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East of Eden
Steinbeck, John
Reviewed: April 3, 2025
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a widely recognized novel that explores the ideas of good versus evil, free will, and redemption through the intertwined lives of the Trask and Hamilton families. The four-part novel follows two generations of Trask brothers—the troubled relationship of Charles and Adam and Adam’s twin boys, Cal and Aron. The generations grapple with love, betrayal, and destiny as the novel examines whether people are bound by their past or have the power to shape their future.
Oh. My. God. This book is one of my favorite books of all time. It was... Read Full Review
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Project Hail Mary
Weir, Andy
Reviewed: March 26, 2025
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is an eye-catching, emotionally charged science fiction book chock full of friendship, creativity, and, of course, science. Project Hail Mary follows the story of Ryland Grace, an astronaut who has forgotten his memories trapped on a spaceship full of corpses, heading towards an unknown goal. What Andy Weir does marvelously in this novel is maintain intrigue and mystery, slowly unraveling Ryland’s story and darting between the past and present.
However, the true reason this book is so ingenious is the way in which Andy Weir presents the... Read Full Review
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The Blacktongue Thief
Buehlman, Christopher
Reviewed: March 20, 2025
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman follows the misadventures of Kinch Na Shannack, a thief branded with the black tongue, marking him as a debtor of the nefarious thieves guild. Set in an enchanted realm scarred by war, our thief will soon realize that what may have started as a quick assassination job to pay off his debts is spiraling out of control into something much larger and dangerous than he was anticipating.
Christopher Buehlman masterfully hints at the larger workings and dark past of his universe, all while moving the plot forward at a breakneck pace... Read Full Review
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Malibu Rising
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Reviewed: March 20, 2025
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid follows the lives of the Riva siblings and the eye-opening moments revealed at their end-of-summer party in 1983. The novel weaves between the past and present, focusing on the relationships of each sibling and their father, a famous musician. As the present continues to escalate and secrets are revealed, the siblings are forced to confront the past and the effect of their legacy.
I love anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and this book is no different. Reid’s storytelling is so immersive that I constantly felt like I was being sucked... Read Full Review
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The American Roommate Experiment
Armas, Elena
Reviewed: March 5, 2025
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas takes place in New York City where Rosie Graham, an aspiring author who’s hoping to write a best-selling romance novel. However, she’s having major trouble writing it, seeing as she hasn’t been in love lately, which seems to be the reason for her absence of ideas. So when her apartment turns into a disaster, and she’s forced to stay in her best friend’s house, coincidentally where her friend’s cousin, Lucas, is residing, he offers her a deal that she can’t refuse. To help gain ideas for her book, he will take her on a series of... Read Full Review
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Schwab, Victoria
Reviewed: March 3, 2025
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a fantastical novel by V.E. Schwab that is based around the life of a young woman who goes by the name of Adeline in France during the 1700s. The story starts as we find out about her desire to get out of her marriage in order to live more freely and on her own. In order to make this longing of hers become reality, she makes a deal with a dark and mysterious entity known as "The Darkness," who gives her the power of immortality. A major drawback of Addie’s compliance with this deal is that she will no longer be recognized by anybody she goes on... Read Full Review
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It Ends With Us
Hoover, Colleen
Reviewed: February 26, 2025
It Ends with Us is a romance book about a girl named Lily Bloom and how she gets into an abusive relationship. This book has a lot of sensitive subjects that some people should know about before reading this book. For example, the book deals with abuse, sexual assault, and violence.
Now for my actual review. I give this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this book because it was very entertaining, and Colleen Hoover’s writing is very easy to read. The book goes back and forth between two time periods: when Lily was 16 and her father abused her mother, and when Lily is in... Read Full Review
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The Personal Librarian
Benedict, Marie
Reviewed: February 19, 2025
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict is based on the true story of Belle da Costa Greene, an African American woman who was able to pass as white, enabling her to become one of the most influential librarians in history. Growing up in Washington, DC, and throughout the rest of her life, she faced a lot of racial discrimination and witnessed her father, a well-educated black man who graduated from Harvard, experience hardships revolving around his career due to the color of his skin.
Belle worked extremely hard throughout adolescence and adulthood to attain her life... Read Full Review
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Feed
Anderson, M. T.
Reviewed: February 12, 2025
Feed by MT Anderson is a dystopian novel that takes place on the moon. It explores the idea of having a "feed" inside your brain, similar to Google or even TikTok, in the way that algorithms affect what characters see and buy. The book follows a group of friends, specifically Titus, whose world revolves around consumerism and entertainment, is supplied by the feed. But when he meets Violet, an intelligent and rebellious girl, he becomes infatuated with her. However, with Violet's opposing beliefs about the feed, Titus learns the dark and twisted truth of the feed.
This... Read Full Review
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The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs
Paul, Gregory S.
Reviewed: February 5, 2025
As the second edition of the field guide, this book does not disappoint. It is full of fascinating information, starting off with historical context to describe the habitat of the different prehistoric eras in vivid detail. It also includes a few detailed depictions of prehistoric periods, but of course, most of the book is about dinosaurs. Its inclusion of paleo distribution maps and timelines is helpful in understanding the different eras of the major dinosaur groups. The book is rich with diagrams of skeletons and fossils, demonstrating the physiology of over 750 species. The majority... Read Full Review
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The Worst Best Man
Sosa, Mia
Reviewed: February 3, 2025
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa revolves around Carolina Santos, a fiercely independent wedding planner, who is left at the altar when her fiancé abandons her on their wedding day. Years later, she receives the opportunity of a lifetime. But, she’s forced to work alongside Max, her ex-fiancé’s brother, who played a role in the catastrophe of Carolina’s wedding day. As tension builds between the two, Lina and Max discover an unexpected chemistry that challenges their perceptions of love, forgiveness, and second chances.
This book was a good read! It wasn’t the most... Read Full Review
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The School for Good and Evil
Chainani, Soman
Reviewed: January 31, 2025
I first read The School for Good and Evil when I was in 7th grade. I remember my friend handing me the book and telling me I needed to read it. I was in my classes, reading and wishing I was in the School for Good and Evil along with Agatha and Sophie. This book is something I remember fondly from my childhood and was one of the main series that ignited my love for reading. I recommend this book for teens who want to read an easy book with magic, romance, and lots of the found-family tropes.
This book begins when Agatha and Sophie, two friends in a small village, are... Read Full Review