Pasadena Public Library
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 18 One True Loves by Elise Bryant Lenore Bennett is staring her future in the face. Though she’s committed to NYU, she’s still unsure of what she wants to major in—she could never tie herself to just one thing for the rest of her life, […]
Reviewed by Hailey Chen, age 16 Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi In the setting of Jerusalem 1192, Rahma al-Hud bravely follows her older sister, Zeena, into the war over the Holy Land–fighting for honor and their homeland. But when reinforcements from the enemy are sent in, all Rahma […]
Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 16 Betting on You by Lynn Painter When Bailey first met Charlie, she couldn’t stand his obnoxious, cynical persona or the fact that she would be stuck next to him for a 10-hour flight. Little did she know they would cross paths again in a couple of […]
Reviewed by Hailey Chen, age 16 Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell Clara Luca’s magic has always been a topic of discussion amongst the witches and wizards in the community. Uncontrollable, wild, unpredictable, these were only a few descriptions her past teachers had provided regarding Clara’s magic. But it had never been dangerous. […]
Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 16 All Kinds of Other by James Sie Jules is trying to navigate his sophomore year of school at a new school while figuring out what it means to be gay. Jack is in the same boat as Jules and starting over at the same school […]
Reviewed by Elise Chen, age 15 Where Echoes Lie by Shannon Schuren In the heart of a small Kentucky town, under the spectral arc of the moonbow, “Where Echoes Lie” by Shannon Schuren unfolds the tale of Rena Faye, a girl caught between dreams as vivid as her photographs and the weight of […]
On Wednesday the 22nd of May, patrons and staff of the Jefferson Branch Library embarked on a quest to rescue a family who had been kidnapped by goblins. A dungeon was discovered, Bugbears were charmed with magic, giant rats were slain with Eldritch Blasts, and a stove was moved to […]
Reviewed by Elise Chen, age 15 Lies like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez Set amidst the towering pines on the deep lake of the fictional town of Gap Mountain, five friends, called “The Monsters,” recently graduated high school, and are off to live the summer of their lives. However, faster than they can […]
Reviewed by Elise Chen, age 15 The Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum Reid MacGregory can’t imagine her life without her best friend and social anchor, Hattie Darrow. It’s the summer before senior year, and Reid is deeply embedded in Scofield High’s popular crowd, courtesy of Hattie. However, when summer […]
Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 15 As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter Natalie has been a lifelong rival of Reid. So when the school cuts all funding for the arts, ergo cutting Natalies’ hope of directing her student-written play, she finds herself up against Reid again to allocate funding for the arts […]