Tag Archives: Fiction

Biggie by Derek Sullivan

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biggie_dereksullivanEvery boy dreams of throwing a perfect game in baseball at least once. So does Henry ‘Biggie’ Abbott, but there is only one problem. Even though Biggie’s dad, Aaron Abbott (who left the family when Biggie was little), and stepdad, Jim ‘The Lazer’ Kaczor, were professional baseball players years back, Biggie is not built for the sport. He’s a high school junior and weighs over 300 pounds. Early in the book, Biggie despises athletics and having his dad’s last name, all he wants is to be left alone to maintain his straight As. But after pitching a no hitter in a high school P.E. wiffle ball game, Biggie discovers he has an “unhittable pitch,” and sets out with his younger stepbrother, Maddux, to be the first person in his town’s history to throw a no hitter.

Baseball isn’t Biggie’s only problem. There’s also a certain girl that he is in love with, but the same girl steals from the gas station where he works – right in front of him. And although it’s hard to believe, Biggie’s problems still are not over.

Although this novel sounds quite cliche, it is hard to put down. Biggie is quite a page turner, and the author, Derek Sullivan, manages to throw quite a few curve balls into the plot. Biggie is a novel not only for sports lovers, but for young teens everywhere. I would recommend this book for teens ages 13-16. As school comes to and end and summer is right around the corner, with baseball season in full swing, I believe that this novel will not be a strikeout.

-Will R.

Biggie is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacy Kade

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Alona Dare is the most popular girl in the school, and everyone “supposedly” loves her. When she dies in her gym clothes after being run over by a bus of band nerds (such horror), she starts to blame her mom for her death. Unfortunately, she also finds out that her boyfriend was cheating with her best friend when they started kissing the day after her funeral.

Because her “life” is ruined, she starts to cry in the middle of her old school. And that’s when Will Killian, the weirdest guy in school, starts to laugh out of nowhere. But Alona realizes that he might be laughing at her, and that he could probably see ghosts…

Will Killian is crazy, or so his mother and therapists say. Only he and his dead dad knew that Will could see ghosts. Problem is, the day that he laughed at a ghost (which is not a good thing to do) was the day that all the ghosts in his school found out that he could see them and drive him crazy with their last wishes. And who is to save him but the ghost of Alona Dare, who has a few wishes of her own. Problem is, in order to save him, she has to become his spirit guide, which means helping Will take the requests of the dead (one at a time, of course), and saving him from a vengeful ghost (who may or may not be his dad).

This book provides some very insightful views into the spirit world. There are some things we know from stories, like last minute wishes of the dead, but there are also some clever views Kade puts in, such as what happens when your wish gets fulfilled. When I read this book, I was sad when it was over. I was very excited to learn about each of the character’s backstories, including some of the ghosts. There is also some comedy, and the overall love stories involved in the plot.

This book was very good, and is recommending for those who are looking for slight mystery, paranormal activity, and a small yet sweet love story.

-Meagan V.

The Ghost and the Goth is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library and Overdrive. 

Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer

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artemisfowl_eoincolferArtemis Fowl is the pinnacle series of the author Eoin Colfer. The books detail the adventures of Artemis Fowl, a genius child who already runs his late father’s criminal empire. He spends his days inventing new technologies and running illegal enterprises around the world with his trusty bodyguard, Butler. Until one day, he discovers the world of faeries hidden beneath them. Being the person he is, Artemis soon goes head to head with the Faeries’ elite LEPrecon police force as his money-making scheme involves kidnapping the Faerie officer Holly Short. Eventually, they join forces to stop a multitude of other evil forces out in both worlds.

This series is one of my favorites to read because it’s filled with action from beginning to end. Whenever there’s expositional dialogue, we can always expect it to be filled with witticisms and funny personality clashes. Also, the scenes are always fresh with new ideas, rather than repetitively showing the same fight scenes like other books. Artemis always finds solutions with ingenuity, while his friends employ bravery and combat training. The friendship and camaraderie between Artemis and Holly creates a lifetime team, which involves both life-threatening situations and everyday banter.

Over the course of the series, Artemis Fowl develops a lot as a character. Although he is introduced as a cold and ruthless genius, we learn he isn’t without some good inside. He learns to respect his closest friends, and is even willing to give his life for them. The main reason for this is that he never had any friends before that have earned his respect.
The setting for this book is also very notable. While most books are either sci-fi or fantasy, Artemis Fowl includes both. While the Faerie Folk have ancient magic, they have also developed extremely advanced technologies over the thousands of years. Their inventors have created flight suits, contact lenses with built in cameras, and other creations from our wildest imaginations. It was very creative and daring for Colfer to mesh these two genres together, and the result is a literary masterpiece.

When you have a chance, you should definitely give this series a read. Although Eoin Colfer has written many notable books, the Artemis Fowl series will always be one of his best. The fun storylines will have you burning through the books.

-Phillip X., 10th grade

The Artemis Fowl series is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library and Overdrive. 

The Remedy by Suzanne Young

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remedy_suzanneyoung“I can’t remember who I am,” I say. “I’m not sure what’s real anymore.”

Actress. Imposter. Closer. Quinlan’s job is to step in and pretend to be whoever died to help families through the grieving process. She changes her hair, her clothes, and mimics them to the best of her abilities. She gives families the closure they need to keep going on with their lives despite the death of their loved one, but it is always only temporary.

Quinn is very good at her job. So good, in fact, that she can’t always tell her own past from the past of assignments. Quinn immerses herself so fully into her job that it’s hard to pull herself out. Especially on this new case. It’s the longest assignment to date, almost immediately after her last assignment. It might be too soon, but Quinn has no choice. She can’t say no to her boss when it’s her father.

“This isn’t my house. Isn’t my life. I let mine go and now I can’t find it. There’s nothing familiar to pull me back. I don’t know who I am.”

The only person who really gets Quinn is her mostly-ex-boyfriend Deacon. He was a Closer but quit a few months ago, around the time he quit on their relationship. Quinn still loves Deacon, but the last time she tried to let him back into her heart he shattered it. That makes twice where Quinn has felt him pull away. She isn’t sure if Deacon is worth risking her heart again.

Especially when her new assignment consists of consoling the decease’s boyfriend, Isaac. He’s cute, which may be part of the problem. The longer the assignment goes, the harder it is for Quinn to separate her own life from the assignment. It would be so easy to just forget about her life as Quinn and live happily in the dead girl’s world where she is treasured as a daughter and girlfriend. But throughout the assignment, Quinn can tell there’s something different about it.

Maybe it’s the secret about how her assignment died. Maybe it’s the mysteriously missing pages from the diary. Maybe it’s the dead girl’s friend who disappeared from existence. Whatever it is, Quinn is on the case. But the more she learns, the more secrets she finds. If Quinn isn’t careful, she might go so far into her role that she will lose herself in the process.

-Nicole G.

The Remedy is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

Paper Towns by John Green

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papertowns_johngreenMargo Roth Spiegelman is an independent young woman who makes her own rules in the game of life. She goes with her own ideas and does not take orders from anybody, including her parents. She always plays games with people, running away whenever she pleases and leaving clues for people to find her. It is all a part of this little game she plays with everyone she cares about, making them scared as she has fun. She is so determined to live by herself, the way she wants, so when she runs away again, it doesn’t scare her parents. It just annoys them to the point where they don’t care if she comes back. It’s when she goes missing for more than a few days that everyone starts to think she is not coming back. Her old friend from when they were kids, Quentin, tries to get into the life of Margo. He tries to think like she would in order to find her and get her back, before it is too late.

When I first found out about this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. The storyline seemed so interesting to me, that a girl who runs away leaves clues for people to find her. But when I actually started reading it, my high hopes for the book weren’t met. All of the clues Q had to follow to find Margo were very confusing. As the reader, I was very confused and couldn’t figure out how the clues added up to finding her. It was all very complex, and sometimes that’s good when you’re reading a book, to have it be a little confusing to make you think. But this book was so confusing and difficult to read. I wanted to put the book down because it was too hard to think about everything while still trying to enjoy the story. I have heard of other readers loving this book, hanging onto every detail. In the end, it’s just a matter of opinion. Mine may not be the popular opinion, but this is what I thought of it. If you like mystery and adventure, you should definitely try to read this book. While some parts were confusing, some were also pretty funny and meaningful. One of my favorite quotes I will always remember is “she loved mysteries so much she became one”. John Green is a mysterious writer himself, so I do still look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

-Sabrina C., 10th Grade

Paper Towns is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library, Overdrive, and Axis360.