Review: Replica

Replica
by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Replica by Lauren Oliver tells the story of two different girls, intertwined by one word: clones (or shall I say replicas?). Half of the book follows Lyra, a girl who grew up in Haven Institutes, who escapes with another clone, 72, and sees the real world for the first time in her life. The other half follows Gemma, a regular girl whose life soon becomes entwined with Lyra's as she hopes to find out the truth behind what exactly goes on at Haven.

While I read this book, I really enjoyed how you can see the two different sides of the story, and how different characters experienced different versions of the same events. One thing that kind of bothered me though, was how practically entire conversations were repeated, just with slightly different commentary, which could have been avoided in order to make the book shorter and the plot more in-depth. I liked how the two sides complemented each other, and how there were equal parts of, science and romance. In the end, there was also a twist which was very well thought out, with the seeds of it even reaching back in both girls’ stories, which really helped bring the two stories together.

I would read the next book of this duology, to see exactly where Gemma and Lyra end up next in this not-so-far future tale! I would recommend this for science fiction lovers who hope to have a little romance in their next read!

Review: Kids of Appetite

Kids of Appetite
by David Arnold

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 20, 2016

David Arnold’s KIDS OF APPETITE is a novel about affection, disappointment, and opening up to the ones you love. When Victor Benuchii III finds a letter inside his dad's urn detailing where to spread his ashes, he feels it's his duty to carry out his father's last wishes. Vic ends up joining a group of kids genuinely eager to help him. The group seeks out each site, retracing Vic’s father’s past. As each of them open up to him, he uncovers tragedy and sacrifice. Soon he finds himself infatuated with Mad, a tough girl with a tragic upbringing living with an abusive uncle. When Baz, the leader of the group, is accused of murdering Mad’s uncle, Vic and his new friends formulate a plan to free him from custody and clear his name.

David Arnold draws vivid characters that come to life on the page. You will enjoy watching their relationships with each other deepen as you read. Vic's devotion to Mad is sweet and passionate; their relationship is the highlight of the book. Throughout the fluctuating plot, this simple love ties the book together and will leave you wanting more. The plot of this book is complicated yet easy to understand, and covers a wide variety of topics, including first love, murder, and acceptance. Once you pick up KIDS OF APPETITE you won't be able to put it down.

Review: Lucy and Linh

Lucy and Linh
by Alice Pung

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 6, 2016

Alice Pung’s novel, LUCY AND LINH, tells the story of Lucy Lam, who gets plucked out of her Catholic school and thrown into Laurinda Girls’ College: a fancy elite prep school for girls. At Laurinda, though Lucy feels out of place, she attracts the attention of the ruling clique, The Cabinet. The more time she spends with The Cabinet, however, the less true to herself Lucy feels. The story is told through Lucy’s letters to her best friend, Linh, and Pung does an excellent job of capturing Lucy’s honest voice and developing her character as Lucy discovers what is truly important. Lucy is a grounded and strong character, and I think she will appeal to most audiences. Overall, LUCY AND LINH is both surprisingly funny and meaningful at once, and I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.

Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning

A Shadow Bright and Burning
by Jessica Cluess

Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Henrietta Howel has the power to burst into flames. She has to hide this power, but when she is forced to reveal it to save her friends, she is not executed, but taken in to train as a sorcerer. She is taken to London and declared the chosen one, but is she really? As she plays her game of deception, she must also train with a group of male sorcerers, fight terrifying monsters, and save the city and the one she loves from destruction. I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author took the basic “chosen one” book trope and put a spin on it. I also liked how there were some characters that you started off with one feeling towards them, and then ended with a completely different feeling about them. I really enjoyed the main character—Henrietta—because she wasn’t really your typical protagonist. She did a lot of sneaking around and at times seemed like she was playing the system, which only made her more of a badass character. I can’t wait for the next book in this series! I would recommend this book for fantasy lovers because it combines awesome magic with strange yet terrifying demon-monsters.

Review: Black River Falls

Black River Falls
by Jeff Hirsch

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: July 5, 2016

The book BLACK RIVER FALLS by Jeff Hirsch is, at its core, about the value of friends and family. It's about a boy named Cardinal, who lives in a town that was taken over by a virus, and quarantined. The virus leaves its victims alive, but takes away all their memories. Cardinal has not been caught by the virus, but chooses to stay to care for a group of orphaned kids. The book was interesting to me because it made me speculate on what could happen if everyone lost their memories, and the effect that it could have on a society. I also liked the books action-packed and fast paced mystery. The depth of the book was enjoyable, with multiple side plots to keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book to anyone who really likes being able to critically analyze a fiction book, as there wasn't anything gory or gruesome, just action.

Review: Riverkeep

Riverkeep

by Martin Stewart 

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: July 26, 2016

  

RIVERKEEP by Martin Stewart is an adventurous and thrilling book about a boy named Wulliam, who is attempting to cure his father after he was possessed by a dark spirit. Wull is almost 16, and is set to become Riverkeep, where he tends to a magical and treacherous river. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and its adventurous nature. Furthermore, I really liked the character development and the diversity amongst the characters as a whole. I liked the book largely due to its action and the way the book is written: keeping accents for each and every character really helped me to keep a good idea of the characters’ traits in my head. I would recommend the book to people who enjoy action and adventure. However, the book had some gore in it, so people who don't enjoy that kind of description may not like it as much.

Review: Mirror In The Sky

Mirror In The Sky 
by Aditi Khorana 

Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 21, 2016

Beautifully written by Aditi Khorana, MIRROR IN THE SKY allows both the characters and readers to think about all the “what-ifs” life has to offer. Just as Tara Krishnan is settling into her junior year of high school, NASA releases news of Terra Nova, Earth’s mirror planet. Tara, along with the rest of the world, starts to consider the weight of her life choices, wondering what life is like for the alternate version of herself on Terra Nova. Soon, she begins to notice slight changes in her everyday life – her mother seems distant and Tara finds a new group of friends within the school’s resident popular clique. With everything up in the air, all Tara knows is that her life on Earth will never be the same. Tara and her family members had a genuine and authentic voice that readers will easily be able to relate to. Without being too laden with scientific details, the plot was believable and mainly revolved around the main character’s social circle.