One of Us Is Back by Karen McManus, reviewed by Hailey Song

One of Us Is Back, by Karen McManus, is the third in its series, and ends the line of gossip-filled murder plots in the high school of a small town, Bayview. This final book includes the loved characters from the two previous installments and strengthens their relationships again when they discover a final round of missing and dead characters. One of Us Is Back is an intriguing final installment that wraps up the series well, though can contain some perhaps unrealistic dialogue from the characters, depending on the reader’s point of view.

One of Us Is Back takes turns switching points of view among three of the main characters, Addy Prentiss, Phoebe Lawton, and Nate Macauley, while including some flashbacks six years earlier from the points of view of Jake Riordan and Simon Kelleher. Addy, Phoebe, and Nate are all part of a friend group including Bronwyn Rojas, Cooper Clay, Knox Meyers, Luis Santos, Maeve Rojas, and Kris Becker. Jake, who had previously been involved in the first installment, becomes relevant to the storyline again because of his poorly judged release from jail. Also, Phoebe has a secret to hide about her brother causing the death of a boy in her grade that prevents her from being open to others. These factors, along with an unknown person causing kidnappings throughout the book, cause distrust among the tight-knit group of friends. However, the damage in the group healed later on in the story to make them even stronger and closer together than before, exhibiting the theme that true friends always have each other’s backs.

The target audience of this book is people who love the coming-of-age and murder mystery genres. Some language may be more explicit for children, but ages 12 and up can enjoy the books following the Bayview Crew. Most of the writing in One of Us Is Back and its predecessors is well-written and easy to delve into, but at times the dialogue from the characters can seem too adult for their age. The teenagers may have grown a better appreciation for being sincere and loving towards each other, but sometimes their speech seems slightly outdated, and it can be clear that the story was written by an adult in the Generation X.

In summary, One of Us Is Back is a heartwarming and yet intriguing book that keeps fans of the series on their toes. Though the dialogue can be too formal at times, it can be overlooked for the many important messages about relationships with different people.

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Review By Annika Fuchs

The human experience is one that is not perfect. Everyone will do something they regret. It is very rare that we are given a chance to atone for our actions, to undo (or at least correct) past wrongs. The Kite Runner focuses on one such chance for redemption. The 2003 historical fiction novel by Khaled Hosseini revolves around Amir, a wealthy Afghan boy in the 60s with an endlessly devoted servant, Hassan. The story suffers from a slight dry spell in the center of the story, but overall is a brutal, earnest story about unwavering loyalty, consequences, and atonement.

The focal point of the book is Amir and Hassan’s relationship. When Hassan experiences an inhumane assault on Amir’s behalf, our main character is disturbed and angered by the depth of Hassan’s allegiance, and callously betrays his steadfast companion. What makes the book so gut wrenching and difficult to read is just how awful Amir is in the beginning, a sharp contrast to Hassan, who stays by his best friend. Not to mention, Amir moves on with his life, becoming a reasonably successful author in America, unlike his best friend, who is condemned to a life of poverty and discrimination in a country that does not welcome him. Amid the turmoil that is occurring in Afghanistan, Amir is given a chance to rescue Hassan’s son Sohrab and learns that Hassan gave up his life to defend Amir’s childhood house from the Taliban. This book does not shy away from the fact that although Hassan was so kind and endlessly loyal, it was those qualities that led to his demise while his less noble friend lives in luxury. Hassan embodies the book’s sacrificial lamb, and Hosseini uses both the juxtaposition of Hassan’s purity and Amir’s betrayal to show Amir’s cowardice. Hosseini also uses foreshadowing when Hassan’s favorite story is one where a father kills his long-lost son, another way of hammering home Amir’s treachery. Sohrab is used as a symbol of redemption and the past, showing to the readers that even after decades, there’s always a chance to right past wrongs. Sohrab replaces Hassan, and this time, Amir does not take the easy way out.

Despite the book’s brilliance in plot and theme, it suffers a dry spell as it delves into Amir’s domestic life in America. It’s a bold contrast from the intensity and violence of the previous and upcoming chapters but is necessary to show how Amir has an entirely new life, so distanced from the unrest consuming his former home. Hosseini pores over the inane details of Amir’s courting and marriage, directing the reader away from the powerful message of the novel.

The Kite Runner is a book that discusses cowardice, loyalty, and redemption without pulling any punches. This book is by no means an easy read, but the graphic descriptions and harsh realities are exactly what makes the book so captivating. Readers may be discouraged by the drabness of the middle but will quickly get drawn back in by the heart-wrenching, vivid finale. It’s a must read for teens that will no doubt become a modern classic

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

For my book talk I decided to read the story “Crazy Rich Asians” by Kevin Kwan. I chose to read this story because my mom watched the movie and recommended it to me. I have also been wanting to read this story for a while. The main characters in this book are named Rachel and Nick. The story is meant to take place around 2017. The main story is about a woman named Rachel Chu who grew up with her mom in New York. The two of them did not live on the rich side but they also did not live on the poor side either. Rachel has a boyfriend named Nick Young, and they are both professors at a school. They are traveling to Asia for the summer to introduce Rachel to Nick’s family. Once they get to Singapore, Rachel finds out how Nick grew up and gets to meet the whole family. The first thing they get to do once they get there is go to a huge wedding where they meet most of Nick's family. Rachel is not very welcome because of her lower-class background, so she is perceived to be a gold digger. This leads to some conflicts and twists throughout the story and makes Rachel’s time there much more interesting. I thought that this story was easy for me to read and I liked how most of the chapters ended on a cliffhanger which made me want to keep reading the book. The only thing that I found kind of annoying was the parts of the family connections. I feel like all of the family members did not need to be mentioned because some of them were not really important and they were not needed to carry the story along. I believe that the target audience in this book is for young adults who enjoy reading about plot twisting comedies. The book talks about tons of fashion brands and designers which could interest some people. Another big topic that this book talks about is the interior and exterior designs in the houses the characters live in and the places that they own. In my opinion I really liked the story’s plot line and the writing about all the beautiful places that the characters got to go to, but it was a bit hard for me to keep track of all the characters because they all had similar names and the story is focused on a different character every chapter. But I think that the story has a great ending and it was worth reading.

Book review of Cross Down

By Teen Reviewer Issac Ingram

Who is the most observant, analytical detective you can think of? If you said Sherlock Holmes, then I have another detective to introduce you to who is just as intelligent, but without the funny accent or know-it-all attitude. His name is Alex Cross. He is a detective living in Washington DC that also dabbles as a psychiatrist and worked several stints with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In this latest edition to the 30-book Alex Cross series, titled “Cross Down”, we find Alex Cross has been injured in a gunfight and is in a coma after leaving a meeting with the U.S. President and the cabinet where they were discussing the military style attacks happening across the U.S. This novel follows his friend and partner, Detective John Sampson, as John attempts to discover the identities of the people behind the attack on his friend. John is fueled by a relentless pursuit of justice in the face of much personal adversity to help his friend. This book written by the well-known mystery writer, James Patterson, unfurls an insidious plot John races to uncover the sinister conspiracy that will throw the United States and possibly the world into chaos if not thwarted by John. What is this plot, you might ask? It involves much tension, excitement, and griping twists and turns as only the well-known suspense writer James Patterson can create; this clever plot pushes you to read just another page (or chapter) of this 464-page book. Enjoy reading “Cross Down,” I know I did.

Teen Review by Ava Waters, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese is a captivating graphic novel containing three different stories. As I read, I followed the plot of the Monkey King and his struggle to join the gods' world, Jin a young Chinese child growing up in America, and Chin-Kee; a crude Western demonstration of Chinese people. All three of these stories are supposedly unrelated until the ending reveals the intertwining of all three lives.

As I read this novel I noticed that it explores identity, culture, and stereotypes through Gene Luen Yang’s creative panels and sentences. These are the different themes Yang includes within this book. He creates a raw expression of racism's harm by using derogatory language throughout the book. This is one aspect of the book that I thought was very informative and educational.

American Born Chinese starts off in 1500 when a monkey king attempts to join a dinner party of the Chinese deities. When he gets to the gates he is denied entry and filled with shame. He returns back to his kingdom and begins practicing kung fu with the hopes of becoming powerful enough to excel among the deities. After vigorous training, he revisits the gods but is sentenced to 500 years trapped underneath a rock due to his dangerous ignorance to becoming stronger.

Where this story seemingly ends, another begins. A young Jin Wang befriends a Taiwanese kid who is new to the school named Wei-Chen. Together they face the racist comments and accusations that are not subtly expressed. Later on, Jin falls for a white girl in his classes named Amelia. One day Jin lashes out on Wei-Chen after being rejected and completely alters their relationship. The destruction Jin reigns on their friendship signifies a turning point in the story.

While I was reading through this book, there was a third story being constructed. This part is centered around a white schoolboy named Danny. Danny’s cousin Chin-Kee visits once a year for a week and manages to inflict major damage to Danny’s life in this time. Chin-Kee’s character is a representation of the primitive stereotypes surrounding Asians living in the United States. Not only is this character built on stereotypes, but also exaggeration. Chin-Kee humiliates Danny by attention-seeking in class and bragging to the students about his superior grasp of American school subjects. Eventually a fed up Danny punches Chin-Kee in the face, causing his head to fall off revealing a different identity. Chin-kee was the Monkey King hiding in human form and Danny also unveiled his alter ego and changed back into Jin Wang.

This scene in the book demonstrates the allegory that you cannot change who you are. Jin Wang is masking his true identity with what he thought was the ideal form; a tall white kid. Suppressing Jin’s true identity did not change who he was deep inside, it only concealed himself. This represents man vs self because it displays the battle one fights within themselves. I realized that Jin fought so hard to mask his own identity that he got lost in what was real and what was made up. Some takeaways I got from this was that no matter how hard you try you cannot change who you are, therefore you should embrace yourself and your truth.

Overall, this book explores identity, stereotypes, culture, navigating young life, and self acceptance. I would rate this book as an eight out of ten after assessing how I felt about the plot, creativity, and execution of the storyline. Some of my favorite aspects of this book was the visual art because it was very compelling. I also thought the storyline was unique and original. The characters' emotions and the theme of the story were expressed very well by the author. One part of American Born Chinese that I disliked was the confusion it caused at times due to story hopping.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese because of the unique demonstration of real life conflicts. The art was not only captivating but it also served a purpose as it beautifully fuses together different aspects of the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an eventful read that grabs your attention straight from the first page. Since this book explores racial conflict I would also recommend this book to someone looking to

inform and educate themselves on the harm stereotypes can cause. Yang does write in such a way that the reader is being captivated by the busy plot and being taught of the impact of racism on others. American Born Chinese is a graphic novel which’s storyline and creativity you will not find anywhere else.

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan’s The Chalice of the Gods, the sixth of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, is an installment published over a decade after the fifth book. The Chalice of the Gods continues Percy’s life after the series The Heroes of Olympus, written in between, where he goes back to completing quests with his best friends, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, to apply to his dream college. The Chalice of the Gods acts as the first book within the series to tell Percy’s stories of going on quests for college recommendation letters, and is a perfect next installment despite being published years after the last book.

In the world of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (and The Heroes of Olympus), demigods generally don’t survive long enough to graduate high school, never mind college. However, being a child of Poseidon has allowed Percy to not only undergo countless deadly quests, but also to survive them all. Percy has made plans to graduate high school and attend New Rome University, a college in a city specifically for demigods, with Annabeth. In order for Percy to attend NRU, he will have to get three recommendation letters from the gods by completing quests for them, as his grades aren’t ideal due to his inattentiveness and lost memories. This book covers the golden trio’s adventures in New York to complete a god named Ganymede’s quest to retrieve his stolen chalice from another god, allowing the three to relive the old days from the past Percy Jackson and the Olympians stories.

Rick Riordan strikes again with The Chalice of the Gods, and continues Percy’s narrative perfectly in continuation without the text feeling rusty or different from the previous books’ writing style, even though the book was published over ten years later. “Uncle Rick” still keeps his forever corny Gen Z references, jokes, and puns. He also adds on to the sweet relationship between Percy and Annabeth, which always keeps the readers coming back to the series. Percy’s continued admiration and attachment to Annabeth throughout the series makes the audience fall in love with the two even more. The target audience for this book would be people interested in young-adult fiction, mythology, and adventure, and specifically fans who have previously read the series

I’ve read few books in my life, but I still know that sequels can never beat the originals. The book Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan has most definitely changed my opinion. Riordan is able to take the good parts of the first book and continue to use them while also adding to the storyline, making this book just as engaging, while also giving us more new information on the story. This is by far one of the most engaging reads I’ve had in a while.

This story is mainly focused on Greek Mythology, which affects most of the characters’ lives in very special ways. It starts similar to how the first one did, on Percy’s last day of school, where we are introduced to a new major character, Tyson, and a returning major character Annabeth. These three eventually go on a quest together, where we are introduced to the story's main conflict, as well as how this adds to the big conflict that is seen throughout the entire series. On this quest, we are mainly focusing on Percy, since we learned that he is the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, and this specific quest takes place inside of the ocean. We see Percy learn more about his family, specifically his father, as well as himself, as he figures out his powers and also some prophecies about him that aren’t continued much further in this book. One major example of Percy’s powers are when he has to use them to save Annabeth from the ocean. We also see his powers when after his quest, he has to call on hippocampi, which are mythical sea horses, to help him and his friends escape and finish their quest.

Percy’s adventure in this book serves mainly as an addition to us learning more about him, while the first book was centered around introducing us to the big picture of the series. However, Riordan finds a way to incorporate both concepts throughout the entire book, while also giving us new things to think about as we read. For example, towards the end of the book when we finally see the result of what Percy was trying achieve the entire time, we also see this affect the big storyline from the first book in a huge way. This happens throughout the book and is one of the reasons that I found this book so engaging, since most of the series of books that I read rarely build onto each other, and are usually new stories one after the other, with the same characters. After debating with myself whether this or the first book is better, I feel as if they are both as important, but this one has noticeably more content in it. The first book is almost all about learning the basics of each character, but this one gives us an entirely new look at the overall storyline. After thinking about the story within this book and the importance in setting context in the previous book, I’ve opened my eyes to an entirely new world of reading. It feels like everything that Riordan put into this book was thought out so that it could all connect into the first book, and continue in the sequel to this one. His style of writing never leaves the reader unsatisfied, and this series is definitely one that you pick up, and can’t put back down until you’re done.