Reviews by Category: Teens

What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About is a series of essays written by those who feel

certain feelings towards their mothers, whether their estranged or close, all essays convey

different emotions. Many are about their mothers’ pasts, while others are about their mothers’

not being there when their children needed them. Many are long, while others are short. The

essays are deeply personal but let the reader have a small glimpse into the writers’ lives. A

The Song of Achilles narrates the tragic love story of Patroclus and Achilles. It follows

Patroclus, who murdered a boy and was exiled to a different kingdom, where he soon meets

Achilles. While wary at first, the two form a close bond and run away, where they meet Chiron

and train with him. Everything seems to be going fine, until Achilles is called by his father.

When the two arrive at the palace, they are greeted by Odysseus, who draws Patroclus’ name,

1984, an iconic dystopian novel by George Orwell wastes little time with pleasantries;

something is off with this world from the brilliant first line: “It was a bright cold day in April,

and the clocks were striking thirteen” (Orwell 1). Protagonist Winston Smith works for the

oppressive Oceanic government; he mulls over past news and texts to alter the past in order to fit

the desires of the government. As the novel progresses, he grows wary of the government’s

Title, Author, Genre: Into the Wild, Narrative Nonfiction, Jon Krakauer

Paris Peralta has just been convicted of murdering her famous husband. Suddenly, the

quiet life she had ensured for herself bursts, and she is labeled as a golddigger who killed her

husband for the money. However, the fact that gets glazed over is that there was a similar crime

involving Ruby Reyes, nicknames the Ice Queen, who had killed her rich husband by stomping

on his neck with an ice skate. Paris knows she didn’t kill her husband and her lawyer is

Six Crimson Cranes features Shiori’anma, who is about to enter an arranged marriage.

But she harbors a secret, that she possesses forbidden magic. When trying to hide a creation she

has made, Shiori eventually falls into a lake, and meets a dragon who helps her survive. Upon

waking, Shiori is punished to create a tapestry for her soon-to-be husband as an apology, and is

accompanied by her cold and distant stepmother. Shior soon meets Seryu, the dragon she had

While spending the summer with the Dursleys, Harry and Dudley get attacked by a

group of Dementors. Harry uses the Expecto Patronum spell to ward them off. Since using

magic by underage wizards is forbidden to use outside of the school, Harry has to go through a

disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic. With Dumbledore’s help, Harry was permitted to go

back to Hogwarts. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, does not

like Harry and doesn’t teach the class any defensive spells. In rebellion, Harry, Ron, and

City of Heavenly Fire is the last installment of the Mortal Instruments series. Going into reading

it, I was feeling very hopeful yet worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, as I have loved

the whole series. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. The book follows the final story of

Clary and her friends facing the greatest evil to face shadowhunters as a whole, her brother

Shatter Me follows Juliet Ferrars, a seventeen year old girl with a lethal touch. Throughout her

whole entire life Juliet is seen as a monster and has been in hospitals, detention centers and

solitary confinement for most of her life even experiencing neglect from her family and peers.

Into almost a year in confinement Juliet received a roommate, Adam Kent who is one of Aaron

Warner's soldiers Juliet is sent to be Aaron’s personal weapon and to use her touch to fight in

Title, Author, Genre: “Who is Bill Gates?”, Patricia Demuth, nonfiction, science/technology