Author Archives: Rebecca V.

The Darkest Hour by Caroline Tung Richmond

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Image result for the darkest hour caroline tung richmondI’m normally not a huge fan of historical fiction. Although, I am okay with reading a few alternate histories, but not constantly. Caroline Tung Richmond is also the author of The Only Thing To Fear, about the present day world under Hitler’s control. Even though this book isn’t an alternate history, it is still about World War II.

The year is 1943, in France, and Lucie Blaise is a part of Covert Ops, a group of female spies. They are willing to do anything to take down Hitler. After her older brother dies in combat, Lucie wants to avenge his death and try in any way possible to defeat Hitler. She didn’t want a boring desk job, and wanted to be an actual spy. Even with her training, she is unprepared for the real world. She almost gets caught, but luckily the Nazis barely buy her cover. Also, she didn’t remember her training exactly when she had her job to do, and she almost was fired because of it. I can’t describe what her job was, because it be too much of a spoiler.

This is a really interesting book about female spies in World War II. I felt that the scenes with Dorner could have been written differently, like maybe Lucie could have been starting to fall in love with Dorner, and the book would have been longer as a result. But nothing happened between them, there was no love story for Lucie, and I feel the book would have been more interesting if something did happen. After reading this book, I wondered if some of the events mentioned were true, and reading the Author’s Note explained it. The Operation Zerfall is fiction, but I was shocked to read that the Wunderwaffe program existed.

So if you’re into World War II, spies, or historical fiction, this book is for you! If you like this book, I strongly recommend reading Richmond’s other book, The Only Thing To Fear. This book isn’t mean for younger audiences.

-Rebecca V. 8th grade

The Darkest Hour by Caroline Tung Richmond is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

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Image result for AshfallAshfall, by Mike Mullin, is about life after a supervolcano erupts in Yellowstone. Alex is a normal teenage guy. He’s a sophomore, plays video games, has a black belt in tae kwon do, and wishes he could go on a date with a cute girl. His family is on their way to visit his uncle’s family, and he didn’t want to go.

Even though he survived the explosion, it’s only the beginning. His family isn’t with him, he doesn’t know who to trust, and traveling through the ash is exhausting.  Alex knows that he should try to track down his family, but did they even survive? But traveling to Warren, Illinois, where his Uncle’s farm is, is 140 miles away. What if his parents never even arrived at Warren? When Alex attempts to travel to Warren, some people are friendly, while others are as dangerous as the ash filled terrain. Is this new world the survival of the fittest?

Life after a volcano eruption is already scary, but a supervolcano eruption could ruin the entire world. In Ashfall, the eruption affects the whole world, not just America because of food shortages. This book also gets you thinking about a different way that the world can end because of nature, instead of disease, zombies, or other ways.

I thought that this was a well-written book, because Mullin makes it seem real. I wish I hadn’t read this book in one sitting though, because it is 450 pages long! I do recommend this book to anyone who likes any type of science fiction, or volcano eruptions. Also, this is a trilogy, with the second book titled Ashen Winter, and the third book called Sunrise. This book isn’t meant for younger audiences.

-Rebecca V. 8th grade

Ashfall by Mike Mullin is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded from Overdrive. 

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

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Image result for the sun is also a starThe Sun Is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon, is told through the perspective of two teenagers: Natasha and Daniel. Natasha is Jamaican senior who loves music and science.  She is going to be deported from the United States, and tries to talk to a lawyer to let her stay in America. Daniel is a Korean senior who meets Natasha by fate.  They spend the day together, trying to get to know each other better. Natasha is dealing with trying to not be deported, while Daniel is trying to avoid his Yale interview. They discuss science, life, poetry, and love. Natasha doesn’t believe that she can fall in love with him, while Daniel thinks the opposite.

Even though the author wrote back and forth between Natasha and Daniel in short paragraphs, and had background information about several topics in the book as another chapter, I thought that this book was well written. You spend the entire book hoping that Natasha isn’t deported, and think that Daniel and Natasha are meant to be together. I thought that the ending was well written, but the epilogue should have been longer.

This book is for the fans of John Green.  It’s bittersweet, and it makes you think that even though you think there’s no hope, there still is hope. It’s okay for most audiences. I would recommend this book for people who are okay with a sad and meaningful book.

-Rebecca V., 8th grade

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded from Overdrive. 

Front Lines by Michael Grant

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Image result for Front linesI don’t normally enjoy history. It’s my worst subject in school, and I can never focus on memorizing facts for tests. Before Front Lines, I have only enjoyed the Dear America series and The Only Thing To Fear by Caroline Richmond. Usually whenever I read one, it feels like I’m in school.

I picked Front Lines off the New Shelf at the Mission Viejo Library because I saw that it was a new Michael Grant book, and I completely freaked out. I didn’t even read the inside cover to see what the book was about until I got home. I originally thought that it was going to be something along the lines of his Gone series, which is still one of my favorite book series. Out of the books I checked out that day, I left this one until the end because I still wasn’t sure that I wanted to read a historical fiction novel.

Front Lines is about an alternate World War II. What if women could fight in the war? The book is told through the perspectives of Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman. I think that this book really makes you wonder about how World War II could have been fought differently if women were fighting on the front lines. I’m hoping that a sequel comes out soon. Even though the book is over 500 pages, you still want to know what would happen next.

For people who have fallen in love with the Gone series, I encourage  you to read this book. It’s good for all teens.

-Rebecca V., 8th grade

Front Lines by Michael Grant is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

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Image result for transparent natalie whippleI’m a big fan of sci-fi books, and sometimes I want to read something set in the modern era. Transparent, by Natalie Whipple, is exactly that.

In the Cold War, an anti-radiation pill called Radiasure was invented due to fears of nuclear warfare between the United States and Russia. A couple years later, mutations started appearing, but they weren’t that strange. But through every generation, the mutations grew worse, even with babies that never had contact with Radiasure.

Fiona is an invisible girl, and the only invisible person in the world. Imagine living your whole life never being able to look into a mirror, and never knowing what you look like. She’s the daughter one of powerful people who controls Radiasure. Her mother decided to escape with Fiona at the beginning of the book, and go into hiding, to get away from Fiona’s father, who treats them as weapons, and not people.

Being the only invisible girl is hard for Fiona when she starts in her new school. Algebra doesn’t make sense to her, and has to be tutored by an annoying senior, Seth. She doesn’t trust anyone, even Brady, and Bea, the two people who try to be her friend. Instead, she emails one of her brothers, Miles, at lunch and tells him what’s going on. Fiona especially doesn’t trust her other brother Graham, who has taken her back to her father every time she has tried to escape. Graham is supposedly trying to help Fiona and her mother, but she doesn’t trust him and thinks that he’ll tell her father where she is.

Eventually, Fiona begins to trust Brady, Seth, Bea, and Bea’s brothers. But is she going to jeopardize her friends and her safety? Or can she live a normal life where her father can never find out? Read the book to find out!

I enjoyed this book, and I think that it’s a cool glimpse into what superhero powers can be like for normal humans. There is also a sequel, called Blindsided. I recommend this book to older teens who like sci-fi and superheros.

-Rebecca V.

Transparent by Natalie Whipple is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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breatheanniebreathe_mirandakenneallyBreathe, Annie, Breathe, by Miranda Kenneally, is about 18 year old Annie running a marathon in memory of her late boyfriend. Even though Annie hates running, she wants to run the marathon that her boyfriend, Kyle, was training to run in. It’s the end of Annie’s senior year, and she is trying to move on from Kyle. But when Annie meets Jeremiah, it’s harder than she could ever imagine.

Jeremiah is Annie’s coach’s younger brother. He is a junior at the college that Annie is going to be attending at the fall, and loves running as much as his brother. Annie is scared to become more than friends with Jeremiah. Can Annie let Kyle go while training for the marathon? Or will she be stuck in the past?

I personally loved this book. I saw Miranda Kenneally’s newest book in a bookstore, and so I decided to try to find it in the library. Instead, I found Breathe, Annie, Breathe and another Kenneally book, Jesse’s Girl, and I fell in love with both. I feel that this was a really realistic book, and I fell in love with it.What I also love about Miranda Kenneally is that some of the characters stay the same, but the plot isn’t. For instance, the football coach in Breathe, Annie, Breathe, is the main character’s brother’s girlfriend in Jesse’s Girl.

I recommend Breathe, Annie, Breathe to anyone who has read Miranda Kenneally’s other books, is a Sarah Dessen fan, or is just looking for a good realistic read. This book isn’t mature for younger audiences.

-Rebecca V.

Breathe, Annie, Breath is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Shadowlands Series by Kate Brian

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Image result for shadowlands by kate brian

I never think that a series is completely bad. Sure, you don’t agree with authors, but you normally don’t think that the series is the worst thing ever written. The Shadowlands series by Kate Brian wasn’t horrible, but was badly written.

The  series is about high schooler Rory Miller. She and her family must run from a serial killer and hide in a safe house on a vacation island. There, Rory uncovers secrets that she shouldn’t know about, and the locals don’t seem like ordinary people. People start disappearing, and the vacationers, including Rory’s sister Darcy, aren’t remembering them. The locals seem to know where they went. Will Rory be able to protect herself and her family before it’s too late?

Kate Brian, also known as Kieran Scott, should have made the books longer instead of stretching out the plot. Sometimes the plot would drone on and on, while other times Brian would introduce ten characters and half explain them.

Image result for Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan BoysImage result for private and privilege seriesHowever, I don’t view Kate Brian as a bad author. Her book, Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys is okay. I have never read her Private and Privilege series, but with 11 books, I’m guessing people enjoyed it. I think that Brian was aiming to have a hit paranormal romance series, but kept reverting back to a realistic theme.

Even though I don’t think that The Shadowlands series was the best, I would say to read it if you just want a relaxing story.

-Rebecca V.

Kate Brian’s novels are available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book vs. Movie: Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

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Image result for middle school worst years of my life bookMiddle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson is a good graphic novel. I feel that it is a great book for tweens and young teens.

I watched the movie with my friends, who have never read the books. They were shocked when the movie revealed something important, while I just sat there, knowing about this since the beginning. This probably altered my perspective, because when you have read the book first, you are comparing it to the movie the whole time. And more often then not, minor details from the book are changed for the movie and completely ruins the adaptation. Many minor details were altered, and I do feel that a couple changed how you look at the movie. Characters were not the same, and some were excluded. In the book, Leo passed away from meningitis when him and Rafe were toddlers.

In the movie, they state that Leo had passed about a year before from cancer. This can really change your perspective of the movie. In the book, you know that it’s amazing that Rafe can think of his brother like this through his imagination. In the movie, it’s just because Rafe is mourning. I feel that Leo is not thImage result for middle school worst years of my lifee same character in the movie that he is in the book. Also, what happened to Miller, or Miller the Killer? He was a huge part in the books as the school bully. In the movie, he only had a minor part and didn’t seem as threatening. Additionally, they did not have Jeanne Galleta and Georgia’s personalities correct. Jeanne is much more different, and defiantly does not sneak into his house. Georgia was way more of a brat, and did not feel sorry for her brother at all.

I would say that if you have never read the books, go see the movie! Maybe your younger sibling wants to go. Even if you think that this is a “kiddy movie,” it’s not. Half of the friends that went with me were high schoolers, and they enjoyed the movie as much as the middle schoolers with us. But for the fans of the Middle School series, I really don’t think that the movie is worth it. It is a humorous movie, but you might be disappointed.

-Rebecca V.

For reference, here is a comparison of Leo from the book and the film:

Image result for middle school worst years of my life book leoRelated image

Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker

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Image result for ashes to ashes by melissa walkerCallie McPhee is prepared to have a great summer. She has her boyfriend Nick, her best friend Carson, and a new BMW. Even though her best friend is still obsessed with ghosts, and Nick seems a little bit off lately, Callie knows that she is going to have a great summer before her junior year. Except when tragedy strikes while Callie is speeding and distracted by a phone call from Nick. This isn’t the summer she imagined.

Callie wakes up in something called the Prism, where she finds out she’s dead and is assigned a Guide named Thatcher. Callie isn’t a “normal” ghost, and develops a rebellious streak. She wants to live a little by hanging out with the “bad” group of ghosts and haunt on her own. But when the poltergeists, the bad group, starts turning more dangerous, Callie must figure what’s right. She has to watch her father, friend, and boyfriend go through different types of grief, and sort out her new feelings for Thatcher. When the poltergeists go past a boundary that Callie didn’t know was possible and Thatcher feared, they must do the impossible. Will the poltergeists stop? Read the book to find out.

I thought Ashes to Ashes was a great paranormal romance novel. Once you read this book, you have to know what happens next in the sequel, Dust to Dust. Ashes to Ashes makes you think a lot about ghosts. I will recommend this book to anyone who wants a good paranormal romance book.

-Rebecca V.

Ashes to Ashes is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Full Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Full-Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix was a great book. Becca Jones, the main character, really represented normal high school students. She is stressing out over GPAs, SATs, scholarships, and classes for college, along with the rest of her friends.

Becca isn’t telling the truth to everyone. Her father is in jail, and her mother’s lawyer tells Becca and her mother that they can’t tell anyone. If they do, Becca and her mother could die. Becca had to enter a different high school, in a different state, and make new friends. She can’t have any social media sites, and has to take down her Facebook page. Becca and her mom get through the three years, except when applying for colleges and financial aid, the truth is starting to come out. Becca applies for a scholarship, although accidentally sends in the wrong essay. In an interview, Becca blurts out that she’s the daughter of a prisoner. The people interviewing her don’t believe her, and thinks she’s going crazy. Becca’s mother is afraid of people finding out about her husband, and Becca is afraid of never going to college. Should Becca find out the truth and tell her friends? Or should she stay in her mother’s shadow, not going to college until her father gets out of jail? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Overall, Full-Ride really good read. I liked how this book was realistic. At the end of the book, there is a surprise, something you wouldn’t expect from a character that is mentioned, but isn’t seen a lot. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good realistic fiction read. Full-Ride is truly a good book about high school, and getting into college.

-Rebecca V.

Full Ride is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.