Book Summary & Review: Whale Done

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Whale Done, written by Stuart Gibbs, is the eighth novel in the mystery series FunJungle. In this adventure, Teddy Fitzroy heads to Malibu with his girlfriend Summer after his house is burnt down. When arriving at the mansion Teddy is staying at, the sleuths quickly discover the dead washed-up whale on the beach. However, something seems extra fishy–besides the stench of the dead whale. Before Teddy, Summer, Doc, and Cass (a Marine Biologist and close friend of Doc) can continue the autopsy, the whale explodes. On top of this fiasco, a local surfer named Sharky claims sand is being stolen from a nearby beach.

Teddy and Summer find their hands full with two mysteries. Closely after the explosion of the whale, the crew finds two college students fleeing from the scene. The detectives quickly chase after them and manage to catch one of the students, Chase. After extensive questioning, Teddy finds that Chase and Scooter (the other student) were tricked and framed by an anonymous woman. 

Later in the book, Teddy and Summer have conflicts in their relationship, and Teddy is forced to question the status of their relationship. Although they have hardships, Teddy continues to investigate with Doc and Cass. The small team finds that actor Jackson Cross who is deep into bankruptcy has been stealing sand to extend his property size, to make his house more appealing to buyers. Soon after, Teddy and Summer attend a movie premiere, which forces them to be together once again. When the movie finishes, the couple goes to an after-party, where they discover who the culprit of the dead whale is.

They find that Tris, a PR worker, who works for a shipping company caused the explosion of the whale by convincing the students to blow it up. She did this to protect the company TransPacific from having a PR fiasco and was paid much in return. (The ship bumped into the whale because they did not stay on maritime routes. This caused the death of the whale.) Whale Done ends with Teddy uncovering the truth of the two mysteries, and reconciling his relationship with Summer.

Personally, I thought that this was entertaining, however, it was not the best. I’ve read a lot of Stuart Gibb’s books, specifically the FunJungle series. Over the years, I feel that his books have become slightly repetitive and predictable. Despite this, Whale Done kept me on my toes and was exciting to read. I enjoyed the character development of Teddy and Summer, this was a great bonus. If you are looking for a short and easy book to read, I would recommend the FunJungle series or any book written by Gibbs.

You can read this book at the Mission Viejo Library. It is available as an E-Book and Audiobook from Libby as well.

Movie Review: The Iron Claw

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NO SPOILERS

Iron Claw was one of my favorite movies to have come out last year in 2023. Based on a true story, the Von Erichs were a prominent wrestling family that thrived on their ranch in Texas.

This movie has a strong emphasis on family and the bond of brothers, all intertwined in the toxicity of obsession within the sport of wrestling. There were 5 sons in this movie, all of which are destined, by their father, to become something great. This is obviously very toxic yet the brother’s will to survive not just their father but the expectations the world had on the great, wrestling family, does not seep into their relationships with one another.

Zac Efron plays Kevin Von Erich, whose connection to his brothers and emphasis on family is his main will to live. The family battle health conditions, expressing emotions whether as a man or a repressed woman, and learning how to live for yourself.

My review: personally, I’m not a huge fan of sports movies but I really liked this one since sports weren’t the main focus, I would reccomend if you liked: Everything Everywhere all at Once, Waves, Hereditary, and The Little Prince.

Iron Claw is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: Rana Joon and the One & Only Now

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This story, following a music-loving teenager named Rana in 1996 California is one full of love, love for writing, love for music, and love for other people. It narrates the life of Rana, reeling from the death of her best friend and finding her own talent through a haze of loneliness and unsettling family dynamics.

I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I read it on a whim because I like the cover art, and was left crying by the end of it. Author Shideh Etaat finds the perfect balance between fiction and reality through the storytelling of Rana. As a lover of rap music and Tupac, I felt the story was incredibly compelling and relatable, even to the teens of today.

Rana’s family is a main focus of the book, and the dynamic between herself, her mother, her brother, and her father is one that is almost identical to a myriad of South Asian families in present-day California, the bridge between immigrant parents and first-generation children growing longer and wider as time goes on.

The book explores themes of queerness in immigrant families, a flawed main character learning how to live for the first time, and how the people around us can shape our experiences and our enjoyment of life itself over time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a deep, thoughtful, funny read about love, life, loss, and how both writing and music can bring people together through anything. I could read this over and over again and still never get bored of the, frankly, beautiful writing that Etaat portrays as Rana’s as she learns to navigate her own life with herself at the helm.

Tanvi G.

Rana Joon and the One & Only Now by Shideh Etaat is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Tips for Incoming Sophomores!

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Hey everyone!

The new school year is coming up in a couple of weeks and if you are an incoming sophomore as I was last year, I have some quick tips for you to make sure you get a good start!

  1. This year I would focus on taking more of the harder classes, and making sure you get a good grade in that class. Whether it’s a humanities, math, or a science course, you need those courses as a sort of pre-req into the classes for junior year. For example, at our high school, people who take AP European history sophomore year is oftentimes more prepared for APUSH junior year because you have the foundation of not only history knowledge, but also how to outline (* which is super important btw!!!).
  2. Also, this is the time of year for you to start getting to know which sort of courses you like? Are you into more of the science classes, math, maybe English? Or perhaps it’s an elective course, like AP Seminar/AP Research/AP Comp Sci, etc. Colleges like to know what you are interested in, so it’s time to dive deep and find which courses suit or interest you!
  3. The SAT requirement is starting back up at a lot of the UC schools and Ivy league schools as well! This means you should start prepping for the SAT early on, preferably starting in sophomore year summer! The information presented in the SAT may look easy at first glance, but they test you on a wide range of knowledge, so be prepared!
  4. It is also time to get the extracurriculars in order as well! If you want to suceed and make your own path through high school, it’s crucial to start building a strong extracurricular profile. Whether you’re passionate about a sport, a club, volunteering, or perhaps something more unique like starting your own initiative, now is the time to dive in. Colleges appreciate commitment, so sticking with an activity and taking on leadership roles can really make your application stand out.
  5. Lastly, don’t forget to also have those moments to destress. High school is tough, but it’s important to find a balance. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and setting aside time to relax and enjoy your high school experience. Especially sleep!!! I know we all pull all-nighters from time to time, but sleep is important for you to function!

Good luck sophomores! Junior year awaits you 🙂

Walt Disney World: Things to Know and Places to Visit

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In May of 1965, Walt Disney Productions purchased almost 28,000 acres of land in an area southwest of Orlando using multiple dummy corporations. On October 15, Disney decided to announce its creation by asking the Governor of Florida to confirm the rumors of a new location, calling it “the greatest attraction in the history of Florida.” This resort, opened officially on October 1st, 1971, is what we now know as the Walt Disney World Resort. It includes 4 different parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. The now 50,000-acre property also includes various other locations, including water parks, a sports complex, and various golf courses.

Some things to know

  • Stay hydrated. The Florida weather, especially during summer, can be pretty extreme, due to high humidity and heat, and staying hydrated can help visitors withstand the conditions.
  • Stay cool. Find air conditioning, or even use a portable fan to avoid the weather and reduce the risk of heat stroke.
  • Plan ahead. On average, around 160,000 people visit the resort, so making reservations and knowing where to go can make visiting easier and faster.

In addition to these 3 tips, guests should also know that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios both have a thing called virtual queues. Enter the queue online with the My Disney Experience app, which will provide a group number and an estimated time for getting in line. When the provided number is displayed on the screen above the ride’s entrance, visitors can scan their tickets and step in line. This system was implemented in 1999 to reduce the chances of overwhelming wait times.

Places to visit

Disney World is a place filled with many different and unique experiences, but some stand out among the rest. Some rides, for instance, are quit exhilarating and are worth riding such as TRON Lightcycle / Run. TRON is a unique ride located in Tomorrowland, strapping in riders as if riding a motorcycle, and hitting a top speed of 60 mph. Riding TRON at night is even more of a spectacle, as more of the lights illuminate to increase the thrill. Also an equally thrilling ride, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith accelerates to a top speed of 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds, catapulting straight into multiple twists, turns, and loops.

In addition to those two rides, Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, located in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is also very exciting. The ride is portrayed in a Tibetan village, where riders board a train and travel up and into Mount Everest. The ride features many loops and turns, but the fun starts when the train stops and plunges into the depths of the mountain at 50 miles per hour.

In addition to rides, Disney World features a very wide variety of restaurants. Epcot has 11 pavilions representing different countries around the world, allowing visitors a large pallet of places to enjoy. One example is Shiki-Sai, located in japan. Shiki-Sai offers some of the most delicious sushi one could ever taste. In addition to Japanese cuisine, Italian dining at Epcot is equally superb. Via Napoli features delicious lasagna, pasta, and their specialty Neapolitan pizza.

In all, Walt Disney World is a very exciting place, with many different opportunities and experiences for visitors to enjoy.

Books about Disney World are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Golden Key by George MacDonald

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The Golden Key is a short novel by George MacDonald. The story takes place in a mystical forest called Fairyland. Mossy is a young boy who learns from his great-aunt about a golden key hidden at the end of the rainbow. Mossy does not know what the key would unlock, but he feels a strong desire to obtain it. One evening, while Mossy is looking out of his window, a rainbow suddenly flashes across the sky.  This reminds Mossy of the golden key, so he darts out of the cottage to get closer to the rainbow. To his delight, he reaches the end of the rainbow and finds the golden key.

Meanwhile, not far away, a young girl named Tangle is chased out of her home by fairies. She is led by a strange creature known as an air-fish to the cottage of an old woman named Grandmother. Grandmother then sends out an air-fish to look for someone else. That person turns out to be Mossy. The air-fish returns with Mossy, who has the golden key in his hand.  The two children then embark on a journey to discover what the golden key will unlock.

This book is difficult to describe. It seems like a magical fairytale, but the imagery feels more intense than most children’s stories. The story is extremely mysterious and fantastical, and it seems to have profound spiritual significance. I sense that this book is intended to be an allegory, but I am not sure about its overall meaning. The main themes seem to relate to the journeys of life and death, as well as a hope in life after death. I found this book to be charming and delightful, even though I was baffled at times by its symbolism. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a dreamlike story that is deeply mystical and imaginative.

Circe by Madeline Miller: A Spoiler Free Review

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Circe by Madeline Miller is a retelling of the witch Circe from Greek Mythology. She is the daughter of the titan Helios and a nymph. The gods, fearing her witchcraft, banish her to a deserted island. Here, she forges her path – honing her craft, meeting infamous figures of mythology, and being pitted against the wrath of men and gods alike. She’s torn between the mortal and the divine, and forced to grapple with what it means to be immortal. 

I really, really enjoyed this book. It’s one of the most unique stories I’ve read, chock-full of beautiful writing and characters. It’s definitely one I’ll be rereading for a long time to come.

In Circe, I particularly enjoyed the writing. The way Madeline Miller weaves her words into prose is mesmerizing. It’s almost lyrical in its flow, natural yet riveting. I would often read the same paragraph multiple times to soak in the words. This also comes into play as Miller describes the gods. She forgoes many physical details, instead describing things like the sound of their voice and the power in their presence. You begin to fear them the way Circe does. Additionally, the passage of time from the start to the end of the book is beautiful. At the end of the book, you look back and remember all she has gone through – it feels so long ago since she first stepped onto the island. You lived through it with her, in a sense. That feeling of passed time once I finished the book for the first time was overwhelming. 

No one book is enjoyable for everyone. Circe tends to be very character-driven rather than plot-driven and relies on mostly introspective focus. She is isolated on her island, after all. Thus, there are not so many dramatic action moments as dramatic personal moments. Plus, some consider the pacing to be somewhat slow and uneven, especially towards the latter half of the book.

All in all, I enjoyed Circe’s rich, bold 385 pages. It bursts with life and thought, and it holds a proud place displayed on my bookshelf. It is definitely a recommend from me. 

Circe by Madeline Miller is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: The Scythe by Neal Shusterman

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Foretelling a possible dystopian future, the Scythe features a world of immorality ruled by a sentient, all-knowing AI called the Thunderhead. However, death is still a necessity for humans as a result of the overpopulation on earth, causing humanity to form the scythes—similar to real-life grim reapers. They are chosen from billions of humans to kill anybody they wish—be it mass murder or a public execution—and are not under the control of the Thunderhead. Featuring Citra Terranova, a newly appointed scythe apprentice, she navigates her conscience through a world a murder as she competes for the scythe position against a fellow scythe apprentice she might have to kill.

The Scythe is a heart wrenching story that leaves people wondering if this could possibly happen in the future given Earth’s direction towards AI. The author beautifully characterizes the motives and backstories all plot characters, leaving no plot hole overturned.

What I loved the most was rather than telling the obvious story of overthrowing the ‘tyrannical rule’ of the scythes, we learn the scythes’ story instead. While many people feared the scythes, not all scythes were willing to become one, similar to Citra’s situation. As a scythe, they needed to leave behind their humanity and family and walk a solitary path alone as a murderer. But even through all that, they’re still human. The author cleverly details the inner struggles of many scythes who committed suicide due to their conscience, others who lavished in the power, and finally some who killed with compassion.

Additionally, many political schemes arise in the scythe world as beliefs over mass execution vs. private murder clash. What lengths would humans go through with the power to kill anyone?

Overall, this is one of my favorite dystopian books and I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in dystopian!

The Scythe by Neal Shusterman is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The House on Mango Street

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a classic book that I believe should be read by everyone, of any age. This novel is composed of short vignettes following the life of a young girl named Esperanza living in a small house in Chicago. The descriptive storytelling style is broken up into 44 short stories, each one no more than two pages in length, totaling a little over 100 pages. It is a fairly quick and easy read, and it can be referred back to at any point without having to reread the entire thing. I first heard of this book in middle school, when I had to read about five of the vignettes. Those have stuck with me, and have continued to be some of my favorites, along with the new favorites I discovered through reading the whole book.

I believe this book should be read by anyone of any age, mainly because of the variety of characters that are introduced. Readers get to learn about Esperanza’s neighbors, who are all quirky in their own ways. We learn about Esperanza’s siblings, her friends, the younger kids on the street, the people who move in and out, the teenagers, the adults, and the elderly. Her neighbors are a diverse cast of characters who each have their own struggles in life, but they form a community on Mango Street. One of my favorite things about the novel is how it is told from the eyes of a young girl. I find that I could relate to her at any age, from reading it when I was in middle school, about the age Esperanza is in the book, but also reading it as I get older when I can see her growth and relate to other characters.

Another one of my favorite things about it is the dedication. The novel is dedicated both in English and Spanish to “The Women” or “Las Mujeres.” The House on Mango Street focuses on the female experience, highlighting female characters that Esperanza interacts with but also observes from afar. The stories about Marin and Sally highlight the struggles of being a girl and the story titled “Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut and Papaya Juice on Tuesdays” depicts Esperanza’s fear of becoming, as she describes it, a woman who sits by the window waiting for her husband. Esperanza wants to be independent, she wants a house of her own one day, that she doesn’t have to share with her entire family. I also loved how there were stories about Esperanza’s parents and her family as a whole. Rather than seeing her observe others, readers get to see someone who she really understands.

Ultimately, I loved this book and I can see myself referring back to it as I get older. If this was a required reading for you, I highly recommend taking another look at it, because it truly is an essential book for young readers. My favorite vignettes include, “My Name,” “Marin,” “Hips,” and “Beautiful and Cruel.” If you don’t read the whole book, I recommend reading those at least.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.