Reviews by Category: Fiction

The prequel to the Hunger Games series was one I was looking forward to for a while as I had loved repeatedly watching all of the other movies. However, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was by far my favorite of the whole series. The movie starts out with a heart-wrenching scene from Coriolanus Snow’s past, demonstrating how the unfortunate circumstances of rebellions resulted in the creation of the infamous Hunger Games. His life fast-fowards as the audience witnesses Snow as a young adult preparing for the reaping.

The Scarlet Letter is a story that follows Hester Prynne, a woman living in 17th century Puritan society, who has been accused of adultery and must wear a letter “A” to atone for her sin. She struggles to raise her baby without the father there to help her, as he will not confess to his sin. Hester continues to hide the identity of the baby’s father from her husband and the rest of the town until the baby grows up and it’s ultimately revealed. 

Catch-22 is a book that follows a World War II bombardier called Yossarian that wants to leave the army. He isn’t able to because of a catch: the only way to leave the army is to plead insanity but if one is sane enough to plead insanity, they should be sane enough to stay in the army. He is constantly met with these contradictions and catches throughout his time in the army, as he continues to simply want to survive and be done with war.

Kenna is the main character in Reminders of Him. She just recently is out of prison and is back in her hometown. She runs into local bar-owner Owen, and feels like she has seen him before, but can’t put a finger on where. Kenna is on a mission to reconnect with her daughter, but it is not that easy. She has to live with one bad decision for the rest of her life. The book follows her story and life after trauma, getting released from prison, and memories.

Summary: Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper follows the story of an eleven year old girl, Melody, who struggles with cerebral palsy. After not being able to express herself her whole life, she is finally given the chance to speak and show her talents. Melody is the smartest in her class, with a photographic memory. Though not everyone is ready for her. Battling with the struggles of middle school and her new way of communicating, she is forced into a whole new battle.

Carrie Soto is famous in the world of tennis. Or maybe infamous is the better word. Carrie has broken every record there is in the tennis world and has 23 Grand Slam titles to her name. Though six years into her retirement her record is at risk. When Nicki Chan threatens her record, Carrie decides it is once again her time. With the help of her father and fellow player Bowie Huntley, Carrie Soto is back to claim her title. 

Summary: Big Game by Stuart Gibbs follows the adventures of Teddy Fitzroy, a middle schooler with a knack for solving mysteries, as he visits a floating zoo called FunJungle. When a rare Siberian tiger cub goes missing, Teddy finds himself embroiled in a dangerous investigation. With the help of his friend Summer, daughter of the zoo's owner, Teddy navigates through a web of lies, deceit, and danger to uncover the truth behind the disappearance.

The Aeneid is an epic poem of Rome’s founding history written during the Roman Empire’s reign. The poem follows Aeneas and his fellow Trojans as they flee Troy following its destruction from the Trojan War. Aeneas searches for a way to fulfill his destiny, to set sail to Italy and found the Roman people, as told by Jupiter, King of the Gods.

Summary: In Five Feet Apart, readers are introduced to Stella Grant and Will Newman, two teenagers who are anything but ordinary, due to their battle with cystic fibrosis (CF). Stella is meticulous about her treatment regimen, aiming to keep her health stable enough for a lung transplant. Will, on the other hand, is tired of clinical trials and restrictions, eagerly awaiting his 18th birthday to reclaim some freedom from his disease.

Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and small-town Alabama Scout Finch gives us a glimpse into growing up during the 1930s. Scout lives with her dad and brother and their housekeeper Calpurnia. Scout’s dad is a lawyer who is representing an African American man who is being wrongly charged for rape. Scout also experiences fear in her neighbor because her family lives next to the supposed town crazy Boo Radley.