Tag Archives: book review

Book Analysis: The Fountains of Silence by Reta Sepetys

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A fascinating historical novel written by Reta Sepetys takes place in Madrid, Spain in the 1950s. The Fountains of Silence is a novel that delves deep into the strict regime of General Francisco Franco and his iron-tight rule. Our narrators are Daniel Matherson and Ana Torres Moreno. They both come from very different backgrounds, giving us an in-depth perspective on both sides.

Daniel Matherson is an American tourist who is the son of a big oil executive. His father is trying to secure a big deal in Madrid. Living in Texas for all of his life, he is a Texan through and through. From his strong Texan accent to the cowboy boots and jeans, it’s a sharp contrast to locals milling around the setting. His mother grew up in Madrid and immerses him in Spanish culture. Shortly after graduating high school, they decided to take a family trip to Madrid fulfilling both his mother’s dreams of returning and his father’s need to guarantee a drilling deal in Spain. This also was a trip that his father hoped would convince Daniel not to pursue his dreams of photography and instead join him in the oil business. Another factor is money. Daniel simply doesn’t have enough funds to support himself through journalism school. By going to Madrid, Daniel has the opportunity to take unique photos to showcase in a competition to win a scholarship. During the entire plot of the story, he remains stagnant as a character, and his defining characteristics stay as those of a naïve tourist.

Ana Torres Moreno is a maid who works at the Hilton Hotel that Daniel and his family are staying at. She is one of the characters who has a deep backstory that readers unveil over the course of the story. The hotel she works at one of the biggest parts of the story. Characters that are entangled in the intricate hotel network develop the story as we learn what happens behind the scenes. She slowly evolves as a character as she gets closer to Daniel. Daniel introduces her to many American things which is against the hotel policy for maids or any workers to get closer to their clients.

The Church is a big part of the story as well, a lot of the characters in this story go there to repent of their sins in the confession booth. The confession booth may be where we learn one of the most crucial pieces of information ever. Here we learn more about Ana, her brother, and Daniel himself.

To conclude, this book is one of the most influential books about the history of General Franco’s rule. It dives deep into the horrific backstory and how the Church may have been involved in serious problems that were popping up. Definitely a great read!

The Fountains of Silence  by Ruta Sepetys is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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I first started to read Six of Crows because I wanted to watch the show associated with it, and I live by the rule of not watching media before consuming the literary work, but I was hooked from the first sentence. As some who greatly enjoys mystery and fantasy books, this novel provided a perfect blend of intrigue as well as beautiful worldbuilding and immersive storytelling! It felt as though I was experiencing the plot along with the main characters.

The book follows six teenagers, all with their own detailed characterization and fleshed-out thought processes. The story revolves around a heist to kidnap a scientist who is the only link to a type of drug affecting Grisha, humans with powers. I had no choice but to love the main six, no matter their flaws, as they were able to work together in a unit and I’m a sucker for found family.

I loved how each of the characters were paired up with each other in terms of romantic relationships, but the three couples moved at different paces to each other and never seemed rushed or forced. The actions of each character stayed consistent with their characterization, and I was enamored by the little glimpses into each character’s head that were given in specific chapters.

The phenomenal writing, the lovable characters, and the intriguing plot were what made this book one of my favorites. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading found family and appreciates queer, disabled, and racially diverse representation in literature!

-Tanvi G.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

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By the latter half of the nineteenth century, Europe had for the most part settled into a status quo. The great upsets of the 1800s had largely ended, and Europe enjoyed a period of relative peace and tranquility for the remainder of the century. However, to judge the impact of this time on the events that preceded and followed it would be to overlook one of the greatest developments in history – the feminist movement.

This change in attitudes towards women was only emphasized by the literature of the time, the most significant and impactful of which can be seen in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Published in December of 1879, the play explores how “a woman cannot be herself” in the male-dominated society of the time.

The play’s protagonist is Nora Helmer, a cheerful and naive middle-class housewife who, over the course of the play, contends with various truths about her existence, the foremost of which is that she has no agency over her own life. That is, her every action is dictated by her overbearing husband, Torvald Helmer. Up until this point, Nora and Torvald have lived in a relationship akin to a doll and its owner – that is, Nora exists only to look pretty and take care of Torvald. All of this changes, though, when one of Nora’s long-held secrets comes back to haunt her, causing her dollhouse to come crashing down.

Nora Helmer’s transformation over the course of the play from a passive and sheltered young woman to one who has the drive to seek out what she wants in life implies Ibsen’s intentions to show how women are indisputably as capable of heroic transformations as men. Despite having been written well over a century ago, the themes of this play continue to resonate with audiences today. When Nora takes her fate into her own hands at the end of the play, she serves as the mouthpiece for millions of women who have done and will do the same.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Upon a first reading of Notes from Underground, I found myself feeling confused and unable to verbalize what I was supposed to have taken away from this book. After some further reflection, I’ve come to realize that it would be better to classify it as a philosophical study rather than a novel. There is no apparent “hero’s journey” as we are accustomed to seeing in many classic and modern works of fiction alike; rather, everything that happens in this tale involves only the Underground Man and his relationship with his neuroses. 

It is because of this that I was puzzled after reading Notes from Underground. The Underground Man reaches no satisfying resolution to his character arc, leaving the reader yearning for catharsis yet receiving none. It is especially frustrating because his character arc is all the story depends on; and his anxious shuffling from one idea to the other plants a sense of never ending stress in the reader as well. 

That being said, it is still a brilliant story; deemed the first existentialist novel by countless thinkers and historians. I am regrettably uninformed in regards to the historical context of Notes from Underground, but I believe that the real merit in this book can be identified through analyzing the social climate in which it was written, and the philosophies that Dostoevsky incorporated into it. Once again, I lack the knowledge on existentialism to provide a full review as of now, but there are so many layers to this work that are waiting to be explored.

Notes from Underground is a pretty short read, and if one were looking into Dostoevsky for the first time, I would surely recommend this one to them. It’s a good introduction to his work, and it’s genuinely just such a stimulating novel. I consider it one of my favorite books of all time.

-Katie Z.

Notes from Undergound by Fyodor Dostoevsky is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Before reading Six of Crows, I had heard a lot of good things about it, but I’m not really a fan of the fantasy genre. Six of Crows surprised me greatly.

It’s the first book of the Six of Crows duology, its sequel being Crooked Kingdom. Both books are members of Leigh Bardugo’s incredible Grishaverse series. The Shadow and Bone trilogy were released beforehand, but aren’t necessary reading to understand Six of Crows.

This novel follows Kaz Brekker, a criminal mastermind living in Ketterdam. He’s made his way up the social chain from nothing and owns a large gambling hall in the city. Most importantly he’s the leader of the gang known as the Dregs. Kaz is asked to attempt to rescue a scientist from an extremely large and dangerous prison. He takes with him five members of the gang and their incredible adventure fills 462 pages of gorgeous writing, incredible plot, and some of my favorite characters ever.

As I previously mentioned, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of fantasy. I don’t know what drew me to Six of Crows but I’m so glad I read it. I’ve grown so attached to the main six characters and their deep emotions and painful backstories. All of the characters had their own unique backstories that just added so much to the story.

The chapters focus on individual characters. In other books I’ve read where it switches perspective, I’ve found myself disliking certain characters perspectives and zoning out when it was their chapters. However, Six of Crows kept me engaged the whole time.

I recommend Six of Crows to anyone looking for an incredible plot full of twist and turns. I already want to read it again.

-Ava T.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

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The Secret History by Donna Tartt is narrated by Richard Papen, a new student attending a school called Hampden College in Vermont. Upon arriving, he is given the opportunity to take an ancient Greek class, in which he meets five Classics students: Charles, Camilla, Henry, Richard, and Bunny, who he grows close with within the first few months of the year. However, from the very first line in the prologue, Tartt spoils the fact that Bunny is eventually murdered, leading the novel to center around this event and how it was dealt with by the rest of the group.

Throughout the course of the story, Tartt alludes to several themes concerning the dangers of appearance and the romanticization of the elite class. For example, Richard is initially attracted to the group due to their wealthy, or as he describes, “magnificent,” appearances. He even fabricates aspects of his past in order to better fit in. However, as the group’s secrets, out-of-touch personalities, and extreme flaws slowly begin to unfold, it shows how their beauty never went beyond surface-level. No matter how rich they were, they were unable to cover up the guilt they felt from the damage they’ve caused.

What I found most intriguing and unique about this plot compared to others is that although Richard provides a well-paced, extremely detailed description of the course of events before and after Bunny’s death, he constantly alludes to the fact that he is a great liar, causing readers to question how valid his perspective truly is. Especially since he isn’t as involved in the group’s plans as others, the audience is left feeling as if they need to know more, and that there are gaps in the narration that can be filled by another character’s point of view. Therefore, I found myself continuing to contemplate the story days after I had finished it, making the novel an extremely memorable read that I see myself recommending to almost everyone.

-Aysha H.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielson

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Over the course of one strange night, the family of twelve-year-old Gerta was abruptly divided. The rise of the Berlin Wall created an impenetrable boundary between West Berlin and East Berlin. Gerta’s family was split up; with her father and middle brother in the west and her, her oldest brother, and her mother trapped in the Soviet-controlled east.

Living in East Berlin is dangerous, with soldiers patrolling the city with guns at the ready all day long. Citizens are forbidden to watch the wall, think thoughts of freedom, or travel to the west. Any attempt of escape could end with deadly consequences. But one day, Gerta receives peculiar messages from her father and concludes that he wants them to dig a tunnel beneath the wall into West Berlin.

Gerta and her brother Fritz are at war with themselves, conflicted about whether they are ready to put their lives at risk for a chance of freedom. Gerta grows unsure of the people around her. Neighbors, friends… Can any of them be trusted? As the day that Fritz must report to military duty draws near, panic rises in Gerta and her family. Approaching is their one opportunity to escape to freedom in the west.

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen is a historical fiction novel about the aftermath of World War II and its effects on a German family living in the east. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, even though it’s different from the books I normally prefer. As a historical fiction novel, it dove deep into showing the impact that wartime can have on a country and how the world around a population of people can change. At the same time, it details how a war and a corrupt government can affect the lives of individual people, their emotions, and the way they grow. I truly enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to readers of all kinds, especially those who already like historical fiction.

Happy reading!

-Lam T.

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

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The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by John Buchan. The story is set in Great Britain, just before World War I. A man named Richard Hannay has just returned to London and feels exceptionally bored. He is tired of the sights and activities of the city. One evening, he receives a visit from a mysterious man named Franklin Scudder. Scudder claims to be a spy investigating a secret group of Germans who are attempting to steal Britain’s naval defense plans. He possesses an encoded notebook that references “the thirty-nine steps.” Hannay questions the veracity of Scudder’s claims, but he permits Scudder to hide out in his apartment. Hannay leaves for a few hours, and upon his return he is shocked to discover that Scudder has been murdered. Convinced that the murderers pose an international threat, Hannay takes Scudder’s notebook and sets out to foil their sinister plot.

This book is a classic adventure story. It could be considered a thriller, because it combines international intrigue with elements of suspense and detective work. The plot contains many twists and surprises, even though the book is quite short. I was impressed by the patriotism of the main character Hannay, who risked his own life to defend his country against a dangerous threat to its security. He is just an ordinary person, but he manages to escape an expert spy ring on many occasions. This book is fast-paced and exciting, and I was enthralled as I read it. I would recommend it to everyone. I would also recommend Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation. Even though it deviates a great deal from the book, the movie is highly entertaining and suspenseful.

Mossflower by Brian Jacques

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Mossflower, by Brian Jacques, is part of his popular Redwall series. This was the second book published in the series and would be the third book chronologically. It is a prequel to Redwall, a fantasy novel based in a world of human-like woodland creatures. Martin, the great mouse warrior, is traveling to Mossflower Woods. The residents of Mossflower are living under the tyrannical reign of Verdauga, the wildcat. Martin is captured and brought to Kotir, Verdauga’s castle, where he is imprisoned. Soon afterward, Verdauga’s daughter Tsarmina poisons her father and claims that her brother Gingivere is the murderer. She then imprisons Gignivere and usurps the throne, becoming the main antagonist of the story.

During his stay in prison, Martin is joined by Gonff the mousethief, who had been caught stealing food from Kotir. Gonff tells Martin about the Council of Resistance in Mossflower, known as the “CORIM,” and their active rebellion against Tsarmina’s evil reign. With the help of the CORIM, Martin and Gonff eventually escape from prison. Martin embarks on a quest to find Boar the Fighter, a badger who is believed to be the only creature capable of challenging Tsarmina. Defeating Tsarmina is the only hope for freedom in Mossflower, and Martin is determined to conquer the evil queen.

Redwall is one of my favorite books, so I was eager to read this prequel. Mossflower does not disappoint.  This book is filled with action and adventure. The large cast of woodland creatures and vast geographical setting create an exciting atmosphere, which made this delightful to read. The main character is just a small mouse, yet I found his bravery and determination to be noble and inspiring. The story is thoroughly immersive and engaging, and very dramatic. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Mossflower by Brian Jacques is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

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In the public eye, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre has been reduced to a romance novel. After all, all the elements are present: a plain heroine, a dashing love interest with a mysterious past, a barrier keeping them from their love, and much more. However, to reduce the novel to a story about a madwoman in an attic would be to disregard much of Brontë’s purpose in writing it.

The time Jane Eyre spends in Thornfield with Edward Rochester, the love interest in question, amounts to no more than one third of the book. After all, people do not just appear fully formed out of nowhere – they have a background, and Jane is no exception. Brontë masterfully details Jane’s childhood with her neglectful and abusive relatives at Gateshead, and the positive influence her first friend had on her at the Lowood Institution for Girls. In these parts of the novel, we see Jane growing up and growing into the strong, fierce personality Brontë makes it clear that her protagonist has – a first for female characters at the time.

Moreover, we continue to see Jane becoming her true self in the latter sections of the novel. Although she is finally reunited with part of her family, she does not let her attempts to fit in with them alter who she is and what she believes in. This can be seen when she rejects St. John’s proposal to marriage because she knows he loves another and only wants to marry Jane because she would make a good missionary’s wife. Despite internal and external pressures, she stays true to herself and eventually goes back to Rochester.

Jane Eyre is a bit of a dense read, but it will be time well spent. It covers a variety of topics and themes that allow the modern reader a glimpse into the nineteenth century, while also, of course, noting the forbidden yet passionate romance between Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester.

– Mahak M.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.