A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee

Book: A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 12

A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee is a story that takes place in medieval Japan and

follows the adventures of Miuko, a girl who struggles to play the roles society has assigned her

as a woman. Miuko is known for being outspoken and drawn to adventure, quite the opposite of

the demure and graceful role she is supposedly meant to play. However, Miuko’s views of

herself and the world begin to change one fateful night. Traveling back to her small village after

completing errands for her father, Miuko is attacked by a demon, and left with a curse that

continues to spread through her body and corrupt her mind. Fearing the outrage of her people,

Miuko decides to rid herself of the curse on her own, with the help of a trickster shapeshifter she

meets on the way. This story excels at combining Japanese folklore with more modern concepts

such as feminism and breaking free of conformity. While the writing style can at times feel

distant due to its more formal tone, it grows more relatable as the story progresses and actually

serves to create a Studio Ghibli-like atmosphere, though a bit more dark and ominous. I would

highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an unconventional fantasy, especially those

who enjoy a look into other cultures and their traditional folklore.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Book: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 12

Fans of Marissa Meyer won’t be disappointed by one of her newest releases, Gilded. The first

book of a duology, Gilded follows the adventures of Serilda, a girl born with a god-given gift-or

a curse, as the people of her village see it. Serilda was blessed by the god of stories and lies at

birth, an experience that left her eyes marked with a magical symbol. However, Serilda’s affinity

for gold-plated lies lands her in deep trouble with the tyrannical Erlking, a cruel and immortal

hunter who steals away children in the night. When Serilda tells him she can weave straw into

gold in an effort to save herself and two others, things don’t go as planned, and she finds herself

whisked off to the Erlking's castle, where she must spin him gold from straw or face death. There,

Serilda makes discoveries about herself, the Erlking’s mysterious past, and befriends a strange

ghost, all while she tries to keep her lies, and herself, alive. Gilded is a unique story in that it

gives off a classic fairytale atmosphere, yet is still full of plot twists and a modern feeling that

makes it engaging. It also contains numerous smaller stories told by the characters that all

connect to their reality and add to the mystery of the book as the reader begins to put these

stories together and connect them to the main plot. Overall, this book does not disappoint, and is

great for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Victoria Aveyard, and Holly Black.

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield

Book: Paper Butterflies By Lisa Heathfield 

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 12

Paper Butterflies is a heart wrenching story that opens your eyes to the cruelty and beauty of the world. The novel follows the story of June from the age of ten to 24 years old, with the majority of events taking place during her teenage years. After June’s mother’s death when she was six, she quickly found her father remarried to Kathleen and gained a step-sister in Megan. June’s father is both ignorant and blind to the cruel abuse and racism June experiences at Kathleen’s hands, and June is too terrified to speak up for herself, as her faith in others and their ability to help her escape dwindles. June finds some support in Blister, a boy she meets in the woods who creates tiny paper figures, and his loving family, but as the terror of her home life grows, her anger and desperation do as well, pushing her to her limit. This book was extremely impactful to me, as the way that the author portrays the emotions of the characters makes the reader feel for them and their indescribable pain. This book also left a mark on me in that it took a turn I never would have expected and have never seen in novels of this genre, yet it was the most harshly realistic way for the story to unfold. This novel gives an insight into parts of our society that are not often addressed, so this story was extremely eye opening. Despite being so realistic, the novel still perpetuates a message of hope, and it was definitely an emotional read. I would highly recommend it to fans of All the Bright Places, Kira Kira, and fans of John Green.

Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

Book: Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

Rating: 3 Stars 

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 12

Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets is a murder-mystery style story following Savannah Sullivan’s investigation of her sister, Piper’s, fall from the town’s infamous suicide point. After Piper’s fall leaves her in a coma, Savannah struggles with the part she might have played in pushing her sister to the edge, despite feeling that Piper would never have done such a thing to herself. However, when Savannah finds a note inviting her sister to the very place where she fell under the guise of a Survival Club event, Savannah is determined to infiltrate the club and get to the bottom of it. As she uncovers secrets, drama, and grudges, Savannah eventually finds herself struggling to tell who she can trust and who may be to blame for Piper’s current state. Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets is a classic high school murder-mystery novel, with features in common with novels like One of Us is Lying. Although this novel does a good job creating a line of clues that connects, I felt that too much of the plot was ping-ponging between talking to the same characters, with little actual collecting of evidence. The main character tends to believe others when it would be more reasonable for her to be more doubtful. The book also overall lacked the much building suspense that a book of this genre often has. There was little impact when facts were revealed, and often the book was fairly predictable, which is a major downside to a mystery-based novel. At the same time, I liked the organization of the book, which had a focus on Savannah’s point of view, yet still supplemented the story with pieces of Piper’s perspective before her fall, allowing the reader a different insight and also a way to start putting together their own story as Savannah finds a clue. Overall, I’d say this book wasn’t quite my style, but I found it a good quick and casual read. 

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Book: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Rating: 5 stars 

Reviewer: Angelina, Grade 11

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is an enchanting, YA fantasy novel full of beautiful imagery and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. The book follows 17 year old Elisabeth Scrivner who has grown up in a library full of magical books called grimoires, some of which can change into dangerous creatures. When one of the grimoires transforms and is set free, Elisabeth is wrongly accused of treason and thrust into an adventure full of mystery, conspiracy, demons, and sorcerers–people she has always believed are evil. But she isn’t alone in this adventure. Joining her is a sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, and his strange, yet always well groomed, servant, Silas. Sorcery of Thorns has loveable characters and a slow-burn romance that I was rooting for the entire book. The world and magic system were unique and fun to read about, and the author’s writing style made it truly captivating. Sometimes I felt as if I was experiencing things right alongside the characters. This book made me laugh, smile, and almost cry. Sorcery of Thorns is perfect for teens and adults looking for an escape and a fun read. 

Ship of Smoke and Steel by Django Wexler

Book: Ship of Smoke and Steel by Django Wexler (The Wells of Sorcery, Book 1)

Rating: 4.5 stars 

Reviewer: James, grade 7

Ship of Smoke and Steel follows Isoka Deepwalker, the protagonist, as she must capture a ghost ship. Isoka is able to draw power from a well of magic called Melos. This book is a part of a series and is the first book. I really liked how Django wrote his book so that it was incredibly descriptive. I also liked how he wrote the book so that the dialogue was realistic. Also I liked that Django wrote his book with a lot of action. He also made the main characters very complex and realistic. Even though there were a lot of things I liked about the book I still don’t like a few things. One such thing is that the book did not end when the story ended. I also didn’t like how Django only talked about a few characters very little in the very beginning of the book. I think that people who enjoy reading fantasy, magic, and action filled books will enjoy Ship of Smoke and Steel. I also think that people who enjoyed the Skullduggery Pleasant series will enjoy this book because both books are filed with the protagonist learning how to use their magical abilities. These books also are filled with action and fantastical creatures. In the end I give Ship of Smoke and Steel 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Surviving the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Book: Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson 

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Reviewer: James, grade 7

The main character, Jamal, goes to a protest in Maryland about racism but while at the protest he gets trapped under The Dome. The Dome is a heavily police enforced area. Under the dome Jamal meets Marco who  must help Jamal and everyone else escape. I really liked how Kosoko Jackson wrote the book in a very realistic way. I also liked how he made the book’s chapters end on a cliff-hanger making it very suspenseful. It also makes me want to read more of the book. I didn’t like that the author made the story violent in some places. I also didn’t like how Kosoko wrote the book in a sad theme. Finally, I didn’t like how the ending of the book was a cliff-hanger. I think that people who like realistic fiction will like this book. I also think that people who enjoy reading books about real life matters like racism will like this. Finally, I think that readers that enjoy reading books like The Book Thief will like to read this book because both of the books are realistic fiction and they have very similar plots. In the end I give this book a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.