Pasadena Public Library
review by John Chon, age 15 Dreamfall by Amy Plum Summary: Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse…but she was terribly wrong. Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, […]
review by Alena Kunjumon, age 13 The Last Days of California by Mary Miller The Last Days of California, written by Mary Miller, discusses the journey that Jess, the narrator, undergoes both internally and externally. On the outside, her and her sister are two teenagers preparing for the rapture that will take […]
review by Sylvie Bower, age 16 Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden Crossing Ebenezer Creek is the story of those who aren’t usually heard of from General Sherman’s March during the Civil War — former slaves who join up with the march to protect themselves. It is the story of Mariah, a recently […]
review by John Chon, age 14 A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron A Dog’s Purpose was a step outside of my normal genre, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. The book is about a dog who is reborn again and again, remembering their past experiences and using them again […]
review by McKenna Blackshire, age 14 Caraval by Stephanie Garber Summary: Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where […]
review by John Chon, age 14 Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali Max is a brutally graphic tale from the point of view of a child, who spent his entire life under the Nazi regime. As a historical fiction novel, it does borrow concepts from reality, such as the breeding program executed under the […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 14 Flight Risk by Jennifer Fenn Flight Risk is a fresh, new novel that breathes life into the YA genre. While most novels in young adult fiction are dystopian, sci-fi, romance stories featuring almost flawless characters, Flight Risk is based upon true events and is centered on a […]
review by Alicia Zhang, age 13 Mirror in the Sky by Aditi Khorana In the novel Mirror in the Sky, Aditi Khorana spins a tale of friendship, family, love, and the struggles of high school. The plot is spurred by the discovery of a new planet, Terra Nova, which scientists believe represents alternate […]
review by Sylvie Bower, age 16 Soldier Boy by Keely Hutton Soldier Boy tells the stories of Samuel and Ricky, both a part of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, though their stories take place seventeen years apart. Ricky’s story is true, based off of the experiences of Ricky Richard Anywar, who was […]
review by Kira Toal, age 15 Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith Jude is on vacation on the East Coast when she receives a disturbing call that tells her that her best friend, Maggie Kim, was found dead in her swimming pool in her Pasadena home. From the moment Jude returns to her […]