Tag Archives: book review

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes

Posted on by
1

As a newly converted Latin nerd making my first odyssey into the perilous (root word: periculum) land of Roman jargon, I’m deeply appreciative of my 3rd grade obsession with Percy Jackson. Not only am I able to seem even nerdier among my peers, I’m also glad for how Percy Jackson has widely popularized Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, re-reading one of the most information-dense books (Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes), I’m surprised at how much information is cleverly packaged in Percy Jackson’s sarcasm and humor. It doesn’t feel like reading a textbook, but I’m still gaining an immense amount of information. And that’s the true power of Rick Riordan’s bestselling books: the ability to take something that’s always been more niche and turn it into something fun.

I like the stories themselves too: Rick Riordan tells the classic myths of Heracles, Medusa, and the Minotaur, but also the stories of Otrera, queen of the Amazons, or Atalanta, the great huntress. It’s a snarky, modern take on classical myth that retains their initial meaning.

Take the story of Arachne: an incredibly talented mortal seamstress with skills that rival those of Athena. Her pride got the better of her after she challenged Athena to a weaving competition, and the end is not pretty. But Riordan also points out the other, less-mentioned moral of the story: that the villagers who once worshipped Arachne were just as willing to betray her. Ultimately, the ugliest characters in the story are not the prideful gods in Arachne’s tapestry, or the spider she becomes, but the hypocrisy of Arachne’s own community.

All in all, I still love Percy Jackson, for all of its minor historical inaccuracies. It brought classical mythology into a modern spotlight, and it’s just a truly fun and enjoyable read. You might even pick up a few facts and morals in the process. Just don’t forget to sacrifice a goat after your read.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Silence Between Us Book Review

Posted on by
1

The Silence Between Us was one of those books that brought up issues that I would never even think about, even though I took ASL for 2 years. We all know being a teenager is tough enough without extra unforeseen problems. I can relate to some of the issues she experiences in the book. 

Warning! Spoiler alert!

Maya, the protagonist, stands at the point in her life where change will happen whether she likes it or not. Transitioning from a world where silence was usual for her to one with voices. She’s transitioning from deaf school to traditional school. Her challenges of assimilation in these two different schools mirror the changes in her identity. 

Maya discovers many problems and challenges as she navigates the traditional school; along the way, she learns to embrace her true self amidst society and others’ expectations. The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais brings readers into an intimate exploration of self-discovery and resilience. It’s a powerful story of a teen finding herself in a world where people often overlook the silence.

As she confronts heartbreak and other hurdles that are adolescence and Deaf culture problems. The author was skillful in showing the emotional layers and experience through words, inviting readers into Maya’s world as she struggles with questions that transcend typical teenage worries.

I can relate to Maya on so many levels. The Silence Between Us, a touching coming-of-age book, differs from most other stories. The book’s raw honesty and unwavering portrayal of human connection make this a book worth reading. It deserves every accolade, including the esteemed Schneider Family Book Award for Best Teen Honor Book 2020. If you need a summer read, I recommend this one. Of course, this book is available in the Mission Viejo Library and audio on Libby. 


Happy Reading!
Bella H.

Book Review: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Posted on by
Reply

A friend in AP Psychology recently recommended I read this book, as another one of his classmates recommended it to him, and he really enjoyed it. Personally, I could say the same about my experience with this book, as it really gave me a new perspective on how the human mind works.

Grit starts off by introducing the theory of grit itself, by describing studies by psychologists on West Point candidates. The book starts off by describing the first grueling 6 weeks of what is known as “Beast”, an additional layer of selection that West Point uses to weed out candidates. The author starts by mentioning research done during the 1950s by an earlier psychiatrist who also turned out to be one of Duckworth’s professors during her time at university.

Later in the book, Duckworth goes on to explain the phenomenon of grit by taking a look at people from all walks of life; Whether it be students, business owners, CEOs, or teachers, Duckworth notes that of the people in these fields, the one with grit tend to be the most successful. In looking at a program called Teach for America, Duckworth discovered that the teachers who were grittier were generally more optimistic, which correlated with better student performance and academic gains.

I don’t want to spoil more about the other cases that Duckworth discusses in the book because she can definitely explain it better than I can. I really enjoyed this book because it was life-changing, serving as a more scientific and thorough approach to looking at grit and perseverance as part of the human psyche. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the field of psychology, or anybody who wants to learn more about how their mind works in general.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review (contains spoilers!)

Posted on by
2

In the fictional novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the protagonist Harry Potter (who is a wizard) goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, everything seemed normal at first, but some strange occurrences started to happen.

There were people being petrified to be as still as a statue. There was also writing on the walls made from blood. The one behind this is Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort. Harry’s best friend Ron’s sister gets kidnapped by Tom Riddle and used to help him in these mysterious occurrences.

Harry has to fight the Basilisk, the creature that was petrifying students. After defeating the dangerous Basilisk (with the help of Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes) he uses one of the creature’s fangs to stab the diary that allowed Lord Voldemort to come back with his past self, as he was just a memory. We learn that Harry is a true Gryffindor since he was able to wield the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

The novel before this is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the one after it is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because it has great characters and an amazing plot. It is by far my favorite in the entire series.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

“Find Your Porpoise” By M. C. Ross

Posted on by
Reply

Find Your Porpoise by M. C. Ross is a heartwarming tale of a dog named Lars, his owner Natalie, a porpoise called Bangor, and a new otter called Marina. After meeting Bangor in the first book A Dog’s Porpoise, Lars and Natalie have become great friends with the porpoise. But everything changes when tourists come gathering around Ogunquit, Maine to take a glimpse of the famous porpoise pod.

As if things weren’t bad enough, a new otter comes in and steals the spotlight. Lars has to learn to share not only his reputation but his best friend. Lars starts to hate Marina and despise her. Conflict between the two grows, but in the end they each learn a valuable lesson of friendship.

Meanwhile, Natalie struggles between her new job on her stepdad’s boat, school, Marina (the otter) and a sketchy new citizen called Adam. When she finally suspects Adam is up to no good, she jumps to conclusions and her actions get the best of her.

With both of their judgements clouded, Natalie and Lars overlook the danger of tourist boats for their friend Bangor. In getting in a fight with his mom, Bangor is determined to ignore the rules and escape his pod to go see his human, dog, and otter friends. But it takes Bangor getting hit by a boat and a lot of team work for all three to acknowledge their mistakes.

Overall, I liked the multiple plots in the book, and thought it was a fun story. Each character learns a different message from their experience and sort of shares the knowledge to the reader as they read throughout the book.

I really recommend this book, and I am looking forward to reading more books from this author. Write in the comments below if you think this is a book you would read.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Posted on by
4

To Kill a Mockingbird is a thrilling novel. It was written by the one and only Harper Lee, Who has made other great novels such as Go Set a Watchman.

At first glance, I thought this was going to be a very boring book because I had to read it for school. And most books required for school are a pain to read, and very boring. But once I started reading this book more and more I realized that I was hooked. Normally I’m not a huge fan of reading, but I really enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a realistic fiction story. It follows the lives of 2 siblings: 6 year old Scout, who is the narrator, and 10 year old Jem Finch. The both of them are very immature at the beginning of the story. The time period is set in the 1930’s in a small rural town called Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch is the children’s father, who is a lawyer. He is also a wise and loving dad, and teaches Jem and Scout many valuable lessons throughout the story.

The story starts getting intense when Atticus takes on a case. He must defend Tom Robinson, who is a black man. Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, who is a young white woman. The trial has a big impact on Jem and Scout’s understanding of the world, and that everything isn’t always innocent as it seems. Jem and Scout grew much in their maturity after the trial, as they had a new perspective of the world and their surroundings.

I would recommend To Kill a Mockingbird to any readers who enjoy historical fiction and thrilling stories. This novel tackles the injustice that can happen in the world and issues with the society.

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.

The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe

Posted on by
1

The Celery Stalks at Midnight is a short novel by James Howe. This is the third book in the Bunnicula series, its predecessors being Bunnicula and Howliday Inn. The story is told from the perspective of a dog named Harold. Along with Chester the cat and Howie the puppy, these are pets living in the Monroe household. At the beginning of this story, Harold and his friends make a frightening discovery. Bunnicula the rabbit has escaped from his cage. The problem with this is that Bunnicula is not an ordinary rabbit. Bunnicula is a dangerous vampire rabbit known for sucking the juice out of vegetables. The other pets fear that Bunnicula will terrorize the neighborhood by turning the town’s vegetables into deadly vampire slaves. No garden will be safe from Bunnicula’s evil plans. Soon, bloodless vegetable zombies will infest the entire neighborhood. Harold and his friends must stop Bunnicula before it is too late.

I had not read the other books in the series before reading this one, so I had no idea was I was getting myself into. This book is totally weird and unpredictable. It seems like a parody of a scary story. In my opinion, this book is hilarious. I found it to be very entertaining and one of the funniest books that I have read in a while. Some of the things that happen in this book are extremely ridiculous, but the absurdity of this book actually makes it enjoyable to read. It has some elements of a mystery and a little bit of action, but this book really belongs in the comedy genre. I highly recommend it.

The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Boy Who Owned the School by Gary Paulsen

Posted on by
1

The Boy Who Owned the School is a short novel by Gary Paulsen. This book is about a boy named Jacob Freisten. Jacob does not feel loved at home and he hates going to school. He believes that only bad things will happen if anyone notices him, so his biggest goal in life is to go completely unnoticed by the entire school. He tries to sneak around from class to class, unbeknownst to anyone. Still, he usually feels miserable, especially in gym class. This goes on for a while until his English teacher tells him that he is going to flunk the class. In order to pass, he will need to earn extra credit by working with the stage crew for an upcoming school production of The Wizard of Oz. Jacob’s main job is to run the fog machine when the Wicked Witch dies. Jacob is unsure if he will be able to do this without getting noticed. Unbeknownst to him, this will eventually lead to him becoming the boy who owned the school.

I enjoyed this book, even though it dealt with some challenging topics. The characters seem very realistic and lifelike. Jacob deals with some internal conflicts in his youth that would be relatable to most readers. This book can also be relatable to some readers because of the description of Jacob’s difficult situation at home and at school. The plot is a little slow at times, but it is still engaging and even suspenseful at times. The story has many amusing moments, as well.  It also has a good and satisfying ending. I would recommend it to anyone, but especially to young people.

The Boy Who Owned the School by Gary Paulsen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Animal Farm Book Review

Posted on by
3

Animal Farm is an allegorical fiction novel written by George Orwell, used to depict how corrupt leaders can manipulate those who are less knowledgeable into doing what they want. Orwell was alive during the time of the Russian Revolution, where Joseph Stalin had taken power away from Leon Trotsky and manipulated the Russian people into thinking that he is going to make Russia a better place; Stalin was just trying to get people to believe in his ideas, so that he could get them to do what he wanted. Since George Orwell watched these historical events take place, he wrote Animal Farm to inform the people of this time that they had been taken advantage of by these dictators, and that if they had been further educated, they would have noticed.

In the novel, Orwell uses the pigs to represent the more educated members of society and shows how they take advantage of the less educated animals. The horses on the farm, Boxer and Mollie, represent the working class in Russia during the early 1900s and how they believed whatever they were told due to their lack of education.

One of the pigs, Napoleon, becomes a dictator figure on the farm and manipulates all of the lesser animals to work for him and turn the farm into a paradise for the pigs. Once the smarter animals such as Benjamin, the donkey, who represents the working class, inform the other animals of what the pigs are doing they realize that they have been tricked into being the pigs’ slaves, but it is already too late.

Overall I felt that this book was a good example of how an excess of power can be turned into something bad. This book taught me that knowledge is important so that you can make decisions for yourself and know when someone is steering you in the wrong direction. I liked this book because it was entertaining to read about the fictional animals, but the moral of the story was also inspirational.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Márquez’s Criticism of the Role of Religion in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Posted on by
Reply
Paperback Chronicle of a Death Foretold Book

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a book in the magical realism genre and set rural Columbia. It was written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and was published in 1981. It follows a detective attempting to solve a murder that happened many years ago and is based on a true story. Please note that it was originally written in Spanish, so some elements may not translate exactly.

I recently read Chronicle of a Death Foretold and my biggest takeaway was how Marquez explored and criticized the role of religion. Marquez criticized religion in this book through the prestige of religious leaders, the townspeople’s treatment and views of the community, and by showing how people justify inaction with religion.

First of all, Marquez highlights the faults of religious leaders like the bishop and Father Amador, showing the community’s blind reverence towards them despite their incompetence and moral failings. Secondly, the community’s respect for characters like Santiago, Angela, Bayardo, and the twins is influenced by religious beliefs, leading to misplaced priorities and justifications for harmful actions. Finally, the townspeople use religion to absolve themselves of responsibility, demonstrating the bystander effect and moral decay influenced by religious justification.

Throughout the book, various characters demonstrate the misplaced priorities and moral degradation of the community. The bishop’s arrival and the townspeople’s excitement highlight the significant role of religion. Father Amador’s inaction and incompetence are shown through his failure to prevent Santiago’s murder and his disrespectful treatment of Santiago’s body. The community’s judgment of Angela’s purity and their pity for Bayardo reflect the influence of religious norms. The twins’ justification of Santiago’s murder as an act of honor under God’s will shows the corrupting influence of religion. These are just a few of the instances in which the theme of the corrupting role of religion is demonstrated in this book.

These themes are consistent and expanded upon throughout Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and through them, Márquez effectively demonstrates the negative effects of religion in society, leading to social and moral degradation, and ultimately, Santiago Nasar’s death. I would highly recommend the book and would encourage readers to look out for these details and themes. Through this, they will truly appreciate Márquez as an author.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.