I am the current teacher-librarian at Olympia High School. I have worked as a teacher-librarian since 2013; prior to that I taught high school English for 11 years.
Elouise (Lou) is a girl on a mission to win over an already taken guy and prevent the closing of the amusement park she works at. Lou works in a hot dog suit at the park and tries to make her way through life with similar humor. This is a book that reveals common teenage problems while also keeping things light and humorous.
There is nothing particularly great about the author’s writing style or the storyline she works with. It is a book that readers will enjoy, but not remember. Students who like teenage drama and humor will enjoy this book.
This novel follows our main character Odessa who is in the process of escaping a friendship. She travels to new places with her partner Meredy, who soon becomes more than a travel partner. The two travel to while navigating both their relationship as well as grief. This novel is a fantasy with magic, dragons, and zombies. This is book two in the Reign of the Fallen series.
This is an incredibly diverse novel, having characters of color, different sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
This is a novel that will likely be difficult for many students. I found myself disinterested because of the many characters and lack of clarity for the connection between them. The novel follows 5 characters, one of which seems to have the ability to “flicker” from one location to another. Only a couple of the characters have names, the others have been labelled with descriptor such as: “The Freak”; “The Shoveler”; and “CanIHelpYou.”
As typical of A.S. King, the writing in the novel is great, full of colorful description. The plot is very character driven and with so many characters to keep track of it’s difficult to feel invested. By the end of the novel, we understand that the characters are all connected to a single family. We see a couple of different generations and how their individual decisions have come to greatly impact everyone in the in the family. Most of the characters are trying to find their way, trying to feel loved, and trying to make the most of the situation they have been placed in.
I wanted to love this novel, but I just didn’t. I am even struggling to write a summary within the review because it has so many different story lines, making the task difficult. If you are an A.S. King fan already, then this novel may peak your interest, but other than that I’d say this is not one you’d need on your shelves.
“The true story of a survivor who refused to be silenced.” This quote sits on the front cover of Anderson’s newest verse memoir titled: SHOUT. I had high hopes going into this book because of my love for her fist novel Speak. I must admit that it fell short for me. It was a quick read, but not all parts fit seamlessly together. At times I was bored, looking for more of her experience to be explicitly stated. Instead what was given was a chronicle of her family life from early adolescence through adulthood. She does draw clear connections between her works of fiction and her own life. Many of the poems surround her experiences as a guest speaker in schools. I think fans of her fiction may enjoy the connections provided throughout the verse, but others will be less impressed.
The following is an excerpt that struck me as one of the more poignant:
“diagnosis”
I knew that if I fell and scraped my knee ejected headfirst through a windshield chopped off a finger or lost a leg to a shark I’d apply pressure to stop the bleeding use towels, blankets, Goodwill sweaters whatever it took to start clotting, slow the fluid loss I’d close my wounds with fishhooks and twine or a stapler or a nail gun welding torch to reconnect my spine I’d knit skin grafts, if necessary. After I pulled myself back together I’d need a doctor cuz my dark corners would be invaded by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and more, infections vectors of disease, some lethal, some merely debilitating, chronic cripplers. I knew that. I paid attention in health.
But I had never seen a first aid kit for the spirit or heard the word “trauma” to describe the way I’d hide, slide through the days unseen or scream into the pillows at the bottom of my closet door closed even though no one was home. Rape wounds deeply, splits open your core with shrapnel. The stench of the injury attracts maggots which hatch into clouds of doubt and self-loathing the dirt you feel inside you nourishes anxiety, depression, and shame poisoning your blood, festering in your brain until you will do anything to stop feeling the darkness rising within anything to stop feeling–
untreated pain is a cancer of the soul that can kill you
The main character, Veronyka, sets out to become a phoenix rider: legendary warriors who rode on the backs of birds of fire. She wants this badly enough that she even disguises herself as a boy. Just as she is starting to find her purpose, her sister finds her any breaks down everything that Veronyka worked hard to build. The sibling rivalry is strong in this book.
If you like the Eragon series then you’ll enjoy this book.
Set in a land of two kingdoms, Eldoria and Nezereth. The two used to share the sun and moon until one day when the moon was given to Nezereth and the sun to Eldoria. With their people suffering, Lyra and Vesper must live up the the prophecy’s word and combine night with day.
If you love fairytales, you are sure to love this book. The story is well written and the characters are well described in much detail.
Review submitted by OHS Library Secretary, Mikel Debuse-Losh
Narrated by Clare, this tale takes the reader on a dramatic journey through the occult, which is growing like a black mold just underneath the surface of her sleepy southern town. The writing style is florid and graphic and will appeal to some readers who enjoy stories of demonology, possession, and exorcism. It’s not for the squeamish. The author is adept at crafting vivid, multi-sensory scenes that morph in completely unpredictable ways, but the writing is almost cartoonish in its exaggerated style. You can’t help but root for Clare, regardless. She is portrayed as gritty, insightful and a real trooper given the ordeals she has to go through. It’s a nail-biter to the end.
15-year-old Clare has had a miserable life replete with an alcoholic mom, a dad that died when when she was young, and a scoundrel of a stepdad. Her lifeline has been her good demon, who soothes and settles her – and now her only source of comfort has been ripped from her in an exorcism.
Six students survive a school shooting. One student starts a rumor about one of the students that died, and the others want to get the story straight. But their community isn’t that welcoming to this “true” story.
You should read this book because it is a story of discovery and trust. This story is about acceptance of hard trials that people go through.
Set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this latest novel by Kiersten White is sure to appeal to many different readers. Even if you have no previous exposure to the Buffy movie or TV series, this book will quickly grab your attention. Twin sisters, Artemis and Athena, have grown up in the world of Watchers – those who help advise and protect Slayers. Nina (Athena) has always felt like an outcast among her peers and family. This “weak” character soon finds herself thrown into the power of becoming the very last Slayer. Adventure ensues to try and take down demons that threaten the world. New found Slayer powers cause Nina to have to make quick decisions for the first time in her life – decisions that will have great impact upon those she loves. Deceit among characters is an underlying factor that helps drive the plot. There are many descriptive fighting scenes, fueled by strong female characters and minimal, secondary male characters. Readers of Fantasy will delight in the characters, setting, and plot of this novel.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen is a novel with characters who display strength and perseverance while dealing with life changing, difficult circumstances. Viola Li is a die hard comic book fan. She is also an advocate for many different causes; she loves to bake and cook, raising money to donate and educate others about these important issues. At one such bake sale, Viola suddenly develops an extreme sensitivity to sunlight; this turns out to be much more intense and serious than she and her family originally thought. She can no longer attend school because of the florescent lights; she can no longer drive because windows don’t block out the light; she can not be on her phone or computer for longer than 15 minutes at a time because the lights will burn her; she is forbidden see her love interest, Josh, because her parents feel as though he makes risky decisions rather than working to protect her. Viola could choose to give up, but rather than doing that, she comes up with a Plan B that just may work for her future.
The characters are very likable and well developed. The author has clearly done her research in regard to photosensitivity; the situations are realistic and believable. This book is a great addition to any library because of the diverse characters and topics presented.
