Book Review: Cinder

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You’ve probably heard of the Cinderella fairy tale before.

But you probably haven’t heard of the story becoming a sci-fi dystopian romance series, have you?

Marissa Meyer’s series The Lunar Chronicles is amazing. Today, we’ll just be reviewing the first book, called Cinder.

Book Blurb

In this novel, Linh Cinder is a talented mechanic and cyborg, living many years after the Fourth World War in New Beijing.

There are laws that demolish cyborg rights to nothing, and her stepmother treats her like trash, calling her junk. Her only friend is an android named Iko, who Cinder built out of spare parts.

A plague by the name of letumosis is raging through the world, killing countless people.

Cinder’s life is routine and repetitive, until Prince Kaito shows up at her mechanic stand with a repair request for a damaged android. Romance, death, adventure, and more await…

This book does contain dark themes, and the series as a whole touches on gore, death, etc. Just a friendly disclaimer!

This book absolutely hooked me right into the rest of the series: which I love to death. But let’s hop into the actual review to see if this book is right for you!

Let’s start with the pros.

Marissa Meyer does an AMAZING job of executing the plot twists, and I just love the dialogue between characters. It flows so naturally.

This story pulls you in with an engaging hook, setting up the absolute masterpieces that are the rest of the series.

The world is so immersive – the book doesn’t throw a ton of exposition at you for you to understand certain parts of the culture, world, etc.

The morality of mind control and influencing others emotions, what makes someone human, and more is tackled in this book and the rest of the series. It’s beautiful to read.

I could not recommend this book more. The series is close to my heart, and Cinder is a stellar hook to pull you in.

You might be wondering – where are the cons?

Books are subjective. Since I love this novel a TON, it was hard for me to find things I didn’t like.

It is pretty lengthy, standing at 387 pages. Cinder is also more tame compared to the rest of the series – and if you read this you’ll want to read the rest, so be wary!

If you’re looking for a dark, yet thrilling sci-fi adventure with a creative world, sparks of romance, and a wealth of references to fairy tales? This one’s for you.

(not sure if there’s anybody specifically looking for that last part, but regardless :p )

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review – The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Avery Kylie Graham’s life gets flipped around when she unexpectedly inherits billions of dollars from Tobias Hawthorne and moves into the massive Hawthorne mansion. The only catch is she must stay in the home for a year to inherit the money. The Inheritance Games, a three book series, captured my attention from the first chapter and were impossible to put down. The cinematic descriptions of the house, the school Avery attends, and the places they vacation were absolutely gorgeous. But more importantly, the complex characters were each so unique and compelling.

When Avery first enters the Hawthorne Mansion she doesn’t realize what she’s going to have to endure to be able to take the money and live her life. Puzzles left by Tobias Hawthorne lie around every corner. I was on the edge of my seat each chapter, wondering what would happen next. Nothing about the plot was predictable at all. Usually, the second book in the series is inferior to the first, but I didn’t find it that way with this series. I was never bored reading The Inheritance Games.

The Hawthorne family was very messy, and Avery was just thrown into it. Besides the feuding aunts and the missing uncle, there are four sons who she becomes close with. There’s a sprinkling of romance with one of them, but it never overshadows the impeccable plot. Besides the family, Avery’s friends from her new private school are heavily involved. You may be thinking, with so many characters it might get confusing at times. But each character is so unique its impossible to lose your place.

I highly recommend checking out this series!

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Bad Beginning

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Written by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events is an iconic book series following the miserable lives of the Baudelaire children after the untimely death of their parents.

The series starts with The Bad Beginning, which takes place immediately as Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are informed of their parent’s deaths. They are sent to live with their “closest living” relative, Count Olaf. He is a terrible caregiver, forcing the children to work and work and work all day, cook full meals for him and his acting troop, and even going as far as to slap them when they disobey. It becomes clear quite quickly that he is after their large fortune left behind by their parents, which is to be locked away until Violet is of age.

The book culminates with the performance of The Marvelous Marriage, a play secretly written by Count Olaf himself in order to trick 14-year-old Violet into marrying him, in order to gain access to her family fortune. However, the siblings trick him back by writing her name on the certificate with her left hand and not her right, leading to it not being written in “her own hand”. Count Olaf evades the police (because most all adults are incompetent in this series), which leads to the next book, titled The Reptile Room.

I remember reading this book for the first time when I was about 8 years old, and having to put it down because it was “too scary”. I don’t know quite what I found scary about it, looking back. I only picked it up again a few years later because I was a big girl at that point. I wasn’t scared of the monster under my bed anymore or anything. I actually really enjoyed it. Though, unfortunately, I have not technically read all of them. I (up to this point) have been unable to get my grubby little hands on a copy of every book, and thus far my knowledge is limited to the first book, the Netflix TV series, and many reads of the Wiki Fandom.

The Bed Beginning by Lemony Snicket is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Does A Perfect Day Really Exist?

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This is just a short little post of me thinking about life, but a question that has been on my mind lately is “does a perfect day really exist?” What even is perfect?

Some sources on the internet say that a perfect day happens when ‘everything goes just the way you’ve planned it to be’, and I guess that is possible- to an extent. Can every little detail really go the way you’ve planned it to be? I don’t believe in perfect days, but I do believe that some people who consider themselves to have perfect days don’t really have perfect days, but rather happier and more positive mindsets. Though on that note, I think that if you want to at least have an okay day, you need to have some general conditions/expectations set in place that you want to be vaguely fulfilled. Those expectations also need to be reasonable because you can’t just claim that you need the atmosphere to be 62 degrees Fahrenheit at 10:31 AM to have a perfect day (even though nobody would probably do that). The weather has its own agenda going on for itself.

I have tried to have perfect days on purpose, and it never works, at least in my experience. In fact, things seem to go even more wrong when I’m consciously focused on doing them right. In the rare occasion in which things do spontaneously go according to plan, I’m always interrupted by some thought or event that doesn’t exactly ruin my day, but ruins my ‘rhythm’ (not my mood, they’re kind of different, I can’t really explain it!). The event wouldn’t even necessarily have to be bad, but more of something I wouldn’t have been expecting/wanting at that moment.

But I guess these average days are always just a reminder for me that life is real. Everyone and everything around us has its own plan, and the Earth doesn’t adapt to us- we need to adapt to it. So I think the key to having an above-average or at least a pretty good day is to try your best, surround yourself with everything that makes you happy, and live and love the mundane 🙂

All the Light We Can Not See: (Contains some Spoilers)!

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Last week, I finished reading the book, “All the Light We Can Not See.” It is a beautiful book about life in World War 2, and how a German boy and a Jewish girl from different sides of the conflict try to be good to one another. Marie Laure, a Jewish girl, escapes with her father during the war and lives with their grandfather, Etienne. On the other side, Werner Pfennig, a German boy, wants nothing more than to join the exclusive training camp and not end up like his father, working in the mines.

The book is complicated, and the perspective jumps from Marie Laure, to Werner, to other unknown characters you will just have to keep reading to find out. My favorite aspect of the book is the unexpected surprises this book holds. For example, in most books, the main characters don’t usually die, but in this book, Werner dies by stepping on a landmine. Talk about not watching your step. Come on, you’re in a WAR ZONE! But anyway, one thing that did surprise me was how this book was actually quite poetic. It talks about World War 2, and when you start reading it, some parts, to be brutally honest, just don’t make sense. But Anthony Doerr wrote this book in such a way that it deeply saddens you, but throughout the book, teaches you that people can be good to each other, no matter where they are from. During some parts of the book, I was actually about to cry! There are some characters that are evil, but they all have reasons to be that way. Gloomy but heartwarming, this book would be good for people who should be reminded of the good in life and can handle a gritty ending.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

The Bone Witch By Rin Chupeco

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Tea is an outcast in her village because of her TODA – a feared magic type. Tea didn’t want to be a Bone witch, but her powerful magic couldn’t be denied. After she accidentally raises her brother from death, Tea discovers she is destined to be the dark Asha, the one everyone dreaded and feared.

The Bone Witch is a nested story with vivid, detailed world-building and well-drawn characters. Tea, the protagonist, is particularly compelling. Throughout the book, you can see that her relationship with other characters, like her mentor and brother, is rich and complex. Their dynamics are often surprising and unexpected. Chupeco crafted and weaved magic and exquisite details in every chapter, making the readers want more. The other bone witches’ unique abilities and personalities are fascinating to learn about and add depth and complexity to the story.

The plot of The Bone Witch is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Chupeco does an excellent job of keeping you guessing and building tension throughout the story. There are moments of heartbreak and triumph, and the ending leaves you eager to learn more about Tea and her world.

The Bone Witch is worth checking out for fantasy fans and anyone looking for an exciting, immersive read with a cliffhanger ending. It’s a good read for readers in seventh grade and up. The Bone Witch is available to borrow on Libby, and last I checked at Mission Viejo Library.

Rin Chupeco’s world characters are memorable, and her world-building skills are top-knot; an exciting and intricate world filled with unique characters and a gripping plot. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s series!

Happy Reading!

Bella H.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Fahrenheit 451: Book Review

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I read this book in ninth grade English this year and it was one of my favorite books that we read this year!

I have always been a fan of sci-fi books and reading it actually brought me more insight on the dangers of the futuristic society that we might face sooner or later.

In Fahrenheit 451, the futuristic society is controlled by the government. People are emotionless, have no depth, and just can’t care less about anything. Most people consider the word, “family”, as having the latest gadgets such as T.V parlors and less about human interaction and love between husband and spouse.

The main character in the book, Guy Montag, has a breakthrough after meeting his new neighbor, Clarisse. Montag’s job is a fireman, which in this futuristic world they burn books and houses instead of protecting houses from fires. Kind of ironic isn’t it? Clarisse sees the world much more differently than Montag and introduces him to the tiny aspects of nature that makes it worthwhile to live for such as the dewdrops on grass and just looking up at the moon sometimes.

He compares what Clarisse says to his life right now: Mildred, his wife, doesn’t care for him at all and considers the T.V. parlor as her makeshift family. She also overdoses on sleeping pills, which is symbolic since she knows she unhappy but at the same time she doesn’t know why.

He also had a big turning point as well when he watches a woman burn herself alive in the fire with her books rather than live in a world without them. Montag even questions to himself after and says, “there must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

There are so many foils in this book, its amazing how Bradbury added so many in a short novel that’s a little more than a hundred pages. You can clearly see the comparisons he’s trying to make with our society and the one he’s created.

Also, Bradbury wrote this book in the 1950s, which means that the things he created in the book such as seashells (now known as modern-day airpods), parlors (T.V that spans the whole wall), and even the mechanical hound (robot dogs) now has been created.

A little more on the mechanical hound: our teacher sent this link the other day saying that “Bradbury really knew it was coming”. The link is down below:

https://abc7.com/robot-dog-lapd-city-council-vote/13290121/

Anyway, a quick summary, the LA police department decided to press the OK button on their proposal to accept donations on funding for a mechanical police dog. Obviously there’s a lot of controversy on this. But, amazing how Bradbury predicted this right?!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby

Book Review: The Heroes of Olympus The Mark of Athena

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The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is the third book within the Heroes of Olympus series. Within this book, the seven demi-gods mentioned in the prophecy of the seven finally meet up and begin their quest. Of those seven demi-gods, this book shows the P.OV. of the four of them who are Greek demi-gods, namely Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena, Piper McLean daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez son of Hephestus.

Moving more into the plot now, this book places a lot of emphasis on the struggles and furthermore, the doubts of the protagonists. With Percy we see him being to think more about his role on the team, his fatal flaw of loyalty, and how that affects him. Percy is grappling with the fact that he is insanely loyal and protective of his friends and therefore struggles with letting them go and do their own thing because he’s worried that if they do and they get hurt it will be his fault.

With Annabeth we mostly see her struggling with her doubts about if she can complete the quest her mother gave her. Basically, Annabeth is given the task of following the Mark of Athena and recovering the Athena Parthenos, which was stolen by the Romans several years before the story started and is now in the hands of the antagonists. This quest becomes even more important when it is learned that the recovery of the statue is important to fixing the gods’ case of fantasy dissociative identity disorder(don’t ask).

Piper’s issue is honestly mostly petty drama with her boyfriend who spends most of this book passed out so we’re skipping over that dumpster fire to talk about Leo. So Leo’s issue is due to the fact that he is something of the odd man out in the group of heroes. Leo has a lot of issues combining to make him the proverbial black sheep with the two most notable being that his being possessed by ghosts at the start of the book starts a fair bit of the book’s conflict and the fact that he is the only member of the seven to not be in a relationship. The second one may seem minor by comparison but given that there are several points where he is referred to as a seventh wheel it’s pretty clear that it affects him a lot.

I honestly have to say that I enjoyed this book more than the previous two in the series. Not that the first two were bad it’s just that most of the “character development” there was a character getting over trauma related to one of their powers or with Percy and Jason dealing with their amnesia (long story). In conclusion, I would say that this series is definitely a good one and that its author really earned his title of “the storyteller of the gods.”

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

All the Bright Places – Book Review

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All the Bright Places is one of my favorite books of all time, and I can’t even remember how many times I have re-read it. It spreads awareness on the topic of suicide, the importance of balanced mental health, overcoming grief, etc. through a captivating and lovely yet heart-breaking plot. I was seriously invested, and this is the kind of book where it is practically impossible not to finish in one sitting.

The story follows outcast Theodore Finch, a boy with Bipolar disorder who struggles to find his identity/will to live in a harsh world and popular Violet Markey, a girl who blames herself for the death of her late sister and consequently feels like her future is in pieces. Both teens have a similar mindset at the beginning of the book where they meet on the ledge of the bell tower, and it is ‘unclear about who saves whom.’

I’ve read a lot of books, and I haven’t found one just like this. I was just walking through a Barnes and Nobles and got caught by the cool cover. Although Gen Z is extremely understanding and, in my opinion, more open/free compared to others, there is still a fair amount of stigma that comes with the discussion of sensitive topics such as the ones in this book. All the Bright Places isn’t just another book explaining why suicide is bad. It touches and talks about these topics in a way that no other novel can- any other book I’ve seen about suicide just seems kind of fake… and after reading the author’s note, the experiences and thoughts and memories in this book seem so genuine because they are real. The author herself has gone through these losses, mindsets, and abstract thoughts, which make the book feel that much alive. Another bonus is that this book really cultivated my love for women modernist authors like Virginia Woolf (one of my favorites- if not favorite writer) and Sylvia Plath. Jennifer Niven really has a way with really making you feel like you are loved and aren’t alone with your experiences, so this is one book I would have to recommend :).

(P.S. Jennifer Niven got inspired by one of her own original ideas by one of her own original characters in the book, and decided to make a blog! It’s called GermMagazine.com!)

(P.S. #2, another book by her Holding up the Universe is also amazing and touches on important teen mental health topics, too)

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

My Top 10 NBA Players

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NBA Top 100: Ranking the best players from 10-1 - Sports IllustratedThis has been a heated debate for a really long time now, and it always changes depending on each player’s performance paired with their team’s success. So, I’m going to give you guys my top 10 NBA players in the league today. 

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis is simply an unstoppable player. He’s almost impossible to guard because of his strength and athleticism. If he gets inside the paint, it’s almost a guaranteed basket. His shooting has been a weakness of his for a while, but he has been working on it and has improved. The way Giannis makes the team better along with his unbelievable skills makes him the best player in the NBA, at the moment.

  1. Stephen Curry

Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. There’s no argument to that. He has shattered records throughout his career related to his ability to shoot the three pointer along with his overall efficiency from the field. Stephen Curry is an electric offensive player that can get hot in just a few minutes and light your favorite team up for 40 points any given night. He is also a great team player, since he is willing to rebound and give up the ball to his teammates. His defense is very improved from where it used to be, and even at the age of 35 years old, Steph Curry still has a lot left in the tank. 

  1. Joel Embiid

Dominance, dominance, dominance! That’s what Joel Embiid provides the Philadelphia 76ers with every night. He averaged 33 points per game this season and was one of the best players in the league. His ability to post up, face up, and draw fouls makes him unguardable and even if you find a way to defend him, he’ll still end up drawing a foul and going to the line for two shots. 

  1. Luka Doncic

This season was a failure for Luka’s team since they failed to make the postseason. However, Luka still averaged 32 points per game along with 8 assists and 8 rebounds. Although his team’s success dropped him further down this list, he’s still an offensive machine who can do anything to get his team some points. However, his lack of defensive ability is the reason he isn’t as high on this list. 

  1. Kevin Durant

The long, lanky small forward is an offensive weapon. He can score from anywhere on the court, although he excels from the mid-range. KD can drive to the basket, pull up for a jumper, or nail a long distance three-ball. He can literally do anything on the court. Also, he can lock up on defense from time to time and swat the ball away when other players try to drive against him. KD has the potential to be number one on this list, except his injuries prevent him from staying on the court for the majority of the season like Giannis. 

  1. Lebron James

I know he’s 38, but we need to give this man his flowers! In his 20th year in the league, Lebron averaged 29 points per game! Although he isn’t as dominant as he was in his prime, James is often the best player on the court and can take over a game any time he wants to. Lebron’s shooting has improved throughout his career and he is still one of the best players in the game, even when he is much older than some other guys. 

  1. Nikola Jokic

Jokic is a two-time MVP and some people may believe that he’s much higher on this list than I put him, but I had to put him at 7th because I don’t think Jokic can take over a game like the other guys above him can. Yes, Jokic is a really valuable player to his team and is crucial to their success due to his scoring and playmaking, but he just isn’t as dominant as the other guys. If I need a bucket with my team down two points, I’d much rather ask Giannis to bulldoze his way into the paint, Steph to pull up from three, or Kevin Durant to get me a basket than ask Nikola Jokic to score. However, Nikola Jokic is an incredible basketball player and should not be dis-credited for everything he has done for the Denver Nuggets. 

  1. Jayson Tatum

The Celtics superstar is one of the top two-way players in the league and can score at will. His step back jumper makes him a lethal offensive weapon and a challenge for any player to guard. This season, he averaged 30 points per game, showing his rapid improvement even at a very young age. 

  1. Kawhi Leonard

Although Kawhi Leonard has struggled with injuries the last two seasons, he’s still an incredible player. He’s arguably the best perimeter defender in the league and one of the best scorers, too. He is gifted with some insane athleticism and strength that give him the tools he needs to impact the game. 

  1. Anthony Davis

The Lakers big man has proven his incredible abilities on the basketball court since he was drafted first overall back in 2012. He has an elite post-up game along with great footwork near the basket. His largest weakness has been how injury prone he is as he has gotten injured often and been forced to miss large amounts of time in the regular season and even the playoffs.