Monthly Archives: July 2023

All the Light We Can Not See: (Contains some Spoilers)!

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Last week, I finished reading the book, “All the Light We Can Not See.” It is a beautiful book about life in World War 2, and how a German boy and a Jewish girl from different sides of the conflict try to be good to one another. Marie Laure, a Jewish girl, escapes with her father during the war and lives with their grandfather, Etienne. On the other side, Werner Pfennig, a German boy, wants nothing more than to join the exclusive training camp and not end up like his father, working in the mines.

The book is complicated, and the perspective jumps from Marie Laure, to Werner, to other unknown characters you will just have to keep reading to find out. My favorite aspect of the book is the unexpected surprises this book holds. For example, in most books, the main characters don’t usually die, but in this book, Werner dies by stepping on a landmine. Talk about not watching your step. Come on, you’re in a WAR ZONE! But anyway, one thing that did surprise me was how this book was actually quite poetic. It talks about World War 2, and when you start reading it, some parts, to be brutally honest, just don’t make sense. But Anthony Doerr wrote this book in such a way that it deeply saddens you, but throughout the book, teaches you that people can be good to each other, no matter where they are from. During some parts of the book, I was actually about to cry! There are some characters that are evil, but they all have reasons to be that way. Gloomy but heartwarming, this book would be good for people who should be reminded of the good in life and can handle a gritty ending.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

The Bone Witch By Rin Chupeco

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Tea is an outcast in her village because of her TODA – a feared magic type. Tea didn’t want to be a Bone witch, but her powerful magic couldn’t be denied. After she accidentally raises her brother from death, Tea discovers she is destined to be the dark Asha, the one everyone dreaded and feared.

The Bone Witch is a nested story with vivid, detailed world-building and well-drawn characters. Tea, the protagonist, is particularly compelling. Throughout the book, you can see that her relationship with other characters, like her mentor and brother, is rich and complex. Their dynamics are often surprising and unexpected. Chupeco crafted and weaved magic and exquisite details in every chapter, making the readers want more. The other bone witches’ unique abilities and personalities are fascinating to learn about and add depth and complexity to the story.

The plot of The Bone Witch is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Chupeco does an excellent job of keeping you guessing and building tension throughout the story. There are moments of heartbreak and triumph, and the ending leaves you eager to learn more about Tea and her world.

The Bone Witch is worth checking out for fantasy fans and anyone looking for an exciting, immersive read with a cliffhanger ending. It’s a good read for readers in seventh grade and up. The Bone Witch is available to borrow on Libby, and last I checked at Mission Viejo Library.

Rin Chupeco’s world characters are memorable, and her world-building skills are top-knot; an exciting and intricate world filled with unique characters and a gripping plot. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s series!

Happy Reading!

Bella H.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Fahrenheit 451: Book Review

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I read this book in ninth grade English this year and it was one of my favorite books that we read this year!

I have always been a fan of sci-fi books and reading it actually brought me more insight on the dangers of the futuristic society that we might face sooner or later.

In Fahrenheit 451, the futuristic society is controlled by the government. People are emotionless, have no depth, and just can’t care less about anything. Most people consider the word, “family”, as having the latest gadgets such as T.V parlors and less about human interaction and love between husband and spouse.

The main character in the book, Guy Montag, has a breakthrough after meeting his new neighbor, Clarisse. Montag’s job is a fireman, which in this futuristic world they burn books and houses instead of protecting houses from fires. Kind of ironic isn’t it? Clarisse sees the world much more differently than Montag and introduces him to the tiny aspects of nature that makes it worthwhile to live for such as the dewdrops on grass and just looking up at the moon sometimes.

He compares what Clarisse says to his life right now: Mildred, his wife, doesn’t care for him at all and considers the T.V. parlor as her makeshift family. She also overdoses on sleeping pills, which is symbolic since she knows she unhappy but at the same time she doesn’t know why.

He also had a big turning point as well when he watches a woman burn herself alive in the fire with her books rather than live in a world without them. Montag even questions to himself after and says, “there must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

There are so many foils in this book, its amazing how Bradbury added so many in a short novel that’s a little more than a hundred pages. You can clearly see the comparisons he’s trying to make with our society and the one he’s created.

Also, Bradbury wrote this book in the 1950s, which means that the things he created in the book such as seashells (now known as modern-day airpods), parlors (T.V that spans the whole wall), and even the mechanical hound (robot dogs) now has been created.

A little more on the mechanical hound: our teacher sent this link the other day saying that “Bradbury really knew it was coming”. The link is down below:

https://abc7.com/robot-dog-lapd-city-council-vote/13290121/

Anyway, a quick summary, the LA police department decided to press the OK button on their proposal to accept donations on funding for a mechanical police dog. Obviously there’s a lot of controversy on this. But, amazing how Bradbury predicted this right?!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby

Book Review: The Heroes of Olympus The Mark of Athena

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The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is the third book within the Heroes of Olympus series. Within this book, the seven demi-gods mentioned in the prophecy of the seven finally meet up and begin their quest. Of those seven demi-gods, this book shows the P.OV. of the four of them who are Greek demi-gods, namely Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena, Piper McLean daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez son of Hephestus.

Moving more into the plot now, this book places a lot of emphasis on the struggles and furthermore, the doubts of the protagonists. With Percy we see him being to think more about his role on the team, his fatal flaw of loyalty, and how that affects him. Percy is grappling with the fact that he is insanely loyal and protective of his friends and therefore struggles with letting them go and do their own thing because he’s worried that if they do and they get hurt it will be his fault.

With Annabeth we mostly see her struggling with her doubts about if she can complete the quest her mother gave her. Basically, Annabeth is given the task of following the Mark of Athena and recovering the Athena Parthenos, which was stolen by the Romans several years before the story started and is now in the hands of the antagonists. This quest becomes even more important when it is learned that the recovery of the statue is important to fixing the gods’ case of fantasy dissociative identity disorder(don’t ask).

Piper’s issue is honestly mostly petty drama with her boyfriend who spends most of this book passed out so we’re skipping over that dumpster fire to talk about Leo. So Leo’s issue is due to the fact that he is something of the odd man out in the group of heroes. Leo has a lot of issues combining to make him the proverbial black sheep with the two most notable being that his being possessed by ghosts at the start of the book starts a fair bit of the book’s conflict and the fact that he is the only member of the seven to not be in a relationship. The second one may seem minor by comparison but given that there are several points where he is referred to as a seventh wheel it’s pretty clear that it affects him a lot.

I honestly have to say that I enjoyed this book more than the previous two in the series. Not that the first two were bad it’s just that most of the “character development” there was a character getting over trauma related to one of their powers or with Percy and Jason dealing with their amnesia (long story). In conclusion, I would say that this series is definitely a good one and that its author really earned his title of “the storyteller of the gods.”

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

All the Bright Places – Book Review

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All the Bright Places is one of my favorite books of all time, and I can’t even remember how many times I have re-read it. It spreads awareness on the topic of suicide, the importance of balanced mental health, overcoming grief, etc. through a captivating and lovely yet heart-breaking plot. I was seriously invested, and this is the kind of book where it is practically impossible not to finish in one sitting.

The story follows outcast Theodore Finch, a boy with Bipolar disorder who struggles to find his identity/will to live in a harsh world and popular Violet Markey, a girl who blames herself for the death of her late sister and consequently feels like her future is in pieces. Both teens have a similar mindset at the beginning of the book where they meet on the ledge of the bell tower, and it is ‘unclear about who saves whom.’

I’ve read a lot of books, and I haven’t found one just like this. I was just walking through a Barnes and Nobles and got caught by the cool cover. Although Gen Z is extremely understanding and, in my opinion, more open/free compared to others, there is still a fair amount of stigma that comes with the discussion of sensitive topics such as the ones in this book. All the Bright Places isn’t just another book explaining why suicide is bad. It touches and talks about these topics in a way that no other novel can- any other book I’ve seen about suicide just seems kind of fake… and after reading the author’s note, the experiences and thoughts and memories in this book seem so genuine because they are real. The author herself has gone through these losses, mindsets, and abstract thoughts, which make the book feel that much alive. Another bonus is that this book really cultivated my love for women modernist authors like Virginia Woolf (one of my favorites- if not favorite writer) and Sylvia Plath. Jennifer Niven really has a way with really making you feel like you are loved and aren’t alone with your experiences, so this is one book I would have to recommend :).

(P.S. Jennifer Niven got inspired by one of her own original ideas by one of her own original characters in the book, and decided to make a blog! It’s called GermMagazine.com!)

(P.S. #2, another book by her Holding up the Universe is also amazing and touches on important teen mental health topics, too)

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

My Top 10 NBA Players

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NBA Top 100: Ranking the best players from 10-1 - Sports IllustratedThis has been a heated debate for a really long time now, and it always changes depending on each player’s performance paired with their team’s success. So, I’m going to give you guys my top 10 NBA players in the league today. 

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis is simply an unstoppable player. He’s almost impossible to guard because of his strength and athleticism. If he gets inside the paint, it’s almost a guaranteed basket. His shooting has been a weakness of his for a while, but he has been working on it and has improved. The way Giannis makes the team better along with his unbelievable skills makes him the best player in the NBA, at the moment.

  1. Stephen Curry

Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. There’s no argument to that. He has shattered records throughout his career related to his ability to shoot the three pointer along with his overall efficiency from the field. Stephen Curry is an electric offensive player that can get hot in just a few minutes and light your favorite team up for 40 points any given night. He is also a great team player, since he is willing to rebound and give up the ball to his teammates. His defense is very improved from where it used to be, and even at the age of 35 years old, Steph Curry still has a lot left in the tank. 

  1. Joel Embiid

Dominance, dominance, dominance! That’s what Joel Embiid provides the Philadelphia 76ers with every night. He averaged 33 points per game this season and was one of the best players in the league. His ability to post up, face up, and draw fouls makes him unguardable and even if you find a way to defend him, he’ll still end up drawing a foul and going to the line for two shots. 

  1. Luka Doncic

This season was a failure for Luka’s team since they failed to make the postseason. However, Luka still averaged 32 points per game along with 8 assists and 8 rebounds. Although his team’s success dropped him further down this list, he’s still an offensive machine who can do anything to get his team some points. However, his lack of defensive ability is the reason he isn’t as high on this list. 

  1. Kevin Durant

The long, lanky small forward is an offensive weapon. He can score from anywhere on the court, although he excels from the mid-range. KD can drive to the basket, pull up for a jumper, or nail a long distance three-ball. He can literally do anything on the court. Also, he can lock up on defense from time to time and swat the ball away when other players try to drive against him. KD has the potential to be number one on this list, except his injuries prevent him from staying on the court for the majority of the season like Giannis. 

  1. Lebron James

I know he’s 38, but we need to give this man his flowers! In his 20th year in the league, Lebron averaged 29 points per game! Although he isn’t as dominant as he was in his prime, James is often the best player on the court and can take over a game any time he wants to. Lebron’s shooting has improved throughout his career and he is still one of the best players in the game, even when he is much older than some other guys. 

  1. Nikola Jokic

Jokic is a two-time MVP and some people may believe that he’s much higher on this list than I put him, but I had to put him at 7th because I don’t think Jokic can take over a game like the other guys above him can. Yes, Jokic is a really valuable player to his team and is crucial to their success due to his scoring and playmaking, but he just isn’t as dominant as the other guys. If I need a bucket with my team down two points, I’d much rather ask Giannis to bulldoze his way into the paint, Steph to pull up from three, or Kevin Durant to get me a basket than ask Nikola Jokic to score. However, Nikola Jokic is an incredible basketball player and should not be dis-credited for everything he has done for the Denver Nuggets. 

  1. Jayson Tatum

The Celtics superstar is one of the top two-way players in the league and can score at will. His step back jumper makes him a lethal offensive weapon and a challenge for any player to guard. This season, he averaged 30 points per game, showing his rapid improvement even at a very young age. 

  1. Kawhi Leonard

Although Kawhi Leonard has struggled with injuries the last two seasons, he’s still an incredible player. He’s arguably the best perimeter defender in the league and one of the best scorers, too. He is gifted with some insane athleticism and strength that give him the tools he needs to impact the game. 

  1. Anthony Davis

The Lakers big man has proven his incredible abilities on the basketball court since he was drafted first overall back in 2012. He has an elite post-up game along with great footwork near the basket. His largest weakness has been how injury prone he is as he has gotten injured often and been forced to miss large amounts of time in the regular season and even the playoffs. 

Piranesi: book review

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I started reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke with no previous knowledge about the book or the author. I had no idea of the rollercoaster I was about to experience. The first thing I noticed about the book was Clarke’s writing style, which I thought was exceptionally meticulous and clever as if she had spent time carefully choosing each and every word. That being said, because the first thirty or so pages are spent mostly on world-building, it felt slow at first and hard to get through. However, once the story picked up, it kept up a breakneck pace for the rest of the book, with each plot twist pushing the story further.

I think the most brilliant technique Clarke used when creating this story, was the formatting. Piranesi is a first-person perspective book, with the chapters written in a diary entry style. After finishing the book, I realized that this unique style choice played an extremely important role in the aesthetic and captivation of the book. Because there are so many layers to the plot, there’s an exciting anticipation that Clarke creates when the reader is forced to only learn what the protagonist learns WHEN the protagonist learns it.

Additionally, due to the complexity of the story, and the world in which it takes place, it could have been very easy for our protagonist to fade into the background. However, Clarke was able to continuously draw him back into the spotlight, and keep the reader focused on and caring about the hero and his journey throughout the entire length of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique, fantasy read. Although it starts off at a slow pace and only picks up speed later in the book, the many intriguing elements span the whole book, and the creativity within the world of Piranesi is simply infinite.

Piranesi by Susanna Clark is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff

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The Apple and the Arrow is a Newberry Honor award-winning book by Mary and Conrad Buff. This book is about the legend of William Tell, from the perspective of his son, Walter. The story is set in medieval Switzerland. Walter enjoys a happy childhood, but his family’s freedom is threatened by a tyrannical Austrian governor named Gessler. Walter’s mother reveals that Gessler is building a castle so that he can exert power over the people. The castle would enable Gessler to imprison anyone who defies him. Walter’s father, William Tell, is planning a daring revolt against Gessler and his soldiers.

One day, Walter and his father go to the town of Altdorf. Soon after they arrive, they see a pole with a hat on top of it.  The hat is the ducal hat of Austria. The townspeople bow to the hat, as a sign of loyalty to their Austrian rulers. A soldier commands William to bow to the hat, but William refuses. This gets the attention of other soldiers, who threaten to harm William if he does not bow to the hat. Despite their threats, William boldly proclaims that he will never bow before the ducal hat of Austria. 

Just then, Gessler himself appears. Gessler learns of William’s rebellion, and he becomes extremely angry. He notices William’s son, who is clinging to his father and hiding his face. In his anger, Gessler commands his soldiers to place Walter against a tree with an apple on his head. If William can use his bow and arrow to shoot the apple from his son’s head, then he and his son will go free. Otherwise, they will both die.

I had heard about the legend of William Tell before I read this book, but I was unaware of the details of the story. Before reading this story, I thought that William Tell shot the apple from someone’s head merely to show off his skills. I was unaware of the bravery of William Tell and his son. The story of William Tell is really a story about the courage to fight for freedom.  I was glad to learn more about this famous legend. This book felt much like a Robin Hood type of story, and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to anyone.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

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I just saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and wow. This one was a ride, but so is every Marvel movie. You would think I would be immune to this feeling by now, but I guess not. So let me give you a quick rundown on the story.

We start off with some already dark undertones; everyone is kind of struggling and the song Creep is playing in the background. As if they weren’t already having a rough time, the Guardians and the planet of Knowhere are attacked, leaving Rocket standing at death’s door. Now the Guardian’s have to find a way to save him before it is too late, uncovering secrets of one’s past and overcoming the hurt and trauma along with it.

This movie is dark. First it was Spider-Man, then Doctor Strange, then Wakanda, and then this. At first I was honestly a little bored. The humor they were trying was just not getting to me and it felt out of place. But then I realized maybe it was supposed to feel awkward. The entire tone of the movie was anything but comical. It was serious, dark; it even felt like a horror movie at some points. Of course there were happy moments and a couple of good one liners, but the movie made me feel very bittersweet. The movie was packed with action, amazingly directed scenes (that really helped set the tone of the movie), great song choices, and fantastic character development. 

I realized some major themes/thematic topics in the movie. Friendship, family, letting go and overcoming the past were huge aspects. Throughout the movie, you find the Guardians mention how friends are there for each other, that they care about each other because they are a family, and how they have to let go of the past. The main focus is on three groups: Rocket and his past, Gamora and Quill, and then Nebula with Drax and Mantis. These three groups go through each of these themes, in their own ways. It was fantastic to see each character grow by the end and it was even better to see how they got there. We learn about Rocket and what he went through in his past, we see how different things are now with Gamora and Quill, and we see Nebula learn more about her teammates and friends, Drax and Mantis. And of course, there is Groot, who doesn’t have too much drama, but is instead just there for his friends.

This movie was a fun one. Each scene was intense, bringing out different emotions each second. At times it would have me dancing in my seat as the characters fought, and other times it had me sitting as still as a rock as I watched traumatic events. This was an amazing movie that had me clapping at the end. I would definitely recommend watching it at some time. It was definitely worth it to see how characters grew and what they ended up doing in the end. If you’re looking for a good movie to watch, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is definitely one to take a look at.

-Nicole R.

Everless by Sara Holland

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Sara Holland’s Everless was a fresh perspective on time and living life to its fullest.

In the city of Sempura, time is exchanged for blood, and many of its citizens are constantly living in fear of displacement or death.

The main character, Jules Ember, is an audacious young woman who cares deeply for her father and their survival. All her life, he has sheltered her from the process of exchanging blood for money. When her father’s health declines, Jules must forge her own path and do what it takes to survive.

As a child, she was raised on palace grounds alongside the kingdom’s princes, until she and her father were suddenly forced to flee. When Jules begins work at Everless at the princes’ estate, she forms new bonds with them

Everless was a somewhat complex novel, as the realm was intricate and elaborate. As the reader understands Jules and how she perceives her life, reading the novel flows more easily.

Holland also presents the difference in social status and stereotypes in her novel. The contrast between the nobles and commoners are visible in the blithe actions of the nobility and the scrounging lifestyle of those in the streets.

Overall, Everless consisted of a thorough plot, exciting characters, and captivating ideas. This was a great book!

Everless by Sara Holland is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.