The Last of Your Book Reviews from Summer Reading

Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, Fic Picoult. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is the perfect book if you're looking for a suspenseful book with a surprise ending. It covers the tragedy of a high school shooting, from the views of the police, parents, victims, and the shooter. All of their stories mesh together as the shooter is brought to court. Was he really at fault, or was the constant bullying too much for him to bear and his act is therefore justified? This novel explores the social cliques of modern teenagers, the pressure to fit in, and the problems that arise if you aren't one of the popular crowd. -- Molly, Grade 10

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, J Fic Rowling. I LOVE the Harry Potter series! This is my fourth time reading the entire series in a row... J.K. Rowling is just a great writer and sometimes I forget I'm not with Harry, and that I'm just reading :) -- Lauren, Grade 9

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, Mystery McCall Smith. I really enjoyed reading the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. I liked it because the main character, Precious, is very ambitious and believes women to be just as equal to men in a time where this wasn't the case. Precious decides to set up her own detective agency, and the book is about the cases that she encounters, along with problems she has with her own life. This book was a nice, easy read that I really liked. -- Maria, Grade 9

The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler, 362.8298 Fes. I thought that The Girls Who Went Away is a bittersweet book. It made me really understand what had happen during those times. These girls had struggled to go on with their lives as some had been kicked out of their houses and some had to give away their baby. Some would never know who their biological mother was. It was a happy ending as the author has found her mother. I really appreciated the book as well as found true reality in the book. -- Nipah, Grade 9

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, Fic Gruen. This summer, I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I always read books before I see the movies, so when I saw the trailer for Water for Elephants, I decided I had to read the book. And I did. I absolutely LOVED it!! Other than being a fantastic romance story, Water for Elephants describes so much about what happens behind the scenes in circuses; a world that I find very intriguing. One of my favorite things about Water for Elephants is that it can't really be classified as one genre; it's romance and mystery and a little bit of a documentary. I have to say, this might just be one of my favorite books of all time...a MUST read!!! -- Ariana, Grade 9

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Teen Fic Sepetys. I really enjoyed reading Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. This book takes place during the 1910s.It tells the story of a girl, Lina, and her family during the time of Stalin’s dictatorship. I thought Ruta Sepetys did a great job making this book interesting to read, while still informational. Stalin did terrible things to his people, and this time in history is overlooked many times in textbooks. Reading this book is not only a great read, but a look into history as well. -- Alyssa, Grade 10

Mother, Help Me Live by Lurlene McDaniel, Teen Fic McDaniel. I loved the book Mother, Help Me Live. Sarah has leukemia and desperately needs a bone marrow transplant for any chance of survival. Since she has two siblings, she perks up when the doctor informs them that the marrow needs to match a long number sequence, but with siblings, there's a good chance of a match. But her parents look uncomfortable and say there's no reason testing them. Sarah finds out she was adopted and that her birth mother didn't want anyone to know. After being giving a great amount of money by someone anonymously, Sarah is off on a desperate quest to find her birth mother. -- Kimmy, Grade 9

Please Don't Die by Lurlene McDaniel, Teen Fic McDaniel. Please Don't Die is a captivating story. When contacted by the foundation that a few years earlier had supplied her with enough money for a new heart, Katie volunteered to spend the summer at Jenny House. She becomes a "big sister" to Amanda, Chelsea, and Lacey, who become some of her closest friends. Amanda has leukemia, Chelsea has a bad heart like Katie did earlier, and Lacey has diabetes. When Amanda takes a turn for the worse, the girls and their friend Jeff do everything they can to give her her best last weeks. -- Kimmy, Grade 9

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Fic Shelley. I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley as part of my summer reading for high school. The story was very interesting and held my attention. However, some of the vocabulary may be challenging for the average reader. I was very excited to read this British classic and I recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit more sophisticated. -- Michael, Grade 12

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Fic Hosseini. I really enjoyed reading Hosseini's "The Kite Runner". It was based on a true story and took place in India. I thought it was a bit hard to get into at first and thought my Mom's recommendation might not have been very good. Suddenly I got a few chapters in and I really started liking it! It was very interesting to learn a little about the Afghani culture and some cool traditions they have. I would highly recommend this book to all! -- Ally, Grade 9

That Summer by Sarah Dessen, Teen Fic Dessen. The book I really liked was That Summer by Sarah Dessen. I liked it because I could really relate to the things that happened in the book. Also, it had a lot of ups and downs, and teens who read this book will really enjoy it and won't be able to put it down. – Brittany, Grade 9