After being held in a compound by his mentally
insane father for six years, Eli is finally reunited with his twin brother,
Eddy and his grandmother. As they reemerge and try to lead normal lives, Eli
feels as if they are being watched everywhere they go. This anxiety worsens as
new information arises from his father's company and Eddy's new suspicious
friend. Unsure of who to trust, nothing seems normal to Eli anymore, which
makes trying to fit in even more complicated than it already was.
Fallout by S.A. Bodeen was a good end to The Compound and it
was written and executed nicely. I liked how the problems that Eli and hi
family had had were figured out and they had a shot at leading normal lives
after being deprived of six years of it. They all change for the better and
learn more things about themselves and each other that they hadn't known
before. I really liked the book and would recommend both books to anyone into
young-adult, almost dystopian types of books.
Lusine M., Grade 9
Central Library
For O
ne More Day, by
Mitch Albom,
that forces you to realize that the concept of family is never simply black and white and you only know what you had until you lose it. Charley “Chick” Benetto’s life has gone down the drain: he has lost all his money, developed a drinking problem, and has been shut out of his only daughter’s life by not being invited to her wedding. One night he decides to drive out to his hometown and take his life, but instead is given the privilege to visit his dead mother who had raised him and his sister as a single mother in the 1960s. He is given the chance to spend one more day with his beloved mother and learn her sacrifices and realize the strength of parental love.
Albom creates a unique voice for the protagonist: he’s bitterly funny and heartbreakingly broken. He deftly alternates between his past childhood memories and his present situation with his mother. Each memory tugs at the heartstrings for the young boy who grew up way too fast. It also keeps readers intrigued with the secrets that unravel one after the other, continuously shocking and gasp-worthy. The way that Charley is presented and described is also painfully heartbreaking and can be related to in so many ways. The author does a very good job with tone and playing with readers’ emotions. I found myself crying from start to finish, and just when I thought I ran out of tears, fresh ones would pop up. This is not a read for the emotionally weak person because it will make your heart ache and eyes flood with every turn of the page.
Reviewed by Lilit, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
