Tag Archives: book review

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

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The Yearling is a Pulitzer-winning novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.  The book is set in a remote area in the southern United States in the late 1800s.  A boy named Jody Baxter lives with his parents on a small farm.  He and his family live a relatively simple and primitive life.  Jody’s life changes when he discovers a baby deer.  He takes the fawn home and tries to raise it.  Jody develops a strong attachment to the fawn as he cares for it.  Later, Jody is forced to make difficult decisions as he tries to protect the animal from danger.

This is a classic story about boyhood and about maturing.  Jody grows up alongside his yearling, and he gradually learns to deal with the challenges of life.  Jody’s relationship with his family develops throughout the story.  I especially enjoyed reading about the development of his relationship with his father.  The dialogue in this book is immersive and captures the feeling of life in the South at that time.  The book is also highly descriptive.  I learned about plants and animals and a way of life that was almost totally unfamiliar to me beforehand.  The author seems to paint pictures with words to describe the sweeping landscapes and terrain of the southern backwoods.

I believe this is one of the best books I have read.  The story is deeply moving and seems to capture the essence of growing up in a dangerous and challenging world.  This book is considered a masterpiece, and I find it well-deserving of the Pulitzer Prize.  I highly recommend it.

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: The Silent Patient

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The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller book written by Alex Michaelides. The story focuses on Alicia Berenson, who is said to be a murderer as she shot her husband in the face six years ago and hasn’t spoken a word since then. The murder, together with Alicia’s refusal to speak up regarding her husband’s death has caught the attention of the public and sparked the curiosity of a psychotherapist named Theo Faber. Ever since Theo had the chance to work with Alicia while she was in a psychiatric unit, he has been determined to discover the truth behind Alicia’s mystery.

I discovered The Silent Patient due to its rising popularity among readers. Despite not being a fan of thriller books, I was encouraged to grab the book and borrow it from the Mission Viejo Library because of the hype, and I could say that I do not regret choosing to do so. While reading the first few chapters of the book, there are certain parts where I felt like it was uninteresting. Although since Theo, the psychotherapist, continues to dig deeper into Alicia’s mystery, it kept me intrigued until the end of the book. There are various reveals presented throughout the story, making me wonder more why Alicia decided to carry out such actions. In the end, it did not disappoint me. The final twist was a shocker and I felt completely fooled as I absolutely did not see it coming. 

I highly recommend reading The Silent Patient to all the readers out there, especially those who are a lover of thriller stories. Also, even if you are not a fan of thriller books like me, it is still worth the try of reading it!

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

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Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis, is part of his Chronicles of Narnia series.  This was the second book published, but it would be the fourth book chronologically.  This sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is about the four Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.  The children are waiting for a train so that they can return to boarding school, when suddenly they are teleported to the enchanted land of Narnia.  The Pevensie children had lived in Narnia before as king and queens, until they were returned to their native country of England.  The world of Narnia is ruled by Aslan, the great lion.  There are other kings and queens in Narnia, but Aslan rules over them all.

After wandering for a while in Narnia, the Pevensies discover a ruined castle.  They are dismayed to learn that the ruins are what remains of Cair Paravel, the castle from which they had ruled in the distant past.  A little while later, they rescue a dwarf named Trumpkin.  The dwarf explains to the children why they had been brought back to Narnia.  The world is under siege by the evil King Miraz and his army of Telmarine soldiers.  The children had been summoned by the rightful king, King Caspian the Tenth, to help defeat Miraz and reclaim the throne.

My favorite character throughout the series is Aslan, but this book features another of my favorite characters: Reepicheep the mouse.  Reepicheep is the leader of a small army of mice.  One of my favorite things about Reepicheep is his unwavering courage, despite his small stature.  There are also many exciting adventures throughout this story.  The rescue of Trumpkin, the betrayal of Nikabrik the dwarf, and the final battle against King Miraz are just a few of the highlights.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It is filled with suspense, action and adventure.  Just like the other books in the series, this story is highly symbolic and teaches many meaningful lessons.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, along with the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

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Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is a nonfiction novel that takes readers through the author’s journey of creating his own law firm and and defending his clients. Stevenson works with racial minorities, disabled people, women, and children who have been wrongfully convicted or treated cruelly in prisons. The novel mainly revolves around the case of Walter McMillian- an innocent black man who was blamed for the murder of a teenage girl named Ronda Morrison. However, the author still shares dozens of other cases that involve different groups of people.

Personally, I found this novel very eye-opening, as it informed me of the situations involving our country’s justice system and current prison conditions. It caused me to rethink the conditions in which someone should receive a capital punishment, as well as whether or not the death penalty is considered inhumane. I was also impressed by the several themes in the novel that could be applied to not only my own life, but society as a whole. For example: It shouldn’t be okay to judge someone without considering the situation they are currently in, or what they have been through in the past.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about criminal justice and law. Although there are some legal terms that require extra research to understand the meaning of, the overall plot is very easy to comprehend, especially with the clear, detailed descriptions of each case.

-Aysha H.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Impossible Views of the World by Lucy Ives

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Impossible Views of the World, by Lucy Ives, centers around protagonist Stella, an assistant curator at a prestigious New York art museum, in her quest to solve a twisted American history mystery.

“The day Paul Coral vanished, it snowed.” Thus opens the novel. We quickly find out that Paul was one of Stella’s coworkers, mysteriously gone missing. Stella is assigned to take over his position, but finds, on his laptop, a mysterious manuscript from the 1800s that draws her deeper and deeper into a mystery unfolding over a century and a half.

I would give this book a 7/10. I really enjoyed the plot, and I liked the way the mystery part of the story ran in parallel to Stella’s own journey of self-discovery re: her relationships with her ex-husband and her mother. However, Ives seems to have used a thesaurus on every word in this book. The language is often murky and difficult to understand- even I, as someone who enjoys reading slightly more dense and prose-like writing, had trouble understanding phrases in certain parts. It was a bit of a slog, but worth it for the most part!

-Vaidehi B.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

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Perfection. Perfection is used to describe something that is flawless. When I think of perfection, I think of AP Calculus BC, Raising Canes Texas Toast, Allen Kesinger, and so much more. Every category has its own perfect thing. In movies, it is hands down Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo is the perfect movie, and Squirt is the perfect character. In names, I think Finn is a really nice name. But I think literature takes the cake for the most perfect item: Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Jeff Kinney was born in 1971. Back then in 1971, kids were reading novels such as The Handmaid’s Tale, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Although these literary pieces are very good and have a lot of significance, the world was yet to experience the pure bliss and perfection of Jeff Kinney’s soon-to-come creation.

Come 2007. The class of 2025 was born (they are sophomores now by the way), the AP US History curriculum stops, and the most amazing book was released as well. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a diary of a wimpy kid. Such wimpy kid is named Greg, and well, objectively speaking, he is far from wimpy. Greg is a Chad. He is smart, handsome, tall, drippy, and loves his mom!

Despite Greg being the main character, I think it is fair to say that he is only the second-best character in the book. This is because Rowley exists. If Greg is a Chad, Rowley is a giga-Chad. Rowley is smarter, more handsome, taller, drippier, and loves his mom even more than Greg could ever imagine. Solely thanks to the creation of Rowley, Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is perfection. Be like Rowley!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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This story takes place in a private school called Niveus Academy where only the prestigious and elite kids go to. Two students named Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo look forward to their senior year in the school as they were both selected to be Senior Prefects, something that puts them both in a position of being valedictorian. But soon, their year starts to take a dark turn when someone named Aces exposes secrets to everyone online about the two of them that could destroy their perfect plans for college and their futures in total. At first, the entire thing seems to be a silly prank but then it evolves to the endangerment of these two children’s lives as they battle to expose Aces and get their lives back to normal. But who exactly is Aces? And why do they target Devon and Chiamaka?

Contemporary is usually not the genre I would like to read but books such as Ace of Spades became an exception for me. I heard a little bit about this book from my friends and Tiktok before actually reading it and it exceeded the expectations I had about it, which I taught would be impossible. This book is not for everyone as it has some very triggering language and scenes that turned my stomach. But this book has shown me a new outlet to how the world could be and how some people in this world need to fight just to exist peacefully in this world. The plot twists that occur in the middle and the end of the book captured my attention and I couldn’t put the book down for hours at a time. I believe that everyone who can read this book should as it explains many complexities within life and within our society as well. I would say that this book is one of my favorite reads of this year!

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Nightfall by Shannon Messenger

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Nightfall is the sixth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cites series (which is currently 8.5 books long), and the events come as a definite surprise to anyone who has read the other five books before it.

In this book, the main character of the series, a powerful young elf named Sophie Foster, has to rescue her human parents from a Neverseen hideout called Nightfall. (The Neverseen are a deadly rebel group that formed in the Lost Cities, and they always seem to be out to get Sophie and her friends.) But Sophie knows that the Neverseen might be using her parents as a diversion to distract her from the larger issues at hand, so, no matter how painful it is, Sophie is forced to look at the bigger picture and accept that the threat looming over her human parents might not be the problem she needs to focus on. She helps her friend, Keefe Sencen, with the issues he has with his mother, Lady Gisela, (who also happens to be a leader of the Neverseen) and attempts to figure out the identity of the prisoner who escaped from the Lumenaria dungeon in the previous installment of the series. But all of these issues seem to come together in the end of the book, when Sophie and her friends (Tam and Linh Song, Biana and Fitz Vacker, Keefe Sencen, and Dex Dizznee) and her foster father, Grady Ruewen, enter Nightfall. There, they encounter some members of the Neverseen and discover who their new ally is–the former prisoner of Lumenaria.

While all of this was going on, they also had to deal with another enemy, one whose alliance with the Neverseen hit extremely close to home. Alvar Vacker, the older brother of Fitz and Biana, was found abandoned by the Neverseen in one of their old hideouts, bleeding to death. They had discovered that Alvar was a member of the Neverseen in the earlier books, but they’d never have guessed that the group would leave him for dead. He doesn’t give any information in his interrogations except for one, crucial detail, which readers will find out in the beginning of Flashback.

The reason why I love this novel is because of all the plot twists and the fact that the characters have realistic personalities. Their problems kept me rooting for them the whole time the book was in my hands, and the storyline stuck with me for a long while after I’d finished. This book (and the series it belongs to) is a magical read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves the fantasy genre.

Nighfall by Shannon Messenger is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Why Harry Potter is Completely Overrated

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Okay, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t read Harry Potter, because some people might appreciate it, but I’m very opinionated and I want to point out two of the most glaring problems with the series. If you stay until the end, I’ll also point out a much better alternative to Harry Potter, where things actually make sense.

Why is the Weasley family poor?

The Weasley family, regardless of their magical powers, are poor. This doesn’t make sense, because why don’t they just use their powers to spawn some gold? Or clothing, books, and food? There might be a wizard law against using magic like that, but Muggles wouldn’t know the difference between real money and magic money! The Weasleys could just magic up some gold, then trade it with a Muggle for whatever they need. Or, if magic gold isn’t convincing enough, they could magic some clothing and sell it to the Muggles for cash. So why are they still poor?

Why do wizard families send their kids to Hogwarts?

Hogwarts might turn out some of the most brilliant wizards in the realm of Harry Potter, but at Hogwarts, students are surrounded by incompetent and occasionally murderous teachers, dangerous classes, and multiple deaths each semester. In addition to this, Lord Voldemort and his minions are continuously attacking the school. This is definitely not safe, and if I was a parent I wouldn’t even consider sending my child to Hogwarts. Also, what kind of name is Hogwarts? You might as well call your school Pig Pimples.

Now, My Suggestion

Again, I’m not saying you shouldn’t read Harry Potter. Just because I think it’s badly written and poorly thought out doesn’t mean other people can’t enjoy it. But, if you agree with me and want a fantasy book with superior logic, then try reading The Scholomance, by Noami Novik. It has an explanation for everything I think is wrong with the Harry Potter series, and it’s just an overall good book.

If you know how to explain any of the two major faults I found in Harry Potter, please explain it to me in the comments. Thanks again for putting up with my criticism, and goodbye.

A Deadly Education (Lesson One of The Scholomance) by Naomi Novik is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Rated, by Melissa Grey

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I just finished reading the book Rated by Melissa Grey, and I really liked it! I always like stories when the point of view changes every chapter, and Melissa Grey definitely did it right! 

The main plot of Rated is that there is a Rating System, where everyone has a rating based on their schoolwork and social lives. This might sound okay, but in reality it’s very problematic. For example, if you’re smart but unpopular, then your low social ratings might cancel out your positive schoolwork ratings. If you have a low rating, then you won’t have access to good hospitals, good schools, or good jobs.

There are 6 main characters: 

Bex, who’s a workaholic. Bex has to keep her rating high for the approval of her parents, so she signs up for any activity that could boost her rating. She barely has any time to breathe! 

Noah, who’s a quiet photographer. His sister has been in and out of hospitals since she was very young, and when Noah’s parents’ ratings fall, they can’t afford to keep her in a good hospital.

Tamsin, whose rating is falling due to her rule-breaking. She knows that the ratings are superficial, and pretends to be a witch to scam her classmates out of their money. 

Hana, who’s an ice skater. She believes that the only way to stardom (and high ratings) is to be thin, which leads to a serious eating disorder. 

Chase, who’s a jock. Chase’s mom left and his dad is an alcoholic with low ratings. Chase’s only hope for a good future is to improve his ratings and get into college through a scholarship. 

Javi is a gamer. His parents died when he was young and his grandmother’s rating isn’t high enough to get a good job, so he has to support his large family on his own. He makes money by posting gaming videos online. 

The stories for each character were very impressive, and everyone had their own reason to hate the Rating System. Rated is a very creative story, and I would definitely recommend it!