Category Archives: Book Reviews

The White Stag by Kate Seredy

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The White Stag is a short novel written and illustrated by Kate Seredy. This book is a mythical retelling of the journeys of the Huns and Magyars as they migrated across Asia and into Europe. The story begins after the fall of the Tower of Babel. The great hunter Nimrod is waiting for his sons, Hunor and Magyar, to return from chasing after a mysterious white stag. Nimrod had been leading his people to a bountiful land promised to them by their god, Hadur. Now stricken with old age, Nimrod is unsure about who will lead his people. He believes that he must sacrifice his war horse, Taltos, to gain further direction from Hadur. After the performance of this sacrifice, Hadur communicates to Nimrod through symbols. These symbols are interpreted to mean that Nimrod will soon die, and that his sons will become the new leaders of his people. Hadur’s message concludes with a prophecy that a strong and mighty man named Attila would ultimately take Nimrod’s people to their promised land.

I found this book to be very compelling because I had expected it to be totally fictional, but as I read it I realized that it includes actual historical and religious elements. Nimrod and the Tower of Babel are ancient biblical references, and Attila the Hun is a major historical figure. The story of Attila was my favorite part of this book, because I enjoyed reading about his incredible strength and rise to power. I also enjoyed reading about the adventures of these people as they followed the white stag toward the promised land. Even though this is a relatively short book, it feels like an epic legend. This book is like an origin story of the modern-day nation of Hungary. The author is Hungarian, so I can understand why she would choose to write this. I appreciated the religious themes throughout the book, and I enjoyed imagining that this was the story of Nimrod from the Bible. This book deservedly won the Newbery Medal in 1938, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The White Stag by Kate Seredy is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

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Julia Armfield’s Our Wives Under the Sea explores a dream-like meditation of the grief and loss brought on by loving someone so much. Though this was a lot to swallow, Armfield’s use of an overarching metaphor and loose threads within the plot captures the yearning for the person one loves while they slowly, and inevitably, slip from one’s grasp.

Miri, one of the novels’ main narrator, struggles to see her wife, Leah, drift further and further away from reality, as she paces their apartment and deteriorates physically and mentally. Leah, a marine biologist, had undergone a month’s-long deep sea expedition that ultimately left her and her team stranded thousands of feet under the sea with no communication. The novel takes place after Leah resurfaces and gradually unfolds her experience in a submarine encapsulated by darkness.

Miri watches as Leah submerges herself day after day in the bathtub, filled with salty water. Her skin begins to resemble that of a fish, iridescent and nearly transparent. She bleeds from her pores and drowns in the water that excretes from her skin. These elements of eeriness and unsettling imagery that Armfield embeds in Leah’s physical appearance express the intimate nature of loss and Miri’s uncertainty about what is happening to her partner, creating significant mental distress in her.

While unfolding Leah’s progression into the embodiment of the sea, Armfield also captures Miri’s unraveling grief of not knowing whether her marriage will stay alive. Finding no comfort in talking to her friends or the relatives of Leah’s old team, Miri begins to seek comfort in online chats amongst women, but finds that to be a failure as well.

Ultimately, Miri finds the strength to let go of Leah. She embraces her grief and accepts that her marriage with Leah is over, as Leah’s spongy and slippery skin, sinks from Miri’s arms and into the ocean’s depths. This bittersweet ending, though heartbreaking, was greatly nuanced as it embraced what love looks like when the reality that surrounds it is painful and unfulfilling. Though Leah had lost her sense of humanity, she never lost her peace.

This novel was definitely a hard read, but I appreciated this very different perspective on what grief and loss can look like and the horror of the unknown. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is looking to steer away from predictable literature or a fan of slow-burn novels.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield is available to download for free from Libby.

Lessons in Chemistry By: Bonnie Garmus

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Lessons in Chemistry is set in the early 1960s and follows Elizabeth Zott, a female chemist who fought against great odds to obtain her degree and position. Zott works at the Hastings Research Institute, where she meets Calvin Evans, a Nobel Prize-nominated chemist. Their relationship cultivates quickly, and their rivalry with the rest of the staff continues to grow.

Years later, Zott is a single mother after a tragic accident. After meeting a parent of one of her daughter’s friends, Zott receives an offer to be the host of a nationally broadcasted cooking show called “Supper at Six.” Although hesitant at first, Zott in need of a job accepts, hoping that this could give her the credibility she needs to reenter the chemistry world. Her approach to cooking regarding her chemistry background intrigues viewers, and the show quickly becomes a hit. Zott soon becomes a national icon, inspiring women to do more than be housewives, breaking stereotypes for women on TV often fighting against her producer and even the head of the studio.

I enjoyed this book because it displays a unique perspective on women in STEM-based fields in the 1960s. This tale of feminism during this period is almost an untouched topic, so this book feels like something very new and exciting for those who enjoy tales of feminism. It also greatly addresses the risks to women and the adversity they had to overcome to become successful or even respected in their field. It being a historical fiction novel was ultimately one of the reasons I picked it up. If you’re not interested in reading all 390 pages, there is also a new series on Apple TV that is based on this book. That I feel was a decent interpretation of the book, as many typically fail in this realm.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Hunter X Hunter: Character Analysis

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Hunter X Hunter is an iconic manga published in 1998 by its author, Yoshihiro Togashi. Following Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio’s adventures, it includes a variety of arcs, including the first Hunter Exam arc, but its well-written characters make up the most compelling part of the series. 

Gon Freecs, the more outgoing of the dual protagonists, is 12 years old at the start of the series. Highly tuned to nature due to his upbringing on an island, he also appears to have learned most of his morals by observing nature, though also taught by his dear Aunt Mito. Though often seen as a “ball of sunshine” by readers, he has been said to have dubious morality by others within the book, merely following a “good” path because that’s where life led him. This may also be the reason why he can be so “selfish” but is still fine with how his dad left him as a baby. Overall, he is a good-plot driver with a strong will as well as an interesting personality.

No less important is “Gon’s best friend,” another 12 year old known as Killua Zoldyck. Abused and trained to become an assassin by his family since childhood, he beat up his mom and one of his older brothers to escape before taking the Hunter Exam on a whim. Unlike Gon, Killua was raised by a strict structure and saw following someone he cares about instead of obeying his family as an act of defiance. However, Killua’s close friendship with Gon made them sometimes unhealthily co-dependent. The manga explores his friendship with Gon, growth from his initial self-deprecation, and how he learns to feel things through his own heart.

Kurapika of the Kurta clan, a 17 year old in the first volume, had his entire clan killed by the Phantom Troupe while a child. To avenge his clan, he became a Hunter to seek out and kill all the members, or Spiders, of the Phantom Troupe. Though he first appears in the series as someone with a noble goal, this quest also leads him to venture into the shadier parts of society. His development centers around the reasons for his choice to suffer.

The final of the main 4, Leorio Paladiknight, age 19, is unfortunately played off as comedic relief for most of the story. He aspires to become a doctor to save those who would otherwise die of diseases akin to the one his childhood friend suffered from. Differing from Gon and Killua, who end up different mostly because of their upbringings,  Kurapika and Leorio both were deeply affected by how loved ones died during their childhood. I found it interesting how Kurapika had the motto of “they made my kin suffer, so I will make them suffer,” while Leorio stood by “it hurt my friend, so I’ll make sure no one else hurts in such a way ever again.” In conclusion, Hunter X Hunter contains amazing protagonists with inspiring character arcs and unique backstories.

Hunter X Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Green Ember Book 1 by S. D. Smith

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The Green Ember by S. D. Smith is about two rabbits called Heather and Picket and their journey to escape and conquer the wolves led by an evil bird named Morbin. Driven away from their home, Heather and Picket must escape the wolves, find a new home, and keep moving forward.

I really liked how descriptive the book was on the characters’ feelings, and it made them more lovable as well. Heather and Picket eventually stumble upon their secret uncle and their adopted cousin, which then lead them to a secret village called Mended Woods. This is a community full of hope and prosperity, determined to take back their land from Morbin’s rule.

Heather and Picket must then learn about their ancestry and the past before turning to face the world at its present. They must endure the hardship of their missing family, and must overcome their grief to follow their calling. Once befriending a nurse in training named Emma, Heather and Picket fit right at home in their new community, until they learn secrets on their family’s past that were better left uncovered.

Overall, I really liked the book and the suspense. (FYI: many chapters end in cliffhangers!) It is kind of like a good vs. bad kind of book, but also talks about hope during hardships and endurance. No matter how hard the challenge, the characters seem to overcome it, even when facing tremendous suffering. The book is sometimes too descriptive, and goes on and on with details, but is also really engaging at times.

I think this is a good book that has a message to have hope and overcome adversity no matter how hard your challenge is. There are many more books in the series, and I am excited to read more! I would recommend this book to others who like to read about adventure and a little suspense. Overall, I really liked The Green Ember and would recommend reading it.

The Green Ember by S. D. Smith is available to download for free from Libby.

The Scarlett Letter: Book Review

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Recently, I just read The Scarlet Letter in AP Lang, and I think the book was a great work of fiction although it was quite tiring to read.

Basically, the book follows the story of a woman named Hester Prynne and her child Pearl. The setting is Boston, Massachusetts, and the society they live in is strictly Puritan. This Puritan society is the main theme of the book because it revolves around how strict and unforgiving they are towards “victims”.

The beginning of the book starts with Hester being shamed for her sin on a platform with her baby called Pearl as she conceived the child with another man. No one knows the real father of the child (as she keeps it a secret), and her actual husband has been away for business for a long period. Originally, they were thinking of whether to kill her or ban her from the colony for this disgrace, but instead, they decided to force her to put a letter A on her chest for the rest of her life. The “A” on her chest stands for adultery, which is the central theme of the book.

The story continues and Hester sees her actual husband on the platform where she is standing with her baby. Then, the story turns into one of mystery as the husband tries to find out who the father of Hester’s child is.

The book is very dense and is great for learning syntax. For me, it was difficult to get through, but the ending was pretty shocking. There were many revolving themes of the sense of sin, conformity to religion, public/individual guilt, and redemption. If you read closely, you will see many allusions to the bible.

Overall, The Scarlet Letter is still relevant today given our present issues surrounding identity, guilt, and resilience. It is a great book to read for anyone interested in exploring how the impact of societal judgment and societal expectations.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Lessons in Chemistry TV Show VS Book by Bonnie Garmus

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Well for starters, this was a great show and an even better book. Although I broke the unspoken rule of watching the TV show first, I loved the show so much I knew I had to read the book too. Let’s just say, it did not disappoint.

In Lessons in Chemistry, the main character is an unsocial chemist named Elizabeth Zott. Sadly, she lives in the 1950s, meaning that she faces extreme sexism in every aspect of her career. Furthermore, Elizabeth is a very attractive woman, so she faces sexual assault and cruelty from the men and jealousy and catiness from the women. Personally, I wonder how her life would have been different if she was not as attractive. Back to the summary, Elizabeth does have a job at a science facility called Hastings in Common, California. There, she meets a man named Calvin Evans. They fall deeply in love and live together happily for about two years. They do not get married at Elizabeth’s request and do not have children, but the couple did have a very intelligent dog named Six-Thirty. 

Unfortunately, Calvin gets hit by a police car and dies. Then, to make matters worse, Elizabeth gets fired because she finds out she is pregnant with Calvin’s baby. In her prematernal rage, Elizabeth returns home and makes a lab inside her house to continue working. She also ergs (which is a rowing machine but on land) to keep healthy. When her daughter, Mad, is born, Elizabeth struggles to be a good mom. Her neighbor, Harriet, hears the screaming child and comes to help take care of her and offer support. Now with a 4 year old in kindergarten, Elizabeth has to find a source of income for her family. She gets a job working as a TV chef. On her show, Supper at Six, Elizabeth cooks while explaining the chemistry behind it. She is a huge hit and her show skyrockets. While her mother is on TV, Mad has a troublesome school project. She ends up talking to a minister for help, and later finds out he was a pen pal of her father. After that, (I’m almost done I swear), Elizabeth quits her job. She returns to Hastings and finds out that her sponsor who has funded her work was actually Calvin’s mother. However, the endings are different between the show and the book.

Ok, now that you have the summary for the idea, let’s get down to the differences between the show and the book.

Elizabeth’s Job at Hastings

Show: Elizabeth is a lab technician, showing sexism.

Book: Elizabeth is a chemist (although not respected).

Rowing

Show: It’s not really a key point or focus. It does appear, but not often.

Book: Calvin and Elizabeth row together often and even row with other men. Elizabeth continues to erg for a long time as it not only connects her with Calvin but makes her tired. 

Harriet Sloane

Show: Harriet is a young Black woman who lives with her loving children, as her husband is a soldier at war. She is also an activist.

Book: Harriet is an older white woman. She lives with her abusive husband and her kids are grown up. She is in a way a nanny for Mad and dedicates her time to the Zotts. 

Civil Rights

Show: Harriet is a huge activist. Elizabeth also lives in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Furthermore, Harriet and Elizabeth had important conversations and went to a protest together.

Book: Not talked about or mentioned at all.

The Ending

Show: Elizabeth becomes a chemistry teacher at a local college. 

Book: Elizabeth (is assumed) to return to Hastings as the Head of Chemistry. 

To sum up this entire article: read or watch Lessons in Chemistry, it’s great. I love it. I think it’s a deeper show, but it has so many light moments that it feels satisfying to watch/read. 10/10 Recommendation. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: A Growth Mindset for Teens

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A Growth Mindset for Teens by Sydney Sheppard offers an empowering guide for teenagers transitioning from teen to young adulthood. Addressing the pressures of school, relationships, family, and societal expectations, this book is a lifesaver for me and those overwhelmed by uncertainty and self-doubt.

This book emphasizes the universal struggle that’s experienced by millions of young people. There are times in our lives when we feel anxiety and inadequacy; realizing we are not alone in our inadequacy really helps empower us. A Grow Mindset for Teens breaks down the concept of a growth mindset by comparing and contrasting it with a fixed mindset. Understanding differences, myths, and facts provide a powerful catalyst for change.

The book’s practical approach is its strength. The author provides many strategies for developing resilience and persistence, making the readers feel it’s all possible.

The neuroplasticity and cognitive reframing section offers readers concrete methods to rewire their thinking patterns and mindsets. Self-compassion, empathy, and gratitude introduce a holistic approach to personal growth, reminding readers that emotional well-being and mental work are equally important.

The 31-day growth mindset is a great challenge, making the journey interactive and engaging for me. I’m sure other teen readers as well. The book encourages readers to do uncomfortable things and step away from their family and friends. The discussion fosters a sense of community and gives the readers a sense of reinforcement for the concept learned. Also, growth is experienced as a collaboration between self and community.  

I like the author’s supportive tone, which helps me to feel reassured, supportive, and motivational throughout the book. t makes me feel like a mentor is guiding me throughout the book.

A Grow Mindset encourages readers to take ownership of their growth journey. This promotes and provides young people with a skill set to be more confident and open-minded to transition from teen to more mature young adult.

The book’s message is clear: What you think you will see. Our thinking will shape your reality.

I highly recommend this book, A Grow Mindset for Teens, as it is an invaluable resource and lessens my doubt about the complexities of emerging into the adult world. This book gives practical advice that equips us as young readers with the skills we need to thrive. Let’s Turn fear into empowerment, confidence, and breakthrough. A Grow Mindset for Teens is about confidently becoming the best version of yourself.

Let’s grow!

Bella H.

Why you should read Giovanni’s Room

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NO SPOILERS

James Baldwin has quickly risen to become my favorite author of all time. I am someone who does not read romance books and actively refrains from reading books where the plot is solely on a romantic relationship. However, Baldwin’s writing style is very attractive to me. He has the ability to make someone fall in love with just the way he describes a room.

Giovanni’s Room is about an American named David, engaged to a faceless woman determined to “find herself” in Spain. Much like his fiancee, David uses every excuse to stay in their respective foregin country, delaying the marriage for months, although neither will admit it. As David starts to decline into debt he seeks help from his friend at a gay bar when he meets an Italian bartender whose childish emphaticness is in direct contradiction to the pessimistic American. David struggles with self- acceptance, denying to both himself and Giovanni of ever having feelings with a man before. This eats at him during the relationship as he feels both pleasure and shame at once. Throughout the book there is an impending doom, a clock counting down the days when David’s fiancée will eventually return to finalize the marriage, and David withholds this from Giovanni. Although this relationship was destined to turn tragic, they can’t help but becoming intertwined. Giovanni’s Room is about guilt, self-acceptance, and love.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

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Paperboy: Vawter, Vince: 9780385742443: Amazon.com: Books

Imagine taking on a job that’s way bigger than you expected—especially when you have to do it alone. That’s exactly what happens to 11-year-old Victor when he takes over a paper route in his Memphis neighborhood. Victor stutters, which makes it hard for him to talk to people and leaves him feeling different from everyone else. I found it inspiring how something as simple as delivering newspapers turns into a summer of bravery and self-discovery for Victor.

One part of the story I really liked was Victor’s relationship with Mr. Spiro, one of the people on his paper route. Mr. Spiro isn’t just a kind customer—he becomes a mentor to Victor, helping him see that his voice is important, even if he stutters. The notes Mr. Spiro writes for Victor are thoughtful and full of wisdom. Reading about their bond made me realize how much a single person’s kindness can change someone’s life.

Then there’s Ara T, the thief who brings danger into Victor’s world. Ara T is the total opposite of Mr. Spiro. He’s sneaky and scary, and when he steals from Victor’s house, it forces Victor to face his fears. I could feel Victor’s nervousness during these parts, and I was amazed by how he found the courage to stand up to Ara T. It showed me that bravery isn’t about being fearless—it’s about doing the right thing, even when you’re scared.

Victor’s housekeeper, Mam, was another character I really connected with. She’s tough, protective, and always there for Victor, especially when things get dangerous. Mam reminded me of people in my life who are always looking out for me, no matter what. Her strength gave Victor the confidence he needed to handle the challenges he faced that summer.

What I loved most about Paperboy was how real and relatable Victor’s journey felt. It wasn’t just about overcoming a stutter—it was about growing as a person and learning to face life head-on. This book taught me that everyone has challenges, but those challenges can make us stronger. If you’re looking for a story with heart, inspiration, and unforgettable characters, I highly recommend Paperboy.

-Adarsh V.

Paperboy by Vince Vawter is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.