Just Jamie by Terri Libenson

The name of the book I’m writing about is Just Jaime by Terri Libenson. One thing I liked about this book is the theme. The theme of this book is to find real friends and to be in good company, this is really important because teens can get peer pressured and it’s really important to find the right group of friends who treat you correctly. One thing I thought that could’ve been better is the vocabulary, I think the author could have used more complex vocabulary words. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in middle school, this book talks about true friends. In middle school it is very important to identify real and fake people. That is why I recommend this book!

– Ruhi Desai, Brambleton Library

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems . .. Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show. Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father. When the sisters’ long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show’s mastermind organiser, Legend. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.

One thing that I liked about this book was that it had a lot of twists and turns. It left you guessing what is actually true or not.

I actually really like this book. I don’t really remember anything bad about it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy stories.

Trigger Warning- Parental abuse, blood, death, kidnapping, murder.

– Inej Samant, Brambleton Library

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two girls from achieving happily ever after.

One thing that I liked was that it switched between Hani and Ishu’s POV’s so you could see how both girls feel about each other.

One thing that I wished could be better was a little more slowburn. I like books with more angst and this book didn’t really have that much.

I would recommend this book to anyone LGBTQ+ teen who has parents from South Asia (like me).

Trigger warnings- Islamophobia, biphobia, homophobia, racism, bullying, toxic friendships, emotional abuse, parental abandonment

– Inej Samant, Brambleton Library

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Following the life of Amir, a Pashtun Afghan, The Kite Runner creates an intertwined story where several different events are presented as recurring themes. Starting at the beginning, Amir narrates the story of his childhood in Afghanistan with his Hazara servant, Hassan, who plays a large role in Amir’s life. Amir struggles as a child to gain the affection of his father because of his shy personality that makes him avoid confrontations; going to many lengths to gain his father’s affection, Amir makes certain mistakes that he’ll never be able to take back. As the story transitions from Amir’s childhood, we understand that Amir has grown as an individual after moving to America with his father. Never forgetting his past though, Amir always feels guilty for his actions, at least until he finds the chance to redeem himself in a turn of fate.

The connection throughout the story to themes of love and hate, as well as recurring symbols, create a deeper meaning to the text that allows readers to understand the situation that occurred in Afghanistan better. Although some parts of The Kite Runner are difficult to read, the language that Hosseini evokes a variety of emotions in the reader. Anyone that likes a historical fiction book or coming-of-age story should definitely give The Kite Runner a read.

-Tanvi Jammula

Cascades Library

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Discovering his identity as a demigod, Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, realizes the challenges ahead of him. With the first novel in the series presenting Percy with the quest of retrieving the master bolt, stolen from Zeus, this action packed novel brings about many interesting encounters with the real-world, monsters, and gods alike. As Percy realizes the importance of loyalty and friendship, while questing with Annabeth and Grover, he also starts to understand the life he has ahead of him outside Camp Half-Blood.

The mystery and twists that fill the first book of the Percy Jackson series makes it an interesting read. Just like the prophecy presented by The Oracle at the beginning of the novel, there are some events that are expected, while some events make us shocked. An amazing start to the series, The Lightning Thief is a book I would definitely recommend reading. Anyone that enjoys a good fantasy or action packed adventure should definitely give Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief a read.

-Tanvi Jammula

Cascades Library

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

The Scythedom is in turmoil. With the questionable Scythe Goddard serving as a martyr to fuel the New Order, and the Honorable scythe Anastasia giving new hope to the Old Gaurd, the Scythdeome fights a silent civil war. 

Scythe Lucifer, a rouge scythe, has taken it upon himself to end the dishonorable scythes that are increasing as the days go by. Scythe Anastasia has to keep the scythedom from crumbling under Goddard’s influence, and Greyson Tolliver must take it upon himself to save those crucial to a safe future under the Thunderhead’s guidance.

Can these three work in their own ways to stop the crumbling of society, or will it be too much for them to handle?

With many plot twists, cliffhangers, and amazing story development, the Thunderhead is a good read for those who enjoyed the first book. This book would appeal to those who are interested in sci-fi and fantasy and would like to be kept on the edges of their seats while reading a book. This book, like the first one, has a considerable amount of violence and killing. I would recommend this book to anyone 12 and up who can handle violence and bloody scenes.

– Nivi M., Brambleton Library

Masterminds Vol. 1 by Gordon Korman

With zero crime, poverty, or homelessness, Serenity, New Mexico is the perfect town. For years, the town’s thirty kids believed so. All those belief’s change when Eli Frieden attempts to bike past the town limits for the first time. He experiences paralyzing nausea and pain that makes him question whether Serenity is a paradise or a prison. Eli and his friends, Malik and Tori decide to investigate and realize that their entire town is built on a lie. The truth is so shocking that it makes them question their own lives and identities.

Readers may find certain aspects of this book appealing. The story of Masterminds revolves around alternating first-person narratives, which show the struggles each character experiences, along with how solutions play out across perspectives. The story’s plot, however, is very intense at times, and the constant shifting in perspectives can make it hard to grasp events.

I would recommend this book to middle school readers as an excellent display of different writing techniques.

– Vinay Yallapragada (Gum Spring Library)

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert is a YA Fiction novel about a high school senior named Danny Cheng who plans on going to Rhode Island School of Design to pursue becoming an artist. While happy going off to college, Danny can’t help but notice his parents’ strange behavior. Their behavior leads Danny into finding out an old family secret on what really happened to his older sister back in China. Meanwhile; Danny also has to deal with the one year anniversary of his friend’s death.

This novel is similar to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli where it follows someone going against expectations of others. But, there were times that it was hard to follow. The topic would change without one knowing; nonetheless, the topics it talked about were captivating to read.

-Isamarie Irizarry

Cascades Library

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo follows fifteen-year old Xiomara who lives in Harlem, New York and finds an interest in poetry. She uses poetry as a safe haven from her religious mother and the rest of the world. The novel is similar to the musical In the Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes; both the main protagonists narrate what life is like in the barrios and yearn for more outside of it.

The Poet X describes what it is like as a young teen living in a barrio and having a double life, her life in and out of her house are different. Xiomara can be herself outside of her house and is more outgoing than inside of her house where she is fighting with her mother. However, there are other times where it would have been interesting to see her mother’s point of view to understand why her mother treats her the way that she does. This novel would be interesting for anyone who likes poetry or wants to read a story like In the Heights.

-Isamarie Irizarry

Cascades Library

Grenade by Alan Gratz

This historical fiction novel, “Grenade” by Alan Gratz is based on a true story. This book is about a young boy, Hideki, who finds the reality of war and the actual meaning of bravery while the Americans were invading the island of Okinawa. Okinawa is a tiny island province off the coast of Japan and it was going to become the place of one of the most bloodiest battles in World War II. The book is told from the perspectives of Hideki Kaneshiro, a fourteen-year-old Okinawan child and Ray Majors, an American soldier.

I enjoyed this book because of all the suspense and how the author showed the war in the point of view of a young child. As you see, in the summary I mentioned “bloodiest”, that was the thing I didn’t enjoy as much, lots of blood and description of blood. I would recommend this book to eighth graders and up. I would also propose this book to anyone who likes historical fiction books. 

– Anya Bhatia (Gum Spring)