Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Reviewer: Mikayla P.
Stars: 5 stars

Girls of Paper and Fire is set in a fantasy world loosely based off of ancient China. There is a rigid class system in place: the Moon Caste at the top (demons whose bodies are more animal than human), Steel Caste (demon/human hybrids), and Paper Caste (the fragile humans) at the bottom. Lei is a young Paper woman who grew up in a small village far from the action of the capital. Although the Paper Caste is incredibly oppressed, Lei’s village is so far from the cities that she and her father are able to live a happy and relatively undisturbed life. Until one day one of the Demon King’s soldiers arrives in the village to bring Lei to the capital, by any means necessary, in order for her to be a Paper Girl, one of the Demon King’s concubines. Girls of Paper and Fire is an astonishing journey undertaken by many young girls forced into a position considered incredibly honorable by society despite its inherent brutality and pain. Each girl is unique and strong in her own way, and despite being merely words on paper become living beings in the reader’s mind extremely quickly. The world is impeccable and the plot is endlessly breathtaking. Despite being a fast-paced adventure, the novel artfully deals with heavy topics such as racism, rape, and sexuality. Girls of Paper and Fire would be easily worth reading just for the world, just for the plot, just for the characters, or just for the romance. Combine all four and you have Ngan’s incredible masterpiece.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Reviewer: Mikayla P.

Star Rating: 5 stars

I am often hesitant to rate any realistic fiction book five stars because, as much as I enjoy them, they blend together into the same story all too often. Starry Eyes stood out to me because of its unique nature in which the story focused almost solely on the characters and their interactions. Zorie and Lennon were best friends most of their lives until a year ago they became each other’s biggest enemies. Beyond just the two of them, their families also have an intense animosity. Both of them have made habits of avoiding each other (despite being neighbors), so when they end up stranded in the wilderness just the two of them after a camping trip goes awry, they have to find away to be friends again. As time progresses, it seems that both of them might want more than just friendship. Because the only external conflict in this novel is nature, I loved that the characters were extremely central to the plot. The character development was exquisite, as was the dialogue. All too often in YA romances, you can see the ending 30 pages in. And while I don’t hate that, Starry Eyes was a refreshing new story that I absolutely adored.  

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Reviewer: Mikayla P.

Star Rating: 5 stars!!!

I would recommend Stalking Jack the Ripper (along with the rest of the series) to anyone, anytime, no matter what. It takes place in 1800s London and centers around the Jack the Ripper murders. Audrey Rose is an anomaly in upper-class British society: instead of delicately sipping tea and gossiping, she loves to study cadavers (dead bodies) with her uncle, the leading forensics scientist in London. With the onset of the murders, Audrey Rose is becoming increasingly involved in the process to solve the case, along with her uncle’s other apprentice: the gorgeous and absolutely infuriating Thomas Cresswell. I am not a fan of mystery novels or horror of any sort, so I’ll admit that I was skeptical about this books despite the hype surrounding it. I can safely say that it deserves every bit of praise it receives and then some. The characters are flawlessly written so that you feel like you’re losing your best friends when you close the book. They’re intricate, real, have their flaws and quirks, and are utterly relatable. Audrey Rose is a strong and vivacious female heroine but remains real even so--many female characters go from average high schooler to killing monsters in the blink of an eye, Audrey Rose is strong and brave but when confronted with dead bodies still requires a minute to get over her own squeamishness and fear. Thomas is delightful, the banter between the characters provides levity and endless laughter to an otherwise fairly dark story. The world is beautifully constructed and transports you to it with every clang of a scalpel on an examination table. I laughed, cried, and got angry with the characters each time I turned the page. The plot was thrilling and left me sleep deprived too many nights when I stayed up just to find out what happens next. The series only improves as it continues (three books are out now) though you certainly don’t need to read more than one to enjoy the thrilling ride they provide!

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Reviewer: Mikayla P.

Star Rating: 4 stars

Carve the Mark takes place in a futuristic society in which humans have left Earth in search of more space to expand their race. On their journey to other galaxies, they discovered the current, a force that flows through everything and everyone, granting everyone a “currentgift,” or a “power” given to them by the current. Those gifted with the ability to tell the future become oracles and, in addition to predicting the immediate future, they declare fates, futures that belong to certain people that cannot be changed no matter what. Cyra and her brother, both the children of the leaders of the Shotet, a society on the planet Thuvhe, both have fates. Akos, the son of the oracle in the Thuvhesit society, the rival society to the Shotet on Thuvhe, and his siblings are also fated. Due to their unique fates, Cyra and Akos are brought together in an unlikely pairing, filled with passionate rage and a spark of something more. I loved that, despite being a science fiction novel by the author of Divergent, it was not set in a futuristic, dystopian society that can only be saved by the teenagers. The novel explores societal conflicts stemming from different religious and cultural practices, as well as a generational hatred for the “others” that turns out to be less fact-based than the characters originally believed. Despite enjoying the world however, it is important to note that, like Divergent, there is no scientific backing to the premise of this story. As long as you go into it expecting something between a fantasy novel and a science fiction, however, it doesn’t interfere with the story. It was a fast and entertaining read, though it did lack some substance and the characters were not as developed as they could have been. The plot was exciting, so I found certain major plot points to be beyond the realm of believability. Overall, however, Carve the Mark is the perfect read for anyone looking for a fast-paced, entertaining adventure!

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

Reviewer: Mikayla P.

Star Rating: 5 stars

Emergency Contact centers around Sam, a young man living in Austin, Texas and trying desperately to make it through film school while working at House Cafe, and Penny, a freshman in college in Austin. Sam’s still not over his wild and unpredictable ex who keeps disappearing and reappearing in his life. Penny just wants to get away from her mom, who acts more like a teenager than Penny herself does. When they exchange numbers after Penny helps Sam through a panic attack, they become each others’ emergency contacts and spend every spare minute texting as an escape from their daily lives. Emergency Contact took a bit to really get into the story, but once it did it did not disappoint. Both Sam, Penny, and the other characters are very realistic, flawed people. Penny really just wants to wear old leggings and not go outside of her dorm room; Sam is too broke to replace his laptop. They deal with real world struggles and none of them are resolved so easily or neatly that it feels fake or forced. I laughed with them, cried with them, and was incredibly sad to see them go when I turned the last page. Emergency Contact is a great read for anyone who likes realistic fiction, contemporary romances, and young adults dealing with real world problems in both hilarious and beautiful ways.

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Reviewer: Grace Wade-Stein

Star Rating: 5 stars

Recently adapted into a movie, The Hate U Give is a stunning bestseller about Starr Carter, a teenage black girl who lives in the predominantly poor, black neighborhood of Garden Heights and attends Williamson Prep, a private school in a neighboring affluent, white community. Starr is mostly able to keep her two worlds apart, presenting one version of herself to her white friends and boyfriend and another to her childhood friends and family, until she witnesses the shooting of her best friend by a white police officer.

The shooting turns Starr’s life upside down. She is forced to navigate her grief and stand up for Khalil as the only witness to his murder while protecting her family from retribution, both from the police and local drug lords. Ultimately, she must find her voice in a world that is doing everything it can to silence her.

Everyone should read this book. It is politically and socially relevant and manages to be alternately shattering and uplifting. It masterfully weaves together themes of adolescence, race, violence, police brutality, protection, sacrifice, love, and friendship to paint a nuanced portrait of our world’s complex issues. Readers of all backgrounds will empathize and identify with Starr’s struggle to find her voice and benefit from the perspective of this book.  

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Reviewer: Grace Wade-Stein
Star Rating: 4 stars

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a fast-paced dystopian fantasy novel set in a world divided by blood color. Silvers rule with the help of their unique supernatural abilities while Reds are forced to find employment or be conscripted. Mare Barrow is a Red working to support her family alongside her seamstress sister Gisa while their three brothers are away at war. When a plan to pickpocket a Silver goes awry, Mare finds herself working at the Silver Palace, where she discovers her own supernatural abilities.

Mare’s discovery is a revelation that threatens to destroy the balance of power that has governed her world for centuries. Fearful of what her power might mean for their own, Silvers authorities forge a new identity for Mare as a long-lost Silver princess. In the high-stakes masquerade that ensues, Mare finds herself caught between two worlds, two princes, and two courses of action: keep up the charade and protect her family or smash the Silver regime from the inside out.

This book’s intrigue, rebellion, and betrayal made it riveting. I would recommend it to fans of fantasy and dystopian favorites such as Divergent and The Hunger Games.