Book Beat Reviews

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My name is Lucy, I am in the ninth grade. I like to play hockey, ski, and rock climb.

This is a chilling story of a young girl’s murder and the aftermath. Susie Salmon, a young girl who loved to take photos, hangout with friends, and look at boys, suddenly finds herself dead in a strange heaven-like world. She is able to watch over her family and the rest of her town as they try to deal with the grief and suffering that comes with death. Susie’s sister and father are especially interested in solving the mystery of her murder, and finding out who took Susie’s life. In the meantime, Susie isn’t ready to die. She has obstacles to pass before she can be at peace and join everyone else in heaven. 

I thought that this book was very good but it is definitely for more mature audiences. It was compelling, suspenseful, and chilling. The plot sent shivers down my spine at many parts and it made me want to keep reading. The author does an incredible job of putting you in Susie’s shoes and telling you how it felt to be there, but not really, to see things unfold and be unable to change their outcomes. Reading this book really opened my eyes. I learned to enjoy life because you never know what could happen, and to never take anything for granted. 

Find it in print here.

Breath by James Nestor

Hi! I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

What do Olympic sprinters, emphysema patients, choir students, freedivers, and Tibetan monks all have in common? This seemingly completely unrelated group of people—healthy or sick, rich or poor, young or old—all find the secret to success through the power of breath.

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have realized the impact of the lungs, one of the most important organs in the body, on overall health and well-being. They knew that breathing was the secret of long lifespans, health, fitness, mental capacity, and, well, life. But in our modern culture, where roughly half of the population suffers from a chronic respiratory condition; where we’re ruled by things to do and places to be, we have forgotten the magical power of breath. We suck in short, pitiful puffs through our mouths, drying our sinuses and subsisting of unfiltered air; chew soft foods and weaken our airways until 90% of us are breathing incorrectly one way or another.

Sounds catastrophic, right?

But the solution is simple and quite obvious: to re-learn how to breathe, and that is exactly what Breath will teach you. Throughout this well-written narrative, James Nestor takes you on an exhilarating journey, digging through history and trekking across continents to uncover the true science of the lost art; a journey that opens the floodgates to a superpower waiting inside of us—waiting for us to take a breath.

Find it in print and eaudiobook here.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

Looking for Alaska is written by John Green. It tells the story of Miles Halter and his experience at Culver Creek boarding school. Miles is a junior in high school. He is nervous about going to Culver Creek because he will be away from his parents. He makes a couple of friends at Culver Creek. Their names are Alaska, The Colonel, and Takumi. Each of these characters has a unique story, and we get to find them out along with Miles. This group of friends likes to do things they shouldn’t. They love playing pranks. Along the way, they go through a lot of hardships, and one very large one involving Alaska. Alaska goes missing. This leaves everyone wondering. Is she dead? What happened? Did she kill herself? 

This book was really interesting. I enjoyed reading it a lot, and I especially liked discovering different things about each character as I got further into the book. I also enjoyed the mystery element of this book, and how the reader was piecing the puzzle together along with the characters. There are definitely some mature subjects in this book, so I would recommend this book is read if you are old enough to deal with these mature subjects. I would give this book a 7.5/10 because I did enjoy it, but I did not relate much to anything in it. Overall this was a good book, but there are other books I enjoy more. 

Find it in print, ebook and CD here.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Hi! I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Isolated. Dangerous. Inhospitable. Secluded by 210 million miles of empty space. 

No escape. 

What do these words have in common? They’re all adjectives to describe the red planet—or Mars, from botanist-astronaut Mark Watney’s point of view. Because, after a series of unfortunate events—namely a dust storm, a satellite ray, and an accident in takeoff—Mark has been abandoned and declared dead on Mars. And if he’s to survive, he’s going to need a serious amount of ingenuity and a whole lot of luck to pull it off. 

But Mark is not one to give up easily. He has a plan, a whole bunch of expensive, state-of-the-art equipment to work with, and a brain full of botanist knowledge. And hey, if he’s going to be the first man to die on Mars, it won’t be without a fight. Or, you know, a lot of Martian potato farming and multi-million dollar car-jacking. 

Packed with humor and grit and a healthy dose of space mechanics, The Martian by Andy Weir is sure to pull you into deep space and only let go once you’ve reached the climactic conclusion—whichever way it’ll go. In part, a hilarious adventure story and a gripping, informative tale; a story of human relationships of technological advancements, this science fiction novel will keep you at the edge of your seat (or spaceship) until the turn of the very last page. 

Find it in print, ebook, DVD, and CD here.

Tell Me by Joan Bauer

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

Tell Me is written by Joan Bauer. It tells the story of 12-year-old Anna who goes to visit her grandmother in Rosemont to get away from her parent’s divorce. Rosemont is famous for its flower festival, so Anna tries to use that as an escape. Anna then observes something off about a little girl that she saw. She has always been told if you see something, say something. She then tries to investigate what is going on and tries to help this little girl. Not only does she help this little girl, but she also makes a few friends along the way. How will her summer turn out? Will she uncover this mystery? 

This book is amazing. I first read it when I was about 11, and it has stuck with me since then. I love being able to uncover the story of this little girl, and also learning a little about helping others if you suspect they are in danger. In this story, Anna wears a yellow scrunchie to spread awareness about this little girl’s story, and still, whenever I see a yellow scrunchie, I think of this book. I would give this book a 9.75/10. It was awesome and I really enjoyed reading it. My only dislike is that it’s really simple in language and readability, but I don’t mind that too much. 

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

In the kingdom of Khorasan, each night, yet another bride is chosen to marry the tyrant of a boy-king, Khalid, and every dawn a silk cord is wrapped around her neck. And after her best friend Shiva falls prey to his tyranny, sixteen-year-old Sharhzad al-Khayzuran volunteers to be his next bride. Not only is she determined to live beyond the next dawn, but to put an end to the whole ordeal once and for all. 

But in the castle, things are not quite as they seem. Beginning a story she can never finish in order to deter Khalid’s decision to end her life, she also befriends the Captain of the Guard and learns that there are secrets to the Caliph and his past, and reasoning behind the irrationality. Worst of all, she finds herself falling for the enemy—the person she came here to kill, and by loving him, she’s betraying the girl whose death she came here to avenge. 

As trouble brews from all sides, Sharhzad is caught in the crossfire, loyal to both sides of a budding war and struggling to make the right decision.

Twisting a beautiful story out of the classic tale of Arabian Nights, with complex characters and lavish descriptions, The Wrath and The Dawn will keep you on the edge of your seat right down to the very last line.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.