BOOK REVIEWS

Tarot: No Questions Asked

By Daria Serheyeva

How would you feel if a deck of cards knew your biggest secret? Well, Theresa Reed's book  Tarot: No Questions Asked can teach you to read tarot, which has a surprising ability to reveal people's secrets, hopes, or fears. One of my favorite quotes from the book is in the introduction, and it sums up why tarot is so unique and magical. "A story unfolded before me of lost love, challenges finding a new partner, and a job change that left him feeling displaced" (Reed 22) The tarot reader can look into people's lives and help them by offering advice and possibilities of what can happen in the future. On the topic of the future, the author says, "Our life doesn't just "happen to us." Our decisions dictate what sort of future unfolds.." (Reed 43). "That means that tarot doesn't show what will happen, only what might happen. 

Another interesting story astonished me. Theresa Reed suddenly thought of the name "Barry" during a reading, and that was the name of her client's uncle, who had passed. It really shows that intuition is powerful, and the book helps us learn to use and improve intuition through tarot.

Unlike other books about tarot, almost half of this book is dedicated to intuition, how to improve it, and how to use it in tarot reading. Verónica Fleitas Solich on goodreads.com writes that the book "makes you lose your fear of cards and without a doubt, helps you develop a lot of confidence in your own intuition. In addition to learning a lot about the tarot, it opens your mind to this incredible world that undoubtedly brings you closer in an organic way." Theresa's book also has so-called "Tarotcises," which are exercises that help to learn the meanings of the cards and connect to them. They come in handy when mastering the divination method. 

Overall, I think that Tarot: No Questions Asked is a useful tool for both beginners and more advanced tarot readers. If you read this book and enjoy it, I suggest checking out some other books by Theresa Reed, like The Tarot Coloring Book, Astrology for Real Life, and Tarot for Troubled Times. 

Wonder

By Halo Jenkins

Can you imagine living your whole childhood trying to hide your face because you were afraid of what other people would say? Can you Imagine having to live your life with everyone staring at you every time you left the house and not because you looked good?

Well, that's what Auggie's life was like. In the book Wonder written by R.J. Palacio, the main character is August, a ten-year boy who was born with an unusual face, and he has had to go through many, many surgeries to try and fix his face. Auggie has spent most of his life at home, not going to school, but now his life changes when he finds out he's going to in-person school for the first time after the summer. When I was reading this book, I was shocked by how the students reacted to Auggie on the first day of school, which was an important moment in the book because it's kind of what started the whole story. 

Another important moment in the book Wonder is when Auggie makes friends. When this moment happened, I felt happy and hopeful because most of the students didn't like Auggie, so when people stepped up to be his friend, it was a happy moment in the book. 

If you loved Wonder, you would definitely like Ugly by Robert Hoges because it has a similar storyline. The book Ugly is about Robert Hoge's childhood and how he would get called cripple at school and how he had to go through many reconstructive surgeries, which is similar to how Auggie, the main character in the book Wonder got bullied at school and how he had to get surgeries on his face. Another book similar to Wonder is actually the other book written by R.J. Palacio, Auggie and Me, because it is a continuation of the book Wonder so if you wanted to keep reading but you finished the book, certainly try reading Auggie and Me.

However, the author of this book R.J Palacio has written many other books. This book won the 2014 Maine Student Book Award, Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, the 2015 Mark Twain Award, Hawaii's 2015 Nene Award, and the Junior Young Reader's Choice Award for 2015. In Illinois, it won both the Bluestem and Caudill Awards in 2014. 

This is an AMAZING book! It's powerful, showing that differences are not weaknesses! Relatable story for kids who feel different or have been bullied.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

By Isabella Miller 

The Summer I Turned Pretty is a novel by Jenny Han that tells the story of 15-year-old Isabel "Belly" Conklin and her summer experiences at a beach house with her mother and her mother's best friend's family. Belly has always had a crush on the eldest son, Conrad, who is aloof and brooding, while his younger brother, Jeremiah, is friendly and outgoing. Over the course of the summer, Belly's feelings for Conrad deepen, but she also begins to realize that he has a troubled past and is struggling with his own demons. Meanwhile, Jeremiah's affections towards Belly become more apparent, creating a love triangle.

The story explores themes of first love, family dynamics, self-discovery, and growing up. Belly learns to navigate her changing relationships with the two boys and her own feelings about herself and her family. As the summer draws to a close, Belly's world is forever changed, and she begins to understand that growing up means leaving some things behind and embracing new ones.

I enjoyed reading this book because when I saw a part that I really liked, I reacted normally, but it made me keep wanting to read about it.  

The author received the Young Adult Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in 2015–2016. Other books by the same author are It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer.

Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes Review

By Ariela Tehrani

Many say that the book Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes is literally the cutest. It's the perfect gift for a 10-13-year-old girl! "When a blizzard threatens to ruin Valentine’s Day, three seventh-grade friends make and distribute fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors—and confront the secrets they’ve been keeping from one another. Confident Kate doesn’t notice much, but the latest gossip and shy Georgia can’t say out loud what’s always on her mind. They’re joined by observant, careful Olivia, whose epic, single-minded crush on PBJ (real name: Phillip Becker-Jacobs) is starting to frustrate them. Using fortune cookies that mysteriously always seem to speak directly to the person who opens them, the three girls try to work together to bring some love to their building while reminding each other why they are such good friends to begin with" (books.google.com).

This book shows how kindness can be shared worldwide easily and how you should value all your friendships. How would you feel if your best friend snuck around, figured out your crush, and then told a complete stranger? Would you go around your apartment complex and meet all new people by giving them fortune cookies you handmade? 

I was extremely shocked when I found out about all the things Olivia did and found. Wow! How can someone be so sneaky in such a good and bad way?

Ms. Lisa Greenwald, who participated in PJ Library's first Author Israel Adventure trip, was additionally awarded a Notable Book for Older Readers for her outstanding book 12 Before 13. 

Scythe

By Justin Kim

Scythe is a dystopian novel written by Neal Shusterman that takes place in the future with many twists that will keep you engaged. But this future is different from others as humans have succeeded in achieving immortality and getting artificial intelligence, called the Thunderhead, to be a fair ruler of the world. The problem isn’t the robot controlling Earth but immortality, as Earth would be overpopulated if people kept living. So the Scythes are created. They kill, or as they put it, “glean” people they choose because there isn’t a natural way for humans to die except for fire.

The book starts with a journal entry from an important Scythe, which gives background information about the book and the dystopian society. Then the two protagonists are introduced. 

These protagonists are chosen to be Scythe apprentices but have to train and be tested to earn the role. They eventually meet scythes that massacre people. The whole start of the book was captivating and made me want to keep reading. Though the book starts wonderfully, the ending will also make you smile when you read it.

There are villains, heroes, and characters that you’ll love. There’s lots of action and heroic deeds. The Scythe journal entries between each chapter added some philosophical ideas about human life and ethics to the book as well. The story kept me wondering what would happen to the characters and which side they were on. The many twists and turns always surprised me and were one of the main aspects that made the book great. Scythe isn’t a cliched futuristic or utopian novel about an apocalypse or robots overtaking the world but it is an original, compelling read that I’d recommend to anyone.

The Hunger Games 

By Simone Simantob

Can you imagine there are 12 districts, and each one gets worse and worse? And every year, each district chooses one man and woman to compete in a game to fight to the death. This happens in the hunger games, the first of 3 books. This is an amazing series that I am obsessed with. “When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeing Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress” is one of the first sentences in the book, and it really sets the scene as a dystopia and how the main character Katniss is living an uncomfortable life. As the book progresses, she sneaks through a fence into the woods to hunt her family for some game because they are so poor and live in the poorest district. As Katniss faces the scars of the fight to the death, she faces depression and no peace of mind.

This book contributes to dark humor, suspension action, and facing the hard truth about human beings being power-hungry and wanting everything in their clutch.  

If you like this book, then you should read the other two books of the trilogy, and you should read the giver because they are both dystopian books that look perfect but have bad stories behind them.

In conclusion, this book is hands down the best book I have ever read.

The Giver

By Eli Abrishami

Could you imagine waiting twelve years to get a job, but your name/number gets skipped? Well, this is what happened to Jonas in the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. 

The Giver is a young adult dystopian novel written by Lois Lowry and first published in 1993. The story is set in a seemingly perfect society where everything is controlled, and there is no war, pain, or suffering. However, the citizens have no emotions, memories, or freedom of choice. The protagonist, Jonas, is a 12-year-old boy who is assigned the position of "Receiver of Memory," which means he must receive memories from the "Giver," the only person in society who retains memories of the past. Through this process, Jonas discovers the truth about his society and must make a decision that will change his life forever.

As Jonas begins to receive memories, he becomes aware of the pain and suffering that society has eliminated. He also learns about love, family, and individuality, which are absent in his world. The Giver becomes a mentor to Jonas, helping him understand the importance of individual freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.

Jonas soon realizes that his society's way of life is not perfect and that he must take action to change it. He decides to run away from the community, taking a baby with him, in order to give the community memories and emotions that they have been deprived of. The novel ends by leaving the reader to decide whether Jonas succeeds in his mission or not.

Jonas, the main character who, as I said, gets skipped in getting his assignment, gets to have the most important job in all the assignments. He gets to see the past, and there is someone there, The Giver, to answer all of his questions and give the memories. In The Giver, you get to see Jonas going through pain, emotions, and more. 

Percy Jackson The Lightening Thief

By Aaron Bohbot

Hey there! If you're looking for a fun and exciting book series to read, then you should check out Percy Jackson! Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first book in a young adult fantasy series by Rick Riordan, published in 2005. 

The story follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who discovers that he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Percy soon learns that the world of Greek mythology is real, and he must navigate through it to save his world.

The story begins with Percy discovering that he has a special ability to control water. He is then accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, which is believed to be the most powerful weapon in the world. Percy sets out on a quest to find the lightning bolt and clear his name.

Along with his best friend, Grover, a satyr, and Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, Percy travels to the Underworld, battles monsters, and encounters gods and goddesses. He also learns about his past and his connection to the gods.

Throughout the novel, Percy faces numerous challenges and obstacles, including a confrontation with the Greek god of war, Ares. With the help of his friends and his own demigod abilities, Percy overcomes these challenges and ultimately returns the lightning bolt to Zeus, saving the world from a war between the gods.

Trust me. You won't be able to put the book down until you find out what happens in the end.