Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
Rebel by Marie Lu

Rebel

By Marie Lu
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Oct 5, 2020

Rebel​ is the fourth science fiction novel in Marie Lu's Legend series. It takes place a decade after ​Champion​ and illustrates Daniel and Eden Wings’ new lives in the supposed-utopia of Antarctica. Daniel learns to navigate his relationship with his now-grown brother as Eden tries to escape from his older brother's shadow. The two brothers must take on the notorious criminal Dominic Hann while challenging their government's beliefs and facing their pasts.

Staff Review
book cover with a songbird and snake in gold

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Kristen R
Sep 30, 2020

“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.” - Lucy Gray Baird

Suzanne Collins bring us another installment of the Hunger Games.  This time she takes us back in time to the Tenth Annual Hunger Games (64 years prior to The Hunger Games trilogy, before Coriolanus Snow was President). 

Teen Review
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Ella Minnow Pea

By Mark Dunn
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Sep 25, 2020

Mark Dunn’s realistic fiction novel narrates the life of Ella Minnow Pea through letters as she tries to survive on her dystopian-like island run by a tyrannical council. Ella lives on the fictional island of Nollop, named after Nevin Nollop, the author of the sentence “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” A statue of Nollop with his famous sentence engraved on tiles resides in the town. When tiles, each bearing one letter begin to fall, the heads of the island; the Council, takes it as a sign from Nollop’s ghost to eliminate all use of the fallen letters.

Teen Review
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown

By Leah Johnson
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Brynn
Sep 23, 2020

You Should See Me in a Crown follows our main character, Liz Lighty, through her senior year of high school in a small Midwestern town. In order to afford her dream university, Liz enters into the running for prom queen. At her school, the winners of prom king and queen get $10,000. Which is exactly how much money Liz needs for college.We follow Liz as she faces hardship, a new relationship, making new friends, and as she steps out of her shell.

Teen Review

Fangirl

By Rainbow Rowell
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Madalynn L
Aug 27, 2020

Fangirl is a 2013 young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell is also known for Eleanor & Park (2012) and Carry On (2015). Fangirl is her second published work. The book focuses on Cath, a college freshman, as she transitions to living on her own for the first time. Cath, who is very introverted, expects to live in a dorm with her twin sister, Wren. But her plan for college changes when Wren decides not to share a dorm with Cath. Instead, Wren wishes to live an independent life away from her sister. Cath has to navigate college on her own.

Teen Review
A Court of Thorns and Roses Review by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses

By Sarah J. Maas
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Madalynn L
Aug 27, 2020

A Court of Thorns and Roses​ is the first installment in an ongoing book series by Manhattan author, Sarah J. Maas. It was first published in 2015. The series has four published books, with another, ​A Court of Silver Flames​ , expected to publish in January 2021. ​A Court of Thorns and Roses​ is a retelling of ​Beauty and the Beast ​ with a very dark twist. Nineteen-year-old Feyre’s world is split in two. The immortal faeries to the north are deadly and vicious, while mortals have their own sort of cruelty.

Teen Review
Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Frankly in Love

By Yoon, David

Rated by
Kaitlin G. from BV YA Lit Council
Jul 24, 2020

Frank Li lives with his Korean-immigrant parents in California, growing up with American culture and feeling like his parents don't understand. As he starts to fall for Brit Means, a white girl his parents would never approve of him dating, Frank pretends to date Joy Song, a family friend who is in the same situation. But everything Frank knows about his life is much more complicated than it seems, especially high school dating. 

Teen Review
Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

Girls Like Us

By Randi Pink

Rated by
Molly J from BV YA Lit Council
Jul 24, 2020

As a teen invested in equal rights, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know much history about this topic and because of that the most compelling aspect of the book is how it provided a new perspective. Lots of other teens like me will find this book informative and inspiring, and that is what makes it awesome. I also love books that have multiple POVs and make each person’s story come together in the end, and this book did a really good job with that. I think publishing novels like this one is really important to the current generation.

Teen Review

The Winter Duke

By Claire Eliza Bartlett

Rated by
Joan D from MO YA Lit Council
Apr 24, 2020

As the daughter of the duke, Ekata was born into a world of cut-throat politics and tenuous alliances. Unlike her siblings, though, all she wants to do is escape and study the life sciences she finds so fascinating. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances throw her into the thick of the court politics she has tried all her life to avoid. She must learn quickly how to navigate her situation and hold her head high if she wants to retain her position- and her life. I love the political intrigue throughout the book.

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