Category Archives: Book Reviews

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins BOOK REVIEW

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Can’t Hurt Me written by David Goggins chronicles his extraordinary journey from a troubled childhood marked by the abuse by his father to becoming a highly respected U.S. Navy Seal and renowned endurance athlete. This book dives into Goggins’ struggles with self doubt, obesity, and a challenging upbringing, overall illustrating how he overcame these obstacles through sheer determination and relentless work ethic.

In this book, I really liked the emphasis Goggins puts on the power of the mind of surpassing one’s limits. This is demonstrated in the 40% percent rule as mentioned in the book which is a rule that states when you think you are at 100%, you are only at 40% of your power. This serves as a motivational benchmark for me and many other around the world. By using this rule, the potential for personal growth and surpassing one’s limits is significantly increased. The idea that mental barriers often limit one’s potential is emphasized heavily in this book and Goggins promotes the notion that the mind can be the strongest ally in achieving greatness.

Another idea that I Iiked was the idea of “pain as a teacher.” In this book, physical and emotional pain are portrayed as essential elements for growth, highlighting how discomfort can lead to self discovery and resilience. In this book, Goggins emphasizes the idea of seeing pain as a good thing and embracing it instead of seeing it as something that you should avoid at all cost. Experiencing pain means that you are getting better and growing. Getting uncomfortable is how you achieve your goals and staying comfortable is not going to get you anywhere. That is the lesson Goggins wants the reader to learn through illustrating his journey.

Overall, this book is a must read, the practical lessons that David Goggins teaches us along with his personal stories truly makes this book one of one. This book serves as a powerful testament to human potential and resilience.

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins is available to download for free from Libby.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

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Before We Were Yours focuses on a part of history that is not always mentioned: adoption scandal. This topic was new to me, but I learned a lot from this novel.

Wingate’s writing jumps between the life of a young girl, Rill Foss, in the 1950s and her struggle to keep her family together, and a successful woman in the present, Avery Stafford, who takes an interest in the Foss family history.

It delves into a time when children are taken from their homes, loving or not, and sold to wealthy families, under the supervision of Georgia Tann.

The Foss family is one of the Tennessee Children’s Home’s Society’s victims. Rill fights to keep her family together, even when she knows it is impossible. I was shocked and sad to learn that children really did endure these events.

I like the way the author develops Rill’s fierce, unrelenting personality: standing up to bullies at the children’s home, clinging to the dream of being with her parents again, and refusing to stop singing nursery songs that her mother taught her.

Seeing how quickly Rill’s younger siblings’ memories of their biological family fade is definitely the most heartbreaking part of the novel. Rill scorns her sister for showing affection to their new parents, and she is the one who cleans up the sheets when her sister wets the bed. Her dedication to ensuring that her siblings know where they come from is admirable and compelling.

Another crucial part of the story is the setting. The depressing, dark home they are brought to is the origin of their pain, betrayal, and sadness. There are some events where the Foss children are put in harm’s way and suffer in cruel living conditions, but they are necessary to shape the Rill’s strength and character.

In Avery’s life as the mayor’s daughter in the present, she is uncovering the truth about the Foss children and becoming more connected with her own past. The novel narrates her life in the public eye and the pressure to give the best answer to every interview question; digging up the past gives her new ambition and understanding.

In the end, Before We Were Yours ties all the characters together and is a powerful message of unity, hope, and healing.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Code Name Verity By: Elizabeth Wein

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Code Name Verity (Anniversary Edition ...

The story begins in 1943 amid World War 2 when a British spy named Julie is captured by the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied France. Taken to an old Parisian hotel transformed into a prison for war criminals, Julie is tortured and emotionally manipulated by the leader of the Gestapo, Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden. She is then forced to turn on the Allies by sharing information with the Germans and is given 2 weeks to write down all of the information she has or she will be executed.

Julie unfortunately doesn’t have much information to provide. During wartime, they only share the information necessary to complete their mission, so there isn’t any major breach if someone is captured. So she begins to tell the story of Maddie, a friend from before being captured. Maddie was a pilot trained by one of Britain’s only female pilots before the war began. She began working in a radar tower for an airstrip controlled by the Allies. This is where she meets Julie, and they begin a long-lasting friendship.

Maddie soon gets recruited to fly transports and ferrying planes across allied countries. This separates her and Julie for almost 2 years. They mostly communicate through letters but they occasionally get to see each other. They are united when Maddie transports Julie to Nazi-occupied France. But over the flight, they are shot at, and their engines get hit. Maddie instructs Julie to bail out on a parachute She does leaving Maddie behind on a burning plane, not knowing what happened to her.

I overall really liked this book. I thought there were very enticing twists to the storyline and I found that having female main characters was especially inspiring, due to most historical fiction novels having male main characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. As well as anyone who likes a book with a lot of twists and turns.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

We Are Not Free Review

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We Are Not Free is a World War II historical fiction about the Japanese internment camps written by Traci Chee. The book switches perspectives between the main characters. It starts off with 14 teens in San Francisco selling their things because they can not take a lot of their possessions with them. The characters did not have that much time to pack up their lives and leave for an interment camp. Some of them join the 442 Regimental Combat Team, but then disaster strikes….

Warning: this next paragraph contains spoilers. One reason why I like this book is that it has characters that I can get behind. It plays up the innocence aspect of the time, so I can pity them. One of the last scenes made me want to cry because it was just so powerful. I was not expecting Twitchy to die. I sped through the book in less than a week, and I am generally not such a fast reader. I also like how it switches the perspectives between the characters, so I can see what is going through my favorite characters’ heads. The fact that it switches perspectives is actually what made me like a lot more of the people. If it were not for that, then I probably would not have really liked Masaru (Mas), Francis (Frankie), or Minoru (Minnow) which are some of the characters.

Another reason behind why I like this book is because it has a concept that I am generally pretty interested in –World War Two. And I am Japanese American like the characters in the book, so I feel like I can relate to them. Also, it tells the perspective of two fictional characters in the 442 RCT (Regimental Combat Team), so I got to see how the soldiers were treated. I also took great joy in trying to figure out what the different war terms meant…😁. The book took a perspective of World War Two that I do not see that often.

I hope that you have enjoyed my post on We Are Not Free and if you have any comments or questions, please tell me in the comments!

Thank You For Reading!

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

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I have always struggled to find a book suitable for teens. Having little interest in whimsical, fantasy books and heavy-themed adult novels that I had trouble relating to, Ruta Sepetys’s Out of the Easy was the novel I had been waiting to discover. Her nuanced themes within her writing create intriguing and relatable characters and plotlines in her book. The most captivating aspect of her novel is the main character Josie Moraine. Through this character, Sepetys encapsulates the aspiring and anxious mind of a 17-year-old girl coming of age.

Set in the 1950s, Josie Moraine lives in the shadows of her mother’s notorious reputation as a prostitute. Josie longs for a life outside of New Orleans to cut the ties with her mother and fulfill her dream of attending an elite college, miles away from her haunting city. However, these dreams of escape begin to tremble at the news of a mysterious death in the Quarter. Torn between an investigation that might help her discover who she is and working to raise the money to leave New Orleans, Josie struggles to find the balance between what decisions will shape her future for the better. Undergoing the pressure of her reputation tainted by her mother, Josie’s important relationships, such as with her best friend Patrick and her lingering love interest Jesse, begin to falter. Josie’s strenuous search for her true identity causes everything she worked for to crumble, leading her to push away the people she needs and loves.

When Josie is in this state in the novel, Sepetys perfectly captures this pivotal moment as a teenager, when you feel like everything and everyone is against you and you begin to lose sight of why it is that you try. However, this feeling sheds light on the importance of knowing when to hold on and how to let go. Soon in the novel, Josie finds her strength and rediscovers her identity, not in her mother’s ignorance, but in the people who have always been there for her. Josie lets go of the murder investigation, which caused her to question the existence of her father and how the discovery of him could tell her who she is. But Josie no longer needs that reassurance and finds it, instead, in the future of who she will become.

Out of the Easy is one of those books whose structure makes you feel like you’re in a movie. The novel’s realistic dialogue and nuanced characterization enthralled me into Josie’s world and allowed me to have a haunting peek at what it meant to be a teenage girl in this period. I can’t wait to read this book again and unveil any details I may have missed.

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

Beyond The Break by Heather Buchta

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One of my favorite reads this summer was Beyond The Break by Heather Buchta. Beyond The Break focuses on three of my favorite things: love, God, and the beach.

The novel follows 16-year-old Lovette as she navigates her junior year of high school in sunny Los Angeles. It’s evident that Lovette has been through a multitude of struggles in her life, but her love of the Beach and the Bible get her through it. But there’s one issue: she’s not allowed to go in the water. Ever. Over time through new challenges and a newfound love, she learns to be less uptight and let go, learning about her desires and how she wants to live her life according to her rules.

Although a bit cliché, I found this romance incredibly fun and refreshing. Buchta does a wonderful job portraying each character’s unique voice and struggles authentically. The main characters’ chemistry is unmatched, as they share their passions and get to know each other throughout the book.

I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy:

  • Surfing
  • Religion
  • The friends-to-lovers trope
  • Coming-of-age stories

One quote that I feel encapsulates the tone of the book is found on page 6, reading;

“Waves. I’m thinking of waves the first time I meet him.”

Beyond The Break, is a heartfelt coming-of-age story, that will tug at your heartstrings and make you jump for joy over the seemingly smallest things. This ideal summer book will leave you wanting more. Even if you hate the water, believe me; it’ll make you want to go for a swim.

Beyond the Break by Heather Buchta is available to download for free from Libby.

Aru Shah and the End of Time

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In the mythological fiction novel Aru Shah and the End of Time, it tells a story about a girl who goes on a quest to stop the Sleeper from permanently freezing time. I rate this book 5/5. This is because it teaches you about Hindu mythology, has a very interesting plot, and has a lot of diversity.

This book teaches the reader many facts about Hindu mythology, such as gods, epics, and stories that are all very interesting. All the gods mentioned in this novel play a major role in the plot development of this story.

Also, this novel has a very interesting plot. The antagonist, also known as The Sleeper, is later discovered to be the protagonist’s father. This is a surprising plot twist. Earlier in the book, it is stated that Aru did not know who her father was, so this event was a memorable part of the book.

Lastly, this book has a lot of diversity. Aru is a girl of Indian descent. Her best friend, named Yamini, is half Filipino and half Indian. The diversity of this book makes it enjoyable for all kinds of audiences. It also gives each character a special kind of personality. The uniqueness of each character is something that I find engaging.

All in all, I think that this is a very great novel and would highly recommend it.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

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The Tiger Rising was written by award-winning author Kate DiCamillo. The story takes place in Florida. The main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Rob Horton who is struggling with his emotions after his mother’s death. Living in a small town with his father, Rob feels lost and alone. His life changes when he finds a tiger locked in a cage in the woods, which mirrors his own feelings of being trapped and unable to express himself. As Rob navigates his grief, he meets Sistine Bailey, a new girl in town who becomes an important friend. Sistine is also mistreated by other children at school.  Together, Rob and Sistine bond over their shared pain and the tiger they both care about. Sistine helps Rob to face his emotions and think about what it means to be free, both for himself and for the tiger.

Although this book is short, I enjoyed it very much. The story is simple but powerful. It deals with the struggles of dealing with loss and grief, while expressing feelings of freedom and hope. The characters are highly complex and realistic. Through their development, DiCamillo teaches lessons about how to cope with death and isolation, and about the consequences of keeping emotions bottled up. I believe that most people can relate to the feelings expressed in this book, and learn from its lessons. DiCamillo is an excellent author, and this book is a great example of her ability to communicate deep emotions and the power of loving relationships. This is a very poignant book that I would recommend to anyone.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo is available to download for free from Libby.

The Institute by Stephen King

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Summer is here and what’s better than reading a nice, long story when all you have is time? Well, at least that’s what I’ve been doing. I had bought this book long ago and had read it already but I was always looking for a reason to reread it. This is my first (and only) Stephen King book I have read so far, so I really don’t have much to base it on but I really enjoyed it.

The Institute by Stephen King is a science fiction thriller novel, focusing on telepathy, telekinesis and a conspiracy come true. It consists of two main perspectives, one being Tim Jamieson, the policeman of a small town; and the second being Luke Ellis, a twelve year old child prodigy. The story begins with Tim and him finding his way to a small town in South Carolina after switching up his plans of going to New York. With his past job experience of being a police officer, he joins the small police force of DuPray and lives his life there. After beginning with Tim, King switches to Luke for most of the story in which he is abducted and taken to The Institute where kids like him are used and exploited, however, not for being a prodigy, but instead for powers of telepathy and telekinesis. As The Institute becomes more dangerous, Luke does his best to escape with his friends, gaining help from others along the way. 

I loved this book. Like I said, this was my second time reading this and coming back to it now, I see why I held it in high regard. The characters of The Institute were greatly enjoyable. From the sassiness of young kids and teens to the deadpan humor of Tim, they all had their quirks that made them feel alive. In making them feel alive, the events they go through become more impactful as it all turns more twisted throughout the story. King writes a variety of scenes ranging from happy to mysterious to sad to cruel. He fills the plot with secretive planning and action packed scenes that fill you with a different kind of thrill.

But the reason why I found this book so fun and interesting was, while the plot and characters were great; the style in which the story is written was very entertaining. King likes to jump around in this book, following different characters, and seeing their point of view at that point in the story. Now, it may sound like it would be confusing, jumping from one character to the next when you’re just trying to read a story. However, the way King has written it makes you want to know each and every point of view, some of which are unexpected but no less fun to read. He makes every switch meaningful and well-connected to each other. Every portion has a purpose to the plot of the story, pushing it along, adding new bits of information to the puzzle on the way. 

Overall, The Institute by Stephen King is one of my top books. I loved the characters and had a fun time with the plot of the book. I especially loved the uniqueness of the book and how it’s written. It was a great read just being a bit on the long side. A little thing about this book is that the language and terms of this book may not be appropriate for anyone younger than a teen and it may be better appreciated by an older audience. So I would personally recommend this to an older group of people, teens or up.

-Nicole R.

The Institute by Stephen King is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

A WOLF CALLED WONDER

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A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry is a poetic and well-written book. It takes readers on a journey with a young wolf who gets separated from his family when a rival pack attacks. He must learn to hunt, to find water, but most importantly find a place to call home.

Wander (the wolf in the story) is a good example of never losing hope. After a massive injury trying to hunt an elk all alone, Wander is on the verge of starvation.

But he keeps thinking of finding any of his pack’s survivors, which helps him carry on. Wander soon meets a raven, with whom he forms their own pack to benefit both of their needs. Together, this dynamic duo overcome starvation, hunters, a wildfire, and even manage to find a happy ending for both.

This book is based on the true story of a wolf named OR-7, or Journey, who traveled an astonishing 1000 miles+ from Oregon to Northern California. He lived twice the average wolf’s lifespan. More information about wolves and Journey can be found at the end of the book. 

OR-7 (Journey)

Wander finds many challenges to overcome, therefore making the book a page-turner. And Rosanne Parry’s talent with words gives an in-depth look to Wander’s emotions and feelings. She uses a very poetic style of writing which absorbs readers in the story, giving them a wolf’s view of the world. 

I did feel it is more like a long poem than a book, but I liked the story it revealed. I would really recommend this book to kids who like artistic and creative stories. Overall, I enjoyed A Wolf Called Wander and think it is a book worth reading.

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.