Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

I really like the book. I think people who haven't read it should read it and I would rate the book a 7 or a 8 on a scale from 1-10. ~ Posted by Mia, 9th grade

Dear Martin and The Hate U Give

The issues of police brutality and racial inequities in the justice system have been in the news continually over the past few years , and two recent books deal with the experiences of African-American teens in the shadow of the search for justice. Dear Martin by Nic Stone, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, both feature a high-achieving protagonist in an affluent, mostly-white high school who is forced to reckon with the realities of race relations in America when their communities are rocked by the police shooting of a young black man. In Dear Martin, Justyce's quest to emulate the nonviolent strength of Martin Luther King is upended by his own undeserved run-in with law enforcement, while in The Hate U Give, Starr becomes an unwitting witness and needs to decide how (or whether) she will stand up.

Both books portray complex characters making challenging decisions against the backdrop of friends and family with very different experiences, and a society that views their struggle as either false or not worth a protest. Each brings a different perspective to an essential topic, while also bringing a gripping, well-told story. Highly recommended.  

You Bring The Distant Near, by Mitali Perkins

Starting in the 1960s through the present day, this book follows three generations of Bengali women and their personal journeys of growth. Every woman is complex in their hopes and dreams for themselves and for their families, and how those dreams change as circumstances change. The conflicts between sisters, or between mothers and daughters, when those dreams are in conflict, are very realistic and speak to changes in society as a whole. Ranee, the mother and then grandmother, is happy in an arranged marriage and traditional in her goals for her daughters, who are in turn more rebellious in how and where they find love and life fulfillment, and who raise their own daughters still differently. You Bring The Distant Near manages to interweave cultural pride, assimilation, social critique and family love into one very readable, page-turner and tear-jerker of a story.

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

5 stars.
Scarlett O'Hara, a southern belle, becomes stuck in the Civil War trying to save herself. She ends up getting married a few times, all the while pining for another, and the mysterious Rhett Butler chasing after her. Don't let the length scare you! It's such a great read, you'll be on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what will happen next. The characters are refreshing, because of their flaws and human personalities. Definitely recommend!!

~ Posted by a Homestead junior

Reviews of Banished and The Tragedy Paper

A girl with healing powers was running away with her aunt, brother, and dog from evil people who has visions. The story is exciting and intense. It involves killing, fire and guns, which makes the story more nerve wrecking. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who like reading books that has good and evil in it.

A boy is going to his senior year. He found out a set of tapes in about an albino boy's story of his first love and how things happened in the albino's senior year. I would recommend this book to people going to their junior or senior year, because you might relate and learn something from it.

~ Reviewed by a Homestead senior

None Of The Above, by I.W. Gregorio

None of the Above caught my eye just for the title, I saw it sitting on the library shelf and  remember thinking about the title. I was so happy I picked it up, because this book will leave you on a high of happiness for the rest of the day. It is so positive and shows us all that now matter what our chromosomes are we should all love each other regardless. This story follows high school student Kristin Lattimer or Krissy, starting out right around Homecoming for their school where Krissy thinks that everything in her life is fitting into place. But then she is diagnosed with AIS, or intersex and her life is suddenly turned upside down. (Intersex is when you are born with both male and female body parts, though intersex people can appear outwardly as a girl or as a boy. It is part of the LGBT+ community). Kristin now has to figure out how to navigate through her life discovering this new part of her and what new paths and ways to take in her life in and out of high school. 

I really liked (loved, even) this book because it was so diverse. This is the first, and only book I have picked up and fully enjoyed about the topic. It has amazing representation and the author is a doctor, so there was also a blend of doctor facts but the book did not overuse the medical facts and information. A side note is that the author also uses the older more unknown term hermaphrodite, which was done away with because it seemed like a more hurtful term, but in this case it is being reclaimed. Which I thought was pretty awesome and super cool of the author. (Although some characters do use the term with a more negative connotation). I really like that it explored the beauty in being intersex and being you. I also want to mention there are a few scenes in which Krissy is outed but I loved that there were people there to support her and help her. 

There isn’t really much I disliked about the book, this book is really amazing and I am so glad it was written. I wish there were more books like this and hope for more books alike to come. I would recommend this book to anyone honestly it was so captivating. You become captivated with this world and what happens to Krissy. This book gets a five out of five stars from me not only from it being diverse but it was just so positive and amazing and a truly awesome and funny story to read. I do still wish that there was another book coming as a sequel, but I still love it and will remember it forever.

~ Reviewed by Alexi V.

So Cute It Hurts series

This book has action along with romance that cirles around 2 twins and their high school life. This book also include fighting scenes and romance scenes where you really fall in love with your characters. I recommend this manga if you love scenes that make your eyes water and your heart yearn for more; if so go read "So Cute It Hurts" in your library today.

~ Reviewed by Rebecca A.

The Trials of Apollo

This book is the continuation of Percy Jackson. It is about how Apollo, the god of music, truth and prophecy, healing, the sun and light, plague, poetry, and more, got kicked out of the Olympics, and finding out the deepest secret of Python's reborn, and the inside story of Nero the Roman Emperor. If you like Percy Jackson series, you must read The Trials Of Apollo. It is the connection to another possible series: Greek vs. Rome. Maybe even Egypt will join, too.

~ Reviewed by Niyu J.

"Pulse" Is a sci-fi book is about a teenage girl who can move things with her mind. But to save the world, she also needs something that she doesn't have yet, because without it, she has a disadvantage against all the others with the same power that she has.

~Posted by a Homestead sophomore

The Girl is Murder

The Girl Is Murder is a book about a girl named Iris in the 1940's who used to have a very privileged life but her life changed after her mother's inheritance ran out. Her father works as a private detective. Iris found out he had a case about one of the boys at her school, and trys to help him solve it without telling him. I thought this book was very interesting. There were so many plot twists that I did not expect at all. However some parts dragged on too long, especially in the beginning. The ending made up for that and I will definitely be reading the sequel.

~ Posted by a Homestead freshman

Review of Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson

I strongly recommend this book because it's full of surprises and really interesting story. The book is about a 18 years old teenager name David Charleston whose father is murdered by Steelheart when he is 8. A few years before, a giant red star appeared in the sky, and people start to have powers. In all of them all, the mightiest is Steelheart. He conquer the city Newcago and rule the place. To seek for revenge, David join a rebellion called the Reckoners to bring Steelheart down from his throne of cruelty and monstrosity.
~ Posted by a Homestead freshman

The Rig, by Joe Ducie

William Drake is a boy who lived with his mother in Britain most of his life. Then his mother got leukemia. In this world there is a pill called the Miracle Pill which cures any disease but is highly expensive. Since his mother was dying, Drake stole the Miracle Pill and went through many prison escaped but got to a prison called the Rig...
~ Posted by Eric N., Homestead freshman

Pegasus Review

The Series Pegasus my favorite series. The books are filled with action, adventure, and these books force me to use my imagination. Overal these books were a 4.5 star and I enjoyed all of them.

Review of The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

In this story, a man previously thought dead returns to save his love from an evil prince and his count. I really

loved this book because everything about it is good. The characters are funny, unique and interesting. The plot is suspenseful and well-written. The writing is unique (the author injects his own comments) and switches seamlessly between funny and sad. I would heavily recommend this book if you have not read it yet. I rate The Princess Bride 10/10 (Side Note: Despite the title, the book is not a Disney themed, lighthearted romantic comedy.)

~ Posted by a Homestead junior

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzi Lee

An ultimate story finding oneself, love, and adventure, set in 18th century Europe, Mackenzie Lee spins a hilarious tale in The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. Henry (Monty) Montague is your stereotypical sarcastic and privileged frat-boy with daddy issues who is also inexplicably in love with his childhood best friend. Not deterred by the racist and homophobic nature of society at the time, Monty suffers the effects of unrequited love, whilst dealing with his expulsion from Eton, a prestigious academy, and the arrival of his infant brother, “the Goblin.” His partying antics are suddenly halted as his inheritance, which he has to this point taken for granted, is in jeopardy. Embarking on his “last hurrah,” Monty goes to tour Europe and is determined to make it spectacular. It was unputdownable (ask Larissa--I accidently crushed her banana) and I abso-bloody-lutely recommend it.

~Posted by Michelle H., Homestead senior

Lady Midnight, by Cassandra Clara

This book is about a secret world to mundanes, about half angel and half human warriors trained to fight demons. Emma Carstairs is one of those warriors who has a parabatai, her best friend Julian Blackthorn. Parabatai are partners in crime who fight side by side with a connection, but they can never ever fall in love. Emma lost her parents in an attack on the shadow hunters by Sebastion Verlac and now she lives with the Blackthorns protecting them as if they were her own family. Julian's parents were both dead and his brother, Mark Blackthorn, was taken in that war. Emma and Julian go to rescue Mark from the faerie courts, and bring him back to their family.

~Posted by a Homestead sophomore

Review of Just After Sunset, by Stephen King

This was my first time reading Stephen King's work, and it is classic horror in every way. Each short story is completely separate, with nothing but the binding of the book holding everything together. But when you finish reading this book, there's an oddly satisfying and disturbing sense of closure. He does not disappoint in these crazy stories that I'm not sure I've enjoyed or just gritted my teeth.

~Posted by a Homestead freshman

Review of 13 Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why is a novel about a young adult who commits suicide. She makes a recording of tapes explaining why she did what she did, and who was to  blame for it. There are 13 different reasons why she did so, and she makes sure everyone responsible knows about how their actions affected her. I was surprised at how much I really liked it. It was very moving and had an important message.

~Reviewed by Anna C., Homestead freshman

Review of Stealing Buddha's Dinner, by Bich Minh Nguyen

Stealing Buddha's Dinner is a memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen, reflecting on her life as a refugee from Vietnam living in Michigan. She escaped to America at 8 months old with her older sister and father, who later married a Mexican-American woman, resulting in a Mexican-American stepsister and a mixed younger brother. Reading this book opened my eyes to the life of people who constantly work to live a life better than the one they escaped from. I always knew that refugees came to America, but Bich Minh Nguyen lets you see what it means to try to fit in, especially in a place that doesn't want to accept you. She shows you the struggles of living in a mixed family and growing up in primarily white community. However, her experiences also relate to people, especially me. Nguyen talks about reading Little House on the Prairie on her bed, wishing she was them, sneaking junk food into her room so her parents won't get mad at her, and getting mad at older siblings. Although the book was revealing and bright, it focuses a lot on Nguyen's life as a child. I feel that the biggest downside is how little she focuses on her life after middle school, maybe in high school. Also, it can feel a little dry as she repeats many facts and events and since it's not in chronological order, it can be slightly hard to follow at times. I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially people from an Asian family.

~Reviewed by a Homestead freshman

Review of Cryptonomicon

Neal Stephenson is the only genius writer who can persuade me to read an 1000 page book. The three stories in Cryptonomicon seem so different yet come together at the end, and you end up not rooting for one character but for four or five. He is the only person I know who uses the word "avuncular," and I would 10/10 would recommend for people who like technology or WWII.
~ Reviewed by a Homestead freshman

Review of Caraval

Scarlet, the main character, finds herself in the mystique of Caraval, a game created by the mythical Legend. There is a lot of magic and super glamorous things, but Scarlet is only concerned about her sister. This book was extremely fun to read, a little predictable, and I would recommend it if you like romance (which was a bit too much for me).
~ Reviewed by a Homestead freshman

Review of Brown Girl Dreaming

This book is written in poetry and is super insightful (although I don't even know if I got all of it). This is the "diary" of an African American girl in the United States, free but still segregated and viewed differently. There

isn't much action in this book, but the words and stanzas convey something much more meaningful.
~ Reviewed by a Homestead freshman

Review of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

This book ranges from bacteria to lion cannibalism, and then to historical human cannibalism. The author is both resourceful and quirky, the pages filled with wit and diagrams. Scientific terms are broken down for the basic reader, and debunking myths is quite a pervasive theme as well. I had lots of fun reading this until I made the mistake of reading while eating lunch. Needless to say, this book is both creepy and fascinating.
~ Reviewed by a Homestead freshman

Narcissus and Goldmund, by Herman Hesse

The book is about two guys, Narcissus and Goldmund, with very different personalities and their friendship. I've only gotten through a bit of it, but the book itself is pretty interesting. From the cover, and the author's other novels, it would appear to be difficult to understand, but overall, it's pretty comprehensible. On the other hand, it's not a light read sort of book for me, as it's pretty heavy in terms of content.
~ Posted by a Homestead freshman

The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon

Natasha and Daniel are fated to be together. But he's a Korean-American on his way to Yale (second

best to his brother's Harvard) and she's a Jamaican-American about to be deported. Through one long day of chance encounters, college interviews, immigration lawyers, shoplifting ex-boyfriends, parent meetings, and the scientific method, Daniel and Natasha fall into the kind of love they think will only happen once in their lifetimes.
This book is for the hopeless romantic in all of us. The chapters are short moments in time, told not only from the perspective of Daniel and Natasha, but also from the points of view of people they encounter throughout the day, like a security guard and a paralegal, and the impact of these encounters on each person. As in her prior book, Nicola Yoon wraps everything up in a way that is both unexpected and very satisfying. Recommended for everyone that believes in lasting love at first sight.

Review of A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

This is the first book in the series. If you've ever watched the TV series, it might not be as interesting IMO because reading a book after you've watched the movie ruins the experience. But if you haven't watched GOT yet, this is a really good book because it's more complicated than the TV series, and the characters are more real and in-depth. For example, I figured out the parents of a character, a fact that was only revealed 6 or 7 seasons into the TV series, just from reading the first book. That's how complex this book is. But it isn't like reading a textbook; I usually don't like reading fiction or fantasy but this book just blew me away. 9/10 would recommend.

~ Reviewed by a Homestead junior

Review of Poison Study, by Maria Snyder

Poison Study is about a strong female protagonist being selected to be the poison taster to the Throne of Glass, you will love this book as much as I do. I am waiting for the chance to read the second book!
Commander. Throughout the book, she proves her worth as a poison taster as well as a heroine, dauntlessly facing unexpected challenges even with a deeply troubled past. I absolutely loved this book. It was full of plot twists, which I adore, and was extremely well written. Not to mention the magic and romance. It was perfect. I rate it ten out of ten and recommend it to anyone who loves a bad-ass heroine with intelligence and strength. If you liked Throne of Glass, you will love this book as much as I do. I am waiting for the chance to read the second book!

~Sunaina N., 9th grade

The Girl from Everywhere, by Heidi Heilig

Nix is a little bit pirate and a little bit time traveler, and a lot confused by her relationship with her father, her best friend and her future. She's been a passenger on her father's ship, the Temptation, for her whole life, as he's been seeking the perfect map that can bring them all back to a time before Nix's mother died. But if the past gets changed, what will happen to the present, and the future? Nix may not be the same person, or even exist at all. She's torn between trusting her father and trusting her instincts. Worse, she becomes embroiled in a political upheaval -- something she knows from the future takes place in the present where she is -- and she finds her loyalties and morals tested by the decisions she has to make.
This book is a very engaging mix of fantasy/sci-fi and historical fiction (much of the action takes place in Hawaii in the 1880s), with some mythology tossed in. The title is a little misleading (the story is much more about Nix's present and future than her origins) but she does need to decide if she wants to learn to Navigate herself and what that might mean. This book also has a lot of consideration of the impact of time travel, which can sometimes be hard to follow (like when Nix meets a crucial character whose own present depends on choices she might or might not make in the future). The adventure always keeps the book moving, however, and it ends very satisfyingly, wrapping up this story pretty neatly but also setting up for the sequel which is coming soon. Highly recommended!

Review of We All Looked Up, by Tommy Wallach

The heart of this book is love and what it means to be human. When an asteroid potentially threatens the survival of humanity, four high school seniors with very different experiences of life ponder what their futures hold. The characters first define themselves by their labels (overachiever, slacker, athlete ...) but when they think the future may or may not actually come to pass, and they may only have a few months left before the world really ends, their priorities change, sometimes dramatically. What would you do if days were numbered not only for you, but for everyone?

The author is a musician, who also released a companion album to the book. I really enjoyed the book, but once I listened to the album, I found a whole new layer of meaning and depth.

Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas

A badass, book loving, sassy assassin goes to the castle to fight as the King's Champion. Romance, falls in love with a lot of hot main characters, etc. It's not deep, inspirational writing, but serves more as high-quality junk food–the really addicting kind. Warning– do NOT start this book like I did before finals. If you have good self-control, you will still end up reading 1.5+ hours every day. At least.

~ Reviewed by Amanda S., Homestead 11th grader

Gravity, by Brian Clegg

 

As the title might suggest, this book was about gravity and how it affects our lives on Earth and in the Solar System. In this book, you will learn about the science behind gravitational pull and how gravity affects your life.

~ Posted by a Homestead 11th grader