King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

King of Scars is a book about a young king named Nikolai Lantsov, who is struggling to conceal a dark secret: he has an uncontrollable ability to turn into a winged monster every night. While trying to find a cure for his condition, he continues to work to revive Ravka, his country that is still recovering after almost being torn apart from a civil war. I found King of Scars to be a great read. 

There was a nice combination of elements I enjoy in most books: fantasy, action, and humor. The main character Nikolai’s personality had a nice balance between humor and seriousness. As a king, he has his moments of arrogance, saying things like “I excel at most things”, and “The public may forget how handsome I am”. But he also shows responsibility and maturity as a leader, bringing Ravka to victory in the recent civil war and being referred to as a war hero by his citizens. 

Another character, Zoya Nazyalensky, is second-in-command to Nikolai. Her personality is described as serious and cold, someone who could “pulp your heart and drink it”. Although her and Nikolai are near polar opposites, the author did a great job of writing their relationship. They have a really nice chemistry, with lots of playful banter and snarky comments. One excerpt of their dialogue is: “’I like to keep you on your toes, Nazyalensky. Constant anxiety does wonders for the complexion.’ ‘I’ll send you a thank-you card’. ‘Make sure of it. You’re positively glowing.’” 

The last main character is Nina Zenik, a soldier under Nikolai’s army. Nina is a very flashy and bold character, and as Zoya describes her: “She doesn’t have a single subtle bone in her body. Asking Nina not to draw attention is like asking water no to run downhill.” She is also very loyal to the king, and although has a hard time with undercover missions, tries her best to succeed. (“The king had taken a chance on Nina, and she would not squander the opportunity. She would not jeopardize the mission.”) 

One thing that felt a little off with this book was how well everything connected together. Nina’s part of the story is set in a different setting as Nikolai’s and Zoya’s, so whenever the story switches point of views to and from Nina’s, the change feels very abrupt. It feels like I’m reading two separate stories in one book, because Nina’s story never joins back to Nikolai’s and Zoya’s.

Review written by Victoria, Grade 9

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

The Fever King by Victoria Lee is a science fiction book where we follow Noam Álvaro, a survivor of a magic virus outbreak. This magic virus would kill his entire family, but his survival would give him the ability of being a technopath, the ability to manipulate technology around him. He is forced into the magical elite of Carolina by the minister of defense, where he meets the minister’s son, and learns the secrets and corruptions of the government. 

I loved The Fever King by Victoria Lee. The book is set in a futuristic dystopian society where a magical virus sweeps through states killing almost everybody, rarely leaving people to live. The main character, Noam, struggles to decide who to trust and who not to trust after developing magical powers and being put in a whole different world to what he was used to. It was a thrilling story to read and always kept me on my toes. Victoria Lee is incredibly talented with creating and demonstrating many different magical abilities. 

Review written by Evi, Grade 10

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry illustrates the life of an African American family living in Chicago. Each of the family members hold a dream, that is unique and different in it’s own ways, but it roots to the simple fact - to live a better life. One day, they have gotten a chance to fulfill that dream. It was the insurance check of $10,000 from the death of a grandfather in the family. Will they be able to fulfill their dream? 

The story takes place in a time where ethnic minorities were discriminated against by society. The story is also based on Hansberry’s childhood’s experience. The title is taken from Langston Hughes’ poem, Dream Deferred from Harlem. Both Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry were writers and authors that represented the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural flourish within the African Americans living in the United States. The story is also based on Hansberry’s childhood’s experience. 

The theme of this play isn't just racism. They also include social status problems, economic disparity, feminism, sexual prejudice, and more. But all of these we still deal with. This play conveys so many important messages that we should understand and acknowledge today. 

 I really enjoyed the play as the ending was pretty unpredictable for some characters. I liked how each character had a story behind it which has allowed me to dive in deeper to the setting of the story. I would like to recommend this book to everyone, since it conveys a strong message to people of all ages and races. Younger kids might want to look at the movie version of this, since the book contains complex vocabularies and plots.

Review written by Yuuto, Grade 9

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is one of the best historical fiction/espionage novels I have ever read. The book follows two women in different times of war: Eve, a spy under the code name Alice during the first world war, and an American girl who, just following World War II, gets sent to Europe for an abortion after she became pregnant outside of wedlock. Charlie, the American girl, has her own purpose for Europe though. Her cousin went missing during the war and Charlie is intent on finding her. When Charlie finds Eve on her quest, Eve has to work through her trauma, a task that, while not easy, may give them answers they didn’t even know they were looking for.

This novel seriously blew my mind with how well it covered so many women’s issues so subtly while having one of the best plots and layout of any historical fiction book I’ve read. I was constantly enthralled in the story and cried multiple times because of the intense way the author gets you to connect with the characters. While this novel does get dark at times, especially when Eve recounts her time as a spy, the book has many instances where you’re cheering the characters on. That said, because of the mature themes in the book, I wouldn’t recommend it for those under 15, as it is definitely an adult novel. One of my favorite parts of this book is the personal journey that Charlie makes. In the adventure Europe takes them on, Charlie develops so much as a person and learns how to separate herself from her family and upbringing. Overall, I highly recommend reading this if you are a fan of espionage or historical fiction, you will not regret it.

Review written by Ada, Grade 10

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X is a book made entirely of poems. It’s about a young girl named Xiomara Batista who feels lost, alone, and unheard in her life. Using slam poetry, she works to understand the world and find her identity.

Although I personally don’t enjoy poetry, The Poet X was a great read. I liked how the author wrote the story in poems rather than a more traditional format. Being a slam poet herself, I feel like Acevedo was able to portray Xiomara’s emotions more deeply through this format. I also liked how the story reached out to many young readers who have similar thoughts and conflicts as Xiomara. Feeling alone and unheard, even around people who are supposed to be supporting you in your life can feel awful, and I’m glad that this book was able to portray that. I would recommend this novel to anyone who needs a boost of confidence or reassurance in their lives.

Review written by Victoria, Grade 9

Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho

Parasite is a film about a poor family of four, a son, a daughter, and a mother and father. They work as pizza box folders and struggle to make enough money. One day they are given a scholar’s rock by a friend of the son. This friend suggests the son, Ki-woo, to tutor the daughter of the Park family by pretending to be a university student. The Park family is extremely wealthy and hires Ki-woo. Ki-woo then makes a place for his entire family to work in the Park family house. They all successfully find themselves working for the Park family, but it suddenly all changes. 

Parasite was an incredible movie with beautiful cinematic shots and held an interesting message about the relationship between the wealthy and poor in our society. I loved Parasite as it provided a great amount of shock-factor to the table. Parasite is one of my favorite movies because of its well created story and its execution.

Rated R 

Review written by Evi, Grade 10

A Step from Heaven by An Na

A Step from Heaven is a book about a young girl named Young Ju, who moved to America from Korea at a young age. The book narrates her struggles to adapting to the new lifestyle.

As a Korean-American, I was looking forward to reading this book. One thing I really enjoyed was how the author added many parts of Korean culture into the story, despite it being set in America. I also liked how a lot of the struggles Young Ju had experienced in the story were relatable and understandable. This made the book seem more realistic, even though it is fiction. 

One thing I didn’t like was how some Korean terms were incorrectly used (ex. “noona” should have been used instead of “uhn-nee). I felt disappointed that the author didn’t do enough research of basic terminology to write their story. Other than that, the story was very nice. It was really intriguing and realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a more serious and thoughtful read.

Review written by Victoria, Grade 9