Five Feet Apart - Directed by Justin Baldoni

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, Stella has spent her entire life inside hospital rooms. Every day feels the same; the same routine with multiple pills, tubes, and procedures. Will is another cystic fibrosis patient who needs hospital treatment for his lung infections. The general rule is to be six feet apart, which is all it takes for a fatal cross-infection to spread between two patients. Eventually, Stella and Will grow to have feelings for each other despite the circumstances they’re in. Each patient struggles to cope with their restricted lives. However, is stepping just one foot closer to each other all that bad? 
Five Feet Apart is an extremely heartbreaking film that illustrates the story of two cystic fibrosis patients who wish to lead a normal life. The film communicates sentiment, romance, and compassion through each scene as the characters learn to grow through their experiences. I would recommend this movie, or even the original novel, to those who are looking for a memorable story.

Based on a novel by Mikki Daughtry, Racheal Lippincott, and Tobias Iaconis
Rated PG-13

Review Written by Isole, 8th Grade

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is a novel about a world in which select people have superpowers and the rivalry between good and evil is nowhere near black and white. Nova works for a rebel group, the Anarchists, who oppose the rule of the Renegades, a group of the most powerful people who saved the world from villainy and collapse. Nova wants revenge upon the Renegades and after a failed assassination attempt on one of the heads of the Renegades, she gets pulled into a scheme to take them down from the inside. Her mission as a double agent leads her to meet a boy named Adrian who will do anything for justice even if it means breaking a few rules himself. Her attachment to Adrian and her slowly changing views of her world try her loyalty to the Anarchists but also cause her to realize the true flaws in the Renegade system. When the time comes for her to make her move and take down the ‘heroes’ of society, will she be able to do it even if it means betraying new friends?

 I really enjoyed this book, especially because of its complex take on the society run by superheroes angle. The idea of having the main character be on the ‘villainous’ side helps the reader realize that even the ‘heroes’ aren’t perfect, in fact, they’re quite far from it. I also liked how the author used the relationship between Nova and Adrian to both give Nova a lot of internal conflict and lighten up the novel. Another thing the author did really well is how she built the characters. Each person has such an intricate personality, it feels like you know them. Additionally, the writing style makes the book seem to fly by so you won’t be able to put it down. I would give this book a solid four out of five stars because it’s written really well and is very encapsulating with turns and twists everywhere. For fans of the Lunar Chronicles, the Marvel Universe, and other Sci-Fi and YA novels, I highly recommend you pick up Renegades by Marissa Meyer.

Review Written by Ada, 9th Grade

The Maze Runner Directed by Wes Ball

A teenage boy gains consciousness in an unknown world unable to remember his own name, failing to recognize how, where, and why he was there. He is welcomed into a civilization that seems to be in the same situation, with no memory of identity or origin. The landscape is encased around a towering wall, strictly forbidden to go beyond. The boy learns that behind the walls lies a complex maze filled with dangerous obstacles, which nobody has survived a night inside to tell the tale. To decipher possible escape routes, runners venture into the maze to memorize pathways. Despite this, three years have passed with no true success. Disaster emerges as the truths of this world are revealed for the first time.

The Maze Runner is a highly entertaining dystopian film that I would recommend to people who enjoy adventure or action-packed thrillers. The storyline is well executed with enjoyable suspense and anticipation. Each character is presented with a specific personality or trait, which makes them memorable throughout the film. The protagonist may be considered typical, but the role is well-played to fit the narrative. The film overall has some violence or intensity that may not appeal to everyone. In all, I enjoyed this watch and would continue to follow along this movie trilogy.

Based on the novel by James Dashner
Rated PG-13

Review Written by Isole, 8th Grade

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Young Elites, written by Marie Lu, tells the thrilling tale of a young girl, scarred from a deadly blood fever that swept through her nation of Kenettra. Thousands perished, but a few survivors are left with mysterious abilities. Those were known as the Young Elites, praised by common folk, hunted down by the Inquisition Axis that ruled the nation. When Adelina Amourteru accidentally kills her father, in a struggle to control her newfound abilities, she finds herself in a deadly battle between the Inquisition Axis and a group of Young Elites known as the Dagger Society. Adelina must find a way to control her powers before it rips both her and her fellow Daggers apart.

 This book was an amazing read, containing beautiful descriptions and memorable characters. It contains a dark, morally grey, and damaged main character, a diverse cast of supporting characters, and a complex, layered antagonist. Taking a unique twist on a common plot, this book is absolutely gorgeous and I would one hundred percent recommend it.

Review Written by Lindsey, 9th Grade

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 At ten years old and with a crippled foot, Ada has never left her small London apartment. Her abusive mother, disgusted by her daughter’s “ugly foot”, forcefully keeps Ada locked inside and away from the outside world. Left in isolation and often beaten or harshly punished, Ada feels her life couldn't get any worse. Shortly in the year 1939, World War II erupts in Europe and children are sent away to be taken to the safer countryside. Bombs or no, Ada’s mother refuses to send her away with her six-year-old brother, Jamie. Determined to escape, Ada embarks on a journey of courage with plans to leave London against her mother’s consent.

The War That Saved My Life is an emotionally powerful novel that I would recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction genres. Along the story, I begin to unknowingly sympathize with Ada’s hardships and cheer for her victories. Personally, at first glance, the novel was a little difficult to interpret. However, I found myself enjoying it as the book progressed.

Review Written by Isole, 8th Grade

Blended by Sharon Draper

Sharon Draper's intense novel, Blended, is an honest, warm story of a family that shows both sides of racism, from a young mixed-girl perspective, Isabella, called Izzy. Izzy's father is black, and her mother is white, so she regularly feels like she doesn't fit in with society. When her parents abruptly get divorced after not getting along and fighting about silly, irrelevant topics, she blames the divorce and the brokenness of her family on herself. Throughout the process, she begins to lose the strong, young woman she is. Izzy and her brother Devin start to live a double life; two houses, two families, two wardrobes, and they eventually begin to feel like two different kids. After suffering for a while, Izzy's friend faces racism and becomes targeted and placed in danger. In history, classmates talked about lynching, and Izzy witnessed her black friend ending her day by being surprised with a noose in her. Isabella realizes that racism is a real event that takes place in the world and realizes that it does not need to define the person she is. Still, Izzy physically suffers from police brutality while being innocent and ends up with a gruesome bullet wound in a hospital. The event became overlooked, and people reacted as it was normal to act in society, so it did not receive the attention it deserved.

 This novel contains serious topics such as identity development, family dynamics, and police brutality, but is the perfect mixture of all of them. Author Sharon Draper captures the feelings of her readers and the characters in a serious, and humorous way. She is unafraid to introduce mature topics in a sophisticated manner but easy to comprehend. Blended is a compelling, exciting story that showcases how a kid is trying to learn who they are, and figure out where they belong in the world.

Review Written by Anya, 7th Grade

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Many centuries in the future, after the Fourth World War, humans and technology alike rule the world. A deadly plague called Letumosis is destroying populations across the planet, and a kingdom of Lunars - humans from the moon - are eager to invade Earth. Sixteen year old Cinder is a talented mechanic from New Beijing, who also happens to be a cyborg. Her metallic extremities make her a second-class citizen, and an embarrassment to her evil stepmother and sisters. As the Letumosis plague continues to ravage the country, Cinder’s life suddenly becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s. Cinder must uncover secrets about her mysterious past while balancing her interesting new friendship, all while keeping a dangerous secret that could put everyone she knows in danger.

I really enjoyed this book. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give it an 8.4. The author went into great detail about how the world looked and operated during Cinder’s time, and I was incredibly fascinated by all of the intricate descriptions of androids and hover cars. It was really interesting to read about a time in the future where people were experiencing a pandemic, much as we are now. Although our current pandemic is nowhere near the severity of Letumosis, the way it was approached was somewhat similar. One of my favorite aspects of this story was how it branched out from the Cinderella story, while still staying true to some of the traditional elements. The fact that Cinder was a strong, independent girl with a talent made her really likeable. The story definitely kept me on my toes, and it was impossible to put down. I would recommend this book to pre-teens and up. It is a really interesting story with some great elements of sci-fi. The cliffhangers are super unexpected, and although the story can be a bit slow, the action scenes and climaxes are 100% worth it.

 Review Written by Asha, 9th Grade