Category Archives: Book Reviews

The Stranger by Albert Camus

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If you were to see Monsieur Meursault walking down the street, he would appear to be an ordinary young man. He shows up to work every day, doesn’t disrespect any of his coworkers, and is on good terms with all of his neighbors. Unless you were to actually meet him, you would never realize that he was a bit different.

When people ask him things, he doesn’t ever seem to have a definite answer- it almost seems as if nothing really matters to him. Because of this, people will sometimes become annoyed at him. They want clear answers, and Monsieur Meursault won’t give them that. However, no one really questions him and his lack of feelings until the death of his mother (Maman, he calls her). He had sent her off to a home for the elderly because he was no longer able to support her. Now she has died, and to Monsieur Meursault, it doesn’t really feel as if anything has changed – everyone around him is grieving more than the woman’s own son. People question him: Why doesn’t he seem to be in mourning? Why has he not shed a single tear?

It’s not until after a horrific event takes place that Meursault’s actions (or lack thereof) begin to affect him. Meursault probably never would have expected this to happen, and neither would any of his friends and acquaintances, but it did, and now he must face the consequences.

Originally written in French by Albert Camus, this book has been beautifully translated to English by Matthew Ward. It’s written in an unusual style that I think is very fitting for the personality of Monsieur Meursault. Although it may not be filled with action and adventure, this is definitely an interesting read, and it gives us insight on how this strange man thinks. I also enjoyed learning a bit more about the French culture, as this is where the book takes place.

Despite the fact that this is a fairly short book, it took me a while to read it. I only read a little each day because it gave me so much to think about and the protagonist and his actions really intrigued me. This is the first book I’ve read wherein the main character thinks in such a strange way. I’m really glad that it’s written in the point of view of this man, else I wouldn’t have been able to understand him at all. This is a very unique book, written in the point of view of a very unusual protagonist, and although I probably wouldn’t read this book again, I don’t regret reading it and would definitely say that it gave me a lot to think about.

-Elina T.

The Stranger by Albert Camus is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

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The most modest, kind-hearted, expert haiku poet of a god- yes, I am talking about the one and only Apollo! Honestly, who doesn’t love him?

Well it looks as if Zeus isn’t particularly fond of him- because, well you probably wouldn’t throw someone you’re fond of off of Olympus and strip them of their godly powers.

Apollo finds himself in a repulsive garbage bin in a New York alley when he awakes in the form of the utterly powerless, weak, and completely mortal Lester Papadopoulos. Because he is so accustomed to his godly privileges and reverent treatment, being sent to Earth with absolutely no powers hits Apollo pretty hard. Quite literally:

“Hoodlums punch my my face,

I would smite them if I could,

Mortality blows.”

-Apollo (The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle Ch. 1, Rick Riordan)

Although this is a new series, it’s also, in a way, a continuation of Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus. It’s set in the same world, and some questions that were left unanswered in The Blood of Olympus (the last book in The Heroes of Olympus series) are finally explained. I won’t specify which ones so as not to spoil anything, but I will say that I was very happy that I finally found out what happened (I died after I read The Blood of Olympus because I didn’t think there would be any more books). Additionally, some characters from The Heroes of Olympus series are represented in this book, so I was also happy about that. But of course, new and lovable (and some not so lovable) characters are introduced in this series.

I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard that this book was coming out and was not, in any way whatsoever, disappointed when I was finally able to read it. Apollo has always been one of my favorite gods but, after reading this book, I can confidently say that he is my favorite.

I love how Rick Riordan portrays Apollo and brings out so much personality and humor. The book is narrated by Apollo, and it really feels like it’s the god narrating because of the language Rick uses in this book. Apollo is very eloquent (most of the time), and speaks in a different manner than we do today in modern society.

Greek and Roman mythology has always interested me, and so has the history from these cultures, as the two are so closely related. I really admire how much historical content Rick is able to weave in to the story, along with the mythological and fictional aspects.

If you’ve read The Heroes of Olympus series, I definitely recommend this book (the second one is also out: The Dark Prophecy). Although, if you haven’t finished that series yet, I’d wait until you finish reading it because this book will probably spoil something.

This is definitely one of my favorite series, and I can’t wait until the third one comes out!

-Elina T.

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

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Middle school shouldn’t be a time for people to be put under so much stress. But, Fern, a twelve-year-old girl, has to deal with much more than she should.

Her father is constantly trying to boost business for the family restaurant, and unfortunately, Fern often gets pulled into the mess, being forced to wear stupid t-shirts for ads. Her mother is always meditating, and on the rare occasion that she’s not, she’s doting over Fern’s three-year-old brother Charlie, who always gets what he wants.

As if that weren’t enough, her two older siblings are dealing with their own problems that often end up affecting the entire family. Sarah, her older sister, is taking a gap year after high school and is busy avoiding work, while Holden, Fern’s brother, is focused on making himself believe that his parents don’t realize that he’s gay.

But then something catastrophic happens – something Fern would have never expected, and it changes all of their lives tremendously. Ran is Fern’s only solace in this huge mess, with his soothing presence, and his t-shirts with positive and encouraging quotes. She must rely on his mantra: “all will be well” to convince herself that she will be able to get through all of this.

I didn’t really know anything about this book before reading it, but I was looking for something to read, and thought this book looked interesting. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was and read the whole thing in one day. The book itself isn’t very long-so it’s a fairly quick read. But, it is pretty deep, and it’s definitely filled with a lot of emotion.

Although the author, Jo Knowles, did grow up helping out at her parent’s family restaurant, the characters in this book are fictional. However I felt that she did an amazing job at describing and developing these characters. I could easily imagine a family like Fern’s to be out there somewhere.

I really love this book despite the fact that it is very sad. If you do end up reading it, which I highly recommend doing, make sure to have a tissue box nearby.

-Elina T.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the last installment of the Harry Potter series. J. K. Rowling  did an amazing job with this book. The first time I read this book, I couldn’t put it down and every time I read this book, it’s just as good as it was the first time.

In this final book, the wizarding society has finally been taken over by Death Eaters and Voldemort’s search to find and kill Harry Potter is at its prime. Fear is everywhere. Any witch or wizard could be killed or sent to Azkaban for doing nothing while Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione are on the run.

Harry is trying to complete the task Dumbledore gave him before he died and end Voldemort’s reign forever. But trying to create a plan to do this isn’t easy, and Harry just wants people to stop dying for him.  And, finally, Rowling gives us explanations for the unanswered questions and cliffhangers she’s created throughout the series.

Out of the Harry Potter books, this is the only book that does not mainly take place is Hogwarts. So it is cool to see other parts of the world J.K. Rowling has created. However, a good amount of the book is just Harry, Ron and Hermione camping out in the woods.

It is also the darkest out of the Harry Potter books but, it doesn’t make it any less good. I admit this isn’t my favorite Harry Potter book because personally, I feel like the trio spent too much time in the woods where we instead could have been learning more what is going on and, some say this book is just to long to hold their attention the entire time. But, despite this, I would still wholeheartedly say that this book is definitely worth reading.

-Ava G.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

 

 

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

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Written by Robert Sharenow, The Berlin Boxing Club is the complete package. For those of you who love a good coming of age story mixed with a historical background, this one is for you. Even if you aren’t a fan of boxing, like me, this novel helps to show that such a sport as boxing teaches important lessons and can change lives.

Taking place in Nazi Germany (1934-1939), fictional teenager Karl Stern engages in boxing lessons with real life boxing champion, Max Schmeling, after being beaten up. Despite having Jewish background, Karl doesn’t sport a Jewish appearance, allowing him to find comfort and shelter behind the Berlin Boxing Club’s walls. Before he is discovered to be a Jew, boxing is his source of relief. His mentor and idol, Max, shows Karl what it means to be a proud German citizen while staying away from the political world. Karl gains confidence and strength physically and mentally. He learns how to defend himself and how to win and how to loose. He learns how to be humble and hardworking, all thanks to Max. However, as Max becomes more famous and the face of Germany, Karl looses his faith in Max. Karl wonders if Max is really who he said he was or if Max put on a mask for the entertainment world.

With a boxing future in focus, Karl encounters challenges he never would have expected to come across. Hitler’s reign becomes stronger and wider, polluting areas of Karl’s life such as school, home and boxing–his only escape. Troubles slowly consume the Stern family such as losing their family art gallery and home. Karl’s father is constantly angry and desperate to uphold his family while his mother battles with depression. His little sister also comes of age as she comes to terms with who she is and how Germany has changed. All around him, Karl’s life is like a whirlwind and confusion takes over his mind.

This novel focuses on the growing maturity of a Jewish teenager during the reign of Hitler. It gives a glimpse into life during this time period and showed me that all teenagers experience the same things. We all come of age, we all find adventure in romance, we all face problems and we all learn how to solve them. As a teenager, I believe that The Berlin Boxing Club is an entertaining and eye-opening read.

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

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Imagine if aliens lived among us. Not the aliens you might think of immediately (like E.T.), but aliens who cloud blend in, who look just like us. We would never know, they could be anyone: your next-door neighbor, your own best friend.

John Smith, to everyone around him, appears to be a typical teenage boy beginning his sophomore year of high school in Paradise, Ohio. But in actuality, John Smith is but one of many of his fake identities. His real name, if you could even really call it that, is Number Four. He comes from a planet far, far, away called Lorien. He is one of the nine powerful children who were taken to Earth about ten years ago, before Lorien was attacked by another alien planet: Mogadore.

Before the nine children were sent to Earth, they were each assigned a number (one through nine), and a Loric elder cast a charm, making it so that, should the Mogadorians ever go after these nine remaining Lorien descendants, they would only be able to kill them in order of the their numbers. Thus far, numbers one through three have been hunted down and killed by the Mogadorians, and John Smith, who is number four, knows that he is next.

When I first heard of this book, and was told that it was about aliens, I honestly didn’t have very high expectations for it. That probably wouldn’t have been the case for everyone, I just don’t typically like stories/books that are about aliens. But, when I started reading it, I immediately knew that I wouldn’t be able to stop. Luckily for me, this is a series, and three of the books were out when I started. Now, there are a total of seven in the series, the most recent having come out last year.

I can’t really pinpoint what it is about this book that sets it apart from other stories about aliens. Maybe it’s because the Loric look like us? I really don’t know, but I do really love this series, and I love all the characters that are introduced later on in the series as well. Despite the fact that three different authors have contributed to this series (all under the pseudonym of Pittacus Lore), the story flows very smoothly, and I could never wait for the next book to come out.

I don’t know how many times I’ve re-read this book, but it must be a lot because my copy’s falling apart (the only thing that’s holding it together is scotch tape). It’s definitely a great read, but don’t start unless you haven’t got anything planned for the rest of the day because trust me, you won’t be able to put it down.

-Elina T.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (series) by Sarah J. Maas

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I’m sure you’re all familiar with the saying: “don’t judge a book by its cover”. This is something I generally try to abide by, but if I’m being honest with myself, it doesn’t always work out that way.

If I were to go into a bookstore or library looking for a book to read, this definitely would not be one I’d consider choosing. (Now since I’ve read the series, the covers have kind of grown on me). Luckily, I’m fortunate enough to have friends who love reading as much as I do who recommended this book to me.

The story follows a mortal girl named Feyre (fay-ruh) who lives with her father and two older sisters. Her town lives in fear of the immortal faeries who live beyond the forest and the invisible wall that separates the faerie realms from those of the mortals. They’re a poor family, and Feyre’s father, who is crippled, has given up hope and has stopped supporting his own family. It has become Feyre’s duty to go hunting every day to keep her family alive.

One day, while hunting, Feyre encounters a wolf, and shoots it. This proves to be a grave mistake, and Feyre gets taken off to Prythian (a realm on the other side of the wall) to live with immortal faeries. The immortal faeries she’d grown up fearing and hating.

I absolutely loved the first book! It’s based off of Beauty and the Beast, so the story is kind of familiar, but it’s also very different. The second book was even better! And don’t even get me started on the third one. I don’t know how many times I’ve read series were the first book is great, but it just goes downhill from there. I’m telling you, this series starts off great, and just gets better and better.

I don’t really want to talk too much about the individual characters because I might spoil something, but I’ll just say that Sarah J. Maas (the author) is so skilled at creating characters that readers will love and care about (this doesn’t even do her justice, you won’t really know until you read the series how amazing, funny, and lovable the characters are!). I also love how she describes the settings so vividly. I would do almost anything to be able spend time in Prythian (the world that this book takes place in) and hang out with all the characters!

So if you’re looking for a fantasy book filled with adventure, romance, humor, and emotion (I almost cried while reading the last book which is saying something because I practically never cry while reading), I highly, highly recommend this series.

-Elina T.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Come Back To Me by Mila Gray

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Come Back To Me by Mila Gray is a New Adult romance book, set in today’s time. The two main characters are Jessa and Kit. Jessa’s brother, Riley, has known Kit and has been his best friend since elementary school. Now they are going off to join the marines, and Jessa has had a crush on Kit since she was 14. Every year Jessa’s mother hosts a beginning of summer barbecue and Kit comes every year. This year Jessa talks to Kit on her own. They spend the rest of the summer together. But something happens one morning after Kit and Riley get deferred again, you need to read the book to see what happens!

The best part of this book is the fact that Kit may just be the best boyfriend ever. He always stood up for Jessa, even when she was against him, he pushed her out of her comfort zone, and he protected her, at all costs. But he isn’t one of those characters who seem too perfect to be real. He is just a genuine sweet person. When you read the book and see how he treats Jessa, it makes you fall in love with him, you wonder to yourself, “Why can’t I find someone like this?”.

The author, Mila Gray just has a sort of magic to her writing. She hooks you in, and if you read like I do, you’ll find that writers now-a-days just can’t really do that anymore. They may be able to keep your attention span for a few pages, but after awhile you lose interest or just forget what’s going on. Mila Gray doesn’t do that. Once you crack open the book, you’ll be hooked. Mila Gray can also write really good romance scenes. Another cool thing about her is that she can write dual POV. When you read most books with dual POV you find that the character’s “voices” mix together too much, it is hard to tell whose voice you are actually reading. With Mila Gray’s writing, you can always tell who is the speaker and that’s another thing I love about this book.

This book (and it’s sequel, Stay With Me) are available at the Mission Viejo Library.

 

Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress

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Steal Across the Sky, by Nancy Kress, is a sci-fi book about the effect an alien race, the Atoners, have upon humanity.  Showing up in the not-very-distant future, they state that they have committed a crime against humanity, and ask people from all over the world to submit applications for the opportunity to go to space in order to witness their crime. A few dozen people are chosen, and of them, only about six come back to Earth having actually witnessed the crime. The story focuses mainly on four characters and how they deal with the revelation. When they had returned from space, those who had witnessed the crime inform their governments and people of what they had witnessed, and this although leads to radical and terrorist groups springing up, for the most part, it does not greatly affect the society that the characters are living in or how it runs. Interspersed throughout the book are ads and, at some point, an email, that take the scope of the story away from just the characters and show the Atoners’ impact on (mainly) the U.S..

Personally, I found that the book started off strongly, and at first I was going to stop reading, but I wanted to find out what crime the Atoners had committed. Then, after I found out, I kept reading because the author didn’t reveal what remedial action the Atoners had promised to take for their crime until the very end of the book. The one thing that really bothered me about the book was that the author never revealed why the Atoners had come to Earth and committed their crime, but otherwise, I thought the plot was unique and well-written.

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

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In Challenger Deep, written by Neal Shusterman, Caden Bosch is a teenager who struggles with mental illness. This story is told from two perspectives where it switches from his point-of-view of his life and his fantasy world. In his fantasy world, he has become a part of a voyage with a man who calls himself the Captain and his parrot to explore the Marianas Trench, Challenger Deep, to find the bottom of it.

In Caden’s daily life, he begins to show signs of his mental illness. His friends, family, and teachers begin to notice his anxiety, his random thoughts, and his new hobby of pacing and walking. At first, they shrug it off thinking it’s only a phase, but everyday Caden falls deeper in his mental illness.

Caden’s story is an emotional one about a boy going through his first mental breakdown. There were some funny moments, but it’s a sad story of a teen going through a mental illness.

Although it took me some time to read this book, I highly recommend reading it. This book gave me some new insight about how people with mental illnesses feel. The author did a fantastic job in capturing Caden’s emotions and of his family and friends emotions.

There are some curse words ( no F-bombs though) and no sexual content (Yay for those who don’t want to read smut!). This book has little to no romance since it mainly focuses more on the friendships of Caden and his recovery from his mental breakdown.

This is a good book for older teens, I don’t recommend kids ages 13 and younger reading this because of the mature themes. Also, it can be a bit confusing because it’s from Caden’s perspective, but it’s entertaining.

*Spoiler alert* In one scene, some of the patients talk about what happened to them before they were hospitalized. The author doesn’t go into detail, but it’s a little disturbing. 

-Ash A.

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.