juliette's romance with another character felt like it was moving really fast, and sometimes I couldn't tell how much time had passed from the last significant event. Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend!

This book has all the makings of a great book--a sweet plot, magic, and of course, candy. The storyline follows Nate, who moves to a new town and joins a club with three other kids: daredevil Summer, steadfast Trevor, and brainy Pigeon. When the new sweet shop shows up in town, they have no idea how good-or dangerous-the candy could be. Mrs. White, the owner, is the sweet old lady who owns the shop, but is that all she is? Can normal people make candy that lets you leap twelve times as high as you could? Soon, she has recruited the four kids. They do special missions in return for magic candy, but something doesn't feel right. Soon, the kids begin to suspect Mrs. White. However, they might be too late, and how can they expect to fight against magic? This book is full of unexpected twists and is an enjoyable read. The combination of candy and magic is too good to resist. Definitely check it out!

When my mom recommended this book to me, I was skeptical, because I don't read a lot of ghost/horror stories. However, though there are some eerie specters and situations, the overall feel of the book is dry comments and tea parties. This book takes place in an alternate London, where an epidemic has broke out. It's called The Problem, and it is ghosts returning from beyond the grave. There are many agencies that people hire to fight against ghosts using salt and iron. Only children and teenagers can see and hear ghosts, but everyone can die from ghost touch. Some children are born with psychic talents that allow for easier recognition of ghosts, and so can defeat them easier. The series follows Lucy Joan Carlyle, an agent who joins a small company, the smallest in the city, and the ghosts they find, but in the third one, an especially large outbreak plagues London. Every agency is out every night (ghosts don't come out during the day) fighting ghosts and searching for the source of the outbreak. Lucy and her team, charming and fearless Lockwood, the leader of the group, George, a crusty intellectual, and Holly, perfection personified and a new addition to the team, need to find the source. They need to find it quickly, before there are more casualties. Overall, I loved the writing style, as the characters seem real though the circumstances are outlandish and the whole series is definitely worth reading. I personally have read all the books at least twice, and some parts still surprise me!

"The Sun and the Star" is a book in the Percy Jackson universe that is set after "Trials of Apollo" and before "Magnus Chase". Nico keeps having weird dreams where a disembodied voice calls out to him, asking for help. When the Oracle of Delphi sends Nico on a quest to the Underworld, Will, his boyfriend, goes with him. The two go on a journey in the Underworld, and they have to face many hardships. It may seem like the world is against them, but with their love, they can get through anything.

This book is amazing. As always, Rick Riordan manages to move me to tears. Throughout the book, there are little excerpts from later on that make you want to read more. It's very captivating and I could not stop reading it. I would 100% recommend you read this book if you've finished the Trials of Apollo series!

This is the second book in The Unwanteds series. This was one of the more dramatic action-packed books. It explores one of the other islands that surround Artime called the Island of Silence. It does go into more detail about the island in the next book. Find out what Alex’s twin brother Aaron will do next after being defeated, and how Artime will react.

"Unwind" is a sci-fi dystopian masterpiece that everyone should read. "Unwind" follows Connor, Lev, and Risa, each with a very different life and story. Despite their differences there is one thing they all have in common; they have been scheduled to be unwound. Being unwound is every teenager's worst nightmare, unless that is you're a tithe. After a war that happened long before Connor, Lev, and Risa's time, a decision was made that any child between the ages of 13 and 18 can be unwound, aka have their body harvested to be used for others who need transplants, if their parents so decided. Despite societies persistence that being unwound is a way for the kids to live on forever, Connor, Lev, and Risa have other plans for their future...

Another one of Lois Lowry's inspirational books, "Gathering Blue" tells a powerful story. The book follows Kira, a girl with a disability living in a society where disabilities and weakness is frowned upon and cast out. After her mother's death, Kira fears what will become of her future, only to learn she has been chosen to repair a sacred item that is of the utmost important in her societies traditions. Being chosen to do this task offers Kira a place to live, eat, and cease worrying about her future. With a new and much more luxurious life, all seems well to Kira at first. However as she meets more people with unique talents like her, she begins to question her work and everything she's been taught, especially when she discovers a shocking secret she never could have thought to have been true...

Have you ever made a mistake and wished you could go back in time to fix it? Well, if you said yes, then Jen Calonita's The Retake is for you! Zoe is just trying to survive the highs and lows of middle school, but she knows she can take on anything with her best friend Laura by her side. But, when they have a falling out, Zoe is devastated and unsure what to do.

Then something strange happens: A mysterious app appears on her phone! In the beginning, Zoe thinks it is nothing. But when she decides to test it out, she realizes the app lets her literally travel back in time to when the social media post was taken. Each "retake" is an attempt of Zoe trying to fix everything - ending in hilarious results or horrible heartbreak. Zoe hopes that if she finds the one thing that caused their friendship to fall apart, she can patch it back up again.

I really like Zoe's character; She is relatable because she is awkward, funny, and makes mistakes like everyone does. Besides this book being a time-travel story, it covers themes of friendship and how not everything lasts forever. Sometimes friendships stay and sometimes they fall apart, but it is all a part of the process of growing up and forging our own paths through life.

The Retake brings up how it is important to talk things out, instead of overlooking the problems and trying to pretend they don't exist. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic fiction books of friendships, growing up, and just a hint of time-travel magic.

This book was exciting, action-packed, and satisfying. Maddie, Ranger’s apprentice and second heir to the throne, goes on a journey to save her father and his men from the Red Fox Clan surrounding the hill fort they are in. If they succeed, they must then go to rescue her mother and the king from members of the clan within the castle. The story is well paced with battles that leave you wanting more. It is an excellent conclusion to the story that began in The Red Fox Clan.

Dance of Thieves is a fast-paced fantasy and romance novel. The author has strong worldbuilding that helped bring the story to life. I did think the author rushed the worldbuilding at times, and it took longer than I would have liked to understand certain aspects of the world. However, Mary E. Pearson was also able to create many unique characters with different cultures, and it helped me feel like I was in the world, learning about these characters and their beliefs.

I loved both main characters and their different personalities, and I enjoyed seeing how their differing actions influenced the plot. I never found myself loathing a certain character's POV. The author makes sure both characters have different hidden goals and motives even when working together. This helped contribute to the tension between the characters, which helped me enjoy the book. Something new was always happening, and I never felt that the author was adding unnecessary information.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fast-paced novel that will hold your attention from beginning to end, or if you are looking for a romance that drives the plot but doesn't overshadow it.

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.

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.

I read this book when I was in middle school, and I loved it then. I think it's a wonderful fantasy read with a story told in multiple points of view. The story follows a girl named Luna, who is raised by a witch, and Antain who is trying to hint the witch. Luna was accidentally fed moonlight by the witch, which gives her magical abilities. As she grows older, Luna struggles to contain and control these powers. I think the story is touching and a makes it a good coming of age book about love and self-discovery.

This book was definitely interesting to read. I didn't exactly dislike it but it wasn't my favorite book ever. The book is about a dystopian world with a special act that lets people "unwind" their teenagers. This process involves repurposing their organs and body parts, donating them to people in need and justified this as the life doesn't really end. It's the premise of the book and brings up some heartbreaking scenes to read. In my opinion the plot isn't bad. It's about three teens that come together to try and escape being unwound. What I like about it is that it's a powerful adventure and there's a lot of unique characters. Even though it wasn't my favorite book I've read, I don't think it a waste of time and would recommend it to those who enjoy science fiction and action.

Pretty good, but the ending is not what I would have liked. Morgan is an introvert. And she’s a lesbian. Ever since her dad left the family, things have been getting tense between her and her mother and her brother. So one night, after a big fight, she goes down to the rocks. She slips and falls into the ocean, almost drowning. A silky rescues her, and Morgan is convinced that it is a near death experience when she kisses her. But when Kelpie shows up the next day with human legs, things get awkward.

Really, really good! Neil Gaiman is an awesome storyteller, and the tale flows great. Really good pace, and some mysteries still left unsolved for the reader to figure out. Nobody Owens’ family was killed when he was a baby. He was adopted by ghosts, and Silas chose to be his guardian. This book is a tale of how Bod (with a D), grew up, his adventures and his friends, all along weaving a story of betrayal and murder into the background. Amazing Book.

I chose this book because the cover page is beautiful and the premise sounded interesting; I was not disappointed. A slight twist on the beloved fairy tale of sleeping beauty. After the evil fairy arrives to curse Miriam's younger sister Aurora, Miriam becomes Aurora's protector, and Miriam, along with some of her friends, begin training to both protect Aurora on the battle field and against magical forces as Aurora grows. The plot is unique, fast paced, and very interesting! I also enjoyed exploring the magic system Miriam is learning to work with, and I felt a connection to the main characters that Miriam works with.

However the main drawback for me was the writing style. Instead of allowing me to become part of the story, it almost pulled me out of it with how choppy I felt the writing was. The only reason I wanted to read the story was because of the plot. I do understand that the writing style could be geared towards a more younger audience, and if you don't mind writing that isn't super poetic or smooth, but rather has an interesting plot, I would recommend this book to you!

This book was weird.
It felt like a windstorm of ideas blowing in my face; a mad prophet's ravings before catastrophe, and a tangled mess of actions and consequences - but somehow they all connected together? It was a bit of an experience.
Grasshopper Jungle is a story about the end of the world, but like many teen novels, it is simply a backdrop to Austin's personal dramas. One of its tags on Libby is "humor" but I think it's more of a tragedy if anything. The main character and his best friend inadvertently bring about an apocalypse by way of 6-foot tall, ravenous grasshoppers after accidentally breaking a jar they really shouldn't have broken.
The book weaves together the stories of Austin, his childhood experiences, as well as those of his brother, Polish ancestor, the mutant grasshoppers, and random strangers around town (such as his principal, his friend's mom's boyfriend, and a vulgar policeman being memorable ones). It's a lot.
I found this story's distinctive style very difficult to tear myself away from. It was authentic to the protagonist's personality, and it reminded me of the narration of classic epics. It stands out in its themes of memory, religious trauma, sexuality, and identity (and somehow being an apocalyptic story as well). The symbolism was uncanny, and the way the outside world and past timelines mirrored Austin's mental state was very artistic and unique.
Onto my criticisms and confusions: #1 has to be the male characters. I think that every single male character in this story thinks constantly about every other character in a grossly objectifying way. Honestly though, this applies to most of the female characters as well, who are just as lustfully self-interested. Very interesting, but it was a... strange experience to read the nuanced and morally grey portrayal of Austin's ancestor, a gay man who had not-consensual relations with a woman to see if he could "love" anyone other than his dead Communist lover.
Austin himself relates to this ancestor because he, too, is "confused". His gay best friend Robby continually makes advances on Austin, and Austin reciprocates because he is completely in love with Robby. He is also in love with his girlfriend, who doesn't take too kindly to the fact that Austin has kissed Robby during their relationship. Austin even documents the POV of the murderous, bi-curious, mutant grasshoppers.
The ending was extremely abrupt. I'll admit, I was glued to this book for the last quarter, and the ending made me stand up and think "what in the world did I just read". However, in all honesty, it very much suited the style of the book. It never deviates from being a chronicle of the end of the world, and the world around Austin certainly comes crashing down.
Grasshopper Jungle is a weird book that made me think, and I don't regret reading it. It is quite graphic, but if you're interested in this swarm of a book, I highly recommend reading it and forming your own opinion. I might read the sequel, but I'm a bit afraid of what it might hold.