Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
City of Bones book cover

City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Aug 30, 2023

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare follows Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager in New York City, who discovers a hidden world of demon hunters called Shadowhunters after witnessing a murder committed by beings only, she can see. Clary's mother is kidnapped, and she must navigate this dangerous new reality, teaming up with the enigmatic Jace Wayland and his fellow Shadowhunters to rescue her mother and uncover the truth about her own hidden heritage.

Teen Review
Circe book cover

Circe

By Madeline Miller
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Eva K
Aug 30, 2023

Circe is a novel about Greek mythology. The book takes us on a journey through Circe's life. It starts off with her childhood taking us all the way through her adolescent years. The book depicts her journey as she tries to find herself and learn to accept herself in a world where she is always misjudged and not accepted. 

Teen Review
The Betrothed book cover

The Betrothed

By Kiera Cass
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Mia M
Aug 30, 2023

The Betrothed is a fantasy novel about a young lady named Hollis who is dating the king. As she gets a taste of life as queen, she realizes that being royal is harder than she thought. When she decides to flee the castle after the king explains that their children are his and not theirs, she finds peace in the country with a new lover. Soon a tragic event tears her from her family and she must decide if she will be alone or cling on to those, she never knew she needed. 

Teen Review
1984 by George Orwell

1984

By George Orwell
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Aadhya
Aug 30, 2023

In George Orwell’s 1984, society is constantly being manipulated by the government, to the extent that people can’t even have a conversation full of individual thought. Individuals are forced to hide their true intentions behind a facade containing praise for the totalitarian-style government. In fact, the manipulation present in the dystopian world prevents individuals from creating bonds.

Teen Review
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale

By Margaret Atwood
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Aadhya
Aug 30, 2023

There aren’t many books that change my perspective on the world, but after reading The Handmaid's Tale I’m surprised to add one to the list. However, reader discretion is advised as there are some topics that are hard to process. Formerly known as the U.S.A., the new country of Gilead is going through a civil war, forcing many women into a Red Center to provide safety and promote reproduction.

Teen Review
Cover photo of the book The Elite

The Elite

By Kiera Cass
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Mia M.
Aug 29, 2023

The Elite is an engaging novel that has so many plot twists! This book is about America, a seventeen year old lady competing for Prince Maxon’s hand. She is part of the Elite (the last ten girls left in the competition) but she doesn’t know if she really wants Maxon after the royal family mistreats her friend and turns away her ideas. After all, she could always turn away from Maxon and marry her first love, Aspen. My favorite part of this book was Maxon’s character development.

Teen Review
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

We Are Not Free

By Traci Chee
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Aug 29, 2023

Summary: We Are Not Free by Traci Chee is a historical fiction novel set during World War II that follows the lives of fourteen Japanese American teenagers living in San Francisco. As they are forcibly relocated to internment camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the group grapples with loss, injustice, and the impact of discrimination on their friendships and identities.

Teen Review
Twisted Lies

Twisted Lies

By Ana Huang
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Sahavi
Aug 29, 2023

Christian Harper is a cold, calculated CEO with questionable morals and no tolerance for romance. Except a peculiar fascination with the new tenant in his apartment complex, Stella Alonso. Sweet, caring and introverted Stella is waiting for her perfect love story but right now she neither has the time nor energy to have a relationship. Christian strikes up a deal with Stella to be her fake boyfriend and the two start a fake relationship to grow Stella’s online influencer status. But the two can't deny their chemistry and fake dating turns to not so fake.

Teen Review
Happy Place

Happy Place

By Emily Henry
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Mariam S.
Aug 29, 2023

    Wyn and Harriet, the perfect couple much deserving of some time together after being long distance for so long, have the opportunity to spend a week at a beautiful Maine cottage as their friends get married. There's just one problem: they broke up months ago, and their friends don't know. In order to keep the cottage as a "happy place" for just one more week, they decide to fake being together rather than ruin the group's time together.

Teen Review
Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising

By Pierce Brown
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Aug 29, 2023

Summary: Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a dystopian science fiction novel set on Mars in a hierarchical society divided by colors, each representing a different caste. The story follows Darrow, a young "Red" miner who discovers that his people have been subjugated by the ruling "Gold" class. After a personal tragedy, he undergoes surgery and training to infiltrate the Golds and bring about a revolution from within.

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