Teen Book Reviews

This story is about the internal struggles of a young woman named Nima and how a character named Omid plays a significant role in contributing to her well-being throughout difficult times. Also, this story illustrates the great difficulty in expressing certain feelings. Additionally, Nima feels left out in the world that she lives in, but at the end of the story she experiences significant growth in her personality and in handling her emotions.

I recommend this book to others because of the overall emotional relatability displayed in the text. In addition, Nima’s overall character transformation is one that is worth reading because of the significant positive change she’s made. This can motivate others reading her story to learn how it’s possible to overcome internal struggles including emotions and overcoming relationships. Similarly, this book communicates hidden struggles in relationships and how the character of a person dealing with such problems can grow positively. Also, a crucial theme in the text is self-acceptance and this is one that many people reading the text might find motivating to feel that way. Furthermore, this story is written with great underlying meaning. In other words, there is depth to this story in what is being told which makes it a fun and interesting story to read.

Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in Hobbiton, is interrupted by a wizard named Gandalf, who wants to take him to gather treasure from a dragon, Smaug, with 13 dwarves. On their adventure, they encounter many threats: trolls, Gollum, wolves, spiders, elves, and Smaug. Bilbo helps to finally bring Gandalf and the dwarves to the treasure safely, but they get into a war with goblins and wargs. All Bilbo wants to do is return home.

I would recommend this book for many reasons. First, I think this book is a very interesting read. There are a lot of plot twists and challenges faced that make the book very interesting. Bilbo overcomes these hard times through his bravery, courage, and cleverness. There is also a lot of action in the book, which makes you always intrigued and ready for the next challenge Bilbo faces. The book also includes some good laughs, so you do not get bored while reading. I think this book teaches kids valuable life lessons about how to overcome challenging times in life. This book is also a great introduction to how J.R.R. Tolkien writes his other books. If you are interested in reading books by him, this is a good book to start with.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott is the heartwarming story of teen twins, Josh and Sophie Newman. In the first novel of this series, Josh and Sophie are introduced to the world of magic by their beloved friend and mentor, Nicholas Flamel. The twins learn to accept responsibility, and discover an intriguing realm where they are forever entwined.

I would highly recommend this book to any teen who enjoys reading a fantasy-esque novel, as it creates relatable characters in Josh and Sophie, and brings up many ideas that are common in a teen's life. Even though the twins are busy being introduced to magic, they still have to deal with common problems like driving or trouble with their parents. Scott does a great job at establishing relatability with the twins while still having an action packed plot that is full of magic and wonder. I would also recommend this book because it introduces the reader into a fun world in this series by Michael Scott. The rest of the books are just as good, if not better than The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, and this book does really well at setting up the other books for the reader.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a historical thriller by David Grann that follows the beginnings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the murders of the Osage Indians in 1920s Oklahoma. Grann investigates the lives and events surrounding the Osage tribe as they struggle through the massacre of their people and lifestyle, and untangles the plot behind this series of murders in the hills of the flower moon.

I would 100% recommend this book, especially to readers who enjoy fictional thrillers and murder mysteries and are looking to branch out to nonfiction. Grann does an excellent job in ensuring his reader is not lost or overwhelmed with the book, where instead of his writing being overly factual or monotonous, he writes with enticement and suspense, hooking his reader by peaking their interest and curiosity. The vivid language and twists in this novel immerse the reader within the story itself, creating an alternate reality that sucks you in. I think Grann also does an excellent job with truly communicating and respecting the culture surrounding the Osage Indians. It was beautiful to read the chapters that described the practices of their culture, and how passionately they lived and grieved in this tumultuous time in their history, which is why Killers of the Flower Moon should definitely be your next read!

Andy and Terry, the main characters, are book writers/ illustrators, and they live in a 13-story treehouse. They are on a deadline to write a book for their publisher but keep getting distracted. For instance, Terry turns their neighbor’s cat into a canary. Then, they have a drawing competition, watch TV, get attacked by various animals, and write a short story. They finally write their book and deliver the book to their publisher just before their deadline.

I would recommend this book for 9–11 year-olds because it is entertaining, and it is not super long. It is fun because it breaks the fourth wall, meaning it talks to the reader or mentions the reader. It has a lot of interesting events, and I enjoyed it because it has many silly events that cause the delay of their book being written. This book is also delightful because the pictures portray hilarious images of impractical events happening, such as when Terry’s head grows in surprise when Andy whops him upside the head with a banana. In conclusion, I would recommend this book for most kids, especially 9–11 year-olds.