Hi everyone, I know it’s been a long time since my last post, and boy, have things changed (WordPress formatting included). I just finished my first year of college and have finally gotten into the swing of things to the point where I’m satisfied and able to come back to my blog with a renewed sense of purpose. This book was the first non-academic one that I’ve read in almost a year and I honestly feel that it wasn’t the phenomenal story the critics made it out to be. I appreciated the unique storyline and the immersive window into the characters’ minds, but the story felt erratic and unpred ..read more

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Supernatural Fiction Age Recommended: 13 and up (This book was an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of an author supporting specialist) Overall, it was very different from any book that I’d read recently and I enjoyed the change that it brought, especially with regard to the fact that the supernatural beings weren’t stereotypical at all. That being said, the book was a little repetitive and also raised many questions that it didn’t end up answering, which made the major events of the book seem very coincidence-driven. Caleb Swift has the ability to see the future ..read more

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 16 and up Okay so I made a mistake and read this book (the second book in the series) before the first, but that’s okay; this book was incredible by itself. It was the perfect mix of romance, mystery, and drama and had enough punch for a whole series. The ending was extremely abrupt, but I think that it provided a nice shock to the reader after a few slow chapters near the climax. I also think this author wrote one of the best prologues I’ve ever read; it definitely hooked the reader and made total sense after the end of the book. Lena ..read more

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 14 and up This book was awesome; it seemed like a mashup of Ender’s Game and The Hunger Games, was better than either of them, and basically had the best of both worlds. I was very easily attached to the characters in this book because they seemed a lot more real than the typical whiny teenage kid. I would definitely recommend this to fans of extraterrestrial fiction, which is something I tend to shy away from, but was actually very well-written in this case. Emmett’s mother is dying of cancer. She needs the best of the best to heal her ..read more

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Non-Fiction Age Recommended: 16 and up This book made me uncomfortable- in the best way possible. It pushed my literary limits by using gender-neutral pronouns and was written in a way that made it impossible to put down. The fact that it was based on a true story made my stomach roil, but was worth every page. I think this book is taking some great steps for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and I would recommend this book to every single person I know (one of my science teachers is already reading it). Sasha and Richard are high school students that live on opposite sides ..read more

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 14 and up This book was problematic for a couple of reasons. I initially checked it out because I thought it would be a story about normal high school students, but the beginning of the book was as unrealistic as they come. Furthermore, the characters weren’t at all consistent throughout the book and began to do things that would be considered extremely out-of-character for them, to the point where I was confused who was narrating each chapter. I think that the premise of the book has a lot of potential, but the author didn’t spend enoug ..read more

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Non-Fiction Age Recommended: 13 and up I may read a lot, but generally, I tend to shy away from creative writing since it doesn’t really sound like something I would be good at. When I had to read this book for my AP English Language class, I thought that it wouldn’t be useful or applicable to my daily life at all, but I actually found the exact opposite to be true. Everything that Stephen King was saying was relevant to me, no matter what I was writing. In this book, Stephen King managed to weave pieces of advice for all writers into the intricate story of his ..read more

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Dystopian Fiction Age Recommended: 15 and up This was an awesome series and I can’t believe that I’ve never read it before. It was packed with action and emotion and had a unique story that ended differently from that of other dystopian fiction novels. I would definitely choose this series over trilogies like The Selection or Matched and highly recommend that everyone read it. The government has begun its retaliation on the uncured. Walls are being erected all around major cities and dams are blocking the major sources of water that the rebels have. Armies are ..read more

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Dystopian Fiction Age Recommended: 15 and up This book was written in a significantly different style than the one before it, and I really enjoyed that even though it made the ending more predictable. I think this might also be the best second book of a trilogy that I’ve read and any doubts I had about continuing the series after the first book are definitely gone. Lena has escaped into the wild. Taken in by the Invalids that live outside of the borders of the cities, she learns how to survive in the wilderness and begins to understand the way of life of people ..read more

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Dystopian Fiction Age Recommended: 15 and up I’ve gotten a little bored of the typical dystopian fiction novels, and this book started out kind of the same way as the others, but evolved into something that was much more interesting to read. The story gave off major 1984 (by George Orwell) vibes, which I liked, and had a lot of similar concepts even though the overarching theme was different. I would definitely recommend this book to people who are looking for something a little more “out there”. Lena lives in a society where love is outlawed. At age eighteen ..read more