Hannah H., 16A Peculiar Peril, by Jeff VanderMeer, fills the readers’ head with an oddly wonderful tale full of heroics and friendship. When Jonathan Lambshead first steps onto the eerie estate that he has inherited from his late grandfather, this young man suspects that something unusual is afoot. Abnormal and mysterious, the strange house hides more than just oddities. A hidden world known as the Aurora has been unlocked for Jonathan and his friends through this mansion, and what adventures and evils will they unearth? From talking vegetables and animals to incomprehensible threats, this novel is truly a page-turner and, at times, rather frightening. Incredibly lengthy--yet satisfying, VanderMeer’s two-part work provides an excellent story line, but some chapters definitely don’t add much to the overall arch of the book. Overall, this tale was a horrifying treat to read, and I would recommend it to any teen with a taste for fantasy, science-fiction, or horror stories. REFERENCES
CIN Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Goodreads [Cover Images]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ Hannah H. (2021, March). Teen Review. Jeff VanderMeer [Author's Official Website]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.jeffvandermeer.com/ NoveList Plus: A Peculiar Peril [Genre/Themes and Read-alikes]. (2021). Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10903117&site=novp-live&custid=s5664038 Overdrive Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/
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Owen H., 16Like Spilled Water is a compelling and intriguing read that fixates on the bitter details of Chinese culture. It centers around a young woman named Na who has just completed her first year of studying coal technology, a field of education that she did not have interest in, but due to the priority that her parents placed on her younger brother (Bao-bao), it was her only option. However, her life drastically changes one day as she learns of Bao-bao’s abrupt death. This bombards her with endless questions that set the scene. “Did Bao-bao really commit suicide?” “What could have possibly driven him to this?” “Will she be content as a housewife or will she pursue her dreams?” At the beginning, I was captivated by the gripping storyline, but I soon realized that there is much more beneath the surface. This book grapples with the harsh realities that Chinese people must undergo each day — people belonging to the LGBTQ community are unable to express themselves and are often forced into marriage with members of the opposite sex, women are oppressed and force into marriages with those they do not love also, finding a companion is essentially a job interview, and parents stress their children, specifically males, to do well in their education, so they are able to support them in old-age. People who live in the Western World are not held to these atrocious standards, and ultimately, we are often blind to how easy we truly have it. For instance, American students dread taking the SAT, however, it pales in comparison to the Gaokao which determines whether a student will make it into a prominent university and oftentimes, parents will spend a fortune and many years preparing their children for it. Nevertheless, this novel opens the eyes of its audience and allows them to sympathize with Chinese citizens. The characters of Like Spilled Water are all well-written and exemplify the traditional standards of Chinese people. The main character, Na, was especially fascinating because we are able to follow her on her journey to uncover the truth and find her true passion in life. Furthermore, the overall look into her family gives the reader a chance to comprehend the adversity that needs to be overcome in many family relationships. Like Spilled Water is a fascinating work of literature and teenagers, and people of all ages alike, will love this spellbinding read. Read-alikes REFERENCES
CIN Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Goodreads [Cover Images]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ NoveList Plus: Like Spilled Water [Genre/Themes and Read-alikes]. (2020). Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10912792&site=novp-live&custid=s5664038 Overdrive Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/ Owen H. (2021, March). Teen Review. TeachingBooks [Discussion Questions]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=72245
Teen Review by Skye B., 17Hood by Jenny Moke is a creative and interesting retelling of the classic folktale, Robin Hood, with the main character not being Robin himself, but his unknown daughter. Isabelle, daughter of Marien, has only known the small struggling town of Kirklees and the convent her entire life, until one day, when trying to defend the innocent, she is arrested. Trapped and lonely, her mother rescues her and sends her into the woods with only a name and a singular message “Tell him the Wolf has returned.” And so, her journey begins as she flees the royal soldiers and uncovers her heritage little by little. Finding herself with new friends and companions, she learns of King John’s neglect of his people as she travels to find her father. Moke’s telling of Robin Hood with a female lead definitely makes this book stand out from the rest of the folktales that are told time and time again. I enjoyed that Hood is a separate story from the original Robin Hood, and instead of writing the exact same story, Moke writes Hood from the perspective of Robin Hood’s teenage daughter. Unfortunately, something that took away from the experience is that Isabelle and her group are almost always traveling in the book, making it hard to connect to the scenery and generate the feeling of a well-rounded book. While this was a portion of Hood I personally didn’t enjoy, it really depends on a reader's own tastes, as someone else may very well enjoy it! I would recommend Hood to younger teenagers who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and the classic Robin Hood tale. Read-alikes REFERENCES
CIN Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Disney Books [Official Discussion Guide]. (2020). Retrieved from: https://books.disney.com/book/hood/ Goodreads [Cover Images]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ NoveList Plus: Hood [Genre/Themes and Read-alikes]. (2020). Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10899997&site=novp-live&custid=s5664038 Overdrive Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/ Skye B. (2021, March). Teen Review. |
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