Pasadena Public Library
review by Kristina Yin, age 17 Black Swan Green by David Mitchell Black Swan Green is the spiritual descendant of coming-of-age books like Catcher in the Rye and Great Expectations, but because of its modernity and realism, it is far more interesting and relatable than its ancestors. Although it is not a page-turner […]
review by John Chon, age 15 The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson Summary: When all hope is gone, how do you survive? Before the war, Eden’s life was easy—air conditioning, ice cream, long days at the beach. Then the revolution happened, and everything changed. Now a powerful group called the Wolfpack controls the earth […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 15 Generation One by Pittacus Lore Generation One follows Taylor, a teenage girl living in a sleepy Midwest town. She enjoys the monotony of life and plans to take over the family farm when she grows old enough. Having survived an alien invasion with minimal consequences, Taylor’s life […]
review by Alicia Zhang, age 13 Freya by Matthew Laurence The novel Freya by Matthew Laurence is about a goddess, Freya, who, in Norse mythology, is the representation of love, beauty, and war. In this world, deities of all types exist, camouflaged into human society. They are powered and strengthened by belief, and […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 15 The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller The Art of Starving is a novel about a young, gay man coming out of the closet. Although at first it seems like a novel about obesity, it really is a much wider story that encompasses the social […]
Looking for something entertaining to binge watch this winter? Here are some top choices from the Teen Advisory Board. 13 Reasons Why (Netflix) When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a […]
review by Kira Toal, age 16 The Careful Undressing of Love by Corey Ann Haydu The Devonairre Street girls of Brooklyn are said to be cursed. According to local legend and the ominous admonitions of elderly female Devonairre Street residents, any boy with which a Devonairre girl falls in love […]
recap by McKenna Blackshire, age 14 The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee Summary: A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future where anything is possible—if you want it enough. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN, 2118. A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. Everyone […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 14 Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld Summary: Nobody’s ever really explained the Spill. Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world? Whatever it was, no one’s allowed in the Spill Zone these days except government scientists and hazmat teams. But a few […]
review by John Chon, age 14 Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman Summary: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than […]