Tag Archives: book review

Book Review: Blue Nights by Joan Didion

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Blue Nights by Joan Didion explores the death of the author’s adopted daughter, Quintana Roo, by discussing her experience with parenthood and growing old.

Didion recounts many moments in her life in her memoir, filling each chapter with bittersweet memories of her daughter. Didion also shares many personal moments in her life, ranging from her early childhood until this memoir’s publishing. In recalling both her daughter’s life and her own, Didion questions whether she made the right decisions in motherhood while simultaneously grieving the loss of her husband. 

What makes Didion’s novels different from other memoirs is the way she puts her memories into words. The way she recalls remnants of her life and shares her every thought is unique from other writers; her work is so personal, it’s as if we are both watching her grieve her loved ones while also feeling sympathy for her. The writing in Blue Nights constantly reminds us that healing does not happen overnight. Despite the emotional premise of this memoir, Didion’s writing style remains consistent with her other works: beautiful and detailed. She brings so much emotion to her writing and executes each scene poignantly without holding her feelings back. Her ability to be vulnerable yet precise in writing is beyond admirable, making each of her memoirs beautiful in its own distinctive way.

In all honesty, I was hesitant about reading this book after hearing how saddening the premise was. However, I later found myself in awe of this memoir because of how powerfully Didion describes grief. Blue Nights is a perfect representation of grieving because her feelings shine through each passage, but also because the novel itself is her healing process. Whether she is writing symbolically or being straightforward, her hard-hitting words left me empathizing with her for every page turned. Didion and her daughter shared a very loving relationship, and she even references Quintana Roo’s love for Malibu when talking about her daughter’s childhood and marriage. Didion’s admiration for her loved ones is apparent throughout her memoir, but she allows them to live on even after their passing. The battle that Didion faces with grief is more than inspiring, and her unique writing demonstrates that. 

Blue Nights by Joan Didion is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free on Libby.

Book Review: Vicious (Villains 1), by V.E. Schwab

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Vicious is certainly a vicious book. A delicious thrilling book for young adults or older teens, this book takes a bunch of thrilling turns. To be honest I fell out of reading recently and held little interest, but the second I picked this up due to a recommendation, I couldn’t put it down until it was finished.

It starts out simple, two college students who dorm together, strangers who become friends- friends who learn about Extra Ordinaries together for the sake of a college thesis. It starts out easy enough until an obsession grows and the stakes get more dangerous as they try to figure out how really an EO is created.

Once they do they won’t stop until they create one themselves. It just really isn’t that easy. V.E. Scwab takes you on a roller coaster of emotions and action, each one more thrilling!

This book really had me awake through the night in the attempts to finish it and I think it had some amazing underlying messages, each character so complex. The different views and struggles of the characters and the escape from the ‘happily ever after’ theme was refreshing and so exciting and unique.

I highly recommend this book to any mature teenagers ready for another book full of action, dark themes, and an entrancing plot. Vicious is a must read and I can’t wait for you to get just as addicted!

Have a good read!

-Zayna

Vicious by V. E. Schwab is available to download for free from Libby.

The Big Four by Agatha Christie

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The Big Four is a novel by Agatha Christie featuring her well-known character, Hercule Poirot.  Poirot has gained fame as one of the world’s greatest detectives.  In this story, he has become weary of investigating cases.  He plans a trip to South America, hoping to find peace and relaxation.  Just before his planned departure, a mysterious man suddenly appears in Poirot’s home.  The man is covered in dust and mud, and his body is thin and emaciated.  Just before the man dies, he tells Poirot of an international secret society made up of four individuals known as the “Big Four.”  Poirot decides to cancel his vacation, so that he can investigate this mystery.  Along with his faithful companion, Captain Hastings, Poirot embarks on an adventure to discover the secret of the Big Four.

This book is unlike other Poirot books.  Most of Agatha Christie’s books about Poirot are mystery novels.  This book includes elements of mystery, but it ends up becoming more like spy fiction.  The story has more to do with international espionage than with solving mysteries.  The structure of this book is broken up into several short stories that are loosely connected to each other.  It appears that the stories were written separately and then combined together to make this book.  Unfortunately, this causes the book to seem somewhat lacking in continuity.  An unusually large number of characters seem to lack depth, and the story does not come together as well as most Agatha Christie stories.  Most books featuring Poirot contain gripping mystery and intrigue, but this book falls short of my expectations.

To be fair, I do not think that The Big Four is a bad book.  It has exciting parts, especially as Poirot and members of the Big Four attempt to thwart each other by setting traps as the story progresses.  However, even these elements of the story become repetitious, and I began to lose interest as I read this book.  In my opinion, this novel does not quite live up to the quality of Agatha Christie’s other Poirot books.  I would still recommend this book to fans of Christie’s novels, but I would not recommend this book to someone who is reading about Poirot for the first time.  For a first-time reader of Christie’s Poirot novels, I would recommend something like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Murder on the Orient Express, both of which I enjoyed very much.

The Big Four by Agatha Christie is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy and it is about an eighteen-year old boy named Coriolanus Snow, nicknamed “Coryo” by his cousin, Tigris. He is selected, among twenty-three of his fellow classmates, to mentor a tribute in the tenth annual Hunger Games.

In this book, Coriolanus is forced to mentor the District Twelve tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who is at the severe disadvantage in the Games (a gladiatorial “game” where kids have to kill each other). The children from District Twelve don’t have any proper survival, nor combat training, therefore making them easy pickings for other tributes such as Reaper, a burly male from District Eleven. The odds are already against Lucy Gray, and the fact that she’s better at singing than fighting doesn’t help her chances at all. Coriolanus is at first disappointed–he thinks that his tribute stands no chance at winning. And his future depends on her victory; the mentor whose tribute wins the Games will get to attend the Capitol university. But the better he gets to know his tribute, the more attached he gets to her, and the more determined he is to help her through the Games, not just for his own sake. Together, they try to win over the Capitol’s support: staging interviews and impromptu performances for the viewers. He does everything possible to help her in the Games, gaining her sponsors from the Capitol audience and illegally bringing her extra food so she can keep up her strength. They are a formidable team outside of the arena, but no one knows if they can pull off a win inside the arena–not even Coriolanus.

All too soon, Lucy Gray and her fellow tributes are transported into the arena, an old Capitol theater that’s mostly demolished. Originally, Lucy Gray had to face down twenty-three other tributes, but many of them died or got killed before the Games began, upping the chances of her survival. Even the boy from District Two, the one who had the best odds of winning, got killed off in the first battle. In the Games, Lucy Gray’s strategy becomes outlasting the others. She hides out in some corner of the arena with Jessup, her protector. Throughout the book, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray go through many struggles, but due to the fact that I don’t want to spoil the outcome, I can’t say anything else about the Games.

After the Games are over, Coriolanus gets transported to District Twelve, where he works as a Peacekeeper. He meets many friends, but makes plenty of enemies as well. In the district, his life takes a turn for the worse, his depression only ending when he gets summoned back to the Capitol to attend the University at last.

Overall, this book is an amazing story about an underprivileged character defying the worst odds. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes novels with action, plot twists, and just a hint of deception along the way.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Paraíso by Jacob Shores-Argüello

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New Book: Paraiso by Jacob Shores-Arguello – Blog on the Hyphen

Paraíso by Jacob Shores-Argüello is a poignant book of poetry about loss and finding solace in culture. Argüello draws on his traditional Costa Rican background to reminisce on his childhood in the country and help him cope with the loss of his mother.

This book was a really digestible read, of only 20-some pages. The poems are short and use simple diction- easily understandable. Still, this does not detract from the depth and emotional meaning of the pieces- through just a couple dozen short poems, the reader is able to feel Argüello’s acute pain and grief. In addition, Argüello’s Costa Rican heritage makes several appearances and important contributions to the flow and character of the poems- which I, personally, found quite significant; in grief and pain, you must ultimately return to your roots to heal.

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and simple yet still moving poetry read from an author of color!

-Vaidehi B.

Pride and Prejudice book review

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Pride and Prejudice is not an easy read. It takes intense focus and dedication to complete any one of Jane Austen’s books. However, if you look deeper into the long words and confusing sentence structure, you’ll find a story like no other.

Jane Austen’s are some of the most brilliant characters I’ve had the pleasure to read about. Specifically Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the protagonists of Pride and Prejudice. The way their own flaws determined how they reacted to the situations they found themselves in, which lead to even more conflict, was done is such a masterful way. Not to mention the witty humor and conflicting personalities throughout the whole book. Even the side characters were full of depth, which is something I think is difficult to find in contemporary novels.

From a technical point of view, I loved the story structure. From the character development of both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, to the unexpected plot twists they faced. Pride and Prejudice is incredibly rich with literary gold. As someone who reads a lot of 19th century novels, I admit some have been dry. However I don’t believe this genre of literature should be given the blanket term of “boring” as it has by so many other teenagers. With this review, I hope to eliminate even a small portion of this stereotype, with Pride and Prejudice being one of the best examples.

I recommend this book to all teenagers, whether classic literature is their favorite genre or not. And if you’ve tried to read it before, I strongly suggest you try again. Within the pages of Pride and Prejudice, Austen has created a painting consisting of colors the world had never seen before. And perhaps will never see again.

“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.”
-Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

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From the moment you first begin reading Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut makes his distinctive voice and writing style very apparent.  When I first picked up the book in the science fiction section, I expected to find a run of the mill sci-fi epic, but instead I found a book that I think is one of the most unique I have ever read.

It begins in Newport, Rhode Island at the renowned Rumfoord estate, where a crowd has gathered, as usual, to watch the materialization of a man and his dog. The crowd is denied access as always, but they continue to show up, as they hope for even the smallest of chances to witness this miracle. This miracle is the appearance of a man by the name of Winston Niles Rumfoord and his dog Kazak, which has happened once every 59 days, due to a mysterious concept Vonnegut has concisely named “Chrono-Synclastic Infundibulum”. This phenomenon stretches Winston and his dog Kazak out across all of space past present and future, making him extremely sought after as a sort of fortune teller who has almost absolute knowledge about the human race and their future as a civilization.

By giving Winston the ability to basically know everything at all times I think Vonnegut makes him a very interesting character, as his actions are the driving force in the story but the purpose behind them isn’t revealed at all until the very end. I would definitely say this makes him the most intriguing character in the book, because from different perspectives he can be seen as the protagonist, antagonist, or even an omnipotent third person at times.

The story begins when a man named Malachi Constant gets a rare invite to this materialization, and ends up on a grand tour of the solar system that Vonnegut uses to question the concepts of free will, friendship, and loneliness. Winston tells Malachi that him and Winston’s current wife Beatrice will fall in love, and end up living out their final days on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Malachi and Beatrice’s absolute refusal of their fate and the futility of their actions in the end makes a powerful point about free will, and the progression of these two characters also give the reader insights into Vonnegut’s opinion on loneliness and friendship.

Personally, I really liked this book, because the plot is very unconventional, and Vonnegut’s vision of space and the story he writes are both extremely imaginative. The book also frequently employs the use of satirical and dark humor, which I thought was pretty fitting with the tone of the book as a whole. However, because of the unconventional plot structure of the book the writing can come across as a bit hard to follow, as the story is not made entirely clear until the very end and at many times the setting and focus of the book completely shifts out of nowhere.

Overall, I think this book is worth reading for anyone who is interested in sci-fi used as a medium for a greater message, such as the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey or the Dune Series by Frank Herbert, but also for anyone who wants to try something new or wants a unique and interesting read.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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The Help by Katheryn Stockett was the first book I had to read when I entered my freshman year. They gave it out as a summer reading assignment and now, we’ve been doing essays and connecting it to other stories we’re reading. 

The Help is a historical fiction novel, and is set in the 1960’s in Mississippi. Skeeter, a young woman straight out of college who aspires to be a writer, begins to interview and befriend the black women of her town in order to write about their lives in hopes to help them and show what they go through and the racism they face. Aibileen and Minny, two black women who work as the help, or housekeepers, in the town are the first two that Skeeter interviews and befriends. Despite their differences in society, they each work together to get other black women to help and create their book. As the story goes on, these three grow and learn more about themselves and others around them.

The book is told through three different perspectives. First is Aibileen, a black woman that is the help, or the housekeeper, of one of Skeeter’s friends. She is a hard worker and has been working for a long time as a help. She is kind and is the first person to help Skeeter write her book. Minny is another black woman who is Aibileen’s friend and the help of another one of Skeeter’s friends. Minny is stubborn and hot headed. She takes much more convincing than Aibileen to help with Skeeter’s book due to her distrust in white people, but she eventually comes around as the story goes on. Skeeter on the other hand, is a white woman, young and aspires to become a writer, despite what other people’s views of her are. 

This book was a fun read, despite having to write and take assessments on it. To be honest, I had fun writing essays on this book because I understood the story and the characters even more. Skeeter was one of my favorite characters. She broke the society norms, had her own dreams and goals, and really grew throughout the story. Two other characters I enjoyed reading were Celia and Johnny. Celia was Minny’s boss and Johnny was Celia’s husband. They were immediately different from all the other characters. Despite the time period and the fact they were white, they didn’t mistreat Minny and really cared for her. Like Skeeter, they were kind and weren’t racist like many of the other white people in their town. Treating others with human decency is a pretty low bar, but considering the time period, this is a pretty important and unusual thing to see. I’m glad Stockett included these characters, otherwise, it would have been very difficult to read this book. 

The plot overall was really good; each character had their own story and path with their own aspirations, needs, and problems. Aibileen has lost her own son and wants to teach young kids the right things while taking care of them, but also wants to become free to live her own life. Minny wants to care for her own children; wants them to have a good life. Skeeter wants to pursue her dreams although society is against her. Each character has their own set of issues they must overcome and their own story to complete while also creating their own story together, both within the story and plot wise.

The Help is a great book and would be a book I’d recommend if you were looking for one in this genre. Historical fiction is definitely one of my favorite genres but I’m sure that even if it wasn’t one of your favorites, it could still be a fun read.

-Nicole R.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall

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This charming series from Emily Bearn is a heart-warming and adorable read. Reading this series is like drinking a hot pumpkin spice latte in the fall. This book is a collection of three short stories that follow Tumtum and Nutmeg, two wholesome and benevolent mice living within a broom cupboard of Rose Cottage. As readers, we get to witness these two interact with the young, human children of small Rose Cottage, defeat their nefarious Aunt, battle rats, and enjoy their vast home within the cupboard. While Tumtum would rather stay in one of the 27 rooms of Nutmouse Hall and read, his wife Nutmeg can’t help but pity the human children of Rose Cottage whose mother died when they were little and whose father is struggling to support them. In the first short story, Nutmeg is determined to bring the children joy after learning that their father cannot afford to give them Christmas presents this year and Tumtum joins the cause just to be with Nutmeg.

As a child, I remember purchasing this book at a garage sale, its 512 pages intimidated me and the descriptive writing was far beyond my level. Recently, I picked this book back up after I abandoned it many years ago, deeming it too difficult. Reading this was like a beautiful trip back into childhood, equivalent to a trip to Disneyland or visiting your own elementary school. These stories are so heart-warming and devoid of drama or toxicity-it was like a cleanse. Although I typically read fantasy or historical fiction, these stories have a special place in my heart. It makes your problems seem insignificant as you turn the next page to discover how these tiny mice will defeat a human adult or make presents for small human children. If you are looking to enjoy a whimsical, children’s chapter book, this series is the one for you. I deeply encourage you to dive into the adventures of rational Tumtum and magnanimous Nutmeg to escape the world’s troubles and have a little fun.

Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Beam is available to download for free from Libby.

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

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*this review may contain spoilers

First off, I would like to acknowledge that this book is a “sequel” to Armas’s The Spanish Love Deception so I would read that before reading this book. I LOVED The Spanish Love Deception which urged me to read this sequel. However, it did not live up to the hype and anticipation that was coming from this book.

It follows two characters, Rosie Graham and Lucas Martin who are mutuals between Catalina Martin. Rosie Graham is Catalina’s best friend while Lucas is Catalina’s cousin. They get in an awkward situation when Rosie decides to stay at Lina’s apartment while she is away on her honeymoon not knowing that Lucas was due to stay at Lina’s apartment as well. Instead of moving separate ways they learn to love being in one another’s presence and create a plan to simultaneously live in the apartment with one another.

Rosie has been struggling with her romance writing and looks at Lucas for inspiration for her novels. They begin a fake dating pact to help influence her writing but they end up falling in love for each other, I’m aware it is very cliché. They have one of the most romantic comebacks and have a happy ending.

The reason I said I didn’t really enjoy the book was because it didn’t exceed the expectation I had of Spanish Love Deception. Although I liked the characters, I didn’t feel bonded enough with either of them to fully enjoy the story. One thing I did like was that it was written in a dual POV so I got to see inside both the character’s thoughts and feelings about one another.

-Madison C.

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas is available to download for free from Libby.