Pasadena Public Library
Review by Jacob Chon, grade 9 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Summary: Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. […]
Review by Kristina Yin, grade 11 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The plot of The Night Circus, the debut novel of Erin Morgenstern, is extraordinarily hard to explain; particularly because it is everything happening at once. One can view it as a story of star-crossed lovers who are manipulated […]
Review by Alaina Joby, grade 9 Blood, Bullets, and Bones by Bridget Heos Interested in all things murder and mystery? Curious to know how murders are analyzed? Are murder mysteries really part of everyday life? This book is for you. Though, the concept of forensic science seems modern and complicated, […]
Book Club recap by McKenna Blackshire, grade 8 Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts […]
Book Club recap by Kara Eng, Grade 12 We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach Summary: Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel. They always say that high school is the best time of […]
Review by Kara Eng, grade 12 Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole Arcana Rising is the fourth book in the Arcana series. It picks up right where the last one left off. I’ve really enjoyed reading the other books in this series and this latest installment was not a disappointment (except […]
Review by Kristina Yin, grade 11 The Martian by Andy Weir Summary: “Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew […]
Review by Kara Eng, grade 12 Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider Summary: Two teenagers with a deadly disease fall in love on the brink of a cure.Up until his diagnosis, Lane lived a fairly predictable life. Now he is at a tuberculosis sanatorium called Latham House, where he discovers an insular […]
Review by Hadley Willman, grade 11 Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs Not to be confused with the famous 1970 novel of the same name, Future Shock is a story about Elena Martinez, a foster child just a few months away from turning eighteen, being kicked out of the system, and forced to […]
Review by Jacob Chon, grade 9 The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer A land of Opium, dedicated to growing drugs, is established in a strip of land between Mexico and America. One hundred years after the establishment of the country Opium, a clone named Matt is born. His life consists […]