Oh Hey, It’s November

Hi all,

It has been a whirlwind of September/October/November and now it’s nearly Thanksgiving and we haven’t posted our reviews for some time! Thanks for waiting, but here’s what we’ve read these past few months.

Nominations

Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

This story is about two girls who are lesbians in a very conservative and homophobic town. when they are caught, they are sent to a conversion camp. Our main character Raya resolves to take her[self] and her best friend and escape the camp.

–Sarah Nominates

 

Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

Brynne Rebele-Henry paints a harsh picture of the reality of life in a conservative Texas town. Raya, the main character, is sent to a conversion camp after she is caught kissing her best friend Sarah. The book reveals the cruel realities of life in these kinds of places, telling a story that needs to be told.

–Nicole Nominates

 

Dig by A.S. King

An intricate mystery about deep roots that connect a strange yet relatable cast of characters. The book expertly weaves paranormality with a cryptic visualization of the mind while explaining the very real problems of the physical world. The author easily gives each member of the ensemble cast a distinct voice to keep the story fresh while also connecting the characters with common themes to keep the reader curious. Dig was a wonderful journey through the tunnels of the mind that I would be happy to nominate.

–Caleb Nominates

 

Recommendations

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

This fairy-tale retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses captured my attention quickly. The magical elements were not worked in very well, but otherwise the story was intriguing and fun.

–Nicole Recommends

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

It is about a girl who is finding her lost brother. Plot twist when she realizes that her brother is right in front of her [a] completely different person. I think it was a good book, it was funny at some points. It should be recommended because it was overall a good book with a great plot.

–Gania Recommends

 

Impossible Music by Sean Williams

A guy becomes deaf and can’t hear anything, especially music. He loves to play music and once he becomes deaf, his whole life turns upside down. He starts to lose meaning in life until a girl helps him find himself again. I liked the plot and the detailed descriptions. Also, I like how they use sign language in the book. In all, I recommend this book, because it’s a great book but not Newbery [Printz]-worthy.

–Gania Recommends

 

Black Enough Edited by Ibi Zoboi

Black Enough is an excellent anthology featuring multiple different black kids living their lives. I really enjoyed all the stories and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of anthologies.

–Nicole Recommends

 

The Disasters by M.K. England

The Disasters tells an excellent, twist-rich tale about four rejects from a space academy teaming up to solve a crime–while being framed for said crime. It is a fun wild ride of a read. I enjoyed it very much and definitely intend to read more of M.K.’s books.

–Nicole Recommends

 

Final Nomination List

So our last meeting is this upcoming Friday and I have assembled a list of all the books that have been nominated for the Printz by our Mock-Printz club. The list is in alphabetical order by title, and the place in line in no way indicates the standing or number of nominations that a book has.

1. Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Sacanna Ganucheau
2. The Cold is in Her Bones by Perernelle Arsdale
3. Dig by A.S. King
4. Fear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern
5. Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
6. The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey
7. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
8. The Lovely War by Julie Berry
9. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
10. Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry
11. Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
12. Slay by Brittany Morris
13. The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
14. The Trans-Human Project by Erin Rhew
15. Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliot
16. You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook

 

May the best book win!

 

 

Second September Meeting

Hi all,

Bit of a delay between the meeting and the posting, but things have been pretty crazy at the library and I’ve only now gotten all the reviews together and sat down to type them all up.

Our second September meeting had a pretty low attendance because school is back in session and the readers are a studious bunch, but the books have been read and reviewed and here’s what we have:

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young’s “Girls With Sharp Sticks” is a sci-fi novel set in an all-girls school designed to morph teen girls into the ideal wives for men. The main character, Mena, begins to realize that the school is much more twisted than it seems. I like the poems featured in the book, and how accurately it depicts and amplifies how damaging misogyny can be. The writing style was a little dull, which made some parts more difficult to get through, but the plot and theme overall was interesting, and I’d recommend it to those who are interested in the dystopian side of science fiction.

Recommended by J.S.

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

The Good Luck Girls was an intriguing fantasy dystopian centered on five girls: Aster, Tansy, Mallow, Violet, and Clementine. They escape from the “welcome house” where they’re living and end up on a quest to find safety after a terrible accident. I loved it so much I read it in less than a day. It hooked me from the start and didn’t let go.

Recommended by N.S.

Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry

Hello Girls was an intriguing read about two girls escaping abusive lifestyles, but I had an issue with the writing style. I can’t remember what it was right off the bat, but something about the way the two girls were written bugged me. I couldn’t even finish the book, because the thought of slogging through to the end drove me crazy. The plot idea was great, the execution, not so much.

Reviewed by N.S.

 

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more books read and reviewed. Until then,

 

Happy Reading!

September Meeting 1

Hi All,

School has begun! We’re working on reading potential Printz books between working on school work, homework, and our jobs and these are the ones we’ve reviewed so far.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

• Stepsister is the story of Cinderella’s step sisters. The story starts when Cinderella leaves with Prince Charming. After that moments the stepsisters’ lives turn upside down. They start to change into different people and face many challenges
• One of the stepsisters talks to monkeys and has amazing talent in fighting
• I think it was a great book with a lot of character development and a lot of adventure.

Recommended by Gania

Fever Year by Don Brown

• It is about the killer flu that killed many people in 1918.
• More than 3,000 people died in America in 1918 [from the flu].
• “I think it being a graphic novel helped make the story more interesting because you weren’t just reading a bunch of information” (approximated quote)

Recommended by Gania

Lovely War by Julie Berry

When Aphrodite is caught committing adultery by her husband, she begins telling an intricate tale following four individuals in World War II in hope that the tale will show her husband what she is going through. The novel is written in different perspectives and really captures human nature beautifully. This romance/historical-fiction fusion was a page turner and I highly recommend it for all history fanatics.

Recommended by Shreeya

Unnatural Disasters by Jeff Hirsch

A girl tries to rebuild after DC is bombed and her world falls apart. I found the way the story skips ahead to be a little annoying, but other than that it was an enjoyable read.

Recommended by Caleb

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

A story of a black, questioning teen girl with HIV struggling to navigate high school. It focuses on her relationships with her friends and fellow classmates, and attempting to keep her HIV a secret. A liked how well the main character was written and developed, and her story is one that needs to be told. It was an excellent book, I would highly recommend.

Nominated by Jackie

 

We have another meeting coming up this Friday and some more books to review then, so stay tuned.

 

Happy Reading!

Two More Reviews

Hi All,

With the last 3 meetings being only a week apart, it’s been harder to finish books, but we still got two done and here are the reviews!

Slay by Brittney Morris

An intriguing story about a black coder and a murder. Kiera invents a[n online] game, but then someone is murdered. Her game is called racist, then a troll invades [it]. I thought it was really intriguing and would recommend.

–Recommended by Nicole

((For those of you not familiar with internet culture, a ‘troll’ in this context refers to someone on the internet who deliberately causes trouble and tries to ignite arguments and animosity between others. Trolls often cause trouble for the enjoyment of the chaos and anger it brings. A popular internet saying is “Don’t feed the trolls,” meaning that you should not encourage these types of people by paying attention and responding to them.))

The Kingdom by Jess Rothernberg

Jess Rothenberg’s ‘The Kingdom’ takes place ina high tech theme park that features cyborgs. It follows Ana, one of the park’s “hybrids” (cyborgs). One of the park’s employees is missing and Ana is suspected of murder. This book was well-written and I would definitely recommend it.

–Recommended by Anonymous

 

We’ve got another meeting Friday, so hopefully we can crank a few more reviews out then!

 

Happy Reading!

August 2019–Meeting 1

Hello all,

We’ve been reading and reading so here are our reviews!

Stepsister by Jennifer Donelly

Stepsister by Jennifer Donelly is a retelling of Cinderella from the point of view of one of the “ugly” stepsisters. Told through the eyes of the stepsister, Isabelle, and the Greek god Dionysus, the story follows Isabelle after her stepsister Ella became queen. I like this book because it has themes like the meaning of ‘beautiful’ and redemption as well as changing your fate. The only reason I wouldn’t nominate this book would be the ending. However, the rest of the book was well worth reading.

–Recommended by Anonymous

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

A dead girl helps her father solve crimes and move past his own grief. A surreal yet heartfelt story for mystery lovers and supernaturalists alike.

–Nominated by Caleb

Lovely War by Julie Berry

“Lovely War” by Julie Berry is a romance taking place in World War I as told by Aphrodite. The book starts with Hephaestus catching Aphrodite and Ares in an affair in a golden net. He then puts them on trial and Aphrodite tells two stories of romances she helped to build during the war. I loved the writing style, the dialogue, and the perspective on Aphrodite’s work. This was a beautifully written book and I would highly recommend it, especially to those interested in Greek mythology.

–Nominated by Jackie

Slay by Brittney Morris

“Slay” by Brittney Morris is a story of a teen girl who developed an online video game celebrating black history and culture. She develops this came called Slay to create a safe space for black players, but after a murder over a Slay dispute occurs in the real world, the game is debated all over the media. I liked the character development and how the plot was developed. This was a good read and I would highly recommend it.

–Nominated by Jackie

 

We’ve got one more meeting in August and then school will start again so our reading habits might drop as we are inundated with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, jobs, and balancing our lives this year. We’ll keep at it though, and post again after the second August meeting.

 

Happy Reading!

July 2019 Meetings

Hello again,

The summer seems to be flying by and we’ve got a few more recommendations and nominations of 2019 YA books. We’ve had some really great discussions about what we do and don’t like in books, what characters we like and why, and what pacing we prefer as readers. Here are our reviews:

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mieja

An interesting dystopian society with complex characters.

Recommended by Anonymous

Lovely War by Julie Berry

An interesting and unique story about love in times of war and told through the eyes of Greek gods and goddesses. A long read, but completely worth it.

Recommended by Anonymous

The Transhuman Project by Erin Rhew

A really unique story with memorable and interesting characters that keeps you captivated from beginning to end.

Recommended by Anonymous

The Cerulean by Amy Ewing

A unique fantasy with relatable characters.

Recommended by Anonymous

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia Williams

A heartwarming story about a girl’s hard life.

Recommended by Nicole

Dig by AS King

I loved the funky uniqueness of this book and the way the various plot lines foil and converge in the end. The characters are deep and authentic and the writing is amazing.

Nominated by Anonymous

Fear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern

A wonderfully written, yet sad story of a girl with astrocytoma, AKA brain cancer. Along with her best friend a boyfriend, she goes on a road trip for her last chance to live.

Nominated by Anonymous

Our next meeting is on August 9th and we all took home plenty of reading material to share our thoughts next post. Stay cool, it’s getting hot out there.

Happy Reading!

June Week 1

Hello again friends,

We’ve just finished our exams and are starting up summer jobs, summer internships, summer adventures, and of course, summer books! Below are a few books we read during exams and enjoyed!

 

Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan

A great world with interesting characters and wonderful magic.

Lauren Recommends

 

The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman

A strong mystery with realistic characters and an interesting monster.

Caleb Recommends

 

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

It was alright, the plot was interesting, and there were scenes between the characters that felt raw and real, but other than that, the writing style was dull. It was okay so I put recommend, maybe someone else can read it and see if it’s interesting to someone else?

Anonymous Recommends

(Further review with spoilers below)

 

We have another meeting this Friday and with our members travelling, working, interning, and more, hopefully we’ll have a few reviews for you then.

 

Happy Reading!

 

After this there are spoilers for ‘Opposite of Always, so please stop reading now if you don’t want to spoil the book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Club Recommends…

Hello everyone,

We’ve only got 3 meetings left in our Mock-Printz session before we make our final vote, but here are some teen reviews of items on this year’s Mock-Printz booklist!

 

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

A modern take on Pride and Prejudice. When a rich family moves into ‘the hood’ it shakes up Zuri Benitez’s family forever. 

–Ben 

Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

A story of four kids trying to survive the Tap-Out (when the California drought gets so bad that the water stops running). It’s a really intriguing story about survival and what happens when humankind loses something necessary to life.

–Nicole

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

TACoA takes place after the main character’s mother committed suicide. The main character decides to fly to China with her father in an attempt to connect with her mother’s parents and unravels some truths about her mother along the way. TACoA is a beautiful, fantastically written book which perfectly captures the distress of grief and treads the thin line between reality and hallucinations.

–Lauren

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

A book about true grit and achieving your dreams, even if you don’t know what they are. The main character, Scott (given name Saaket), escapes his pressurizing family to go to Washington DC in a not-so-classic coming-of-age tale instead of his high intensity internship that he doesn’t want. Throw in a cute girl, no money, and some livid parents, and you’ve got a recipe for a good story. 

–Tanvi

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

‘Tess of the Road’ follows Tess, a young adult who feels that her only escape from the ridicule of society is to set off on her own adventure. It is fantastically written novel about a girl’s struggle in a society which doesn’t accept intelligent women.

–Lauren

 

Currently the 5 books with the most nominations are: (in order)

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

MunMun by Jesse Andrews

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

When Light Left Us by Leah Thomas

Blood, Water, Paint by Joy McCullough

 

Our final vote draws near!

Yours in Reading,

The Eva Perry Printz Club