Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Reviewed by Caroline C.
Grade 11

When she was a little girl, Jane nearly died. Ever since then she doesn't remember what happened to her prior to waking up in the hospital. She’s been an orphan ever since that day, and she’s trying to fix her life by attending a boarding school on a scholarship. What she doesn't expect is that going from the streets to a nice and comfortable life won’t be as easy as she initially thought.

Jane gets a scholarship to a boarding school for girls. She is quickly introduced to a life she’s never had, one full of riches and fantasies. School is going well, she has a great friend group, and she falls for the principal’s son who she’s tutoring. She discovers soon that something’s off about the town; a woman committed suicide last year and the previous scholarship student mysteriously moved away with her uncle. She slowly discovers that this great new life of hers isn't what it seems.

I loved the characters. I became irritated with some of the choices made by the main character, Jane, but this made her more realistic. Also, I adored Jack, one of the love interests. He’s an extremely lovable, funny, and sweet character from the first time he appears, when he almost runs over Jane with his bike, to the end of the story. The plot was very interesting and intriguing. Discovering the town’s secrets was extremely enjoyable and some of the surprises behind the deaths of certain characters shocked me.

Dark Companion was a great novel with very lovable characters. It is somewhat a generic paranormal romance, and if you aren't into this genre I don't recommend this. However, if paranormal romance is your thing, I highly recommend this because the love interests are great characters and the plot turns are extremely shocking at times. If you are a fan of The House of Night series and The Vampire Diaries this book is definitely for you.

Montefiore's Goddaughter by Elizabeth Brooks

Reviewed by Caroline C.
Grade 11

Have you ever closed your eyes and gone to your secret place, a place special and unique where you can go to? In Montefiore’s Goddaughter, Abigail Crabtree visits a special place in her imagination every night. With a unique cast of characters, an engaging plot line, and a thought provoking ending, I highly recommend this story.

Abigail is a teenage girl who is sent to a modern day finishing school in England due to the wishes of her godfather. She has never met her godfather before, but goes to the school to please him. Once there she realizes that the school is not an educational program, but a finishing school that teaches girls how to do their hair and teaches children how to take care of a home. She makes a friend who, like her, doesn't belong in the finishing school and visits a special world at night. In Abigail’s dreams she visits a forest of hers with an owl named Eyes, her teddy bear, and Prince Constantine. As she discovers more and more about her godfather the two worlds start melding together and she discovers that her forest could be in much more danger than she ever imagined.

As the plot unravels we discover a lot about secrets of the characters and we see the real personalities of some characters. The plot had some surprising turns and the secrets behind Montefiore, Abigail’s godfather, are shocking. Abigail is a very real character who makes very real mistakes which is why I like her. Her friends are extremely well thought through and are very loveable, especially the brave Prince Constantine who goes through many hardships for Abigail. I also enjoyed the setting of the English countryside; the depiction of Montefiore’s mansion in the midst of a forest of trees is a beautiful thought to behold.

When I first picked this book up I didn't expect anything from it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The book immediately engaged me because it played on dreams and a world where the main character can slip away to at night. I loved this concept and as the book went on I was shocked by the plot that was unfolding. Not because it was unpredictable, but because it was the last thing I expected from the book. The book slowly turned very dark and I couldn't put it down. It left me with a cold feeling, and I'm not sure how much I enjoyed the book because it certainly wasn't a feel good book. If you are a fan of Bridge to Terabithia then this book is for you. It engaged me the entire way through and I couldn't put it down which is why I give it five stars out of five.