The story of five boys (and several animals) within a small home, learning to cope with the death of their mother, the absence of their father and life in general. Honestly, I should be surprised that Zusak manages to write masterpiece after masterpiece. I picked this up after having read his previous two books, The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger and falling in love with his writing style.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is a LGBTQ+ YA Fantasy novel with enemies to lovers and forbidden love tropes. This book is about a princess named Soraya with a power, or rather a curse, that kills anything she touches. Cursed before birth by a div, a magical faerie, and all her misfortunes make her question if she is a princess or simply a monster with poison rushing through her veins.
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules picks up where the first book left off, following Greg Heffley as he continues to navigate the challenges of middle school—this time with even more trouble from his older brother, Rodrick. As Greg tries to keep an embarrassing secret from getting out, Rodrick uses it as leverage to make his life miserable. Meanwhile, their parents push them to bond which only leads to more chaos, pranks and Greg finding himself in one awkward situation after another.
Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed is a profound exploration of familial bonds and the reverberating effects of choices across generations. Set against the diverse backdrop of Afghanistan and beyond, the novel intricately weaves together a tapestry of interconnected stories, each reflecting the enduring impact of love, sacrifice, and loss. The narrative begins with the heart-wrenching decision made by Saboor, a poor Afghan laborer, to sell his daughter, Pari, to a wealthy family in Kabul.
The Crimson Fortress by Akshaya Raman is a young adult fantasy novel, the sequel to The Ivory Key, mildly inspired by Indian culture and mythology. It features the main character — Vira, Queen of Ashoka, and her journey to recover the Ivory Key and solve its riddle to unlock the hidden quarries. However, the Ivory Key is not what they thought it was. It is bound to unlock more horrors than magic, at least at first.
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman is a young adult fantasy novel, mildly inspired by Indian culture and mythology. It features the main character — Vira, Queen of Ashoka. Having grown up in the palace with her three siblings, destined to be the next queen, she idolized her mother’s extroverted personality and grace. She was awed at how her mother was able to gain respect and love from her citizens. Vira, however, is not as perfect and struggles to prove her capabilities to be the perfect queen.
The novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of a 15-year-old girl named Kambili. In Kambili’s family, everything is controlled by her father, Eugene. Her father forces everyone in his family to follow his strict Catholic rules and punishes them if they don’t abide by his rules. When Kambili and her brother Jaja go to visit their Aunt Ifeoma’s house during Christmas, they are able to see what a truly happy family looks like, and they are able to feel love.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney is the hilarious sequel to the popular series' first book. This installment continues the adventures of Greg Heffley, focusing on his tumultuous relationship with his older brother, Rodrick. As Greg returns to middle school, he faces typical adolescent challenges, but the story's heart is the dynamic between him and Rodrick.
Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World is the fourth installment in the exciting Treasure Hunters series by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. The story follows the Kidd family, a group of treasure hunters who travel the globe to protect the world's most precious treasures and ancient artifacts.
Treasure Hunters: Danger on the Nile is the second book in the Treasure Hunters series featuring the Kidd family and their wild adventures across the world, seeking treasure as a family while also on the run from rival treasure hunters who simply try stealing their finds. The Kidd kids are on their own, as while searching for treasure, their mother was taken by kidnappers in Cyprus and their father swept off the deck during a freak storm near the Cayman Islands.
