Teen Book Reviews

This book is a companion book to The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent’s Shadow. It was written so the initiates for the Brooklyn House could understand more about magic and the magical world. It describes the gods and goddesses in the book. The book is split into three main sections: the first family of gods and goddesses, other major gods and goddesses, and animal gods and goddesses.

I enjoyed this book because it gave several descriptions of the goddesses and gods portrayed in the series Kane Chronicles. It was also entertaining because, as a companion book to the series, it gave more magical adventures to read about. I would recommend this book to people who like mythology, but also want a bit more added to the Kane Chronicles.

Briar Rose is a story spanning years upon years between Rebecca, “Becca,” and her grandmother Gemma. Becca’s earliest childhood memories are of Gemma telling and retelling the story of Briar Rose, also known as Sleeping Beauty, with her own twists here and there. On her deathbed, Gemma’s last request was for Becca to find the castle and the prince in Briar Rose, fully believing that she herself was the princess. Becca’s family tells her to ignore the wishes of a delusional old lady, but Becca travels to Europe in search of answers.

I highly recommend Briar Rose to any fan of historical fiction. I will admit: The fact that it was easily available on Libby made me think that it was a very obscure book, but I decided to give it a try. It was well worth my time – it was interesting, easy to read, and packed with meaningful lessons. I learned about the power of love, pondered about the value of family, and reflected how lucky I was for mine, as well as respect for everyone around me. Even boring or eccentric people may have fascinating stories. One complaint I have about Briar Rose is that it is very outdated (published in 1992) – none of the characters even have cell phones (!). Overall, it’s an easy read with timeless themes I think everyone should be reminded of, such as “don’t judge a book by its cover."

Mickey’s parents have gotten a divorce and each committed themselves to a different Charlie (each with a different taste in chocolate chip cookies), his sister is dating his bully, and he hates everything but bubblegum. A gift coupon in his favorite brand gifts him the Anti-Book. Everything written in the book comes back as the opposite version of itself. He must quest through the anti-world, shrunk sister and all, to return everything back to normal.

Simon’s work never fails to hit the humor mark, however, when juxtaposing The Anti Book with The Secret Series, it pales in comparison. The novel holds all of the wacky going ons that make middle grade books what they are, but the ending felt slightly rushed. To me, this book felt like a middle grade beach read, lacking Simon’s typical air of mystery and replacing it with a quest befitting any child angry with their situation. As a child of divorce, I appreciated the accurate portrayal of the feelings that surround a parent’s divorce, so I recommend this book to anyone in a similar situation. For a reader wishing to be transported through a thought provoking theme, this book may not be for you, but should you be a reader that wants a light read and a house fly that is an actual house, I highly recommend it.

The School for Good and Evil follows two best friends from an unassuming town. Sophie wished to be a princess while Agatha was deemed a witch. The two girls are kidnaped by the mysterious schoolmaster and taken to the fabled School for Good and Evil, where Agatha finds herself in good and Sophie in evil. They have to work together in order to escape the school master and find a happily ever after.

I highly recommend this book. Each character is well developed and has clear intentions. This makes them very relatable. The book explores the themes of good and evil, and it will make you question what they truly mean. It also discusses the complicated mess that is real friendship, and how two people can get along even when they are different. You will fall in love with the unique array of supporting characters, and you might even find yourself rooting for evil. With every twist and turn of the plot you will get caught up in the fairy tale world of the endless woods, and discover who is truly good and evil, for beauty can only hide truth for so long.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price follows Bel, who is the lone witness of her mother’s disappearance sixteen years prior. The one issue: she doesn’t remember it. Her mom is believed to be dead, but when a true crime documentary about her mom begins filming, her mother suddenly reappears. Claiming that she has escaped from an unknown captor, Bel knows that something isn’t right, and she is the one person who can figure out the truth.

I really enjoyed this book and I absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in a good mystery. While this is a much slower novel than the author’s claim to fame, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I found some of the characters to be more likeable. The book also has a strong plot, and the main twist is definitely unexpected. The book also has a strong theme that carries on throughout the story, ultimately leaving the reader with a satisfied feeling, despite the shocking ending. Ultimately, I quite enjoyed this book and I urge anyone who enjoys mysteries or has read other books by the author to read it.