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.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Reviewed by Amy P.
Grade 10

Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows is a captivating retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but with a terrifying twist. It follows Annaleigh, daughter of the Duke of Salann, and her investigation into her family’s secrets and curses. Annaleigh’s sisters, once known as the Thaumus Twelve, are plagued with mysterious deaths until they can’t be passed off as accidents anymore. This novel also combines the classic components of a fairy tale with Craig’s lore of elemental gods and entities. Set in a manor by the sea, every chapter has a ghostly, aquatic atmosphere, leaving you wanting more.

Annaleigh had just lost her sister, Eulalie. She is expected to believe it was an accident, but who really plunges off a cliff to their death in the middle of the night in an “accident”? Eulalie was murdered, and Annaleigh is determined to prove it. While in her search, the world around her grows increasingly more twisted and a series of disturbing visions of her dead sisters torment her. Nobody around her notices, however, once her family finds a magical door that belongs to Pontus, the sea god the islanders worship. It leads to a different, wonderful ball every night and her sisters are almost intoxicated by it. But Annaleigh knows that there is something not quite right with this reality or the other.

The setting was lovely to read about; the author’s choice of words set the perfect ambiance for this book and almost made me feel like I was actually by the sea. The plot was a bit more confusing to read about, however. Although it’s normal for YA books to combine a story retelling with the author’s own mythology, I think it clashed with this one. I would rather have the author focus on only the deities and the sea setting, or only The Twelve Dancing Princesses tale, since they don’t pair very well together.

Other than that, I would definitely recommend this book. It was very exciting to read, and all throughout the novel there were new developments and plot twists. I haven’t read it, but A Court of Thorn and Roses seems similar to this as well.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 11

Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy novel, loosely based off of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. It is set in the world of Prythian where humans and a different species, called fae, live with nothing but a wall separating them. Long ago, these faeries fought against the humans in a large scale war, and it resulted in very little land being left for the humans. The fae have special strengths and abilities, and their world is separated from the humans with a great wall due to lasting tensions and resentments from the war. Their own lands are divided into courts--Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Dawn, Day, Nightmare--each of which are led by a High Lord.

 The human and fae worlds have had little to no interaction since the great war. However, that all changes when nineteen-year-old huntress, Feyre, kills a large wolf in the nearby woods, and a beast-like creature arrives at her family’s cottage, demanding retribution for the fae life she unknowingly ended. According to an old treaty between the fae and humans, written at the end of the war, Feyre has two choices: either be killed or spend the rest of her human life imprisoned in the Fae lands. And so, she is dragged away from her home, family, and everything she’s ever known to live in a dangerous, magical land with her captor, who she later discovers is not an animal, but in fact Tamlin, the High Lord of Spring Court. As she dwells in his estate, her feelings towards Tamlin transform from icy hostility to a fiery passion as she learns more about this beautiful world and uncovers the hidden truths beneath every lie and myth she has ever been warned of. But, with a mysterious “blight” quickly damaging and taking over the fae world and beginning to seep into her own, Feyre must find a way to stop it--or risking losing everything she loves.This is a book of magic, love, fate, power, revenge, and so much more as Feyre comes to know her captor and the strange world she now lives in.

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I never expected what was going to happen, and it had the most complex characters that I loved to read about. It was a bit slow at first, but then sped up and became much more interesting later in the book. I’m not a huge romance person when it comes to reading, but this was a truly wonderful exception and I think that Sarah J. Maas did a fantastic job in building her characters and the unique world surrounding them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and romance, along with some drama and excitement. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a magnificent book with many twists and turns, and I am so excited to read the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury and later Throne of Glass, another renowned series by Maas. 

Stars Above: a Lunar Chronicles Collection by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Susan Z. 

Grade 12 

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer is a collection of several stories; most of which serve as prequels to the main series, and one being an epilogue. If you’re done with the Lunar Chronicles and you want more...this is that book. It’ll give you a bit of history, a look at what happened in the near future, and more. 

Stars Above is made up of nine chapters, each a separate story. "The Keeper", "Glitches", "The Queen’s Army", "Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky", "After Sunshine Passes By", "The Princess and the Guard", and "The Mechanic" are all what I would consider prequels to the Lunar Chronicles. Some are backstories that provide a bit of history while others have events that happen literally right before or at the beginning of the series. They all sort of just provide additional context, and also some are told from a different person’s perspective. 

"Something Old, Something New" is the epilogue we all wanted. I would say it picks up just about a few weeks after Winter (the last book in the main series). It’s really sweet, and if you weren’t happy with where Winter ended off... "Something Old, Something New" will definitely bring some closure. So, this was the final chapter, however, there is one previous chapter that isn’t really a prologue or an epilogue, and it doesn’t really fit into the main series. "The Little Android", following the same style as the other books, is a sci-fi twist on The Little Mermaid. Androids aren’t meant to fall in love, or really have any emotions in general, but this one certainly does. 

 I really enjoyed all the stories in Stars Above, being a big fan of the Lunar Chronicles. Like I said, they are mostly prequels. I liked getting to know the characters a bit more through these prequels. Another thing I liked was that we got some new perspectives; some events do overlap with what has happened in the main series, but we got a different person’s point of view so that was pretty nice. I really enjoyed the epilogue, I think it was a great way to end things. And although I didn’t mind how Winter ended, this epilogue did tie up some of the loose ends. "The Little Android", I was confused the first time I read it, but it made more sense the second time around. I think it’s cool that another classic fairy tale got a sci-fi update. I would be pretty excited if the author came out with more of these short stories. 

 I would recommend this book for those that have already read the Lunar Chronicles and enjoyed those books. I think this book alone can be a little confusing if you were to read it by itself, without having prior knowledge on the Lunar Chronicles. So if you haven’t read those books, they’re really great books for everyone. I would especially recommend them for people who like science fiction.

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.

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.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Reviewed by Britney S.
Grade 9

Cinderella Is Dead, but her cursed legacy continues to live on, damning nearly all other girls to a similar if not worse fate. But with the legacy the spark to fight and rebel has also lived on through the people, especially Sophia. Not wanting to follow the rules since young, she achieves her own freedom a while giving theirs to so many other girls.

Sophia is a sixteen-year-old girl, that like so many that share her fate, will be forced to follow Cinderella's footsteps as dictated by society. Now that she is of 'age' she, like Cinderella, must attend the ball to find her prince. But this doesn't mean a happy ending; it is the opposite for many, and she is well aware of it. She had hoped to escape her tragic fate when society once again uses its complicated rules to back her into a corner, but with a lucky chance she escapes into the forest. Looking for refuge in Cinderella's crypt, she finds another girl that has been running far longer than her. With the help of a wiser person and a little magic, she and her partner end this dark time in which women nearly have no rights, and together, they are ready to face the few last hurdles to fix this broken society.

The world and its setting were nicely flushed out and very immersive. I felt as if I was in there with its description and how the people acted in it. On the plaza of the town, from getting the wrong-sized shoe a little girl gets a portrait of the 'evil' stepsisters and tells her mother "Mama, I don't want to be like them.". Clearly showing the big influence that this fairy tale has become to girls, influencing them to be a certain way since young. One of Sophia's friend's family can't afford all the expenses that would make their daughter 'fit' for the ball and hope for a fairy godmother, because looking bad in the ball could end their daughter's life, showing how strict the King can be. The cruelty in a household due to the difference in power between husband and wife is displayed as Sophia witnesses a man beat his wife because she's 'stealing' all the money she makes as a seamstress which belongs to him "He raises his fist, and the woman winces as if he's already struck her." This is seconds before the protagonist steps in and as a client asks for the seamstress, because this can't be reported as the husband would be seen as right by the authorities. On the other hand, I think that the protagonist's transition in emotions could have been developed better as her love goes from her first love to her new love. She loved her first love so much made clearly many times through the text as she mentions their worry and care through many of the first chapters, but later in the book she no longer mentions them except for when she meets the second love interest and stops part of the advances. Other than that it was a very interesting story with rather relatable characters.

I think it is a good book for teen reader beginners. It is based on the original story Cinderella, even setting it as part of the conflict, but with a malicious flip on its world. It has dark themes such as domestic abuse and another best left unmentioned as it is a spoiler. It gives the basic idea of what happens with a corrupt and biased government and how hard it can be on the people and their personal feelings; especially who they fall for. It also has fantasy that will draw in many readers, plus being inclusive. But for more experienced readers the plot may seem familiar and as such taking away part of the novelty, the thrill of not knowing what's going to happen.

Review of Advance Reading Copy.
Expected publication: July 2020

Spoiler Alert Mini Review: A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

A Thousand Nights
Coming October 2015

Synopsis:

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.


Spoiler Alert reviewer: Heather

1=No. Just, no. 2=It's OK. 3=I liked it. 4=I really liked it. 5=It was EPIC!

The Book Itself
How well designed was the plot? 4
How vivid was the setting? 5
How believable were the characters and the dialog? 5
How well did the book hold your interest? 5
How well did the author's language add to the book? 5
How well did the writing match the books intended audience? 4

Worldwide
Rank this book's mass appeal. 5
How readable was this book? 5
How pleasurable will reading this book be to most teens? 5

Personal
How highly would you recommend this book? 5
How likely are you to read something else by this author? 5
How memorable was this book? 5
How did you feel about the ending? 5
How creative was this book? 4

Marketing
How well does the cover match the story? 5
Rank the jacket blurb. 4
Rank the title. 4
How well does the title match the story? 4
Stopping point in the book? Finished

Tell us what you thought of the book overall:

In one word: Magical

Tell us what you really did not like about this book: Really wasn't feeling the "thousand" part, more like 2 months

Pick 5 words to describe this book: Fairy tale for young adults

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

How close are you and your grandmother? How would it feel to lose her, especially if you have lived with her all your life? What would be your initial reaction if the person who feed you, raised you, and taught you went missing? Scarlet goes through all of this and more when goes on a quest to find her grandmother.

While Cinder is trying to escape from prison, halfway across the world, Scarlet's grandmother has gone missing! Now orphaned, Scarlet sets out on a journey to find her grandmother. Her quest takes a bit of a twist when she meets Wolf, a handsome street fighter who decides to tag along with her. Wolf not only swoons Scarlet, but might also have information about where her grandmother is. Although Scarlet knows that Wolf has a few secrets of his own she has no choice but to trust him. When Scarlet and Wolf encounter Cinder they then discover the real mystery.

Scarlet is a very good book; overall it is action packed and has lots of surprises! I would recommend this book to sci-fi or fantasy readers. It would be very hard to determine whether Cinder or Scarlet is better. The combination of brilliant writing and fantastic storyline makes this book fabulous. After you start reading it will be hard to put down!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Rylee M.
Grade 7

You may think being cyborg--half machine, half human--would be cool. Living the life of a cyborg is more difficult than you may think, but it does have its advantages. People of today's society despise people that are different. Don't you think that an exposed cyborg would be made fun of, or teased, or even taken to be experimented on? In fear of becoming an outcast, Cinder, the main character in Cinder, is careful about what parts of her body she shows.

Cinder, a rather gifted mechanic living in New Beijing, is a cyborg. She lives with her stepmother and ill stepsister. Her stepmother greatly despises her and blames her for her stepsister's illness. Cinder is the only mechanic in New Beijing's weekly market. One day, disguised and barely recognizable, Prince Kaito stumbled into her booth looking for Linh Cinder, the mechanic. The prince and Cinder soon became friends. After her many visits to the castle to meet with Prince Kai, Queen Levana, Kai's evil, soon-to-be wife, gets suspicious. Soon enough Cinder finds out secrets of her own past to help protect her world against the evil Queen Levana.

The different pieces that make up the book as a whole come flying at you from all different directions at the least expected times. In the end, when the puzzle is complete, it all makes sense. There are a range of characters with colorful personalities such as Peony and Iko. They only make the story that much more exciting and emotional. I think that this book has a very good story that will appeal to fantasy and sci-fi readers.

The style of writing paired up with the story line makes for a truly fantastic book that will pull readers in so that they don't want to put it down. I was able to personally connect with this book because I have three little sisters; in the book there are several touching moments where Cinder shows her love for her sister. I would highly recommend this book to readers in search of a truly wonderful and action packed story.