Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
Analee in Real Life by Janelle Milantes

Analee, in Real Life

By Janelle Milanes

Rated by
Jahnavi P
Feb 8, 2019

Analee in Real Life is about a teenage girl who recently lost her mother. Soon after, she loses her best friend as well. About the only friend she has is in an online game. His name is Harris, and she has a crush on him. So when the most popular boy in the school, Sebastian Matias asks her to pose as his girlfriend to make his ex jealous, she agrees.

Teen Review
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Five Feet Apart

By Rachael Lippincott

Rated by
Soumya T
Feb 4, 2019

A beautiful and compelling story. The book is about two inseparable teens who suffer from cystic fibrosis, and they long to touch each other, but they must stay the dreaded six feet apart at all times, because two people with cystic fibrosis can not go closer then that. They can't even get a few feet closer without risking their lives. The perfect story for anyone who likes a spinning romance with loving characters, and an exciting but emotional plot. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down! I even skipped my dinner that day just so I wouldn't have to stop reading!

Teen Review
The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

The Similars

By Rebecca Hanover

Rated by
Lauren F from Blue Valley YAAC
Feb 1, 2019

The Similars is a fantastic literary tale of understanding actions and feelings of others while simultaneously exploring the concept of clones that may be a future reality. Emma is dealing with the aftermath of a friend's suicide when six clones, dubbed 'The Similars', begin attending her high school. One of them wears the face of her recently deceased friend, but she is quick to understand that he is not Oliver and will never be Oliver. 

Staff Review

Tales from the Inner City

By Shaun Tan
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Chris K.
Jan 7, 2019

Magical.

Marvelous, otherworldly, enthralling, haunting, wonderful. Magical.

Working in libraries has cured my of my book-hoarding obsession. I have such easy access to nearly anything I want on a daily basis, I no longer feel much need to own the books myself. This is one of the rare exceptions. It's not enough for me to have consumed this book; I want to possess it. I want to repeatedly immerse myself in it and dwell in it. I want to become a part of it and make it a part of me.

Staff Review

The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary

By NoNieqa Ramos
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Chris K.
Oct 29, 2018

Raw and real.

Both the contents of the story and the telling. Macy's aggressive, powerful voice assaults and engages readers immediately from the first page. By the third, her actions emerge similarly:

His nostrils twitch.

Yeah. He's pissed.

"What you're not picking up on is how much is at stake here, Macy. Nobody's gonna give you a lollipop anymore just because you throw a tantrum."

"What did you say, motherfoe?" I throw my desk.

Teen Review

The Ark Plan

By Laura Martin

Rated by
Mary from Lackman
Aug 27, 2018

Adventures with two boys a girl and a whole lot of dinosaurs. Sky and Shawn just escaped from the North Compound to find more information on Sky's dad, they meet tons of dinosaurs and a new friend Todd on the way who has been living topside since the pandemic.

The perfect book if you are into adventure and excitement.

Teen Review

Great Expectations

By Charles Dickens

Rated by
Ivan
Aug 23, 2018

Pip is a young boy who lives with his older sister since both of his parents died. He is raised in a depressing and abusive manner, but seems to rub it off quite well. He has high hopes of becoming a rich gentleman and living in London, but his dreams are all crushed as his sisters husband (Joe) is only a blacksmith, and Pip by law needs to follow in his steps. This all changes when one of the most unexpected characters sponsors him, and pays for his journey to become a gentleman.

Teen Review

In Some Other Life

By Jessica Brody

Rated by
Arielle from Blue Valley Library YAAC
Aug 21, 2018

A girl named Kennedy Rhodes has an awesome teenage life- with the perfect boyfriend, an awesome best friend, and is editor of her school's awarded newspaper. All turns around when, she finds her best friend kissing her perfect boyfriend. She suddenly wishes she had had excepted the place at Windsor Academy, an elite private school. Kennedy rushes to the Academy to see if she could get her place, but than she bangs her head. She wakes up in an another life- a life where she does go to Windsor Academy.

Teen Review

Killing Mr. Griffin

By Lois Duncan

Rated by
Olivia from Leawood Pioneer Library YAAC
Aug 17, 2018

Mr. Griffin was a horrible teacher. His students only meant it as a prank. They just wanted to scare him a little bit, make him sorry. They never meant to kill him. But now he’s dead, and even the best laid plans can go wrong sometimes.

It took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked. This is an eye opening story of how peer pressure can escalate out of control. It was just fantastic and incredibly well-written. I have never read such a deep and thoughtful thriller/mystery.

Teen Review

Moonrise

By Sarah Crossman

Rated by
Olivia from Leawood Pioneer Library YAAC
Aug 15, 2018

Joe hasn't seen his brother Ed in ten years, not since he was locked up for murder. But now he's on death row, and his execution date has been set. Joe is determined to spend the last weeks with his brother, no matter if Ed committed the crime. But did he? And in the end, does it really matter? What can't be forgiven?

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