The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black

Jude Duarte was seven when a man broke into her house and murdered her parents. He, identifying himself as someone named Madoc, takes Jude and her two sisters to a realm known as the High Court of Faerie. There, they are raised in aristocracy, albeit discriminated against for being human. Years pass but all Jude wants is to be accepted there. Fae hate humans, so when she is forced to attend school there, all of her fellow classmates harass her. The worst of all of them is the King's youngest son, Cardan Greenbriar. He and his vigilantes try to drown her, beat her up, and humiliate her. Cardan’s older sibling Dain presents Jude with the opportunity to be his spy in exchange for protection. As Jude fights her way through the world of Fae, she unveils a sinister plot that could end in utter chaos.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black. A strong and empowering female protagonist is always appreciated, plus throughout the book, she felt relatable without playing on stereotypes. This book was very unpredictable, holding your attention all the way to the end. Trigger warnings include body-shaming, slut-shaming, slavery, physical & psychological child abuse, cheating, disownment, suicide and coerced self-harm, alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse, drug use and non-consensual drugging, mithridatism, pregnancy, attempted abortion via poison, blood and gore depiction, dead bodies, graphic physical injuries, decapitation, dismemberment, emesis, death of parents, death of friends, death of siblings, death by falling, drowning, murder and attempted murder, knife violence, stabbing, strangulation, torture, kidnapping, war, and bullying. 

Reviewed by Anon, Grade 9

Glendale Central Library 

Thing Explainer, by Randall Munroe

The whole premise around this book is explaining complicated objects or subjects with only the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. The book is a nonfiction book for adults however it has humor and fun illustrations. Randall Munroe covers 54 subjects and one such subject was how atom bombs (or as he says it "machines for burning cities") works and it covers the various components and what each one does. The book is fun while being educational and has many well drawn visual aids/blueprints.

I think Thing Explainer, by Randall Munroe is a very good book and a very good author. The book is full of witty science jokes and humor. However the very premise of the book explaining things simply using only the most common words from the English language can sometimes contradict itself since instead of saying pencil the author instead calls it a writhing stick which is even harder to understand. I think this book would be more suitable for younger audiences closer to the age of 12 or 13 than adults. However this is one of my favorite nonfiction books and I would recommend it. 

Reviewed by Emil, Grade 9

Glendale Central Library  

I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson

Twin siblings Jude and Noah tell their stories in parallel, with Noah recounting the past and Jude picking up at the present. The siblings give their own perspectives on growing apart from family, struggling to meet expectations, and making decisions they end up regretting. Throughout all these conflicts, their artistic inheritance expresses itself, and helps them express themselves, through paint, paper, and stone.

Many of the common themes of growing up, as well as just facing life, are addressed beautifully by this novel. Whether it be about coming to terms with letting go of the past, or dealing with guilt over bad decisions, Jude and Noah's stories had me cheering both of them on their journey to accept themselves. Interactions between characters provide much appreciated humor in the story, and I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson is overall an entertaining and meaningful story of youth and love, and one of my all time favorites.

Reviewed by E.K., Grade 12

Glendale Central Library