By Zoey Beemiller

In the Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, set 24 years before the original book, we find16-year-old boy Haymitch Abernathy on his birthday--which also just happens to be the Reaping day.  At the Reaping, Haymitch gets punished for protecting his girlfriend and is forced to enter the Games. He is followed by Maysilee Donner, Louella Mccoy, and Wyatt Callow. Thanks to some mishaps on the train and altercations with the President himself, Haymitch has to make sure he is perfect in the public eye to ensure the safety of his family and his girlfriend. Unfortunately, all their lives seem at risk when his plan to blow up the arena does not go according to plan.

This book was very interesting, sad, and enticing at the same time. I do not recommend reading this series in chronological order under any circumstances. Instead read this book last as of the date of which the books were published. I loved that even a few years later the writing style and the message that all the books have worked to convey in complement to each other is still there. This book is so emotional in the sense that we know how Haymitch ends up in the main trilogy and all that he has and will lose. We just get to see how it all unfolds in painstaking detail. 

The grotesque events are not sugarcoated as author Suzanne Collins does not hold back. She instead shows it through the perspective of Haymitch at the age of 16 while simultaneously being in the third point of view which is a change for the series. The parts that really disturbed me included a main character's death and the fact that Snow would rather cover up the crime than admit any wrongdoing to the public. When Haymitch is in grief the story reflects this, as the story and events are glossed over in this numblike way that almost forces us to grieve with the characters in the story. On the other hand, when people like Beetee and Wiress and Mags showed up in the story, I audibly gasped. And when Effie and Haymitch interacted, it was so wholesome I felt like I was kicking my legs and screaming like a fan girl (and when it comes to this series, I kind of am!) In conclusion, read this if you’ve read all the others. And if you haven't, use this review as an excuse to get into these books!

Grade: A-

By Zoey Beemiller

The Secret Garden follows a ten-year-old girl named Mary who moves to her uncle's manor on a Yorkshire estate after the tragic death of her parents. After a few weeks, she finds out the fenced off garden has been that way for ten years because her uncle's wife died from a tree branch that fell on her there. Mary finds her way in, and with the help of her friends who work for her uncle, she starts to repair the garden. While working on the garden, she hears crying from a room in the manor and discovers there are others living in the manor who would benefit from visiting the garden too.

This book is one of the best things I have read in a very long time. The pacing and the book itself feels a little slow for the first 50 pages to establish Mary and what kind of situation she is in, but after that, the book rides a constant high of timeless fun with some good humor mixed in. The pacing after this is amazing, the skips through the months at times feel completely justified and give the book a bit of freshness. Seeing several characters journey from being spoiled brats to considerate healthy kids was nice to read. Mary’s dynamic with pretty much everyone is both endearing and nice, which makes you kind of want to be around her character. 

Another thing I loved about this book is the way it is written. It doesn't feel like we are hearing about Mary’s story, but rather it feels like I’m in the book itself and taking in the events of the plot with my own eyes and ears. I love the positive attitude of the narrator at the beginning of each chapter. It feels like I have a guide into this story, which is very inventive and immersive. Speaking of which, this book made me feel completely invested with even the small-seeming stakes of the sideplots. 

The few issues I had with the book were minor. If Martha was great friends with Mary, why did she disappear when Colin came around? Did I love the Yorkshire accents every character other than Mary used? No, but I live in Pennsylvania in 2025. Neither of these small concerns should turn anyone away from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming crowdpleaser.

Grade: A

By Jaxson Fordyce

Moose Flanagan lives on the island of Alcatraz, the most famous prison in the whole world. His dad works there as an electrician and sometimes as a guard. In case a prisoner breaks out, the prison has to have all the guards close by. Therefore, the guards and their families live in apartments on the island, and the prisoners do the laundry and make food for them as part of their punishment. When the Warden’s daughter comes up with a plan to make money off the other students at their school by giving them a “once in a lifetime experience” to get their clothes washed by the criminals at Alcatraz, the secrets of the island start to get unveiled.

I liked this book for many reasons. The plot was very original and I liked how the author made the people who lived on Alcatraz seem just the same as normal people that would live in Derry or anywhere else. The author used humor too which made it funny to read. It had a lot of facts about Alcatraz that I didn’t know about too. I didn’t like that the climax wasn’t very big, and there were also characters that played big roles, but never came back after those parts. The book was also very short, but I liked the very end of it because the theme was so strong: Just because other people talk negatively about someone doesn't mean they are really like that, you should always give everyone a chance. The book was also set in the early 1900s, so the words and actions the characters used throughout the book were different than they are today. I liked this book a lot, and if you don’t mind books having an old-timey feel to them, then you should read it too.

Grade: B

By Claire Zurinsky

In Deep Water by Watt Key, two families, the Sims and the Jordans, are on a scuba diving mission when anything that can go wrong, basically does. The Jordan family is getting ready to go on a dive in the ocean to find the Malozon tanks. They were specifically told to only stay under water for about 20 minutes because bad things could happen. You might not be surprised to read that they were under for longer and 12-year-old Julie Sims has to go down and rescue them. When they resurface, things only get worse as they realize they have been stranded in the middle of the ocean. They don't have any food or water and must somehow find a way to survive while dealing with several challenges along the way.

I really liked the book. There is never a dull moment and it is intriguing to read. When I read this, I just wanted to keep turning to the next page. In the beginning of the book there were some details that I didn't think needed to be added, but once I got past them, I thought this book was great. In fact, I loved it. I think it is perfect for any type of reader and doesn't have a specific audience. There's lots of action, but it is not graphic. The writer pushes the characters near death more than once, and raises readers' heart rates at the same time. Anyone looking for something new to read should seek this book out. 

Grade: A+

By Zoey Beemiller

Two Degrees follows five different kids as they all navigate through different challenges global warming has made us face. Akira and Sue live in California and are forced to get through a massive wildfire with Akira’s horse Dodger. Owen and George are driving on a snowmobile when it breaks down and they are forced to go through the tundra in Canada with a polar bear on their tail. Lastly a girl named Natalie is in Miami when Hurricane Reuben hits. She is carried out of her home and into the dangerous winds of the hurricane. We spend several chapters rotating through the storylines rooting for each character to find a way to survive.

I really liked this book, as it was charming and funny in a way that reeled me in. The story was dedicated to showing the integral plot and key message of the book--the world has gone up two degrees and the planet is in trouble. I also really like how the book doesn’t directly talk down to you as if you are the problem (which, in this case, we are but that is besides the point!). It is telling us that as the next generation, we need to stop global warming because we're running out of time. Big corporations don’t want to stop making more money, but what is money worth if we are all dead? 

Something else that I liked about the book was that all five main characters were tied together in a way and all met up at the end of the book. It was very fun to try and piece together who knows who in what way. All in all I really liked this book, its message, and the way said message was conveyed.

By Jaxson Fordyce

As The Mazerunner begins, Thomas wakes up in a box. He does not remember anything, why he is there or where he is. He doesn’t even remember his last name. After about an hour, the top opens. He climbs out and sees other boys staring at him. They explain that they are stuck in a maze. They send people into the maze to find where the exit is, but nobody can ever find it. Thomas is determined to find the way out. But strange things start happening, and a race against time to get out of the walls begins. 

If this plot sounds interesting to you, you should read this book. If you like The Hunger Games series, you will want to read it. I liked many things about it. It is a good dystopian book with a very complex plot. The characters are diverse and well-developed. The little details in it make it interesting to read. It is a mix of adventure and mystery. It has very exciting moments, and the detail of the action is great. The whole book has a suspenseful feeling to it. The tension makes you want to keep reading.

Some parts seem to drag on with a little too much dialogue. I think it needed to add some more action scenes to make it more interesting and not so straightforward all the time. The book also needed to be a little longer. It was only about 350 pages long with 62 chapters. It was a really good book and the author could have easily stretched it to 400 or 500 pages. There were spots in the book that I thought the author could have made something more interesting and exciting happen.

Overall, I thought this book was great and definitely worth reading if you like mystery or adventure type books. The Mazerunner series includes three other books: The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and The Kill Order. Our Media Center has the whole series in the Dystopian section. It was also turned into a movie you can enjoy. However, I recommend you try reading it first.

Grade: A-

By Garret Zimmerman

The Trials of Apollo is a spinoff of the Percy Jackson series. The story follows Apollo after he is turned into a human by his father Zeus. Apollo must figure out how to survive in the modern world and convince his father to restore his powers. During this time, he meets a young girl named Meg McCaffrey and ends up running into Percy Jackson. As they try to get through the Half Blood forest, they end up discovering that Meg has some powers too and Apollo suspects that she is a demigod. Together, they end up in a deadly labyrinth and must figure out why campers are disappearing in the forest.

Unlike other books I have read, The Trials of Apollo is far more fantasy. Apollo is uptight and almost mean. I feel that Rick Riordan, the author, has a wonderful writing style and in all of his books, and this one is no exception. I don't like how we don’t get a lot of Percy in this book, but I love that Riordan had more than one LGBTQ person in this story.  The writing style is more fun and funny compared to other books of his I have read. One of the only things that I don't like is the lack of other gods in this story. 

Still, this book has wonderful writing and deserves to be read by everyone!

Grade: A+ 

By Coriana Wightman

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliet follows three sixth graders who live in Hyde Park, the same place as The Robie House. In the beginning, Calder is the glue of the trio, the friend who brings the group together.  Eventually though, the three aren’t exactly what you would call a friend group. But that all changes after schools are out for the summer, so let's rewind.

On a bright summer day, Ms. Hussey is troubled to learn the University of Chicago, the owners of the Robie House, have decided that the house will be too expensive to repair and make safe for use. The university plans to cut the house into four separate pieces to sell to four different museums. Ms. Hussey says that cutting up the beloved home would be like committing “murder.”

Later in the story, after the school year is done, the three new friends decide to make a group to complete tasks they agreed on, The Wright 3. The first task they pick up—saving the Robie house. Throughout the story, the three find clues or “coincidences” on their own and together as a group. Petra has two books of clues, one published and one a journal. 

I personally loved the novel because of how detailed the story was at some points, and how it made you wonder at others. The author, Blue Balliet, uses characterization to make you feel like you have known the characters for as long as you can remember. It’s like a friend you have known for a long time that you know everything about, yet they're still quite mysterious in ways. The book is perfect for a relaxing afternoon because it’s a good book that isn’t so long that it’s hard to finish. The author foreshadows future clues so that when you formally learn about the clue you’re wondering why it sounds so familiar. It’s the same with the illustrator, Brett Helquist, he illustrates the novel in a pencil-like style hiding clues of the future in the illustrations. The author makes the friendship between Petra and Tommy so dynamic that at the beginning of the story, the two despise each other, but at the end, the three are closer than ever before. Another thing I love about the book is the suspense. In certain chapters, there are times when you have to know what happens next, and you have to keep reading. There aren’t many cliffhangers between chapters, which makes it easier to pick up and read before bed because you aren’t worried you won’t be able to put it back down after you pick it up. I believe that the plot is absolutely phenomenal and the story is everything you would want in a mystery novel. There isn’t much I don’t like about the book, but if I had to say something, I wish there were more illustrations of the Robie House and Japanese Gardens. Blue Balliet makes the places sound so gorgeous that your imagination doesn’t do it justice. I feel that if there were more pictures in general just because the author puts so much detail at so many points in the story it would be that much better. I feel that many who read are sure to fall in love with it.

I love this book! It’s truly phenomenal, and I highly recommend it.

Grade: A

By Zoey Beemiller

Book 1: Divergent

Divergent follows 16-year-old Beatris Prior who lives in a city where once you turn 16, you choose one faction to live in for life. Beatris lives in Abnegation, but after the choosing ceremony she transfers to the Dauntless. Going to Dauntless she changes her name to Tris and meets friends Christina, Will and Four. She then learns people like her, known as “divergents,” are being hunted down and must find a way to escape.

This first book is probably the best one in the series. The action and initiation process are pretty good, and the day to day scenes are good too. However, the book feels a little unfinished Its ending is abrupt and could’ve been done better. In addition, the “twists” were easy to predict and follow. In fact I figured out the big twist about Four 150 pages before it really happened. Besides that the book had solid romance, a good plot, and is worth a read.

Grade: B+

Book 2: Insurgent

Insurgent takes place right after the end of the first book where Tris and Four have to undo the chaos inflicted during the climax. They go from faction to faction trying to escape the clutches of Jenine. They make it back to Dauntless where that night Jenine uses a program to kill a child. Tris decides to sacrifice herself, and later learns Four came with her. With their friends, they must once again escape the city and find a new place to live.

The second book is the worst book in this series and by far, one of the worst books I've ever read. Sometimes I like a loose plot, but this plot seems to have grown legs and is doing cartwheels. Tris never stays in the same place for more than 30 pages and is constantly getting herself into unnecessary situations. She’s also wishy washy about wanting to sacrifice herself. For example, after INTENTIONALLY getting captured by the erudite, she's like “Oh noooo! I want to live now!” Four deserves a better girlfriend than Tris. 

Grade: D-

Book 3: Allegiant

Allegiant begins a few days later at a compound where Tris and friends learn that the city they’ve lived in their whole lives was just a social experiment to try and gather more divergents. To Four’s dismay, he learns he’s not a divergent and simply appeared like one. Jealous of his girlfriend Tris, Four joins others in a plan to blow up the compound, which results in unintended consequences.

While book one was solid and book two was horrible, I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise was bad. The city being a social experiment just caves in on itself contradicting half the lore from the previous two books. Four joining the wrong crowd because he’s jealous is so out of character that I was more indifferent to his loss of Tris than heartbroken. Tris isn’t any better, as all she does is ignore his frustration with not being good enough. In the end, the book was more boringly slow than bad. 

Grade: C-

By Zoey Beemiller

Prisoner B-3087 follows a boy named Yanek as he tries to survive the Nazis turning his town into a Jewish ghetto. His house soon becomes home to three more families. Yanek’s neighbors start to disappear and rumors spread about where the Jews are going. Yanek’s friends, co-workers, and even family start to leave and soon Yanek is the last of his family to be shipped off.

Upon arrival, Yanek realizes he is in a concentration camp with his uncle. His uncle decides to help Yanek by persuading the Kapos, Jews put in charge of other Jewish prisoners, to give Yanek good food and easy jobs. But after a few months, his uncle dies and Yanek is left to face nine more concentration camps across three more years all alone.

This was a tough read. I didn’t even think that I would make this review after reading it. Don’t get me wrong, the book is good. It has good pacing and descriptions and expositions. It was just a neverending gut punch in the sense that the mood never went anywhere but down until the end of the book.

I thought about this for a while when it dawned on me. I read this book for three days. This was Yanek’s life for three entire years. I realized that the only reason that I didn’t like the book was because it was a tragedy in history, a horrible gritty tragedy. I don’t think I quite comprehended how horrible the Holocaust was for everyone involved in it. The book was really good. I liked the authentic way Yanek seemed to make friends, making connections and losing them just as quickly. After I finished reading the book and went to the acknowledgments I found out that the events of the books were actually based on a real person named Yanek. It connected me to the book even more. If you like historical fiction, this is a good read.

Grade: B 

By Zoey Beemiller

In this incredible novel, teenager Sam Temple's teacher suddenly disappears...along with all the other people over the age of 15 in Perdido Beach. Joined by his best friends, while also juggling his budding romance with Astrid Ellison (followed around by her 4-year-old brother!), Sam soon becomes the leader of the survivors and must take on Caine Soren from the Coates Academy along with a few dozen others. As the story progresses, people start mutating and developing powers. It's now up to Sam and his friends to save Perdido Beach -Now renamed the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) from Caine and to figure out how to survive in this new world.

Unlike other dystopian novels, this one feels so original in its storytelling and narrative. It makes it clear that the stakes have never been higher and that if Sam doesn’t control his newfound abilities, the FAYZ will fall into the possession of Caine and his followers. On the other hand, the heartwarming moments never come off as cheesy and will bring that familiar fuzzy feeling to the reader's chest. 

Additionally, in most books that have more than two plotlines (in this book there are about five!), the writing can get confusing. Author Michael Grant juggles them all though in a way that lets the reader know which ones are the most important and which ones will be more relevant later. With so many characters, you might worry that they would be a little one-dimensional, but most of the characters are really thought out and get fleshed out even more across the six main books and three spinoffs.

The mysteries that surround the book are great: Where did the adults go? Why is there a dome around the FAYZ? Will all kids disappear when they turn 15? All of these questions add to the tension felt between the protagonists and antagonists to create attachments to these characters in ways I have literally never felt before. Lastly, one of the most important reasons I love this book is how they tackle the romance between the main characters, Sam and Astrid. Their dynamic and quick-witted banter makes them so enjoyable to read about as the majority of the happy moments are shared between them.

I can't say this enough--this is a GREAT book! Find a copy today and thank me later!

Grade: A+

By Zoey Beemiller

Hellen Keller’s Teacher by Margaret Davidson follows the story of Annie Sullivan who grows up in a home for the poor with her after her parents die and none of her relatives want her. After her brother dies she goes to a school for the blind and graduates. She then goes on to take the job of teaching Hellen to access the world that was once blocked off to her. At first Hellen is curious but unwilling to learn with Annie, but after finally understanding when met with water Annie’s primary goal over the next few months is to stuff Hellen with life.

I very much enjoyed this book while reading, however everything before Annie went to the keller’s house felt a bit slow. Other than that the book was exciting, engaging and despite its 160 page count it conveys everything it tries to tell with detail and precision. The bits where Annie would take Helen out into the woods to teach her about nature or when Annie would teach Helen words into the night would always give me such a heartwarming feeling and before I knew it I had read 50 pages without even realizing it.

Another big reason why I loved this book so much was because while there’s a lot of literature and media dedicated to Helen Keller there was never much for Annie Sullivan. But this book really expands on their dynamic as teacher and student in ways that always keep me on the edge of my seat. When most people think of Helen Keller they think of her disabilities or how she died or how she would travel the world and write books. But there is so much more to Hellen Keller, sometimes people make the mistake of seeing Hellen “less than human” because of the way she was. This book really helped me see her in a way that wasn’t just pity.

The whole narrative in general subverted my expectations on the topic, it had me look at the story of Helen Keller in a whole new light. Some people don’t even stop to think about how Helen was taught through her disabilities. Within this book is the answer, years of patience, hard work and fun interactive lessons that stretched from Helen's young 5 year old self long into adulthood. Truely a page turning classic

Grade: A-

By Zoey Beemiller

Awkward follows a girl named Penelope -Peppi for short- as she tries to navigate joining a new school. She trips into the nerd of the school Jamie and keeps getting called “nerder girl” so she pushes him away from her to try and deflect the rumors. The good news is that it worked. The bad thing is that she has felt guilty for weeks and she tries to work up the courage to say sorry when he becomes her science tutor. On top of that Jamie is in the science club and she and her new friends are in the art club. The rivaling clubs now have to compete for a spot in the club fair. 

This book actually really surprised me. I actually forgot my SSR book for the day a few weeks ago when my friend gave me this book (Thank you so much Leighton!) and I was skeptical about it at first. However, when I read the first half of the book, I realized that I really liked this book. Normally I don't really like graphic novels, but this book being a graphic novel just makes sense to me as its protagonist is in art class. Also the art style is so satisfying to look at. The plot felt so natural. Normally when reading a book like this, the struggles feel unrealistic and weirdly Hollywood-like, but I felt Peppi’s struggles become my own and I really related to her as a character.

I also loved how Jamie and Peppi didn’t just become friends overnight. Their friendship slowly flourished and they always had their justified twists and turns. I felt her struggles with saying sorry to Jamie, I felt how she dealt with sadness and stress. I also liked how Jamie and Peppi stayed friends as this book doesn’t feel like a romance and I know that books like this would normally shoehorn in an unwarranted romance. But even if they do that later in the series, I would be fine with it because the pacing is UNMATCHED. My only complaint is that the mean kids characters were always exaggerated and I thought it was a little funny that the mean kids couldn’t think of anything better than “nerder girl.” Really? But besides that, I really enjoyed this book.

Grade: A-

By Carter Fannie

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson is a thrilling novel about two brothers, Matty and Jack, living in poverty, while their dad is imprisoned. One day, when the brothers get back from school, Jack finds their mother dead in her bedroom. Jack is forced to hide this from Matty for the protection of his innocence. Jack ends up trying to go find the stolen money that put his father in jail, and attempting to stop people from taking them to foster care.                                            

I enjoyed this book. The characters of Matty and Jack are incredibly well written and made me care for them during every twist and turn. At 384 pages, it is a pretty lengthy book, which is needed to tell this macabre and dark tale. However, the book does feel very slow at some points because of this, and can be mildly boring at points.  Another issue I have is less of a critique, but more of something that kind of upset me. The book is very repetitive. Some of the “twists” are completely copied off of previous twists that have already happened. The events that are supposed to be unsuspected are very predictable due to this.  This is a  story of brutality and beauty. I could not put this book down when I got it. 

Grade: B+