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. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Reviewed by Leiden T.
Grade 9

If you’d like to find a book filled with horrible stereotypes, lack of purpose, a selfish main character (not complex, just aggravating) with a writer who obviously doesn’t know what he’s doing, then you should take a look at Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Greg is the narrator of this completely uninteresting tale. This book starts out with the author warning the readers that he is in fact, not a good writer. After this, it talks about how Greg is being forced by his mother to help a girl with cancer by being a good friend to her. He is extremely reluctant but decides to go on with it, alongside his best friend Earl.

This story is told in the first-person perspective of Greg that has some fourth wall-breaking where he talks to the reader. The way the book is set is an obvious way to get attention and seem original, but it just is very… weird. Repeatedly throughout the book it will tell you to stop reading and I wish I listened to it. The humor is just not funny in the slightest and there’s lots of vulgar language to make itself appeal to teens. I didn’t understand the point of the book, no moral or real plot, which made it feel like a chore I had to finish. Besides the way that is written, there are still many faults. It was almost as if the writer had a goal to fill the book with as much racism and sexism as possible. He uses a derogatory term used against black people on multiple occasions, even though he is a white man.

I’ve said multiple of my critiques and despite the fact I think it’s a bad book, there are redeeming qualities. I will say that I enjoyed how Greg is depicted as a deeply flawed character which makes him relatable. I could heavily relate to his need to make people smile and that’s one of the main reasons I kept on reading.

I don’t recommend this book to anyone, though that doesn’t mean I don’t think it should be in the library. Despite the fact that this is considered a frequently "Banned" or "Challenged" book, I do not believe that any book should be banned. 

Celebrating our freedom to read during Banned Books Week

Written by Bella S., Sienna V., Bel L., Delany B., Leiden T.

As Americans, one of the main issues of our country is freedom. We can say what we want, protest what we want, publicize what we want, and we have many other rights that allow us to be free from control so that we can make our own choices. But lately, one particular problem continues to occur. Should we be allowed to have the freedom to choose what we want to read as teens? 

Some believe that just as we can write what we want, we should be able to read what we want. But others think that we should be limited on what content we are exposed to. Topics like race, gender, and culture are all on the chopping block. As you continue to read, books that have been nominated to be banned will be reviewed. But I’ll let you make your own decisions on what you think about banning books. (BS)

Below are some of the books that have been included an the American Library Association's Top 10 Most Challenged Books lists for 2021 - 2020:

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out (2014) by Susan Kuklin

Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. 

Beyond Magenta is a collection of interview style tales told by several trans and queer teens. Between the gorgeous photography in this book, comes honest reflections of their experiences coming of age while grappling with their gender identity. Their place as a banned/challenged book is just one of many attempts to conceal their stories. (BL)

#10 of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2012) by Jesse Andrews

Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women

This book follows the tale of Greg, Earl, and his former friend Rachel, who now has cancer. Earl has been forced by his mother to help Rachel find happiness in her horrible situation. In the book, it has multiple slurs used along with racial stereotypes and misogyny. Despite this, I do not believe any book should be banned to the public, so I do not think the correct decision is the ban it. Though, I do not support the book in any capacity. (LT)

#7 of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-native, is a semi-autobiographical novel about the life of a young Native American named Junior. This book should not be banned or challenged because it offers a new perspective about America which often gets overlooked, and it gives Native American children a new narrative with universal challenges such as poverty and sexuality. Alexie forces American students, who often only hear about Native Americans in regard to tragedy, to see them as real people. (DB)

#6 of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

All Boys Aren’t Blue (2020) by George M. Johnson

Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit

All Boys Aren't Blue is a memoir that follows the life of George Johnson. It highlights their struggles growing up and dealing with racism, homophobia, and gender identity. This book most definitely should not be banned because it can be a great help to others that are experiencing George's same struggles. Not only do I think this book should not be banned, I think that everyone should read it to get educated on the importance of equality. (SV)

#3 of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

Speak (1999) by Laurie Halse Anderson

Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity

Speak is a novel about a girl named Melinda who is dealing with sexual assault. While this is a heavy topic, it is a sad reality that so many people face. This book is so important to help people understand that they are not alone. Aside from it being informative, it is also very well written and illustrates the struggles Melinda faces. (SV)

#4 of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

Click here for more information on the history of Banned Books Week.

Jagged Little Pill by Eric Smith, Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard

Reviewed by Sky E.
Grade 11 

Jagged Little Pill was written by four writers: Eric Smith,  Alanis Morisette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard. Jagged Little Pill was originally an album by Alanis Morissette, then a Broadway musical, and now a book. My expectations for this book were not extremely high, but this book really went above and beyond my expectations.

The story consists of five main characters: Frankie, Jo, Nick, Phoenix, and Bella. Throughout the book the author’s allow you to dive into each of the characters inner thoughts. Each character wants something: Frankie wants justice, Jo wants to be seen, Nick wants to be a good person, Phoenix wants a connection with someone, and Bella wants to be believed. 

The story takes a wild turn when all the main characters, except Jo, end up going to a house party hosted by Andrew Montefiore. While not every character was there, the party turned all their lives in a different direction. Andrew Montefiore happens to take advantage of Bella while she was not completely sober. An image of her lying in Andrew’s bed is spread around the school and she is labeled a slut by some of her closest friends. Each ensuing conflict allows the characters to deeply discover themselves by the end of the book, making the read worth it.

The author’s style in the book really allows you to connect with the characters. Each chapter has a different character speaking throughout the entire book. I really loved how the author was able to describe certain instances happening by the characters. The diction really gives the reader the ability to feel empathy for the characters.

I would recommend this book to other people because I enjoyed the author’s style of writing and it really helped me feel involved in the book and want to continue reading. The lessons that each of the characters went through felt really empowering that they were able to overcome some of the conflicts they were faced with.

 

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Reviewed by Sky E.
Grade 11

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is the sequel to one of the best books I have read so far: The Hate U Give. I immediately chose to read Concrete Rose once I discovered both were written by the same author. I had extremely high expectations for this book and felt somewhat let down as the novel began. As I continued reading, my high expectations had begun to feel satisfied as the book grew more and more intense. This story walks the reader through the struggles of heartbreak, loss, and fatherhood from the point of view of seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter.

The book begins on the neighborhood basketball court in Garden Heights with Maverick, the main character, playing ball with the King Lords. The King Lords are a gang who run the part of the neighborhood where Maverick lives. Maverick joined the gang as a form of protection from the enemies of his father. Being able to help his mother pay the bills by selling drugs was another benefit to being in the gang. As the boys are playing, they seem to have an audience of Maverick’s girlfriend, Lisa, and Dre’s family. Maverick's mind seems to be elsewhere, worrying about an incident that is taking place that day. Soon after a short basketball game, Maverick, and King, his friend who is also a part of the King Lords, head to a clinic where the story takes a drastic turn as Maverick finds out he may be the father of his best friend’s “son”.

How could Maverick be the father of his King’s “son” when he has a girlfriend? It turns out that Maverick made an unfortunate mistake with King’s “girl,” Iesha, while he and Lisa were on a break. This one-time fling turned into a life-changing event. Once Iesha’s mother learned Maverick was the father of the baby, the two ran off and left him to deal with a child he just met. His mother begins to teach him the ins and outs of parenting, which leaves him with a problem. What is he going to tell his girlfriend, and how is he going to deal with the costs of this baby?

I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing in this book. At first, I wasn’t particularly interested in the way the author decided to initially start the book, but as I continued reading, the style helped bring the book to life. I also seemed to enjoy all the conflict that appeared in the story. Just when I began to think the book was getting boring, a new conflict would show up to appease my boredom.

I would completely recommend this book to the people who enjoy reading fiction with new conflicts in each chapter. The author’s style really allows the reader to feel as if they know Maverick. The style allows the reader to dive into Maverick's mind and feel his pain with him. In my opinion, the ending is extremely satisfactory. Once I finished the book, I kept wishing to know more about Maverick and how his life is going even though the book already ended.

Concrete Rose is a 2022 Printz Award Honor book.

Kaiju No. 8 vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto

Reviewed by Makenna J.
Grade: 9

Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 is an exciting action manga that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat along with some pleasantly surprising comedy! The first volume grabbed my attention right away and I wanted to find the second volume immediately after I finished it. The characters are written very well and I immediately became attached to them. The reader is able to relate to them right off the bat and I really want to know more about them; I’m very interested in their backgrounds and motivation. Along with compelling characters, the story itself is intriguing as well. Someone could argue that the plot follows a very common formula, but I found it very unique and fascinating!

 Thirty-two-year-old Kafka Hibino wants to clean up kaiju, monsters that threaten the citizens’ lives in Japan, ever since he was little. But somehow, he ended up literally cleaning them up! The Defense Force kills them while he’s stuck cleaning up the dead kaiju on the streets. He gave up on his dream of being a part of the Defense Force alongside his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, a long time ago because he could never pass the entrance exam. Then one day, Reno Ichikawa, a kid who wants to join the Defense Force, joins Kafka’s cleanup team and sparks his dream of killing kaiju alongside Mina again. But suddenly, while they’re working, a kaiju attacks them and puts them both in the hospital. While they’re recovering, Kafka transforms into a kaiju! On the run and with the help of Ichikawa, Kafka takes the entrance exam one last time to be a part of the Defense Force with Mina as his motivation.

 Some plot points in this manga are a little too . . . convenient. Kafka can switch between being a kaiju and a human, but the author never really explains why or how. Although, I don’t mind it too much because I know the author will explain it in later volumes. I really appreciate the refreshing plot of Kafka not being the best out of everyone taking the exam and only having one last chance to fulfill his dream before he’s too old. There was a surprising amount of comedy in this manga, mainly coming from Kafka and Ichikawa’s friendship, and I really enjoyed it. Volume one left on a cliffhanger which made me really want to continue reading! Naoya Matsumoto not only wrote, but also illustrated an amazing series with deep characters, an intriguing plot, and stunning artwork which I find to be very impressive!

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who’s a fan of action and comedy. I loved volume one, and I’m sure many other people will as well! I’m looking forward to reading more of Naoya Mastumoto’s works!

Reviewed by: Makenna J.
Grade: 9

The Detective is Already Dead by nigozyu and mugiko had potential, but it fell short in many areas. I’ll first say that I’ve read a good amount of manga, but this is one of the few that I was pretty disappointed by. The plot was interesting, but I was so distracted by the undeveloped characters, the pacing issues, and how confusing most of the conversations between the characters were. This may just be because of translation errors, though. To be fair, the original language was Japanese, which sometimes doesn’t translate well to English.

The story began with the main character, 14-year-old Kimihiko Kimizuka, on a plane that was infiltrated by a hijacker. Kimizuka’s a “crisis magnet” who always gets caught up in trouble he doesn’t want to be in. The hijacker asked if there was a detective on the plane, and Kimizuka, sensing trouble, tried his best not to get involved. To his surprise, the pretty girl sitting next to him stood up and declared that she was a detective. An even bigger surprise was that she asked him to be her assistant and dragged him along with her. Her name was Siesta, and for three years after that, he helped her with her detective work. Until she died. This all happened in the very first chapter. The story flew through three very important years in just the span of 15 pages. Kimizuka kept a low profile for the next year, being a regular high school kid until a girl in another class asked him to help her find someone through an unnecessarily long conversation. But she didn’t know who she was looking for. That’s why she went to Kimizuka, a student that she believed was an ace detective. He finally agreed to help, and then she revealed that she received a heart transplant a year earlier. The original owner of the heart has a great urge to find someone, and she wants to help even though she doesn’t know who it is. All the while, Kimizuka can’t help but shake the feeling that the girl, Natsunagi, is eerily similar to Siesta.

I’d like to first say that it’s very obvious who the heart belongs to. I don’t even have to read the second volume to figure that out. And frankly, I don’t really want to. The first volume had nothing that hooked me on the story and made me want to find the next volume. I also had some other issues with this manga. The main character’s only personality trait is that he’s a crisis magnet. Other than that, he’s very plain. Siesta is only in one scene before she dies, so I’m not too invested in her. The main problem I have is with Natsunagi, the girl with the transplanted heart. I don’t like her at all. She doesn’t have any personality apart from being feisty, I’m not really attached to her and her story, and she’s very oversexualized. Many manga artists do that, they oversexualize many of the female characters.

Two out of the three female characters in this manga have this problem, but she’s in high school which makes it worse in my opinion. But even if you ignore all this, all the story boils down to is a couple of boring characters trying to figure out a mystery that the reader can deduce in five seconds. 

Even though I didn’t really enjoy this book, I have to give credit to the author and artist. nigozyu, the author of the original light novel story, got a manga and an anime adaptation out of The Detective is Already Dead, which is also his most notable work. The artist, mugiko, stated in an afterword at the end of the manga that it was their first-ever published manga volume. I think they both have some things to work on. I personally would not pick up the second volume, but this doesn’t mean other people wouldn’t enjoy it.

I’ve looked at other reviews, and many people say they really liked it. It even got an anime adaptation as well. So, if you are looking for a chill and easy read, then The Detective is Already Dead might be for you.

Reviewed by Makenna J.
Grade: 9

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown is a unique book. Surely a post-apocalyptic book can’t be anything other than death and despair, right? Contrary to what one might think, this book was filled with comedy, a touching romance, and suspense, along with the very real situation that threatened to happen because of COVID-19. Although the book was not meant to be an alternate universe of what might’ve happened with COVID, nor was it the focus as there was just a brief mention of it in the character’s history, it might hit pretty close to home for some readers because of the pandemic, but also other reasons as well.

This book started off with main character Andrew getting injured by a bear trap and seeking shelter at a cabin he found in the woods. To his surprise, the home was inhabited by a boy his age who pointed a gun right at Andrew’s head. The boy, Jamie, eventually let him stay and helped him with his wounds. Together, they left the cabin after a scuffle with another group of people that also survived the bug and made their way north in hopes of Europe coming to save them. Unfortunately, the rumors they heard were lies, and they wouldn’t be saved. Along the way, they meet an old woman whose daughter might be alive in Florida and another group of survivors who might not be what they seem. All the while, the two boys start to develop feelings for each other that leave them both struggling with their emotions during their travel.

I felt that this book was more of a journey than anything. Yes, there was the initial plot, but the end goal changed multiple times throughout the story as they ran into different kinds of trouble. It’s not a bad thing at all, though. I very much enjoyed seeing how the two main characters managed to push through their hardships even though the world ended. They had each other to lean on, which brings me to another point. This book had a great representation of the LGBTQ+ community, which isn’t shown a lot in post-apocalyptic stories. The comedy balanced perfectly with the suspense and the very real-life experiences that some readers could relate to.

I thought this book was very interesting because of the plot and characters, but the main thing that jumped out at me right away was the author’s style. There are two main characters and each chapter switches between their points of view. The story is also written in first-person, which I personally don’t like, as it was a little weird to constantly switch between both characters’ minds. After a few chapters, though, I was able to get used to it and it didn’t bother me as much. Along with the author’s choice of points of view, the way he wrote it felt like I was really in the minds of both characters. Their feelings came alive and I enjoyed seeing their realistic views of their situation.

For people who enjoy comedy and thrilling suspense, I would definitely recommend this book. The first paragraph might scare some people—as it did me—because it’s a little confusing, but I don’t have anything that I really hated about the story. I’m pretty bad at figuring out themes and lessons of stories, but I did like the positive message that even if the world ends, there’s still hope. This was demonstrated very well with the characters who had each other to rely on and their heartwarming relationship.

I personally have not read either of these books, but I’ve seen many people compare All That’s Left in the World to What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli and They Both Die at the End also by Adam Silvera. 

A little more about the author’s style because I just find it very fascinating: there weren’t any big words or lengthy detailed sentences, but instead it was a simple but deep, straightforward but complicated, and an overall very intriguing story that leaves the reader with a sense of fulfillment.

Lulu and Milagro's Search For Clarity by Angela Velez

Reviewed by Anna M.
Grade 10

For me, this book got off to a rough start immediately. The second I saw the title: Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity, I was not expecting it to turn out good. Personally, I don’t think a title should be the quick answer to a summary. I mean, if we wanted to just end this review, you might ask, “What’s this book about?” and I could just say, “Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity.” That’d be the end; however, even with the irritating title, the novel wasn’t horrible.

The story begins with two girls who live in Baltimore with their single mother. Each sister has a goal they want to accomplish over spring break. Lulu, the youngest (and more mature), wants to go on her school’s cross-country college trip AND complete her interview for a summer internship program at Stanford, her dream school. Milagro, the middle sister, wants to do “it” for the first time with her jerk boyfriend, Pablo. Both girls face HUGE obstacles before they even get a chance to start. Their mom begins asking Lulu not to go away to Stanford for the summer. The oldest daughter, Clara, went off to college, and when she returned, she was an entirely different person. Mami and Clara now aren’t speaking. Mami doesn’t what happened with Clara to happen with her other two daughters. However, it’s Lulu’s dream to go to Stanford and work in conservation biology and staying in Baltimore could be sacrificing that dream forever. In order to get her mom to let her go and show her being away doesn’t change anything, Lulu must find a way to fix Clara and Mami’s relationship. While this is all going on, Milagro is being called in the principal’s office and as a result, finds out one of the honors students dropped out. Shockingly, Milagro, who’s not the D-minus student you’d expect her to be, is next in line.

Milagro, however, DOES NOT want to go. She simply has no interest in college and doesn’t see the point. Not to mention, it would wreck all her plans with Pablo. Her mother ends up forcing her. With no other choice but to go, Milagro invites Pablo over early. Nevertheless, before they do anything, she sees evidence of Pablo cheating on his phone. She breaks up with him and sends the punk on his way. Milagro must find a way to get over the breakup with her “perfect” boyfriend or find a way to get him back. The extremely opposite girls must accomplish completely opposite tasks with extremely opposite trials. However, on the journey, they might just find out they’re not that different after all and how important sisterhood will be throughout their lives.

Once you get past the title and the unbelievably aggravating boyfriend, the book isn’t terrible. It has a very important message of celebrating family differences AND the importance of sisterhood. However, even with the excellent messages, I couldn’t help but feel the coming-of-age/going-to-college storyline is a bit overdone. I also felt the story and actual author’s style was dumbed down.

In conclusion, this novel had many excellent morals, and I think it conveyed the coming-of-age storyline well. Still, if you’re looking for a book with quality and something you’ll remember for being an amazing book, you should pass. If you’re looking for just another stereotypical teenage novel, this is a good book for you. Angela Velez wasn’t a terrible writer, and I hope to see a little more creativity, growth, and substance in her next novel.

Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Reviewed by Anna M.
Grade 9

Layoverland by Gabby Noone SHOULD HAVE been a great book. It had all the characters: the spunky and opinionated, not-like other girls, Converse-wearing main-character; the quirky best friend/roommate who doesn’t seem to know what personal space is; and the adorably stupid love interest that’s not “supposed” to happen but always does. Not only did the novel have all the characters…it also had an interesting plot as well. However, there is a reason why I wrote “SHOULD HAVE” at the beginning because even with all the story development…it was still just an incredibly “meh” book.

While most YA books begin with a teen’s life, this one began with death, the death of a seventeen-year-old girl named Beatrice Fox. After a huge argument with her younger sister, Bea dies in a car accident on December 12, 2019, 9:19 p.m., at the intersection of Huntingdon Pike and Susquehanna Road, Northwood, Pennsylvania. The big plot twist is even with her life being ended; her journey has really just begun. Bea doesn’t go to heaven, but she doesn’t go to hell either; instead, she goes to “the airport.” In this fictional world Noone created, good people go to heaven. Bad people go to hell. And in-between people go to the airport. The airport is where the in-between people watch their lives through a “memstractor” in order to find the reason they’re being kept out of heaven. Once they have a realization and a redemptive moment, they get to move on to heaven. Since Bea was such an unkind person on Earth, her punishment is to help 5,000 souls decipher through the “memstractor” why they’re being kept out of heaven. When she does this, she gets to move on herself. However, when she has to help Caleb Smith, her very own murderer, get to heaven, she decides to do whatever she can to make him suffer and keep him out of heaven. Though as she gets to know Caleb, she realizes he’s actually a really nice guy…and on top of that…begins to fall for him.

Sounds like a great book, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. Layoverland was just boring, and I didn’t really find myself rooting or even sympathizing with ANY of the characters. All of them were really entitled and spoiled. Even though the plot was unique, reading this book just felt like reading any other teen drama/romance. Not to mention, Noone put many stereotypes in it, not trying to dismantle them in any way. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst book I’ve ever read, but I’d definitely say it’s exactly like ever other bad one I’ve read. It’s simply not special.

In conclusion, I would absolutely NOT recommend this book. I’m not trying to down the author or even the people who probably liked this story…that’s your own personal opinion. However, if you’re looking for a good book to read, keep looking! This is not the book for you!