Book Reviews

Review by Jasmine Sov, 15 The Lightness of Hands By Jeff Garvin After Ellie Dante’s dad—a once-great stage magician—attempted an ambitious trick on live TV and failed, his career went completely down the drain. Now, Ellie and her father have been struggling to make ends meet, living in an old […]

Review by Sam Redfearn, 14 When You Look Like Us By Pamela N. Harris When You Look Like Us is a story told from the perspective of African American high schooler, Jayson Murphy. He lives with his grandmother in a neighborhood that is generally considered to be the “bad part […]

Review by Jasmine Sov, 15 Of Salt & Shore By Annet Schaap Emilia “Lampie” Waterman is the lighthouse keeper’s daughter, and it’s her responsibility to light the lighthouse’s lantern every day so that incoming ships won’t crash into the rocks. One stormy night, she forgets, and a ship is subsequently […]

Review by Isabella Henriquez, 16 Felix Ever After By Kacen Callender Though his name means “lucky” in Latin, Felix feels far from being lucky at all. He thinks that he has one too many minority labels. Not only is he black and queer, but also transgender. He often struggles with […]

Review by Jasmine Sov, 15 Red Hood By Elana K. Arnold On homecoming night, Bisou Martel is with her boyfriend on the dance floor when another boy, Tucker, gets in the way to try to dance with her instead. After standing up to Tucker, Bisou later has an intimate moment […]

Review by Genevieve Harvey, 17 Splinters of Scarlet By Emily Bain Murphey The story begins with a subtle elucidation to the complications and disappointments that come from orphanage life. Agnes and Marit, two females who grew out of the Mill orphanage and currently work at Thorsen’s, are anticipating the arrival […]

Review by Genevieve Harvey, 17 The Infinite Noise By Laura Shippen (Trigger Warning: Self Harm) In The Infinite Noise, Lauren Shippen writes about the impractical expectations of how to “perfectly” manage teenage life – the balance between academic rigor, athletics, and socializing – as well as noting the salutary benefits […]

Review by Jasmine Sov, 14 The Empire of Dreams By Rae Carson Precocious, magic-touched Red Sparkle Stone has been running all her life—from monsters, evil sorcerers, and the trauma that weighs her down. Now, she’s about to be adopted by the royal family, a sweet ending to the suffering she’s […]

Review by Jasmine Sov, 14 Kingdom of Souls By Rena Barron Arrah, unlike many other people her age, does not yet possess magic. Despite her father’s reassurances that her magic will come, she’s losing hope. After all, her high-ranking priestess mother already all but shuns her. That surely means that […]

Review by Nina Dinan, 17 The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton By Edith Wharton Edith Wharton, renowned Gilded Age novelist and interior designer, was sometimes so disturbed by ghostly books that she was compelled to burned them. Luckily, this profound fear did not stop her from lending her own pen […]