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Teen Book Reviews Click on title for availability
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne “The Boy in The Striped Pajamas” written by John Boyne Is about a German boy named Bruno who moves due to his dad’s job and meets someone named Shmuel who is a Jew, even though they are not supposed to be friends. This book is set during World War 2 in Germany. The central conflict in this story revolves around the innocence of Bruno and the harsh reality of the Holocaust. The inciting incident of the story is Bruno and his family moving to the countryside due to his dad’s job. This ultimately led to the climax of the story. Bruno is the main character in this book, and he is a young skinny kid with slick black hair. He is also a very curious boy and likes to explore. The antagonist in the book is not a single character but rather the Holocaust itself and the cruelty and prejudice during that time period. In “The Boy in the striped pajamas” the aspects of the story that captured my interests were when Bruno would sneak out of his house to go see Shmuel. This shows how much he cared about his only friend in his new house. The theme of this book is innocence and friendship this is important throughout the book because it shows how they would do anything for each other even if it would be something they would regret because of their innocence. I feel that the book is very influential because it shows how the power of friendship could overcome anything. I came to thing conclusion when Bruno would risk getting in trouble every time, he went to go see Bruno. I hoped to get a better understanding of the Holocaust which this book portrayed very well, because the book was in the point of view of someone who when through the times of war. I was surprised with how the book ended because it was a huge plot twist that no one would have seen coming. I would recommend this book to anyone from the age of 12 to 15 who has some sort of interest in social studies and the wars. Readers who like historical fiction and books that have a theme of friendship would like this book. This book reminds me of me and my friends and how we would do anything for each other. Overall, I would give this book a 9/10 personally I enjoyed it very much.
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Claudia and the new girl / : Claudia and the New Girl by Gabriela Epstein The Babysitters Club Claudia and the New Girl is a book about a creative girl named Claudia who has always been the best at art until she met Ashley Wyeth. Ashley is different and wears different clothes and even comes from a fancy art school. Ashley says that Claudia is also great but has to stop wasting her time doing the babysitters club, which she loves to do with her best friends. When Claudia starts missing the Babysitter Club meetings Claudia is then told she has to decide between the Babysitters Club and art. I would rate the Babysitters Club Claudia and the New Girl nine out of ten stars because it shows that you sometimes have to make a tough decision. It's also amazing to see the relationship Claudia and the girls have with the club. One person who always brings out the best in the scene is Mimi, Claudia's grandmother. She is a very kind old lady who always makes everyone feel good about themselves. I think the overall theme of the Babysitters Club Claudia and the New Girl is that you sometimes have to make tough decisions just like how Claudia had to decide between her club with her best friends or trying to become more advanced in her art like Ashley did.
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Daughter of smoke & bone by Laini TaylorDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is an amazing book that sucks you in immediately with vivid imagery and explosive characters. Karou is an art student with her friend Ziri in Prague and has a secret life with creatures from another world. Multiple mysteries surround her including her naturally blue hair, tattoos on her palms, and her otherworldly friends that slowly get uncovered as the plot develops. A angel named Akiva enters her world on a mission and when they first meet, Akiva is her enemy as he is born to hate people like her because of the creatures that she associates with. However, as the perspectives switch and the plot develops, trust blooms as well as a friendship, and a truth is revealed that completely changes both their lives forever. An thrilling, colorful, and completely engaging book for young adults that will keep you on your toes turning the pages well into the night.
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Dune by Frank HerbertFrank Herbert's "Dune" is a sprawling epic that masterfully combines science fiction with philosophical and ecological themes. The story is set in a distant future where noble families struggle for control of the desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of the spice melange, a substance of immense value. At the center of the tale is Paul Atreides, a young man thrown into a world of political intrigue and prophetic destiny. Herbert's world-building is unmatched. He crafts a complex universe with its own politics, religion, and culture, giving readers a fully immersive experience. The characters are richly drawn, with Paul Atreides standing out as a compelling protagonist whose journey from noble son to prophetic leader is both gripping and profound. The novel's ecological themes are strikingly relevant, exploring the delicate balance between human ambition and environmental sustainability. Herbert's narrative skillfully weaves together action, suspense, and deep philosophical questions, challenging readers to contemplate the larger issues at play. Dune is a book that demands attention and rewards readers with its depth and complexity. It's a classic that has stood the test of time, captivating audiences for decades, and is a must-read for anyone who enjoys epic storytelling with a thought-provoking twist.
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Have you seen Luis Velez? : a novel by Catherine Ryan HydeHave You Seen Luis Velez is a fiction novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Set in New York City, it follows a seventeen-year-old boy named Raymond, and how his life changes when he meets a ninety-year-old woman named Mildred. Blind and alone, her caregiver Luis Velez mysteriously disappeared, leaving her unable to care for herself. Raymond helps her, and learns a lot about both Millie and himself. Not wanting to get Millie’s hopes up, he searches for Luis in secret. When he finds him, they are faced with a reality neither of them expected nor wanted to face. This was a good novel, and I enjoyed the emotion Hyde was able to express through the pages. I would recommend this to anyone fiction and books about friendship.
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A long walk to water : based on a true story by Linda Sue Park A Long Walk to Water is a book about two characters, Nya and Salva, who are both in very different scenarios but both in Africa. Nya is from the Nuer tribe who fight against the Dinka tribe. Every day is hard work for Nya. She must go all the way to the pond and back twice which takes the whole morning but once the pond dries out they have to go to camp where they would have to dig for water every day that is not even clean. Salva is from the Dinka tribe. One day at school they are attacked and are told to run into the bush, it takes a long time but Slava eventually finds his uncle. They try to get to the refugee camp, but they have to go through challenges like crossing the Nile River and going through the desert. Once they get into the desert they run into people who kill his uncle and steal their weapons and supplies. Then Salva gets to the refugee camp but gets driven out with many people dying. Salva and his group now make their way to other refugee centers where they are eventually told that the lost boys will be able to go to America, each group at a time. I would rate this book a ten out of ten because I love how the author is able to always get a picture in your head of what is happening. When they are crossing the River to get away from the soldiers they show how there are bodies all over the water and around and how so many people died. I think the overall idea of A Long Walk to Water is to try your hardest. When Salva was leading the group he tried so hard to bring them to the refugee camp and he eventually made it
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The red pyramid by Rick RiordanIn this thrilling book "The Red Pyramid" there are two main characters, Sadie and Carter. From little, they were both separated from each other. This book was set around ancient Egyptian gods, and the two main characters had the blood of the ancient pharaohs. In this story the book is mainly set in Brooklyn and London. The central conflict of this story is the magicians against the forces of Chaos. The two main characters are Sadie and Carter, they are both siblings and are apparently the two most powerful children of the pharaoh. Carter is more subtle than Sadie, and thinks more clearly. The main villain of this story is Set, who is an ancient war god. The inciting event is their father, having Set, Osiris, Nephthys, and many more gods out. There were many times when the story had captured my interest, for example, the time when they had went to they had just found out their powers. The main theme in this story is to keep on going, even if something bad happens. This theme makes it intriguing because they have failed many times in the process, and are still going. Overall, this book was very entertaining to read, it had many twists and turns, this book was a very interesting one, for example there was this time when they had disappeared to the underworld and met Osiris.. I hoped to gain knowledge on the Egyptian gods, while also reading an interesting book, my expectations were met thoroughly. I had responded to the content presented in the story with enjoyable times, and was very intense. I would recommend this book to people who have just started to read longer books. A person who likes fantasy and Egypt would very much like this book. This book reminded me of the Percy Jackson series, they were both interesting and had a lot of content in them. Out of 10 I would give this book a 8/10.
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The things they carried by Tim O'BrienThe Things They Carried is a series of written stories regarding the Vietnam War, which occurred during the 1950s-1970s. The author of the novel, Tim O'Brien, based the book on his own personal experiences as a Vietnam War veteran who served in the 23rd Infantry Division. In the story, the main narrator travels around with a platoon of American soldiers, fighting on the grounds of Vietnam during the war. We are introduced to the comrades of the main narrator, as well as to the narrator's family, and some of the Vietnamese people he fought against during the war. As the story progresses, the motivations, crimes, and virtues of the narrator, his comrades, and his enemies, are all explored. When I first picked up The Things They Carried, I was certain I would not enjoy it. As someone who is Vietnamese, I often feel as though accounts of the Vietnam War are skewed and unfaithful when told from the perspective of white Americans. Vietnamese citizens were massacred, innocent villages were burnt and ransacked, and the soldiers fighting on the Vietnamese side were mocked and killed brutally by American soldiers for fighting for their freedom. While not all American soldiers indulged in these actions, a fair amount of them did, which is a fact I find most white Americans gloss over when discussing the Vietnam War; the narrative becomes one of white America trying to save Vietnam from the evils of communism and anti-democracy, when in reality, America's interference in Vietnam was poorly planned and executed. Seeing as The Things They Carried is written from the perspective of a white American soldier during the Vietnam War, I was unsure if the book itself would be accurate in depicting the horrors and nuance of the war, instead of turning it into a story about so-called white American heroism. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up admiring, respecting, and finding truth within the book. The story does not hold back when showing the brutality, the hatred and the desensitization experienced/inflicted by those involved in the war. The stories of each character, the moments and development shared by the narrator and everyone he interacted with, were all raw and visceral. The entire book was an amazing study on the humanization of the American war veterans and Viet Cong fighters who were spat at, who were just kids, who were horrible and beautiful and who died or lived on carrying the burdens of wartime. The book comments on the folly of the patriotic U.S. standpoint that America was 'saving' Vietnam from evil, and it talks of the psychological and emotional damage that those who experience war have to bear. There is no good or bad side in the book, no objective right or wrong; everyone is nuanced, flawed, and understandable to some degree. This is a story that tells the truth, the emotional and psychological truth, of war: everyone is human, and the world is complex, with no one answer or one absolute truth. Reading this book opened my eyes to the true nature of war and what it means to humanize your enemies, as well as your fellow comrades. I read it in a short time frame, since it was so engaging I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, particularly that of the history of conflicts such as the Vietnam War. I'd also recommend it to Vietnamese Americans such as myself, who are bitter at the overtold narrative of America trying to save Vietnam from falling into the evil clutches of communism. There is much more to the story than that, and I believe this book does a good job in showing that. It does have some triggering content, so I would say that teenagers should read it but young kids may be too disturbed by the story. Overall, it is a very well written story.
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Tristan Strong punches a hole in the sky, the graphic novel / : The Graphic Novel by Robert VendittiTristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia is a colorful story rife with amazing African American legends and folk heroes that truly add something special to this tale. We are introduced into a normal world with Tristan Strong who seems like a normal boy expect for his friend, Eddie, who died the previous year. When he moves to his grandparent’s farm in Alabama to recover and heal, he finds another world where these folk heroes come alive and he discovers a part of himself that he never knew existed: a storyteller. The characters are so vivid that you feel yourself talking with them and feeling their sorrows and joys. An amazing piece for young adults to stay up reading late into the night.
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The wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank BaumDorothy, bored of her life and Kansas, runs away from home and gets caught in a tornado, that would be the beginning of her magical journey to the land of OZ. There she meets a lion, a scarecrow, and a tin man to help get her home. With the help of her friends and her silver slippers, she embarks on a journey to Emerald city while trying to avoid the wicked witch of the west. You should read this book because it is made for all ages and is sure to entertain.
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