Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
by Julie C. Dao

Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication Date: October 10, 2017

Xifeng is a peasant girl who’s been told all her life that she would one day be Empress of Feng Lu. Yet, to sit on the throne, she will have to give up her friends, her family, and possibly even herself.

FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS by Julie C. Dao is, without a doubt, one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read! Though a retelling of The Evil Queen legend, Dao manages to make every aspect of the story her own. The world of Feng Lu that Dao paints is masterful -- every page bristles with culture and history -- and the complex characters within it ooze life and passion. Xifeng is both someone you root for and fear for her success. If you’re looking for a book with strong historical influences, a protagonist you’ll hate to love, and a gripping plot that, simply put, will make it nearly impossible to stop reading, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS is the book for you!

Review: Beck

Beck
by Mal Peet and Meg Rosoff

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: April 11, 2017

BECK, by Meg Rosoff and Mal Peet, is a story that follows the life of a boy named Beck, an orphan who is shipped from England to Canada and escapes to America, where he struggles to make a life for himself. The story takes place in the early 1900s which is intriguing to me because I am a bit of a history buff. I liked the character development and the side characters. I also enjoyed the book's realistic nature and how it is unique, as it deals with an interesting journey; I have not really read anything similar to this. I would recommend this book to older audiences, as in high schoolers, because there are some intense scenes that are not really appropriate for younger kids. However, I really enjoyed the book and definitely think it is worth reading.

Review: Copper Magic

Copper Magic by Julia Mary Gibson
Publication date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Macmillan

COPPER MAGIC by Julia Mary Gibson is a book about the eventful summer of Violet Blake, a 12-year-old girl. At the beginning of the summer, Violet discovers an ancient copper hand. The hand launches a series of events that will forever change Violet's life. This book was very slow. There was not much action until the very end of the book. Other than this, the characters were well developed, I enjoyed how some aspects of the story were real (this was explained in the afterword), and Violet's personality seemed very relatable. I would recommend this book for children between the ages of 11 and 14.

Review: Conversion

Conversion by Katherine Howe
Publisher: Putnam
Publishing date: July 1, 2014

Aspiring valedictorian Colleen Rowley is dealing with the stress of senior year at the exclusive St. Joan’s Academy when several of her classmates develop a mysterious illness. What is causing the tics, headaches, alopecia, and a host of other bizarre symptoms? A range of theories involving vaccines, strep, and environmental pollution are proposed. While reading The Crucible for extra credit Colleen discovers this isn’t the first time this has happened in her town. In fact, 200 years before, there was another group of girls who came down with a similar mysterious illness in what was then known as the town on Salem, famous for the 18th century witch trials.

Although this book is packed with a lot of information to process, I would definitely recommend it, especially for those who enjoy historical fiction. CONVERSION is suspenseful, a bit eerie, and quite an interesting read. I especially enjoyed the alternating chapters of 18th century and modern times (although I first liked only the modern chapters, I grew to appreciate and enjoy having them both). I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.