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Hi! I’m Tiana and I’m an eighth grader. I love to read and to help others find books. Books take people to new places and help them forget their worries. So, as we go through this weird time, I’m going to add new books that I enjoy and recommend. I normally read dystopian books (books about troubled societies), romance, fantasy, fairy tale spin-offs, realistic fiction, books with complicated plots, and books set in our current time period. Every week, I’ll put a new book (or a series) up with my thoughts.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This is a book about siblings! I have a young sibling! This is a book about dogs! I have a dog! This is a book about summer vacations off from school… Yes, this is a library website, I realize that now… What time is it? Summer! This is the perfect mood for this time of the year, sort of how books about winter are good for spring (Kidding it was a joke, don’t get mad).
The Penderwicks follows the adventures of four sisters. When their usual vacation house is sold, Mr. Penderwick books them a cottage in Arundel.
Rosalind, the oldest sister, is rational and responsible, the mother of the group. When she meets Cagney however, she falls in love.
Skye is next. She is impatient and fiesty, with the temper of a mad bull. Skye is no-nonsense and tough as rock. A soccer fanatic, she needs a passing partner besides Jane.
Jane is a dreamer who lives in her own world. An author, she loves to write about a heroine named Sabrina Starr.
Batty, the shy one has the biggest heart. She, along with her doggy sidekick, have the time of their lives in Arundel.
Everything is normal until Skye meets Jeffery, the son of the owner of the property where the Penderwicks are staying. Jeffery is a musician in a military family, and longs for his mother to see that. Join the Penderwicks as a summer of adventure awaits!
I rated this book a 10 out of 10. I love the way Birdsall depicts the sibling-to-sibling relationship. This book is great for people that like to read realistic fiction. I can imagine many of thesibling-to-sibling conversations happening between me and my brother.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Week of 4/10/20
Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman
This is a dystopian series about a version of society where no one dies unless they are gleaned by a scythe. Scythes are glorified, enlightened, and very, very revered. The honor of getting a scythe’s ring is the highest honor you can get. The series takes place in 2042, in the Midmerican region of North America, and follows two teenagers named Rowan and Citra as they train and compete against each other to become a scythe.
Rowan is the "lettuce" kid of his family. The middle child, his parents don’t really notice him, and throw money in every other direction but his. When a scythe offers him an apprenticeship, and the immense power that comes with it, it’s a no brainer. Rowan accepts. There’s a catch though. Citra.
Citra Terranova is a fifteen year old girl who has done nothing of note in her life. She has a younger brother who is obsessed with scythes and has all the Midmerican training cards. In order to humor Ben, Citra becomes an apprentice.
Who will win the ring? Read Scythe by Neal Shusterman to find out!
I rate this book a 10/10 because I loved the way Shusterman presents this society. I also loved Shusterman’s character presentation and development as time progressed. This book is wild and unpredictable. Every time you turn a page, the plot changes. This book is good for people ages 10 and up who are ok with a little (maybe more than a little) violence. Shusterman presents a very relatable set of characters, and by the end, you’ll be rooting for Rowan or Citra. Or both, like me.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Prequels. I love ‘em. I hate ‘em. Sometimes, they’re really good and make everything make sense. Sometimes, they confuse me more. But this prequel is on a whole other level. This explains EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. I’m telling you.
This book is set 64 years before the first of The Hunger Games trilogy. The main character, Coriolanus Snow, is from a rich, well respected, and prominent family. Or at least they were. Coriolanus hopes to be chosen to mentor for the tenth annual Hunger Games, so that he can earn a scholarship to the University. Coriolanus hopes to get one of the higher up district tributes, like One or Two, and preferably a male. Of course, he gets none of what he wants. He instead gets one of the district twelve tributes. The female, a young girl by the name Lucy Gray Baird. Follow both Coriolanus and Lucy Gray as they work to win the games.
I rate this book a 10/10 because it explains everything about President Snow. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes explains his obsession with roses, why he doesn’t like Katniss’s mockingjay pin, why he is content with the violence inherent in the Hunger Games, and how he became President, the madman who-, sorry,no spoilers. This book also explains the origins of some of the characters that we see later in the series, and gives us the backstory that we need to sympathize with the antagonist which in my opinion, makes everything better. You’d love this book if you are a fan of the Hunger Games.
*Please note that this can be read before or after you read the trilogy. Just read the trilogy in order and do not get mad at me if it ruins the trilogy for you because you’re still feeling bad for President Snow when you read it. I did that once. Didn’t end well.
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