Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

The Gravity of Us

By Phil Stamper

Rated by
Madelyn A from MO YA Lit Council
Feb 4, 2020

If you like romance, space, and getting back at greedy T.V. companies while saving NASA- this story is for you. The protagonist is witty, sarcastic, and likable, the side characters complex, and the plot is compelling. What more could you want? Stamper creates a story that revolves around very human experiences: the compulsion to fix what you love (even if it’s not your job), the rush of young love, sticking up for yourself and others in the face of opposition, and a love of space travel. Hard to imagine a better book.

Teen Review
Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Crown of Coral and Pearl

By Mara Rutherford

Rated by
Nithya K from BV YA Lit Council
Jan 13, 2020

Once a generation in the aquatic village of Varenia, when the prince of Ilara-a nearby kindgom-comes of age, the most beautiful girl of age is chosen to marry the prince. Nor and Zadie, two twins, and the most beautiful girls in Varenia, have been hounded by their mother for their entire lives to maintain their beauty, as she does not want to pass up the chance to have a princess as a daughter.

Teen Review
Better Than the Best Plan by Lauren Morrill

Better Than the Best Plan

By Lauren Morrill

Rated by
Kennedy E from MO YA Lit Council
Jan 6, 2020

Maritza, a 17 year-old who just finished junior year of high school, has the summer all planned out until her mother leaves. She is forced to go into foster care where her past is revealed and she is faced with decisions she never thought she would have to make. Maritza is a very relatable character because she is always questioning what would be best for everyone in her life.

Staff Review

Trickster's Choice

By Tamora Pierce
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Anne G
Dec 11, 2019

     I previously read Trickster's Choice with courageous teenage girls a little over a decade ago, and I wanted to revisit it.  I had forgotten just how easy it is to get drawn into Aly’s adventures which cause her to become a slave as a girl, and I am so glad to have revisited because it was similar to visiting with an old friend.  This is the story of Alianne Cooper, who wants to be a girl spy, and is the daughter of Spymaster Cooper and the famous Lioness of Tortall and champion of the thron

Teen Review
Stormrise

Stormrise

By Jillian Boehme

Rated by
Nithya K. from BV YA Lit Council
Dec 9, 2019

Not unlike Disney's "Mulan", Rain, daughter of a Neshu grandmaster and a Neshu fighter herself, is unwilling to let her twin brother and father leave to fight in the war. Especially because when she'd been little, she and her brother had fallen sick, and Rain was accidentally given the medicine reserved for the family's only son- leaving her brother with slight cognitive scars.

Teen Review
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Patron Saints of Nothing

By Randy Ribay

Rated by
Natalie A. from MO YA Lit Council
Dec 5, 2019

Jay Reguero, a Filipino-American high-school senior, is living a comfortably mundane life in Michigan. When he learns of his cousin and childhood best friend Jun's murder as a part of Duterre's drug war, regret and a thirst for truth propels him to travel to Manila to discover the truth of Jun’s suspicious death. This poignantly written novel about identity, loss, and heritage will touch hearts everywhere - a must-read for any age!

Teen Review
Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo

Beverly, Right Here

By Kate DiCamillo

Rated by
Gwynn M. from BV YA Lit Council
Dec 2, 2019

After Beverly's dog runs away she knows that she needs to leave, to get away from her drunk mother, her kind friends, and her dead dog. She doesn't know where she's going, but when she gets to a crooked little house by a crooked little sea, Beverly knows it is where she is going to stay, even if she won't admit it to herself. Beverly wants to keep to herself, but who knows if she will be able to keep away from the people who want to befriend her. The kindness inside of the book that is shown by all of the characters is super compelling.

Teen Review
Run, Hide Fight, Back by April Henry

Run, Hide, Fight Back

By April Henry

Rated by
Avery G.
Nov 25, 2019

A shooting in Portland mall leads to several teenagers being trapped with only 3 means of potential survival: they may run, hide, or fight back. However, they all are guarding big secrets, and tensions in the group run very high.

Staff Review

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful

By Arwen Elys Dayton
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Chris K.
Nov 18, 2019

This is top-notch science fiction--it takes today's scientific advancements and speculates how they might play out in the future, considering legal, ethical, and practical ramifications along the way. The book does this over the course of six lightly connected stories, each progressively further in the future. The topic is gene editing and body modification.

Staff Review

Just Ella

By Margaret Peterson Haddix
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Anne G
Oct 21, 2019

                “Why did everyone like that story so much when it wasn’t true?  Why was everyone so eager to believe it?  Was it because, in real life, ever after’s generally stink?”

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