Book reviews from the Castilleja Middle School.
Women learning, Women reading
 By: Traci Chee
★★★★★ Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Length: 442 pages Summary: The Reader takes place in a world where reading is forbidden- and forgotten. Sefia has been on the run her whole life from the people who killed her parents. Her one inheritance- a book. A book that holds stories with more truth to them than she knows. Review: This book is an immersive fantasy with gorgeous imagery and a riveting story. The whole series is set in a very well fleshed out universe. It’s really detailed without being tedious. There were also a lot of unexpected twists and turns! This is book 1 of the trilogy, named "Sea of Ink and Gold" Warnings: Romance: ●●●●○ Violence: ●●●○○ Language: ○○○○○ Substances: ●●○○○ Other Books in this Series: The Storyteller The Speaker Reviewed by Emma, 2024
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 By: Maile Meloy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Genre: Fantasy Length: 362 pages Summary: The Apothecary is about a young girl named Janie Scott and her adventures through London with her new found friend Benjamin. Janie has just moved to London when she meets Benjamin at school. They become fast friends and go on an adventure to find Benjamin’s father, the apothecary. Review: I love this book because it is a fun adventure with plot twists and a little magic. As you learn more about each of the characters you become more attached to them and every time something happens you feel like you are as much a part of it as the characters themselves. Meloy has written a story full of magic, where challenges must be overcome and stories must continue. When I finished reading this book all I could think about was reading the next one and finding out what was going to happen to Janie, Benjamin and all of there friends. The Apothecary is one of my favorite books and I love it to this day. Warnings: Romance: ●◦○○○ Violence: ●○○○○ Language: ○○○○○ Substances: ○○○○○ Other Books in this Series: The Apprentices The After-Room Reviewed By Hannah, 2023  The Name of This Book is Secret
By Pseudonymous Bosch Review by Daniella H. ★★★★★ “He’d only bent his head for a second, but it had been long enough for Cass to get a glimpse of the back of his neck—and to get the proof she was looking for.” … “What?” “The birthmark on his neck. It was shaped like a crescent moon.” One might say that Cass and Max-Ernst are absolute opposites. Some may say that they are the same. Cass is a survivalist. She is ready for any type of disaster thrown at her at any time. She is always prepared. In fact, as you read this, there is a 99.9999% chance that she has all of survival necessities at the ready in her backpack. Some of which include a flashlight one of the most important, a compass, which is always a good idea, and if she can remember, she will have her homework. When a box of old junk is delivered to her Grandpa Larry and Wayne’s junk shop, she finds a curious little box called the Symphony of Smells. The old box of junk was delivered by Gloria Fortune, a common donated to her grandfather's store. Gloria sells houses after the owner has died, and is often coming to donate the previous owners belongings. Gloria says that the owner was an old magician who died in a common home-kitchen fire. When Class starts to dig deeper into the story, she realizes that something isn’t right about Gloria’s story. After meeting Max-Ernst on the playground one day at school, they become collaborators to try and solve the strange mystery. One day they take the dangerous trip to the magicians house to look for some clues. After a very close call with almost getting caught during a house tour, Cass and Max-Ernest realize that the people who visiting the house really didn’t want the house, they wanted something else. They soon realize that they have endangered themselves, and that by visiting the magicians house, they have gotten themselves into quite an mission. Why did those strangers want the personal files of the magician so badly? What really happened to the magician and his home? Most importantly, and though it’s an awfully dark thought, are Cass and Max-Ernest safe? In this exhilarating story, we take a life risking adventure to help Cass and Max-Ernst try to save the magician, while bounding over obstavles that are put in their way. This is a terrific book for anybody over the age of 8! This is a terrific book for a bedtime read-aloud, and fun for the whole family!  By: Shannon Messenger
Book Review By: Olivia ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “I would rather be punished for making the right decision than live with the guilt of making the wrong one for the rest of my life.” Sophie Foster meets Fitz Vacker who tells her that she is a telepath, somebody who can read everyone’s thoughts. After learning to understand everything he told her, she has to go on adventures to save the human world from falling apart. In Keeper of the Lost Cities Sophie learns to be kind, have friends, and how to stay true to herself. Sophie Foster is a completely normal girl except for one thing. She is a twelve year old high school senior. When she meets Fitz Vacker and learns about his world, she questions everything she ever learned. When problems arise in the human world they have to go and fight for the balance that has been contained for years. This book shows perseverance, hope and friendship. I recommend this book for fantasy readers!  The Unwanteds Book Review
Book Review by Margot S. Quote from book: “Don’t die,” when Alex, the main character, is going to take yet another risk. ★★★★★ (5 stars) This book is about named Alex and his twin Aaron who live in the stark gray land of Quill. The day of The Purge, all thirteen years old are to be reunited. The useless ones, The Unwanteds, are sent to their deaths, and the useful ones, The Wanteds, are sent to a college of some sort to learn to be in the Quilitary, a military in Quill. Alex is Unwanted but Aaron is Wanted. Just as Alex thought he was going to be killed, a magician saves him and brings him to the colorful land Artimé, where creativity is a weapon. But with this comes challenges Alex wouldn’t have thought of. It’s also a book about how creativity shouldn’t be considered a bad thing, and that everybody is creative and should be able to grow up to be whatever they want to be. This book is fiction. I would recommend it for anybody who is a fan of adventure, risk taking, or for anybody who likes being creative. This book is part of a series with 7 books in it. For people who liked the first book, I recommend the rest of the series, as the other books are just as good and anybody is likely to enjoy it. |
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