Book Review: Lyla Through My Eyes

Author: Fleur Beale    Published: 2018 Star Rating: 4/5 stars Genres: Drama, Historical Fiction, YA By: Samantha Lyla: Through My Eyes Natural Disaster Zones is about a young schoolgirl called Lyla. Who is trying to get her life back to normal after the terrifying 2010 September earthquake that shook the city during the early hours of the morning. Lyla had just started her second year of high school when suddenly a magnitude 6.3 earthquake shakes Christchurch to pieces and turns Lyla’s life upside down.    I liked this book because the author did a particularly good job of describing the city of Christchurch … Continue reading Book Review: Lyla Through My Eyes

Book Review: The Geek Girl Series

Author: Holly Smale    Published: 2013 Genres: Drama, Humor, Romance, YA By: Nicole Harriet Manners knows a lot of things – like how many muscles a cat’s ear has or how many timesan average person laughs a day. But when she gets spotted by a modelling agent, her life changesovernight. She starts modelling for world-renowned fashion designer, Yuka Ito. Follow Harriet in this thrilling adventure as she navigates her way … Continue reading Book Review: The Geek Girl Series

Book Review: Becoming Kareem – Growing Up on and Off the Court

Author: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Raymond Obstfeld    Published: 2017 Genres: Autobiography, Sports – Basketball, YA By: Alex Becoming Kareem is about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his childhood as a black kid in the 50s and 60s and his struggles going to an all-white school and living in a black neighbourhood. Although this book is about a famous basketball player, this book also discusses society back in the darkest years of the USA. … Continue reading Book Review: Becoming Kareem – Growing Up on and Off the Court

Book Review: The Girls I’ve Been

Author: Tess Sharpe    Published: 2021 Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, YA By: Ashlin Nora’s mother is an extremely successful con artist and quickly making Nora her protégé. But what if Nora doesn’t want to lead that kind of life? Samantha, Katie, Haley, Ashley – these are the girls she has been, but Nora must decide who she is now. This book is a DEFINITE must-read. A strong female protagonist leads … Continue reading Book Review: The Girls I’ve Been

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green    Published: 2012 Genres: Drama, Romance, YA By: Ashlin Here we have yet another devastating novel by John Green. In this story, Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are two cancer victims that explore the value of life and appreciation they have for it together.  This is a very emotional, heart-felt book that had me in actual tears multiple times. The plot is well thought out, the events … Continue reading Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Book Review: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins    Published: 2010 Star Rating: 4/5 stars Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, YA By: Joel The book Mockingjay is set in Panem, a science-fictional place in America post revolution. The country is split into 13 different districts, with one Capitol, which rules them all. After the destruction of District 12, where most of the books are set, the survivors from that district move into District 13, which was previously … Continue reading Book Review: Mockingjay

Book Review: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak    Published: 2005 Genres: Historical fiction, Drama, YA, War fiction By: Den In this novel, we follow the lives of Liesel Meminger and her family in Germany during World War Two, trying to survive the war with a Jewish man called Max Vandenburg. It shows the hard life of the German people and the discrimination they had against Jewish people during the war. I found this novel … Continue reading Book Review: The Book Thief

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Author: Suzanne Collins    Published: 2020 Star Rating: 4/5 stars Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, YA By: Flynn Coriolanus Snow’s origins are explored in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy. Lacking in finance and assets, the remaining Snow family must find a way to live without their previous luxuries in a post-rebellion Capitol. Hope falls into a young President Snow’s hands in the form of … Continue reading Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Book Review: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus    Published: 2020 Genres: Mystery, Crime, YA By: Sunny Karen M. McManus is no stranger to the mystery genre and this book has a promising premise. An estranged grandmother, a massive inheritance and three teenagers spending the summer dealing with their greedy, unfaithful parents. Cue Drama. Unfortunately, the book falls flat. From the excessive red herrings, so many so that the ending feels plain wrong, to … Continue reading Book Review: The Cousins

Book Review: Refugee

Author: Alan Gratz    Published: 2017 Genres: Drama, Realistic Fiction, War, YA By: Sheri-Moon Alan Gratz is a 49-year-old American author from Knoxville, TN, but he lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Alan has written several books such; Projekt 1065, Prisoner- B3087, Code of Honor, Grenade Etc. Most of his books are based on real events that have happened in the past and Refugee is one of those books.  Refugee tells a story about three children from different parts … Continue reading Book Review: Refugee