When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

If you loved To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, you should try When Dimple Met Rishi! 

The book centers around the two main characters, Dimple and Rishi, attending a web design summer program together after their Indian parents have tried to set them up. The ever romantic rosy eyed Rishi is excited to meet Dimple and get to know her. But Dimple, excited about web design and not about being told to find a husband, isn’t so happy to meet Rishi, leading to quite a few hilarious misunderstandings between the two. 

Though resistant at first as Dimple starts to know and understand Rishi, sparks fly! With such vibrant characters this book is super entertaining and fun to read. The chapters are divided up between Dimple and Rishi’s points of view, giving both of their perspectives on the story. Anyone looking for a light hearted comedic romance should look no further than When Dimple Met Rishi.

Review written by Phoebe, Grade 11

Faith by Julie Murphy

The summer before her senior year, Faith discovers a new ability to fly. Finally, with a secret to rival all of her favorite fictional characters she goes back to school, when weird things in her small town start to happen. Faith’s favorite tv show starts filming in her town, and the heartthrob lead of said show might be flirting with her, meanwhile all the dogs and cats in the town are starting to vanish. What will Faith with her new found abilities do about it?

This action packed book has a little of everything in it. With all the different tropes it contains it’s a really quick read, great for the summer. The main character, a queer plus sized geek, doesn’t have a huge struggle over who she is, she just exists in the story, which is really refreshing. Readers who have ever felt sad because their Hogwarts letter never came and they never found the path to Narnia will immediately connect with Faith’s character.

Though this book is not very serious and can feel a little cheesy or clichéd at parts, it’s a really fun fast paced read that I would definitely recommend picking it up!

Review written by Phoebe, Grade 11

Zodiac by Romina Russell

Rho is a Cancerian, always will be. From the very start she’s loved her home and has a deep connection with it. But when her home planet is attacked by an unknown planet, everything changes. Rho is called in to be the new leader of Cancer after the old leader died from the attack. Without much experience, Rho must set on an expedition across the galaxy of zodiacs to find the one who’s responsible for the destruction of her own home. Her friend, Matias accompanies her, and along the way they meet Hysan wants to help them as well.

Zodiac is a Sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and adventure novel for readers age 12 to 17, though I’d personally say age 14 and older. It takes place in a futuristic solar system-like galaxy where each planet is representative of a zodiac and one personality trait. Other than the main space exposition plot, there is a love triangle as well. While many people like the book, one criticism I could give is that the author does not do enough to build each character’s personality. What I mean by this is that we are already given a single personality trait for each zodiac, and the author uses that trait to write each character from that house. We are told that Rho is nurturing because she is from Cancer, but it isn’t shown too well in the writing. Overall, I would recommend this book to people who like romance and sci-fi, but it personally wasn’t for me - though don’t let that stop you from reading the book if it sounds interesting.

Review written by Quincy, Grade 9

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Friends Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy spent their entire childhood at the English boarding school Hailsham. It was an intriguing place, filled with mysterious teachers, strange rules, and seemingly harmless discussion topics that were off-limits. Students were told that they were different from the other children outside of the fence, and for the most part, Hailsham was entirely normal. Yet a few of them sensed something off about the school, something the teachers were hiding from them. After leaving Hailsham and parting ways, the three, now young adults, reunite many years later. As the narrator, Kathy reflects on their past experiences, searching for their true purpose in life with the help of her loyal friends. 

 Though Never Let Me Go is classified as science fiction and lacks the common elements one usually sees in the genre, it still keeps that curious feeling lurking in the back of the reader’s mind. The novel is written almost in a stream of consciousness, with Kathy often getting distracted by other stories in the middle of narrating an anecdote, for example. Set in the past, present, and future, the book accurately captures her fluctuating feelings as she progresses from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. This eccentric tale is obscure and complex at times and may be difficult to initially comprehend, but it brings to light moral controversies that still afflict society today.

Review written by Eliana, Grade 11

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue, is about a Cameroonian-American immigrant family, struggling through to achieve their official right to stay in the United States. The story takes place in the time of worldwide financial crisis in 2008-2009. A father of the family, Jende works as a chauffeur of a prosperous white man, working at the Lehman Brothers office in New York. He fights hard, including the help from the man to get his green card and guarantee a fulfilled life for his children in the United States. His wife, Neni, studies at a medical school to be a physician. She is also a mother of an elementary-school old son and a newborn girl (who’s born near the end of the story) and she endeavors balancing out her dream of becoming a physician and raising her children born in the United States.

Throughout the story, there are many dreadful and unexpected events raiding the family’s bond and trust. Each character is special and they all support the family. Each character, including the children. It was very interesting to explore the topics from the perspectives of an innocent child. The emotions and feelings each character had is very clear and is also dramatic, which enhances the mood of the ongoing plots. (For example, Jende, a hard working, diligent man, suddenly becomes outraged from the struggle. This shows how serious the challenges are to them, in a recognizable way) The plot is pretty understandable and fast-moving, so you would never get tired or bored reading this book. 

What I liked about this book is that unlike A Raisin in the Sun, a book that I reviewed earlier, this story takes place in modern day New York. Therefore, there are few to no plots with families being discriminated against. In the book it even says that Neni feels safe being in the United States. I really liked the plot in general along with the unpredictable ending. I 100% recommend this book and it is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

Review written by Yuuto, Grade 9

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

“If you’re lost, you might need to swim against the tide.”

Counting By 7s is a realistic fiction novel by Holly Goldberg Sloan. It’s sad, funny, beautiful, and heartwarming, and it tugs on your heartstrings in all the right ways. The novel focuses on an extremely intelligent 12 year old girl named Willow Chance who has a love for gardening. She has two loving adoptive parents who have taken care of her since she was born, and they all care for each other very much. When she starts at the middle school, she aces a test using her own knowledge, which no one had ever done before. Because she finished so quickly and accurately, the principal falsely accuses her of cheating and puts her into counseling. There, she meets the lazy but caring counselor named Dell Duke, a friendly and persistent high schooler named Mai, and Mai’s troublemaking, artistic brother Quang-Ha. However, when tragedy strikes, Willow will find new family in unexpected ways, whether it be a new friend or even a kind taxi driver.

Overall, Counting by 7s was a fantastic read. The way it was written invokes all these different strong emotions, whether it’s frustration at the principal for an accusation of cheating or sympathy for what Willow has to go through. It might even make you cry! The characters are so well-written and fleshed out, and they each have their own unique personalities. By the end, you care about them each for a different reason. Another thing that stood out as I was reading was how I was glued to the pages. It’s one thing to simply read a book, it’s another to be glued. It’s just one of those books where it is so well-written that the story keeps you trapped and makes you want to find out what’s next.

If you like realistic fiction books like One for the Murphys or Out of My Mind, this is a great book for you to read. I’d recommend it for ages eleven to fourteen and up, but really, anyone from any age can read this novel.

Review written by Silas, Grade 8

I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

Skye Shin, a Korean American teen, has stunning talent as both a stylish dancer and a powerful singer. But because she’s not the same shape as the lean women on the runway, society has told her all her life that she shouldn’t call attention to herself. Even her own mother believes that our society has no place for fat girls to be stars. She has told Skye time and time again that she’s better off as a singer, she should try a new diet, she should exercise more, and many other passive-aggressive pieces of advice. Despite all the rules placed on her back, Skye auditions for a K-Pop reality show and disrupts the competition being the only plus-sized girl brave enough to compete. As she fights against the societal norms telling her she’s not enough while also competing in a K-Pop competition that has its own beauty standards, she uses her talent, hard work, and positivity, to continue to overcome. But will it be enough? 

Skye Shin has faced all that society has thrown at her, and now it’s her turn to celebrate her true self in author Lyla Lee’s charming rom-com about a plus-sized girl trying to make her way in the K-pop universe. 

This book is special because of the representation it delivers. As a Korean-American myself, I was excited to read a story about another Korean-American teen written by a female Korean-American author. Skye Shin, the main protagonist, is fat, an aspiring K-Pop Star, bisexual, and unapologetic about who she is. She is someone who has the audience rooting for her success and happiness from the very beginning. As a reader, you follow this book from Skye’s first person perspective, and it provides a fresh and new perspective into the K-Pop world. Although I’m not the biggest BTS or Blackpink stan, I still enjoyed this story because of the fun and quirky characters that stand alongside Skye and the journey that she goes on navigating her life. Overall, this novel is a light and modern read, that still contains depth and authenticity. 

For fans of young adult writers, like Julie Murphy (author of Dumplin’) and Jenny Han (author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), Lyla Lee’s debut novel is the perfect next read. I would recommend I’ll Be The One for ages 13-17, to inspire other young teens to stay true to themselves despite the rules placed on their backs by society.

Review written by Sydney, Grade 10