In The Selection by Kiera Cass, a sixteen year old girl named America Singer lives in a dystopian United States. After going through a tragic war, the US emerged as the new nation of Illea, in which the caste system was enforced to keep order. America and her family are low in the system and struggle to live fulfilling lives. The Selection, in which 35 girls are chosen from the nation to compete for the prince’s hand, is right around the corner.
These Infinite Threadsby Taherah Mafi is a YA fantasy novel and is the second book in the series after This Woven Kingdom. I rated it four stars. The book follows Alizeh, who is the heir to the fallen Jinn kingdom. Jinn are mistreated in the kingdom where Alizeh lived in the first book, Ardunia, as a common servant who always wears a covering, or “nosta” over her special Jinn princess eyes.
Deka is a village girl in Irfut who just wants to live a normal life and be proven as pure and belonging in her village. She wants to be able to get married and live a happy life. However, on the day of the Ritual of Purity, it is discovered that she is impure and has the cursed blood of demons inside her. As she underwent the Death Mandate but yet didn’t die, she is taken from Irfut to the Warthu Beru to train in an army of girls like her, an alaki army.
Trapped by Sigmund Brouwer is a gripping thriller that follows the story of Owen and his friends as they embark on a seemingly innocent adventure to explore an abandoned mine. However, their exploration takes a sinister turn when they become trapped underground, facing the harsh realities of darkness, fear, and dwindling supplies. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, the group must confront their deepest fears and work together to find a way out before time runs out.
The Long Run by James Acker is a compelling novel that follows the journey of Thomas, a young man from a small town who dreams of becoming a professional athlete. As he navigates the challenges and obstacles in pursuit of his goal, Thomas discovers that success requires much more than talent and determination. Along the way, he confronts personal setbacks, explores the complexities of relationships, and grapples with the harsh realities of the competitive sports industry.
Shane is a short and fast-paced story set in the days of American colonization. It starts with a boy named Bob who sees a mysterious man near his house. His name was Shane, and he was friendly with Bob’s family and bonded with them. They let him stay with them, and although he was only going to stay with them for a few days, it ended up becoming months.
Everything begins in Belgium, where Max Howard, his parents, and his sister Claire have recently relocated. He finds it challenging to quickly adapt to his new surroundings. He had to redo sixth grade in a French school, which was the worst letdown.
In his home's basement, he one day found a wine cellar. Ahmed, a Syrian teenager of 14 years old who lacked identification and was running away from authorities, is lying there. He was alone himself and had no relatives with him. They gradually became good friends as they exchanged stories over the course of the days.
The book Half Brother is an engrossing novel based in Victoria, Canada, in the 1970s. Ben was a teenager whose father had gotten a job as a behavioral psychologist at a university. He was going to try to teach a chimpanzee how to communicate with humans using sign language. At first, Ben thought Zan, the baby chimpanzee that his parents brought home, was weird. How dare his parents have more time for some random animal than him? But soon, Zan grew on Ben and they became like brothers.
Mariam is a fifteen-year-old girl growing up in Afghanistan amidst the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Sent away from her home and father to be married off to a man 30 years older, Mariam reluctantly acquiesces. As a girl in this place and time, she doesn’t have a choice. As she grows into a woman, she is forced to endure endless abuse and disrespect.
Years later, Laila is born. While Laila has a happy childhood, her life takes a turn for the worse amidst the Taliban takeover, and when her family is taken from her, she is forced to marry.
