The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan

The lightning thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a fantasy novel and the first book in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. The book follows the story of Percy Jackson, obviously, a 12-year-old with dyslexia and ADHD who discovers that he is a demigod, the son of a mortal and a Greek god.

I loved that the author uses descriptive language to show us the world he created, especially me as a person who hadn't a clue what the Greek gods were but by the end of the novel, I could say I can name about 5 off the top of my head. I also love that in the book, it blends Greek Mythology with modern-day elements.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a thrilling and action-packed story that blends Greek mythology into it and to anyone who wants to learn about Greek Mythology.

Victoria, 17

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Cafe con Lychee

by Emery Lee

The children of rival restaurants. They both face the dilemma of the shops that they love so dearly being sold due to the new restaurant, 'World Fusion Cafe' stealing their recipes and customers. They both begrudgingly have to work together but can they save their restaurants or will they find something deeper within themselves?

Cafe Con Lychee is an amazing book. The book really gets in the mind of the protagonists and feels as though you are immersed in their world! The plot is wonderful ( I LOVE THE FORCED PROXIMITY TROPE + THE ENEMIES TO LOVERS) and the different supporting characters that go through typical issues that high schoolers would face which I love as a high schooler right now.

I would recommend as someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ Community and being Hispanic, the lessons that are brought up are really important and hit close to home. I found comfort in the characters, which I feel like other people can connect to, or without identifying with such.

Jocelyn, 17

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Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

Red, white & royal blue

The son of the president of the United States, and the son of the England Monarch do not see eye to eye. After a mishap with the press, the two families force the two to be best friends to clear the air for the rest of the world. What happens when they don't need to pretend anymore? Will the world approve of their love or will they have to diminish their fiery passion for each other?

I loved this book, the push and pull of these two were absolutely cheesy and kept me reading. This read took me two days to complete on a road trip and I was so disappointed that there was not a sequel to this book :( .I did love the writing and almost anyone could pick this up and have a wonderful time getting to know Prince Henry and Alex.

I would recommend this book! It's a relatively beautiful and fulfilling read. The banter and the chemistry is something to die for! I have re-read this book many times and I have truly come to appreciate it more each time. The book may have some parts in which it can be slow but also contain some scenes with spice so please beware lol. I have given this book to a friend who doesn't favor reading as I do, and she was HOOKED I tell you!!

Jocelyn, 17

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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #1) by Holly  Jackson, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a novel bout mystery and of a girl named Pippa who becomes obsessed with solving a 5-year-old case. Along the way, she uncovers years' worth of dark secrets.

I thought it was a really crazy roller coaster ride. I finished it in less than a week because I was so eager to solve the case with the main character, Pippa.

I would recommend this book to any teenagers or young adults who love a good mystery book.

Victoria, 17

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

The perks of being a wallflower

This book follows Charlie as he ventures into highschool after the loss of a close friend. It is written as a diary and in Charlie's perspective. He creates new friends and new experiences. Along the way, he discovers more about himself, and his past.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a perfect, modern, coming of age book. I liked how real it was, and how it could even be relatable at points.

It's a very interesting and very short read. I 100% recommend. Easy to understand and captivating. Very entertaining and hard to put down.

Rating:  

Grettel, 18

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Wildcard

by Marie Lu

Wildcard

Wildcard sequel to Warcross is a science fiction novel by Marie Lu. It follows the story of Emika Chen, a young hacker and former member of the Warcross championship gaming league, who finds herself caught in a dangerous conspiracy involving the powerful corporation behind the popular virtual reality game Warcross.

I really like how it includes a fast-paced plot, and that it explores themes like loyalty, the power of technology, and identity, which I enjoy reading, in a thoughtful and engaging way.

I would recommend this to any young adults who are addicted to technology.

Victoria, 17

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Hopeless

by Colleen Hoover

A girl that never shows interest in guys meets a boy and can't stop thinking about him. She feels like she has met him before and their first interaction is strange because he feels like he has met her too they just can't figure out from where. They begin to hangout and try to put the pieces of what they remember together to unfold the story of how they met.

The book was good it has a lot of hard topics that's discussed but handles it in a mature way. The book sheds light on what happens to people very often and how dark things can be.

I would recommend the book to those that like a love story but one that has a deeper meaning to it. I would look up what the topics the book discusses first because some topics might be too mature for some audiences.

Nadia, 16

Rating:  

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Warcross

by Marie Lu

Warcross

This book takes place in a futuristic setting, and it follows the perspective of a girl who is forced into employment as a bounty hunter as an act of desperation.

I enjoyed this book because it really dives deep into the technology of this futuristic world which I found interesting. It also shows you how big of an impact this technology affects lives in this book.

Yes, I would recommend this book to any young adults who enjoys Sci-Fi books and loves technology.

Victoria, 17

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Me Before You

by Jojo Moyes

Me before you : a novel

The book is about Louisa, looking for employment to help her family. She takes a job as a caretaker who's purpose is to entertain grumpy 35 year old Will Traynor, who after an accident is a quadriplegic. Little by little their relationship becomes closer, but Louisa finds out it would end soon.

I wouldn't say I typically read romance books, but this one is so original and a slow burn. They don't force the characters together, it's natural. I really enjoyed this book.

I would definitely recommend this book. Even if you aren't huge on romance, the story is incredible. There is also a movie! Which is always fun for after.

Grettel, 18

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Daughter of Sparta

by Claire M Andrews

Daughter of Sparta

This book was about 2 sisters' perspective growing up in ancient Greece, facing the hardships of living as royalty. The older sister was supposed to be the next queen, but her parents decided her sister needed to be queen to save her reputation.

I loved it! The author spends paragraphs describing the scenery making sure we can picture the setting in our heads. What I didn't like was that the perspectives hopped around.

I would recommend this book to other teenagers and young adults because of the heavy themes it also includes advanced vocabulary and knowledge of Greek mythology.

Victoria, 17

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Winter

by Marissa Meyer

Winter

Winter is a sci-fi novel by Marissa Meyer and the fourth and final book in the "Lunar Chronicles'" series. It follows the story of Winter, the younger sister of the evil Lunar Queen, Levana, who had been kept locked away in her palace for most of her life. Along the way she escapes, and she joins Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and their allies, who are also fighting against Levana's rule.

I loved how we got to know this new character, Winter, who is the sister of the evil queen, who everyone hates because of that whole controlling the world thing, But I loved that we also got a backstory on the evil queen.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys novels with an action-packed plot, and fairytales.

Victoria, 17

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Mr. Mercedes

by Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes : a novel

A retired, depressed cop gets a letter one day. This letter is a definite taunt to him. It is signed, 'Mr. Mercedes'. The letter's message is obvious: Do it. Kill yourself. The letter spurs the cop, Bill Hodges, to investigate the Mercedes massacre and find who the killer was.

I really enjoyed this book, because Stephen King made the plot twists intriguing, but not whack you in the face twists. Looking back, you can see 'Oh! That's how it ties together', which is, in my opinion, the best way to reveal a plot twist.

I would recommend this book to people who like murder mysteries, and don't mind gore or language that could be considered 'adult language'. This book would most likely appeal to older teens, but I read it at 14 and found it truly exciting.

Mischa, 14

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Finders Keepers

by Stephen King

Finders keepers : a novel

Two different timelines collide in an attempt at murder to cover up a successful murder that occurred decades before. Finders Keepers is the sequel to Mr. Mercades, and introduces multiple new characters, as well as adds a touch of supernatural to its predecessor.

This book was very good, but very confusing at first. You originally have no idea how to two timelines tie into each other and it can get confusing, keeping track of all the characters, but, in typical Stephen King fashion, it all works out in the end. I liked this because of how the timelines slowly converged, eventually becoming one.

If you like complicated books that force you to pay attention and end in cliffhangers, then you will definitely love Finders Keepers.

Mischa, 14

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The Song of Achilles

by Madeline Miller

book cover for The song of Achilles

This book is told in the perspective of a boy named Patroclus, who is a Greek Prince, and is exiled by his father and is taken in by a king and his son, Achilles who he develops a very close bond with.

I loved it! What I liked about this book was that I wasn't once bored of the storyline and how the author is very descriptive in her writing.

Yes, I would recommend this book to young adults who want to learn more about Greek mythology.

Victoria, 17

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To Kill a Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

Amazon.com: To Kill a Kingdom (Hundred Kingdoms): 9781250112682: Christo,  Alexandra: Books

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo is a young adult fantasy novel about a 17-year-old mermaid princess named Lira who is known as the "Princess of the Sea of Blood" because of her ruthlessness towards human sailors. Lira is tasked by her mother, with capturing the heart of a human prince.

I somewhat like it. This book has a captivating plot that caught my attention, it had well-developed character and really lets your imagination run wild on this world the author created but while it had all that I was expecting more suspense or drama in the plot and was left disappointed on how short the book was.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves anything with mermaids and romance.

Victoria, 17

Rating: 

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Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Death in her hands

The book followed an elderly women finding a note about a dead body in her woods. The majority of the story takes place in the women's mind and her thoughts, as she creates a story for the unknown victim. She ventures to uncover the mystery.

The book isn't unbearable, but it wasn't my favorite. It lacked a lot of action and just took place in the women's mind. Towards the end the book got a little more exciting, but the ending was rather lackluster.

I would recommend the book to those who read a little bit of everything. It's an interesting concept. I would not recommend to someone who is more interested in stories.

Grettel, 18

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Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

by Stephen King

The gunslinger

The Gunslinger is a western fantasy fiction centered on Roland Deschain. As the last gunslinger of his kind,  he went on a horror-majestic journey filled with insanity to chase his nemesis, “the man in black.” Roland meets several characters along the way, including a boy named Jake, who joins him as part of his journey.

As the first book in the Dark Tower series, I like that it sets things up for future stories, but as a self-contain story, it falls apart right from the get-go. I will start with the negatives. The plot is dull and dreadful. There are significant moments or emotional moments that stick with you. The prose is dense but confusing. King loves to describe the scenery in this book precisely, and I like it at the beginning, but then it becomes a gimmick that annoys me. Also, the antagonist is a one-dimension type of bad guy. Now on the positive side. Roland is a magnificent protagonist. He has an intriguing backstory and motivation, and his personality is wacky and exciting, but his gun skills remind me of the cowboys in western movies. His father-son-like relationship with Jake is also one of the good parts. The world-building is phenomenal. I have never seen a world like this in the fantasy genre. It is so grounded and bleak but contains crazy creatures and people that make you want to learn or study more about it.

Overall, I recommend the book to those who love western and fantasy because it is a unique take on those genres and to those who love characters like Roland because he is worth your time, even if the story is uninteresting and lacks excitement. Additionally, I am about 50 pages into the next book, The Drawing of the Three, which is a vast improvement from the first book.

Minh, 16

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Cress

by Marissa Meyer

Cress

Cress is a science fiction novel by Marissa Meyer and the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. It follows the story of Cress, a young hacker who has been imprisoned by the evil Lunar Queen, Levana, on a satellite orbiting earth. Cress is forced to work for Levana and serve as her spy, but longs for freedom and the chance to join the rebellion against Levana's rule.

I thought this book was okay! I think I was really overlooking this book because I was so eager to read the last book because I knew that was when everything intertwined, and I was still left on cliffhangers with the first two books.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a thrilling and action-packed science fiction book.

Victoria, 17

Rating:  

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Scarlet

by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet

Scarlet is a science fiction novel by Marissa Meyer and the second book in the Lunar Chronicles series. It follows the story of Scarlet Benoit, a young woman living in France who is searching for her missing grandmother. As she investigates her grandmother's disappearance, Scarlet is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy involving a group of rebels who are fighting against the evil lunar Queen, Levana, and her control on earth.

I love reading about a new character in each book of the series and knowing that they are in the same universe so all of this will tie in together eventually.

If you like sci-fi books and fairytales with a twist to it, then the Lunar Chronicles series is the one for you.

Victoria, 17

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The Unhoneymooners

by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners

A couple about to get married has plans but in some way their maid of honor and best man take the trip instead of the married couple. The maid of honor and best man hate each other how will they last on a trip.

This book was good in a comedy romance way. The people that go on the vacation argue in the best way and make the funniest jokes. By the end of the trip their feelings for each other switch.

Yes I would recommend the book for those that love romance comedy and enemies to lovers trope. It has so many different aspects that make the book really enjoyable.

Nadia, 16

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