Tag Archives: book review

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

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The Ersatz Elevator is the 6th book in the Unfortunate Events series by Daniel Handler, pen name Lemony Snicket. Published in 2001 the book tackles the problems of wealth, the phoniness of pop culture, and the necessity of arguing. Similar to the previous novels it does this whilst exploring the lives of the Baudelaire orphans as they are passed to yet another guardian, who inevitably turns out to be a disappointment. 

The book immediately starts with the children meeting their new guardians, Jerome and Esme Squalor. They quickly learn that Esme only cares about what’s “in” and what’s “out” or what is popular and what is not. Lucky for them, orphans are in, thus they are allowed to stay in the roughly 76  room penthouse. Jerome on the other hand is an incredibly kind man who doesn’t care about popularity, but also hates arguing. To the point that he does whatever Esme says even if it involved eating salmon, a food he despises. Inevitably their enjoyment in the penthouse is short-lived after they spot Count Olaf, who is once again attempting to get his hands on the orphans and their fortune. From this point onwards the book is filled with mystery, adventure, and emotion. 

The book is by far one of the greatest in the series, as it walks the fine line between fiction and reality. It teaches the Baudelaires about the failings of adults and why the world is as bad as it is. Yet it also teaches them about how important it is to be brave, even in the face of total darkness. As well as expanding upon the mystery that has been growing throughout the series. You are left asking even more questions, and wondering why the Baudelaires are in the predicaments they are in. 

-Parker K.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Theodore Boone: The Kid Lawyer

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Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer - Kindle edition by Grisham, John. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Theodore Boone, a normal 13-year-old living in Strattenburg, is just like any other kid. He’s smart, polite, and a little bit undecided about his future career. However, Theodore Boone is a very lucky teenager, because he has the title that no one else in Strattenburg possesses. Theodore Boone is a KID LAWYER. 

Theo is an only child with 2 parents who are both lawyers. His dad is a real estate lawyer, while his mom works as a divorce attorney. Ike, Theo’s uncle, used to work with Theo’s parents at the Boone and Boone law firm before some unfortunate incidents took away the license that allowed him to practice the law. 

So, when Pete Duffy is accused of murder, Theo feels thrilled to get to watch another trial. He does what any kid who loves to watch trials would do: Try to skip school. When a friend at school comes up to Theo to tell him about a mysterious witness, Theo finds himself as an important part of the murder trial, too. Theo tries to help the star witness overcome his fears and attend the trial to make sure justice is served. 

Theodore Boone: The Kid Lawyer is the first book of an exciting 7 book series. Each book contains a different mystery where Theo tries to take action. Sometimes, he finds himself in trouble, but other times, he finds himself being celebrated by others as a hero. 

This novel shows how you have to work as a team to achieve goals. Theo knew what he had to do, but the mystery witness didn’t want to come out and tell what he saw, which made it harder for there to be a completely fair and honest trial. 

Throughout this book and the rest of the series, Theo fights through his problems, while also advising his friends. He never puts himself over others, helping everyone succeed and be happy. 

I would give this book a 10/10 rating because the author did a great job of including plot twists throughout the novel. Just as the trial seemed to be coming to a close, something significant would happen, creating more and more obstacles for the characters to get through. John Grisham did a great job including his knowledge of the law in this book. I learned a lot of different facts about the U.S. justice system as I was reading about Theodore Boone and the murder trial. 

If you are interested in becoming a lawyer in the future, or if you just want to read about a thrilling murder mystery, this book would be a great read for you!

-Mert A.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, Book 1) (1): Nielsen, Jennifer A.: 9780545561556: Amazon.com: Books

Knocking other people backward, disappearing and appearing out of nowhere, and protecting yourself and your friends with an invisible shield are all things that magic can do! So, when Radulf, the Roman general, comes around to the mines where slaves work, one naughty slave is told to fetch Caesar’s Bulla from a cave. Who is that slave? Nicolas Calva, who will not back down from anyone. Not even his masters! 

After Nicolas is let down into the cave where he needs to grab Caesar’s Bulla, he meets a griffin. This griffin is not an ordinary griffin, though. It is the griffin who guards the Bulla! As Nic tries to grab the bulla, he has to fend off the half-lion, half-eagle magical creature. 

Following his successful attempt of obtaining the bulla, Nic endures many struggles. Radulf, the general, is after him and he wants the bulla for himself. Roman soldiers are ready to capture him at every cost! 

This book is a thrilling ride that does not disappoint. Nic learns about friendship and trust throughout this novel, and a lot of the lessons that he learns can be used in our lives, too. 

Throughout his encounters with Caela the griffin, Nic learns how to care for someone else other than himself or his sister. After living in the mines for 5 years and not knowing life other than difficult days and starving stomachs, Nic was able to understand that there are things in life that are enjoyable, too. The bulla helped Nic get out of the mines, and as a result, Nic learned about the lives of the Romans. 

This novel is the first of a 3 book trilogy, so Nic’s journey is longer than just one book!

The author, Jennifer A. Nielsen did a great job making these stories really intriguing and exhilarating. This book is definitely one of my favorite books that I have read this year and I recommend it to anyone interested in stories about magic.

I would give this novel a 10/10 rating because of how the author added important lessons using events and characters. She did a great job of including plot twists to create excitement for the reader just as the story started to slow down. 

-Mert A.

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen is available from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

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In the Time of the Butterflies is one of many novels written by Julia Alvarez. Although it’s not as well known, the book serves as an impactful demonstration of woman empowerment and fighting for justice in an unjust government. All of the characters have their own unique personalities, a connection between fiction and history.

The novel is a work of historical fiction, therefore most of the characters are actually real people. Taking place in the 1960s, three sisters have been reported dead at the bottom of a cliff. The fourth sister, Dedé Mirabal, lives to tell the tale of the three heroic activists. Based on Dedé’s story, the sisters who passed were the primary opponents of General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, a dictator of the Dominican Republic at the time. Throughout the novel, the perspectives of all four Mirabal sisters are portrayed as they grow older. From secret crushes to stashing guns in their own homes, the sisters depict the horrors of living under Trujillo’s oppressive regime, but also their interpersonal conflicts with the people they love.

There are multiple themes within this novel, such as racial, gender, and economic injustices, political conflicts, and finding courage in the face of adversity. As a woman myself, it’s always fascinating to see literature with underlying tones of a fight for gender equity and equality. Considering that the books I’ve read throughout my entire life were primarily written by male authors, this was definitely a breath of fresh air. It’s even more inspiring when readers realize that this novel is a work of historical fiction, that these characters have actually faced similar abhorrent situations in their lives. I applaud Julia Alvarez for being able to turn a book filled with many heavy themes and subjects, into a novel that’s light and heartfelt for young adult readers.

There’s a perfect balance between the plot and various themes of the novel, therefore the content is not too heavy for readers to understand. The only thing the book truly lacks would be plot twists and events that would drag the reader into the novel itself. Nonetheless, I highly recommend others to read this book, especially if they’re interested in historical political conflicts or female activism.

-Natasha P.

In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Darwin’s Blade by Dan Simmons

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Darwin's Blade: Simmons, Dan: 9780380973699: Amazon.com: Books

This book contains some mature sexual descriptions that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Darwin’s Blade by Dan Simmons is an action thriller about Dr. Darwin Minor, an accident investigator with a dark past. His life has been more or less normal for the past decade- but as a series of increasingly improbable accidents crop up around California, he finds that he may be in too deep.

This book is typical, incredibly cliche suspense thriller- complete with the FBI, the Russian Mafia, guns, copious violent (albeit creative) death, and cars. Still, I did enjoy it. Even though it didn’t really live up to the ‘thriller’ part, I thought it was overall a pretty good read- and a nice break from the typical material I have. Still, quite a few pet peeves of mine made an appearance in this book. There were several points where I almost put the book down for good- because I really didn’t want to read a four-page description of physics equations or Vietnam or the mechanics of guns and cars or what felt suspiciously like Philosophy 101. The depth of detail about these frankly mundane and unimportant plot devices was mildly interesting, but for the most part, extraordinarily irritating.

As such, I would only recommend this book to slightly more intellectual readers. Some of the plot does require significant brainpower to understand- more than I, as a casual reader, would have liked. Also- be ready to face a macho, almost-forced version of romance. Still, if you’re looking for a comforting-in-its-outlandishness type of crime novel, you really can’t go amiss with Darwin’s Blade. Just be prepared to skip a few pages.

-Vaidehi B.

Darwin’s Blade by Dan Simmons is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Tower of Nero – Book Review

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The Tower of Nero is the final installment of Rick Riodan’s most recent series called The Trials Of Apollo. In the last book, Apollo travels with his 12-year-old master/companion Meg, who is the daughter of Demeter. They both get jumped by an old friend of Meg’s, Lu. Lu helps them escape from the Germani, who were sent by Nero to capture them. They then get the 2nd line of Apollo’s final prophecy. It tells them to go to the place of the “7 layer dip” (Percy Jackson’s house). Turns out Percy isn’t home, and Lu, Apollo, and Meg instead just stay the night and plan to go to Camp Half-Blood in the morning. They take a ride on the Gray Sisters Taxi and make it (barely) to Camp Half-Blood. Meg went off to the Demeter cabin, Lu decided to go explain what happened to Nero, and Apollo gets a visit by Mr. D and his son, Will, before promptly collapsing.

As not to spoil the ending of this fantastic book, I’ll have to stop the review here. But, If you appreciate mythology books (or just fantasy books), I highly recommend reading this series. It is packed with many emotional moments and fun easter-eggs from his other books.

-Izzy

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Comparing Series: Shatter Me Series vs. The Cruel Prince Series

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The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi and The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black are both amazing fiction book series. The Shatter Me series consists of 6 books and 5 novellas while The Cruel Prince series consists of 3 books.

The Shatter Me series involves the main character, Juliette, who has the ability of the touch of death. Meaning that whoever she touches dies. We follow her through her challenges of finding herself and struggling with being wanted. As a child Juliette was neglected for being they way she was. Throughout the series she finds connections with many characters and she truly finds meaningful relationships. The series has a big plot twist that no one expects in the last 3 books. Each book keeps you wanting more. The first 3 books are in Juliette’s POV while the others are in multiple POVs.

The Cruel Prince series follows a human named Jude. She wants to live in the High Court of Faerie instead of the human world. To live at the court she has to trick the cruel prince named Cardan. Cardan is the youngest prince and he and Jude hate each other. Jude throughout the series finds out she is good at defying people and causing bloodshed. Later in the series Jude becomes the brain behind all of Cardan’s decisions and finds she is a powerful political leader. She has to maintain order in Faerie and keep everything under her control.

In both series there is a powerful female character that is in charge. Jude and Juliette have to maintain order and to do so they have to face many challenges. They overcome their troubles and do what’s better for society instead of themselves. Jude and Juliette learn to sacrifice their own happiness for the better of society. Being powerful rulers, they need to be selfless and Jude and Juliette show this trait throughout the series. Both series also have major plot twists towards the end of the series.

The series have their differences as well. The Shatter Me books are more science fiction while The Cruel Prince series is more fantasy with non-human creatures. The Shatter Me series is focused around overthrowing the corrupt government controlling everyone and everything. They have laws restricting the people in the series and the main character’s main goal is to make the world return to normal. The Cruel Prince series has non-human creatures that are cut-off from the human world. They are separated and the main character, Jude, is a human trying to maintain peace in the non-human world. So, though both series are fiction, they are different types of fiction.

Both series still reflect the same messages. The main characters learn to form relationships with the people they love, showing the message of not having to be alone forever. You will find people that respect you and want to be a positive influence on your life.

Both series were a 5/5 star rating and I definitely recommend reading them!

-Kaitlyn D.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

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Animal Farm by George Orwell is a short, yet classic allegorical novella of dystopian and political fiction. The book takes place on Manor Farm, a large farm where animals constantly feel oppressed by humans. Their anger towards the human race motivates them to rebel against rulership by kicking their farmer out of the farm and running the farm on their own. In Animal Farm–where all animals are supposedly equal–the lives of the animals turn upside down when pigs and dogs begin to rise in power through manipulation and propaganda. Throughout the novel, there’s a gradual progression where the pigs of Animal Farm begin to resemble humans both physically and psychologically.

Although this novel can be a fictional book for children, adults and teens are able to look past the plot and truly understand the story’s meaning. I, myself, am grateful to have read this at an older age so the themes are more prominent and prevalent to real life. Considering that George Orwell himself was a democratic socialist, the novel was a direct form of criticism towards communism, totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, and two infamous dictators–Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. Orwell also includes various ways in which the ruling class ridicules and manipulates the working class. The working class is often seen giving up energy and resources for the benefit of the ruling class, yet they’re brain washed into feeling content with their lives, believing that all their hard work is contributing to the farm as a whole.

After reading the novel, I was amazed by Orwell’s writing. I’ve never read a novel which thoroughly portrays the political maneuvering of totalitarianism. The message woven into the book was strong and clear, yet also written in a disturbing manner that will stick to readers for quite a long time. Personally, I enjoy these heavy topics, so it’s interesting to see Orwell’s light twist on the topic so the novel seems more kid-friendly. I also admire the author’s creativity when writing the book. It’s rare to see a writer eloquently convey a revolution. However, it’s more unique to see an author write an ironic revolution that comes back in a full circle and leaves the characters in the same position as they started. The symbolism of personified farm animals surprisingly pushes the plot forward as well, allowing readers to understand and connect with the characters more than humans ever could.

Would I ever recommend this to a child? Definitely not. I believe that it’s important to understand the true message of the novel, regardless of how dark the message may be. Even though many of us don’t live under a totalitarian regime or a communist society, it’s important to understand how we as individuals play a role in our current society and political system. Are we idly standing by, waiting upon others for a better future? Or are we making our own decisions for the future we want to achieve?

– Natisha P.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Flip the Script by Ed Orgeron

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Ed Orgeron, LSU’s football coach, led the team to a national championship in 2019. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to get there. Coach O, now in his 60s, had a troubled start to his career at different universities like Ole Miss. He had to fight through his addiction to alcohol and he had to flip the script of the way his life was going. Instead of staying at rock bottom, he decided to climb the ladder, one rung at a time, to make his way to the top. He persevered to stop his addiction to drinking and alcohol. This book is an autobiography about his life, written by Coach O and about Coach O. 

If you have an interest in football or want to become an athlete or coach one day, I suggest reading this book. Not only does it have many important lessons inside, but it also is fun to read and learn about the inside of the locker room during those games and events that you might have seen on TV. For me, it was cool and interesting to be able to learn about Coach O’s journey to becoming one of the best coaches in all of college sports. 

The book talks about Coach O’s early career in coaching and how he had many different jobs at different universities. He was a defensive line coach (DLC), assistant head coach (AHC), assistant strength coach (ASC), as well as a head coach (HC) throughout his coaching career. He is still the head coach of LSU, but he played a role in the pasts of the University of Miami, USC, University of Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU, and other universities. He also was a part of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff at one point in his career. That is why this book is a perfect book for athletes looking to play in college and professionally. This book shows what coaches in different levels of the sport look for and care about! 

I give this book a 10/10 rating. It shows Coach O’s insights on college and high school football players as well as coaching. He explains how to coach and Coach Orgeron talks about the different ways you can connect to players. If you want to be a coach, this book can be a big help to your career and you can learn from one of the best coaches out there in Coach Ed Orgeron. You can learn how to recruit, talk to players, and how to handle the media. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning from not only an experienced coach, but also a very experienced person.

-Mert A.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

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The novel The Cousins is written by Karen M. McManus, whose prior works are One of Us is Lying and Two Can Keep A Secret, to name a few.

It begins with the introductions of our main characters, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story, the grandchildren of the infamous Abraham and Mildred Story- despite the fact that they’ve never met them before, after their parents were disinherited. However, when they receive an invitation to work at her island resort over the summer, refusing is unfathomable, a chance to get back into her good graces. But when they arrive at the island, as stranger and stranger things happen, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah realize that all is not what it seems. The Story family has a dark past, and the cousins will need to uncover them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I expected, since I enjoyed McManus’ previous books. From the eerie mantra repeated throughout this novel, “Family first, always,” to the questions and plot twists, The Cousins continues to keep you wondering until the final reveal.

Kelsie W.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.