Pasadena Public Library
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 […]
review by Sylvie Bower, age 16 It’s Not Like It’s A Secret by Misa Sugiura It’s Not Like It’s A Secret is not the coming-out story that you would expect from its cover. (Yes, even I judge books on their covers.) Sana Kiyohara is a sixteen-year old Japanese-American living in the Midwest who […]
review by Kira Toal, age 15 The Nerdy and the Dirty by B.T. Gottfred The Nerdy and the Dirty by B.T. Gottfred follows two high schoolers who are tired of hiding their true identities. Penelope Lupo may seem agreeable and quiet, but on the inside, she is a bold and opinionated girl […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 14 Want by Cindy Pon Summary: Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits that protect them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city, while those without suffer illness and early deaths. Frustrated […]
review by Kara Eng, age 18 Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst Summary: Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a […]