Tag Archives: book review

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen follows the story of the Bennett sisters, whose mother desires nothing but to get them all married. Early on in the book, the family is introduced to a neighbor’s friend- a wealthy man named Mr. Darcy. The author beautifully develops the relationship between him and one of the oldest Bennett sisters, Elizabeth.

Jane Austen’s ability to realistically capture the struggles in a relationship is the quality I admired the most while reading this book. The author is able to eloquently show the obstacles one must overcome in order to find true love, such as pride, arrogance, and social class. While reading, I found myself at the edge of my seat, wondering what the outcome would be of the protagonists’ turbulent relationship. I also enjoyed how the novel shared the struggles of other family members as well, while still keeping the main focus on Darcy and Elizabeth.

I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in classics, or the romance genre in general, as this is truly one of the most iconic love stories of all time. Although it is difficult to adjust to at first, Jane Austen has an iconic writing style that demonstrates her creativity and elegance, giving her stories a tone that fully immerses readers into the same time period as their favorite characters.

-Aysha H.

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.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

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James and the Giant Peach is one of Roald Dahl’s most popular books.  The story is about a boy named James Henry Trotter, who is sent to live with his two horrible aunts after his parents had been killed by a zoo animal.  Life is miserable for James until an old man comes along and gives him a bag full of small crystals.  The man claims that the crystals contain more power and magic “than in all the rest of the world put together.”  Unfortunately, James accidentally drops the crystals on the ground under a peach tree and loses them.  To his surprise, a peach on the tree soon grows to an unnatural size.  The giant peach ends up as big as a house.

One night, James decides to sneak out of the house to inspect the monstrous peach.  Getting closer, he notices a hole on the side of the peach.  He crawls into the hole and through a tunnel until he reaches the pit.  The pit of the giant peach has a door cut into it.  James pushes it open and crawls inside.  To his surprise, seven oversized bugs are living inside the pit.  James is frightened at first, but he quickly grows accustomed to the strange creatures.  One of the giant bugs cuts the stem of the peach.  The peach rolls away with everyone inside.  James and his new friends set off on an exciting journey.

I like the character of James in this book, but to be honest, I like the bugs even more.  I especially like Centipede, Old-Green-Grasshopper, and Earthworm.  I think Earthworm is my favorite character of all.  Even though he often seems gloomy and pessimistic, he is very entertaining as he quarrels with the other bugs.  He usually fights with Centipede.  The interactions between the bugs are very amusing.

I have loved reading Roald Dahl’s books since I was very young.  This is one of the first books by the author that I read, so I still feel nostalgic about it.  I have ready many other Roald Dahl books, but this is still one of my favorites.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if they have not had a chance to read one of Roald Dahl’s books yet.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

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The Year of Magical Thinking von Joan Didion - englisches Buch - bücher.de

A Year of Magical Thinking examines Joan Didion’s life and methods of mourning following the death of her husband of forty years, John Dunne.

Throughout the novel, Didion details her avoidance of, then obsession over, the sudden cardiac event one December night that killed the love of her life. The added stress of her daughter, Quintana Roo, being in the hospital on life support at the time leads to an nervous breakdown of sorts–and an examination of the nature of grieving and mourning itself.

I was first introduced to Didion’s writing about a year ago, and she quickly became one of my favorite authors of all time. That being said, I was a little reluctant to read this book- I knew that the subject matter would be darker and sadder than her usual writing style. Still, I was thoroughly impressed. Despite the turmoil in her personal life, Didion keeps her writing clean and precise, and doesn’t dwell on heavy-handed clichés about grief to convey her ideas; in fact, she even rejects some of these clichés (especially those about ‘healing’ and ‘coping’) as unrealistic.

Even so, the reader can feel her pain through her writing. She and John were inseparable- she even cites an instance when she was in San Francisco for a week writing a piece, and he would fly up from Santa Monica every night to have dinner with her before flying home again to be with their daughter. The loss hits her hard, and it’s apparent- she struggles desperately to keep herself sane and strong, for the sake of her daughter.

-Vaidehi B.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

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Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel by Zora Neale Hurston.  The story is set in Florida around the turn of the twentieth century.  The main character is a woman named Janie Crawford.  Janie had a difficult background.  She was raised by her grandmother, who had been a slave for much of her life.  Janie also endured many trials.  She marries three men over the course of her life.  Her first husband is very controlling and does not treat her well.  Her second husband is very ambitious, and is also controlling.  Her third husband is different.  He shows more love and respect toward Janie and she feels much happier with him than during her previous marriages.

I was impressed by the main character.  She demonstrates great courage and endurance despite many difficult trials.  As a young woman she struggled to find love and happiness, but over time she developed strength and confidence that helped her to overcome challenging circumstances.  She was constantly under pressure from people around her to behave in a certain way, but she learned to bravely assert herself when necessary against people who tried to mistreat her.  She handled tragic events in her life with grace and courage, and became stronger as a result.

This book is considered one of the great classics of the Harlem Renaissance.  The author skillfully incorporates Southern vernacular with standard English.  I found this book to be a very insightful perspective on the culture and lifestyle in the South after the Civil War.  I appreciated its lessons about the harmful effects of spousal abuse and the power of love and respect.  This book is tragic in many ways but also inspiring.  I would highly recommend it.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

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The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a well-known classic, deep rooted in valuable life lessons in perspective, respect, and that mostly of moral growth. In the beginning of the novel, the plot did not garner much intrigue for me personally. In my opinion, there was a little too much detail on Maycomb County and the society of it all. I just finished this book since this was a required read for all freshmen at our high school.

However, as I continued to read the book, chapter by chapter, I realized that this novel had taught some important life lessons that the author wanted to get out to the world. Scout and Jem’s demeanor from the beginning clearly showed that they had a child-like innocence of the entire Maycomb scene.

However, as they grew older and witnessed the racial tension, prejudice, and imperfections of society, they lose some of their innocence and mature into more understanding characters who are easier to relate to.

The quotes, “You never really understand a person until until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 118), and “Real courage is when you know you are licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (Lee 178) were really moving.

These quotes really touched my heart because Lee’s powerful themes throughout the book taught me the importance of not giving up in life and trying to understand people from their point of view before judging them.

Overall, the book definitely had some unprogressive parts in which there was a lot of unnecessary dialogue (typically between Scout and Jem), but these minimal flaws are overwhelmed by the powerful themes and life lessons that is expressed towards the readers.

I would recommend this book to many people because it really teaches you some important themes need for everyday life!

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Wolf Hollow

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Wolf Hollow takes place in a small, quiet town in western Pennsylvania. Initially, life goes on like normal for the characters. The main character, Annabelle, is one of the only people in the town who respects a World War I veteran named Toby. No one truly knows Toby’s backstory, but he seems to have been greatly affected by what he saw during the war. He now wanders around the town, barely saying a word to anyone. One day, a new girl named Betty moves into the town. Around teachers and other adults, Betty seems like an extremely kind girl. Meanwhile, when no one can see it happen, she bullies Annabelle. She threatens Annabelle with hurting her younger brothers and beating Annabelle with a large stick if she tells anyone about it. Soon, her bullying and attacks turn on Toby who is defenseless to prevent it. With no evidence but Betty’s false statements against Toby and nothing to even begin to prove Toby did not do anything, Toby is the one accused of what Betty does to hurt others.

I liked this book because of the fact that this type of story actually happens more often than we know. It represents how many of the internal struggles of those around you remain that way. This is shown through Toby, who rarely talks to anyone at all, and never speaks about the horrors he has experienced and seen. I felt like the plot was a little slow at some points during the story, but this was overall a great book.

-Peri A.

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Little Prince book review

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When I first picked up The Little Prince, I thought that it was going to be a simple story with an easy-to-follow plot of a stranded pilot in the desert. However, as soon as I started reading, I knew that my preconceived notions couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, The Little Prince is a short book filled with illustrations, but Antoine de Saint-Exupery has created a book in which not a lot happens, and yet everything that does happen has incredible meaning.

My favorite part about this novella was how the relationships between the small cast of characters were extremely dynamic. Antoine de Saint-Exupery uses their similarities and contrasts to build many beautiful themes including what our purposes are in the world, the give and take within friendships, and how sometimes we can take what and who we love for granted. I found his ability to convey all these themes very impressive considering how short the story is.

It’s clear that The Little Prince is not your average children’s book. The narrator speaks in plain words of great concepts, which I thought was unusually brilliant. The descriptions of the scenery were subtle due to the illustrations but the descriptions of the many emotions the characters experienced were very vivid and drew you even further into the story. I would definitely recommend that everyone, no matter their age, read this wonderful tale, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s books.

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Messenger is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Young Elites

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Spoilers Ahead!

Of the many books I have read, this is one of my favorites! The novel is bitter-sweet, and it keeps you interested till the very end. However, I do have to say that the romantic aspect of this book could have been developed a bit more. I wished that Enzo hadn’t died at the end, and that Adelina shouldn’t have been banished from the Dagger Society since she was only trying to protect her sister. I know what she did was wrong, but Raffael shouldn’t have banished her. Just my personal opinion. I do love the author’s choice of the special powers granted to Adelina. I have read many books and in general the only powers were limited to control over elements like water, fire, earth, or shapeshifting, etc. I haven’t actually read a book before where the main character’s powers are creating illusions! The uniqueness of this power allows the character to develop in different ways than I have been accustomed to. I also love how Adelina progresses in general as a person throughout the book and how she eventually falls in love with Enzo. It was quite disappointing, on the romantic front, but overall, I think this book could be made into an excellent movie. Out of 5 stars, I would rate this book around a 4.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: how to cure a ghost by Fariha Róisín

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how to cure a ghost by Fariha Róisín is a poignant book of poetry and prose about Róisín’s struggle with her family, her identity (religious and cultural), and self-hate. Through the book, she discusses her familial struggles, and the mental health issues of her mother, as well as the unique struggles of growing up a Muslim immigrant in a primarily White country.

I have to admit, the subject matter examined in the book is most definitely deep, and important to discuss, especially today. However, Róisín’s execution is clunky- she doesn’t have the flawless command of the English language necessary to pull off the style of writing she’s attempting. The word choice and diction are often awkward- the use of parenthetical phrases throughout her pieces disrupt the flow of the work. The illustrations fit with the theme of the book, but are also disruptive to the flow of works.

Overall, I’d give this book a 6/10. I really appreciated the kinds of issues Róisín examined, and I enjoyed the references to South Asian words, foods, and customs peppered throughout the book. However, her implementation falls far short of what I expected- leading to shallow, surface-level analysis bloated with painful word choice and strange slang. This is the first time I’ve ever said that I wouldn’t recommend this book to the average reader 😦

-Vaidehi B.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

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*this review may contain spoilers

I actually decided to read this book for my English class because we had to pick out a nonfiction memoir and decided that the cover looked cool. I’m forever glad I choose this book because I’ve never been touched by a book this much.

Michelle Zauner begins talking about her childhood and her association with supermarket chain, H-mart. The story follows along Zauner’s life story and specifically her relationship with her mother. Throughout the book, it’s been evident her mom has been experiencing health complications and Zauner touches back to her Korean roots to feel a connection with her mother. When her mother got diagnosed with cancer and ended up dying shortly after treatments, the readers get to feel Zauner’s emotions and her thoughts while all of these events unravel.

This story had me on the verge of tears especially since I’m also Korean so I felt connected with the author through the various Korean terms and phrases she used. She reminds me of myself and how we connect with our heritage. However, the relationship she had with her mother makes me want to feel more sympathetic towards my family and the time I have with them.

I highly recommend this book for those trying to branch out and look for new genres such as nonfiction memoirs. While reading this book, it felt like I was invading on her personal life but there is always a reason why someone shares their story. Take the message from the story with heart and keep reading!!!!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.