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Salt & Stone

Victoria Scott

This is the sequel to Fire & Flood.

Tella Holloway has completed the first half of the race (two ecosystems: jungle and desert) and is moving on to the more difficult part of the race because living two weeks in the jungle and desert with a very high possibility of dying, isn’t enough for the cure that her sick older brother Cody needs to survive. Now Tella will trek through the two more difficult ecosystems, Ocean and Mountains, to remain a contender eligible to win the grand prize. With the help of her new-found friends from the jungle, Guy Chambers, Harper Shaw, Olivia Flinch, Jaxon Levine, and Braun Kirkland, they join as a team to overcome the obstacles of the ecosystems. Introducing a couple more characters, Tella will guide them through the harsh climates overcoming the events that scared her from the last book and learn secrets behind the race and among her friends. She starts to worry that they may not be her friends at all…

I prefer this book over Fire & Flood simply because the story starts to pick up more and is slightly more descriptive when there is action. This book, you’ll see has a lot more unexpected turns of events also making it slightly better than the first book. Overall the book Salt & Stone was very nerve-racking due to the anticipation of what will happen next and the secrets Tella’s teammates keep, wondering what they are. I would have given this book 5 stars but due to the ending and how this is the last book in the series I lower it down to 4. Still an amazing book. – Celine J.

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Fire & Flood

Victoria Scott

Tella Holloway is on the brink of insanity. Her brother Cody, has an illness that seems impossible to cure. Her family decided to move from Boston to the middle of nowhere. Possibly the fresh air of the great outdoors could help Cody recover. Unfortunately, that plan failed and is driving Tella crazy, desperate for a cure for her poor brother and things to go back to normal. As if her prayers and pleas have been answered, Tella gets invited as a contender to take part in the Brimstone Bleed, a dangerous race through four ecosystems all for the winning prize of the cure for any illness. The only problem was there can only be one champion and Tella’s determined to win, no matter what problems arise and what secrets are revealed that can change everything she ever thought of.

I personally enjoyed the book as it was very entertaining and adventure like with some exciting battle scenes. I also favor how there were accurate facts on survival skills because in most stories it is very inaccurate. This book also stood out for its relatability towards the reader as it included the struggles of being a teenager, spoiled with technology and how modern-day teens are compared to adults and children. Overall, the book Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott was packed with suspense, action, adventure, romance, friendships, teamwork struggles and the undying determination to do anything and everything for a person you care about.

If you like The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series, you’ll love this! – Celine J.

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Confessions of a High School Disaster

Emma Chastain

This story is about a soon-to-be high school student who is nervous about her new life. She is going through new feelings she can’t explain, losing friends, and trying to find herself through new interests. Chloe Snow is a bright and positive freshman trying to find her place in a new environment, and she quickly learns that life isn’t as easy as it was in her safe elementary school, when her mother lived at home and everyone was a happy family. Now, she goes through missing her mom (who is an author exploring Mexico) while trying to balance hormones, friends, theater and home life — all while she is young and naive.

In my opinion this book wasn’t the greatest. I enjoyed a lot of it and though it was fresh and light, it didn’t wow me. It was an easy read that was refreshing, yet hard to get through because of the lack of detail. The writing wasn’t the most interesting to read for a lot of the book. The plot was okay, but it felt overdone because the author didn’t catch the real emotions of Chloe or any other characters. I think the author should have tried a little harder to find a meaning for the book and illustrated more driven and realistic characters. I wish the author looked beyond the dramatic side of Chloe’s life and looked at her pain she was going through during the entire book. Emma Chastain didn’t address her feelings of loss for her friends and her missing her mother. Otherwise this book was refreshing and funny and I would recommend it as a book that anyone could read for fun.  – Fatima S.

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Spellbook of the Lost and Found - Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Spellbook of the Lost and Found

Moïra Fowley-Doyle

 

The highly anticipated new book from the acclaimed author of The Accident Season is a gorgeous, twisty story about things gone missing, things returned from the past, and a group of teenagers, connected in ways they could never have imagined.

One stormy Irish summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hairclips and jewelry, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something much bigger, something she won’t talk about, and Olive thinks her best friend is slipping away.

Then seductive diary pages written by a girl named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing estate. The trio are wild and alluring, but they seem lost too—and like Rose, they’re holding tight to painful secrets.

When they discover the spellbook, it changes everything. Damp, tattered and ancient, it’s full of hand-inked charms to conjure back things that have been lost. And it just might be their chance to find what they each need to set everything back to rights.

Unless it’s leading them toward things that were never meant to be found…

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Moana

Walt Disney Studios

The ocean is calling to a young Polynesian girl named Moana, but unfortunately, her father and his strict rules refuse to let her explore the open water to her heart’s content. Nevertheless, her grandmother, who has told her the legendary story of a demigod named Maui and a hero’s prophecy, encourages her to finally set sail in order to fulfill the prophecy. According to the legend, the heart of Te Fiti was stolen from the “Mother Island” herself by Maui, until both his magical hook and the stolen goods were lost in the ocean forever. The rest of the movie showcases the adventures of Moana and her newfound friend, Maui and their quest to cross the seas and return peace to the creator of all things natural and beautiful, Te Fiti.

I think this movie by Disney is excellent for many reasons. First of all, it features a person of colour as a princess who doesn’t have a love interest and is fueled only by her own determination to make change. This is a refreshing spin on the traditional Disney princess stereotype of the women featured depending on a “prince charming” to save her and make her feel worthy. Also, the animation with its vibrant colours and scenery is really spectacular to look at, while the soundtrack, which was developed by several people including Lin-Manuel Miranda, an award winning songwriter and composer, is equally as beautiful.

In conclusion, I think Moana is a great film for the whole family that everyone is guaranteed to enjoy.  — Mady R.

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Words on Bathroom Walls - Julia Walton

Words on Bathroom Walls

Julia Walton

 

Adam has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sees and hears people who aren’t there: Rebecca, a beautiful girl who understands him; the Mob Boss, who harasses him; and Jason, the naked guy who’s unfailingly polite. It should be easy to separate the real from the not real, but Adam can’t.

Still, there’s hope. As Adam starts fresh at a new school, he begins a drug trial that helps him ignore his visions. Suddenly everything seems possible, even love. When he meets Maya, a fiercely intelligent girl, he desperately wants to be the great guy that she thinks he is. But then the miracle drug begins to fail, and Adam will do anything to keep Maya from discovering his secret.

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