Pasadena Public Library
review by Alicia Zhang, age 13 The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber In a world split into corporations, Earth-dwellers and Delonese inhabitants from another planet, a virtual reality programming competition between the aforementioned corporations is the most popular form of entertainment. Nineteen-year-old Sofi Snow and her friend Heller are […]
Review by Hadley Willman, age 17 The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras Summary: AP exams—check SAT test—check College application—check Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you’ve spent your whole life working for—check Super-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has never had room to be anything less than perfect. But her […]
Rebel of The Sands By Alwyn Hamilton Summary: “Amani is desperate to leave the dead-end town of Dustwalk, and she’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to help her escape. But after she meets Jin, the mysterious rebel running from the Sultan’s army, she unlocks the powerful truth about the desert […]
review by Kara Eng, age 18 The Princess Bride by William Goldman Summary: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams? As a boy, William Goldman claims, he […]
recap by Genevieve Harvey, age 13 Many people feel uncomfortable talking about the issue of mental illness, and thinking about how they can deal with it or how they would react when hearing someone’s story. The Teen Advisory Board has tackled that phobia by showcasing a movie and discussion every […]
Review by Alaina Joby, age 14 The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby Summary: When Nico Walker’s older sister mysteriously disappears, her parents, family, and friends are devastated. But Nico can never admit what she herself feels: relief at finally being free of Sarah’s daily cruelties. Then the best and worst thing […]
review by Madison Comick, age 15 American Street by Ibi Zoboi I have just read the book that will cause you to smile, frown, laugh, cry, -laugh and cry at the same time- scream, lay down and wonder what exactly you’re doing in life, listen to I’m Not Okay (I […]
recap by Madison Comick, age 15 Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven A couple of Novembers ago, YA Book Club read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. We thought it was literally the most amazing story we’d ever heard of. I think we’re all still fawning over that […]
Review by Nina Dinan, age 13 Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon Summary: In 1797, less than two weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft died, and a remarkable life spent pushing against the boundaries of society’s expectations for […]
recap by Madison Comick, age 15 Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes Even if you’re a fan of magic and kingdoms, you may not like this story; participants at the YA Book Club this April meeting didn’t, even though 3 out of 4 of us enjoy fantasy novels. The fantasy novel […]