A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 11

When a scandalous photo causes Aria’s life to explode she’s exiled to her grandmother’s home in the Bay Area. Fresh out of her senior year and miles away from anyone who knows her,  Aria buckles down for a boring summer. However, when she meets her grandmother’s new gardener, her expectations quickly change. Old memories resurface and the lives of her friends begin to entangle in hers, causing her to question herself and her life’s perspective on art, sexuality, and family.

One of the best parts of this book is the introspection provided through the formatting of the chapters. In several instances there will be a moment the flow of the story is broken up for a flashback. For instance, when Aria’s life hits a major turning point, the blur of days is reflected through short one page chapters. The way the story is written is logical--everything feels like it builds up to the epilogue. 

It isn’t a particularly surprising book. There weren't any major plot twists or turns that you couldn’t predict, but it still progressed so nicely that it was just as worth it to enjoy the journey.

I recommend this book, it was comforting but not without conflict. It grew on me as I read and I hold a lot of fondness for the feelings expressed. Not a single character could even begin to reach perfect but instead were written to be complicated and genuinely human. I hold great fondness for Malinda Lo’s past work, and A Scatter of Light made me a fan.

Thieves by Lucie Byron

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 11

Thieves by Lucie Bryon is a cute and captivating queer graphic novel. The book is split into two parts and follows a pair of high schoolers in France as they navigate the social messes of their senior year. Adventurous and bold, it’s a light-hearted read chock full of capers and charm.

The story follows the amiable and “cool” Ella, who’s biggest worry her senior year is talking to her sweet but reserved crush Madeline. So when she encounters Madeline while crashing a house party she’s more than thrilled to have a chance to talk to her. However, when a night of fun mixes with too many drinks, things quickly get out of hand, and she wakes up at home the next morning--hungover--in a pile of stuff she can’t remember stealing.

Even worse, the party she crashes turn’s out to be Madeline’s. So when Madeline rings on Ella’s door to check on her and tell her she’s been robbed, Ella panics and feigns ignorance. Desperate to set things right, Ella quickly comes up with the perfect plan--to secretly return the stolen items by crashing parties. She recruits Madeline to aid her and all seems well until secrets and feelings start bubbling up and threaten their escapades.

One of the best features of this book is the art style. Every character is unique and beautifully illustrated. A recurring motif in the book is Ella experiencing the sensation of “drowning” whenever she gets overwhelmed. Bryon, the creator, translates this feeling to the reader by drawing waves or “flooding” some of the panels. This is one of the many instances where a feeling or experience is conveyed by stretching the reality of the characters. It’s something that keeps an otherwise consistent setting dynamic and pleasing to the eye. 

Perhaps, just as charming as the art is the characters. The book mostly follows Ella’s point-of-view with a brief switch to Madeline’s midway through. Although there are some holes and parts of the story that aren’t fully fleshed, like some later introduced characters and sections of backstory it doesn’t take away from the story.

I highly recommend this book. Thieves was a delightfully fun read; I couldn’t put it down the second I opened the first page. The main characters throughout are complex and charming and the plot is straightforward but exciting. It’s an absolutely adorable and easy read that may just steal your heart.