Category Archives: Book Reviews

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

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In a city near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lives a twelve-year-old girl named Charlotte. Over a thousand miles away, in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana, lives an eleven-year-old boy named Ben.

Charlotte’s and Ben’s lives intersect through only an online Scrabble game. At first glance, they seem drastically different—Charlotte possesses a rock collection and aspires to be a geologist, while Ben loves anything related to presidential history, recycling, and Harry Potter.

Yet somehow, as the story escalates, Charlotte’s and Ben’s lives begin to tie together in completely unexpected ways. Throughout their journeys, similarities between the two rise to visibility. Charlotte and Ben learn more about each other, and even more consequentially, themselves, as they figure out the obstacles and challenges thrown into their lives.

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly is a truly touching, inspiring, and reflective novel. The parallels drawn between the two main characters’ lives are skillfully crafted, and it is even more so when it is considered how different they really are. You Go First truly impressed me, and I’m sure I’ll be rereading this story countless more times, as readers may if they decide to give this one a try.

I would definitely recommend You Go First, especially for younger teenage readers. I absolutely fell in love with this book, and I’m sure you will too! Hopefully, you will enjoy this tale spun of friendship and family, humor and grief, growing up and breaking down, and finding one’s true identity. Happy reading!

-Lam T.

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Social Parallels in Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince

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In The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, protagonist Jude Duarte is one of the few humans living in the world of Faerie after being taken from her home in the mortal world. The book (and the whole trilogy, which I highly recommend), follows Jude as she navigates the complicated politics of the Faerie realm and tries to prove that she can be extremely powerful despite her being a human.

The challenges that Jude faces due to her being human clearly reflects social issues in the real world regarding discrimination, even if it sometimes gets lost in the magical world of the book. Many fantasy novels and worlds have discriminatory elements between different magical beings (i.e. “mudbloods” versus “purebloods” in Harry Potter, and humans versus elves in The Witcher).

While these instances may not be direct commentaries on social issues, we can use them as a new lens in which to view these problems and how they compare to the real-world thing.

Amazon.com: The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, 1): 9781478923732: Black, Holly, Kelly, Caitlin: Books

In The Cruel Prince, Jude is considered lucky to be living the life she lives. Because her father is of high ranking, she and her sister are able to attend one of the best schools and live in an extravagant house. While this would be a blessing for anyone, a fortunate life for a human in Elfhame has even slimmer chances. Because of their short lifespans and susceptibility to “Glamour” – the Faerie ability to basically control minds – humans are most often used as brain-numb servants.

Even in the best case, such as Jude’s life, humans face harsh criticism and mockery from the other inhabitants of Elfhame. Throughout the series, Jude is very often treated as a waste of space.

Obviously, nobody in the real world is facing discrimination based on the fact that they’re human. However, the relationship between humans and Faeries in The Cruel Prince parallels many struggles that religious, racial, and sexual minorities face today. It can be harder to gain powerful positions and to be seen as equal for both Jude and these minorities.

It’s important for authors to make these parallels, even if not completely intentionally, so we as readers can learn and empathize with these issues.

-Luxy B.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

The Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheele

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The Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler is the first book in the First Argentines series. The book is 433 pages long. The First Argentines series is currently made up of three books with a fourth to come. The whole series is a prequel to the six-book series the Kingfountain series. The book Knight’s Ransom is relatively new as it was only published on January 26, 2021.

The book follows Marshall Barton nicknamed Ransom, by his childhood friend and main female character Claire de Murrow. The book starts in a civil war over succession for the throne. It starts with young Ransom being abducted by the original king, and to make his noble father stay loyal an attempted hanging of Ransom takes place. However, ultimately the king doesn’t hang him. The story is then mainly about Ransom’s journey through knighthood as he looks to find who he is and what he wants. We see him growing up as it has multiple time skips allowing us to see Ransom get into his teens and twenties. One of the more enjoyable parts is the diary entries by Claire de Murrow as it talks about what’s happening to her and what her point of view is of the events that are happening.

This is a book I would highly recommend to people who like a fantasy about swords and magic as while as books set in the medieval era. The Knight’s Ransom has character development and has some mystery such as when Ransom hears rushing water in his ears. This book doesn’t always show a plain black and white picture allowing the reader to decide what is right. The book has fights and war, where blood is spilled and there is the point where characters drink alcohol. However, I did quite enjoy this book as it gets you intrigued into what’s going to happen.

-Luke G.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

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The Tale of Despereaux is a novel by Kate DiCamillo, and winner of the Newberry Award.  The setting is in a medieval era, and most of the events take place in a large castle.  The main plot revolves around an undersized mouse with large ears named Despereaux.  Despereaux is considered strange and eccentric compared to the other mice in the castle.  For one thing, he enjoys reading books rather than nibbling on its pages.  One of his favorite books is about a knight rescuing a princess.  Another important character is a spiteful rat named Chiaroscuro, who is called Roscuro for short.  Roscuro is unlike other rats, because he desires to leave the darkness in which rats are accustomed to living.  Roscuro decides to visit a royal banquet, but he falls from a chandelier into the soup.  This angers the princess of the castle, named Princess Pea, and she gives Roscuro a scornful look.  Roscuro’s feelings are hurt by the incident, and he plots to get revenge against the princess.  He convinces an unfortunate peasant girl name Miggery Sow to help him kidnap Princess Pea, promising the girl that she could become the princess instead.  Despereaux learns of the plan, and sets out on a quest to rescue the princess.

This book is actually divided into four books.  The first book focuses on Despereaux.  The second book focuses on Roscuro.  The third book focuses on Miggery Sow.  The fourth book ties all of the main characters together.  I think the organization of this book is very clever.  I enjoyed the way the story shifted focus from one character to another, and finally brought them all together.  I especially enjoyed the intertwining of events as the book drew toward its conclusion.

Overall, I think this book is very charming and entertaining.  The story is filled with adventure and excitement.  The characters are simple, but memorable.  The narrator presents the story in a way that seems almost interactive with the reader.  I felt like the narrator was speaking directly to me, which made this book very engaging.  I was drawn in by the binding of the book itself, which describes it as “being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.”  It was very satisfying to read about how these elements all came together to make a unique and enjoyable story.  This book is one of my favorites and I think just about anyone would enjoy reading it.

-Oliver H.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Nightfall and Other Short Stories by Isaac Asimov

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Nightfall and Other Stories is a collection of works written and compiled by Isaac Asimov, who was considered a major science fiction writer in the 1900s. Though each narrative is a classic in its own right, I’ve picked out a few that stood out so that I may write a short explanation and/or analysis. Here goes! 

 Nightfall

“Nightfall,” regardless of its age, has certain themes that are quite relatable. For one, its premise  speaks to readers with caution, as it demonstrates our stubbornness and our outright rejection to believe what we cannot see, and so when an outcome occurs the consequences are far more severe. Therefore, despite its shortness in length, Asimov is able to structure his points skillfully. To explain, as his main purpose is to establish the ease at which people lose themselves once shown a foreign situation, he creates a civilization that has never been covered in darkness. In turn, once citizens are able to see their first eclipse, none can take the experience (and go mad as a result). In this manner, Asimov illustrates the importance of balance: we cannot learn to appreciate light (yang) if we’ve never felt our way out of the dark (yin). 

Fun Fact: “Nightfall,” which was published in 1941, was soon voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as the best science-fiction short story ever written. 

Green Patches

“Green Patches” was an unexpected surprise, as it questions our private values. It asks us whether we could survive as a single “organism” (or consciousness), or if our human instincts for independent growth and movement would smash that chance. In this case, Asimov demonstrates that despite our cries for unity, society thrives on anarchy and thus prefers chaos over peace. 

Fun Fact: “Green Patches,” which was published in 1950, had its title changed to “Misbegotten Missionary” (which was later on changed back to “Green Patches”). 

Eyes Do More than See

In “Eyes Do More than See,” Asimov paints out a distant future in which humans have given up their physical forms (and become energy beams). However, these entities soon realize the repercussions of such a choice, for they can remember memories that spoke of earlier passions, love, and far off adventures. In turn, readers are met with a lesson that hints at appreciation – in other words, we should learn to value our concrete, more tangible lives that we abide to, in which we experience sorrow, passion, and loss. 

Fun Fact: “Eyes Do More than See” was nominated in 1966 for a Nebula Award under ‘Best Short Story.’ 

-Emilia D.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

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The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis, is the final book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.  This is my favorite of the seven books in this fantasy series.  The world of Narnia is in danger because of evil characters roaming the land.  The most important character is Aslan, the lion.  Aslan is the true king of Narnia, but he does not appear for much of the book.  A wicked ape named Shift and his followers plan to use an imposter Aslan to gain power and control over the world.  They use the name of Aslan to convince people in Narnia to serve Shift.  For much of the book, there is a battle between people who believe in the real Aslan and people who are deceived by Shift and his followers.  Later in the story, the real Aslan appears and helps the people in Narnia who believe in him.  Finally, Aslan reveals his true identity and leads his people to his country.

Aslan is my favorite character in the series, and I really like this book because we learn more about his true identity.  I also enjoy this book because of all the action, as good characters battle against evil characters throughout the story.  This book is very exciting and filled with suspense.  There are many villains in this story, which made it very interesting.  I was surprised by the ending, but it was a rewarding conclusion to the series.  I would highly recommend reading the other books in the series before reading this book.  The Chronicles of Narnia is one of my favorite series of books and I would recommend them to everyone.

-Simon H.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo

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Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors is the fourth book in the Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo.  I enjoyed this book, even though it is not my favorite in the series.  Charlie Bone is back for a new semester at Bloor’s Academy.  This is a school for students with magical powers.  Charlie Bone knows that he possesses magical ability, but he still has not fully learned the extent of his endowment. 

In this book, Charlie meets some new characters.  Billy Raven is an orphaned boy who has been adopted by a couple named Mr. and Mrs. de Grey.  The de Greys have magical powers, but it turns out that they are evil.  They force Billy to sign papers that contain oaths, which would compel him to do things against his will.  Billy becomes imprisoned in a mysterious place called The Passing House.  Mr. de Grey uses his magic to create a force field that prevents Billy from escaping.

My favorite part of the story is when Charlie Bone and his friends help Billy to escape from The Passing House.  They take Billy to the house of one of Charlie’s friends, named Gabriel Silk.  At Gabriel’s house, the papers with the oaths suddenly come to life, and attack Billy and his friends.  The friends need to join forces with their magical powers to rescue Billy from the evil magic of the de Greys.

One of my favorite things about this book is the development of the characters.  I especially liked to read about Charlie’s friends, Lysander Sage and Tancred Torsson.  They have special powers that prove to be very useful in this story.  This particular book may not be quite as exciting as some of the others in the series, but I definitely still enjoyed it.  I am not really sure why it is called The Castle of Mirrors, because that did not seem to be the most important part of the story.  Still, I am glad to have read this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Charlie Bone series.

-Simon H.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive/Libby.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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A case closed for five years, almost as dead as the vanished girl in question. Everyone living in the town of Little Kilton believes that Sal Singh murdered his girlfriend Andie Bell and subsequently committed suicide. Well, almost everyone. Pippa Fitz-Amobi never really agreed with the final verdict of the case; too many unexplained variables never lined up quite right. She decides to investigate the shady mystery for her senior year capstone project in an effort to expose the truth. Pip plunges straight into a world of lies and loose ends that threaten to expose the crime’s true nature, but someone out there would prefer that those secrets stay buried…

This book was so engrossing and suspenseful that I stayed up far too late on a school night just to finish it. Clues, characters, and red herrings are intricately interwoven to weave a complicated web of secrets. Right from the start, the plot engaged me and kept me reeled in with constant suspense. I found the plot to be very well-planned at a good pace to keep the story moving. Additionally, several exciting twists kept me on my toes and genuinely surprised me with how they revealed new details about characters I might have otherwise ruled out. While the mystery was incredibly interesting, I also enjoyed reading about the small moments of Pip’s everyday life and her friends and family. Those background/side characters had their own development, details, and quirks, which made the story more well-rounded and believable. 

Pip did do a couple of questionable things in the name of sleuthing, mostly by invading the privacy of others in several ways. I wish she could have faced consequences for that, and also that she could have had a bit more trouble working through the clues in general. It was nice when things tied together neatly, but sometimes clues lined up a bit too easily. Overall, it may have been a bit too outlandish of a mystery for it to be completely realistic, but I find the complexity and intrigue of the mystery to be much more important than realism. When it comes to those factors, this book nailed it and I’d highly recommend it as an enthralling quick read!

-Kaitlyn S.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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I loved loved loved LOVED this book. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the main love interest was based off of Adam Driver haha. But I thought both Olive and Adam were very likeable and charming characters. This was such a cute trope and slow burn. What’s not to love about an outgoing personality and a brooding sarcastic one? They compliment each other so well and he’s an absolute sweetheart around her. I like that they both work at Stanford University and are highly educated, accomplished people.

Both Olive and Adam are passionate people who care about others and love science which is something I can relate to (and wanting to go to Stanford). I’m not usually one for a cliche Hallmark story– which is what I expected it to it– but it was quite to opposite. Even though it was a common trope it was well written and well executed. I want to have an epic love story like this someday and have a happily ever after. I would happily recommend this book to anyone (I already do to basically all my friends). I’m sure they are sick of hearing me talk about this book.

-Coralie D.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Are Jim and Della from “The Gift of the Magi” richer before or after their gift exchange?

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Belonging to the genre of dramatic irony, the short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry narrates the tale of Della and Jim, who have become richer in affection after their gift exchange. The protagonists choose to give up their most valuable belongings with the intentions to give the perfect gifts to each other, which have been rendered useless. However, Della and Jim gain something more valuable in their relationship than either of their possessions.

When she wants to make more money to buy a nice gift for her husband, Della asks, “‘Will you buy my hair?’” (3). Because Della is willing to give up her most precious possession, the immense love she feels for her husband is depicted. Furthermore, Della’s feelings are mutual as Jim ends up selling his cherished watch to buy combs for Della.

At first glance, the exchange seems to be inconsequential since the gifts are now unusable, but a shift in the conflict is noted when “Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the most wise” (4). By sacrificing their most precious belongings, Jim and Della prove to each other that they have deep affection for one another, which is why they are referred to as the magi. There is no materialistic gift that would have such great meaning as the gifts of Della and Jim; therefore, they are much richer than they were before the gift exchange.

-Ayati M.