Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters is a fairly well-received sequel and an exciting Percy Jackson adventure where Percy’s best friend, Grover, is taken by a Cyclopes and in order to free him and retrieve the Golden Fleece, must sneak and venture into the Sea of Monsters, a monster-infested area of water with Annabeth.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi is a compelling novel that follows the journey of Fabiola Toussaint, a Haitian immigrant, as she moves to Detroit with her mother to join their family. However, Fabiola's mother is detained at the U.S. border, leaving Fabiola to navigate the challenges of American life alone. The story explores themes of identity, cultural clash, and the pursuit of the American dream.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab follows the extraordinary life of Adeline LaRue, a young woman in 18th-century France who makes a Faustian bargain for eternal life, but with the caveat that no one will remember her. Addie navigates centuries, experiencing the highs and lows of human existence while grappling with the loneliness of her unique circumstance.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is a realistic fiction novel about Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza. Aristotle is a lonely, angry teenager. He wants to learn more about his brother, who is in prison. And his father, who has become quiet and closed off after returning from war. Once he meets his best friend, Dante, he starts questioning more things than he ever had before.
LaToya goes to a mostly white school. She has no friends and even the other black kids make fun of her. One night she prays to be anything but black, and she wakes up with white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Then the real fun begins in this journey of self-discovery that takes shocking and hilarious twists and turns.
All American Boys is a big-issue book that also makes an excellent character study. Rashad, a sixteen-year-old African-American boy, is the victim of police brutality. Quinn, a sixteen-year-old white boy, is a witness to Rashad's beating. These two guys live in the same city and go to the same school. Quinn plays on the same basketball team as some of Rashad's friends. And yet they barely know each other.
I know this is a somewhat older title with a copyright of 2006, but I missed it back then and every year since. Why? Why did I wait SO long to read it? And why can I only give it five stars? I want to give it ten on scale of one to five!
