More Than What Meets the Eye

Who Wrote This?

Ellen Hopkins is a writer of many stories, the majority of them aimed toward young adult audiences. As someone who is not a follower of this genre, I surprisingly found myself rather delighted while reading her novel, Identical. The story centers around two twin sisters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh, and the problems that they find themselves faced with. Whether it be drugs, boys, or a deeply disturbing family life, these two personalities are explored in vivid fashion.

Who Is Alice?

Who is the Author of this Book Review?

Sometimes it can be almost thrilling to read a book and have no idea who the author is. With Go Ask Alice, that statement couldn't be more true. This book is a diary belonging to a 15 year old girl. The girl's name is unknown, but her journey through life becomes the exact opposite. At the beginning of the book, it starts off much like how you would expect any normal 15 year old girl's diary to start off. However, things quickly take a turn for the worse and it somehow continues to go downhill just when you think it's not possible for her life to go any lower. It's all very intriguing to really see through the eyes of someone who doesn't live a very ordinary or healthy lifestyle.

It's The 100 Day 21

By Kaylee V.

The 100 Day 21 is a perfect sequel from the 4 book series by Kass Morgan. Kass Morgan isn't a well known author, her first book being the beginning of The 100 book series. The book itself became so popular it became a well known televised show on The CW. The show already working on it's 5th season (possibility of a 5th book). A lot of questions were stirring after the ending of the first book, every single one addressed. Though at the end of this book more and more questions arise.

The main question was the major cliffhanger at the end of the series, they weren't alone on the ground. The delinquent teens thought it was just themselves on the radioactive earth but it turned out people must've survived the catalyst. It didn't seem as if the 'grounders' were friendly, our first encounter with them was a brutal murder of Asher (one of the tougher boys from the Ark). Another question still remained, where is Octavia? This question also goes along with the new conflict with the grounders. As the story progresses we learn that the grounders are split up. Some believe that the newly arrived Arkanians are friends while the other group visualize them as foe. The small group of angry grounders take one life and kidnap another.

Back on the failing Ark more and more conflict emerges. We get more background on Luke and Glass's history and even a heart wrenching confession that may cost them their relationship.

Like any good book series after the ending of one there's always a question needing to be answered. In this case we're all waiting to see what happens when the Ark comes to the ground. Though since 2 more books have officially been released you can find out yourself just what happens to our favorite characters and how they might interact with their new challenges.

Day 21, Book Review. Kaylee V

It's The 100 Day 21

By Kaylee V.

The 100 Day 21 is a perfect sequel from the 4 book series by Kass Morgan. Kass Morgan isn't a well known author, her first book being the beginning of The 100 book series. The book itself became so popular it became a well known televised show on The CW. The show already working on it's 5th season (possibility of a 5th book). A lot of questions were stirring after the ending of the first book, every single one addressed. Though at the end of this book more and more questions arise.

A Hopeful Nonfiction About the End of the World

By Kayla W

Dropped onto my table at the library was a separation from what I usually read- a thick but brightly colored, and relatively recently published nonfiction book. The tagline had "Humans" and "a Mass Extinction", which was jarring and initially not incredibly compelling to my tastes. However that tagline "how humans will survive a mass extinction" was what intriguing to me enough to check out Scatter, Adapt, and Remember by Annalee Newitz.

Revolutionary Tale on the Hate We Give People

By: Emma D.

A story with a promising, thought-provoking title, Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give is a heart-wrenching, inspirational Young Adult story that tackles themes such as racism and police brutality with a sixteen-year-old black girl as a protagonist.

Here we are, after "Afterworlds"

by Jackie E

Scott Westerfeld, well known for some of his other works, attempts to try a unique turn on the YA genre in his book, "Afterworlds". The book follows two story lines, differentiated by the number of the chapters. Odd numbered chapters follow Darcy, the author of "Afterworlds", and how her life changes, for better or worse, after her novel is accepted. We learn that her submitted book was her first ever novel, and it was a very rough first draft she made in no more than the span of a month. The publisher gets back to her a few weeks later, and Darcy is ecstatic to learn that they bought her book, and the rights to the sequels, for all of $100 grand. With the hesitant grace of her parents (and help from her math whiz of a sister), Darcy finds herself moving to New York for rewrites, and to get closer to a community of YA authors, like herself. We see her experience doubts about her book, and herself. What if the love interest of her book was a mistake? What if the subject matter was too much? What if the book was a flop? Was she even a true author? The book was just a month long word vomit, and what if that was all she could write? At the end of it all, we see a girl struggling to find herself in her new life, and are left with the fruits of her hardships.