Teen and Staff Reviews

Ground Zero is a historical fiction novel written by Alan Gratz. This novel is

about Brandon, who goes to work with his dad at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

This book shows two views about Brandon Cruz’s life and a Pashmina’s life. One

takes solace in New York and the other in Afghanistan. They both have different

stories but face the same issues, about making the right decisions when the

outcome is unpredictable. Reshmina wants the world to be a better place and

The House on Mango Street is a fiction novel written by Sandra Cisneros.

This novel is about Esperanza Cordero, who shares her feelings and life with the

readers through vignettes. She talks about her struggles due to the

neighborhood she is from, and the lives of people in that time, and that status.

The neighborhood she lives in is disliked by her and many others, causing her to

feel ashamed of her life. She shares her life with her parents, siblings, and friends

Eleanor & Park is a fiction book written by Rainbow Rowell. This novel is

about Eleanor Douglas and Park Sheridan, who depend on each other, as the

story progresses. Both of them have very different family environments. They meet

at school, and have complicated issues based on love at first sight. Eleanor lives

in a family with an abusive father, while Park’s family is more open. They wish to be

Restart is a fiction book written by Gordon Korman. This novel is about

Chase Ambrose, a school bully, who gets a chance to fix his mistakes. His friends

and family have different opinions on how he should live this new life, but he has

plans of his own. He wishes to figure out how to fit in again, and rectify his

mistakes. He tries really hard, but such circumstances in his life seem to push him

The Hawthorne Legacy is a young adult mystery novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It is the second

novel in The Inheritance Games series. Once again it follows Avery as she continues to search

for clues about Tobias Hawthorne and why he left her his fortune. As danger grows, Avery must

decipher the clues about her growing connection to the Hawthorne family.

The Naturals is a young adult mystery novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It is the first novel in The

Naturals series. It follows Cassie, a teenager with an unique ability to read people. As a result of

this gift, she is placed in a program by the FBI to use her and teenagers with talents like hers to

solve cold cases. After a serial killer strikes, Cassie and her fellow Naturals are caught in a

dangerous game of life and death and must use their abilities to survive.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a retelling of Homer’s Iliad, a popular story of

Greek mythology about Patroclus, an exiled prince and his friend Achilles the greatest

warrior of possibly all time. As the years go on Patroclus and Achilles relationship grows

and becomes something more than just adventures between two young trouble-making

boys. After a while Achilles gets sent off to fight in the Trojan war and Patroclus agrees

Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio are complete strangers but they both have one thing in

common, they're dying today. In a world where everyone knows when they're going to die.

Rufus and Mateo want to go out with a bang. They can do that by making one last friend in

there final hours. The last friend app will help them do that. They're about to meet up and have “

one last great adventure, to live a lifetime in a single day”.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen is a graphic novel that will capture the interest of any

reader. Growing up in the 1990s as the son of Vietnamese immigrants living in the Midwest, Tiến’s

life is much different than his mother’s. Besides the everyday language barrier--her first language is

Vietnamese and she’s struggling to learn English, whereas Tiến primarily learned English growing

Verity, by Colleen Hoover, is a suspenseful romance novel and a stand-alone book.