WTF, by Peter Lerangis

A story that that is an example of the idea that a little fun can go a long way…and not in a good way. Jimmy, who is a geek and just wants some female attention, helps out his good friend Byron, who lost a margin call and needs fast money, who is assisting Cam, an athletic jock who needs to pay back Waits, a dealer under the great ex-convict Ianuzzi, Reina, a smart girl in love with Cam, plays a little hide-and-go-seek with Waits with some serious cargo, and Byron gets blackmailed by MC, a mountain chick who handles a rifle like it’s an extension of her hand. Each one wants something, and they will go to all extremes necessary to get what they desire.

Well, this was a fresh read: the entire book takes place within seven hours. Given this fact, everything is obviously fast-paced. There is no page filled with mindless or unnecessary information: every sentence, every word is carefully and methodically written. Lerangis does an amazing job with introducing the characters and giving them a personality in such a short amount of time; you get an idea of what kind of people each character is in a matter of three chapters. He was also able to intertwine all six major characters together in this huge, interconnected web. Lerangis was able to throw in some humor from time to time, but kept it really fast-paced, thriller/action-movie like most of the time. The author, again, is extremely skilled in his pacing of the story. He keeps you on the edge of your seat and on the tips of your toes, a state where you think your stomach is going to drop if you continue reading (but you continue anyways). Part of this is because just when he makes it seem like everything is going to resolve itself, the entire situation becomes even more labyrinthine. The small epilogue given at the end of the story was clever of the author because it let the readers catch their breaths and glide to a stop after the roller-coaster ride of a story. WTF, by Peter Lerangis, is especially great for those who like to press the gas all the way for the whole ride, cutting corners and flying off the road, and only hitting the brakes until the very end.

Reviewed by Lilit, Grade 12

Hamlet, by Shakespeare

Hamlet is a tragedy by Shakespeare that takes place in Denmark. Hamlet is the son of the last King Hamlet, who has supposedly died after being bitten by a snake in his garden. After his mother quickly remarried to his uncle Claudius. After finding out from the ghost of his father that he was actually murdered by Claudius, Hamlet vows to get revenge on Claudius and spends the rest of the play debating as to whether his revenge and life are worth it.

I was very intimidated to read this play because it seemed so complex and confusing but I loved it! I think Hamlet's philosophies and puns are so intense. The soliloquies are so beautifully written and can be interpreted in several way which I really appreciate. I thought it's really interesting how although Shakespeare left a bunch of questions unanswered that the people have made up several answers and possible theories anyway. I would recommend it to anyway who likes Shakespeare's plays.

Reviewed by Nayri T., Grade 12

Casa Verdugo Library