The library has compiled a large variety of Book Reviews from staff and through programs such as Read It & Rate It. These reviews are available to you to help you make an educated decision on titles you’d like to read.
You may search reviews by title using the search function, browse via genre using the category list provided or look for random reviews in the list below that are sorted by newest to oldest.
Would you like to submit a review? Use the Read It & Rate It form on the right side of the page.
The Radiant Road by Katherine Catmull Fantasy * * * Stars (Pretty good) Clare and her father return to her mother’s ancestral home in Ireland after many years away and Clare becomes reacquainted with the Strange (what she calls the fae/faeries and their magic/makings) and her childhood friend, Finn, who is half-faerie. She learns that she is the protector of one of the faerie gates – an ancient yew tree growing right through the middle … Read more
Die: Fantasy Heartbreaker Die #1 by Kieron Gillen Adventure Comics Fantasy Graphic Novel * * * * Stars (Great!) Dominic/Ash’s friend Solomon designs the ultimate rpg for Ash’s birthday. Unfortunately, it sucks their whole party into another world, where they are trapped for two years, until they’re able to beat it and find their way back home (think Jumanji). Sol doesn’t make it back. Now, the teens are in their forties and come together to … Read more
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson Realistic Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Noah and Jude are twins who have been incredibly close their whole lives. When they hit their teenage years, however, their differences begin to get in the way of that closeness. Jude is wild and crazy for a certain surfer boy who is several years her senior. Noah is obsessed with his art to the point of being … Read more
Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal spin-off of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney Funny Illustrated Fiction Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Rowley Jefferson decides to start his own diary after the success of Greg Heffley’s journaling experiment. He shares a few facts about himself, but it quickly becomes all about his friendship with Greg, so he decides to make it official – he’s writing a … Read more
Think for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Information Overload by Andrea Debbink and Aaron Meshon Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) This is a great book that will really help kids/teens (anyone, really) learn about how to make decisions and form opinions based on facts, how to evaluate different sources of information, and how to have discussions/debates with other people about things. It uses a lot of timely … Read more
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha Autobiography Biography Graphic Novel Memoir Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Robin Ha gets a most unwelcome surprise when her single mother decides to turn their “vacation” into a permanent situation by marrying a man she barely knows who lives all the way across the world – moving them from South Korea to Alabama one summer. Robin is devastated. She’s only 14, speaks very little … Read more
The Dark Matter of Mona Starr by Laura Lee Gulledge Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Mona Starr’s best friend moves to Hawaii, she feels more than a little lost. That loss on top of her depression and anxiety and a lot of self-deprecating thoughts make her feel overwhelmed. She starts seeing a therapist to help her cope and make sense of herself and keeps a sort of scientific journal … Read more
The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp illustrated by Manuel Preitano Graphic Novel Mystery * * * Stars (Pretty good) Meet Barbara Gordon (daughter of Commissioner Gordon in the Batman comics) as a teen hacker who is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot, and ends up in the Arkham Center for Independence for therapy/rehabilitation. While there, she becomes suspicious of the Center’s proprietors and begins looking into the files of several patients who suddenly … Read more
Empire of Bones Ashtown Burials #3 by N.D. Wilson Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Empire of Bones by N. D. Wilson is the 3rd & last book in the Ashtown burials series. This book is excellent and will pull anyone in to read it. What I liked about this book was that Cyrus & Antigone (the main characters) are extremely loving as a brother & sister. Family is very … Read more
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The Silmarillion is the epic history of the Elves in Lord of the Rings. Tolkien writes a masterpiece here, as The Silmarillion is one of my favorite books. The stories contained within the book are all intriguing. Contained in Lord of the Rings is an excerpt from the Lay of Beren & Luthien. Here, The Silmarillion dives deeper into … Read more