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Another novella in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Son, expands on Four’s relationship with Evelyn and his rise in the Dauntless hierarchy. This story takes place after The Initiate and is not the most exciting or essential novella of the series. I enjoyed the expansion of events that we only got a peek at in the main three novels, such as Tobias discovering that Evelyn is alive, but the overall storyline was boring at some points. Although I liked the broader view into some of the previously mentioned events of Tobias’ life, this novella wasn’t always very entertaining. 3.5 stars

Veronica Roth’s second novella in her ​Divergent​ series, ​The Initiate​, takes place after ​The Transfer​ and follows Four as he navigates becoming and belonging with the Dauntless. This story didn’t add anything to Four’s character or introduce anything new about his background; he’s just in the process of becoming the Four that can be seen in ​Divergent​. However, this book did add depth to Four and Eric’s relationship. ​The Initiate​ provides some explanation for Eric’s motives and hatred towards Four. Although I enjoyed this novella, I can only give it four stars because it didn’t add

Matt Miller, a senior in high school, is dealing with the recent death of his mom to cancer.  Mr. Ray, Matt’s neighbor, offers him a job at the funeral home.  He is hesitant to take it but can’t pass up the good paycheck. So, Matt becomes the boy in the black suit because he starts wearing it every day.  In a way it brings Matt comfort to watch the funerals.  “I liked watching other people deal with the loss of someone, not because I enjoyed seeing them in pain, but because, somehow, it made me feel better knowing that my pain isn’t only mine.”

When he least expects it, Matt meets Lovey. 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is definitely a classic. The book begins with a plane crash on an island, which left a group of boys stranded on their own. From then on, the decisions the boys make represent the formation of society. The protagonist, Ralph, creates an orderly society at the beginning of the novel, but the island turns to chaos as the boys begin to turn on him and create their own belief system of fear. Ralph then struggles to hide from the other boys as they become more chaotic. Finally, a boat comes and rescues them, and the chaotic boys recognize their faults.

This

“Poetry is a matter of life, not just of language.” Lucille Clifton 

This quote—a favorite, I freely admit—echoed in my mind as I read and re-read Bridget Lowe’s second collection, My Second Work. I understand Clifton’s quote to mean that poetry can be esoteric—a symphony of sounds that lull us into a state in which we choose to not question the meaning of it all simply because it sounds so good in the air. Let’s be clear: I love poetry that sings to me and, sometimes, I do not care “what it means” or if it means anything to me, personally, because the language of it lets me imagine/lets me

The Transfer​ is a novella in Veronica Roth’s ​Divergent​ series. This novella highlights a different side of Tobias as Roth provides more insight into who he was before becoming Dauntless. While no new information about his past was presented, this story really emphasizes how much Tobias grew from the time he transferred from Abnegation to ​Divergent​. Rather than showcasing the same reserved yet assertive demeanor that he has in ​Divergent​, Tobias is smaller and doesn’t quite know how to manage his fear yet. Furthermore, it was interesting to see Tobias begin to take control of his life

This is unlike any other book I've read on racism, and it's a good, refreshing thing.
Menakem is a therapist, and his perspective starts with the body. He sees the trauma induced by racism as a physical thing and posits that we need to address as such. Specifically, in the vagus nerve, "which oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including control of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain via afferent fibers."*

P.S. I Like You​ by Kasie West is an adorable YA contemporary romance that embodies a fluffy version of the enemies to lovers trope. In this novel, Lily, a girl who doesn’t quite fit in but is relatively comfortable with herself, starts writing notes to an anonymous pen pal. Lily is eventually torn between keeping the note-writing anonymous and trying to find the person that she’s fallen for through paper.

Although this book had some darker themes, such as absent parents, it was overall very positive. Isabel and Lily had a wonderful friendship; they were both very supportive of the other

A Step From Heaven, written by An Na, describes a girl named Young Ju who recently moves to Mi Gook (America) with her family for new job and educational opportunities. This realistic fiction novel is written with small memories that show Young Ju’s path along life, from when she was a little baby to when she was heading to college. Despite Young Ju being top of her class and achieving what her parents wanted her to, she struggled with her father’s constant verbal and physical abuse. Along with that, she struggled to fit into American culture and learn the language. Her mom had to secretly

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride​, Cary Elwes' account of the making of the iconic film, ​The Princess Bride​ warmed my heart. ​The Princess Bride​ is one of my all-time favorite stories, so knowing that the movie's cast enjoyed making the film as much as I enjoy watching it is charming. The small excerpts from other actors and directors were interesting to read as they provided different sides to the stories Elwes was retelling. Perhaps the most touching entries were about Andre the Giant; I believe he was truly the favorite of all of his castmates and

The third book in L.M. Montgomery’s ​Anne of Green Gables​ series, ​Anne of the Island​, follows Anne through her newly founded adulthood as she goes back to and graduates college, finishes growing up, and deals with the highs and lows of romance. This book perfectly captures the dream of what everyone wants when they move into adulthood; every obstacle can be overcome, and lots of fun.

In this novel, Anne experienced more trials than she had in previous books allowing her to mature, but she still retained her youthful wonder, for which I am very thankful. I really loved the characters in

Mara is one of the last countries in the world that has not been conquered by the Karensa Federation. As Karensa grows ever stronger, Mara is left relying on the Strikers, a group of elite warriors who would die to protect their country, as its last line of defense. Talin, a refugee who fled to Mara after Federation soldiers destroyed her home in the country of Basea, is one of these Strikers. One day, a mysterious prisoner is dragged back to Mara from the front lines, but no information can be extracted from him and an execution is planned. Talin, however, senses that this prisoner is no

It’s perfect, but is it real? Influence follows the lives of four teen influencers who live what seem like perfect lives: Delilah Rollins, a newbie who shot to fame after posting a viral video, Jasmine Walters-Diaz, a former child star who’s tired of hiding her real self, Fiona Jacobs, an aspiring actress who harbors a dark secret from her past, and Scarlet Leigh, the quintessential mean girl of the group. In the whirlwind of events and auditions and shoots, the tension escalates and one of the girls ends up dead. As the other girls try to root out the killer, they are reminded again and again

Veronica a girl who sees ghosts, on the verge of dying. Sawyer the boy who is a daredevil cant say no to taking risks. Can these two conquer there demons together?

Camp is about Randy who wanted to make Hudson, a masculine gay guy, fall in love with him. However, Randy isn't what Hudson's type is, so he turns into "Del" for Hudson. Later on, things get complicated as they both realize that they are not who they really are.

I think the most compelling part is that it is an lgbtq+ book. I also liked it because it had diversity, with trans, non-binary, ace-spectrum, and POC representation. I also liked that it talked about toxic masculinity, gender norms. and other things too.

It has such a good twist and story line, with good character development. I couldn't put the book down when I started reading it!

Small town America has relentlessly been stereotyped and misunderstood. Through multiple forms of literature and lenses, Rural Voices showcases the truth behind the assumptions, empowering those from no-name towns to embrace their origin.

The diversity in interesting plots and styles are most likely the most compelling aspect of the book. It seems that the goal of Rural Voices is to rid the stereotypes of everything in rural America being boring and often the same. However, with a diverse group of stories, this is easily accomplished. There are stories from all around America, giving

This book is a compelling story of a typical teenager who meets a teen soccer heartthrob, who happens to be a client at the firm she is interning at. As they spend more time together, they feel something more than a friendship. Maddie begins to ask herself is this tabloid magnet worth taking the risk of her family pressure and school?

Ever wondered what happens after "And they all lived happily ever after"? Emma Theriault is here to tell you in her 352 page novel that combines the tale as old as time of Beauty and her Beast with the French Revolution. At a time when Europe is on the brink of civil war, following America on the path of revolution, Belle must qualm the fears and fury of her kingdom while rooting out treason within her own royal circles.

I was very intrigued by the idea of reading on after the "fairytale ending" and seeing princesses come into their power. This felt like a Disney princess story for young

Avery Kylie Grambs has been entitled to the fortune and possessions of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, thus disinheriting his family.  Tobias Hawthorne, in his will, stated that in order for Avery to permanently inherit what has been granted in the will, she has to live in the Hawthorne house for a year.  Forced to live with resentful and distrustful heirs, Avery has to try to figure out why she was chosen to inherit Tobias Hawthorne's fortune, all the while dealing with the complexities of the residing Hawthornes.

The most compelling aspect of the book was the fact that it revolved around

This book covers the topic of domestic violence and abuse. There is a lot of symbolism in the novel that makes it interesting.

I think the built up tension throughout the book between Leighton and the girls and their father made for an interesting storyline. When you felt like something big was about to happen, it was hard to stop reading.

I found the most compelling aspect of the book to be that I could almost escape from reality when reading it. The novel shows a plot told from 2 perspectives that are probably slightly unrealistic in today's time, but I found that to be an amazing part of the book. I could open the book, start reading, and imagine myself as a character in the story alongside Evie and Caleb. The 2 perspectives really helped that a lot in providing each event that occured with 2 different viewpoints, in some cases 1 positive and 1 negative. Sometimes I feel everyone wants to take a break and jump into a

The Red Court is a group of mysterious people that do favors and if crossed with punish you. Their members' true identities are unknown but Ember Williams wants to find them and shut the Red Court down.

The Dark Tide is a book with excellent characters, amazing storytelling, and a plot that'll make you never want to put it down. In a setting where mundane people and magical events collide, once you start reading you won't be able to stop.

While in the moment, the impending threat of the tide and the obvious mischief Marcin was up to kept me from wanting to stop reading in the moment, the worldbuilding behind the book was the part that kept me coming back when I put it down. Having a self-consistent world with its own mysteries, secrets, and history isn't something I see done well often in

This book keeps you guessing. And even if you think you've got it figured out, you probably don't.

And the subtle reminders of paranoia throughout the book, even from the beginning, were very compelling. It kept me interested and made me want to read more. It made me very uneasy whenever Mira would feel strange out of the blue, and reminded me to be suspicious of everyone in the car.

My only criticisms are that the action scenes were a little bit underplayed. They tended to blend in with the rest of the book, so it was hard for me to notice a difference between a calm moment and an

The gay love story was by far the most compelling. I would say that most of the novel circulates on the trials and tribulations of Charlie coming to terms with who he is and wanting to be in a relationship with a boy.

I signed up for a love story, and I was handed just that. It's everything I wanted without lots of annoying stuff to get in the way. When reading the back cover, this is what I hoped for, and it's exactly what I was given,

For me, the most compelling part of the book wasn't the existence and secrecy of magic itself, but the lack of acceptance around it. While normally the world of a book having magic isn't something too impressive. The way that this book had magic exist but villanized by the general public was a unique twist that I don't normally see and I was really intrigued to see how it turned out.

The one thing I could say is that there was a bit much exposition - you have to go 50 pages into the book before you even beet the only character given a name in the synopsis. I was initially very confused on

I was so into this book I wanted more after I finished it. All of the plot twists and thickenings kept me intrigued and enveloped thought the novel. I really love all of the character development in the book as well, it added so much more depth than I realized looking back.

Haylah Swinton is a sweet daughter and a fiercely loyal best friend. But most importantly, she can make anyone laugh. When she finds herself with a guy stepping into the spotlight, she jumps at the chance of ghostwriting for his sets.

Loved the book. Very bright. Rebecca really captured the ups and downs of this girl Haylah. I'm excited for Pretty rude for a girl to come out.     

        After letting her insecurities ruin her experience at a Halloween party, Olivia "Liv" James decides to make a F*ck-It List to never let her insecurities get to her again. This leads Liv to get a part in the school musical, gain new best friends, as well as attractions to 3 different boys. The list seemed to change Liv's life for the better, until one rule of the list led to a series of misunderstands to unfold in this inspiring novel.     
          The most compelling aspect is the relatability of the main character. Personally, no other books could come as close to being as