Pasadena Public Library
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 16 Edie in Between by Laura Sibson All Edie Mitchell wanted to do after her mom died was to forget that she ever had magic—but it’s not that easy when it’s been in her blood for generations. After she discovers her mom’s teenage journal, it […]
Reviewed by Emily Battaglia, age 17 The Poetry of Secrets by Cambria Gordon Set in the tumultuous 15th century Spain, The Poetry of Secrets explores the struggle of 16-year-old Isabel Perez as she navigates a whirlwind romance, a perilous faith, and her position as a woman in a society where […]
Reviewed by Giselle Carlos, age 16 In the Same Boat by Holly Green Sadie Scofield is finally ready to accomplish her dream of crossing the finish line in the 265-mile canoe race, the Texas River Odyssey. Ever since her childhood, she’s dreamt of sharing stories like the ones her family […]
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 16 Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp To eighteen-year-old Pen Prado, the center of her life is her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. However when she confesses to her parents that she’s been skipping school and that what she really wants is to […]
Reviewed by Amber Elias, age 15 Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall Corinne knew who she was. Or at least she knew who she was supposed to be. She knew that she was supposed to get good grades in school and have an abundant social life. She knew […]
Reviewed by Hailey Chen, age 14 Shipped by Meredith Tate Wesley Clarke and Stella Greene are both desperate. They both need the coveted valedictorian prize (a full ride scholarship to a school of your choosing) for different reasons, and neither of them are willing to give it up. They’ve been […]
Reviewed by Amber Elias, age 15 Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson The fast-paced, crime-ridden life of Jack Nevin always kept the scrawny boy hopping from one place to the next with his equally as con-oriented keeper, the Enchantress, and his half sister Lucia. The trio tormented big cities […]
Reviewed by Sam Redfearn, age 15 We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley Beck and Vivian’s entire lives changed in a single day— the day their best friend, Cassie, was shot. Cassie was the glue that kept the three of them friends, so in the first few months after she […]
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 16 Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirda Popular girl Humaira “Hani” Khan and studious overachiever Ishita “Ishu” Dey could not be more different from one another, and yet the strangest movie-like circumstances cause their paths to cross. Hani is friendly and […]
Reviewed by Sam Redfearn, age 15 The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness by Susannah Cahalan The debate as to whether mental hospitals, and the notion of institutionalization as a whole, are the ideal system for the treatment of psychiatric patients in the US is […]