The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Reviewed by Annabelle N.
Grade 5

One night Luna drank a lot of the moon, which was full of magic that night. She then becomes dangerous. She can use her magic in so many harmful ways that no one knows.

Luna was a girl dropped off by the Protectorate village given to the witch. Xan steals Luna and takes care of her, but then Xan accidentally gives her moonlight, which is full of magic. Xan makes the crazy choice of keeping this very dangerous kid. This magic is locked inside of her until she is older. When Luna turns thirteen everything changes. Xan just happened to be away for a couple of weeks when this came into effect. Soon, it is time for Luna to make a big decision: to sacrifice herself or the Protectorate.

The main character in this book is very creative in several different ways. First of all, Luna is very curious, magical, and she has great talent. Furthermore, in the beginning of the book she was very outgoing and curious. Then, later on in the book she became magical and also became a hero.

I would recommend The Girl Who Drank the Moon to anyone who likes an ever changing plot. This is because Luna has mixed emotions. She can be happy, angry, hungry, sad, mad, tired, and much more. How the author wrote the plot makes the book extremely interesting. She uses fantasy and real-life combined in such a way I just could not stop reading, making a magical story.

Dead Boy by Laurel Gale

Reviewed by Andy P.
Grade 10

It was a normal day, same as any, until he died. After that, nothing was the same. His flesh started rotting, and he got infested with maggots. He stunk so bad that the neighbors moved out. He wasn't allowed to go outside and had no friends.

This is what happened to 11-year-old Crow Darlingson. He was just playing around in his room when he suddenly died. His parents wished him back to life, but the wish didn't go as planned. Instead, he ended up /un/dead. After he died, his mom homeschooled him, and as he didn't have any friends and didn't have to eat, he could just study all day and aced all the tests. However he stunk, and when it was too hot, he stunk even more. That's why his neighbors moved out when the AC broke. However, when his new neighbors moved in, he finally had a chance to make a friend. This friend was Melody Plympton, a girl about the same age as Crow. Melody fully believed in magic,
and not just plain old card tricks. She believed that fairies were real and had abducted her mother. When they learn that there is a wish-granting creature underneath the local park that brought Crow back to life, Crow has a
chance to come back to life for real. However, there is a series of tests that you have to pass to get a wish, and you only ever get one wish. When the monster, called the Meera, abducts Melody's "friends" from school, they are forced to go and confront the Meera. They saved one of their friends, but as they didn't know that the other friends got kidnapped too, they went to get their wishes. They find out that their friend got cursed by the Meera. Now Crow is faced with a tough decision. Does he save Luke, the friend, from the Meera's curse, or does he save himself?

The author does a great job describing the characters of the story. She shows Melody's interest in magic, Crow's deadness, and Luke and Travis's cruelness. For example, on page 92, she shows Luke and Travis throwing firecrackers at a little rabbit. She also does an excellent job on describing the tests the characters have to go through. However, the main conflict isn't very clear until the end.

All in all, I would recommend Dead Boy to anyone in general. This book is about friendship and loyalty, two subjects anyone can understand. I liked this book because of the message it tries to show and also because the characters are very likable. Even though there wasn't much action, there was a great deal of puzzle solving. What would you do if you were in Crow's position?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Reviewed by Rafael V.
Grade 6

What if the crazy unrealistic stories your grandpa used to tell you turn out
to be true? What if you were not like the rest of human civilization?

Jacob Portman was a normal boy, except for the fact that he was peculiar. He
was scared when he saw his grandpa be killed by a monster only he could see.
His grandpa's last words were to find the bird in the loop on the other side
of old man's grave, September 3, 1940. What could this possibly mean? Was it
a man that could tell him his grandpa's story, or a place, revealing all his
secrets? He finally made up his mind and he visited the island that his
grandpa told him about. When he finally got to the orphanage, it was
deserted, like no one had lived there for over one hundred years. As three
weeks go by he starts to discover secrets about the orphanage and the kids
who lived there. With these clues Jacob discovers his grandpa's secrets and
how the orphans who lived there might have been dangerous.

The plot of this story is interesting because it is about discovering who you
are. In the book Jacob, the protagonist, discovers the secrets his grandpa
kept and why he is peculiar. Also it is interesting because of the
characters it holds. There is Emma, who can make fire with her hands,
Millard, who is invisible, or Enoch, who can bring the dead back to life for
short periods of time. These characters are unique and have special abilities
humans will never be able to wield.

I would recommend this book due to one reason--Miss Peregrine's Home for
Peculiar Children shows that even if you are a social outcast, or if people
call you weird, there will be a place in the world for you.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Reviewed by Katherine T.
Grade 9

A Torch Against The Night combines everything you would want in a YA Fantasy book: adventure, violence, twists and turns and even a little bit of romance. It is the second book in a series by author, Sabaa Tahir.

Since this is the second book in a series, it's probably better to explain the premise of the first book, An Ember In The Ashes. The novel follows the point of view of Laia and Elias. Laia is living in the Scholar community with her grandparents and older brother. When her brother is arrested for treason, she, in exchange for help rescuing from the prison he is being kept in, goes undercover as a slave in Blackcliff, an infamous military academy. Elias is the school's best soldier, yet, secretly, all he wants is to be free of the tyranny of the Empire, where the whole story takes place. A Torch Against The Night is the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes and added Helene to Elias and Laia's point of views. It picks up directly after the events of the first book, as Elias and Laia are making the difficult journey to break Laia's brother out of Kauf, the prison.

Although the first book drew a lot of similarities to other YA books (setting mainly being in a boarding school, trials to test the characters' aptitude to be a leader, two characters that should hate each other but
instead fall in love), the second book definitely branched off of that into a unique book that is worthy of the highest praise. Kauf, the prison Laia's brother is being kept in, reminded me of Azkaban in Harry Potter but not in a bad way. In addition, the characters became a lot more fleshed out in this book. They were a lot more relatable and although they didn't all always make the smartest decisions, you could see where they were coming from.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a page turner. Every chapter ends in a cliffhanger that kept me up extremely late one night, but I don't regret a moment of it. This book is definitely not for the
lighthearted or if you are booking for a lighter read, seeing as there is a lot of violence but if you into that then this is the book for you. The novel's setting is also a very attractive place, not because you'd want to
live there, but because it is interesting and unique. I am excited to see where this series goes from here.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Reviewed by Sedona K.
Grade 9

“Elementary, my dear Watson” takes on a whole new meaning in this refreshing take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Written from Jamie Watson’s point of view, the great-great-great-grandson of iconic John Watson, this book illustrates the high school lives of both Jamie and a girl named Charlotte Holmes, the great-great-great-granddaughter of sleuthing legend, Sherlock Holmes. Charlotte not only inherited the name, but the smarts and gifts of deduction her grandfather had.

It all started with a murder at a high-class high school, Sherringford Prep. From the second the two long-lost partners meet, their family history begins to take hold, and they immediately have a connection. Quick-witted and shy Charlotte makes a difficult team member with athletic and strong-willed Jamie Watson at first, but as the story progresses, so does their relationship. Jamie wants a normal life, and Charlotte wants to escape what her family thinks of her. With each other’s help, they both understand what it means to have real family and find out how it feels to have a friend who always has your back.

This book was set in a snow-clad Connecticut town, illustrated with beautiful imagery. With each word, I was watching the story play out like a five-star film in my mind. The characters were very realistic, and as you find out their weaknesses and strengths, they become more three-dimensional and as concrete as people we know in real life. This mystery also includes what all good novels do: a villain. The villain embodies every quality that Doyle’s classic culprits did, which makes A Study in Charlotte all that more captivating.

I would recommend A Study in Charlotte to as many people as possible! The book truly takes the classic mysteries we all know and love and transforms them into an updated and relatable plot, filled with characters that re-imagine Sherlock and Watson. I personally enjoyed this book because of my infatuation with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing and mysterious flair. The only red flags I would raise would be for both slightly harsh language and notes of substance abuse. All-in-all, this book was very well written, and I cannot wait to see what else Cavallaro has in store for the young adult mystery community.

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Reviewed by Sedona K.
Grade 9

Mary Iris Malone is a spunky 16 year-old girl who wants to get away. With her father taking her from a comfortable home in Ohio to a new life in "Mosquitoland" Mississippi, she goes with her first instinct and does just that... she runs.

Hopping on a Greyhound bus, teenage Mim begins her odyssey back to Ohio in an effort to reach her former home in time for Labor Day. This beautiful story spans over 6 days and 1,000 miles. Taking only her JanSport backpack, a coffee can filled with money, and her cell phone, she embarks on the journey of a lifetime to regain what it means to be okay and to piece together what it means to be a family. While on her journey she meets new people, and takes the time to write about them, following her Aunt Isabel's wise words to document her life. Through hard times and easy ones, Mim keeps her head held high and her eyes on the prize: to reach her mom back in Cleveland.

From the first ten words of this book, "I am Mary Iris Malone and I am not okay," I was thoroughly hooked on Arnold's writing. This novel was complete with wit and unexpected plot twists which kept me enthralled and made it hard for me to put this book down! Not only did the book fuel my wanderlust, but as I followed Mim on her adventure, I learned what it meant to be a daughter. Reading her letters to a character named Iz, I was able to understand her opinions on subjects in the book. For this being David Arnold's first book, I was sincerely impressed and cannot wait to read his other works!

I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to many people (in fact I already have). It is such a heartfelt tale that takes you through an emotional journey alongside of a unique and true-to-life character. I learned about my own life as well as related my life to Mosquitoland. The book was very realistic because it did not end as you suspected it to, and had language many teens today would use. The language is the only thing I would caution one about, because some of the words used are harsh. Arnold's novel taught me to always persevere and to find my niche in the world because no matter how old or how odd we think we might be, we are all okay.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Reviewed by Levon T.
Grade 8

Chris Kyle was a US Navy SEAL. In his autobiography, American Sniper, Kyle illustrates the role of the US Military in Iraq. He also includes his own experiences in the battlefield and at home.

As a young child, Chris Kyle had a great work ethic and a calling to help those in need. He also was a very fit and determined individual. All of this helped him become a Navy Seal, and later a sniper. Kyle was deployed in Iraq for four combat tours, from 1999 till 2009. He became the most lethal sniper in military history. Iraqi insurgents feared him so much they called him “al-Shaitan” (which means “the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head that grew to about $80,000. Kyle became a “LEGEND” among his fellow SEALs, Marines, U.S. Army soldiers, and even the GROM (Polish Special Forces). He fought alongside them in the streets, and protected them from rooftops and stealth positions. Throughout four combat deployments, he was awarded two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars.

When Kyle came home after the war, he started a company called Craft International, a sniper and marksmanship school for law enforcement and military. He also devoted the rest of his life to helping wounded veterans. Chris Kyle was a very accomplished, generous, and kind person, and he will be remembered for times to come.

I thought American Sniper was an extremely gripping book about the brutal story of war. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about what really went on in the US Military Deployment in Iraq, from the perspective of a Navy SEAL.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Reviewed by Levon T.
Grade 8

Unwind takes place in a not-so far fetched future, where parents can willingly "unwind" troubled teenagers. Unwinding is the cruel process that salvages all valuable parts of the Unwind’s body, and sells them to other people that are in need. Even though the media makes unwinding sound like a friendly alternative to juvenile detention or worse, teens think otherwise. The story begins through the perspectives of Connor, Risa, and Lev, who are all scheduled to be unwound at about the same time. Even though they were going to meet the same fate, their stories couldn’t be more different.

When Connor saw the unwind form that his mother and father signed, he immediately made his plans for escape. The night before the Juvie police arrived, Connor runs off, taking with him only his bare essentials. When a truck driver offers to let Connor ride with him, Connor doesn’t know that his parents were tracking him. When the truck driver tells Connor that his ride was over, Connor does not expect to be confronted by his parents and several Juvie cops. Risa was a child who had always belonged to a State home. Because of extreme budget cuts in the State homes, and a mediocre recital performance, Risa is sent to her unwinding. Lev is a “tithe”, someone who believes that it is his or her duty to God to be unwound. So at his 13th birthday, Lev is taken away from his parents fully willing, to be unwound.

During the confrontation with the Juvie cops, Connor makes a break for it in the middle of an intersection which causes a major car crash. Risa is on the bus to her own unwinding when her entire bus crashes. She too makes a break for it. Lev was on the way to his unwinding too, when Connor rushes toward his car and drags him out of it. After a few more minutes of running and hiding, Connor, Risa, and Lev soon find themselves fugitives from the law. They have to make difficult choices to escape the law, and to keep Lev from escaping.

I thought the story had a very interesting premise, and I really enjoyed the writing style that the author employed in the book. Each chapter was written from the point of view of a different character, and not just the protagonists. Author, Neal Shusterman made the story very engaging, and it was very hard to put this book down.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends because of the author’s refreshing writing style, and the interesting and thrilling plot.

Game Over by Andrew Klavan

Reviewed by Matthew C.
Grade 8

What if the border between your dreams and reality was shattered? What if everything in your nightmares became real? That's what the main protagonist, Rick, has to deal with in Game Over.

The story begins in the MindWar Realm; the same place some of the previous books in the series visited. This cyber-universe was created by the deranged inventor Kurodar in an attempt to wreak havoc on the real world.

Rick is a Mind Warrior: someone who goes inside the realm to try and shut it down. However, this time's different - he was dreaming. When he wakes up, a scratch on his right arm is still there. Kurodar has connected himself to Rick and is using him to open a portal between the worlds. Now he has to work to stop the madness that Kurodar started - once and for all.

At times, this book is creative with the creatures that lurk in the Realm - ranging from boar soldiers to a water spirit. It also has an interesting conflict - can Rick bring himself to tell one of his fellow warriors is nothing but a machine? However, this book also has some flaws - it can be overly descriptive at times, such as when the Golden City was first described. But its main flaw is that it doesn't accommodate new readers of the series: it's designed like a "third act"' and the plot reveals itself too fast to hold suspense.

Although this would not be my first pick to read, I encourage readers who like stories about virtual realms to read the series. If you want an enriched reading experience, try reading the earlier books before you read this one. Although it isn't perfect, it can still be a fun read!

The Making of a Navy SEAL by Brandon Webb

Reviewed by Andrew A.
Grade 9

Brandon Webb, a real life Navy SEAL shares his story of the encounters he's made to become a SEAL and the struggles he's been through.

The book starts with Webb's early years as a struggling teen who needed a path. One day he is recommended to join the SEALs by a group of pro scuba divers. This sets his life's journey. He joins programs to get him on his way to be a SEAL. With much doubt from peers, he tries even harder until he's in.

The SEAL training program(BUD/S) is immensely hard for him and he gets very stressed out physically yet even more mentally. When he Passes BUD/S, he goes on to do remarkable things in SEAL Team 3. Stories of his miraculous adventures are told and those stories of others such as Chris Kyle as well.

Brandon Webb, is undoubtedly one of the most motivated people alive today. He takes advice and doesn't forget it. He never stops fighting for what he wants. "The only way I'm leaving is in a body bag through the back door," Webb said in response to being yelled at to leave BUD/S. He doesn't back down to anything and is at the same time very humble. The whole setting is very interesting as it moves many times but always has tons of action.

I'd recommend The Making of a Navy SEAL: My Story of Surviving the Toughest Challenge and Training the Best to anyone. Because of the morals, it inspires you to follow your dreams that much harder and never give up. It shows no matter the circumstances there is always a way to win.