The Selection

Erin H

The Selection by Kiera Cass was a book that I read that could catch anyone’s attention. This unique was not your 1 dimensional romance, but is based in a dystopian society that has a competition to win over the hearts of everyone in the country and most importantly the prince. It has a very interesting storyline with very many layers that will keep many people’s attention. That being said, The Selection is not necessarily a fast paced book, but certainly not a slow moving book either. It just takes America, the main character to give a background of her life in the beginning but even that is not very slow.

The Selection was a book that was based in a dystopian society where there was different castes that would determine how rich you would be. America and her family were one of the poorer people in society but had big dreams. She was a singer and naturally musically talented and she wanted to focus on that and that only. That was until she received a letter saying she could sign up to possibly be one of the 35 girls that could possibly marry the Prince, up their families financial position and be in forever happiness. America didn't want to complete the task but after some persuasion she signed up and was chosen as one of the 35 girls who would temporarily live in the castle and fight for the Prince's approval. Having made this choice, she had to leave her family and her secret love to try to appease someone she was certain she didn't like.

This book has a very good message and great role models in it. One great role model was the main character, America who was very determined to do whatever possible to help herself and her family. Another great role model was Prince Maxon who was kind and accepted everyone no matter what their status in society was.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a good read that will give them the urge to keep flipping through the pages. This is a great book for someone who is looking for a romance with way more to it this the perfect book for you. I thought this was such a great book that I will read the second one in the series called The Elite. The Selection was a great book and I would highly recommend it.

One Good Punch by Rich Wallace
By John F

One Good Punch is about Michael Kerrigan a high school senior and track captain of East Scranton’s track team. He seems to be too good to be true, a straight A student and top runner on the track team, then he has to make a decision that will change his life forever. Michael’s friend Shelly who is also on the track team asks him for some joints. This is not the first time Shelly asks Michael for joints so he asks his other friend Joey, who is a drug trafficker, for a few joints and Joey accepts. Michael made a plan to meet him Friday night to get the drugs but instead Joey hides them in Michael’s locker. Michael was furious when he found out and that weekend the police did a drug sweep in the lockers.

I thought that One Good Punch was a good book and would give it a 4 star rating. I liked the amount of page turning scenes in such a small book, that is what kept me reading. Although I thought Michael was a good kid I did not like his friends to the slightest. I thought they were unloyal and didn’t make many good decisions. Michael is very athletic and has a bright future. He was kind of the party pooper, but in the long run for Michael his friends were the party poopers. One good punch is a great book if you are a person who likes good quick reads.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

David G

Why I Loved This Book

I read The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and I absolutely loved it! It is about a fourteen-year-old boy named Arnold who goes by Junior and lives on an Indian Reservation. He does not like the school there so one day he decided to go to a white school twenty-two miles off the reservation. His best friend Rowdy, with anger problems hates him for it.  He is becoming popular at this new school after dating a girl and earning the respect of the school sports all-star.

I loved this book because of the awkward situations the characters talk about or get into. I love all the stories and adventures that go on in this book. The way Arnold interacts with the other characters in this book is amazing, Gordy is my favorite friend of Juniors because of he doesn't fit the “nerd” stereotype. The reason I love this book so much is because I feel like I can relate to Arnold very much.

This book is the first book that has ever made me laugh out loud. I find it hilarious about all the stuff Junior gets himself into, like when the person threw the quarter at Junior’s head and had to get stitches (145). This book covers all the awkward topics that most books don’t cover. This book is one of the best books I have ever read, I have enjoyed reading this book.

One Good Punch

John F

One Good Punch

One Good Punch is about Michael Kerrigan a high school senior and track captain of East Scranton’s track team. He seems to be too good to be true, a straight A student and top runner on the track team, then he has to make a decision that will change his life forever.  Michael’s friend Shelly who is also on the track team asks him for some joints. This is not the first time Shelly asks Michael for joints so he asks his other friend Joey, who is a drug trafficker, for a few joints and Joey accepts. Michael made a plan to meet him friday night to get the drugs but instead Joey hides them in Michael’s locker. Michael was furious when he found out and that weekend the police did a drug sweep in the lockers.

I thought that One Good Punch by Rich Wallace was a good book and would give it a 4 star rating. I liked the amount of page turning scenes in such a small book, that is what kept me reading. Although I thought Michael was a good kid I did not like his friends to the slightest. I thought they were unloyal and didn’t make many good decisions. Michael is very athletic and has a bright future. He was kind of the party pooper, but in the long run for Michael his friends were the party poopers. One good punch is a great book if you are a person who likes good quick reads.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Review by Miles E

I read the book Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson and it was very intriguing. With a teenager as the main character narrating his point of view in high school and the rest of his life. This book was very interesting with high detail, amusing scenes and different action in every chapter. This book gets you hooked from the beginning and keeps you reading until the end.

The main character and narrator was Tyler Miller who was a 17 year old boy just trying to get through high school. He starts out as an average teen, not very popular, decent looks, not incredibly athletic and doesn't stand out. Until he gets caught for doing graffiti on the school and spends his summer doing work to pay off for it. After this he gets noticed by everyone including his secret crush, who is his dad’s boss’s daughter, his arch rivals sister and one of the hottest girls in the school. And that's what starts the change of events in Tyler's life.

I would recommend this book to all high schoolers and middle schoolers. This book catches the high school life in a humoring way with a little romance. I can relate because it shows how mistakes can lead to disaster and making the right decision isn’t always easy but it's the best way to go. Twisted shows you how important school is, it shows you to overcome obstacles and lastly to never give up.

Every Day

Every Day by David Levithan

by Joe D

The book Every Day always had me reading more to find out what happens next. I thought the book was fascinating, and easily keeps any reader engaged. The book is almost like several short stories compressed into one book.

Every Day is not really about a specific person but a living conscience. This conscience calls itself “A”. Ever since A can remember it has always woken up in the body of a new person its age, male or female. It goes about living this person's life for only one day. Each day at midnight, when A falls asleep, it wakes up in a new body and continues to live on with their life. A is now about 16 years old and has learned to not get attached with other people's life, for A has to leave the body the next day. That is until he meets this girl who changes him forever, Rhiannon. A does everything he can to make sure that he can see her again, getting himself into tough situations along the way.

I really did like the book, but I didn’t love it. This book has several strengths, for example, it has a perspective of every kind of person. Throughout the book, A is in the bodies of males, females, skinny people, overweight people, depressed people, drug addicted people, and about any other type of person you can think of. I think this is a huge strength to any book, because it can attract any type of reader. A weakness of the book is that A the main character, falls into a routine in the book which makes it a little slow and boring.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Every Day and I would suggest reading this if anyone has time and was looking for something good to read.

Every Day

Book Review: Everyday

I read Everyday by David Levithan for my choice book.It is a very enjoyable book. Everyday is about a person who wakes up in a different body everyday. They don’t know why it happens but it’s been happening their whole life so they have to come to terms with it. Nothing really important happens in the narrator’s life until one day the narrator wakes up as a guy named Justin. While he was Justin he met Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon, and has some sort of connection with her. A few days after being Justin, the narrator wakes up as a guy and lies to the guy’s parents about going to the library and goes to a party that Rhiannon is at instead. At the party the narrator flirts with Rhiannon and receives her email. They start email and their relationship evolves from there with ups and downs, downs obviously being that the narrator is in a different person's body everyday.

Some of the strengths of Everyday is the relationship the narrator has with his/herself. If I changed bodies everyday, I would be confused and maybe even annoyed with my life. I would tell people about it and ask how to get myself ‘fixed’. However, the narrator of the book has a strong relationship with him/herself and they have accepted that they will just be someone that takes over people's bodies for just one day. Some of the weaknesses of the book is how the narrator can’t have relationships with other people because it would just cause them to be disappointed or confused. I didn’t like that the narrator didn’t even have a certain gender that they stayed with. The thought of changing gender, race, ethnicity, weight, and even social classes everyday is hard to understand. I would hate it.

One of my favorite parts of the book was all the times that the narrator talked about their past. More specifically, I liked when the narrator was talking about how they wished they had parents and when the narrator was younger, how much they wanted a parental role in their life.

I recommend this book to everyone. It is very easy to read and even though the book is long, you can finish it in a few hours. Even though it was easy to read, it wasn’t really a page turner. I was expecting a better climax or ending but both of those were just average. I might read a sequel which hopefully will have a better ending or climax.

Speak

Book Review about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel about a girl named Melinda Sordino. Melinda was a normal 13 year old girl, but after she goes to a party over the summer going into freshman year, her whole world changes. Suddenly, no one is talking to her, even her best friend, because she called the cops at the party. She finds herself becoming mute, as all of her “friends” betray her.

I really enjoyed this book because I was engaged from the first page to the last. I personally get really distracted when I read, however, because this book was so captivating, I never found myself distracted or dozing off. I think that the author did an outstanding job showing the reader the importance of speaking up for yourself. By the end of the book, I had also learned the qualities of true friends. I strongly dislike the new girl, Heather, who befriends Melinda when she has no one else. But when Melinda seems depressed, it causes their friendship to have troubles. This shows me that true friends will support you even during your toughest times.

Speak has a very significant title because it is the overall big message of the book. I think Laurie Halse Anderson titled this book Speak because it emphasizes the lesson and it shows what Melinda has to do in order to overcome her fear. Speak has made me view the world a different way, it has expressed to me that you never know what someone might be going through. I have learned to never make assumptions about people based on their actions or appearance. I think everyone should realize this by reading Speak, and I assure that whoever does, will be just as touched by it as I am. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful fiction books, specifically shy or depressed teenagers.  

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner Book review

By Alex H

The Maze Runner by James Dashner was a action packed, can’t wait for what's next novel. The Maze Runner is one of the best books I have ever read. The book is action packed, and full of mystery. The Maze Runner is about this group of people called the Gladers. These people were put in the middle of a mysterious maze created by the “Creators” who were running an experiment. When things start to change Thomas the main character and the other gladers can’t give up hope even when faced with impossible odds.

Overall this one of my favorite books. The action and wanting to know why the gladers are there really makes this a non stop read. Although if you have seen the movie it kind of ruins it but it's still good though. I would recommend this book to anyone who like suspenseful and vivid imagery. Some strengths in this book is how well it is organized. James Dashner does a great job jumping from scene to scene very well and smoothly. As well as the imagery is amazing. Just like this quote, “Thomas felt like the world had frozen in place. A thick silence followed the thunderous rumble of the door closing, and a veil of darkness seemed to cover the sky, as if even the sun had been frightened away by what lurked in the Maze.” (Dashner 113). I was in aw after I read that. The imagery paints a picture in your mind. Although this book has very few weaknesses one I noticed was the characters were kind of frustrating. Sometimes they would just delay for a while till they said the point and that kind of bothered me. They would be about to reveal something then something would happen and it never came out.

Overall, this is a must read book. If you haven't read this book you're missing out and this is all coming from a guy where reading is one of my least favorite things to do.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Review by Liam F

The Absolutely True diary of a Part-time Indian is a decent read.  It has very unique characters who are all very different.  This book can easily draw you in if you’re a teenage boy.  The book has sports, romance, fights and Indians, so if you don’t like that, then this book probably wouldn’t be good good one for you.

This book is about an Indian boy that's called “Junior.” Junior has a disorder, where his brain filled up with water when he was born.  He appears all skin and bones and has a huge head. He grows up on an Indian reservation filled with poverty and alcohol.  First he goes a very poor school and freshman year he gets in trouble. Then his teachers realized that he is a genius and that he isn’t going to get anywhere in his school he is in now.  After making his decision to move to Reardan (an all white school), he gets bullied by everyone at his new school.  His life looks awful because he is in a very racist school and doesn’t have many friends.  After meeting a girl named Penelope, his life takes a turn for the better.

I suggest this book because it has a good pace and it is just a quality book.  This is a real page turner because there always something new going on each chapter.  Although there is something new each chapter, there are also some tragedies towards the end of the book. The Absolutely True diary of a Part-time Indian is sometimes very sad and has a lot of alcohol abuse. Overall I would say that the book was one of the better novels I’ve read.

H.P. Lovecraft’s Fantastic World of Horror

Annabel D

Thoughts on H.P. Lovecraft’s Fantastic World of Horror

Horror is a broad genre of writing, which produces mixed reviews with many people. Some people love horror, and some people dislike it for various reasons. When it comes to this genre, I have had few successes, perhaps due to my inherent wimpiness. As a sci-fi and fiction lover, I decided to try H.P. Lovecraft’s Great Tales of Horror, a collection of the 20th century horror writers greatest works. I was immediately captivated, the writing style and edge of your seat quality of the stories resonated deeply with me. I recommend this book to any long time horror reader, or anyone willing to give it a try. It boasts a moderate balance of terror and the supernatural without being too aggressive, so it will interest you without making the more skittish afraid to wander upstairs. Maybe.

Lovecraft has a unique writing style which was one of the first things that attracted me to his stories. Most of his stories involve a single narrator, speaking about an occurrence that happened to him (yes they are always male, this is the early 20th century), or someone else he knows in the past. Because of this, you get the sense that something extremely traumatic has happened to the narrator, which draws you in so that you can find out exactly what this experience was. More often than not, the story is conveyed when the narrator is telling the reader their experiences in notes, or that the reader is taking the form of a friend or family member. Because of this, it is easy for the reader to become connected to the writing, and truly feel that they are a part of the story.

Another aspect of Lovecraft’s stories that I found interesting was the universe he created for his characters and their experiences. Even though each of his stories are decidedly different, they are all connected, which you discover more and more as you read through his works. Underneath all of his stories is a sense that something is not quite right in people’s everyday lives, and his tales are told about those who have become closer to this hidden darkness then others. As such, even though the narrator's experiences vary from story to story, you eventually find a way to connect them all. It helps tie them together into one book, with the differentiating stories helping to keep the reader’s interest.

Though I would highly recommend these stories, there are a few things I would warn prospective readers about. Though most of the stories are of a manageable length, a few are quite long and repetitive, and can drag you through almost 100 pages of the same information. In these stories, it seems like Lovecraft is trying to drag the stories out instead of shortening them to a more appropriate length. Also, even though they are short stories, they are complicated reads filled with grammar from almost one hundred years ago, and riddled with odd spellings. If you are looking for a short read that is still complex enough to make you think, these stories are amazing, however if not these may not be for you.

Overall, I think everyone should read Lovecraft’s stories. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential American Horror writers, and his works display this accurately. You will find yourself swept up in a world of supernatural horror that you can’t get enough of. I couldn’t wait to finish each story and discover the terrifying conclusion, and always felt excited to start another story. High school has made it hard for me to find time to read, but thanks to Lovecraft I had no trouble making it through such a long book, and for a school assignment no less.

Before I Fall

Abigail C

Before I Fall Book Review

Before I Fall was a very thought provoking book and it shows you how one person’s life can affect so many others. This book also demonstrates how some things in life are more important than others. This book is deeply intriguing and it will make you view your life in a different way.

In this complex book, set in the 90s, Samantha Kingston finds herself reliving her last day, seven times before her death. Alongside of her friends, Elody, Lindsey, and Ally, Sam values things that are not valuable such as being popular and having cool friends. When she is reliving her last days she realizes she should be valuing her family and those who care about her. She takes a hard look of her life and recognizes she needs to fix a few things before she can die peacefully. This book displays what we should value in life.

I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading books that make you want to reflect on your own life. Before I Fall helped me understand the things and people I value in my life. I learned that treating others poorly can affect their life immensely even if you think it doesn’t. This book made me want to become a better person and treat others nicely because it can affect their life in a positive and uplifting way.  Before I Fall is compelling and it  shows us the power we have to affect the people around us in way we never could imagine.

Lock and Key

Lock and Key By Sarah Dessen

Review written by Kathryn D.

WARNING!!!!!! THIS BOOK IS FOR VERY PATIENT READERS!!!!!! The book Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, is a wonderful book, however it has an erratic plot line. This book came with wonderful adventures, and mysterious characters, but in my opinion there was too much going on. One of the only things that I think stayed consistent was the lesson learned by the main character. Ruby is the 17 year old girl who has lived in many different homes with her mother until one day her mother abandons her. When Ruby first moves in with her long lost sister and her new Brother-in-Law she feels out of place. As she grows and the story develops, Ruby meets people that give her a new meaning of family. This book was based around learning family values and that is what made me continue to read.

Whenever I approached boring sections of the book that just dragged on too long, I continued to read because I knew that in the end this book was going to teach me something. I am glad that I continued to read and you will too if you choose to read this book. After reading, I had a newfound appreciation for my loved ones and I enjoyed the main theme of the story. Do not forget my warning though. If you get frustrated while reading twisted, hard to follow books, I advise you to look for another story!

Speak

Caroline L

Book Review

The book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, contains the perspective of a rape victim. This book teaches readers to ‘speak’ up for yourself. The main character is faced with the decision whether to seek help or keep her feelings inside. She learns that it is better talk through your conflicts with anyone who is willing to listen rather than keeping them bottled up.

Speak begins by showing the us how horribly Melinda is treated. When Melinda called the police after being raped at a high school party, all her peers treated her with utter disrespect because they did not know the truth. To start off high school, Melinda had zero friends and absent parents which creates an environment unfit for her to excel in her new school. Throughout the whole story the only thing Melinda has is her art. She works very hard in her art class but slacks off in her other classes. Her failing grades draw the attention of her parents and they are very disappointed in her. This is difficult for Melinda because they don’t understand the constant battle she is fighting within herself.

One thing I would’ve liked to have been different in the book Speak, is how the author didn’t fulfill my curiosity about what happens to Melinda and the man who raped her. I wish the author had added another chapter about how Melinda begins to change. Something I really enjoyed about the book is how the author demonstrated Melinda’s internal issues via her artwork. You could tell that as she suffered, her artistic talent channeled all her emotions which created outstanding pieces. I also really liked her art teacher because he constantly supported Melinda.

What I take away from Speak is that you can’t erase your conflicts by pressing them deep down into yourself, at one point you must confront whatever is holding you back. I believe that this would book would be best for high school girls and possibly boys to read. Speak can show the story of what really can happen to high schoolers.

Speak (MS)

Maddie S

The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson takes us through a year in the eyes of a teenage girl named Melinda. Melinda starts high school with no friends, because of an incident at a party over the summer before her freshman year. All of her friends from middle school turn on her leaving her all alone and Melinda becomes very depressed. She sits at home all the time thinking about the incident, playing the nightmare over and over in her mind. She starts to fail all her classes except one, Art class. The only joy that Melinda can find for a while is in her art. Later in the book things start to brighten up and make Melinda a little more happy such as when she makes a couple friends some new and some old. Throughout this book Melinda faces many difficulties that many students at Upper Arlington High School can relate to.

One thing I would change about the book is that I would have wanted the author to add a little bit more to the ending. They tell us how things turn out but only in a few pages and I wanted to see how people treated her after knowing what she had been through.

Overall I really liked this book because there was many things that I could relate to. Melinda and I are both freshman in highschool so we experience some of the same struggles. I also enjoyed this book because I found myself never wanting to put it down. In the book you can tell Melinda has had something happen to her that really impacted her but they don’t tell you what until you’re half way through the book. This made me want to keep reading until I could understand why Melinda was acting this way.

If you are looking for a good relatable book that is an easy and entertaining read then I think that Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is the book for you.