MRS. MCGOWAN INVITES YOU TO:
"Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them." This classic "who done it" story that takes you down several roads and rabbit holes. As you get to know more about each character, everyone seems to look more and more guilty. But seriously, who killed Simon? Modern day story with a retro "Breakfast Club" feel to it; One Of Us Is Lying is definitely a good page turner!
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"Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds -- the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and decide to stand up for what's right."
It is no wonder that they made this book into a movie. It definitely reads like one. As you learn more and more about Starr and her family and friends, author, Angie Thomas, makes it so easy to have the perfect picture in your mind of each and every character. The scenes are set perfectly, you get attached to the characters, and the tragedies tug at your heart strings. What would you do if you were out with a long time friend and he was killed at the hands of police; knowing that he was unarmed and not a threat? How hard would it be to watch the news and see how the media depicted him in a light that was unknown to you? Would you be able to "see the other side" or "understand why someone felt threatened"? How would you function in the middle of two worlds; one that has turned into total chaos and is falling a part and the other a place where no one understands what you are going through? This book gives you all the feels! "Dear Sister,
Even though it is not my fault that you look like this, the wardens* have decided not to put my card- or any of my true-to-life drawings and letters- in your baby book. So I've made my own book instead. Here you go. From, Your brother *aka Mom and Dad" Dear Sister is an adorable graphic novel that follows journal entries that a big brother has put together for his little sister over the course of many years. He writes and draws about many experiences the two of them have together and doesn't care to be brutally honest about any annoyance he may have at the current time. This is a perfect graphic novel for beginners to the genre! It is a fast, fun read that will build you up to the most adorable ending. "Dear Sister, By the time you read this, I will be at college..." Reviewed by: C. Godby "In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to re-imagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view. These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!" (Goodreads) This book is recommended for people who enjoy a variety of stories. Although this book wasn't much of my reading style, I did enjoy the story of the "Water Witch" and "Jack", which is a story of "Jack and The Beanstalk" from a different perspective. That was really neat to read; and was definitely my favorite. Review written by: R. D. Stiles
"Son Goku is the greatest hero on Earth. Five years after defeating the demon king Piccolo, he's grown up and had a family--he's married, and he has a child, Son Gohan. But what is the real reason for Goku's incredible strength? A visitor from outer space arrives bearing terrible news--Goku is an alien, and the visitor, Raditz, is Goku's brother! When Raditz turns out to be a ruthless killer, Goku must fight his incredibly strong brother to save his family and the entire human race. A surprising alliance may be Earth's last hope: Goku will team up with his old enemy Piccolo...archenemies united to save the world!" (Goodreads) I love Dragon Ball, I love everything about it. This series is really fun to read and has a great story line. I also has several fun battles. It starts off great with a cool bad guy and keeps going on with different battles and story lines that keep interest. Reviewed By: A. Ford
“She wore the corpses for show…” In a sequel that I have been desperately waiting for; the story of Tea continues in a thrilling tale that changed everything I thought I knew from The Bone Witch. Where I had previously been left unsure what could change Tea so much from the young girl who is seen in the past in the first book, after finishing this I can already see the great changes that are taking her to be the powerful young woman that can be seen at the beginning of the first book. In a tale where the struggle for power and the very lives of those involved are at risk the clearly defined line where magic was light and dark is now so far blurred it is unlikely it will ever apply to Tea again. What should have been a mark of great evil is now one of the many things that is showing her just how far the lies go and how far she will go to do what she believes is right. With a love that was hinted at in book one and is now clearly defined Tea has far more allies than she thought, some who will not be parted from her even by the hands of death. I loved every minute of reading this book. Where the first book was slow out of necessity for world building and explanation, this book dives right where the first one ended and moves far quicker. There was much more action and battle than I could have ever imagined I would have found in this series and I cannot wait to see where the next book leads. Reviewed By: A. Ford
“Nature designed this plague as a double-edged sword; it either takes your life or it takes your humanity…” I was blown away by this book. In a thrilling dystopian, sci-fi world, the lines between technology and humanity are blurred as illnesses can be cured with a few lines of code and a download into the patient’s panel. When a plague unlike anything they have ever seen before threatens the very existence of humanity many take refuge in the bunker that they are told will keep them safe at the loss of their right to control their panels. Then there are those who stayed above and did whatever was necessary to survive. Catarina was the daughter of a genius, the only man in the world who would be able to code a vaccine for this disease. When he is taken by the company Cartaxus to create the vaccine the world seems so cut and dry on who is right and who is wrong. But when she has no choice but to work with those she should hate new information comes to life that changes everything. I am in love with this book, and could hardly put it down. It is a thrilling read that left me craving more of these characters and the complex world Suvada had created where fight for humanity is only just beginning. I definitely recommend this book and I cannot wait to see where this story will progress in the sequel coming out this fall. Reviewed by: D. Justice
What an interesting and exciting concept. In a far distant future where bio-engineering and technology have advanced so much, alongside DNA splicing, that they made a new type of species that is bred and trained for war and other tasks such as labor and other servant positions. They are trained to be obedient to the point they are more comparable to slaves. There is one beast that resists such things and turned on his creators seeking both vengeance and freedom for his kind despite being created for war. He begins saving humans who are willing to join his cause for redemption and finally take out his Gods. This is a must read for those who enjoy action, war, drama, and suspense. "Tool" is the most dangerous beast they failed to control; leading to the destruction of his creators and peace for everyone. Reviewed by: A. Ford
“At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain…” For anyone who loves astrology these characters are the embodiment of their signs in a thrilling sci-fi setting with a good pinch of fantasy thrown into the mix. Never the best student Rhoma Grace is the embodiment of the House of Cancer and when it comes to saving her people and the galaxy her unorthodox methods are their best advantage. In a book where no one is who they claim to be and no one can be trusted Rho finds herself in constant danger from an enemy no one else can see and left without the support of even her own House. As she suffers loss after loss and uncovers things that had long been buried in legend she just might be the only person who can save them before the lost 13th House destroys them all. This is a book that throws in surprises but never has a true plot twist. Despite that it is an amazing read and is definitely recommended. When it comes to Rho despite the trouble she finds herself in I think she manages remarkably well for a teenager without any training. Reviewed by: A. Ford
“Let me be clear, I never intended to raise my brother from his grave…” In a story that defies time and logic, Tea tells us her present and past in one breathtaking book full of magic, death, and the beginnings of love. There are two stories being told in this book almost simultaneously, in the present we learn about a strong witch who has embraced her power and pushes herself to the limits to get her revenge on those who had wronged her. Yet these are only small glimpses into the present that are seen between the time she spends telling a bard her story. We learn where her story as a witch started and where it had brought her thus far but by the end of the book her past has not yet completely been told and we are left in the dark about where her life had taken such a dark turn. I love the way this book is written and the complex relationships that the characters develop throughout the story. I can’t wait to see where the story goes after this book and find out what happened to Tea and where she goes from here. |
AuthorAuthors of the following book reviews are students at Russell County High School. They have been chosen randomly and have written these reviews as volunteers. These were not graded assignments, just reviews written by students who enjoy reading! Archives
February 2019
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