Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Reviewed by Leah H.
Grade 12

Be More Chill is told from the perspective of Jeremy Heere, a high schooler, whose one wish is to date Christine Caniglia. The only issue is that Jeremy is tragically awkward and unpopular and Christine is witty and decently popular.

Jeremy only has one friend, idolizes the popular people, and gets bullied. All his attempts to fit in only exacerbate his ostracization, until one of his tormentors, Rich, tells him about his SQUIP. SQUIP, a Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor from Japan, sits in his brain and tells him how to be cool. Seeing this as his opportunity to date Christine and finally fit in, Jeremy follows Rich's instructions and gets his own SQUIP. The SQUIP helps Jeremy learn how to talk to girls and turn his former tormentors into friends, but it also strains his relationships.

The characters are a little 2D and cliche in the beginning due to Jeremy idolizing them, but they become more well-rounded once Jeremy stops putting them on a pedestal and becomes friends with them. Rich is an excellent example of this because he’s just a bully to Jeremy at the beginning, but it’s revealed that he used to be dorky, and his SQUIP made him bully Jeremy to become popular, and they end up becoming friends. Christine is also a well-rounded character. She’s sensible, witty, determined, and doesn’t fall for all the cliche things the SQUIP has Jeremy do and say.

Although some parts at the beginning are painful because of how much Jeremy overthinks things, I would still recommend Be More Chill to people who struggle with social anxiety because it teaches a great lesson of self-acceptance. I would also recommend this to those who are fans of the musical based off of the book. I would however not recommend this to anyone under the age of 13, as it is a YA book.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Reviewed by Alyssa G.
Grade 12

Five Feet Apart is a beautiful and emotional book following seventeen-year-old Stella as she faces the everyday challenges of Cystic Fibrosis. Stella’s life is centered around her routine treatments and her desire for self control. Stella is immediately intrigued when she meets Will, another Cystic Fibrosis patient with a sharp wit. There’s just one problem— CF patients cannot go within six feet of each other without risking cross infection, a life-threatening danger. Because of this, both Stella and the hospital have strict rules for the two to maintain a safe distance of six feet apart. Despite the physical distance, Stella and Will grow impossibly closer as they do their in-hospital treatments together. However, Stella’s self-imposed boundaries begin to crumble as her and Will begin to fall in love.

This book is beautifully written. Reading from the perspective of both Stella and Will allows the reader to follow the story in an interesting way, understanding how the characters feel about each other before they realize it themselves. Despite the wildly different lives they have, it is easy to connect to Stella and Will.

This book is a roller coaster of emotions. Will's charming humor and witty remarks will make you laugh, and the characters' impossible struggles will make you cry. The plot of Five Feet Apart is absolutely amazing. The ending is fitting, yet unexpected, and it had me in tears.

Rachael Lippincott makes you feel like you are experiencing life with the characters. You share their hopes, dreams, frustrations, and struggles. I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with chronic illness, looking for a whirlwind romance, or searching for an engaging book.

Also available in audiobook, ebook and eAudiobook.

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

Reviewed by: Gianna M.
Grade 9

The first paragraph of Dear Evan Hansen does have a catchy grabber, and makes the reader want to continue reading the book. The book is about Evan, a boy with anxiety who writes letters to himself as part of his therapy program. One day, a classmate of his gets a hold of Evan's most recent letter. Connor, the classmate, thinks the letter is a prank on him and takes it home. Connor kills himself the next day, and his parents think that the letter is from Connor to Evan. Evan then has to pretend that he was friends with Connor, by creating a fake string of emails.

The character development in 'Dear Evan Hansen' is excellent, with Evan realizing what really matters and becoming more brave. His characterization is also very well-done, and the reader can relate his struggles. The supporting characters are very unique, and are very well written.

I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with identity, loneliness, or social anxiety. The book has a great plot, rounded characters, and a great lesson about honesty. This is also a great book for anyone in their teens.

Librarian note: This novel is based on the Broadway play of the same name. The libretto and the Broadway cast recording are also available to check out at the Winter Park Public Library.

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst and Paula

Reviewed by Samantha T.
Grade 10

Starworld delves the reader into the lives of two girls, a loner and a popular girl, who unexpectedly become friends. They find an escape in each other from their difficult and harsh lives, but feelings for one another soon develop into feelings for more.

The novel follows Sam Jones and Zoe Miller as they both struggle with family issues and school life. Loner Sam has difficulty dealing with her mother's OCD and a lack of a father in her life. Zoe has to struggle with the fact that her mother has cancer, she’s adopted, and that her disabled brother is going to be sent away to a facility. They unexpectedly become friends and they find an escape in each other and the world of text messages that they created. They develop a strong friendship that soon grows into feelings of beyond just that.

The characters within Starworld are well-rounded and thought out. For example, Zoe Miller is adopted and her entire life she tries to be a people-pleaser so that she can prove to her family that she isn’t a liability and that she belongs with them. Zoe struggles with wanting to be her complete self due to the fact that she wouldn’t make others happy if she did. Within the book, Zoe has to face difficult decisions that makes her choose between making her family happy, her friends happy, or Sam happy.

I highly recommend this book due to the fact that it has a wonderful lesson that it teaches you. Starworld’s message is that you can’t make everyone happy, but you should always strive to make yourself happy. Books similar to this are The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta and Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Reviewed by Gianna M.
Grade 9

The line "In the beginning, there were two suns and two moons" makes the reader want to find out what this means, and what/who the suns and moons are. This opening is effective in catching the reader and making them want to continue reading.

Hattori Mariko is the daughter of a powerful man in ancient Japan. While she is on her way to meet her betrothed, her caravan is attacked and lit on fire. After escaping the assassins, Mariko is kidnapped by the Black Clan, and has to disguise herself as a boy to remain safe. But is everything she knew about her family really the truth?

Flame in the Mist has very interesting and well-rounded characters, such as Hattori Mariko. Mariko is a disgraced member of a powerful Japanese family, and does not give in to anything or anyone. She is characterized as strong-willed and brave when she remains seated inside a blazing carriage to avoid being detected by assassins. After escaping them, she is caught by a dirty man who is attracted to her, and she stabs him in the eye with her hair pin. Hattori Mariko acts with regard for her morals, and values all lives equally.

Flame in the Mist by Reneé Ahdieh is a very entertaining novel with a positive, clear message. This book is a great read for young girls, as it is a story of female empowerment, but can be enjoyed by anyone of any gender. I would give it a four out of five, and I am planning on reading the sequel, Smoke in the Sun. This is also an excellent book to read for anyone interested in Japanese culture, history, and/or folklore. The author's heavy usage of Japanese terms such as 'shinobi no mono' and 'kagemusha' can provide the reader with a better understanding of the Japanese language and terminology.

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Reviewed by Ben F.
Grade 12

Kate Thompson arrived home one evening to find her home burnt to the ground, her every possession destroyed, and her father hanging in the front lawn, a bloody rose carved into his forehead. The villainous Rose Riders killed him for a single book, a journal Kate finds is her only clue to the circumstances behind her pa’s murder, holding old secrets and whispers of gold.

Fueled only by the desire for revenge, Kate tracks the Rose Riders down under disguise, slaughtering them one by one with her inherited pistol, but her hatred has blinded her caution; a quick way to die on the brutal Western plains. Reluctantly enlisting the aid of some old family friends, Kate and company set off to end the Rider’s reign of terror, avoiding devious traps, savage Indians, and struggling to outwit the crafty gang. As the group becomes a family, Kate begins to question her motives; How far can this vengeance road take her?
I picked this book up as part of the Winter Park Public Library’s ‘Pitch Perfect’ collection, in which a book is assigned a theme song that sums up the overall plot. The cooperative song was Imagine Dragon’s anthem hit “Demons”, a piece that elegantly sums up the inner turmoil inside our heroine, as she finds her heart shifted by the handsome ranch hand whose help she so hesitatingly accepted.

The book itself is extremely well written, and the Western frontier has never felt more gritty, hard, and alive. While many of the stories elements may seem predictable to those familiar with the traditional Western novel (a rowdy barfight, or an Indian ambush), the plot remains elusive, and the final twist was refreshingly intriguing.

As a Young Adult book, and due to its theme of bloody murder and justice, Vengeance Road is recommended to more mature teens over 13. Fans of western dramas, renegade heroes, Westworld, or cowboy shootouts will particularly enjoy this in-your-face justice run.

How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me From Robots, Traitors and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown

Reviewed by Amal P.
Grade 6

Luke's school is the most losing-est school in history. Luke really does not care about this. He would rather be playing video games with Randy, and ignoring his big brother Rob. Then Luke is forced to join the robotics team.

The people in the robotics team were Mikayla, Jacob and Jacob, Stuart, and Missy the Cruel. Mikayla does everything with her toes. Jacob and Jacob are not twins, but they do everything together. Stuart is the person who loves sunflower seeds. Missy the Cruel is Luke's bully since when they were both 6 years old. There is also Lunchbox Jones. He stays hidden every day during robotics class, but when everyone heard the news that Missy the Cruel was going to another school, all the people in robotics said they quit the team except for Luke and Lunchbox Jones. All of a sudden Luke makes a speech in front everyone saying that we shouldn't quit the robotics team, and we should continue the robotics team. Then the next robotics class, he saw Lunchbox working on the computer and testing the program on the robot. Luke then asked him why he was there. Lunchbox Jones replied that he decided he would take a shot at robotics, because of Luke's speech. Mr.Terry the coach of the robotics team came in, and saw Lunchbox Jones working with Luke on the robot. After more weeks it finally comes to the last day before the competition. The other people joined the robotics team after they saw that the robot could do a lot of stuff. Then everyone started changing the program, and ruined the perfectly built program. Luke got so mad, because Lunchbox wasn't here, and their teammates ruined the whole program. Soon it is time for the final part. Could Luke correct the program and win the competition, or lose the competition by making errors?

My opinion on the setting, conflict, and characters would be that the setting most of the time repeats, so I don't like that part about the book. Most of the time setting will be Forest Shade Middle School My opinion on the characters on this book would be that the characters have interesting talents. For example, Mikayla does everything with her toes. These talents are really weird which makes the book seem funny. There wasn't much conflict in this book, but they argued over what to name the robot.

I would recommend this book to others, because this story has great humor and creative parts in the story. Also this book has a theme, and it is to be scared of no one. If Luke hadn't made his big speech Forest Shade would have lost a lot of money for the robotics team. Overall this is a great book, and I recommend this book to others.

Taggerung by Brian Jacques

Reviewed by Ben F.
Grade 11

Stolen away from his true family at Redwall Abbey as a babe by the vermin Juskarath clan, otter Deyna has grown up amongst villains his entire life, groomed and trained since his kidnapping to become the legendary Taggerung; the future leader and greatest fighter in the clan. Vermin life has been simple among the Juskarath, but when Tagg cannot kill another clan member, he leaves to discover his true heritage and become the noble warrior he wishes to be. Torn between his fake vermin father and the kindred calling him through visions, Tagg sets off to discover his origins, meeting and aiding creatures he comes across, but his peaceful travels are dampened by an elite vermin band determined to eliminate him. Joined by harvest mouse and chronic liar Nimbalo the Slayer, the two set out for the gates of Redwall and Tagg’s remaining family for one last battle against his past.

Taggerung is a story of anthropomorphic animals and warriors, set in an old English setting of peaceful villages, grand battles and dangerous, wild heroes; an important notation to any reader unfamiliar with the works of Brian Jacques. With that said, Taggerung is a grand epic of one hero who knew he was more than his villainous given identity and risked everything to prove it. The plot unfolds steadily, almost tediously, yet is more than satisfactorily rewarding to the patient reader.

This is a book for the patient, coming in at just over 300 pages, as well as for animal-lovers, fans of wolf-fiction, older English writing, classic hero-villain warrior tales, medieval settings, furs, and the odd therian. Recommended to those over 13, though the story was originally crafted by Jacques for even younger readers; you may choose at your discretion.

The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby

Reviewed by Ben F.
Grade 11

In 1798, a pair of inventors arrived in New York with a dream to shape a city of skyscrapers, machines, and the most extraordinary technology imaginable. They were the Morningstarr twins; a brother-sister duo who crafted incredible designs for solar-powered street cleaners, zig-zagging elevators, and one impossible cipher leading to treasure untold. Three hundred years later, the cipher is ever a mystery, and another pair of twins in present-day York seek answers in the creations the Morningstarrs left behind. BHut the Cipher is much more than a mystery—it’s as alive as the city itself.

Eccentric twins Tess and Theo Biedermann face a difficult reality; real estate developer Darnell Slant is buying up old Morningstarr buildings—including their apartment complex. Banding together with neighbor and graphic artist Jaime Cruz, the three set off to unlock the secrets of the famed Old York Cipher, nowadays a mere myth for tourists. Following the few clues the Morningstarrs left behind, the trio will have to move fast to solve the mystery before their building is sold, but the Cipher has its own agenda.

The first book in the York series, is a dazzling story of the steampunk city we never knew we needed, interlaced with a clue hunt to rival The 39 Clues. Written with vivid descriptions of shining streets and machinery for every possible task, it’s hard to say which is more intriguing; the Cipher or the city itself. As for our heroes, Tess and Theo are quirkily loveable protagonists in their brilliant youth and drive to solve a puzzle that has evaded understanding for centuries.

The Shadow Cipher is a brilliant steampunk mystery that shines in its depiction of a beloved city reimagined in the most eccentrically fantastic way, and the secret that lives inside it. Easily recommended to all 10-and-up fans of steampunk, mystery, brilliant clue hunts and mechanical marvels. Ten and up rating based off approximate reading-comprehension skills; York, much like its namesake, is no small feat to comprehend.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Reviewed by Ben F.
Grade 11

There was no warning the day Area X formed. In seconds, an entire coast, village, ships, and aircraft vanished behind an invisible barrier, miles in size. And then there was the door. For thirty years the Southern Reach has sent expedition after expedition through the border in an attempt to understand the nature of the area and each time has been bested as the expeditioners slowly lost all sanity; or at least, the ones who returned.The latest of these exploits, the members of the Twelfth Expedition must face a world like no other—where life is twisted, reality misshaped, and Area X rules unchallenged.

After her husband returns near-comatose from the Eleventh Expedition, a biologist decides to face Area X herself, joining an anthropologist, surveyor, and a psychologist in the hypnotic uncertainty of the Twelfth expedition. Antisocial by nature, the biologist finds herself at home in the wilds of Area X and all its strange beauty, and the group remains mentally at peace. Then they found the Tower. Like nothing the group has ever seen before, the Tower is more than a strange natural architecture. It is Alive.

Her team tearing themselves apart, and infected with a Brightness that threatens to expand her life till it shatters, the biologist must uncover the truth about her husband’s fate and outsmart the enrapturing beings of Area X.

Just like the mysterious Tower, this book is enrapturing in its vivid description of a truly untamable wild and the mesmerizing beings that inhabit it. More in tune with nature than her fellow expeditioners, the biologist is the perfect protagonist to best the hypnotic scenery and discover the disturbing truths surrounding Area X. The plot unfolds slowly, lulling the reader in with snips of dangerous beauty, a sickly-honey promise of secrets both frightful and fascinating—bringing ten questions to every answer. The thrills take their time, but no doubt; Vandermeer’s work is one of the most intriguing and suspenseful sci-fi thrillers I have come across.

Annihilation is not recommended to anyone in the lower teens given the intense themes of drama and ruptured consciousness, as well as a small amount of strong language. For those with the sufficient mental development to comprehend the novel, readers should be aware of the semi-frightening nature of this book as it explores a wilderness that fights back, and of its classification in the sci-fi and mild horror genres. Recommended to fans of Stephen King, the Jurassic Park novels, and any thriller novels.