Believe Me, by Tahereh Mafi, brings an end to the young adult dystopian Shatter Me series in the form of a novella centering around Juliette and Warner.
Two Twisted Crowns, by Rachel Gillig, is the sequel to One Dark Window, in which Elspeth and Ravyn’s journey to unite the deck of Providence Cards continues. However, in addition to these two perspectives, Gillig introduces Elm’s point of view, allowing the reader a glimpse at both sides of the story.
One Dark Window, by Rachel Gillig, is a young adult gothic fantasy set in Blunder, an ancient world cursed by magic. Elspeth Spindle has her own magic, in the form of a spirit trapped in her head whom she calls the Nightmare. However, all magic comes with a cost, and Elsepth must find the twelve Providence Cards to cure Blunder and banish the Nightmare from her mind before it is too late. Luckily, she stumbles upon the Captain of the King’s guard, who just might be able to offer her the help she needs.
Grendel, by John Gardner, is a mythological retelling of the classic epic Beowulf through the perspective of Beowulf’s antagonist, Grendel. As the novel progresses, the reader, for the most part, follows the chronological events of Grendel’s life, and how he came to be the unforgivable and widely feared monster in Beowulf’s tale.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long is a book about Sena, a seventeen-year-old girl who lives on Tundar, a frozen planet with nothing to show except for the annual race that killed her mothers. Sena hates the race, and she wants to do is get out Tundar. But after double-crossing her town’s lead gangster, she has to flee from her home with a stolen fighting wolf, and her only option becomes joining the race.
This book is the biography of David Beckham, a boy from England who dreamed of becoming a soccer star. The book follows his journey from playing for Manchester United to becoming an international football icon. It also highlights his time with teams like Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, as well as his influence off the field as a role model and philanthropist. The book shows how hard work and passion helped Beckham achieve his dreams.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic literature short story, or fairy story, about totalitarianism. The story takes place on Manor Farm, where various farm animals initially live with the owner named Farmer Jones. However, the animals’ rebel and drive Farmer Jones out of the farm after a speech from one of the wise pigs. The animals are left to run the farm themselves, and two pigs named Napoleon and Snowball are assigned as leaders. The events that follow demonstrate the impact of a totalitarian government.
“Life isn't fair…It's taken me a while to get that. It's always going to disappoint you in some way or another. You'll make plans, and it'll push you in another direction. You will love people, and they'll be taken away no matter how hard you fight to keep them. You'll try for something and won't get it. You don't have to find meaning in it; you don't have to try to change things. You just have to accept the things that are out of your hands and try to take care of yourself. That's your job.”
The fourth book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, The Battle of the Labyrinth, is in my opinion the worst of the series. Despite being the worst, it is still a solid book. The Battle of the Labyrinth begins after Percy and friends return to camp where they find an entrance to the labyrinth. They are given the information that Luke is planning to lead an army of monsters through the Labyrinth in order to attack Camp Half-blood.
The Titan’s Curse, Rick Riordan’s third book in the Percy Jackson series, is another great book in the series. In my opinion it is the most underrated of the series. The story starts with Percy and his friends heading back to Camp Half-blood with two new recruits. Artemis, a goddess, decides to go on a quest and sends her hunters back to Camp Half-blood in the meantime. While there, the oracle gives a quest stating five should go, and two will die.
