YALSA Award

Book Review: Radio Silence

Author
Oseman, Alice
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

If I had to convince you to read this book in one sentence it would be this. Multiple times I had to stop reading, set down my book, and contemplate if Alice Oseman was in my head. If there is one thing Alice Oseman can do it is write relatable characters. This book follows Frances, a straight-A student whose heart is set on getting into Cambridge, and Aled, a quiet boy who is secretly the creator of a hit fantasy podcast. Brought together through art/media, Frances and Aled become close friends and tackle life changes, emotionally abusive people, mental health, censorship, and just being teenagers. This book perfectly describes the life of a teen going through high school and showed pure friendships based on a mutual love for something. This was extremely captivating and it helped me get out of a reading slump instantly. If you are looking for a book with characters you can relate to, diversity, true depictions of mental health, or just something exciting to read, I would recommend this over and over.
Reviewer grade: 11

Reviewer's Name
Keira
Awards

Book Review: One of Us is Lying

Author
McManus, Karen M.
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Everyone contains secrets but it is about how far you are willing to bear them and how long you want to shelter them. One of Us Is Lying is the first book in the One of Us Is Lying Trilogy and a YALSA 2018 Teens' Top Ten selection. One of Us Is Lying has the perfect mix of drama, suspense, mystery, and romance, and I haven’t read anything as unique. The book is extremely well written, perfect and extraordinary with the proper balance of words to keep anyone seated in one spot for hours at a time. The novel starts with five students sent to detention with only four leaving alive. The Brain, Bronwyn, The Beauty, Addy, The Athlete, Cooper, and The Criminal, Nate, Bayview High School’s most notable hypocrites are brought down throughout the novel to a level so low. According to investigators the death of a student during detention with the other four students, The Outcast, Simon, was not an accident. The leading characters are Cooper, Addy, Bronwyn, and Nate. They are all altogether diverse in the way they behave and their personality. I found Cooper the most interesting, but Bronwyn was the most sympathetic. Addy changed throughout the story starting as a typical high school popular girl and then ending with a more refreshing style. I enjoyed how the story was put together in the first person because the perspective was constantly varying which made it altogether more interesting. It uses multiple perspectives to provide you the point of view of not one, but all four suspects in a murder mystery with their motives, but the real marvel lies within the journey and experiences of the characters. This book is much deeper than just a murder mystery, and it has much more to it in terms of character development and diversity. You witness the characters’ vulnerable lives being picked apart and their deepest secrets being spread to their peers. This book is 5 Stars and exceeded expectations. I enjoyed this book and suggest it for the next time you want to read something as unique as this.
Reviewer 8th Grade

Reviewer's Name
Anushka
Awards

Book Review: Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1, Power and Responsibility

Author
Bendis, Brian Michael
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

You may have heard of the fictional character Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man. He was introduced in Amazing Fantasy #15, back in the 1960s. Ever since then, his story has been growing, thanks to many talented writers and artists.
But after several decades of publishing Amazing Spider-Man comic books, Marvel Comics had an idea. That idea was Ultimate Spider-Man.
This comic goes back to the early days of Peter Parker, and details how he became Spider-Man. It's masterfully written by legendary comic scribe Brian Michael Bendis.
And the artwork is phenomenal. Mark Bagley truly produced some great artwork for this series.
This volume only contains the first seven issues of this great series. I would highly recommend reading it.
Reviewer grade: 9

Reviewer's Name
Camden
Genres
Awards

Book Review: Grenade

Author
Gratz, Alan
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Grenade by Alan Gratz is a great book perfect for most ages. It is a historical fiction that will take you back to 1945 on Okinawa Island, Japan, in the grip of World War II. The two perspectives of Hideki, a native on the island, and Ray, an American Marine, both have never experienced war before and are fighting on opposite sides. Hideki is pulled out of school and drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps, they expect him to fight for the Japanese army and all he is given is a grenade. Ray, has landed in Okinawa with his group of soldiers, he is surrounded by the enemy and has no idea if he will live through the war. Both have to fight their way through the island and eventually they meet. The choices they make could change both of them severely.
This story is thrilling, suspenseful, and fun to read! I loved this book because it is constantly surprising and it puts you in 1945 with the characters, who have extravagant emotions and conflicts. I stayed up all night reading this book and it was so worth it! It can be a little violent but overall it is an amazing book. I was recommended it by a friend because I don't normally read historical fiction but it did not disappoint! I love all of Alan Gratz's books and I would certainly recommend them and Grenade.

Reviewer's Name
Ella
Awards

Book Review: Scythe

Author
Shusterman, Neal
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

In a perfect world where overpopulation is the only problem, an elite group of unbiased assassins called Scyths are expected to “glean” the population to keep it at a manageable level. This is by far one of the best young adult sci-fi books that I've ever read. With its fast-paced plot, Scythe is a captivating story of two teenagers faced with enormous responsibility and life-or-death consequences. I have a soft spot for skillful world-building, action, and fleeting romance; this book was a masterful concoction of all three! Also, on a personal note, I have read far too many books with idiotic plot twists. I am pleased to say that this was not one of them. Get ready for an addicting read, as this book isn't easy to set down.

Reviewer's Name
Kate

Book Review: Six of Crows

Author
Bardugo, Leigh
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Six of Crows is the first book in Leigh Bardugo's duology following her Shadow and Bone trilogy. This novel is the story of Kaz Brekker and his attempt to put together a crew to pull off an impossible heist - sneak into the impenetrable Ice Court of Fjerda. Kaz Brekker, also known as "Dirtyhands" in the Barrel (the slums of Ketterdam) is a part of the Dregs (a gang built out of those "scraped from the bottom of the Barrel"). Then we have Inej, or "the Wraith" who has an impeccable talent for sneaking around and has a liking to knives. There's Jesper (a personal favorite), a sharpshooter who never misses, but has a serious gambling problem. Wylan, a intelligent bomb master, who's also the insurance in case the plan fails. Finally, we have Nina (also a favorite of mine), a Grisha heartrender, and Matthias, the outsider who has insider knowledge. For 30 million kruge (or 323,848,425 USD), the six teenagers decide that a mission that will probably get them killed, will still be worth it, because together, they are more dangerous than all of the soldiers inside of the Fjerdan Ice Court. Teenage drama, messy romance, plot-twists that can change everyone's opinion of one another. This book was probably my favorite out of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series. There isn't anything I would change, and would definitely consider re-reading.
Reviewers Grade: 11th

Reviewer's Name
Nataleigh
Genres

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Author
Collins, Suzanne
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is an incredible book full of suspense, surprise, and action! It was one of the best books I have read this year and I would strongly recommend it to dystopian lovers.
In a post-nuclear war world, there are twelve districts and the capital that are safe enough for people to live in, and every year the government holds a competition between 12-18 year-olds. A fight to the death, and the winner gets to live a peaceful, worry-free life away from the stress and labor of the districts. Everyone of age is entered into the drawing and when Katniss Everdeen's younger sister is chosen to take part in the Hunger Games she takes her place. Now Katniss faces stronger, faster, and better opponents, and the capital's clever propaganda. She must do all she can to survive.
I liked this book because the author did well at portraying the emotions of the characters and they were all so relatable. Hunger Games is a great read that kept me up all night. I decided on this book because of amazing recommendations and because I love dystopian books, Be warned... it measures up to its greatness! I would recommend 12+ for this book because it gets a little violent and the idea of kids being put in a competition to kill each other is a little dark. Overall this book is brilliant and worthy of recognition! Hunger Games was very surprising and I enjoyed the storyline very much. I would certainly suggest this book to you!
Reviewer Grade: 8th

Reviewer's Name
Ella

Book Review: Shadow and Bone

Author
Bardugo, Leigh
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Shadow and Bone is the first book of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy, and her Grisha series. Shadow and Bone is the perfect book for someone who loves fantasy, super-human powers, and plots of self-discovery. The novel starts off with the main character, Alina, and her childhood best friend, Mal, in the orphanage that they grew up in. Grisha examiners (Grisha have special abilities like the ability to heal, or control water with a flick of a hand) come to test the children for special abilities. Both Alina and Mal are found to not have these abilities. But this does not continue to be the case. When Alina and Mal are grown up and apart of the army, they try and cross "the Fold". The Fold is a strip of darkness that divides the country of Ravka, which is based on Tsarist Russia; The dark strip was created by the Black Heretic, or a shadow summoner. The Fold is a long strip of complete darkness, full of dangerous monsters called Volcra. When one of these monsters try to come at Alina and Mal as they are trying to cross, it is revealed that Alina has sun summoning abilities, and is in fact, a Grisha. Once the army gets back to base after the attack, the General, also known as the Darkling another shadow summoner, demands that Alina comes with him back to the Little Palace to train and fight with the Grisha army, seeing as she is the only sun summoner and the one who can get rid of the Fold. Alina learns how to control her abilities better, makes new friends, starts to fall in love, and shows off her abilities to other high-up citizens of Ravka. She even learns about a way to amplify her abilities. But even while all these great things are happening, Alina can't help but to worry about what could go wrong, her friend Mal, and a possible deceiver. When one of Alina's teachers, Bahgra, reveals that someone close to Alina isn't who they claim to be, Alina runs away in fear and hope that she can find this amplifier before her traitor does. This book had many plot-twists that kept me drawn to it the entire time I was reading. Mystical creatures, political mayhem and unexpected romance. This book is the one that gave me a love for reading nd left me wanting more after the cliff-hanger at the end. This trilogy only gets better as it goes on. The novel will always be on a must-read list for me.
Reviewers Grade: 11th

Reviewer's Name
Nataleigh
Genres
Awards

Book Review: Divergent

Author
Roth, Veronica
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Divergent by Veronica Roth is one of the best books I've read this year. It is action-packed and entertaining throughout the whole book.
Split into 5 different factions, or branches, based on your personality and character traits, Beatrice (Tris) Prior is a danger to all of society. She is what's known as Divergent, someone who doesn't fit into one of the preset sections in the civilization. Forced to hide it or face certain death, Tris decides to become a Dauntless, the faction favoring the brave. She faces a dangerous initiation there, in which she must face her fears and become a true Dauntless or live factionless forever. Soon the world becomes more dangerous for the Divergent and she must do everything possible to survive.
I liked this book because it's very attention-grabbing, it was a book I could escape into. It had very cool fighting and training scenes and was so detailed and relatable that I knew how Tris felt half of the time. The book had me hooked and up all night reading it. I think the author did an excellent job with all of the characters and plots that went into the book. I picked this book because I wanted a good dystopian book and I was not disappointed! Divergent is extremely well written, suspenseful, and quick... You will never want to put it down. This book comes with a great storyline and just the right amount of romance to add to the overall brilliance of it all. By the end, you will adore all the characters and it will leave you longing for more. (It's a 4-book series with 3 movies :) If you love a good young adult, dystopian, romance this book is for you!

Reviewer Grade: 8th

Reviewer's Name
Ella

Book Review: Roller Girl

Author
Jamieson, Victoria
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

I liked this book a ton! This book is an easy read considering it’s a graphic novel. The story in this book is very inspiring for “shooting for the stars” or doing what you love. In other words, commitment. I can relate with the main character, Astrid, by getting through something tough with something you love. For Astrid, the love is all about roller derby.
I picked this book because I love graphic novels. The storyline to this book was extremely interesting, I could barely put the book down! I was honestly surprised by how good the book was. This book is by far my favorite graphic novel. I have read this book many times since my first.
Astrid was a teenager in junior high. The only thing getting her through the rough days of school was roller derby. Astrid loved roller derby and was committed to putting in her best work. Astrid’s character develops over time in the novel, and it’s interesting to read about her change.

Reviewer's Name
Abigail