Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Reviewed by Grace H.

Grade 11

Belladonna is a gripping, spooky fantasy containing a thrilling murder mystery. The highly Gothic setting of the novel draws the reader into a realm of ballroom dancing, manors, and destruction. The descriptive writing and creepy atmosphere advance the plot with many twists and turns.

When Signa Farrow, a 19-year-old orphan, is once again relocated to a different guardian after her aunt dies, she finds herself thrown into the wealthy yet odd Hawthorne household. From a young age, Signa has possessed extraordinary powers. Not only is Signa able to see and interact with spirits, but she is also immortal. No matter how close she comes to Death, Signa consistently evades it. So when the ghost of the late matriarch, Lillian Hawthorne, finds Signa living with the Hawthornes and declares that she was poisoned, it is up to Signa to catch the murderer—quickly, for Lillian's daughter, Blythe Hawthorne, is also being poisoned. Signa becomes engrossed in a whirlwind of clues, discovering a secret side to her new guardians. Signa also enlists the help of Death himself, who always seems to be near her, and he teaches her the ropes of immortality. Death and Signa form a capable and captivating bond, working together to unearth the secrets of the Hawthornes and why someone close to them killed Lillian and is trying to claim Blythe's life as well.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace was a fascinating novel that drew me in with its gothic atmosphere and haunting mysteries. The novel had lots of tension as Signa and the other characters raced against the clock to catch the murderer and save Blythe's life. This mystery had the classic who-dunnit element, with many of the characters having suspicious qualities. This made me invested in the plot and excited for the resolution. One of the best-written parts of the book was Signa's character development. At the beginning of the novel, I found her to be whiny and naïve, but as the story progressed, she became much more mature and responsible, accepting herself for who she truly was. Death himself was also an intriguing character, and it was interesting to see how his and Signa's romance played out over the course of the book.

 Overall, I enjoyed the eerie fantasy setting of "Belladonna", as well as the mystery component, and I would definitely recommend this novel, especially to anyone who enjoys mysterious atmospheres. The themes of friendship and self-discovery also made it a captivating novel. This book is part of a series, and the second book, Foxglove comes out on August 2023. The cliffhanger ending of Belladonna will surely convince readers to pick up the second addition to the series, but it can also be read as a standalone, as the first mystery is completely resolved at the end. 

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Reviewed by Grace H.
Grade 11

Six friends, but only five will survive. Five Survive was written by Holly Jackson, the bestselling author of the very popular trilogy, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. If you enjoyed that series, you will certainly enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed mystery.

This thrilling story follows high school senior Red Kenny, who is travelling in a borrowed RV to a notorious party town in New Orleans for spring break with five of her friends. The only problem is, Red and her friends never make it to New Orleans. Somewhere along the road, the RV is caught in an ambush, with all four tires shot out. The six teenagers are trapped in the confined space of the RV with a sniper outside. The sniper reveals through a planted walkie-talkie that he is after one thing and one thing only: a secret. Someone in the RV has a secret worth the highest price imaginable: a life. 

Red and her friends must discover which of them holds the secret that the sniper is after. Many escape plans are foiled as the characters realize that the sniper is more prepared than they originally believed. They start to question if there is a mole in their midst, someone who is secretly working with the sniper. Emotions run high in the tight setting of the RV, and the trapped victims become increasingly frantic as dawn approaches. After all, only five will survive until morning.

This novel was extremely fast-paced and easy to read. I tore through it in one sitting; the quick storyline kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was dying to know what happened next. The story is written in third person, but follows Red, and it took a few chapters to get used to the way that she narrates, as she is a forgetful and easily-distracted narrator. 

The characters were written well, especially Red and Oliver (the oldest and self-appointed leader of the friend group). The juxtaposition of the two of them was fascinating, with Oliver's over-confidence seeming very amplified in contrast with Red's timid and nonconfrontational manner. The author uses a lot of dialogue in the book, and this contributed to the fast-paced feel of the story, as well as making the reader feel connected to the characters and what they were thinking. The fear that all six of them felt was palpable, and was transferred to the reader, making the story truly riveting. The last few chapters of the book are action-packed but wrap up nicely in the end, with just enough mystery to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries and thrillers. The plot twists and intriguing dialogue will keep you on your toes throughout the story, and the ending will leave you reeling. The fast-paced writing style is also perfect for anyone who loves a quick read; you'll be tempted to finish it in one sitting! 

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

Reviewed by Nané K.
Grade 10

One day, an English teacher’s Islamophobic judgment sparks a fire that sends 14-year-old Jawad Ali down a road which ends in his kidnapping and murder. At the same time, high schooler Safiya Mirza, who is an aspiring journalist, faces racist and Islamophobic attacks that threaten the school newspaper she works on. 

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed is based on the true story of Bobby Franks’ murder in the 1920s. It takes a look into the horrific inner workings of racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, using one liners about what is truth and what is fact to set the tone for a chilling page turner. Certain aspects of the true story Hollow Fires is based on are very similar to what happens in the book, but the events have been modernized and changed, adding a new level of insidiousness to a tough story. 

Hollow Fires is non-linear and told in a split perspective between Jawad (as a ghost) and Safiya. It jumps back and forth between Jawad’s reflections after his death, and Safiya investigating his murder. In the beginning, Safiya finds that her school newspaper column was hacked and replaced by alt-right sentiments, which puts the newspaper in jeopardy. As she deals with more discrimination at school, such as anonymous texts and threatening posters put around the school, an Amber Alert about Jawad’s disappearance goes out. As the story progresses, Safiya navigates the increasing threats against her, a budding romance with jock Richard, and uncovering the mystery behind Jawad’s kidnapping, and eventual murder.

The author’s writing is generally solid, with a strong character voice for main character Safiya. However, my immersion was constantly broken by the unrealistic dialogue and interaction between characters, which to me was a big contrast with the dark themes throughout the story. Additionally, I felt that the romance subplot was out of place for most of the book. When it was first introduced, it was a harsh difference from the previous chapters, which had been dark and depressing. It did end up being plot important in a shocking twist--which brings me to my next point. There is a big reveal of the murderer’s identity in the climax. However, by the time the twist comes around, I had already predicted who it would have been a hundred pages ago. It was not a surprising twist, but it was emotionally intense.

One thing this book does well, and what makes it such an engaging read, is the inclusion of different forms of media, from court reports, podcast transcripts, and interviews, to news articles. The journalism theme matched well with the “Fact/Truth/Lie“ one liner at the start of each chapter. The culture of the main character, being an Indian Muslim, made it interesting as well as educational for me, because I had not read a book with a Muslim main character before.

Overall, Hollow Fires is a gripping and compelling story, one in which I was so engrossed that I finished it in a single sitting. I got emotionally invested in the story, and felt sympathetic for Jawad’s unjust fate. I would recommend this book to readers because of its well done story, and to raise awareness about Islamophobia. 

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.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Reviewed by Nané K.
Grade 10

“If fate is a bunch of strings, then I’ll carry scissors.” 

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, is an Asian retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Wild Swans, in which a princess has to save her 11 brothers from a curse cast by an evil queen. I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover, and it did not disappoint. The author manages to weave together elements of Asian mythology and the original fairytale into a stunning magical world that I was totally immersed in as I read.

Six Crimson Cranes’s basic premise does not stray too far from its inspiration. It follows the main character, Shiori--a princess with 6 brothers in the nation of Kiata, where magic is forbidden--and her secret, magic paper bird, Kiki, after Shiori runs away from meeting her betrothed. As she runs away, she falls into a lake near her palace, but a sea dragon saves her from drowning, and ends up teaching her how to control her magic.

However, Shiori’s life only becomes more complicated when she discovers her stepmother, Raikama, is also a magic user, and ends up being a witness when her stepmother places a curse upon her 6 brothers and Shiori herself. The curse turns her brothers into cranes at night, and forbids Shiori from speaking, or else one brother will die each time she speaks. They are also unable to be recognized as the princes and princess of Kiata. The bulk of the book is spent with Shiori as she finds herself transported into another part of Kiata and works endlessly to find her brothers and break the curse.

The characters are a strong point of this book, all being quite endearing. From the snappy sea dragon Seryu, to the other love interest, Takkan, all of the main cast were memorable and felt well thought out. Even the villain, Raikama, was complex and had a rich backstory, which was intriguing to see unfold. The characters’ personalities and attitudes helped to reveal the intricacies of the world building of Six Crimson Cranes, which was another aspect I enjoyed. 

What I enjoyed the most about this book, however, was its plot; the author did a great job in crafting this captivating read. The turn of events never felt contrived or packed, the story moved at a good pace and kept the reader interested. Specifically, I liked the climb back to the top that the main character went through. It truly felt like I was there working with Shiori to break the curse—I could feel her struggles through the page.

I would absolutely recommend Six Crimson Cranes because I think its themes of fate and family are something that everyone can appreciate. Fans of fantasy especially will love this book and its deep magical world.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 10

Hell Followed With Us is an unapologetically queer story that tells a tale of lost religion, betrayal, and finding family. Andrew Joseph White weaves a gorgeous dystopian tale of humanity's last stand in a lawless land of corruption and sickness. It is there he twists biology to redefine what it means to be a monster.

The story opens in the midst of an action-packed escape from the religious stronghold of New Nazareth. Benji, a young trans teen is fighting everything he’s ever known. With his escape he’s going to have to find a new home in the desolate ruins of the world left by the flood. Taken in by the ALC, a Queer Youth Group, he slowly learns to make a new life. However, New Nazareth won’t let him go so easily and secrets and betrayal threaten to destroy everything he’s built.

Hell Followed With Us creates vivid imagery in its descriptions, though there are moments where the images and metaphors were lost on me. Throughout the book several times there is a depicted field with trees and scattered corpses from the Flood. It was difficult to tell if these were dream sequences or memories due to the fact that there seemed to be a metaphor involved that popped up at random points, for example after a fight scene but also after Benji goes to sleep he recalls the field. No other character seems to mention it, but it seems significant because Benji has a final revelation there towards the end. However, every other aspect of the book is incredibly detailed, from the monsters and church to the easily distinguishable characters.

Consistently throughout the book there were no parts that stood out, because as a whole it was a delightful read. It delivers exactly what it promises. It's definitely worth a read. Andrew Joseph White promises a loudly queer novel with monsters, apocalypse, and religious trauma and he delivers just that.

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 10

Serena Kaylor delivers on all her promises in Long Story Short, keeping an ending sweet enough to have your toes curling and the outline of all Shakespeare inspired stories, “boy meets girl, they fall in love, and 9 people die in the process” [minus the dying part].

Beatrice, a sheltered homeschooled student, reveals at a dinner with a family friend. As Beatrice plots all possible chances of escape she accidentally blurts out her secret application and acceptance to Oxford, successfully destroying the dinner atmosphere. Her parents confront her, mentioning her general unpreparedness to move to England after her reserved childhood. In comes the deal, a 9 item list on classic "teenage" behavior, created by her parents in exchange for considering sending her off to Oxford. If she can check off every item then she can go. The catch? She must complete it while enrolled as an actor at a theatre summer camp. Despite her fear of the spotlight, she agrees, all in hopes to retreat to her dream college with like minded book lovers and statistic. After brushing up on Shakespeare and hoping to lie through her experience she finds it may be more of a challenge than she thought. She stumbles through her first day, barely checking off the first box (make a friend) when she’s taken under the wing of her roommate Mia and Mia’s camp friend Nolan. They quickly find out about the list and make it their mission to help her with every box, and a few additions. Just when she finds a position she may enjoy (as a prompter and perpetual understudy), she finds herself at odds with the handsome but equally insufferable Nikhil. Nik is the son of the camp founders and has the talent and cockiness to match. And against all of Bea’s expectations and desires he just won’t leave her be.

The story is somewhat cliché. The love interest is “hot” and “talented,” and for much of the story that is his only positive quality. It seems like the story aims for an enemies to lovers trope except the progression just seems odd. 

During the middle the characters start a bet. They go back and forth reciting Shakespeare and whoever doesn’t know what play it’s from loses. Nik sets the stakes as loser gets to ask anything of the winner. His request is that Bea kiss him if she loses. The only reason Bea agrees is because she was dared to and doing a dare was on her list. They don’t have many good moments together prior to that bet, so it makes the whole thing feel weird. Later when Nik accuses Bea of sending mixed messages romantically it seems foolish. Nik is overprotective and insulting at random points so when you factor that and the time they’ve spent together (mostly arguing) he just seems sore and hypocritical. Other than that the story is widely predictable. I could tell exactly what would happen just from the premise.

Long Story Short was cute, but the more you contemplate the actions of the characters, the more it fell apart. Kaylor delivers a really simple short story in the form of a much longer novel. If you’re looking for some guilty pleasure in a classic romance format, it’s great. If you want anything deeper or more compelling than that this might not be the book for you.    

How to Pack For the End of the World by Michelle Falkoff

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 10

How To Pack For The End Of The World by Michelle Falkoff is a charming, overdramatic book to consider packing for your apocalypse kit. On its first few pages it hits you right in the face with the pressing question, “If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, would you rather die along with your friends and family and everyone you’ve ever known, or live among strangers to rebuild civilization?” It keeps its theme at every turn of the book, challenging its characters and readers to come to a conclusion on what they would find important when the curtain falls.

The book is set within the cushy walls of the formerly prestigious Gardner Academy, now fallen from grace for a sexual abuse scandal. The school, faced with a tarnished reputation, begins opening its gates to accept second chance rich kids and teachers and scholarship students. Amina, a scholarship student, loathes the idea of attending an academy so far from home and plans to leave as soon as possible.  However, surviving through the semester proves to be a challenge. Virtually friendless and swamped with work, she can’t help but join when a mysterious letter inviting her to a semi-secret apocalypse study club is slipped under her door. There she meets with kindred souls: Chloe, Hunter, Jo/Josephine, and Wyatt. They spend the rest of their freshman year playing ‘games’ hosted by each member to prepare themselves for doomsday. Together they learn what they’re willing to sacrifice to thrive in the final days of the world. As they learn more about each other and themselves, it grows apparent that they aren’t the only ones at Gardner who know about their club meetings. Secrets get revealed and they find themselves playing one final messy game before the year's end, one where they all end up the loser.

I must admit, at first this was a hard book to put down. However, for a book so focused on the end, its ending left something to be desired. Some of its plot points and hints fall a little flat in the reveal. For example the election between Hunter and Amina provided several opportunities for characters to interact with each other, but it doesn't do much outside of that. The fact that they’re being elected feels a little pointless .There isn’t a lot of lasting impact in any individual thing done, making the entire book seem like a somewhat drawn out lesson with only one conclusion. There is something to be salvaged from the wreckage though.

Falkoff kept a brilliant balance of light fun with the macabre undertone of doomsday, and every character had a moment in the sun. One of the main plot points in the books were the ‘Games.’ Every character had a game, every game was used to teach a lesson. A genuine highpoint of the book was discovering the lessons or agendas hidden behind every game from the perspective of our narrator, the characterization allowed by this helped unravel one of the main mysteries of the book while allowing the reader to grow closer to the cast. However, it is with mild frustration that we do it through the eyes of our main character, Amina who acknowledges her position as always somewhat one step behind the rest of the group.

All things considered, How To Pack For The End Of The World was an all right read. For an anxious teen navigating a world where every (somewhat pointless) event kind of feels like the end of the world, it’s easy to start unconsciously keeping a countdown in the back of your mind. Which is why for every criticism I have of this book, there’s a little bit of fondness. It may fail to provide a packing list for the end of the world, but it remains a successful guide for finding what it means to make connections in an ending world, which is why I would recommend this book.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Reviewed by Yusmibel L.
Grade 10

Beyond Magenta - Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin was an informative and perspective-challenging experience. Each section was thoughtfully written and the book contains a thorough explanation of its sources and the journey taken to create it. Although I felt quite positively about the book, each portion of it wasn’t equally enjoyable. It was easier to connect with some individual’s thoughts more than others. Despite this it definitely would provide a different experience to connect for every reader.

The book stars 6 teens--Jessy, Christina, Mariah, Cameron, Nat, and Luke. Each story was mostly written in a loose interview with an introspective take on their childhood. They all somewhat include the discovery of their gender, their personal and family relationships, and challenges they experienced throughout their life . Although these people identify as transgender, they each have vastly different experiences. Half of the participants fall within the binary of male or female; the other half fall somewhere between those two lines.

Quite possibly the best part of the book was the style in which it was written. It was easy to read. All of these people have vastly different relationships with their gender identity. Each ‘chapter’ reflects this by having a different flair to it customized by each subject. With a special distinction made with Luke’s chapter, his story is written more as a play to express his involvement in theatre and the arts. His chapter is also where the book gets its name. 

The comparison between each segment was subtle at points but gave some insight into the style and personality of each person that the writing couldn't. The use of photographs throughout the story helped create a connection between the contributors of the book. Although the book has some relevant resources in the final chapter of the book, some bits of the book do reveal it as somewhat dated. Although I feel this doesn’t detract much from the value of the book, it’s to be noted it interchangeably uses transsexual and transgender. Neither of these terms are inherently wrong in their meaning. However, transsexual can be considered a more specific term under the transgender umbrella. Transexual can also be considered an offensive term for some and has gone out of popular use in 2018. It also includes the term metrosexual, another term that has fallen in popularity and use.

Beyond Magenta is a part of the ALA’s top 10 most challenged books of 2021 for its LQBTQIA+ content and because it’s considered sexually explicit. Although both of these are characteristics of the book, they are both crucial to the book’s message and informative nature. Written in a subheading labeled “nut’s and bolts” in the Authors' note, Kuklin states the basic plan of the book was to write non-fiction about sex and alienation. 

Although the book is in part somewhat outdated, it’s written about a complex and evolving subject. I cannot step into the shoes of my transgender friends and, although I know some of their experience, I’m somewhat ignorant on the subject. I don’t know the nuance of their relationship with gender. This book was a fantastic chance to broaden my view on how complex that relationship is and can be. There is so much more to being trans than simply wanting to be a boy or a girl and being in the opposite body. The people in this book were messy, unique, and sincere in the telling of their story.

Several times did it make me want to step back and try to read the book as if I were different people. I recommend this book. It was a learning experience for me and the goal was definitely successfully achieved experience.