Category Archives: Book Reviews

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a must-read. An absolute must read, no doubts about it. 

Told in the first-person perspective of Jane herself, it’s a story about her life, written almost in an auto-biography style, though the book is indeed fictional. Beginning during Jane’s loveless childhood where she lives with her cruel, unfeeling Aunt and cousins as an orphaned little girl and then later transitioning to her life in a strict girl’s boarding school, Jane then goes on to become a teacher for a couple of years before applying herself to become a governess. She then finds herself a good job as the governess of a young French girl in a manor named Thornfield Hall, home of the brooding, seldom-seen owner, Mr. Rochester. 

Though there can be no doubt that the book does revolve around the romance that takes place in Jane’s life, the book is about Jane and her as a person more than it is anyone else. Her beautiful reflections and mature understandings of life are insightful and filled with deep wisdom and truth, often taking center stage in the book. I found myself admiring Jane many times as I read through the book simply due to how steadfast she is in staying true to herself and her beliefs. Jane exhibits this often throughout the book, refusing to step down in the face of opposition, to cave under pressure, even when it pains her greatly to do so, and instead, constantly striving to adhere to her values.

Due to this trait, Jane as a character can be described as altogether independent, brave, and steadfast, but also someone who has a heavy feeling and emotive heart, a desire for purpose, and a quiet, contemplative exterior. 

Jane is the perfect embodiment of a strong female character, but even in being so, she is not un-feminine or unfeeling, but quite the opposite, with a garnered heart that loves and is inclined to serve and care. 

With everything that makes up Jane and who she is, this masterpiece of a character feels too real to be fictional. This is much accredited to  Charlotte Bronte’s beautifully descriptive, explanatory way of writing which is what breathes life into the story. The beautiful language, the common appearance of beautiful places in nature, the slow-moving get captivating plot along with the different characters that you meet along the way altogether creates the perfect read. 

But the true heart and soul of the story lies within Jane. The book is titled Jane Eyre, for what I believe is the sole purpose being that Jane is the story. And I promise you, Jane is worth every single page of reading this book.

-Aisha

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

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This is an amazing story. I highly recommend you read it. 

When Suzanne Swanson learns about how her former best friend, Franny Jackson, drowned during the summer, she is immediately convinced that there was something else that caused her death. Her mother’s explanation, “Sometimes things just happen”, Suzy believes, is not the truth. 

Suzy stops talking to everyone. She begins to think that silence is better than talking. It sometimes means more than someone’s words. 

Her search for an answer leads to many interesting facts and a possible suspect: jellyfish. Especially when she finds out so much about them during a school field trip visit to the aquarium. I also loved how this book features lots of amazing facts about jellyfish.

During Suzy’s research, she finds lots of different experts on jellyfish and decides that she should visit one of those experts and ask them to help her prove how her former best friend really died. More fueled than ever, Suzy is determined to help bring the truth into the light.

The book follows Suzy as she tries to find out the whole story and grieves this loss. She is devastated that, as she calls it, ‘The Worst Thing’ took place before she was able to make up with Franny for the terrible scene that unfolded thanks to Suzy.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I hope we can watch the movie soon. 

The Thing About Jellyfish has an amazing story and succeeds in making the reader want to keep reading more and more of the book. Filled with valuable life lessons and a wide range of character personalities, this best-seller is a novel you should read.

-Peri A.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Cellar by Natasha Preston

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The Cellar by Natasha Preston is a novel about a teenage girl who is abducted by a man with psychological issues. The girl’s name is Summer; she has a great life with a loving boyfriend. One night, she was out walking alone when she was captured by the man who called himself Clover. Clover had an obsession with flowers and women. He spent much of his life after his mother died trying to “collect” his pure flowers. He would abduct young girls and force them to live in a cellar and call them his flowers. The girls who lived in the cellar had been there for years or months. They were giving up on escaping. Summer who became Lily was confident her boyfriend would come to find her. However as days turned into months, she felt her identity as Summer slip away and had lost all hope.

This novel is a fantastic read; it keeps you on your toes the entire time. I find that the backstory for Clover is fascinating and shows how he ended up becoming a monster. His underlying insecurities from his mother’s treatment of him as a child prove how people often learn their behavior from others. This novel also brings to light the importance of friendship, family, and courage. It shows how women can come together in the roughest of times and support each other. Despite the dark story behind Clover, it still highlights the goodness we have in this world.

Overall, I recommend this novel to people who enjoy stories related to mystery, psychology, and friendship.

-Ellie B.

The Cellar by Natasha Preston is available as a free download from Overdrive.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brenden Kieley

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With all that has been going on in the world as of late, I thought it would be a perfect time to recommend one of my favorite books.

Similar to The Hate U Give, All American Boys is a captivating story about racial injustice and while it was released quite a while ago, it has always maintained its relevance especially in today’s current social climate. 

Written by two authors and two different perspectives, All American Boys is about two teenagers, Rashard and Quinn, and how they will stand up for the racism that Rashard faces once he gets falsely accused of stealing in a grocery store and the many injustices he faces afterward. 

From the beginning, this book had something that as different from other fictional books I’ve read about racial injustice and one of which is dual perspectives. I absolutely adored the different points of view and the fact they were each written by different authors made them all the more enjoyable. With the dual perspectives, it gave the book a deeper meaning and showed how one part of the community could stay silent about the issues of injustice (Quinn’s) and how another community rallied for it. 

One of the main themes of this book is loyalty. From the catalyst event moving onwards Quinn deals with the fact that maybe his loyalty lies in the wrong people. For example, his best friends brother was the police officer that cruelly manhandled Rashard and escalated the situation that shouldn’t have even been an issue in the first place. Throughout the book Quinn is trying to hold onto the trust and security not only with his best friend but his brother, who he also has a close bond with. 

This story is so captivating and powerful that I finished it in one sitting. From start to finish I was hooked, and I can almost guarantee that you would as well. 

Though Rashard’s story though fictional is very much a reality for what a lot of people of color face. But in most cases, the victim doesn’t get justice. This book shows the privilege some people live in for their lives to continue as though nothing has happened. It also serves as a reminder that when something isn’t right to speak up about it. Advocate and speak out about stories of people like Rashard who can’t do it for themselves because “Rashard couldn’t come to school today.” 

In terms of reality, Rashard’s story would only be the tip of the iceberg. Racial inequality is still very much alive and is being brought up not only in fiction but in daily life. So stay aware and advocate!

-Asli B.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brenden Kieley is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by the well-known Robert Louis Stevenson, is a dark story that has a very intelligent meaning behind it. 

The story begins with a respected lawyer named Mr. Utterson, listening to his friend Enfield tell a chilling story of assault. The story describes a figure named Mr. Hyde, who tramples a young girl, and disappears into a door on the street, only to make an appearance when the onlookers call him out to pay his respects to the girl and her relatives. They agree not to discuss the situation further because they do not approve of gossip. However, it happens that one of Mr. Utterson’s clients, Dr. Jekyll, has a written will transferring all of his property to the same Mr. Hyde. Out of curiosity, Utterson does his own research by first making a visit to Dr. Lanyon. Lanyon reports that he no longer sees much of Jekyll ever since their dispute over Jekyll’s research, which Lanyon refers to as “unscientific balderdash”.

Then, Utterson encounters Mr. Hyde at the home in which he trampled the young girl, and he is amazed at how ugly and deformed the man seems. A year goes by with not much commotion over the situation until a servant girl witnesses Hyde brutally beat a member of Parliament and a client of Utterson to death. The police contact Utterson, and he immediately suspects Hyde and leads the police to Hyde’s personal address. However, upon arrival at the apartment, the murderer has vanished, and the police search proves futile. Shortly thereafter, Utterson again visits Jekyll, who now claims to have ended all relations with Hyde. He shows Utterson a note, allegedly written by Hyde, apologizing for the trouble he caused and saying goodbye. That night, however, Utterson’s clerk points out that Hyde’s handwriting bears a remarkable similarity to Jekyll’s own. Over the next few months, Jekyll acts very sociably and friendly until he abruptly cuts off ties with all people after the suspicious death of Lanyon. Then, one day, Jekyll’s butler, Poole, storms into Utterson’s house, pleading for help with his master. The two travel to Jekyll’s laboratory where they are shocked to find the body of Hyde, wearing Jekyll’s clothes and dead by suicide, and a letter from Jekyll to Utterson promising to explain everything. Jekyll opens the letter from Lanyon at home to find a chilling message that his death was caused by the shock of seeing Mr. Hyde metamorphose into Dr. Jekyll. The rest of the story dives into Jekyll’s dilemma about metamorphosis and his cry for help. As much as he tries to control it, Jekyll starts to subconsciously turn into Hyde. Jekyll understands that his other persona, Hyde, is a danger to society, and he debates committing suicide, and the novel closes with the end of Jekyll’s letter. 

This story, by Robert Louis Stevenson, can be very chilling and mysterious. Behind the complicated story that Stevenson wrote, there is actually a deeper meaning behind it. The author was trying to get into the concept of brain duality, which is why he emphasized the contrast between Jekyll and Hyde so heavily. Overall, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a very entertaining and mysterious story, which has a deeper meaning behind it.

-Karis K, 9th grade

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

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Moby Dick (1819 — 1891) is a long sea novel published in 1851 by Herman Melville, an American novelist in the 19th century. The novel describes the story of Captain Ahab’s pursuit and killing of Moby Dick, a white sperm whale, and his final death together with the white whale. The story creates an atmosphere in which people are exposed to various dangers and even death at any time. It is the representative work of the author. The movie Moby Dick released on June 27, 1956 is based on the novel.

Ahab, captain of the Peron, who, in the course of a whale hunt, was bitten off a leg by the fierce and clever Moby Dick, the white whale, was so intent on revenge that he lost his reason and became a dictating paranoiac. He sailed almost all over the world until he met Moby Dick. After three days of pursuing, he struck the white whale with a harpoon, but the ship was wrecked by the white whale, and Ahab, entangled by the harpoon’s rope, fell into the sea. The whole crew went overboard, and only Ishmael the sailor was saved.

In 1839, Melville began his life at sea, working as a steward on a ship bound for Liverpool, England. Two years later, he worked as a sailor on a whaler, hunting whales in the South Pacific. About a year and a half later, he fled the boat with a good friend and later boarded a whaling ship from Sydney. Unfortunately, he got aught up in the ship’s rebellion and was imprisoned in a makeshift prison. Melville managed to escape and lived in Calabria for months before taking a boat to Honolulu. Soon he became a sailor and cruised the Pacific until he returned to Boston in 1844. Melville’s voyages and adventures became the main material for his early works.

-Coreen C.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Return of the King - Wikipedia

After the previous installments in the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy, the last novel, The Return of the King, is not to be missed. In it, the fate of the both former Fellowship of the Ring and the quest of the Ringbearer are revealed in the same rich literature that is characteristic of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The war against Sauron the Dark Lord is not going well. The great city of Minas Tirith is already under siege by the great army of Mordor, and its allies in Gondor are nearing the same fate. The only hope for the armies of the West is if the Ringbearer, Frodo the hobbit, succeeds in his quest to destroy the One Ring, for then and only then can Sauron be defeated.

However, Frodo, too, has reached obstacles in his journey to Mount Doom. He and his companion Samwise must muster up the last reserves of their strength to take on the uphill battle that is the destruction of the One Ring, and face the unavoidable fact that, even if they should succeed, they will never return home to tell the tale.

In the exhilarating finale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, danger is more present than ever, and the heroes must face the daunting task of saving Middle-Earth as they know it. The Return of the King is a fitting end to the incredible trilogy, and should not be missed for the world.

-Mahak M.

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

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The fictional novel The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann begins on the day of the Purge, which is when all 13-year-olds get sorted into Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds. In the land of Quill, any form of art or creativity is a grave crime and is strictly prohibited. If someone were to violate this rule, they would be proclaimed Unwanted and would be killed. 

On the yearly Purge, Aaron Stowe is pronounced a Wanted, but his twin brother Alex is declared an Unwanted. When Alex is taken to his expected execution in a bus filled with other teenagers, he finds out that the Unwanteds have been hiding in the magical place of Artime. So, while Aaron earns himself a high government position, Alex enjoys this enchanted land where creativity is encouraged instead of punished. Plus, Artime has magic, so all the Unwanteds take delight in learning how to turn invisible and create origami dragons that fly. 

Although they are far apart, being twins, Alex and Aaron Stowe still share a link with each other. Soon, the dry land of Quill learns about the secret Unwanteds paradise, and launches into war. 

The battle between Artime and Quill is captivating, and although this book ends on a cliffhanger, it is easily one of my favorite novels. In my opinion, the best aspect of this book is the unique storyline, because it is unlike anything I have previously read. As a reader who prefers adventurous novels, I definitely think this book reaches my expectations, and manages to hold my attention cover-to-cover. The Unwanteds is part of a larger series with even more thrilling events, new characters, and unpredictable plot lines–perfect for your next reading spree.

-Ayati M.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is the well-known story of a miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge.  Scrooge hates everyone.  He mistreats his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit.  All Scrooge cares about is making money.  To Christmas he says, “Bah, Humbug!”  On one Christmas Eve, he leaves work to return to his dark and dreary home.  Strange things begin to happen.  Scrooge is home alone as usual, but he sees and hears things out of the ordinary.  He dismisses these at first, until suddenly, to his astonishment, the ghost of his partner appears to him.  Jacob Marley, his long-dead business partner, is wearing heavy chains.  Marley explains to Scrooge that his chains were formed during his lifetime by evil and selfish deeds, and now he must carry them through the afterlife.  Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer the same fate if he does not change his ways.

As the familiar story goes, Scrooge is visited by three additional spirits.  The spirits show Scrooge the importance of caring for other people.  Gradually, Scrooge realizes the error of his former ways, and finally resolves to change his life.  When he awakes on Christmas morning, he goes about spreading Christmas cheer, even to the surprise of Cratchit and his family.

I love this book and its inspiring message.  To me, this is a book about change.  Scrooge seemed like a person who would never change his ways.  But even he was able to change.  He learned the value of kindness toward others.  He also learned to care for those less fortunate than him.

This book is quite short compared to many of Dickens’ other books, but for good reason this is considered one of his masterpieces.  As we expect from Charles Dickens, the book is extremely well-written and wonderfully descriptive.  Take for example his description of the city streets:  “The house-fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground.”

Dickens masterfully describes many contrasting images throughout the book.  On the one hand we see haunting ghosts and miserable living conditions, but we also see hope and cheerfulness, and finally the redemption of a miserly old man.  This book is highly enjoyable to read and we can learn many lessons from it.  It is great to read around Christmas, but I would recommend it any time of the year.

-Oliver H.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol–along with every variation–is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

1984 by George Orwell

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1984 was a political novel by George Orwell, a British left-wing writer, published in 1949. In 1984, the world was divided among three superpowers — Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. Wars broke out among the three countries, and the social structure inside the three countries was completely broken. Extreme measures such as breaking families suppress people’s thoughts and instincts were implemented, the government controls people’s behavior with a “telescreen” under surveillance and monitoring function.

In this work, Orville deeply analyzes the totalitarian society, and depicts a suffocating and terrifying hypothetical future society with the ultimate goal of power, projecting the totalitarian nature of real life through the detailed depiction of the life of an ordinary person in this society. The author, through the psychological and linguistic description of the hero Winston, expresses his resentment towards the public’s numbness, as if all the people in Oceania were indifferent towards this evil society. The author’s writing always reveals a kind of satire on totalitarian rule and the utopian ideal.

Although the final result is a failure, the struggling process is of eternal value. The underground love between Winston and Julia, the hero, could not survive the torture, but the flame of love gives us a good hope of humanity. Winston and Julia’s love failed, but after all, they had blossomed in the face of harsh reality. It is conceivable that similar love will blossom and bear fruit in the future.

1984 by George Orwell is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.