Top Ten Tuesday: Debut Novels

written by Grace H.
Grade 12

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday at the Winter Park Library! 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly challenge where book bloggers everywhere compile a list of ten books (or sometimes other reading-related things) in response to a prompt. 

The challenge was started by That Artsy Reader Girl, and it encourages book-lovers from all over to interact and share some of their reading opinions. 

This week’s theme is… Debut Novels I Enjoyed!

Here Lies a Vengeful B**** by Codie Crowley

by Phoebe N.
Grade 12

Here Lies a Vengeful B**** is a mystery YA novel by Codie Crowley. To be published on August 24, 2024, the book follows Annie Lane who died and came back to life. The only problem? She doesn’t remember who killed her. Between her deadbeat ex and his friends or her always-stoned mom, her reckless and over-confident behavior made her an extremely easy victim of murder. Annie Lane tracks down all the possible suspects and tries to recollect the missing memories of what happened the night she was killed.

This book was filled with many plot twists involving countless other murder cases intertwined with Annie Lane’s that readers might never see coming. The story-telling captivates the reader and forces them to be wary of every side character, giving a sense of distrust and suspicion. However, the beginning of the novel was very slow-paced. Originally, I didn’t enjoy the supernatural aspect of the plot as it kind of conflicted with the realistic components of the story. But the writing was phenomenal and extremely enticing. Each scene is elaborate and detailed, allowing the readers to immerse themselves into the storyline and imagery. Additionally, everything accelerates towards the end, so despite the slow build-up in the beginning chapters, I found myself zooming through the ending chapters non-stop. 

Codie Crowley does a fairly good job at misleading the readers and convincing them to rule out a suspect amongst the characters which I found had further developed the suspense of the story. The romantic element in this novel is somewhat prominent and pleasant. To some extent, the relationship between the main character and the main love interest is realistic and relatable in the sense that teens experience flings and romantic attractions every now and then. Told in Annie Lane’s perspective, the readers get to experience her character development and self-realization as she reflects upon her troubled upbringing and bold personality. 

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a mix of realism and supernatural/fantasy. Although it may seem uneventful at first, the story picks up in the second half and everything comes together. I would also recommend this book to those who enjoy murder mysteries. As a reader, the intricate story-telling of this book made me feel like a detective. I am definitely excited for when this book gets released and wishing the best of luck to Codie Crowley for her debut novel! I think many teens would like this novel when it hits the shelves of the Winter Park Library. 

Librarian note: Thank you to Hyperion for sending the Teen Book Guild an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Goodnight Homeroom: All the Advice I Wish I Got Before Going to High School by Sam Kaplan

by Kate D.
Grade 11

Watch out, eighth graders, because high school is closer than you think. Goodnight Homeroom: All the Advice I Wish I Got Before Going to High School is an easy read, filled with colorful imagery and rhyme. Unlike your homework, you won’t have to worry about the due date to return this book because of its length and simple language.

This book was inspired by the famous children’s book, Goodnight Moon. Goodnight Homeroom tells the reader about a general high school experience, highlighting important events and helping the reader navigate the next four years. Inside, there is a summary of not only high school, but differences and struggles between all four grades.

The illustrations within Goodnight Homeroon are colorful and unique. The book is in second person in order to highlight your journey. While there is valuable information within Goodnight Homeroom, be wary for not all of the information applies to everyone and some of the lines can be interpreted wrong. Such is shown in multiple lines, such as: “And take mental health breaks/not sometimes, but often.” While mental health is important, so are your grades and attendance. Be cautious with how many “breaks” you take throughout the school year.

While mainly targeted to incoming high school freshmen, Goodnight Homeroom is an excellent gist of what the year will bring for any rising ninth, tenth, eleventh, or even twelfth graders. It truly was written to follow: “The advice I wish I knew before high school.” 

BOOK VS. FILM! Five Feet Apart

by Phoebe N.

The Award-winning YA novel Five Feet Apart, co-written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis, centers around Stella Grant and Will Newman, both victims of cystic fibrosis (CF). Spending her whole life in a hospital, Stella has always been organized and well-mannered when it comes to her CF treatments; she is determined to finally be selected for a lung transplant. Will Newman, on the other hand, has been all over the world… confined in different hospitals and constantly on different treatment trial. As CFers, they were bound to be far apart– six feet to be exact– as even the slightest contact would contaminate and lower their chances of survival. The two inevitably catch feelings, but how can you love someone without being able to even touch them? Stella and Will must choose whether their spark and connection are worth more than their own lives.

The Movie

Released on March 15th, 2019, and directed by Justin Baldoni, the movie features Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse. It carries a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb and 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Overall, the film is an accurate representation of the book, and I found that the emotions portrayed by the actors/actresses were fully in-depth. Every scene was detailed and evoked the empathic emotions of the viewers. 
I think the movie is fairly well-produced and made, definitely a tear-jerker. I wouldn’t change anything about this film as it very well captivates the viewers’ feelings and to some extent resonates with the audience as well.

The Book

The novel was definitely an easy read and just like the movie, it evokes strong emotions. The connections between the characters were extremely well developed and brought out a sense of relatability to the readers’ relationships in real life. The story is quite quick-paced which made it hard for me to put it down, and I found myself flipping pages after pages. The romance between the two main characters is heart-fluttering and adorable, an accurate depiction of teen romance.

The Verdict

I highly recommend reading the book AND watching the movie. Despite the clear similarities between both works, they always left me in a stream of tears due to its heartfelt plot. However, to someone who first comes across this story, I do recommend reading the book first as it enhances the story much more deeply compared with the movie adaptation. Either way, certainly prepare your tissues, maybe even a couple of boxes.

Top Ten Tuesday: Throwback Freebie

written by Grace H.

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…throwback!!

This means that I get to choose the topic, selecting from past prompts that have already been used. I did some digging to find some old topics, and I chose one from 2020… books I read because someone recommended them to me.

All of these recommendations were ones that I really enjoyed; so take this post as my recommendation to YOU if you haven’t read any of these!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with My Favorite Color on the Cover

By Marley 

My favorite hue is blue and it is colorfully displayed in the novels listed below:

 

1. A book cover that includes my favorite color goes to We Were Liars. The cover dons a beautiful light blue sky and matching seascape. This book is the perfect summer thriller that will make you hold your breath after every page. It's a perfect read for a beach day!

2. All the Bright Places is one of my go to reads! The cover leaves a lot to the imagination and is sure to take you on an emotional ride. Have tissues near because this one is a real tear jerker. 

3. You’d Be Home Now will pull on your heartstrings. It addresses addiction and mental struggles among young adults. This book is as tumultuous as the Florida weather. 

4. Live Your Best Lie takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. It addresses the physiological damage that social media can cause.

5. Where Things Come Back does a great job of making you feel like you're part of this small town setting. You can’t help but to get caught up in the character's growth and development.   

6. Unwind is the epitome of a dystopian novel! I'm typically not a fan of book series, but I truly couldn’t get enough of the world Neal Shusterman created.

7. Whether your team Jeremiah or team Conrad The Summer I Turned Pretty is the book of the summer! It's your classic love triangle that makes you feel like you're in a rom-com.

8. They Both Die At The End is an eye-opening read. It really makes you think about how you would spend your last moments and how we live through experiences. 

9. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter handles the struggle of grief and finding yourself within your culture. With a colorful array of personalities and the right amount of drama, this novel is hard to put down.

10. Last but definitely not least is Five Feet Apart. This book has my favorite cover of ALL TIME and the romance to match! A couple devastated by illness finds love in a dark place.

Epic Reading Challenge: June

Written by Grace H.

Welcome back to the Epic Reads Challenge 2024, where each month some of the TBG members choose a book that fits a specific prompt. Provided by Epic Reads, these prompts inspire new and unique book choices among readers. We encourage the community to join in this challenge with us and participate each month!

The prompt for June was… a book genre outside your comfort zone.

Most readers have a genre (or maybe a couple) to which they are loyal readers. Maybe your bookshelf is largely disproportional with a ton of books of a single genre (Romantasy, I’m looking at you). But this month the Teen Book Guild encourages you to step outside your comfort zone and try a different genre than you normally read, whether that’s romance, thriller, or even non-fiction!

This month I chose The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst, which is a YA thriller. I read a small amount of thrillers, but usually it’s not my favorite genre.

This exciting novel follows Claire, an anxious teenager who is spending the summer at a remote camp with people she’s never met before. But when she arrives at the camp, Claire and her new acquaintances discover that the entire facility has been burned. But that’s not all, something or someone in the woods has killed the camp director, and now is hunting the three girls.

This thriller really surprised me. It started off just like any other, with a scary problem for these teenagers to solve, but as the story went on, it took twists and turns that I’m not sure any reader could have predicted. The ending really surprised me, and I think if I was the author, I might’ve taken it a different direction, but all in all, I was happy I picked up this thriller.

I would certainly recommend this one to any readers who are looking to expand their genre horizons into the thriller/mystery category.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List

Written by Grace H.

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List!!

Now that summer is here and school is out, teens have a lot of extra time on our hands, and I plan to make a big dent in my TBR stack. Here is a list that I’ve compiled of my most anticipated reads for the summer!

 

BOOK VS FILM! Turtles All the Way Down

 by Helena M.

Turtles All The Way Down, written by award-winning author John Green, focuses on the life of Aza Holmes. Aza has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) about germs and bacteria. It hugely affects her well-being and plagues her life with constant irrational thoughts and behaviors that she cannot control. Her life changes when she and her best friend Daisy hear about a missing billionaire on the news who is the father of her childhood friend, Davis Pickett. Daisy and Aza’s need for the award money ($100,000 for people with relevant information) causes the pair to meet Davis again. Aza and Davis begin to connect and face the challenges in their lives together, one thing at a time. On May 2, 2024, a movie based on the book was released to Max and carries a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb.

 

The Movie

The movie is surprisingly good. Before I watched it, I unfairly assumed that it would be very different from the novel (which is sadly often the case). I was surprised while watching because of the added complexity and detail. Some of the best parts of the film were enhanced and barely anything was neglected.

The movie was very well made. The filming, the music, and the effects were tied together perfectly. The combination improved the story greatly. The only thing I did not like about the film was that it was a bit excessive in some parts. A few of the scenes were stressful and hard to watch, but that may be fine for other people.

 

The Book

Turtles All The Way Down was my first book by John Green, and it helped me get back into reading with its beautiful plot and detail. Additionally, the writing is splendid. The characters are nicely developed and feel like real people, which is only sometimes common. It can be a bit of a heavier read because of the subjects that are presented in the book, but I often find myself coming back to it again and again. In my opinion, it is a great read for most people and a must-read.

The Verdict

After comparing and contrasting the two works, I believe that the book is the superior way to savor the exquisite story. It was a tough decision, but the book is so breathtaking. The movie is as well, but not at the same level. I would recommend either the book or the movie, depending on your mood, to anyone interested in a captivating drama.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish WIshes

 by Grace H.

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…Bookish Wishlist!!

This is a list I have put together of the top ten books that I wish I could add to my ever-growing collection!

1. The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black (this is one of my favorite YA series and I wish I had physical copies so I can read them over and over again!)

null

2. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (this is another one of my all time favorites!)

null

3. The Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy by Stephanie Garber (a really popular series that I haven’t read yet + the covers are gorgeous!

4. Swarm by Jennifer Lyle (an intriguing sounding YA sci fi)

null

5. Five Survive by Holly Jackson (one of the best YA thrillers I’ve read within the past year!)

null

6. The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott (newly released supernatural/fantasy novel)

null

7. Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon (I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this next installment sounds like a good read!)

null

8. Paper Towns by John Green (one of the few John Green books that I have yet to read)

null

9. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh (I’ve had this series on my TBR for a while and I’m very excited to read it)

null

10. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (this one isn’t being published for almost an entire year, but I’m already adding it to my wishlist!)

      

Let us know which books you are eager to add to your collection!