Johnson County Library
Want to publish your book review on our website? Join the YA Lit Council today to find out how!
Reviews
See what we are reading and find a recommendation, or check out our featured lists.
Teen Review
Thursday, Aug 29, 2019
Freddy is a young teen who is struggling with her friends, her job, and most importantly her relationship. The book makes you feel a connection with these characters very quickly so from the start you’re rooting for your favorite character. I was not disappointed by anything. The art was outstanding and the story was impeccable. I was extremely satisfied by the ending. Hard to imagine a better book.
Teen Review
Monday, Aug 26, 2019
Mighty Moe is a story that highlights the true essence of women's empowerment: incredible achievements and minimal recognition for said achievements. This is the story of a female named Maureen who, in the face of misogyny, ignorance, and conflict, achieved a record-breaking marathon time. The most compelling aspect of the book was that it is a true story. This book promotes empowerment and perseverance in the face of challenges. I was not disappointed with the book for any reason.
Teen Review
Monday, Aug 26, 2019
This book details a young girl's journey that every teenager goes on at some point- one of family responsibilities and new friends and loves, all mixed with self discovery and coming out of a childhood persona. Bright writes in a way that completely encapsulates the reader in her world, leaving them surprised and disappointed when it comes to an end. I liked this cover because the imagery of the carved and gilded ship is indicative of the adventure Selah goes on, and the somewhat tarnished appearance shows that her world isn't perfect, and being royalty doesn't mean everything is easy. The...
Teen Review
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2019
This book was a thrilling page-turner that I couldn't bear to put down. Lucky and Jack were such a relatable and dynamic duo that each page was filled with humor, wit, and sarcasm. Lucky had such an interesting innocence about her and the book addressed real concerns and problems in both the K-Pop industry and the results of miscommunication. I love reading about other cultures and this one about Korean culture was right up my alley. It was also about a K-Pop star and I listen to that genre daily! The cover was super cute and I absolutely adored it. I love the detail of Jack leaning on her...
Teen Review
Thursday, Aug 1, 2019
Alight with the fun romance and interconnected friendships of an Emma Mills or Sarah Dessen novel and pulled together by relevant and powerful mental health issues, We Are the Perfect Girl is the kind of novel that will enchant readers into turning the page over and over again. A Cyrano de Bergerac retelling like no other, this novel is about Aphra, who is charming but doesn't believe she is beautiful, and her best friend Bethany, who is beautiful but timid and quiet, and their adventure in trying to get Bethany's crush interested in her, is both comical and nuanced, with a depth that will...
Teen Review
Monday, Jul 29, 2019
The action is intense and the storyline is fast-paced; there is always something going on. The setting in intergalactic space and the unforgettable characters make for a perfect storm of events that draws you in deeper the more you read. The writing style is beautiful and the slang feels so natural it's like the culmination of 7 people's autobiographies thrown backward in time.
The most compelling aspect of the book is the mystery behind Aurora's newfound powers, and the fact that even she doesn't know what is going on. I really fell in deep after they started planning to break into...
Staff Review
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2019
Whoa! Now here's an exercise in extended metaphor. Andrews has taken an idea that could have been a simple allegory and turned it into a fully developed novel. Imagine, if you will, an alternate reality in which physical size is literally determined by wealth. A standard person is middlescale. The middlerich are those larger than that up two doublescale and the middlepoor extend to halfscale. Smaller than that are the littlepoors: quarterscale, eighthscale, and tenthscale--about the size of a rat. The bigrich just get bigger and bigger to hundreds of feet tall.
Teen Review
Monday, Jul 1, 2019
This book explains issues many teens have today in a very realistic way. It helped me understand that I'm not necessarily the only person who's had a friend just completely turn around and change on them. It also deals with somebody trying to grasp somebody's gender identity which is unfortunately something many people still don't understand. Everything was explained in just the right way and the book was absolutely incredible.
I loved the cover! I think the bows on the cover plus one of them being cut in half perfectly represented what was going to happen in the book.
The...
Teen Review
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019
You Must Not Miss will take you into a teenager’s messy life, and the perfect life she creates in her notebook. When Magpie is tired of all the problems life has dealt her, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She starts writing and creates her perfect world: Near. You Must Not Miss will leave you hooked from page one and until you reach the end. I feel like the cover accurately portrays the contents and includes good details to show...
Teen Review
Monday, Jun 24, 2019
This book had an incredible story line, and it kept me wanting to read. There were lots of elements to the novel like mystery, love, and humor which made it even more enjoyable. The characters were easy to relate to and very intriguing. I had the same sense of desire that Kira did throughout the book- I wanted to know why things happened, and what about her past led her to her current situation just as much as Kira did. I thought the cover went well with the book because it ties into elements of the novel. It has the same mysterious tone that the book does which translates well.