Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Posted on March 1, 2016 by teenservices

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is a novel concerning a group of boys stranded on an island while trying to escape the horrors of a World War. As they landed on the island, two boys found each other, Ralph and Piggy. Together, these boys found a conch, and the conch gathered all the boys together. At first Ralph was elected chief, however immediately he had his power challenged by Jack, another boy on the island. Over time, what started as a civilized society, turned into savagery. The conch, which at one point symbolized civilization, eventually became useless. As the transition into savagery was made, the boys split into two groups: savage and civilized. Ralph was the leader of the civilized boys and Jack was the leader of the savage boys.

As time progressed, less boys were civilized and grew more savage. At moments, all traces of civilization disappeared within the boys, especially during their hunts for pigs. However, the book was almost meant to be ironic. While there was a war on the island, there was a war in the real world. In addition, the war on the island was portrayed as avoidable and foolish, similar to the war in the real world. The island that these boys were stuck on were actually reality. All in all, I think that this is once again another piece of literature that is amazing and one that everyone should read. The book truly portrays the little thought that is put into resolving a problem and how many countries jump straight into a war, just like these boys.

-Melika R.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Posted on February 24, 2016 by teenservices

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is a novel that expresses the loss of innocence adolescents are required to experience in their transition into adulthood. The book begins with the main character, Holden Caulfield, talking to what is later revealed to be a therapist about his life experiences since he got kicked out of yet another school because of his bad grades. At the very beginning of the book, Holden clarifies that he doesn’t want to say all that “David Copperfield crap”, alluding to Dickens books about Copperfield that went into extreme detail about every aspect of his life.

As the story progresses, we learn that Holden’s younger brother, Allie, died from leukemia. Ever since then, Holden has been almost obsessed with the idea that innocence must be preserved in children, even going to the extent of saying his dream job would be being the catcher in the rye. He explains the job description to be hundreds of kids running around on a field of rye and whenever one of the children nears the cliff, Holden reaches down and catches them. Another way he shows his need to contain innocence in children is through his little sister Phoebe. His constant control and protection over Phoebe shows Holden’s need to preserve innocence. However, at the very end of the book, Holden accepts the fact that innocence cannot be preserved and that you must let children grow from their mistakes.

All in all, the underlying themes and ideas in this book allow for a piece of great literature that I greatly recommend. However, it should be targeted for more mature audiences because of certain scenes in the book. Although it is a generally censored book, that should not stop you from reading it because the questionable scenes all contain underlying messages that only add the book and it helps us get a better understanding of the book. In the end, The Catcher in the Rye should be a book on everybody’s reading list.

-Melika R.

The Girl is Murder & The Girl is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Maya S.

The year is 1942. The setting is New York City. Iris Anderson isn’t any normal teenager. With her dad in the detective business and her mom long gone, she has to fend for herself in her new school. But, as she grows older and starts to meddle in her dad’s business, things aren’t what they seem. Her dad was a naval officer who lost his leg during the attack on Pearl Harbor. But, now he is a private eye, specializing in missing persons. Her mom? She committed suicide six months ago. Iris left behind her rich, affluent life and is now in a dirty public school.

The Girl is Murder

A boy who attends Iris’ school ends up being the subject of a case her father is working on. Naturally, she investigates further. The kid is part of a group of gangsters she met on the first day of school. But how does she get close to them? She makes them her friends; but to do this, she lies. It is not long before they find out Iris’ true identity, and things get complicated.

The Girl is Trouble

This book begins as the situation Iris’ and her classmates is nearing a resolution. Iris asks her dad if she can work with him. He puts her on her first case, but it ends up being bogus. Iris’ father can’t trust her, but there is something bigger at hand: her mother’s death. One day as Iris was checking around the house, she notices the safe is open. When she kneels down to close it, pictures of a dead body slip out. Iris doesn’t know what to do next.

The two-part murder mystery series by Kathryn Miller Haines is one that I enjoyed. When I thought I had solved the mystery, the plot turned itself around to be something completely different. So, kudos to Miss Haines, for she developed a character who is rather unpredictable. I would definitely give these books a rating of 10/10!

-Maya S., 8th grade

The Girl Is Trouble and The Girl Is Murder are available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Phillip Xiang

Pathfinder is a fictional novel by Orson Scott Card. Twenty years after writing his most famous book, Ender’s Game, Card proves that he writes with passion and imagination. Pathfinder has a very original plot, and meshes both the fantasy and sci-fi genres.

This book tells the story of Rigg, the son of a trapper who has the unusual ability to see the paths of living beings— not your average superpower. Rigg is educated and clever, often using reason and tact to solve problems. When his father dies, Rigg receives parting instructions to travel to a faraway city to meet his long-lost family. And with that, his life changes from average to exciting as he makes his journey to uncover his real identity.
Scattered throughout the story are short passages following a completely different character, Ram Odin, who pilots a fleet of starships to colonize a planet. Though the side story is interesting enough, it is rather confusing to keep track of two storylines at once. Of course, the two stories are tied together quite nicely later in the novel.

The most important feature of Pathfinder is the creativity of its author. The plot definitely takes several twists and turns, ensuring that the ending of the story is wildly different than the opening setting. All of the characters are vivid and have distinct personalities, even the robots on Ram’s ship. Another difference separating Pathfinder from other sci-fi novels is the presence of politics. Political maneuvering and mind games take up almost as many pages as the action, and there is surprisingly little romance. Of course this can be seen as a positive or negative thing depending on what the reader enjoys, but it’s definitely worth noting.

Unfortunately, one aspect of the book keeps it from perfection. While the storyline is very original and creative, this comes at the cost of losing reader comprehension. Between multiple storylines and the poor explanation of events and people, I often had to reread sections to make sense of what was happening. Perhaps if Card had slowed down the pace to give more time to setting the scene, the book would be improved.

Overall, Pathfinder is a fun read that will give you many new ideas to think about. It’s already been out for a few years, so the entire series is completed. Perfect for a reading marathon!

-Phillip X.

Pathfinder is available for check out at the Mission Viejo Public Library.

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Nicole G.

Have you ever read a book where none of the characters speak to one another? In Soundless, no one speaks in a little village atop of a mountain because everyone has gone deaf from mining operations.

There are only three social classes on the mountain: artists, servants, and miners. If you don’t do your job, you won’t get meals. The only way the village survives is from food provided by zipline. There used to be a path that went down the side of the mountain, but that is impassable because of falling rocks no one can hear. To make things worse, the villagers are going blind as well, which can be dangerous in the mines.

Then one day, an artist girl named Fei suddenly develops the ability to hear. With the zipline providing less and less food, the village is desperate for a miracle. The artist girl and a miner boy take a trip down to the bottom of the mountain, but what they find will change life in their little village forever.

This book begins with a slight dystopian feel presented by its social class hierarchy. People are not allowed to marry out of their career choice, but this isn’t the main conflict of the story. As Fei and her friend climb down the mountain, there is a sense of adventure seen in fantasy novels with some romance mixed in.

The ending felt a little out of place, but on the whole, it was just felt like a different book, incorporating Chinese folklore as well as how everyone communicated using sign language. A very interesting read.

-Nicole G.

Kimi Ni Todoki by Karuho Shiina

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Kayla H.

Kimi Ni Todoki is a manga about a quiet, lonely girl, named Sawako who finds it difficult to make friends with, until she meets a boy named Kazehaya. He’s one of the most popular people at school and instantly makes a connection with her. He teaches her on how to be more friendly with others, but people feared and misunderstood her because of her appearance; rumors around school report that she can see ghosts and curse people.

Sawako later meets Yano and Yoshida, who become her best friends. She never dreamt of having friends, until she met Kazehaya. He showed to his fellow classmates that Sawako isn’t such a bad person. After Sawako made friends, her friendship with Kazehaya slowly developed into a romantic feeling. But what will be the result if someone else has her eyes on Kazehaya? Will Sawako and Kazehaya be together, or will something drive them apart from each other?

This is personally my favorite manga ever, so I would rank it 10/10. It’s worth reading! Go check it out.

-Kayla H. 11th Grade

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Anmol K.

Avalon by Mindee Arnett is a science fiction novel telling the tale of Jeth Seagrave and his group of teenage mercenaries. Set in the future where space travel is possible, the Interstellar Transportation Authority (ITA) is responsible for this technology called metatech. With metatech, one is able to travel to other places in the universe faster than the speed of light.

Unfortunately, Jeth’s parents are dead and he and his sister Lizzie are stuck working for the crime lord, Hammer. Hammer gives Jeth and his crew different types of jobs that they complete to earn money. Jeth wants to save up enough money to buy his ship, Avalon, back from Hammer. This ship is very close to Jeth’s heart because it used to belong to his parents, but his uncle lost it while gambling.

Receiving a new job from Hammer, Jeth realizes that they pay-off would be enough to get Avalon back. With more enthusiasm than usual, Jeth commits to the job: go to the Belgrave quadrant, an area known to be haunted and those who go there rarely come back. Despite the danger, Jeth continues with the mission of getting an abandoned ship for Hammer. Jeth was ordered to stay off the ship Hammer wants, but he disobeys those orders and finds a group of humans. As he learns more about the stories of the survivors, Jeth realizes there is something very important on the ship. Acquiring very important information on the ship, Jeth realizes that the government and crime lords would be willing to kill to acquire this pivotal information.

I have been waiting for some time to read this book, and the wait was worth it. I enjoy the genre of sci-fi, and unfortunately there aren’t many good books in that genre. This book was great with its non-stop actions and the twists and turns. Headstrong and brave, Jeth was a great main character, but he fell flat in a couple of places. I also enjoyed how the story had many plot-twists. Some of them were predictable, but the rest were surprises. If you like Avalon, then make sure to check out the sequel, Polaris.

-Anmol K.

Avalon is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Leila S.

Have you ever read a book that you had never seen before but upon finishing it, you wondered how it stayed out of your life? If not, you haven’t read The Darkest Minds.

In an imaginary, futuristic world, the adolescents of America and many other countries have been afflicted with IAAN, Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration. Sounds scary, right? To many, yes. This disease gives the kids of the Psi generation “abilities” to see in another’s mind, to move things with a flick of their hands, to short circuit a car, the list goes on and on. The government issued a list of warning signs for parents to look for to “protect” their children, so that they can be “reformed.” So when Ruby was sent away to Thurmond, one of the government’s “rehabilitation camps” to be sorted, she was scared like any 10-year-old would be. But she had a secret to keep. One that made her more dangerous than she could imagine.

Truthfully, I was rather confused at the beginning of the novel, as I wasn’t sure where the story was going. But the mismatched events worked themselves out quickly, and now this book has made it near the top of my list of favorite books.

My favorite part was that I couldn’t put the book down. Though I had other things to be doing with my time, the book demanded my attention. I love when a book is able to make me laugh out loud one moment and make me cry the next, and this novel definitely fulfilled that requirement. I also loved that in the book, one of the characters, for more complex reasons, wrote a mini blog post, as a means of communicating with his mom. It contained a secret message only his mom could find.

But with any book, I do have a least favorite part. Little did I know, The Darkest Minds has a major spoiler for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which I have not finished reading for my English class! But oh well… If that’s the only complaint I have about the book, then it must be a great read! I highly recommend checking it out!

– Leila S., 10th grade

The Darkest Minds is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

The Rest of us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Megan V.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians was told in the view of Percy Jackson. The Harry Potter series was written as a narration following Harry Potter. But does one really have to be the hero in order to tell the story? What if the hero’s story, set in a small town that occasionally gets hit by the zombies, vampires, and whatnot of apocalypses, causing the town to explode and get saved by a hero/heroine.

But what if the story is not told by the heroine herself, one of her friends, or even the villain? What if the story is from the point of view of Mickey, a boy who just wants to graduate high school, have fun with his twin and their friends, and even try to ask a girl to prom? So what if there are zombie deer and cops with glowing blue eyes; he just wants to survive his daily life.

Even if his best friend’s a quarter god, his twin has an eating disorder, and he has OCD.

I love how Ness wrote this book. At first I didn’t get what was going on, but that’s the author’s point here. He wants to show that ordinary kids can be the heroes of the books that we read while we were kids, no matter who we are or what we consider ourselves. We’re all special, making us the heroes of our own lives. It really gave me food for thought.

Although the book isn’t written like a typical heroic story, Ness does provide a short summary of the plot of the supposed “heroes” at the start of every chapter, which is very confusing until you realize that is from a different plotline. This book is definitely a huge recommend who like fantasy and school life.

-Megan V.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Itazura na Kiss

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Kayla H.

Itazura Na Kiss is a manga, and later adapted into an anime, about an unlikely romance between two high school students. Spoilers to come!

Kotoko Aihara, a poor achieving high school student, falls in love with the genius Naoki Irie only to be flatly rejected and humiliated. Kotoko had fallen for Naoki since her first day of high school. When an earthquake strikes her house, she is forced to live with her father’s childhood friend. When Kotoko meets the family, she discovers that Irie is their son. How is she going to survive living under the same roof as Irie, especially being rejected?

Throughout the manga and anime, Irie develops feelings for Kotoko but life finds a way to intervene. They are both pulled away by other people in their lives, like Kotoko’s friend Ikezawa, who her ever since she started high school. There’s also Christine, a foreign exchange student who plans to marry Irie. Will they be drawn apart or will they settle down and get married?

Check out the anime and/or manga if you would like to know more about Itazura Na Kiss! I’ve spoiled enough. I would definitely recommend someone to check it out. This was my first anime that I’ve ever seen and probably one of my favorites! I would rate this series a 9/10.