Author: John Green Published: 2008 Genres: Mystery, YA By: Kayla Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will … but if you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.” I read this book in 2 days, which is a rare occurrence for me in the term time, but it truly succeeded in keeping me interested and I found myself wanting to be fully immersed in the story. Paper Towns is a novel that … Continue reading Book Review: Paper Towns
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes Published: 2013 Genres: Mystery, Thriller, YA By: Cassia Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 To catch a serial killer, you have to think like one. This book follows the story of Cassie Hobbs, a girl with a gift and a tragic story. Cassie has a natural ability to profile people, picking up who they are and what they’re like based off their actions and looks. She thinks nothing of it, until one day, the FBI approaches her … Continue reading Book Review: The Naturals
Author: Charlotte Brontë Published: 1840s Genres: Bildungsroman (novel about growth or morality, education etc.), Classic, Gothic, Romance By: Alexandrina Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is a romance novel which mixes with various other genres such as coming-of-age and gothic. It was published by the author Charlotte Bronte in the 1840s under the male pseudonym Currer Bell. The novel describes the life of a girl … Continue reading Book Review: Jane Eyre
Author: N.H. Kleinbaum Published: 1988 Genres: Coming of age, Fiction, Poetry, YA By: Catherine Dead Poets Society a well-written and executed novel by N.H Kleinbaum, embarks you on a journey of friendship-brotherhood, self-discovery, bittersweet tragedy, conformity vs individualism, and romance. Todd Anderson, a timid, woke, and somewhat reserved 16-year-old boy transfers to Welton Academy. A private, disciplined, academy for boys’, where he meets his permanent dorm roommate, Neil Perry, a charismatic, passionate, and charming boy, and his friend group of somewhat rebellious and intelligent boys. Despite stark contrast to himself, they quickly become friends. Welton Academy is infamous … Continue reading Book Review: Dead Poets Society
Author: R.F. Kuang Published: 2025 Genres: Dark Academia, Fantasy By: Maya Star Rating: 4/5 stars Katabasis by RF Kuang is a novel that one can only describe as addictive. The novel, entitled after Greek word Katabasis, directly translates to “descending” and follows Alice Law and Peter Murdoch’s descent into Hell. The main characters, both of which are graduate students at Cambridge, aim to retrieve the soul of their … Continue reading Book Review: Katabasis
Author: Susan Dennard Published: 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, YA By: Katie Star Rating: 3.7/5 stars Did you like this book? The Luminaries is the first novel in a compelling fantasy trilogy. It follows Winnie Wednesday and her pursuit of becoming a nightmare hunter, having to face three trials during the month of her sixteenth birthday. Although, after her family was outcasted from the Wednesday clan years ago … Continue reading Book Review: The Luminaries
Author: E. Lockhart Published: 2014 Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, YA By: Cassia Star Rating: 4/5 The Sinclair family is perfect. They have money, good looks, passion and a private island. But what happens when a group of four friends, the Liars, make a mistake which leads to a heart-breaking accident? I would tell you, but I’m just going to lie. Personally, I liked this book. It was different from my usual genre of books, but … Continue reading Book Review: We Were Liars
Author: Gaston Leroux Published: 1910 Genres: Gothic Literature, Horror, Romance By: Lucinda Star Rating: 5/5 stars In the gothic heart of Paris in the late 1800s, Gaston Leroux transports us to a time of beauty, glamour and romance but with a touch of the sinister, the melancholy, the cursed. The Phantom of the Opera follows the strange occurrences in the Paris Opera House once the new managers take … Continue reading Book Review: The Phantom of Opera
Author: Aloha Higa Published: 2023 Genres: Animals, Humor, Manga, YA By: Huxley If you are looking for a new book series to read, one I would recommend is the Polar Bear Cafe, by Aloha Higa.Polar Bear Cafe is a fictional manga about a group of friends going about their comedic life. If you have not read manga yet, it is read in the traditional Japanese order of left … Continue reading Book Review: Polar Bear Cafe
Author: Sarah Cohen-Scali Published: 2012 Genres: Historical fiction By: Kayla Star Rating: 3.8/5 Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali is a fascinating and confronting novel set in Germany during World War II. The book follows the life of a young boy named Max, a product of the ‘Lebensborn’ (Fountains of Youth) program, which is designed to create ‘perfect specimens of the German race’ in order to help the Nazi population thrive. Max is indoctrinated with Nazi ideology from the womb. However, when he meets a Jew named … Continue reading Book Review: Max
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