The first book in Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries series, Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, captures what it’s like to be a tween/young teen girl. Nikki Maxwell must try to fit in at a new, preppy school that she attends on a scholarship. Nikki will have to navigate friends, crushes, and popular enemies, recounting it all in her diary.
Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, is the final novel in The Hunger Games trilogy. After being rescued from the Quarter Quell, Katniss must adapt to life in District Thirteen while mourning the loss of Peeta. Katniss, forced to be the face of a revolution that she does not lead, suddenly finds herself in the middle of political chaos as the rebels of District Thirteen aim to overthrow the Capitol.
It’s a shame Maia wasn’t born as a boy. She has the makings of one of the best tailors in all of A’landi — she spins silk into the finest thread, weaves gossamer cloth that almost floats in its delicacy, and embroiders scenes that seem to dance with life — but as a girl, she is destined not for greatness as a tailor, but for marriage. However, when her elderly father is summoned to the palace to compete against eleven other tailors for the position of imperial tailor, Maia assumes the identity of her brother Keton and travels to the palace in her father’s stead.
The Thousandth Floor is a futuristic fantasy, set in Manhattan, New York in 2118. The world has evolved drastically, with mind-controlled objects and more. The first edition to this trilogy has me intrigued and I can't wait to read the next book. I love the way each chapter is told by a different character and how everyone is connected at the end. The plot is very well-thought and detailed. I recommend this book if you like suspense and are a fan of fantasy.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, written by J.K. Rowling, is the second book in the Harry Potter series. It’s a compelling book with diverse characters and I couldn’t put it down. Harry and his friends try to figure out who is trying to killing the kids at Hogwarts. When word gets out that Harry is Slytherin's heir, everything gets more complicated for him.
Simone Garcia-Hampton is positive for HIV. Simone’s mother died when she was young. After moving from her old school, Simone made new friends and decides to start over. Simone is a really smart kid as well as being the student-director of her school play, Rent. At her school, Simone meets her crush, Miles. She loves him and dreams about kissing him, etc. But how will he react once she tells him she has HIV, while someone is threatening her to stop talking to Miles?
Bang! Bang! POW! Normal 16-year-old Starr Carter’s world is turned upside down after witnessing the traumatic shooting of her best friend, Khalil Harris. The incident quickly becomes the talk of the town and it is later revealed to the public that Starr was the witness of the shooting. Will Starr be able to speak out and uncover the truth behind Khalil’s death? Will Khalil be served justice?
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is probably one of my least favorite books I have read in a while. The story attempts to paint trauma and mental illness in the eyes of a teenager. It tries to be relatable to the reader, and while I believe that this could have been achieved, the main character of the novel is quite frankly a horrible character.
The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer is a mystery novel with complex twists and turns. Abby Goodwin has always been the overprotective sister. Saving her sister, Maya, was almost like a part-time job for her. Unfortunately, as they grew up and matured, they started drifting apart. One day, Abby finds Jefferson Andrews, the popular, the smart, and the “perfect” boy at their high school dead. As she slowly unravels and follows the trails of clues, everything points to Maya and everyone suspects Maya.
Olive Torres is and has always been notoriously unlucky. From getting stuck in a claw machine to getting fired from her job to being struck by lightning, it seems like something bad always manages to happen to her. So, it should come as no surprise when Olive is forced to go on her sister’s honeymoon with Ethan Thomas, her longtime archnemesis and sworn enemy, when a nasty bout of food poisoning takes out nearly everyone at the wedding. But posing as a married couple is a small price to pay for ten days of paradise in Hawaii, and all Olive and Ethan have to do is survive each other.
