Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra is a fictional novel written by Amy Noelle Parks. Lia Sawyer is a 17-year-old that loves magic. She struggles to get approval from her parents, who would prefer for her to go into environmental science, or at least something more sophisticated like playing piano (as her sister does). On top of all that, Lia needs to find a way to prove to society that girls can be more than just pretty assistants.
A valuable, necessary, and accessible book. Kiely has an easy-going manner and presents ideas that could be abstract, academic theory through relatable anecdotes and stories, more often than not about himself when he was a teenager. It reads quickly and directly addresses young white readers without confrontation or shaming, encouraging listening, empathy, and a sense of responsibility (instead of guilt). Highly recommended.
This book kept me on my toes till the very end. I wouldn’t say it was predictable at all, and was overall very creative and interesting to keep up with Pip as she uncovers the truth of a murder accusation case. It was intriguing to see the way she worked through the case, with limited resources and being a teenager investigating such a taboo topic in her town, along with the mental toll it took on her. This is overall fast paced and also has a slight romance. I feel like the book could have been a little shorter, however, the writing is still very interesting.
The Giver is a science-fiction book by Lois Lowry and is set in a futuristic society free of crime and sadness. At the age of 12, the young children of this society will be assigned jobs that they will train for and perform for the rest of their lives. One of these children is a boy named Jonas, who is assigned the isolated job of training under the Giver, a respected yet mysterious man.
To Belly, everything good and magical happens during the summer. During the summer she stays in a beach house in the town of Cousins with her mom, brother, Susannah, and most importantly Jeremiah and Conrad. They’re the boys Belly has known since her very first summer in Cousins and she’s experienced almost everything with them. However, this summer everything keeps changing, and the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should’ve been all along.
Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," is the son of sea goddess Thetis and king Peleus. He is strong, fast, agile, beautiful, and charming to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince who has been exiled from his homeland after a violent accident. They were brought together by chance but they forge an inseparable bond and incredible friendship. When the word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the Greek heroes are sent for to attack Troy and get Helen of Sparta back.
16-year-old Deka lives in fear of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she’s “pure” and able to stay in her village or not. However, on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold showing that she’s impure. Soon after, a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice to either stay in her village and face a punishment worse than death or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls like her called alaki. Deka decides to leave her old life behind and journeys to the capital to train.
Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games and is written by Suzanne Collins. Katniss and Peeta have survived the Hunger Games and arrive to District 12 safely. However, they must now participate in the Victory Tour and travel throughout the districts. While they do so, Katniss and Peeta start to sense a rebellion stirring within the uneasy district people of Panem.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games series. Suzanne Collins returns to write the origin story of an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who finds himself shooting for the stars by mentoring a tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games. However, the odds are against him; the once-magnificent Snow family has fallen on hard times, and Coriolanus has been assigned the humiliating assignment of the girl tribute from District 12.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab is for those who enjoy mystery, suspense, action, and unexpected twists. The main characters, Victor and Eli start off as friends who go to the same college, studying in the scientific field. After Eli discovers a formula for creating Extraordinaries- the story starts flying. The scene changes from their dorms, to jail, to a fancy hotel, to the eerie graveyard with shovels stuck in the soil 6 ft deep.
