Category Archives: Book Reviews

My Brother Sam Is Dead by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier

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This year for school, one of the required books to read for English was called My Brother Sam Is Dead written by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier. When I first heard we were going to be reading this book, I was intrigued by the title. I thought it was a bit funny to have such an important detail in the title. I wasn’t super thrilled at first when we had to read it for English class but in the end, I enjoyed the book. 

My Brother Sam Is Dead is a historical fiction novel that takes place during the Revolutionary War. The story is told by Tim Meeker. Tim Meeker is a young boy who helps his parents at their tavern and looks up to his older brother Sam. Sam Meeker is a college student at Yale and is expected to have a bright future ahead of him. One day, he comes home from college and brings home the news that he has decided to enlist in the army to fight in the war. Not only is he fighting in the war but he is also fighting on the patriots side while the rest of his family and his town he lives in are loyalists. Sam and his father argue and their family is tearing apart. Now Tim must decide who to side with, his brother he looks up to, or his father he has obeyed for his whole life.

My Brother Sam Is Dead uses a lot of accurate historical elements making the story clear to understand. I ended up really liking this book. I was never really interested in historical fiction when I was younger but I guess my taste had changed. The characterization of each character was unique with Tim being unsure of his and everyone’s decisions and Sam being ambitious and righteous. The character development through Tim showed a boy who grew up. At the beginning he was a child but throughout the years, he had to grow up and fill other people’s shoes to help himself and his family. 

The characters I really liked were Father and Tim. Father was strict on his kids but there were parts in the book that showed he was still human and he could hurt. He cared about his family and just wanted them to be safe and happy. Tim was childish and wanted to prove himself but as he grew he became like his father filling his role. Tim became independent and successful by the end of the story, and lived his life.

I liked My Brother Sam Is Dead. I hadn’t expected much from this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though it was a school required book, I had fun reading it and had some slight emotional moments in some parts of the story. I would definitely recommend this book to those who like historical fiction and even to those who don’t. 

-Nicole R.

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

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Cover image for Life of Pi : a novel / Yann Martel.

This year has been a very interesting year so far, and my class has read some books that have taught me a lot of life lessons. More recently, my class read the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This story is about a young man, Pi, who was aboard the Tsimtsum on the way to Canada from India. He survived the sinking of a ship, and escaped on a lifeboat along with four different animals on board. Right away, readers can tell this will be a roller coaster of a book. Can you imagine being in Pi’s position? Furthermore, Pi learns valuable lessons throughout his adventure including survival and family.

I can definitely take inspiration from this book into my own life. Although hopefully I won’t have to use available resources in the middle of the ocean like Pi did, I might do some more relatable activities like camping or fishing. I also learned that maybe you think you don’t need someone in your life until you realize you do. I have definitely experienced this recently, and I know now to cherish those people in your life. Just like in Life of Pi, people come and go in your life. I think it is important to value your family and friends, and even all your belongings. You never know what could suddenly go wrong in your life, just like Pi didn’t know the ship was going to sink and change his life. Overall, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, and I do recommend reading it. 

-Valentina N.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

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The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is a famous, well-known novel often taught amongst high school English classes. Narrated by a young sixteen year-old and protagonist named Holden Caufield, the novel begins in Pencey prep school of Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Having failed all of his classes except for English, Holden gets expelled from his fourth school and has to return home to Manhattan on Wednesday. He grows afraid of when his parents will find out and decides to leave the campus early and stay in a hotel in New York.

As Holden travels independently for the next few days, he meets different characters ranging from old friends to complete strangers and judges them based on their personalities and sincereness. He gets easily annoyed by those who are “phoney” and struggles with reaching out to those closest to him, even his own family. Throughout the novel, Holden questions his future and clings onto the past before deciding to become a catcher in the rye.

Although the novel was written in the 1950s, it remains a gem because most aspects still relate to young teenagers today—including myself. The book rightfully upholds its reputation as one of the classics. Many aspects of the novel arguably contributes to the authenticity, since it’s difficult to find a book like this one anymore. For instance, the writing style is unique and imitates an individual’s train of thought. Salinger illustrates numerous times in which Holden goes off topic and talks about different random things like the typical human brain.

Salinger also makes the novel as realistic as possible. The characters (especially Holden) and their often spontaneous actions are often relatable to teenagers. Even the plot itself is realistic, as the novel concludes with an open-ending, showing how not all problems are easily nor quickly resolved. It’s fascinating how the author provides such small details that readers may easily overlook.

As a teenager myself, The Catcher in the Rye is an amazing book that should be directed towards more mature, older readers who are willing to understand the book’s true meaning. Although it seems very simple and boring at first, Salinger intentionally wrote the book with room for open interpretation and analysis, diving deep into themes of alienation and the protection of innocence. This story truly reflects the minds of most teenagers and their uncertainty for the future. That being said, I encourage others to read the book, but I cannot promise that everyone will enjoy it.

– Natisha P.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

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This book was the most devastating masterpiece I’ve ever read. The story starts off in the POV of one of the main characters, Rune, as a child. He just moved to Georgia from his home town in Norway because of his fathers job. He met Poppy, his next door neighbor. Rune called her Poppymin which meant “My Poppy.” They instantly became best friends creating a bond that could never be broken, or so they thought.

*This review contains spoilers.*

The next chapter was in the POV of Poppy as a child where her Grandma she called Mamaw died. Her dying wish was for Poppy to fill up a jar with pieces of paper in the shape of a heart and on each heart she had to explain every one of her boy kisses. Her Mamaw wanted Poppy to fill the jar with a thousand boy kisses because one of her favorite memories were the kisses that her greatest love gave her. She wanted the same for Poppy so gave her this task as her last adventure.

Years later, Poppy and Rune are together fulfilling Poppy’s Mamaw’s last wish. But an unexpected roadblock got in their way. Rune had to move back to Norway for his father’s job, leaving his greatest love behind. They were of course devastated and a few months later after Rune moved back to Norway, Poppy dropped all communication with him, leaving them broken up for 2 years.

Rune moved back to Georgia 2 years later a different person. Dark, sad, and alone. Little did he know the real reason why Poppy cut off communication with him was because she was trying to save him from the burden of her terminal cancer.

I was crying throughout every chapter in this book, It completely broke me. Poppy and Rune rekindled their relationship even though Poppy had months to live. They stayed together throughout those last few months of her life trying to make those months happy for Poppy.

Towards the end of Poppy’s journey, Rune and her completed her Mamaw’s wish by completing the thousand boy kisses jar. The thousandth kiss was the one Rune gave her as she passes to the other side. Rune filled out the last paper heart for Poppy.

“Kiss 1000. With Poppymin. When she returned home. My heart completely burst.”

This book was the saddest most devastating thing I’ve ever read in my whole life. Poppy and Rune’s connection was so pure and they deserved the world. I loved this book with everything in me. 5/5 stars. Read if you want to cry but also read if you want to read a masterpiece at the same time.

-Kaitlyn D.

have you seen me? by Kate White

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have you seen me? by Kate White is an excellent novel of mystery, suspense, and nail-biting thrills.

The book opens with main character Ally Linden arriving to her workplace an hour earlier than everyone else. However, she soon remembers that she has not worked there in five years- and even more troubling, she doesn’t remember where she has been for the last three days.

Determined to find out what caused her fugue state and what she did, Ally hires two private investigators to retrace her steps for those three days. Quickly, questions begin to pop up- why didn’t her husband report her missing? Where have her purse and phone gone? Do the bloodstained tissues in her pocket mean something? Could the episode be related to a traumatic incident she experienced in her past? Every time we think we’ve figured it out, a new twist reveals that everything is not as it seems.

I really liked this book! The surprise ending left me in complete shock- I’m usually very good at guessing what’ll happen at the end of suspense novels and solving the mystery, but the resolution of this book completely caught me by surprise- it was ingenious. White used diversion and opaque writing masterfully to her advantage, weaving the perfect web of suspense. While the writing was a little too technical in some parts (financial journalism was described in excruciating detail), I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark suspense thriller.

-Vaidehi B.

have you seen me? by Kate White is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Book Recommendation: How to Love your Neighbor

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This is a book I recently finished by Sophie Sullivan. This book tells the story of two stubborn people who end up living next to each other. Set in Southern California, Grace moves into her family home and begins to work on fixing it up. Her next door neighbor Noah, however, refuses to stop asking for her to sell her home so that he can expand. 

The two end up working together on fixing Noah’s house so that he can fix his self image in the eyes of the rich public he must gain the approval of. A beginning designer herself, Grace and Noah are able to work together to create not one, but two houses they both love.

The story tells one of friendship turned into something more, as well as the hard work that goes into making a house truly feel like a home. With a good mix of humor, love, and friendship, this book was a good and a light read. This is for anyone who loves a good HGTV show mixed in with a little bit of romance. Though it is very much a slow burn book, I didn’t find myself bored by it at all. There’s enough going on outside of solely Grace and Noah’s relationship to keep you occupied.

-Danielle B.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

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Cover image for The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe / C.S. Lewis ; illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

A beautifully written novel written by C.S. Lewis has gained popularity over the years. This fantasy fiction is set in the 1940’s during World War II. Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are sent to live in the country with a professor. There, they find a wardrobe filled with mystical creatures and awaiting adventures in a land called Narnia. 

C.S. Lewis created this book with many details and lively scenes that keep readers engrossed in the story. I personally love this book and find it to be extremely enjoyable. It has many lessons embedded within it as well. To have courage, having the ability to forgive, and the importance of honesty are just to name a few important messages. I also enjoy the character development of Edmund and Peter. In the story, there are many details that describe their growth as individuals. Readers can see them shift from naive children to mature young adults. The use of sensory imagery is always pleasant to read. Whether it be the descriptions of landscapes or characters, Lewis does an excellent job keeping readers engaged in his novel.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an entertaining book for those who enjoy fantasy and adventure. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes to use their creativity and imagination. C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series is a great read for many and I would definitely recommend it!

Kaiya T.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon

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I read this book a while ago because my mother gave it to me as a gift. Of course I was going to read it. When I first read it, I thought whatever about it until I re-read it. I mean the girl wakes up from coma at age 17 after her house was attacked and her mother was killed. She was in a coma for 4 years! The crazy thing is that she was the only person that saw the person who killed her mother.

Stacy is now trying to recover memories with the help of new face Jeff. So many twists, lies, and secrets to discover with the mental age of 13, in a 17 year old body. Who can she trust? Who can she not trust? Who should she listen to and so forth?

This was a fun thriller that I took my time with because I could. If you are looking for a suspenseful, thrilling, and eerie book this is definitely the read for you! I highly recommend this book even though it was written quite a while ago.

-Coralie D.

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon is available to download for free from Libby.

House of Sky and Breath Review

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House of Sky and Breath

Author: Sarah J. Mass

Pages: 805

Published: February 15, 2022

Genre: fantasy, romance, young adult

Synopsis:

This sequel to the House of Blood and Earth continues to follow Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they struggle to lie low in the bustling city of Crescent City. In their world, there are four main classes: humans, Vanir (mythical creatures like Fae or werewolves), Vanir leaders, and the Asteri. The Asteri are the all-powerful leaders of all living beings, fated to have been created from fallen stars. After saving the city from thousands of demons, and killing the Archangel that summoned them, the Asteri have ordered Bryce and Hunt to keep a low profile. But of course, acting normal has never been easy for the legendary Umbra Mortis and the Starborn Fae Princess, especially when a powerful rebel loses her life for her brother and every creature wishes to get their claws on this teenage boy rumored to have powers outranking his sister. The whole gang; two Fae princes, one Fae princess, an infamous angel, a merman, and a werewolf assemble to find this boy and discover the information that got his sister killed.

Bryce Quinlan

Review:

This book was as fast-paced as the first in the series. Though it is 800 pages, each one is filled with adventure. As with most Sarah J. Mass books, this book contains more twists and turns than a Hogwart’s staircase. We finally get to see Bryce and Hunt’s love blossom after every thwarted attempt in the first book. I love Bryce’s quick wit and confident personality. This book is also told from each main character’s point of view so readers are finally able to see what goes through the Umbra Motis’s mind. I love this book, it was just as good as the first and it leaves me hungry for the next in the series.

-Gia S.

House of Sky and Breath is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Timeless Qualities The Odyssey Holds

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Taking Inspiration from Past Works

Cover image for The Odyssey / Homer ; translated by Robert Fagles ; introduction and notes by Bernard Knox.

Leaders of the world today face many types of challenges, such as the ability to resist temptations, and should take inspiration from past qualities of leaders displayed in literature. In The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, Odysseus faces obstacles that test his leadership skills on his journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. Odysseus develops as a leader by encountering anxiety-filled challenges that exhibit his leadership skills of self-restraint and knowledge of life lessons, many of which can still be applied to readers’ lives today.

Throughout Odysseus’ journey, he faces a variety of different experiences that develop him as a leader. The lessons he learns while at sea will ultimately aid him in killing the suitors and taking control of his home in Ithaca. These lessons act as inspiration for readers’ everyday lives. An important lesson readers take away when reading The Odyssey is that “the gods don’t hand out all their gifts at once, not build and brains and flowing speech to all” (8:193). Odysseus acknowledges this concept when speaking to Broadsea after being accused of not having “skill in any” sports (8:168). Even though Odysseus’ disk ends up flying “away past all the other marks,” (8:223) he reminds readers that nobody is perfect and everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this aspect, readers also learn that some things are unavoidable, no matter how many hardships they have faced. The main takeaway from these obstacles is to learn from past experiences and apply them to real-life situations. For example, at the beginning of the epic poem, readers learn the outcome of Odysseus’ journey. Even though he fought hard and long to return home to the people of Ithaca, “the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all” (1:4-9). Odysseus did all he could to return home and save Ithaca, but the people were already doomed from the start, and he could do nothing to help them. As demonstrated, Odysseus develops as a leader by experiencing a variety of difficult situations while embarking on the hero’s journey.  These timeless lessons Odysseus faces apply to social, emotional, and physical problems one might meet today, keeping the continued appeal.

One of Odysseus’ most essential leadership traits is self-restraint, which acted in times of crisis. When talking to Circe about the journey home to Ithaca, Odysseus learns of the Sirens, the “creatures who spellbind any man alive, whoever comes their way” (12:44-47). The Sirens are temptresses, and despite being warned of the deadly consequences, they can still be hard to resist. Even though readers do not necessarily face the same challenges Odysseus did, humans constantly face temptations and have to display self-restraint to resist those and complete the task at hand. Another act of self-restraint demonstrated by Odysseus is when he feels the urge to kill all the suitors at once for being disloyal to Penelope and sleeping with the maids. However, Odysseus resists the urge when “he struck his chest and curbed his fighting heart” (20:20). Seeing Odysseus face and overcome these barriers in his journey inspires readers to face their challenges head-on with self-restraint.

Odysseus and his crew face many challenges beyond their control while voyaging home. He uses his intelligence and leadership to guide his men through tough times and his quality of self-resistance comes in handy when being thrust into temptations. Readers take away powerful lessons and leadership traits that can be applied to certain situations that might be uncomfortable. Although The Odyssey is one of the oldest works of Western literature, it keeps its continued appeal based on timeless qualities, like self-restraint, as it is something all humans strive for.

-Abby V.

The Odyssey by Homer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.