THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by Jennifer L. Armentrout

by TPS reader kaminskim19

Mallory, the main girl character, moved from one foster home for another for the majority of her childhood. After she turned thirteen some type of terrible accident occurred and caused her to leave the group home where she was currently staying in and she had to go to the hospital. At the hospital, she ended up meeting a couple that had decided to adopt her. After spending many years being home schooled, she decided she wanted to take on the world and go to her local school. Little does she know, though, that she would end up reuniting with a few familiar faces. Throughout her life, she constantly struggled with public speaking, or just speaking to unfamiliar faces in general. Maybe, just maybe, going to a school with other peers would give her the strength to talk to others easily. Also maybe, just maybe, one of the people she meets will give her the strength to face her fears. This book is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year. There’s many heart stopping and jaw dropping moments, but it is also filled with many amazing romantic moments. If you enjoy reading books with some mystery, and a little bit of romance, I would definitely recommend any of Jennifer L. Armentrout books, especially this one. I would be lying if I said I did not cry at the end. She, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers currently in the young adult literature world. I promise you will not regret reading this book.

HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany

by TPS woolworthv19

Contrary to what I have heard from others, I absolutely loved Harry Potter and the Cursed Child the play by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. I would definitely recommend this script to anyone who loves magical adventures or the Harry Potter series. Also I loved how this play script was so readable; I started and finished it in less than two hours. One thing I think people should remember before reading this script is that it is indeed a script for a play format. It is not a book. Even if you have not read the Harry Potter series, this play script is still very interesting and will make sense. From the moment I picked up the book and started reading, I started to tear up. The Harry Potter series meant so much to me, and I was so happy to get a glimpse into their life post-Voldemort and see how the kids acted.

The play follows Harry Potter’s son and Draco Malfoy’s son on their adventure through one of their years at Hogwarts. Scorpius and Albus are prime examples that the house you are sorted in does not determine how you act. Scorpius and Albus work to try and prove themselves to their families by lending a helping hand to the Diggory family . . . or at least that’s who they think they are helping. The end of the book took an extreme unexpected turn that made me so excited and it kept me reading. The ending was a bit expected but nonetheless there were still minor details that had me in shock. The brilliant minds of Rowling, Thorne, and Tiffany made an excellent script that I hope to see one day in a movie or have a sequel.

HALF BAD by Sally Green

by TPS reader shahj18

Half Bad by Sally Green is a fantastic book.  The book follows Nathan Byrn, the child of a taboo affair between a white witch, Cora Byrn, and her lover, the notorious and murderous black witch Marcus Edge.  In Green’s world the White Witches are structured, have a government and rules, and see themselves as superior.  On the other hand, the White Witches portray the Black Witches as criminals who are wild and evil.  Nathan is the first witch that’s half black and half white, and he is persecuted his whole life because of it, even by some members of his family.  He begins to fall for a White Witch named Annalise O’Brien who accepts him, however, the rest of her family is much less accepting.  Nathan is eventually taken away from his family by the government and is in a race against the clock to escape and find his father because he’ll die if he doesn’t have the “Giving Ceremony” by his seventeenth birthday.

While the idea of witches in England might seem a bit familiar, I can promise Half Bad is a wonderful book with fresh new idea that’s nothing like anything I’ve read before.  The world Sally Green creates is a dark and dangerous, and Nathan’s story is exciting although at some points tragic.  Half Bad is a book that  definitely deserves more attention, and I’d recommended it to anyone looking for a new fantasy book, as long as they’re OK with one that can be very dark and very sad.

GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins

by TPS reader mcanallya20

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is about a girl named Rachel Watson, whose husband recently divorced her. Rachel is depressed about her divorce, and she is obsessed with Tom, her ex husband, and his new wife. Rachel is often drunk because of her divorce. She also lost her job, but she takes the train to where she used to work, so her family and friends still think she works there. One day on the train, Rachel sees a woman named Megan Hipwell with a mysterious man who isn’t her husband, but she can’t remember anything else because she was drunk. Rachel thinks Megan Hipwell has a perfect life and cannot understand why she would cheat on her husband. Rachel soon finds out that Megan is missing, and Rachel struggles to remember something about that night. Megan’s body is eventually found in the woods. The book is centered around Rachel trying to find out who killed Megan Hipwell.

The book is a little slow in the beginning, but once I got into the book, I couldn’t put it down. Near the end, you find out Megan’s secrets that lead to her death. The reader also sees other characters’ personalities develop throughout the book including Anna, Tom’s new wife, and Rachel. Rachel’s obsession with discovering what happened to Megan allows her to become sober and move on in her life. The book is also written in different points of view, which helps the reader understand character’s actions. Even though most characters have flaws, they are relatable. None of them have an easy life even though on the surface their lives seem perfect, which makes the book so interesting. Overall, The Girl on the Train was an fascinating murder book.

NIL by Lynne Matson

by TPS reader mcanallya20

Nil by Lynne Matson is the first book in the Nil series. The book begins with Charley, one of the main characters, landing on the island of Nil. Immediately Charley begins collecting food and building shelter. A couple minutes before she was at Target, and now she is alone, naked on a mysterious island. She doesn’t panic but instead has a clear head. After days of being alone, Thad, one of the people living on the island of Nil, finds Charley and takes her to the City. Once Charley enters the City, her relationship with Thad develops. There is a connection between Charley and Thad from the start, and by the end of the book they are an amazing couple. There are also others who live in the City like Natalie, who becomes good friends with Charley. I would have liked to see more about other characters like Li, Rives, and Sabine. Most of the book was centered around Thad and Charley’s relationship, but I wish there were parts of the book from the other characters’ point of view. I also wish there was a reason people were stuck on Nil. The book briefly glanced over a possibility, but I was hoping there was a reason specific people were on the island. Another thing that makes Charley such a strong, pragmatic character is that she figures out the pattern of the waves. The waves are the only way in and out of Nil. Most people on Nil are centered around surviving on the mysterious island, but Charley decides to create charts to find a way out of Nil, saving Thad, herself, and many others. Overall, Nil was an interesting book. I am excited to read the next book in the series called Nil Unlocked to see more about Rives and the others on the island of Nil.

THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen

by TPS reader ruppj18

In The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, a girl named Emaline lives in a small beach town named Colby. Colby’s a tourist town, full of people who come and go. Emaline lives with her mother and stepfather, along with her sisters. Her father has been absent most of her life, but corresponds with her occasionally through email, mostly about colleges. Emaline has lived in Colby all her life and plans to go to college with her boyfriend, Luke. Luke is pretty much perfect. Emaline has been dating him all through high school, and it does not seem like they will be breaking up anytime soon. But with college coming up, Emaline wonders if this is what she really wants. Her father wants her to go to an Ivy league school, and to a certain extent, Emaline wants to as well. But she knows that her family cannot afford it, and she is not sure about going so far away from everything she has known.

One day while working her job, Emaline meets a guy named, Theo, who is an assistant director who just got to town. He is working on a documentary film about a local, reclusive artist who Emaline knows of but does not speak to very often. Theo is new and exciting and believes that Emaline should get out of Colby and that she is too smart to stay in the small town. With the new guy in town, family drama, and Emaline’s personal dreams, this story is a very exciting read. While a little slow at times, this book is overall very interesting and a must-read. 

WHAT LIGHT by Jay Asher

by TPS reader hunth19

What Light is such a sweet book.  Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, and every Christmas season they come down to California to sell their trees.  They enjoy seeing all the families come and buy them after spending a long time growing them.   Sierra has grown up travelling there every Christmas, but this year could possibly be her last.   So, she is determined to make the most of it this year.  Unintentionally, she meets a guy named Caleb.  Her overprotective dad does everything to keep them apart, but his efforts fail.  Caleb has a mysterious background, and most people don’t like him.  But, Sierra can see the good in him, and she tries to get others to see it too.  Together, they deliver Christmas trees to people who can’t afford them.  And they always have a great time together, teasing each other and drinking hot chocolate.  Anyways, the plot was so much better than I expected it to be.  The review that I wrote does not do it justice.  All the backstories linked together perfectly.  Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet Jay Asher, the author, who also wrote Thirteen Reasons Why.  He was really outgoing, funny, and creative, and it was so cool to hear where his stories came from.  He has his ideas for a long time before making the actual books, and now I really appreciate where they come from.  I would definitely recommend What Light to anyone who loves a good book, and if you can wait, read it during Christmas time.  

VANISHING GIRLS by Lauren Oliver

by TPS reader hickst20

Vanishing Girls is a story told by the perspective of two sisters. Dara and Nick both give their point of view of what happened to them before and after their tragic car accident. Dara and Nick are more than sisters; they have been best friends for their whole life. When Nick and Dara get into a car crash, Dara’s beautiful face is scarred for life, and the two sisters are divided. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick doesn’t think much of it until a 9 year old girl named Madeline Snow also vanishes. This makes Nick think that maybe the two girls vanishing at the same time is more than just a coincidence. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it’s too late. Lauren Oliver has definitely outdone herself with this beautifully written book that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat for each and every chapter.

WINGER by Andrew Smith

by TPS reader frezzaa17

Winger by Andrew Smith is about a boy named Ryan Dean West who is about fourteen. He is a junior making him two years younger than everyone else in his grade. The book shows Ryan’s experiences during the year and the moments he has with his friends. He is a typical 14 year old and that shows with the thoughts he has, but he is a smart kid. He goes to a boarding school in the Pacific Northwest called Pine Mountain Academy. Ryan is not your traditional hero. He plays rugby for the school and has a huge crush of his best friend Annie. He starts off by being sent to Opportunity Hall which is meant for the delinquents, for he ended up stealing a teacher’s phone. His roommate is Chas Becker, a stereotypical jock, who is also on the rugby team, and he hates Ryan. This book was written in much different fashion than most books which made it that more enjoyable. Ryan likes to draw and woven throughout the book are his drawings/ sketches which represent what he is thinking on the inside. I like that the author, Andrew Smith, did this because it is a different way of showing the character’s thoughts that is unique to book writing. The pictures also add a little comedy to the book. Throughout the book he tries to break free of this image of him being seen as a little boy by his use of a Venn Diagram. Overall, this book is good for the plot is funny and is somewhat relatable because I can remember what goes through a 14 year old boy’s mind. I think this is one of the better books I have ever read and would definitely recommend it for someone to read.

SOUNDLESS by Richelle Mead

by TPS reader ruppj19

In Soundless by Richelle Mead, a girl named Fei lives with her sister, Zhang, in a village without sound. None of the people in her village have been able to hear in a very long time. In her village, people are given one of three jobs, artist, miner, or supplier. Fei and her sister are artists, but her sister is starting to go blind, along with a number of other people in her village. Frequent avalanches and rocky cliffs prevent the villagers from leaving the town and escaping. They depend on a zip line to bring food up and down the cliff side so that they can live. In exchange for this food, the villagers work in mines and send down the metals they find in there. With the people in her village starting to go blind as well as being deaf, the food supply starts to dwindle and her village begins to starve. Fei is desperate to help but does not know how. One day, after a vivid dream, Fei wakes up with the ability to hear. Struggling to understand what this means, Fei sets off with a childhood friend and possible romantic interest named Li Wei, one of the people who mines the mountain, to try and learn why the food supply has stopped and why her people are going blind.

Soundless is a very good book, especially for those who enjoy folk tales and romance. The idea of living without sound, dependent on people you have never seen and most likely never will, is a concept that will pull you in and keep you interested.