Monthly Archives: April 2023

Book Analysis: The Fountains of Silence by Reta Sepetys

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A fascinating historical novel written by Reta Sepetys takes place in Madrid, Spain in the 1950s. The Fountains of Silence is a novel that delves deep into the strict regime of General Francisco Franco and his iron-tight rule. Our narrators are Daniel Matherson and Ana Torres Moreno. They both come from very different backgrounds, giving us an in-depth perspective on both sides.

Daniel Matherson is an American tourist who is the son of a big oil executive. His father is trying to secure a big deal in Madrid. Living in Texas for all of his life, he is a Texan through and through. From his strong Texan accent to the cowboy boots and jeans, it’s a sharp contrast to locals milling around the setting. His mother grew up in Madrid and immerses him in Spanish culture. Shortly after graduating high school, they decided to take a family trip to Madrid fulfilling both his mother’s dreams of returning and his father’s need to guarantee a drilling deal in Spain. This also was a trip that his father hoped would convince Daniel not to pursue his dreams of photography and instead join him in the oil business. Another factor is money. Daniel simply doesn’t have enough funds to support himself through journalism school. By going to Madrid, Daniel has the opportunity to take unique photos to showcase in a competition to win a scholarship. During the entire plot of the story, he remains stagnant as a character, and his defining characteristics stay as those of a naïve tourist.

Ana Torres Moreno is a maid who works at the Hilton Hotel that Daniel and his family are staying at. She is one of the characters who has a deep backstory that readers unveil over the course of the story. The hotel she works at one of the biggest parts of the story. Characters that are entangled in the intricate hotel network develop the story as we learn what happens behind the scenes. She slowly evolves as a character as she gets closer to Daniel. Daniel introduces her to many American things which is against the hotel policy for maids or any workers to get closer to their clients.

The Church is a big part of the story as well, a lot of the characters in this story go there to repent of their sins in the confession booth. The confession booth may be where we learn one of the most crucial pieces of information ever. Here we learn more about Ana, her brother, and Daniel himself.

To conclude, this book is one of the most influential books about the history of General Franco’s rule. It dives deep into the horrific backstory and how the Church may have been involved in serious problems that were popping up. Definitely a great read!

The Fountains of Silence  by Ruta Sepetys is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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I first started to read Six of Crows because I wanted to watch the show associated with it, and I live by the rule of not watching media before consuming the literary work, but I was hooked from the first sentence. As some who greatly enjoys mystery and fantasy books, this novel provided a perfect blend of intrigue as well as beautiful worldbuilding and immersive storytelling! It felt as though I was experiencing the plot along with the main characters.

The book follows six teenagers, all with their own detailed characterization and fleshed-out thought processes. The story revolves around a heist to kidnap a scientist who is the only link to a type of drug affecting Grisha, humans with powers. I had no choice but to love the main six, no matter their flaws, as they were able to work together in a unit and I’m a sucker for found family.

I loved how each of the characters were paired up with each other in terms of romantic relationships, but the three couples moved at different paces to each other and never seemed rushed or forced. The actions of each character stayed consistent with their characterization, and I was enamored by the little glimpses into each character’s head that were given in specific chapters.

The phenomenal writing, the lovable characters, and the intriguing plot were what made this book one of my favorites. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading found family and appreciates queer, disabled, and racially diverse representation in literature!

-Tanvi G.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

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By the latter half of the nineteenth century, Europe had for the most part settled into a status quo. The great upsets of the 1800s had largely ended, and Europe enjoyed a period of relative peace and tranquility for the remainder of the century. However, to judge the impact of this time on the events that preceded and followed it would be to overlook one of the greatest developments in history – the feminist movement.

This change in attitudes towards women was only emphasized by the literature of the time, the most significant and impactful of which can be seen in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Published in December of 1879, the play explores how “a woman cannot be herself” in the male-dominated society of the time.

The play’s protagonist is Nora Helmer, a cheerful and naive middle-class housewife who, over the course of the play, contends with various truths about her existence, the foremost of which is that she has no agency over her own life. That is, her every action is dictated by her overbearing husband, Torvald Helmer. Up until this point, Nora and Torvald have lived in a relationship akin to a doll and its owner – that is, Nora exists only to look pretty and take care of Torvald. All of this changes, though, when one of Nora’s long-held secrets comes back to haunt her, causing her dollhouse to come crashing down.

Nora Helmer’s transformation over the course of the play from a passive and sheltered young woman to one who has the drive to seek out what she wants in life implies Ibsen’s intentions to show how women are indisputably as capable of heroic transformations as men. Despite having been written well over a century ago, the themes of this play continue to resonate with audiences today. When Nora takes her fate into her own hands at the end of the play, she serves as the mouthpiece for millions of women who have done and will do the same.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

I Am Offering My Love (Inspired by Jimmy Santiago Baca’s “I Am Offering This Poem”)

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Growing up, it was hard for me to express my emotions, especially with my family. I was highly inspired by Jimmy Santiago Baca’s “I Am Offering This Poem” and wrote my own version of it, called I Am Offering My Love, as a way to convey my feelings.


I don’t have much to give, maybe I don’t have anything at all.

I don’t have the money to buy you anything.

I can’t wrestle with God to claim the Earth for you.

However, I have my love, and I hope it can reach you through this poem.

Thank you

You were the one who brought me into this world.

A world that has given me happiness,  

a world with you.

Would you keep this?

After I’ve thrived, after I’ve soared to new heights and left you, would you keep this?

Thank you

For so long, you were my lifeline.

I couldn’t do anything without you, and you stayed with me the whole time.

Because of you, I am where I am today.

Thank you

You are like the sun, lighting the way for me.

You are like a pillar, supporting me and always making sure I’m still standing.

Like a book, always having an interesting story to tell me.

And I am always willing to listen.

Thank you

On a rainy day, I remember the times we had together, and it suddenly feels like it was sunny all week.

I would remember all the times we would go to the park and eat ice cream.

I would remember all the times we went shopping when there were sales.

I would remember all the times you made me laugh.

Hopefully, you remember those times too.

Those moments with you kept me going during difficult times.

I know we will make a million more memories, because you’ll always be by my side.

So thank you, for everything 

When does it end

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Have you ever told yourself this will be your last time? Only for it to be just the beginning. The beginning of your new addiction.

For some, it be hard to imagine. Others not so much. Addictions can and will come in all different forms, and shapes. Along with various problems. It’s something that will continue to straggle behind you throughout life. Unknowingly or knowingly. Acknowledging the issue is our first step to moving on. Then what. Action. Then you are cured! That’s what it looks like on the outside. Who knows what’s right! In your situation, the people you’re surrounded with may have no idea you’re even struggling to begin with! What does one do then? Some may suggest reaching out for support! Or going to therapy right? Because therapy can heal you. For some. My truth is it doesn’t. Well if therapy cured someone else then it’s bound to work for you as well too right? I wish. I wish I could fix the shattered pieces that seemed to puzzle me. I want to find what I’ve been searching for all these years. I do believe one thing. Finding some sort of purpose. While struggling against an addiction all on your own it will drain the life out of you. There’s no way to sugarcoat that.

It can and most likely will be scary to slowly stray away from your addiction. You know what I found fascinating is how people are addicted to the feeling of sadness. Some find comfort. It’s so much more than sadness. We find comfort in our addiction! That’s why we do what we do. It’s the last thing (or things) that we resort to that “fill” our emptiness. It’s like watering a seed. You only have one chance to help this seed grow. You can give it the love, support, and nutrition it needs. Or you can simply leave it alone and ignore the issues this seed faces throughout life. It comes to the point where you stop realizing about the things you do and the way you influence yourself is the problem. It’s like you can no longer see the reflection you wish to seek. Your mind is past your body. As if you’re no longer there. You are just sitting back and watching a life that was once yours.

Don’t be spiteful. I am not stating “addictions can’t be beaten”. There is one thing you must realize. You don’t always FULLY overcome your problems. Many of us just replace one with another.

What we do need to realize is that eventually our time will come.

Alex Rider TV Show Review

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Alex Rider is a 2 season show that features a typical teen, Alex, in London who lives with his uncle Ian and a housekeeper. Alex spends a lot of his time with his best friend, Tom. They sneak out to parties, have movie marathons, and go to school together. Tom aside, his uncle has taken him on excursions throughout the world and has taught him a random assortment of skills. However, Alex insists that Ian is the most boring person ever because he is a banker.

When Ian is killed in a car accident, Alex begins to question everything. He follows his gut instincts that are telling him that his banker uncle followed the rules way too often to ever being involved in a car accident. In the midst of his denial, he pieces together that his uncle is a member of the Department of Special Operations. He then has a scary encounter with the head of these operations and is recruited into the agency. It’s not that he wants to be part of it, but he ends up having to by force. The agency wants him because they need a bright, young teen to enter and scope out a mysterious school, Point Blanc. Located in the far-flung French Alps, Point Blanc educates the troublesome kids of rich elites to become respectable citizens. But not everything is as it seems; Point Blanc is hiding some sinister secrets, and although entering the school may be easy, leaving requires a different topic of discussion. This show then follows the infiltration of Point Blanc. 

The true plot doesn’t begin until the fifth episode, but this doesn’t mean that the first few episodes aren’t boring. Just when you think you have the plot figured out, new complications are constantly introduced. It gives the audience a background and builds up to the infiltration. Then, the seventh and eighth episodes are when the show starts to become thrilling and adventurous.

The eerie Point Blanc Institute adds a strong sense of depth and a sci-fi vibe to the show. I personally loved the show and especially the finale. I would understand why it can be hard to stay interested in the first couple episodes because you want to cut to the chase, but since the show is only 2 seasons it should be a quick show to binge. Personally, I love shows that I could never predict. In the beginning the show had that typical spy show feel, but as it went on and the audience got to know Alex, it felt new and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was always being surprised and trying to figure how new plot twists would change the ending. However, these plot twists aren’t overwhelming. It doesn’t feel like you are being bombarded with random curveballs because the producers cannot come up with anything. The plot twists are seamlessly implemented. Overall, I would rate this show an 8/10. It is definitely worth watching, especially for the ending. I would recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi and mystery.

-Kaitlyn Y.

The Alex Rider book series by Anthony Horowitz, on which this show is based, is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Music Review – Die For You Remix by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande

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This is my first post writing about something not book related which feels refreshing since I’ve kind of restricted myself in what to post. As some of you may have heard or even listened to The Weeknd posted a remix on one of his top hits being Die For You.

Die For You was originally released in his Starboy album in 2016 so no one really saw this release coming a solid 7 years later. Fans also knew of his performance last year with Ariana Grande doing a remix of Save Your Tears which made many fans go insane, including myself. Being a big fan of both artists definitely shows my bias towards this song but genuinely it’s just a good song.

The song includes components from the original but hints of differences hence it being a remix. Ariana Grande hasn’t released music for around 2 year so through this song we were able to see how mature her voice had gotten and the potential she’s reached. Although at first I had mixed opinions of the song and how I thought Ariana’s voice was too high in vocals, in the end my mind ended up finding a beauty within the song. I think what really influenced me to enjoy the song more was just listening it to it over and over again and also just the fact that these two artists came together to preform such a beautiful song.

I definitely think that everyone should at least give this song a listen and understand what I mean with being withdrawn at first.

-Madison C.

Book Review: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Upon a first reading of Notes from Underground, I found myself feeling confused and unable to verbalize what I was supposed to have taken away from this book. After some further reflection, I’ve come to realize that it would be better to classify it as a philosophical study rather than a novel. There is no apparent “hero’s journey” as we are accustomed to seeing in many classic and modern works of fiction alike; rather, everything that happens in this tale involves only the Underground Man and his relationship with his neuroses. 

It is because of this that I was puzzled after reading Notes from Underground. The Underground Man reaches no satisfying resolution to his character arc, leaving the reader yearning for catharsis yet receiving none. It is especially frustrating because his character arc is all the story depends on; and his anxious shuffling from one idea to the other plants a sense of never ending stress in the reader as well. 

That being said, it is still a brilliant story; deemed the first existentialist novel by countless thinkers and historians. I am regrettably uninformed in regards to the historical context of Notes from Underground, but I believe that the real merit in this book can be identified through analyzing the social climate in which it was written, and the philosophies that Dostoevsky incorporated into it. Once again, I lack the knowledge on existentialism to provide a full review as of now, but there are so many layers to this work that are waiting to be explored.

Notes from Underground is a pretty short read, and if one were looking into Dostoevsky for the first time, I would surely recommend this one to them. It’s a good introduction to his work, and it’s genuinely just such a stimulating novel. I consider it one of my favorite books of all time.

-Katie Z.

Notes from Undergound by Fyodor Dostoevsky is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Album Review: COSMIC by Bazzi

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Although this album came out in 2018, I still listen to it daily. It is so insanely good and I would recommend it to everyone, no matter what kind of music you like.

The opening track, Dreams, is so beautiful. In the beginning, there is this sort of ambience. It is a comfortable ambience though. To me it sounds like the wonderous world of REM sleep, which is when we have dreams.

The second track, Soarin, is incredible. It instantly starts out strong and it just keeps getting better and better. I love the beat of it and the chorus. The ending closes out the track so well and I love it so much.

The sixth track on the album, 3:15, might be my all-time favorite song by Bazzi. I loved it when the album was just released, and I love it even more now. This song was what made me fall in love with music in general. I memorized all the lyrics in one night, and I don’t think I will ever forget them.

The last song I will be talking about, Cartier, is another one of my top five songs by Bazzi. The vocals are very pretty and I feel like it really shows of his vocal range. The end of the song fades out and it sounds like it was just meant to be.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Before reading Six of Crows, I had heard a lot of good things about it, but I’m not really a fan of the fantasy genre. Six of Crows surprised me greatly.

It’s the first book of the Six of Crows duology, its sequel being Crooked Kingdom. Both books are members of Leigh Bardugo’s incredible Grishaverse series. The Shadow and Bone trilogy were released beforehand, but aren’t necessary reading to understand Six of Crows.

This novel follows Kaz Brekker, a criminal mastermind living in Ketterdam. He’s made his way up the social chain from nothing and owns a large gambling hall in the city. Most importantly he’s the leader of the gang known as the Dregs. Kaz is asked to attempt to rescue a scientist from an extremely large and dangerous prison. He takes with him five members of the gang and their incredible adventure fills 462 pages of gorgeous writing, incredible plot, and some of my favorite characters ever.

As I previously mentioned, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of fantasy. I don’t know what drew me to Six of Crows but I’m so glad I read it. I’ve grown so attached to the main six characters and their deep emotions and painful backstories. All of the characters had their own unique backstories that just added so much to the story.

The chapters focus on individual characters. In other books I’ve read where it switches perspective, I’ve found myself disliking certain characters perspectives and zoning out when it was their chapters. However, Six of Crows kept me engaged the whole time.

I recommend Six of Crows to anyone looking for an incredible plot full of twist and turns. I already want to read it again.

-Ava T.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.