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by C.S Lewis

3 Stars

In an effort to rid his kingdom of a tyrant and usurper (who happens to be his uncle), the young Prince Caspian (who happens to be the rightful heir to the throne) organizes an army of creatures-in-hiding.  

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Meanwhile, the Pevensie children are preparing to head back to school when they are suddenly whisked away to a deserted island. They have returned to Narnia, but it doesn’t look the same as it did when they left it. While only a year has passed in their time, the country, they once ruled as kings and queens, has aged hundreds. As they join Prince Caspian in his quest for power, they will make new friends—and a few enemies—and reconnect with old ones.  

*** 

I rated this book three stars. The first few chapters really pulled me in, but I quickly grew tired of C.S. Lewis’ lengthy descriptions of trees, rivers, and rocks. It could be pretty boring at times, and although things do pick up toward the end, I had to take away a star for lack of excitement. As for the other star, I didn’t find King Miraz to be as intriguing a villain as the White Witch. I think he had potential, he just didn’t get enough “page time.” I should also mention that I had mixed feelings about the time jump. While I missed some of the characters from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I liked getting to enter the world of Narnia as if for the first time

If you, like me, weren’t all that impressed with ‘Prince Caspian,’ I urge you to keep reading! The other books in the series (minus ‘The Last Battle’) are really good.  

Catey F.

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by C.S Lewis

5 Stars

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During the Second World War, four children go to live with an old professor in the English countryside. They find many strange things in their new home, but the strangest of all is a wardrobe. This unsuspecting piece of furniture transports them to the land of Narnia: where talking animals roam, where mythical creatures dwell, and which suffers from a terrible curse. So begins the Pevensies’ quest to defeat the curse’s caster, the White Witch, and put an end to a never-ending winter. They might have Aslan on their side, but when one of their own betrays them, they will have to prepare for a great battle—and an even greater sacrifice.   

***  

Whether because this is a children’s book or the fact that I’ve been reading too much Shakespeare, I found C.S. Lewis’ writing very refreshing. He doesn’t try to be poetic or quote-worthy, and he doesn’t use words you have to remind yourself to look up later. He tells a story in its purest form, stripped of all unnecessary baggage.   

Of course, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is full of references to Christianity. I certainly didn’t pick up on them all, but I don’t think my reading experience was any less enjoyable. And I don’t think non-Christians should be discouraged. This book is packed with vibrant characters, humour, just the right amounts of action and drama, and some beautiful illustrations! I would definitely recommend it. 

P.S. If you decide to read the Chronicles of Narnia, read them in the order they were published. Chronological order puts The Magician’s Nephew first, but I think this one offers much better introductions to Narnia and Aslan. 

Catey F.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

J.K. Rowling

Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, we take a glimpse into the wizarding world and the life of Harry Potter and his family. This story is based on the play that is showcased in London and New York, and as a result, is written as a script. Harry Potter is now a hardworking employee of the Minister of Magic, a husband, and the father of three children. It’s not easy being the son of a legend, especially when that legend is Harry Potter himself. Harry and Ginny’s youngest son, Albus, is attending Hogwarts this year with the weight of a legacy he never asked for. Join Harry in his son while they form a unique father and son bond. Watch history repeat itself as you stroll back to the school which once was Harry’s. Filled with old favourites like Hermione, Ron, Draco, and McGonagall this script is sure to revive some old memories of magic. Harry and Albus are both forced to learn that darkness and evil and arise from the most unsuspecting places.

The Cursed Child is an amazing read, especially if you have fallen in love with the world of Harry Potter. It is not formatted like the rest of the series, however, if you are able to get past that, then I definitely recommend this book. Enter this magically world one more time with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Action, suspense, and mystery fill the pages of this book, and J. K. Rowling keeps you on edge with her exciting new installment of Harry Potter. -Ananya M.

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Insurgent

Veronica Roth

Insurgent is the second book the action-packed Divergent series by Veronica Roth. After the events of the Divergent, Tris is struggling to cope with all that she has lost. As the aftermath of the war is cooling down, Tris is on the run from Erudite extremists, and she must hide for her life while still trying to uncover the war’s purpose. A fight this grand doesn’t happen without purpose, and Tris and Tobias are determined to find out what is hidden from the eyes of the public. They both frantically search all they can to discover what lies behind the walls which cage their city. But that won’t be easy because whatever it is, Erudite is willing to kill to protect it. In this never-ending chase, Tris must resist the urge to join her parents, and truly learn the meaning of sacrifice and how much she means, which is not easy when you have the guilt of your past mistakes haunting over you. Will Tris be able to complete her mission or will the torment of the past envelop her soul?

Veronica Roth does a fantastic job presenting this story to the reader, and she has you engaged by page one. Tris’s story is captivating and still relatable at the same time. When we see Tris faced with guilt and loneliness, it is easy to relate and cheer her on. The Divergent series is a must read, especially if you enjoy dystopian novels and strong female protagonists. While hunting for answers, you’ll discover her messed up world may be more than what there were looking for and Roth will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading this extraordinary tale. – Ananya M.

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Divergent

Veronica Roth

Beatrice Prior, a 16-year-old girl, is no different from other teenagers in her city, except that she is hiding a terrible secret. In her world, all who turn 16 must undergo the choosing ceremony to settle on one of five factions. Bravery, selflessness, honesty, kindness, and knowledge are what each value and whatever you chose you must defend before your blood and family. Beatrice’s deadly secret that she is divergent could destroy her and her family, she doesn’t fit in one faction, but multiple! Her choices are what is keeping her alive, and she must adjust to the new life she chooses. But this can be difficult when evil is being planned right behind your back. Everything has changed in this new life of hers, even her name. Tris, her new set of friends, and a mysterious instructor named Four must join together before all they know and love is lost.

When you start reading you will be swept away into this new world. Veronica Roth has done a great job captivating her readers and truly enveloping them into the text. This extraordinary YA novel has it all, from an intriguing dystopian plot, thrilling action, intense suspense, and touching love. You’ll have no trouble forming a connection with Tris as she battles for the truth of her divergence and unlocks the secrets that have caged them all. Unravel the true meaning of family, sacrifice, bravery, and love through this phenomenal dystopian novel and the mysterious world created by Veronica Roth. – Ananya M.

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Furyborn

Claire Legrand

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other.

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Rook

Sharon Cameron

In the Sunken City, which was once Paris, things have a way of repeating themselves. The new revolution means hundreds of opposing citizens are being executed, except for the ones who disappear. Countless prison cells are left empty, and in place of prisoners is a single red-tipped rook feather. The citizens of the city love the Red Rook’s work, but those in the government see them as a traitor. On the other side in the Commonwealth, a young Sophia Bellamy is preparing for her arranged marriage to Rene Hasard, the only way in which she can save her family from complete financial ruin. When the search for the Red Rook ends up right at her house, she discovers her fiancé has hidden information, but what her fiancé doesn’t know is that she hasn’t been completely honest herself. As tension in the Sunken City grows, Sophia and Rene are enveloped in never-ending chases, but all is not lost as Miss Bellamy has quite a few secrets of her own.

 

This daring novel will have you on the edge of your seat, with a suspenseful plot line and a new twist around every corner. Gripping action, heartwarming love, darings sacrifices, and killing suspense complete this outstanding novel. It will make you question the true meaning of heroism. Criminal? Spirit? Or last hope? Who is the Red Rook really? What dark secrets are the walls of the Bellamy house hiding? Sharon Cameron will keep you thirsty for answers as the mystery unfolds along the streets which were once Paris. -Ananya M.

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The Wicked Deep

Shea Ernshaw

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

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Tales of the Peculiar

Ransom Riggs

Tales of the Peculiar is a selection of short, and strange stories set before the novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. In this collection, Ransom Riggs has created a number of enchanting tales that take you through a wild journey from a land of law-abiding cannibals, a kingdom with a princess who’s a half-snake, and far away to ancient China where a young man has seaweed growing out of his armpits. In a magical, fun-loving way, Riggs tells tales with themes of discrimination, racism, and empowerment that are sure to send you right into each story!

Personally, I loved the book. I thought each story was fresh and inviting, and I read them to my younger siblings who loved it as well. I love Riggs’ main series, and this spin-off is something anyone could read with or without reading the main series and still feel the magical thrill of a tall tale without any sense of confusion. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves the fantastical! – Jacqueline S.

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Neverworld Wake

Marisha Pessl

Once upon a time, back at Darrow-Harker School, Beatrice Hartley and her six best friends were the cool kids, the beautiful ones. Then the shocking death of Jim—their creative genius and Beatrice’s boyfriend—changed everything.

One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft—the seaside estate where they spent so many nights sharing secrets, crushes, plans to change the world—hoping she’ll get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim’s death. But as the night plays out in a haze of stilted jokes and unfathomable silence, Beatrice senses she’s never going to know what really happened.

Then a mysterious man knocks on the door. Blithely, he announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions. Now Beatrice has one last shot at answers… and at life.

And so begins the Neverworld Wake.

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