Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

By Stuart Gibbs
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Paranjay S.
Aug 3, 2021

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks is about Teddy Fitzroy and his encounters with a tyrannosaurus rex skull. One day he receives a call from his friend, Sage, that a T-rex skull that was discovered in his backyard has mysteriously disappeared. Since Teddy has solved many mysteries in the past, he is the one tasked with finding out what happened to the skull. The mystery doesn’t make any sense, as the skull weighed 500 pounds and it had rained the night before, and there were no footprints.

Teen Review
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King

By Tricia Levenseller
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Lisa J.
Aug 2, 2021

It’s no secret that pirates are good-for-nothing swindlers, assassins, and thieves — and Alosa may be the worst of them all. Trained personally by her father, the pirate king, she has learned to be cutthroat and ruthless, and will do nearly anything to get what she wants. When Alosa is tasked with retrieving a part of a legendary treasure map that happens to be on the ship of a rival crew, she facilitates her own capture to access the map. However, she’ll have to best the unexpectedly clever and wily first mate, Riden, before she can complete her mission.

Teen Review
Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell

Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life

By Rachel Renee Russell
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Aug 1, 2021

The first book in Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries series, Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, captures what it’s like to be a tween/young teen girl. Nikki Maxwell must try to fit in at a new, preppy school that she attends on a scholarship. Nikki will have to navigate friends, crushes, and popular enemies, recounting it all in her diary.

Teen Review
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay

By Suzanne Collins
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Jul 31, 2021

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, is the final novel in The Hunger Games trilogy. After being rescued from the Quarter Quell, Katniss must adapt to life in District Thirteen while mourning the loss of Peeta. Katniss, forced to be the face of a revolution that she does not lead, suddenly finds herself in the middle of political chaos as the rebels of District Thirteen aim to overthrow the Capitol.

Teen Review
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Spin the Dawn

By Elizabeth Lim
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Lisa J.
Jul 30, 2021

It’s a shame Maia wasn’t born as a boy. She has the makings of one of the best tailors in all of A’landi — she spins silk into the finest thread, weaves gossamer cloth that almost floats in its delicacy, and embroiders scenes that seem to dance with life — but as a girl, she is destined not for greatness as a tailor, but for marriage. However, when her elderly father is summoned to the palace to compete against eleven other tailors for the position of imperial tailor, Maia assumes the identity of her brother Keton and travels to the palace in her father’s stead.

Teen Review
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

The Thousandth Floor

By Katharine McGee
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Sanyuri P.
Jul 29, 2021

The Thousandth Floor is a futuristic fantasy, set in Manhattan, New York in 2118. The world has evolved drastically, with mind-controlled objects and more. The first edition to this trilogy has me intrigued and I can't wait to read the next book. I love the way each chapter is told by a different character and how everyone is connected at the end. The plot is very well-thought and detailed. I recommend this book if you like suspense and are a fan of fantasy.

Teen Review
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By J.K. Rowling
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Shreya A.
Jul 28, 2021

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, written by J.K. Rowling, is the second book in the Harry Potter series. It’s a compelling book with diverse characters and I couldn’t put it down. Harry and his friends try to figure out who is trying to killing the kids at Hogwarts. When word gets out that Harry is Slytherin's heir, everything gets more complicated for him.

Teen Review
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Full Disclosure

By Camryn Garrett
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Saathwika A.
Jul 27, 2021

Simone Garcia-Hampton is positive for HIV. Simone’s mother died when she was young. After moving from her old school, Simone made new friends and decides to start over. Simone is a really smart kid as well as being the student-director of her school play, Rent. At her school, Simone meets her crush, Miles. She loves him and dreams about kissing him, etc. But how will he react once she tells him she has HIV, while someone is threatening her to stop talking to Miles?

Teen Review
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give

By Angie Thomas
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Hannah K.
Jul 26, 2021

Bang! Bang! POW! Normal 16-year-old Starr Carter’s world is turned upside down after witnessing the traumatic shooting of her best friend, Khalil Harris. The incident quickly becomes the talk of the town and it is later revealed to the public that Starr was the witness of the shooting. Will Starr be able to speak out and uncover the truth behind Khalil’s death? Will Khalil be served justice?

Teen Review
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars

By E. Lockhart
Star Rating

Rated by
Eric S.
Jul 25, 2021

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is probably one of my least favorite books I have read in a while. The story attempts to paint trauma and mental illness in the eyes of a teenager. It tries to be relatable to the reader, and while I believe that this could have been achieved, the main character of the novel is quite frankly a horrible character.

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