Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 11

"Thou Shalt Kill."

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman, is a young adult novel that takes place in a unique, dystopian society. The year is 2041, and by now what we refer to as “the cloud” has developed into the Thunderhead, and has solved all of humanity’s problems. An almost perfect utopia exists, where humanity has conquered poverty, hunger, disease, corruption, and even death itself. Almost.

Scythes, who operate separately from the Thunderhead, are the only ones with the license to permanently kill, or “glean” (in order to keep the size of the population under control). With this great power, they are expected to kill with morality and honor. The novel follows the story of Citra and Rowan, two teenagers who are reluctantly taken under the wing of the honorable Scythe Michael Faraday in an apprenticeship to become a scythe. They are expected to become the deadly weapons of society, because if not, their failure will result in grave consequences. However, they are living in turbulent times where not all scythes glean with honor and integrity and have their own selfish and sinister desires in mind. Cracks are forming within the Scythedom, and Citra and Rowan will soon find out that this so-called utopia they are living in is not so perfect after all. But will they be too late?

I really enjoyed reading Scythe. To be honest, this trilogy (Thunderhead and The Toll follow this novel) has been on my book list for a while now and I’m especially glad I finally took the time to read it. At first, the plot moved a bit slow, and I had a lot of unanswered questions; but I later realized that the build-up was worth it because the ending absolutely blew me away. I think that Neal Shusterman did a good job in balancing his focus between building the world surrounding Scythe and the characters themselves.

I would definitely recommend this book to almost anyone. However, if you are the type of reader who is more invested in the characters themselves, or more specifically the relationships and romances between them, then this book might not be the best fit for you. While it does include some romance, it is not the entire focus of the novel. In my opinion, Shusterman does a fabulous job in following the moral grey area regarding killing in order to maintain the size of the population and in creating an incredibly unique, dystopian world like no other. Overall, this was a great novel to read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Fairest: Levana's Story by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Susan Z.
Grade 11

Having been burned as a kid by your supposedly loving older sister really does something to you.

The book Fairest: Levana’s Story written by author Marissa Meyer is a prequel to The Lunar Chronicles. The entire series is, what I would describe as, classical fairy tale characters but placed in a sci-fi futuristic setting. Levana, our main antagonist, is the power-hungry, manipulative, and extremely cruel ruler of Luna. It doesn’t take much to guess who she’s based off of. Based of the main series, readers know her as a tyrant who's the stepmother of Princess Winter, trying to murder Cinder, and conquer Earth. Fairest: Leavana’s Story gives readers an insight as to how Levana became the Evil Queen.

The book begins with the accident and ends events that occur right before Cinder (the first book in the main series). In Fairest, readers get a glimpse of Levana’s history and events that made her the person she is. It has bits of her childhood, filled with neglectful parents and an abusive sister, her love life--falling for someone who was already in love with another, and her rise to power. Despite her traumatizing childhood where her sister, Channary, basically threw her into a fireplace, Levana always had love for Luna. When their parents died and Channary became queen, Levana had ideas on how to make Luna better. When Channary died however, and Levana became queen...the power got to her. Though initially she had good intentions on making Luna better for its people, being the queen eventually got to her head. Levana craved power; she wanted to be loved by her citizens forever. The only thing that could stop her was Channary’s little daughter. Because the daughter was so young, Levana, the only other member of the royal family, temporarily took the throne. But Levana wanted forever; she wanted to secure that position of power. So she did the only reasonable thing and had her niece disposed of--or so she thought. Now with her out of the way, Levana had full control of Luna. But eventually the love of an entire planet wouldn’t be enough for her, and Levana would turn to Earth.

Even after learning Levana’s backstory, I didn’t feel remorse for her. I understand she had a very abusive childhood and practically never felt any love, but in the end she was still a bad person who continued doing bad things. Fairest is a really good book and did a really good job describing Levana. It explains Levana’s backstory and I understand how she became the person she is. I am happy that this is what we got instead of a redemption arc for Levana. Another thing I thoroughly enjoy about this book is that it doesn’t defend Levana. It’s not a book trying to explain her actions by any means. Even in Fairest, Levana does some pretty bad things--like how she got rid of her niece, so it’s definitely not a book trying to defend who she is or trying to put the blame on someone else.

I recommend Fairest for people who have read The Lunar Chronicles. I’m not saying if you haven’t read the series that you shouldn’t read Fairest, there’s just a lot that I wouldn’t understand if I hadn’t already read the other books. And if you haven’t read The Lunar Chronicles, I definitely would recommend those too for really everybody.

Nil by Lynne Matson

Reviewd by Ela P.
Grade 11

Of course I'd hallucinate a zebra. Why couldn't I dream up Robert Pattinson or, better yet, a river of Gatorade?

Have you ever had a dream that seemed too real to be just a figment of your imagination? Well, the novel, NIL, by Lynne Matson explores that unreal experience through the lens of a normal high school girl, Charley. However, rather than make this whimsical island one filled with everything a girl could dream, it was filled with real-life experiences and its many wild horrors. Charley is a normal high school girl, who couldn't think any differently from the life she was living. However, when she is taken from her normal home life, and randomly dropped on NIL, an island that the world doesn't know exists, she is forced to prioritize her survival over every distraction NIL presents. No matter how hard she tries, getting off of NIL is more than just a task, its a game, in which their only opponent is NIL herself.

Everything was always easy for Charley as a normal teenage girl, or so she thought... until she got to NIL. Trapped naked on an island that nobody knew about, and little hopes of contact with the normal world, Charley finds herself lonely and afraid of all the dangers that lurked in the woods on the island. This all changed when she met Thad, a Canadian boy, who introduces her to a small village of other teenagers from around the world who ended up on NIL just like her. They quickly fall for each other, creating the only feeling of happiness that she gets on the island, but also a weakness for NIL to prey on. The people on the island treat NIL like a curse watching over them, toying with their lives as if they were a game to her, and doing everything in her power to stop them from escaping her torture. In order for them to beat NIL, they all have to work together to do their part, but when some are filled with jealousy and desperation, their union slowly falls apart, leading them all to face many more disasters. In order to get off of NIL before their 365-day limit is over, they all have to work harder than ever, face their fears, put their lives in danger for the people they love, and make sacrifices to remain in order. Charley is forced to change herself, to cooperate with these vastly different teenagers and learn to keep her new family on the island safe by stepping out of her comfort zone, something she wouldn't be willing to do before. As Thad's time on NIL is coming to an end, their desperation causes their love to become stronger, and the two teenagers are faced with a debacle. Should Thad go before his time is up or should he take the risk to save the one he loves?

At first, it did seem like it was the stereotypical "trapped on a dangerous island" book, however, towards the end I realized that there was more reality than fantastical elements underlining the story. It shows ups and downs of every person, which is more down to Earth than the typical "struggle after struggle" plot, which made it more realistic. Every character makes mistakes and all struggle between acting on their sense versus emotions, which better represents the human instincts and their need for survival. Similarly, their situation makes the reader think about the difference between the dreams and realities, and the line that can be crossed. I thought that using an Island as the setting, and personifying "mother nature's power" was very good since it is still a belief that many cultures think true. It made me rethink the power of nature and its curses that it could very well present to any of us at her mercy, whether we are on an island or not. It's very mind-boggling and provides a thrill to anyone looking for an interesting book to read.

I really loved reading NIL, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wanted a fantasy-based book with certain realistic elements. It is a very important lesson to the young adults reading the book and puts their lives in perspective to Charley's. Personally, I find it an important book that teaches the moral of perseverance no matter what struggle people are facing in their lives, and that eventually, it pays off. It was a lesson even I had to learn from the book when I read it. Her story made me reflect on my life, and how in order to achieve my goals, I had to keep working towards them without stopping to even consider quitting. The sequels of NIL are also very good, though they are told from different perspectives of different teenagers living on the island, I would recommend reading those as well. Overall, this was a very good and influential book that I would hope you enjoy as well.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 10

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a young adult novel about a young teenage girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer for as long as she can remember. By now, she has lost all hope and has come to terms with what her life will be like with her diagnosis. At first, she is reluctant to attend a local cancer support group recommended to her by her parents, but she soon realizes after meeting a boy named Augustus Waters (diagnosed with osteosarcoma), that maybe it isn’t the worst thing.

Augustus is charming and witty, however Hazel can’t help but to push him away like everyone else in her life. Augustus is not like everyone else, however, and he keeps coming back. He is drawn to her in a way that Hazel doesn’t understand. As Hazel and Augustus embark on an emotional roller coaster of romance, sadness, and humor, including a trip to Amsterdam in search of Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction (Hazel’s favorite book), Hazel starts to realize that her life is more than just terminal . . . it is about to be completely rewritten.

This is one of the best books I have ever read and not at all just, as Hazel would put it, a “cancer book.” Behind Augustus and Hazel’s stories, lies many themes and morals that are up for the reader's interpretation. I really appreciate how John Green builds this heart-warming story out of the darkness and despair that comes with the topic of cancer. I can also honestly and proudly say that I cried during the ending of this novel (which is saying much because it takes a lot for me to cry).

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a sweet, humorous, and, sadly, tragic love story to read. I thought that this was a beautifully, well-written novel and that the characters and plot were both unique beyond measure. So, get out your tissues and embark on this crazy, emotional roller coaster, and I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did.

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 10

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult novel told from the perspective of Ozzie, a high school student. Tommy and Ozzie have been best friends since the second grade and boyfriends since eighth. Ozzie doesn’t have many plans for the future, but the only thing he knows for certain is that Tommy is in it.

But then one day Tommy disappears or, more accurately, he ceases to exist. Tommy has been wiped from the memories of everyone he knew and loved . . . everyone except Ozzie. Now, Ozzie doesn’t know what to do, and people start to think he’s crazy. Between creating a person out of thin air and going through therapists quicker than underwear, they’re not that far off. In addition, Ozzie is certain that the universe is shrinking and that somehow he, Tommy, and his new physics project partner, Calvin are involved. As Ozzie and Calvin spend more and more time together, it gets harder and harder for Ozzie to deny his feelings for Calvin even though he still loves Tommy. But time is running out, and Ozzie knows that the window for saving Tommy is closing, and once it’s closed it can’t be opened again. But, Ozzie is determined to keep it open for as long as possible to get Tommy back. How he will do it? Now, there’s the real question.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and the ending truly had me shook. I thought that this was a very beautifully written novel and that even though some parts were difficult to read, it was all very realistic. In my opinion, the characters were well developed, and the plot was very unique and unlike anything I have ever read before.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a sweet and humorous, yet meaningful book to read. Hutchinson includes many layers, hidden meanings, and ambiguities in his novel that certainly keeps his audience guessing and on their toes. So if this seems like your kind of novel I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 10

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, based on the story of Beauty and the Beast, is a young adult novel which is told from the point of views of Rhen and Harper. These two people couldn’t be any more different, yet they eventually find themselves fighting together against powerful forces in the kingdom of Emberfall. Rhen is the crown prince of a kingdom that is not truly his. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to relive the autumn of his eighteenth year because of a simple mistake, Rhen thought he would easily be able to break his curse and get back to his kingdom. I mean, all he had to do was get a girl to fall in love with him. Seems easy enough, right? Well, him turning into a vicious beast hell-bent on death and destruction at the end of each season would certainly be considered as an obstacle. By now he’s given up any hope of being saved . . . that is, until a mysterious girl shows up on his doorstep.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. Her father abandoning their family, her mother dying of cancer, and her brother constantly treating her like a fragile vase that could break at any second because of her cerebral palsy certainly doesn’t help, but she pulls it together and manages. But one day when she tries to save a stranger on the dangerous streets of Washington DC, she’s pulled into an alternate, magical world. Now she doesn’t know where she is or if the whole thing is just a really long and strange dream. And as she spends more and more time with Prince Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understands what's really at stake. And Rhen realizes that Harper is not just another girl to play the same old tricks on. But, there is a powerful and dangerous enemy looking to destroy the kingdom of Emberfall and Harper and Rhen now know that they need to put whatever differences they have aside, including Rhen’s curse, to save the people of his kingdom from utter ruin.

I truly loved reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and I would definitely suggest reading the sequel, A Heart so Fierce and Broken, after to receive some much wanted answers to the first novel’s cliffhanger. I admit, the plot moved kinda slow in the beginning, but the build-up made the ending absolutely worth it and I totally didn’t see it coming. I love how almost each and every character has a backstory and a reason for being a part of the story and this is one of the many reasons why the plot of this novel was very well developed and unlike anything I have ever read before.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking to temporarily leave behind our boring reality and escape to a magical and surreal world like no other. Kemmerer does a fantastic job in her world-building, yet another reason why I enjoyed this novel so much. It truly felt like I was right there in Emberfall besides Harper and Rhen as they fought together to try and save his kingdom and its people. Overall, this was a very sweet and mystical book to read and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Reviewed by Susan Z.
Grade 10

“Don't be the girl who goes to college with a boyfriend.”

Lara Jean has already had such a wonderful senior year and she still has lots to look forward to: a class trip, prom, graduation, Beach Week and more. She’s in a great relationship with her boyfriend, Peter, her dad’s getting married, and she has college plans all sorted out. Imagine life being that perfect, that’s what Lara Jean thought too...until something unexpected happened that changed her life forever. Despite that, she still tries to enjoy the rest of her final year in high school.

Lara Jean had life after high school all sorted out. Her plan was to get into the University of Virginia (UVA)--which Peter had already gotten into for playing lacrosse--to continue her relationship with Peter, and to be close enough to home so she could be there for her little sister, Kitty. Those plans were shattered when she wasn’t accepted into UVA. As she goes through the rest of her senior year, enjoying hanging out with her friends, helping plan her dad’s wedding, and spending as much time with Peter as possible, she’s left thinking what to do next. She gets accepted into other colleges, but all she can think about is how the distance will put a strain on her relationship with Peter. And it turns out, despite coming off very confident, Peter is also under stress due to Lara Jean not attending UVA. With other challenges being thrown at them throughout the novel, Lara Jean is stuck wondering whether her relationship with Peter can really last. And when she gets off the wait list of another one of her dream colleges that's 4 hours away, Lara Jean has to decide whether she’s going to listen to her head or her heart.

I read the first book in this series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and then watched the 2nd book's film adaptation,To All the Boys: P.S I Still Love You, because I was so hooked and the book was checked out from everywhere. And so was this book, but there is no adaptation yet; so I actually kind of forgot about this book until it came in the mail a few days ago. I love this book...I love the entire series. Lara Jean is just so lovable, and witnessing her grow from what she was like in the first book...her character growth is just amazing. I think this book is the one where she was the most relatable. I love how the author didn’t give her a happily ever after-even though I do believe Lara Jean deserves a break with everything she went through in the previous books. But I’m glad the author made Lara Jean struggle and work for, not the future she had planned, but still one that she is excited about. It just shows that life can be challenging and messy at times, but in the end, even if it’s not the route you had planned to take, you’ll get to your destination.

I would recommend Always and Forever, Lara Jean to really everybody; it’s such a good book and conclusion to the series. If you haven’t read the two previous books, I recommend doing that first. I don’t believe it is absolutely necessary for you to read the other books before reading this one, but there will be a few references that you might not get, one of which made me cry. I do really recommend this book to high schoolers, I find it relatable with Lara Jean trying to balance everything going on in her life. And I recommend this for anybody who enjoys a good romance novel.

Rules For Being A Girl by Candace Bushnell & Katie Cotugno

Reviewed by Misha S.
Grade 10

"Remember, girls. Put a little color on your face. Don't wear short skirts. Be funny but don't hog the spotlight. Don't give him the wrong idea. Don't blame him for trying."

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno is a short, sharp, feminist novel depicting a girl who pushes her way through expectations and "rules" for being a girl. In modern society, women are expected to be and act certain ways. This book highlights sexism found in the everyday world and highlights upon feminism.

This story is led by Marin, a typical sophomore high school girl who has a boyfriend, her best friend, and a favorite teacher. She leads life normally at school until an incident which flips her perspective around and makes her realize the sexist mindset of teachers and students alike in her high school. Let's talk about her favorite teacher for a moment. Mr. Beckett, or "Bex" as he's referred to by all the students is a charismatic and youthful teacher who is loved adored by all the kids. He's extremely friendly with students, and often gives them rides in his car, hangs out with them etc. Marin considered him as her teacher best friend and casually hung out with him until one day, he takes her to his house. Before I reveal the incident, let's not forget that is teacher is 40-ish years old whereas Marin is 16. He kisses her. Marin didn't want anything of the sort, and let's just say she was traumatized. But she was even more shocked that her teacher was completely casual about it, not to mention, she had to see him everyday in school. This happens near the beginning, so this isn't a spoiler. Throughout the rest of the book, Marin deals with telling people about what happened to her (only to find out no on believes her), noticing subtle sexism from her peers (including her boyfriend), having everyone turn their backs on her and opening a feminist book club. The rest of the story is quite interesting to say the least.

I find the setting and the characters very relatable. Marin is like every other teenage girl, and I can almost put myself in her position. Before the incident she doesn't think much of what people say, but after it she starts to notice many different issues found in her high school itself. For example, her English teacher "Bex" gave a list of books the students have to choose to write a report on, but all the of the authors were only male and white. She finds this weird and speaks up in class about why there weren't any female authors in the list, and everyone just looks at her weird and even her teacher blows it off with a joke. Another example (which I think everyone can relate to) is the dress code. There is a dress code for both boys and girls, yet only the girls are enforced to follow it. Boys violate the dress code, and no one seems to care. The moment a girl wears a skirt that's half an inch too short, she has to go to the principal's office because apparently she is "distracting" the boys with her legs. Marin notices these things and starts to speak about it, but of course, no one listens.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone because I feel like this book highlights important issues on sexism and feminism in today's world. The character development was absolutely brilliant because before the incident, you can see the sexism that prevails but you notice that Marin just brushes it off. Post incident, she starts noticing every little thing wrong in the the system and the mentality towards girls and women. This book provides and lessons that everyone needs to be educated about. Hope you liked my review! Furthermore, for books similar to these, I highly recommend The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed :)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Reviewed by Donna M.
Grade: 9

Are you curious about all things? Then this is for you! This prestigious novel unleashes the valid truth behind humanity and showcases the solicitous nature or the vicious character behind innumerable subjects. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee reveals the hidden identity of society. Though it's long, each word holds an extensive and profound meaning.

This significant novel is placed in Alabama and revolves around the truth or to prove the innocence of a black man who has been allegedly accused of raping a white woman. Atticus Finch is the sincere and rightful lawyer who has the case in his hand. This series of events has led to an impact on his kids and their never-ending questions on how society includes injustice and poverty. This book exemplifies the topics of color discrimination, race and much more! Dive into the book to find out what the untold truth is.

To Kill a Mockingbird definitely contains stereotypes of the society and how initiatives can enact a new or a fresh look of it. All the characters depicted in the novel have a viewpoint covered and comprehended with the corrupted society. The setting selected can be defined as the best as at one point of time, many conflicts regarding color and races were occurring around that region. I believe there's a distinct connection to the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, which discloses a future society and how people behave or how the government is portrayed. Characters in this novel, such as Scout, promote the story to keep going with her innocent questions.

I would absolutely recommend this book for all the middle and high school students and to all audiences out there waiting for an American literature-related book with crucial elements present in today's community. It also includes messages such as to not harm things that don't attack or prey on us, rather to treat all fairly and equally. This book displays how the American society was and the readers get a chance to comprehend how it is now. Besides, It’s also got a mystery to solve on what happened to the lady.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Reviewed by Hope M.
Grade 9

When Suzanne Collins announced that she was going to release a prequel to her Hunger Games series, fans went berserk. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a novel revealing Coriolanus Snow’s background, and although anyone who has read or watched The Hunger Games knows how Snow turns out, the story is still a page-turner.

This dystopian tale is set in Panem: what is left of America after a devastating war between the Capitol and the districts. The Capitol has now created the Hunger Games, a monstrous sport where children are selected from the 12 remaining districts to battle each other to the death. At only eighteen years old, Coriolanus Snow is selected to be a mentor for the 10th annual Game. He receives the female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird, who has an alluring quality about her. Though Coriolanus is attracted to Lucy Gray and wants her to be victor so she will live, he also selfishly recognizes the benefits that will arise for himself if she succeeds. Throughout this story, Coriolanus is constantly torn between what he knows to be right and his greedy thirst for rising above. His family’s motto is “Snow lands on top,” and that concept frequently influences his decisions.

The novel was certainly well-written. Collins uses a similar style of writing as she does in The Hunger Games, so those who enjoyed that series will likely enjoy this book as well. Additionally, the author is extraordinarily strong at demonstrating the character transition that occurs in Coriolanus. The plot is solid and fascinating. Many readers may not find it as interesting as the original series due to the fact that the ending is already obvious; however, the narrative provides insight into the life of Snow and allows the reader to empathize with him. It also keeps the reader wondering, “What will happen next?”

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone. It offers the backstory of President Coriolanus Snow and shows how he develops into the individual he is in The Hunger Games. The moral implications the author wants to portray come across quite clearly; Collins shows how easy it is for selfishness to twist an individual’s moral mindset. Furthermore, the novelist ties in some connections to The Hunger Games, such as Tigris’ identity, Snow’s opinion on the mockingjays, and who wrote “The Hanging Tree.” The novel is also just an enjoyable read and will certainly keep you engaged until the very end.

Ebook also available to check out.