Teen and Staff Reviews

Andrew Garfield returns as Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in Mark Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, made in 2014. In this sequel, Peter must deal with new foes Electro (Jamie Foxx) and his old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), as Oscorp betrays them both. His relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is also in the balance for he does not want her to get hurt because of what he does.

In need of a job, 14-year-old Lavaughn takes a babysitting job for Jolly, a 17-year-old with two children. Lavaughn enjoys the work, but when Jolly gets fired from her job at the factory, Lavaughn decides to work for free. What happens next? Read more to find out!

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, illustrates a hopeless boy who runs away to New York City.  After Holden, the main character, gets kicked out of school and his home, he figures out the best option would be to run away from his home and try to find hope somewhere else. He experiences a cycle of the same emotions over and over again, which makes the book seem boring. However, through all of Holden’s mental instability, there are rare moments of growth.

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.