Book Reviews

Written By Ananya Nayar and Misaki Tomiyama, Website edited by Misaki Tomiyama

The Hate U Give- Angie Thomas

Rating out of 5 stars: 4.5/5 Age Recommendation: 14+

The Hate U Give is an important novel that discusses racism in modern day society in America. The characters are described perfectly, there’s a lot of emotion in the writing and a lot of emotion for the reader too. The book depicts a black teenage girl's life, with an exception of the horrible incidents that unfold and the ignorance of society towards racism and people of colour. However page turning and moving the book is, it contains a lot of violence, hatred and inappropriate language. The book has won multiple awards and is now in picture.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Rating out of 5 stars: 5/5 Age Recommendation: 13+

Divergent is a Dystopian young adult fiction that revolves around 16 year old Beatrice Prior. She lives in a world in which the people are divided into groups based on their qualities. There are five groups; Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Every 16 year old in this city has to choose a faction, where they would stay for the rest of their life. Even though Beatrice was raised in an Abnegation family, she chooses to go into Dauntless, feeling she could never be selfless. Beatrice is different however, she has a secret which is something she can't tell anyone, as she has been warned it could mean death, and she has to make several decision, that might save her city, but put her in grave danger. Divergent is a page turner and will definitely keep you interested- as it is full of twists. It will draw you in, and will make you re-examine yourself, and is definitely something you should read.

Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Rating out of 5 stars - 4.5/5 Age Recommendation- 12+

Kira Kira is a funny, yet sad novel about an Asian-American girl and her family, for many it is nostalgic too. The wonderfully written book is about a young girl and her life with her siblings, living in Georgia. It can bring emotion as well as laughs, and teaches you about looking at the world in a different perspective, when you are seen differently. When their family starts to fall apart, Katie remembers that everything is also glittering, or there is always ‘kira-kira’ in the future and there will be something more for you. This narrative is composed beautifully and so has won many awards.

The Fault In Our Stars- John Green

Rating out of 5 stars - 4.5/5 Age Recommendation- 13+

The Fault In Our Stars is a multi-million worldwide best-seller written by the award-winning John green. The story revolves around a girl, Hazel Grace, 16 years old, who has had cancer for 3 years. She goes to a cancer support group and meets a handsome boy, Augustus Waters- "Gus", a cancer survivor. The two fall in love and the story depicts the ambitious, funny, thrilling and tragic life of the lovers. They together portray the importance of never giving up, despite the limitations they have. This beautiful and light-hearted novel, all revolves around the idea of "being alive".

And Then There Were None- Agatha Christie

Rating out of 5 stars - 5/5 Age Recommendation- 12+

We’ve all heard of Agatha Christie, the English writer who writes detective stories, right? In her large collection of short stories published, one of them is called ‘And Then There Were None.’ It revolves around the plot that 10 people with no apparent relations to each other at all were induced and invited to a cut-off island. During their stay, the host never shows up, and then one by one they all start mysteriously disappearing after a booming, scary message accusing them each of murder. The deaths happen the same way a famous poem does too, and the guests try to find out who the killer is among them. It’s a thrilling novel and I recommend it to anyone above the age of 12 years. The book has also been made into a famous BBC series.

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Review by Pranoti Nayar

Rating out of 5 stars - 5/5 Age Recommendation- 12+

The Alchemist is certainly a book everyone should have on their bookshelf. It’s the sort of book you will want to read over and over again in your life. And what’s remarkable is, that each time you read it, it is likely to have a different meaning, insight or inspiration for you.

Written by the Brazilian author Paulo Coehlo, the Alchemist is the story of a young shepherd boy from Spain following his dreams. The young lad who had always wanted to be a shepherd in order to travel the land, had recurring dreams in which he dreamt of a treasure buried by the pyramids in Egypt. After an encounter with a lady who interpreted dreams and much thinking he set off on an epic journey from Spain to North Africa and from there across the desert to Egypt in search of the treasure. Along the way he met many people, learnt new skills, faced many challenges, met his soulmate. There were times when he questioned where he was, what he was doing, but the treasure that awaited him in Egypt kept him steady on his mission. His journey to Egypt went down a different path than what he had thought but along the way he learned many valuable lessons, picked up many useful skills and won the hearts, trust and respect of many.

The Alchemist is a wonderful book on being a forever student and learner, on embracing change and throwing yourself fully into following your dreams.

Wonder- R.J. Palacio

Rating out of 5 stars - 4.5/5 Age Recommendation- 8+

Wonder is an international bestseller by R.J. Palacio. This story revolves around August, a 10 year old boy, who has never been to school because of his deformities on his face, that makes him look slightly different from other kids his age. He has had several operations since he was born, and had always been homeschooled by his mother. But one day, he decides to go to school, and this story describes his journey through school, how he got bullied, how he made friends, and is a great story that deals with the topic of bullying, kindness, courage and friendship. The wonderful thing about this book is that the story is portrayed through different people and perspectives, so you can read the same story from different points of views. There is also a movie based on this book, starring Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay and Owen Wilson, many more.

Everything Everything- Nicola Yoon

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 13+

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is a Young Adult Fiction Novel. The heroine, Madeline Whittier has SCID, or severe combined immunodeficiency commonly known as bubble baby disease. Because of her disease, she is allergic to the world, the bacteria, polen, virus and almost everything, so she is trapped in her house, and hasn’t left it for 17 years. She has never gone outside and played in the field with her friends, she has never gone outside to feel the grass on her toes, and she has never been in love… Until one day, a family moves into the house next door, and that’s when she meets Olly. They become close, and communicate through mails and look at each other through the window. They gradually fall in love, and are both desperate and determined to meet each other in real life. This beautiful story revolves around the journey of Madeline Whittier, and how she risks her life to find love.

The Twilight Series- Stephenie Meyer

Rating out of 5 stars: 4.25/5 Age recommendation: 12+

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer is a fantasy novel series, appealing to children ages 11-15 years old. The series are vampire-werewolf romance-fantasy books. 17 year-old Bella Swan meets Edward Cullen, a charming 108 year old vampire, and is instantly attracted to his vampire features. In the series, she is made to run from vampires, choose between her were-wolf best friend and vampire boyfriend, save her child’s life, learn more about paranormal creatures she thought were myths. Each book in the series is suspenseful and very descriptive, as well as absorbing. The series are also available in a movie series, with Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart.

Fish in a Tree- Lynda Mullay Hunt

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 10+

The story title, comes from a famous quote, "if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, then it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid."- Albert Einstein. Fish in a tree; a New York Times bestseller, is about Ally, a girl who hides her inability to read. She never asks for help and everyone thinks she is a troublemaker until she meets Mr Daniels, a warm and kind-hearted teacher. He understands that Ally is very bright and creative and helps her gain confidence throughout the story. Fish in a tree is a wonderful story that portrays the idea that everyone has something special and unique in them, and should not be judged by their labels.

Open- Andre Agassi

Rating out of 5-stars: 4/5 Age Recommendation: 12+

Andre Agassi’s autobiography is a best seller. It shows Agassi’s life from when he was a child, playing tennis and hating tennis up to his retirement after becoming first in the world and winning many grand slams and tournaments. There was so much honesty in the insight of the book and he writes in detail about the ups and downs of a tennis career, times he wanted to quit, embarrassment, crowd disappointment and more.

When we meet again- Kristin Harmel

Rating out of 5 stars- 5/5 Age recommendation: 13+

This romance novel is based on the events of WW2, what life was like after the Second World War, and the impact on families and friendships. Emily Emerson is sent a mysterious painting connecting her to the roots of her family and uncovers secrets, hard truths and her past. The novel is heartwarming, sad and engaging. It talks about history, art and love throughout the book and characters are in-depth and relatable.

The Firemaker’s Daughter- Philip Pullman

Rating out of 5 stars: 4/5 Age recommendation: 6+

This short novella is a fun read and inspiring, it is set in a village near mountains and forest somewhere near China and India a hundred years ago, and is about a little girl named Lila who wants to help her father Lalchand make fireworks for a show.

However, her father does not encourage her making fireworks and wants her to find a husband instead, angry that her father won’t trust her to give her the secret to making fireworks she sets off herself to make them. In the book, headstrong Lila sets forward to face the challenges that await for her, she must overcome the Fire-Fiend, pirates, bring home some Royal Sulphur, demons with the help of her friend Chulak.

Chinese Cinderella- Adeline Yen Mae

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 10+

Chinese Cinderella is a moving, sad autobiography which is incredibly deep that is based on a true story about a girl who is marginalised, disrespected and ignored by her family who doesn't seem to care about her. The little girl (Adeline herself) felt unwanted her whole life. It helps you learn about different cultures from a few decades ago and gives you a unique perspective of life for a bullied girl. The book is incredibly well written and really lets you picture everything and feel her emotions.The title is named like this because like the traditional fairy tale Cinderella we all know about, Adeline Yen Mae’s mother died when she was younger and her father was won over by a women who tormented and was cruel to her, and she led a very lonely, sad life.

Paper Towns

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 12+

A metaphorical book about teenagers, the novel is about ‘Q’ searching for his childhood sweetheart and neighbour in the town Margo, she refers to the town as ‘falling-apart’ and ‘generic.’ Margo is looking for something more, and she finds something beyond, and more interesting. This book is vivid, unique and the characters are engaging. There’s a lot of depth behind it which excels the whole story of the book. Margo’s character is poetic and well described as well as motivating. The plot is also very unique and interesting.

Ickabog by J.K. Rowling

Review by Radha Nayar

Age Recommendation: 8-11 years old Rating out of 5 stars: 5/5

The book the Ickabog is written by the Harry Potter author J.K Rowling. Set in a town called Choux Ville where the most delicious pies were baked. King Fred the fearless and his army of soldiers set off to kill the Ickabog. It teaches you about bravery and courage.

As tall as two horses,

Eyes like glowing balls of fire,

Razor-sharp claws,

The Ickabog is coming…

Attacks are taking place but no one knows where it is coming from. It's up to the men to find the Ickabog and kill it before it is too late. But a heartwarming story from the Ickabog cools their hearts and lets him survive with his two small Ickaboggles.

Number The Stars- Lois Lowry

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 9+

Number the Stars, written by the bestselling author of "The Giver", is historical fiction, set in World War II. The story centres around 10-year-old Annemarie, a Christian, who fears the wartime world- curfews, food shortages and the soldiers of the city. She has a Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen. The story is about Annemarie and her family helping the Rosens escape from Copenhagen, Denmark so they don’t get caught by the Nazis. Although Number the stars is a fictional story, there are many true facts about the war, written in the story. This short novel, full of courage and friendship, is a book that can greatly help us understand the life of a family during the World War.

Perijee & Me- Ross Montgomery

Rating out of 5 stars - 4/5 Age Recommendation- 7+

I first read this book when I was 7 years old and I loved it, it’s a fiction, sort of science fiction story about a little girl named Caitlin who finds a small creature who winded up on the island where she lives, she’s always been lonely, so why not keep him?

Caitlin decides to teach the alien-like organism tricks and more, and they have fun. She finds that now she isn’t so lonely after all, but then Perijee doesn’t stop growing! She tries to hide him from her parents but fails. When Perijee is taken from her she panics, and so does he, suddenly, there’s an alien invasion and nobody can stop Perijee from causing the mayhem. Maybe Caitlin could though? This lovely adventure story is about kindness, the power of friendship and trust. This book is humorous, heartwarming and unusual in a good way.