Category Archives: Book Reviews

1776 by David McCullough

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1776 is a non-fiction book by the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, David McCullough. It recounts the dramatic conflicts between the Americans and the English during the year 1776. The book draws from numerous documents and sources from the time of the Revolutionary War. It focuses mainly on the early stages of the war. McCullough describes these tumultuous events with meticulous detail. The Americans faced overwhelming odds with a small army that seemed no match for the powerful British military. Our forefathers faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles and suffered miserable conditions before they could achieve freedom.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. McCullough clearly devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort to research these historical events. This book is very informative and factual, but also presented in a highly dramatic way that makes it extremely captivating. It provides deep insight into the lives and personalities of key historical figures that makes this era feel alive to me. This book is thrilling to read, especially knowing that the events occurred in real life.

I consider this to be one of the top ten books that I have read so far. This book is extremely gripping and compelling. I was not previously aware of the intense drama and critical decision-making that occurred during the Revolutionary War. I now have much greater admiration for the courageous people who have fought for our nation’s freedom. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

1776 by David McCullough is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

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The Demon King, by Cinda Williams Chima, is the first book within the Seven Realms series. The series follows multiple protagonists with the main two being reformed thief Hanson “Cuffs” Alister and princess heir, Raisa ana’Marianna. While the two protagonists have next to nothing in common aside from living in the same city you know that almost no authors would create two protagonists and not have them interact.

I’ll start with Raisa’s P.O.V. first because I personally like it less and I want to get it over with. Being the heir to the throne in her nation Raisa is expected to marry the second she is eligible because this is fantasy medieval Europe and how else would you start teenage rebellion without giving the protagonist something to rebel against? Anyway Raisa’s half of the story basically trying to figure out what kind of Queen she wants to be and which of the two men in her life she likes more; Amon, the son of the captain of the guard and her childhood friend or Micah Bayar, son of the high wizard and a powerful mage in his own right. Ironically, Raisa can’t be with either of them due to age-old magical ceremonies as well as politics. Nothing really gets resolved in this book however because this series has four books and there wouldn’t be a plot if everything got solved in book one.

Now onto my favorite character of the novel Han. Hanson as mentioned above is a reformed thief. Not mentioned above however is the fact that Han was actually the Streetlord of Ragmarket which is basically the equivalent of being a mob boss in real life. This isn’t really relevant to what I’m going to talk about but I just wanted to mention it. Anyway Han’s half of the story is more complicated than Raisa’s which is funny because her half involves politics. Han’s story is two fold; part of it involves him trying to find a legal way to make money to support his family while the other is more complicated. Essentially one day Han and his friend Dancer were on a sacred mountain and found some wizards setting fire to it. In order to stop them Han threatens to put an arrow through their leader and makes him hand over his amulet which is the source of a wizards power in this series. The other half of Han’s story is the tragedies that start occurring because he stole said amulet. 

Personally, I think the reason I liked Han’s character so much was because of his struggle of trying to find honest work, which as someone in the latter half of high school I can sort of relate to. Or it could be my obsession with gentleman thieves showing up, one of the two.

All in all, I think that this book is a pretty good one if you like high fantasy novels.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

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This book was gifted to me by my uncle, and to be honest is not the type of thing I would ever take off the shelf myself. From the outside, A book that promises a history of all of western philosophy can sound very intimidating, but I think Gaarder does a great job and breaking all of this information down into bite sizes pieces for the reader.

Also, I think Gaarder does a good job of giving just enough information about each philosopher or method of thinking to give the reader a good overall understanding of each subject, while still encouraging the reader to seek out more info about everything covered in the book. Personally, I used my notes app to write down certain ideas or philosophers I found interesting so that I could come back to them later If I ever had time.

While this book does work as a beginner’s guide to philosophy, it also has what I would say is a relatively strong story with interesting characters. Most of the philosophy in the book is taught through a character named Alberto Knox, a philosopher who slowly teaches the protagonist, Sophie, the history of philosophy piece by piece. I think this is an effective way to keep the reader engaged while they learn about these concepts, as the reader can put themselves in Sophie’s shoes for most of the book. The plot does develop later, which adds a lot more substance to the characters and the story. One thing I like about how Gaarder handles this story is that later on in the book is how we see Sophie use the same philosophical concepts both her and the reader have just learned, serving as an example of how to approach thinking like a philosopher.

This book can be a bit boring if you are not at all interested in Philosophy or have no desire to try learning about Philosophy, but I would encourage anyone else to try this book because I think It can serve a starting point for anyone to become more involved or educated about philosophy.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Ivies by Alexa Donne

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“My life at Claflin has inevitably been easier, better, because of the company I keep. The Ivies opened a door, and I stepped through it.”

–Olivia Winters

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Columbia. The eight Ivy League schools for five teenage girls set on attending these schools, by any means necessary.

The Ivies by Alexa Donne is an exciting murder mystery that follows Olivia Winters, a scholarship senior at Claflin Academy, as she navigates life under the wing of the Ivies—an elite, ambitious group of girls who eliminate all chances of competition to claim first place. But karma is real… and it’s coming to get them.

Donne’s approach to the life of a high school student is overwhelmingly perceptive. From the way the characters act to the way they talk, their personality is established within the first few pages of meeting them.

This novel breaks stereotypes that center around class and social privilege. For instance, Avery Montfort, a Harvard legacy student who at first seems conceited and arrogant, offers the reader a glimpse of her not-so-perfect life and the weight she carries.

Together, the Ivies work to sabotage other top college material students. Their conniving actions reveal the ugliness behind their riches. They demonstrate just how far people go to get what they want, including murder.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Ivies by Alexa Donne. My suspicions jumped from person to person; I never stopped guessing until the very end. Everyone should have the opportunity to meet these brilliant, but back-stabbing girls with twisted priorities.

The Ivies by Alexa Donne is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Stones of Ravenglass by Jenny Nimmo

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The Stones of Ravenglass, by Jenny Nimmo, is the second book in the Chronicles of The Red King trilogy. The books in this trilogy are prequels to the Children of the Red King series. The events of this book occur at a time when the Red King is a young boy named Timoken. The story is set one year after the events of the book’s predecessor, The Secret Kingdom. In this book, Timoken believes that he has finally found his true home in a castle in Britain. However, everything changes when the steward of the castle, Osbern D’Ark, seizes control. Timoken must escape the castle and embark on a perilous adventure to find a new home.

This book was quite gripping and exciting, and I enjoyed many of the characters. er than Timoken himself, some of my favorite characters include an old wizard named Eri and his pet dragon, Enid. I admired their loyalty to Timoken once they met him. I was a little disappointed that Zobayda, Timoken’s sister, was not as prominent in this book as she was in The Secret Kingdom. I was also disappointed that the viridees were not included at all. Still, this book is filled with action and adventure. I found it difficult to put this book down once I started reading it.

As a fan of the Children of The Red King series, I am very pleased that Jenny Nimmo decided to write this trilogy of prequels. I enjoyed this book very much, and maybe even more than the first book in the trilogy. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or adventure stories.

The Stones of Ravenglass  by Jenny Nimmo is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

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I first heard about this book from one of my close friends. We usually are into the same type of books, so I knew I had to read this. I went to the bookstore a few weeks later and purchased it. It wasn’t until a few months later that I actually began reading it.

I instantly fell in love with the book at the first page. When Finch’s character was introduced, I immediately connected with his psyche. The style of the writing is just one that I find myself relating to.

With every page turn, I became more and more invested in the story. The subtle romance between Finch and Violet that sparked in the beginning was so captivating. Usually books targeted towards young adult audiences don’t seem relatable to me, but this one was. When I am really invested in a book, I will finish it in less than a week. I finished reading this one in two days.

I feel as though any teenager/young adult who reads this book will relate to at least one part. This book was very inspiring to me as well. It made me feel less alone.

This book is honestly what gave me courage to fully open up to my school counselor. It helped me realize that it is okay not to be okay.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Misrule by Heather Walters

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*Will contain spoilers to Malice, the first book of this duology*

Happy-ever-after never seemed to happen to Alyce. Just when she thought she received it, it had been snatched away from her before she could fully process what occurred. Betrayed twice and desperate for love, she does the unthinkable. And now, after a hundred years of living, she is starting to feel the consequences of her actions.

Before, she was hated by the entire society of Briar, comprising of humans and Graces alike. But now, she is beloved in this society she created with the destruction of Briar, comprising of goblins, demons, and Vila like herself. That is, until, everything descends into chaos when a young man washes up onto shore and breaks the princess’s curse that Alyce had struggled to do for a hundred years. And because of it, failure inches closer and closer.

This sequel completes the story of Alyce and Princess Aurora in the most beautiful way possible. It is a happy ending but it isn’t shaped as I thought it would, which ended up as a pleasant surprise on my part. Again, I couldn’t stop reading this book as soon as I started, wanting to know what happened next after things started to connect with each other and make conclusions that renew hope in the ending about humanity and the world in general. The characters in this book are as perfectly written as one can get, adding nuance into the plot through different actions and expressing emotions anyone can relate to. I highly recommend this book for those who love fantasy because everything about this sequel is what, I believe, makes a great ending to a magnificent story.

Here in the Real World

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Here In The Real World, by Sara Pennypacker, is a story about a young boy named Ware, who just can’t seem to fit into others’ expectations of him. He doesn’t want to, either. He prefers to stay just outside of crowds, like an onlooker instead of a participant. The people around him don’t really seem to accept him for who he is. Even his parents, as later revealed, wish he could just be “normal,” like all the other kids. 

His parents send him off to a summer camp, an idea he voices his disdain for. He even offers to PAY his mother not to make him go. This statement is what leads to the parents’ aforementioned wish.

His parents do not oblige, obviously, and off to summer camp he goes. Unfortunately for him, things haven’t changed from the last time he was there. The room still smells. The kids are still mean. And they all still have to do laps around the entire building in the blistering hot Florida sun.

It’s during these laps that the main plot of the book begins. 

Ware decides to make a run for the large, old tree behind the building. And he makes it. No one sees him run away. No one sees him climb the tree. And no one sees the old abandoned church behind the wall. Not the way he sees it, anyway. 

He sees a great castle, with a drawbridge and a solar calendar. He sees what he’s always wanted. A place to be alone. To be by himself. That is, until he meets Jolene, the girl who has already “claimed” the lot. She uses it to grow her own vegetable garden. 

Can they learn to get along, and share the space over the summer? Or will it all fall to pieces?

You’ll have to read the book to find out. 

Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker is available to download for free from Libby.

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

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*the review may contain spoilers

I’m well aware that this is possibly the most basic book I could’ve read but I just had to know what the hype was about. So if you didn’t know, this book is a sequel to Hoover’s It Ends With Us.

If I had to be quite frank, it wasn’t my favorite book because it was just so cheesy. It follows the story of Lily Bloom after her divorce with ex-husband Ryle. The readers see her struggle with motherhood as well as trying to distinguish herself in the love department.

The highly anticipated reveal on Lily and Atlas’ relationship was revealed in this sequel but not in the way I wanted it to play it. Compared to the first book Lily and Atlas’ relationship was sort of unrealistic and all over this place, it didn’t seem to match up to how I envisioned the characters previously. I also though the inclusion of Atlas’ stepbrother was unnecessary although it was heart warming it was a plot that I wasn’t interested in.

Colleen hoover is known for all of her books which I would say are good for first time readers trying to get into romance. However, in my opinion the storylines are overplayed and unrealistic that it’s hard to immerse yourself truly within the book.

I would say if you want to get into romance books I personally would stay away from this book. However, if you just want to get into reading I would recommend this book because it is a pretty fast and easy read to get into.

-Madison C.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket

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When I first picked up Poison for Breakfast and saw it was written by Lemony Snicket, I felt inclined to read it just out of how much I enjoyed his books when I was younger, especially the Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions series of books.

However now that I am older, I was unsure if what I had come to expect from Snicket would be as enjoyable or memorable now that I have more experience reading and different tastes. To my pleasant surprise, this is the most mature and unique Lemony Snicket book I’ve read, even if it’s title and premise seems just as bizarre and out of place as something you would see in any other one of his works.

The entire book revolves a man and his reaction when he is eating his regular breakfast and finds a note saying, “you had poison for breakfast”. This sends the man into a sort of introspective spiral, as he spends the day trying to figure out who did it, while also reflecting on his philosophy towards life and the creative process. The book is a whole is very short at around 150 pages, and all of those pages are dedicated to the man and his reaction to what he believes will be his final day alive. While the book has a style very characteristic of Snicket, I think that most of the things he writes about in this are more observational instead of focused on a singular plot line or a classic story structure. Snicket even says on the description on the back of the book that some may call this a “book of philosophy”, which I think is a pretty appropriate term for the work.

Overall, I enjoyed the read, and thought it was definitely worth my time. One thing I would say to anyone wanting to read this is that it can be a bit hard to follow Snicket’s train of thought throughout the book, as his writing is full of phrases or references that have deeper meanings when looked into. Because of this I think this could a book that could be better if I decide to read it again, because I feel like I would pick up on a lot more of the messages Snicket conveys throughout the text. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in books with more philosophical elements, as well as anyone who is familiar with Snicket from his older work as well.

Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.