Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Everneath, by Brodi Ashton

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everneath_cover“Friends don’t eat friends’ souls.”

― Brodi Ashton, Everneath

Over the summer, I read by far one of my favorite books ever, and if you know me, that’s hard to beat. The title is Everneath. Personally, I would rate it 5 stars. This book is about a girl named Nikki who goes on a life-changing adventure.

“Despite all the other factors that had contributed to my fate, in the end it was my decision that destroyed my life. And all the hurt I was enduring now was my doing. The blame rested solely with me.”

Nikki awoke in the Tunnels, she looked up and saw shadows swirling around her, she was lying next to a boy. Confused, she stands up and learns that she has been asleep for a century but the only thing she can remember is a face…a face like no other…one that she knows and treasures… a face that changes her life and after a while, a name comes, Jack. Once given the option to go to the Tunnels or paradise for eternity where the only downside is feasting on souls, she chooses the unthinkable: go to the surface for six months then come back. But instead of paradise she will return to the underworld, Hell, otherwise known as the Tunnels.

“Too much math and science isn’t nourishing to the soul.”

How do you say goodbye to everything you’ve ever known? How can you leave your life right after you just got it back? How can anything ever be the same when you know that everything you’ve ever done is all for waste, all thoughts you’ve thought, all stories you’ve written, all secrets you’ve shared are to be forever gone and soon even you will be a distant memory? How can one person live with such a burden? Well, they can’t. At least not a full life. Nikki tries hard to, though. Although, she notices one thing though, Cole, the immortal who took her to the Everneath to begin with, has followed Nikki home. Cole is convinced Nikki is the key to taking the throne in the Everneath. And he’ll do whatever it is if it means bringing her back, this time as his queen.

“Why do we hope when all hope is lost?”

This book ties together Greek, Roman and Egyptian myths into a thrilling story about endurance, love, forgiveness, persistence and immortality where a new twist pops up everywhere. This book is not for everyone but I highly suggest it.

“Jack ,do me a favor?” I said.

“Anything, Becks.”

“Don’t let go of my hand. And if the Tunnels come for me, don’t let go until the last moment.”

“If the Tunnels come for you   ,I’ll hold on, and they won’t be able to take you.”

I smiled at the sentiment, even though I knew that no one would be able to hold on.”

Maybe things aren’t always as they look, life changes and we have to evolve to live on, our world can some days be crumbling and others days we could be on the top of a mountain where nothing can pull us down. Some days we are held by gravity but we have to learn how to break free of the chains around our ankles and fly to tomorrow. After all,

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

― Brodi Ashton, Everneath

I love this book and suggest it for everyone.

-Danielle T., 7th grade

Book Review: Box Out, by John Coy

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0-439-87032-1This book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Have you ever read a book that inspired you so that you felt that the character was really doing well and making good choices? If you have never ever felt that feeling, the book Box Out should be your next reading destination. This book was very interesting –  it had many surprises and problems that were complex and fun to read about.

In the book the main character was a high schooler named Liam who is a sophomore at Horizon High School. He is very passionate about basketball and is recruited onto the varsity men’s basketball team because of the hard work and supremacy he showed in the JV division. His dad is proud and Liam is happy, but they won’t be for long. He later is bothered by something that the coach does before and after games. He is eventually kicked off the team. Read this book to find out why Liam gave up playing varsity during his sophomore year. Also, after Liam was kicked off the varsity team, he practiced with the girls’ team by his own decision – find out why by reading the book. I believe that this book has a lot of suspense and adds excitement with important choices the characters have to make. Also, John Coy put a lot of character and made each character different, which made the book more interesting in my opinion.

In the book Box Out some themes are courage, perseverance and hard work. Liam works very hard day in and day out  practicing his skills. He in the end succeeds. That is one of the biggest things I admire about him. Also, the author makes  Liam  look like a very  sad child. The author almost never gave any humor to him. Liam was always quiet, and I believe that is what helped him solve his problem with the coach, although the price was that he would be kicked of varsity. Although Liam was bullied and  ignored at times he never stopped  playing basketball. Even after varsity he shot around and honed his skills.

Here some quotes that clearly describe some characters in the book. On page 157, Darius Buckner a kid from Detroit who was a very skilled basketball player, also kicked off varsity said, “I’m glad  someone is finally able to do the right thing  and stand up to  coach.” I believe since that he was racially discriminated against, he was finally happy that someone would finally do the right thing and not listen to coach.  On page 145 Liam said, ” Although I am off the team I will not stop working.” I believe  that is inspiring and  shows  that he is the never give up kind of guy. That really describes Liam and his will to never quit. Overall, this book was worth reading, because of the suspense and decision making. If you are looking for a quick sports-drama, read Box Out – it would be a great pick for you.

-David C., 7th grade

Book Review: A Room with a Zoo, by Jules Feiffer

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room_zoo_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

Love is a very powerful emotion; whether the feeling is between humans or animals. A Room with a Zoo by Jules Feiffer is a story of a vet-aspiring little girl, Julie, who loves animals and wishes for a Chihuahua more than anything in the world. Her love for animals results with a zoo in her apartment room located in New York.

The start of Julie’s zoo was when she saw a dog food commercial. At that moment, Julie, despite her young age, established her strong love for animals and the desire to own a dog; specifically a Chihuahua. Of course, her parents refused to buy her a dog, much less a Chihuahua, using the excuse that she was not old enough to walk her own dog. Soon after, a debate between Julie and her parents took place resulting in the compromised age of ten-and-a-half when she would be able to get a dog. Julie, being her sneaky yet brilliantly minded self, asked if she would be allowed to have a cat because cats, after all, do not require walks. Her mom and dad had to give in because they had no valid excuses and Julie ended up with a kitten from the shelter named Timmy. At the time, Julie could not have even imagined that her bedroom would soon turn into a zoo with all her pets of various types: a hamster named Hammy, a “gangster” fish Oscar, few red fish universally called Reddy, a turtle known as Turtelini, and yet another cat named Jessie! As Julie expands her “zoo” one pet at a time, she encounters a most pleasant surprise towards the end of this book; one that she would have never guessed in her dreams.

For many reasons, A Room with a Zoo was a very enjoyable book. First of all, the voices of all the characters were vivid, although the main character’s voice was the most prominent. Another reason the book left such a positive image on my mind was because although the book was quick, it taught the valuable lesson that love is a remarkable thing. Lastly, this book by Jules Feiffer was very engaging; especially to an animal lover such as myself. Throughout the book, there were close calls of Julie’s pets’ lives and through all of them, I sighed in relief or sympathized with Julie. Except for some sentences which were confusing when it came to evaluating the flow of the words, this was a delightful yet quick piece of literature.

There were two main aspects of this book that were very pleasant: the character voices and developments. Julie’s voice was the most intriguing and memorable because of its clarity and trueness. Her voice was also the major factor which won me over in this book. Jules Feiffer did excellent job thinking like a little girl Julie’s age. In all honesty, Julie acted like a brat at times to her parents and sister but because of her childish ways, the book seemed more alive and in character. Another fabulous aspect of this book that set it apart from others was the developments of the characters. Julie, for example, grew more mature as the story progressed; having experienced more things and having learnt from those stepping stones of life. Although at the beginning of the book Julie demanded from her parents, towards the end, she became very thoughtful because she thought, “I wanted a kitten, but if I was going to have a dog, then I couldn’t” (110). Another character with a major character development throughout the story was Julie’s mother. Julie’s mother, despite hating animals, tried to change her way of thinking just to make her little girl happy and ended up showcasing acts of bravery that might not have been possible at the beginning of the story. Her extreme love for her daughter was displayed perfectly by the quote, “Julie, I wish I could love animals as much as you do. But I love you loving them” (84). Although Julie was an adopted child, her mother was willing to open her heart to animals more because her beloved daughter adored animals so much. Throughout the book, the main characters’ voices and developments really spoke out to me and made my experience of living the story more vivid and real.

As an extreme animal lover, this book was one that I appreciated very much. I could relate to Julie’s troubles and thoughts having had similar thoughts in the past. Also, I enjoyed Julie’s “true” voice; one that was pure and adorable. Love exists in the world; whether it is between humans and humans or humans and animals. A Room with a Zoo by Jules Feiffer was a book full of love; revealing what true love is like. I definitely recommend this book to animal enthusiasts, active readers searching for a quick, entertaining read, and for just anyone else.

-Alice N., 7th grade

Book Review: Black City, by Elizabeth Richards

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black_city_coverI absolutely love this book! Richards portrays two teens who have hated each other at first sight. Natalie Buchanan is the daughter of the Emissary and a human. Ash Fisher is a half-blood darkling who just about thinks only of himself and is a complete jerk to everyone. In the United States Sentry, huge tension is present between the two races as well as a huge wall that separates the two communities.

All Ash has ever known is the cold stillness of his never-beating heart, when one day his heart starts to boom in his chest. Natalie then finds herself swept off her feet and in love with last person she wanted to be with, and the two find an amazing discovery: they are soul mates and have fallen in love. The struggle to pretend their hate for each other becomes difficult each day because all they want to do is be together.

War soon starts to break out among the two races as they struggle to survive. A disease called the Wrath has fallen upon the darklings who are spreading it to the humans through haze dealing. As the two put aside their differences and fight to unite the races Ash and Natalie soon realize that they have just put their lives on the line. Will they be able to save their people or not?

You are just going to have to read it to find out. When I started reading, it was as if my eyes were glued to the pages. I just couldn’t put the book down and I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy reading Black City everyone!

-Christina B., 7th grade

Book Review: Nory Ryan’s Song, by Patricia Reilly Giff

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nory_ryans_song_coverNory Ryan, the heart of her family with her songs and carefree spirit, spends her days frolicking on the coasts and country fields in Ireland. With her Dad gone fishing for half a year, and her mom passed away from childbirth, Nory Ryan does everything she can to hold her family together. The one thing her family could live on was their harvested potatoes. Every Irish man could rest assured that his family would be well fed, as long as they had fields of potatoes. That was, at least, until disaster struck.

The English government takes control over their land, and a terrible famine sweeps through the little town where Nory and her family live. Patricia Reilly Giff describes the smell of rotting potatoes as Nory wraps her nose and mouth in her shawl, and her sister bends over gagging as they work to save their crop.

Toward the end of the story, Nory is left all alone on their family’s farm in Ireland after she insists for her family to migrate to New York, America without her. Nory is very brave to be left all alone, and she is selfless to give the tickets to the rest of her family instead of herself.

I chose to read this book in preparation for a family trip to Ireland and England. I wanted to get a deeper appreciation for my grandpa’s Irish ancestors and a greater image in my head of Irish countryside, where so much hardship was endured. I also thought it was interesting that the author added some old Irish words such as madra, meaning dog. This book was very depressing because it was on the Great Potato Famine; however, Giff brought a great power to the Irish spirit in Nory, and I loved to read about her. This book is so important for all of us fortunate OC teens to read because it brings to light the fact that we are so very blessed to have a safe and happy neighborhood to call home.

I recommend this book to teen girls because Nory Ryan is a teen girl, just in a very different world. It was fascinating to see Nory’s story, and to imagine what life was like for her. Patricia Reilly Giff did an amazing job painting the picture, and if you like Nory Ryan’s Song, then you’ll love the sequel, At Maggie’s Door. Please feel free to comment on any one of the topics I touched on!

-Kelsey H., 10th grade

Book Review: The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

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awakening_coverAt the turn of the 20th century, the western world, emerging from a long period of industrialization and cultural change, finally began to recognize its mothers, its wives, and its daughters. In the early years of this new century, the fledgling feminist movement reached its pinnacle, achieving suffrage for womankind in the United Kingdom in 1918 and the United States in 1920.

Nonetheless, this insatiable drive to achieve equality did not merely appear from nothingness; rather, the feminist movement had been growing for years beforehand. Perhaps a precursor to the cause was Kate Chopin and her greatest novel, The Awakening. Relating the tale of a young woman, Edna Pontellier, and her development from a subordinate wife and mother to an independent member of society, Chopin’s tale strikes the feminist tone as Edna’s dissatisfaction with her social and familial current status, which reflects the status of all woman at that time.

As the novel begins, Edna and her family are on vacation in the removed vacationland of Grande Isle. Here Edna begins to realize her boredom with the maternal society that is embodied in the protagonist’s peer, Adéle Ratignolle. Increasingly severing her ties with this cult of mothers, Edna finds satisfaction in her relationship with the young man, the son of the proprietor of Grande Isle, Robert Lebrun. Unlike her dominating husband, Leonce, Robert is engaging and treats her as an equal, or so she thinks at the time.

Soon the dreamy stay at Grande Isle comes to an end, and the Pontellier family returns to its bourgeois home in New Orleans. Now set in her recalcitrant ideology, Edna begins to distance herself from her previous life. She finds a new friend in the brilliant pianist, Madamoiselle Reisz, and elderly widow whom she first met on her summer holiday. Edna tries her hand at art, in an effort to support her own living, and begins to find new companions, a number of them men with whom she seemingly has affection. At her dinner party, Edna seems to become a queen, a powerful and respectable sovereign. But that old ennui, the feeling of boredom and discontent lingers. And amongst all this, Edna longs for Robert, who is away in Mexico. But even when he returns, Edna recognizes that he is the same, paternalistic man as her husband, the very threat from which she was trying to escape. The novel’s end is gripping, tragically so, but you must pick up the novel yourself, for I shall not discuss it here.

Overall, The Awakening is not for every reader. Some of its content is rather adult, as are its themes. But I found in Chopin’s magnum opus an inspiring spirit of contrariness. I found inspiration in Edna’s unwillingness to accept the norms of a repressive society. I think The Awakening is worth the read not only for the burgeoning feminist, but for anyone who has aspirations, anyone who has that determination to rise against injustice and enslavement of any sort.

-Sebastian R., 11th grade

Book Review: A Good Horse, by Jane Smiley

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good_horse_coverThis book review is part of series of reviews written by students at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for their 7th grade English classes.

It’s always been my dream to live on a ranch; to be able to just step outside into the open, rolling hills and hear the whinny of my very own horse.  Although this dream hasn’t yet become a true reality for me yet, in a way it has become a dream come true as I have jumped head-first into the lively world of fourteen year old Christian ranch girl, Abby Lovitt.  Pulitzer Prize winning Jane Smiley’s captivatingly simple writing style, as she embodies this junior higher, has kept me anxiously turning the pages of her classic equestrian masterpiece A Good Horse.

Oak Valley Ranch was a happening place in the mid-1900’s.  The Lovitt family, whom I am positive all readers will come to know and love, owns this ranch, and are comprised of the born horseman Mr. Lovitt, his wife, tender Mrs. Lovitt, and their daughter Abby.  The journey begins as Abby turns fourteen in the beginning of her second year of junior high and quickly learns that things are changing.  The bond between her and her gorgeous new colt Jack, is growing more indelible by the second, her obvious show jumping talent is more blatant than ever before on her marvelous horse Black George, and just as all of this joy and hope reaches its highest point, she receives a series of letters in the mail that threatens to take it all away.

After months of tiresome research and investigation, Howard W. Brandt of Brandt and Carson Agency has decided to contact the Lovitt residence with the troubling news that their beloved Jack might be one of the foals born of four valuable mares who had been stolen off of a racing stable in Texas a year earlier.  Jack is therefore a valued racehorse-to-be who might not even be rightfully belong the people who love him.  What will become of the joy of Abby’s life?  What extents will people take to get the treasured Thoroughbred in their possession?  Will Abby’s Christian faith keep her standing strong?  Fall in love and ride along with Abby as she embarks on her mission to take the world of show jumping by storm and keep her cherished colt while doing so, no matter what.

Abby is no doubt one of the sole reasons I loved this story.  She reminds me of myself, and that made this book so much easier for me to follow, especially through the slower parts.  She has a natural, raw talent as an exceptional rider, and her indelible love and passion for her horses, especially Jack is blatantly obvious throughout the book and in the following quote, “And even though I had fed him before going to school that morning and I saw him every single day and he always trotted over to the fence as soon as I approached and stretched his head out for a pat, and then followed me to the gate, and was in every way a kind and affectionate horse, there was something about this whinny and the way he tossed his head to say ‘Hey!  You’re home!  I missed you! Let’s do something!’ that brought tears to my eyes because I was so lucky” (4-5).   Her strong Christian values and simple, true ranch-girl spirit ring out strong and true as Jane Smiley perfects the art of capturing the opinionated character of a junior higher with the unique voice of Abby Lovitt.

The true, overarching theme of this book is directed mainly toward the Christian audience and is very true and important.  As we learn throughout this book and especially as a result of the conclusion, following after and submitting to the will of God is not always the easy thing to do, but it is always the right and prosperous thing to do.  This is made evident by the following quote in which Mr. Lovitt “kissed [Mrs. Lovitt] on the forehead and said, ‘The Lord will provide’” (120).  We also learn from Abby’s story and experiences that family needs to stick up for each other, and your bond with your family will ultimately make it or break it for you, especially in the face of competition and trials.

The author’s easy-to-follow and relatable writing style, lovable, absorbing characters, and complicated plot will be more than enough to get any horse person, any animal lover, and besides that, any girl who likes a great, but at times rather slow, read to keep turning this pages of this classic equestrian masterpiece.  If you are a boy or need a book that has no lack of suspenseful action, then this might not be the book for you.  I know this book will be a beloved classic of mine, and countless others for many years to come.

-Julia D., 7th grade

Series Review: The Uglies Saga, by Scott Westerfeld

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uglies_coverLike many science fiction book that are being published these days, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is centered around a teenage girl. The Uglies Saga has glamour, romance, and action compacted into four books. The books are appropriately titled: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras.

The series is set in a world three hundred years in the future. There is more focus on nanotechnology, which manipulates matter. This leads to new inventions, such as hoverboards and rotating apartment buildings (so that its residents will never get tired of the view). The populations is categorized into three groups. There are littlies (who live with their parents until they are twelve), uglies (who live in a dorm until they are sixteen), new pretties (live in New Pretty Town and have no worries), middle pretties (join a profession), late pretties (also called crumblies; they are parents who have gotten surgery to live into their two hundreds), and specials (optional and not spoken about very much).

uglies_saga

The main character is named Tally Youngblood, and she is one of the uglies. She lives in a dorm room and day dreams about turning sixteen. In this civilization, once teenagers turn sixteen, they undergo a surgery to become pretty, thus allowing them to live in New Pretty Town. She often sneaks into New Pretty Town as an ugly, which is not allowed. Tally displays this sort of rule-breaking behavior throughout the series. Once she gets through the events of the first book, her life only becomes more difficult and more dangerous.

This book is one of my favorites because the main character is often faced difficult decisions. And like many teenagers, she doesn’t always know what would be the best choice. Tally has to struggle through big moments and she has to do things that she thinks are right thing to do. I also love Tally because she constantly finds ways to fight her city’s government, no matter how impossible it may seem. I would highly recommend this series.

-Madison M., 12th grade

Book Review: Wake, by Amanda Hocking

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wake_coverThe Watersong series by Amanda Hocking is a fantasy series involving murder, sirens, love, and loss. The series begins with the book Wake. Gemma Fisher is a normal, pretty 16 year old who loves the ocean. She is a swimmer and longs to become an Olympic champion.

One day, four strange girls show up in Gemma’s town. Gemma used to think she was the prettiest girl there but now she wasn’t so sure. Lexi, Penn, Thea, and Arista, are beautiful. Their ravishing beauty awes Gemma– but it also raises her suspicions. When the four girls show up, talking and becoming closer to Gemma, four murders follow. Then, one of the strange girls disappears.

On one of her nightly swims in the ocean, Penn, Lexi, and Thea, beckon Gemma to come party with them, and they make her drink a weird concoction. She wakes up ashore, with many cuts and scratches all over her and she knows that something is wrong.

In a twist and turn of events, Gemma is forced to leave with the other sirens to protect her friends and family from getting hurt. Find out what happens next in the second book of this addictive series, Lullaby.

-Annika C., 7th grade

Book Review: Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

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insurgent_coverInsurgent, the second YA dystopian book by Veronica Roth, is the awesome sequel that picks up on the action right where Divergent left off. Speaking of which, be sure to read predecessor first. This is a very fast-paced and exciting book sure to keep you on your toes.

This book takes place right after a massive civil war ravages the city of five society factions. In the aftermath, the protagonist, Tris, contemplates her guilt and sorrow from her actions. As fighting begins again, she will have to think quickly but profoundly about how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect her newfound friends, and the fate of the new society bound to come.

After reading this book, I think it is quite obvious that it evokes some very thoughtful and political questions in the reader. For example, the rebels, whom Tris is allied with, wants to completely wipe out the headquarters of the corrupt government. However, Tris and her prodigious soldier boyfriend both know that they have to save the computers there with advanced technology that the city sorely needs. So, how to accomplish both?

Another thing Veronica Roth does very well is connecting the protagonist and the reader. We can feel her anticipation, sorrow, and guilt in the upcoming war, her relationship issues, and her determination to do what’s in the new society’s interest.

Overall, Roth’s new thriller debut novel is something everyone should look into. You will definitely enjoy the relentless action and the profound thoughts weaved in and out of the story. And if you’re just getting into this series now, your timing is good– the end of the trilogy, Allegiant, comes out on October 22nd.

-Phillip X., 8th grade