Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, is about two teens who meet unexpectedly one night and spend the night together on an adventure. Nick is heartbroken over his ex Tris, and when he sees her at his band gig one night, he asks Norah, a random girl, to pretend to be his girlfriend for five minutes to make Tris jealous. Nick's friends convince Norah to go on a date with Nick right then, and their adventure begins.

This book was overall pretty cute. I didn't really like that it seemed like a typical teen romance book, and the plot was pretty predictable. It was still tolerable, though, and the more I read, the more interesting it became. The characters were cute and romantic, and there were funny moments. I would recommend this book to teens who enjoy romance and I would give it a 6 out of 10.

Reviewed by Rebecca S., Grade 10
Glendale Central Library

Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare

In the final installment of the Infernal Devices series, Mortmain is closer than ever to assembling a clockwork army to defeat Shadowhunters. With the Consul breathing down Charlotte's back, the Institute is under close scrutiny. Tessa's love triangle intensifies with Jem's proposal and Will's discovery that his curse was never real. The members of the Institute must fight against Mortmain's clockwork army and find Mortmain before it is too late.

I really loved Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare! It was action-packed, funny, romantic, and suspenseful. The characters were as lovable as usual, the suspense left me on the edge of my seat, and the end left me in tears. I would recommend Clockwork Princess to fans of the series and teens who enjoy romance and action. I would rate it a 10 out of 10.

Reviewed by Rebecca S., Grade 10
Glendale Central Library

The Compound, by S.A. Bodeen

Eli has been living in the compound with his family for the past six years of his life. His father the rich and famous Rex Yanakakis, built the compound in case a nuclear war begins. As far as Eli knows, his twin brother, Eddy, and his grandmother did not make it into the compound and may or may not have survived these nuclear attacks. Even though his is used to the life in the compound, Eli is very unhappy, he begins having seconds on whether this nuclear war did happen and if his brother and grandmother did actually die.

The Compound, by S.A. Bodeenwasn't one of my favorite books but it was still a pretty good read. It took quite a chunk of the book for the action to start and for Eli to realize that he has to work with his mother and sister to be able to get out of the compound and get away from their potentially insane and harmful father. But when the action did start it was fast paced and exciting. It's not one of my favorites but it was a good book overall.

Reviewed by Lusine M., Grade 8
Glendale Central Library

Monday, June 20, 2016

Farewell To Manzanar, by Jeanne Watasuk

Farewell To Manzanar written by Jeanne Watasuki, is about when the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor in the year of 1941! The story explains how Jeane and her family went through tough times. Jeanne's father is a successful businessman and loves himself. He is proud and very sure. But one day he receives a call and sees many people with ships turning back to the shore. He learned that the Japanese army attacked the U.S. He was terrified and he himself was a Japanese-American! He didn't no what to do. After the attack, the U.S. Army started searching for anyone who would be able to communicate with the Japanese offshore. The U.S. then sent those people to concentration camps. Jeanne's family was one of them. Her family was accused of something they didn't do and that changed her whole life. Over the course of the story she talks and describes how the camps were. The type of food they had and how they were treated. Her mother would cry and she never knew where her father went.After that Jeanne's life completely changed all I can say at the end was that she had luck and she honestly deserved it.

This book is very touching. I really understand what people sometimes go through. They suffer a lot and sometimes for something they didn't even do like in this case with Jeanne. I felt really bad for her and her family and wish the best. I honestly would recommend this book to anyone even a toddler because they will appreciate life and understand the meaning of it. This a great piece of art to read and all I have to say about the book is great.

Reviewed by NJ, Grade 9
Pacific Park Library