Teen Book Reviews

Jessica Mathers has a strained relationship with her family, and a disturbingly practical view on the existential issue of teleportation. Now she's being beamed 14 light-years away from everything she knows. Being sent into space was never what she wanted, but after a mysterious mishap, she's stuck on an alien planet that's currently recovering from a mass extinction. Where's the station she was supposed to wake up on? Where are her parents?

Overall, I'd recommend this book. While the main character is a bit of the stereotypical edgy teenager, it's never about cruelty. She's awkwardly empathetic, while also being self-centered in an actually compelling way. The story is tragic; it deals with feelings of abandonment, self-loathing, and the pull between family and responsibility. But on the plus side: casual queer representation! While the meaning of self and the personhood of memory are amazingly shown, the actual planet leaves something to be desired for me. It opens up an alien world that isn't really expanded upon, nor evenly fleshed out. Also the poetic references are extremely heavy-handed (seriously, be ready to be taken out of the story entirely). Definitely check it out though, as well as the short story it's based on, if you like the exploration of sci-fi ethics.

A Curse for True Love is the final book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. The protagonist Evangeline is stuck between her two love interests: Jack, the Prince of Hearts, and Apollo, her former fiancé now seeking vengeance. She begins to uncover eerie secrets about her past. With her memories gone and trapped in a world of lies, Evangaline must decide who to trust and just how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

I would recommend this book, because it has the perfect mixture of fantasy and realism. The world building is vivid, and the author has written up so many fun characters. Although some parts felt a little slow, I think the story is definitely still worthwhile. I’d suggest you be no younger than 12 before reading, as there is mild language used. This book explores the themes of love and the depths you have to be willing to go for it. Overall, A Curse for True Love is the perfect book to kickstart you on your journey of fantasy. It leaves you thinking about the characters and their choices long after you’ve finished reading, and still wishing for more.

In this book a kittypet (housecat) named Rusty ventures off into the wilderness to explore and try to catch a mouse, but before he can get back another cat finds him and takes him back to the clan. Later Rusty learns that there are other clans in the forest and he has the option to join Thunderclan or leave the forest and never return.

I would recommend this book because it really dives deep into the life of cats and the storyline connects all the books and prophecies perfectly. Another reason I would recommend this book is due to the fact that it has tons of detail so nothing is confusing. Since there is a lot of detail you can take a break from the books and still remember what happened.

After the horrifying ending of her latest investigation, main character Pippa Fitz-Amobi is haunted by flashbacks and memories. Dead eyes follow her everywhere, and she can’t get the feeling of blood off her hands. She’s struggling to get back to normal when she realizes someone might be stalking her. Called crazy by everyone except Ravi, Pip starts to fall back into her old routine of obsessive investigating. Through research, she uncovers some unsettling similarities to this stalker and a case that happened in her town years ago. Will Pip catch the killer before it’s too late? Or will he catch her before she can uncover the truth?

This book was absolutely amazing. It had me on the very edge of my seat the whole time! The way Holly Jackson writes Pip’s trauma and flashbacks is utterly captivating. I had to set this book down multiple times because of how anxious it made me, which is exactly what I want in a book. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a completely unhinged thriller that you won’t be able to put down!

Gregor the Overlander is a fantasy book where Gregor tries to rescue his father from rats who have taken him captive. Gregor and his sister fall through a grate in their apartment into the Underland, an underground society with various giant creatures. When they arrive, they are met by cockroaches who take them to humans. These humans have an underground society, where a Prophecy calls for them to go on a quest to help defeat the rats.

I would recommend this book for people who like fantasy stories, animal stories, or if they have read Percy Jackson and enjoyed that book series. This is a very good fantasy story because it includes elements like wondrous cities and lands. If you enjoy animal stories, then this is a good book for you because it has various animals including bats, rats, and mice. Assuming that you enjoyed Percy Jackson, you should enjoy this book because it has a similar level of action, and adventure, with similar character development like being thrust into an unusual and frightening place. Both books also develop leadership skills. This is also like Percy Jackson because both main characters are relatable. They are relatable in the way that they are neither rich or poor, but they are ordinary. I would also recommend this story to people who enjoy certain levels of confusion and deceit. I enjoyed this book, and I think you will as well.