The Outsiders, by S.E. Hilton, is a Young Adult Fiction book. Ponyboy Curtis, the narrator, recites his struggles in society, thinking that he is an outsider. In the book, there are two groups- the Socs and the Greasers. Ponyboy belongs to the Greasers. People view the Greasers as filthy and wrong, while they view the Socs as an asset to society. This book explains self-identity.
Be Not Far from Me is an adventurous and kind of boring thriller novel by Mindy McGinnis. This book is about a girl named Ashely, she and her friends go hiking in the Smokies. Her boyfriend Duke cheats on her with his ex-girlfriend. When Ashley sees this, she is shocked and runs in the opposite direction of the camp. She gets lost and eventually finds her way back. When she’s found, there are tons of reporters that want to interview her.
9 from the Nine Worlds is a funny and distinctive fantasy fiction by Rick Riordan. This book is about Magnus Chase’s friends and their individual journeys through the 9 worlds. I love the way the author makes each chapter different and the way he transforms everyday things into something funny. I recommend this book to anyone who already read the other three Magnus Chase books or someone who wants to read a few funny short stories.
Katie Zhao’s How We Fall Apart is a murder-mystery with amazing Asian representation. Nancy Luo is a scholarship student and the best friend of the top girl, Jamie Ruan, at Sinclair Prep, an elite high school. Jamie is everything Nancy isn’t, rich, the valedictorian, and powerful. After Jamie is found dead, the people that once were closest to her, Nancy, Krystal, Akil, and Alexander, are the suspects.
The Mary Shelley Club is a book that follows the members of a horror club, each with their secrets. The book takes place in Manchester Prep, a rich private school in Manhattan. The scholarship student, Rachel Chavez, is haunted by an accident that resulted in a murder. However, her fresh start turns rotten after she accidentally goes head on with the most popular girl at school, Lux. After a mini investigation, Rachel figures out the prankster, or pranksters, that caused the situation with Rachel and Lux.
The year is 1983, and Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party is just around the corner. It’s always the wildest event of the summer, attracting both celebrities and people just wanting a glimpse of the famous Riva siblings, the children of legendary singer Mick Riva. There’s Nina, who, after being abandoned by her husband, just wants a quiet place to lick her wounds and rest for a moment. There’s Jay and Hud, the inseparable brothers who have a unique bond threatened by an impending confession. And then there’s Kit, overlooked and underestimated, yet harboring her own secrets.
John Knowles' A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age story that recounts the friendship of two boys during World War II. Gene is brilliant and introverted, while Phineas is charismatic and popular. As the two boys suffer under the pressures of war, their jealously will attempt to overcome their friendship. This book appears to be a simple story, but it's filled with symbolic meaning.
Soman Chainani’s Quests for Glory is the fourth book in The School for Good and Evil series; however, it begins a new trilogy. Students of the School for Good and Evil are on their required fourth-year quests, Sophie is the acting Dean of Evil, and Agatha and Tedros are trying to return Camelot to its former glory. As the reader revisits some of their favorite characters, Chainani introduces a new cast, including a villain who tries to take Tedros’ throne.
In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot explores the history of race and its relation to science, HeLa, and the woman behind the famous cells. While Skloot clearly details the scientific aspects of Henrietta’s story, she makes a nonfiction story read as though it is fiction by transforming a story about cells into one about family. This book was fantastic! It was filled with in-depth scientific accounts, legal research, and history lessons while still being entertaining.
Like Other Girls is a realistic fiction book by Britta Lundin. After being kicked out of her school’s basketball team for being aggressive, Mara has to prove to her coach that she can get along with other people. To everyone's surprise, Mara decides to take up football. This causes a spark between her female classmates, and they too join the football team. What's even worse is that one of the girls is her rival, while another her crush.
