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by Alexa Donne

4.5 Stars

The Ivies rule the school at Claflin Academy. They’re a group of girls who would stop at nothing to ensure their spots in an Ivy League school. The five girls have been sabotaging the other students throughout their four high school years to ensure that they will always stay on top. They each applied to different schools to ensure they’d all make it in. When the leader of the group, Avery, doesn’t make it into Harvard, there is lots of tension among the group. What Avery doesn’t know is Olivia and Emma, who are also in the Ivies, also applied to Harvard. When Emma tells Avery she got in, Avery is furious. The next morning, Emma is found dead. With all eyes on the Ivies, Olivia must find a way to clear her name, while trying to find Emma’s murder. Along the way, she finds shocking information and learns the Ivies are deadlier than she ever imagined.  

There were so many shocking twists and turns throughout this book that I didn’t see coming. Each of the characters were so complex and necessary to move the story along. I really enjoyed this author’s writing style and how she made the story relatable for teenagers, even though it was about murder. Olivia, the narrator, had a really interesting take on the entire situation that helped you look at the story in a different light. The story took place at a boarding school, and the whole dynamic was much different than at a public school. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it!  

Hailey B.

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by Katherine Applegate

5 Stars

The One and Only Ivan

The book, The One and Only Ivan, is about a Gorilla on his epic journey to his home, the zoo. The novel is written in the first person from the point of view of Ivan, a gorilla. Ivan and his friends all work at Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. In this mall, Ivan and his friends try to catch people’s attention, by running a circus. Ivan and his friends all work for Mack, who’s a stubborn man and only cares about how his business is going, not his animals. On his journey, he meets lots of new friends. That die and survive. Some of the main friends that he meets on his journey are Stella, Bob, Ruby, etc. Stella’s an older elephant, Bob’s a dog, and Ruby’s a baby elephant. 

All of these characters provide great help to Ivan, but Ruby is the one who can change Ivan’s life forever! 

Ivan lives in a domain where there is a Genitor named George, who has a daughter named Julia. 

Julia is a human and one of Ivan’s best friends. One thing in common between the two is that they both love art!  

In my opinion, the book, The One and Only Ivan is a great read! I like the main message of the book, storytelling. One of the ways they used storytelling in this book is when Ivan can’t sleep he goes to Stella to listen to a story from her past. Another reason why I liked this book is that it gives a really strong message to never give up! Ivan goes through a lot, but eventually, he gets to his home, the zoo. I would prefer this book, for all ages. 

“This beautiful, life-affirming story will soar directly from Ivan’s heart into yours.” – Katherine Applegate

Ahmed Q.

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by James Dashner

5 Stars

The Eye of Minds

The novel The Eye of Minds by James Dashner is a story about a young teenage boy named Micheal. Since he doesn’t have the chance of seeing his parents much, he spends most of his time gaming. This book takes place in the future, where gaming and technology are more advanced and ultra-modern than this current era. The main gaming system displayed in the book is called VirtNet. This stunning gaming system provides a great experience for gamers whose minds are connected to the system, making them present in a virtual world. This world also unlocks the gamer’s ability to use their five senses. Everything starts well until a sudden event occurs. Kaine, a cyber-terrorist, has the ability to claim different gamer profiles, forcing them to follow whatever he says. The owners of VirtNet are shocked but are willing to find a way to stop the dangerous cyber-terrorist before he hurts their company and its profits.  

To catch a hacker, you need a hacker. VirtNet has been examining Micheal and his hacking skills. They decide to use him to save VirtNet and find Kaine. This risk is enormous, and Micheal realizes that he might have a chance of dying in the process. It’s a dangerous journey, but Micheal and his friends are ready to take the challenge. 

This novel was truly a masterpiece. The book contained great detail and was fast-paced, which drew me right from the beginning. This book also kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. Overall, I would recommend this book to all ages.

Ahmed Q.

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by Andrzej Sapkowski

5 Stars

The Last Wish

Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher: The Last Wish is the first entry in Sapkowski’s The Witcher series. The novel is a collection of stories about Geralt of Rivia’s adventures as a Witcher. Throughout the novel he encounters a variety of interesting characters and creatures, such as a striga, a giant bear who is half-man, a wizard, a queen, and a devil among others. Throughout the novel, Geralt meets people who hire him to deal with monsters. However, the tasks he is given are often more complicated than they first seem.  

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Witcher: The Last Wish. Sapkowski’s writing style is interesting and engaging, creating an exceptional novel that is hard to put down. The book consists of several short stories of Geralt’s adventures that combine to form a larger story filled with messages and morals. Geralt is a fascinating character who truly elevates the novel into a masterpiece. He is witty, intelligent, strong, and courageous. He is also very cautious and always expects the unexpected to occur. I found it interesting to read about his friend Dandelion, who is the complete opposite of Geralt. Dandelion is cheerful, energetic, optimistic, and always assumes the best of people. This creates an interesting dynamic between the two and leads to some amusing scenes where both are taken out of their element and act a bit like each other. Overall The Witcher: The Last Wish is an excellent novel and is truly one of the books where if you haven’t read it, you’re missing out. I would give this book 5 stars out of 5.

Ethan M.

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by Deborah Ellis

5 stars

My Name Is Parvana

The Fiction, My Name Is Parvana, written by Deborah Ellis, was an adventurous and astonishing book. It’s the fourth and final book of the Breadwinner series. It tells the story of a 15-year-old Parvana imprisoned and designated as a suspected terrorist in Kabul, Afghanistan. She was carrying her late father’s shoulder bag, which was searched by the American soldiers. They found a notebook that she wrote letters to Nooria, Asif, Hassan, Leila, Shauzia, pens, and a chewed-up copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. Parvana refuses to talk, and the interrogator thinks Parvanna is either deaf or mute. She doesn’t even respond to any questions in the languages the interrogator suspects she knows, she remains silent even when she is threatened, harassed and treated horribly over several days. While her fate is in the balance, the interrogator and the force to determine her fate, she remembers flashbacks of the past four years of her life. Remembering her mother and sisters living in a village where her mother had finally managed to open a school for girls called Leila’s Hope of Academy. Even when the Taliban had been driven by the government, the country was still at war, and many families continue to view the freedom of education of girls and women with fear. As Parvana’s family settles into the routine of running the school, she finds herself bored. She even thinks of running away. Her mother was killed due to the local men that had threatened the school and destroyed the school, which puts Paravana’s own life in danger. This story is one inspiring book to read. This book is a must-read, and I recommend this book to all ages. I rate this story 5/5 stars!

Hoda D.

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by Deborah Ellis

5 Stars

Mud City

The Fiction, Mud City, written by Deborah Ellis, was a breathtaking and engaging book. Deborah Ellis’s Mud City is the third book of the Breadwinner series. It tells the story of a 14-year-old girl, Shauzia, Parvana’s best friend, into a refugee camp in Pakistan. Shauzia left Kabul to come to the camp with Mrs. Weera, her former PE teacher, who is in charge of the Widow’s Compound. Shauzia begins to get annoyed with Mrs. Weera as she doesn’t get paid for any of the jobs at the camp. But Shauzia always had a dream of going to France with her dog Jasper and just imaging the beautiful lavender fields and living there. So Shauzia decides to leave the camp and head off to the dangerous streets in Peshawar to look for jobs that will pay her. As she gets accused one day of stealing a guy’s money, she got thrown into prison. She is soon rescued by a generous American Family, Tom and Barbara, as the family treats Shauzia as one of their own kids with generosity and respect. Shauzia soon has to go back to camp because she let lots of families inside the home to help them out and give them something to eat and drink but without the consent of Tom and Barbara. Once Shauzia returns to the camp, she realizes that Mrs. Weera isn’t a bad person. After all, she likes helping people and wants to make a difference in their lives. She doesn’t give up on her dream to go to France, but she realizes she has a long way to go, and her dream of her going to go to France can wait until she is ready. This story is one amazing story. This book is a must-read, and I recommend this book to all ages. Overall, I rate this book 5/5 stars!

Hoda D.

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by Christopher Golden

5 Stars

Red Hands

It’s July 4th, and the people in the small town of New Hampshire are celebrating by putting on a huge parade. Everything starts going well until a mysterious worker from Garland Mountain Labs is seen himself in a vehicle and starts to plow through the crowd. Panicking, many people witness the car’s driver hopping out of the vehicle and touching people. Within a few seconds, the people of the town drop dead due to the sickness that person had attained. As worriedness and pressure start to grow, a parade attendee named Maeve uses a baseball bat to hit the guy and fully knock him out, but not before the mysterious person touches her. Surprisingly, she seems to be fine and immediately goes to check on her family, but when she touches them, they instantly die too. Filled with trembling fear, she flees into the mountain to hide, struggling with her own grief and confusion.  

Scientist expert, Ben Walker is called upon to help investigate the problem. He must not only find Maeve but to find out the exact secret weapon Garland Moutain Labs have unleashed. Meanwhile, Maeve looks for a hiding spot. Filled with terror and exhaustion, she begins to hear voices inside her head, and her desperation to touch another human being continues to grow. Will Maeve die? Can Ben Walker exactly figure out the secret weapon? Find out by reading Red Hands by Christopher Golden. 

This well-crafted book was very entertaining, and I highly enjoyed it. The novel grabs you in the first couple of pages, and it is then nearly impossible to put down! The energy is held in tension throughout the entire development of the story. To conclude, this is simply a fantastic read, and I highly recommend this novel to fans who enjoy thriller books.

Ahmed Q.

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by Kevin Kwan

5 Stars

Rich People Problems: A Novel: Kwan, Kevin: 9780385689403: Books - Amazon.ca

Rich People Problems is the third and final installment of Kevin Kwan’s captivating trilogy that showcases a deep insight into the wealthy and powerful families of Singapore. Nick and Rachel are happily married and enjoying life living in Manhattan. Suddenly, Nick discovers from his mother that his grandmother, Su Yi, has had a heart attack and is currently on her deathbed, so he quickly rushes to Singapore to be by her side. Apparently, Nick is not the only one who goes back to Singapore to visit her. The entire Shang-young clan has assembled from all over the world to say their last goodbyes to Su Yi, hoping to inherit Tyersall Park, Su Yi’s trophy estate on sixty-four prime acres in the heart of Singapore. Backbiting and sabotaging take place within Su Yi’s house as the family members fight to inherit this massive fortune. Discover some of the shocking secrets that Asia’s most privileged families are hiding and all the insight into their ridiculous rich people problems! 

Rich People Problems was an excellent novel to conclude a phenomenal series. The novel was very emotional and focused a lot on family, which was very relatable to read. The storyline was captivating, had numerous surprises, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I could not put the book down as it was that interesting! Overall, Rich People Problems was intriguing, emotional, and the perfect way to end the charming trilogy. This was an amazing way to conclude a great story. 

Emily K.

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by Kevin Kwan

5 Stars

China Rich Girlfriend - Wikipedia

Written by Kevin Kwan, China Rich Girlfriend is the sequel to the novel Crazy Rich Asians. Rachel Chu and Nicholas Young are finalizing and preparing details on the eve of their wedding day. Even though Rachel is ecstatic and more than eager to marry the man of her dreams, she still wishes she knew who and where her birth father was, so he would be there to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. However, a sudden and shocking revelation reveals his identity, and Rachel reunites with her long-lost father. Rachel eventually gets drawn into a crazy world of Shanghai splendour beyond anything she could have ever imagined. China Rich Girlfriend introduces the elite circles of mainland China, as well as captivating characters that are far more than crazy rich – they’re China-rich. 

China Rich Girlfriend was a fascinating and funny summer novel filled with love, family, and of course, extravagant displays of wealth. The novel is the second volume within the humorous trilogy that follows the richest families of Hong Kong and mainland China. Personally, I prefer the first book over this one, as I feel that the first book had more drama and was more intriguing. However, the book was still very well written, and I enjoyed reading about the different characters introduced and the different perspectives. I think China Rich Girlfriend is a solid continuation of the series and worth reading. If you enjoyed reading the first book within the series, I would definitely recommend picking this one up! 

Emily K.

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by Jenny Han

4 Stars

Book Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before – Eagle Eye

Written by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a young adult romance novel. Lara Jean Covey is the main character and a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in Virginia and is very close to her older sister Margot and younger sister Kitty. In a hatbox given to her by her mother, she keeps love letters written to all of the boys that she has loved before – five in total. By writing these love letters, she is able to pour her heart and soul out and release the emotions and true feelings that she would never say in real life. One day at school, Peter Kavinsky, one of the boys she wrote a letter to, approaches her and tells Lara Jean that he does not feel any attraction towards her. Initially, Lara Jean expresses confusion, however, she quickly realizes that Peter has received the love letter she wrote to him years ago. Horrified, she rushes home to make sure the remaining letters have not been sent out, but she cannot find the hatbox. She eventually discovers that her younger sister Kitty had sent out all of the love letters. With all of the letters sent out, Lara Jean must cope with her out of control love life. 

Personally, I found this novel to be quite charming and relatable. The novel is fairly short and will not take long to finish, I was able to finish it within a day. Some may find parts of the story to be cheesy, however, I thought that the book was wholesome and relaxing to read. Anyone who enjoys teenage romance novels will absolutely fall in love with this book! 

Emily K.

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