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Tell Me Everything
Enni, Sarah
Reviewed: July 7, 2022
Tell Me Everythingby Sarah Enni is a book that doesn’t fail to entrance me and present me with the heartfelt portrayal of Ivy’s journey in navigating her relationships, both old and new. Throughout the story, unbeknownst to herself, Ivy takes steps to do things for others—all because of the anonymous app called VEIL. She is also growing out of her shell and slowly changing for the better. However, things start to collapse—all because of her—she needs to take the necessary steps to walk out of her shell to fix what she broke.
This story does an excellent job at revealing... Read Full Review
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Imaginary Borders
Martinez, Xiuhtezcatl
Reviewed: June 30, 2022
Imaginary Borders is a blend of narrative and informative writing that talks about climate change. Climate change is a hot and sometimes controversial topic in today's world. There's an increasing divide between those who advocate for change and those who are suspicious about the activism devoted to climate change. Over the last few decades, this topic has received more and more attention, with this book being just one of the many examples of how people have used their voices to address the situation. Here, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses a casual tone where he's almost having a... Read Full Review
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1984
Orwell, George, 1903-1950.
Reviewed: June 17, 2022
1984 is a fictional novel written by George Orwell that tells the story of Winston Smith, who lives under the watchful eyes of Big Brother in the nation of Oceania. He works in the Ministry of Truth where he is responsible for altering historical records in order to fit the needs of the Party. Here, he meets a dark-haired girl named Julia whom he falls in love with. However, the Party reprimands any sexual acts or forms of love among its people. Yet, Winston and Julia fulfill their need for love with each other and manage to keep their relationship a secret from others. After... Read Full Review
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The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Hand, Cynthia
Reviewed: June 8, 2022
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand is a story that deals with grief over the loss of a sibling. This story follows Lexie Riggs after her little brother Tyler commits suicide. This novel goes into great detail about how Lexie feels and how she copes with guilt after Tyler’s death, but it also includes how others around her react and go on with their lives after finding out what happened.
When Tyler committed suicide, it was a huge shock to everyone who knew him because he was popular and was seemingly happy. Shortly after his death, Lexie is forced to see a... Read Full Review
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The Book of Unknown Americans
Henríquez, Cristina
Reviewed: May 25, 2022
Cristina Henríquez’s The Book of Unknown Americans is a story of immigrants rather than immigration. From the perspectives of different characters, the novel speaks of the experiences of different South American immigrants and how their lives intertwine. The novel explores themes of love, chance, and loss all from the perspective of characters aged fifteen and up.
Even though the stories that the novel explored were all about the immigrants and their families, all of Henríquez’s characters have different personalities making the book an engaging read. Ranging from humor... Read Full Review
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Vinland Saga 1
Yukimura, Makoto
Reviewed: May 18, 2022
The manga Vinland Saga follows a young boy named Thorfinn and his quest to seek revenge for his father, Thors. The Manga follows the present-time for the first few chapters and then jumps back into Thorfinn’s past, giving the reader his backstory and his reason for seeking revenge. This Manga is filled with interesting characters from neighboring villages who serve as antagonists. This Manga is the first in the volume set, consisting of 25 volumes.
This Manga was pretty fast-paced as some of the dialogue was more so the emotions the characters had through the images.... Read Full Review
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People We Meet on Vacation
Henry, Emily
Reviewed: May 11, 2022
I am personally not into books whatsoever but this book really caught my attention because of the plot. It's about a girl and a guy who were best friends and they would go on yearly vacations in the Summer until one year, something happened that resulted in them not speaking again. This is something that could happen to anyone which is why I found it very relatable. Then it unravels into a story about how they rekindled their relationship and how it eventually turned into something even more. This is definitely a romance novel and I would definitely recommend it to anybody who likes... Read Full Review
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The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Brown, Daniel James
Reviewed: May 4, 2022
I never thought it was truly ever really possible for a book based on events of the past to be so entrancing and genuinely interesting. This is where the book Boys in the Boat comes into play and completely proves me wrong. I was given this book to read for an academic event, and when I was fully ready to forcefully drag myself through this book it took me by surprise. This book encapsulates themes of harsh reality, hard work, and the joys of life through its story about one boy’s journey to survive to one group’s journey to grow strong enough to brave what was outside the lands... Read Full Review
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The House on Mango Street
Cisneros, Sandra.
Reviewed: April 27, 2022
Bilingual (English/Spanish) Book Review
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a fictional novel that tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a 12-year-old Mexican girl growing up in a Latino neighborhood in Chicago. She has moved numerous times before, but in this new house on Mango Street, she forms special bonds with her neighbors, all of whom help her understand the real world. She explores her dreams and aspirations, as well as her identity, all while learning about the harsh truth of social class, gender, and race. Through many hardships, Esperanza is able to... Read Full Review
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Today Tonight Tomorrow
Solomon, Rachel Lynn
Reviewed: April 20, 2022
Today Tonight Tomorrow revolves around two high school seniors, Rowan and Neil, who have a lifelong rivalry when it comes to academics. With graduation around the corner, they both strive for the valedictorian position. However, the school has a tradition for seniors called the HOWEL, a scavenger hunt throughout the city of Seattle, leaving the two to end up pairing up to win. But as the night progresses, these two rivals undergo an unexpected turn of events.
The title of this book is straightforward, as the events happen in that sequence. At first glance, however, I... Read Full Review
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Riggs, Ransom
Reviewed: March 16, 2022
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is the first in a series of novels in which Jacob Portman embarks on a journey to find Miss Peregrine and solve the mysteries of his grandfather’s past. Jacob ends up in a special home for peculiar children and learns about every person there and what their abilities are. He soon realizes that he has a unique ability, just like them—and he learns about what he can do with this. Jacob also learns about a girl named Emma who was in love with his grandfather, and why he abandoned these children after growing up with them. The reader learns... Read Full Review
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The Giver
Lowry, Lois
Reviewed: March 16, 2022
The Giver by Lois Lowry focuses on 11-year-old Jonas who lives in a “Utopian” society where everyone follows strict rules in order maintain their society. Everyone in this society is given a job or “life assignment” by the elders and is expected to take orders and do the job. They are given their jobs at a ceremony after they turn 12 years old. When Jonas turns 12 he is invited to the ceremony where it is revealed to Jonas what his “life assignment” is: the Receiver of Memory. He is confused at first about his assignment but eventually starts working with the current Receiver, an... Read Full Review