THIS IS OUR STORY by Ashley Elston

by TPS reader alvarezk26

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston is guaranteed to keep you hooked. From the moment you open the book you will be drawn in by the intense mystery. It immediately starts from the perspective of the killer. This makes you even more desperate to find out who he is. Additionally, Kate’s strong passion for justice makes you even more invested in the story. Because of her complicated history with Grant, she is far more involved in the case than she should be. Kate must battle with her emotions as she tries to stay focused, but can’t stop thinking about the past. She works nonstop to uncover which one of the River Point boys pulled the trigger and killed Grant. However, a major plot twist balances out this hardcore investigation with a secret romance. Kate’s vulnerable heart has her risking her job for love. But will she be able to keep this romance hidden from her boss, Mr. Stone? Her dangerous decisions end up getting her into more trouble than she was already in. Will she still be able to prove who really killed Grant in time? This suspense filled book is impossible to put down. Ashley Elston will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book. This incredible combination of mystery and romance creates a literary masterpiece. The amount of adrenaline felt when justice is finally served is unmatched in any other book. The ending of the story comes far too soon, and leaves you wanting more.

WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH by Elizabeth Acevedo

By TPS reader taylorm26

With The Fire On High By Elizabeth Acevedo was overall an amazing book! This book is about Emoni, who is a strong selfless senior in high school who has had to make some tough choices in her life. But nothing has stopped her from making amazing creations in the kitchen. That is where her true emotions and passions show through. When a new cooking course at her school inspires her to take risks, she doesn’t know what to do, take the risk, or have more time with her baby girl? Not to mention Malachi, who is handsome and actually appreciates her passion for cooking and loves spending time with her. With Elizabeth Acevedo’s poetic writing and Emoni’s colorful cooking and storyline, this book is truly a wonder. Emoni and all the characters have incredible story arcs with Emoni’s character being the biggest. All the characters have such dynamic and deep stories to tell. One of my favorite parts of this book was during the opening of each section, Emoni has a recipe that will set the tone of the next few chapters. It is so interesting to see Emoni’s actual creativity on paper, and what each recipe means to her. I also love how the story raps up. I love how Emoni decided to go to college and follow her dreams, and take a risk. With The Fire On High is an amazing book and should definitely be on top of your reading list. 

INTERNMENT by Samira Ahmed

by TPS reader williamsc22

Internment by Samira Ahmed is not only a good read, but it is a call to action. Set in near-future America, this novel brings to attention modern issues of society while highlighting the notion of “History repeats itself.” The author describes the situation as “fifteen minutes in the future,” suggesting that at America’s current rate, we are closer to this dystopian society than we think. With the growing oppression of Islams, Ahmed creates a story that parallels past events that have occurred. Beginning with smaller yet, unjustified acts of racism such as burning Muslim-written books or giving Muslims a curfew, the story quickly accelerates with the occupation of Muslim internment camps. Using the enactment of the Muslim Registry and Exclusion Laws, Ahmed foreshadows a much worse future for Islamic America. She incorporates the Japanese-American Internment camps from World War II and similar treatment of the Jews in Nazi Germany, that create a sense of panic, implying that America is returning to old habits. The excuse that Muslims are a threat to America is solely used to justify the Registry and Exclusion Acts. Using a young teenage girl, Layla Amin, as the protagonist of the novel, she exposes the true irony of the entire plot. Her harmless, yet oppressed character advances the notion that racism in America cannot be justified. The violent mistreatment of the occupants in the Internment camp forces Layla and her friends to attempt an escape. Ahmed’s use of young characters suggests that future generations have the power to destroy these groundless and racist traditions. Layla’s story serves as a warning to our current society.

ALL AMERICAN BOYS by Brendan Kiely & Jason Reynolds

by TPS reader bigneyj21

All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, is about the assault by a police officer on an innocent boy. The authors take the reader through a journey that goes beyond typical stereotypes and into the lives of teens who experience things no teen should have to deal with. It is a very passionate read that directly points out a major problem in current society: racial discrimination. Personally, I enjoyed this read because it went in depth on a topic that is not typically discussed. It can make the reader realize how privileged they are to not have to experience such traumatic events that so many teens have to face such as being profiled just because of your race or even skin color. As you get deeper into the book, you tend to feel for these “all-American boys” who are forced to grow up following such a violent incident. Just

for older teens who can comprehend real life, modern day problems. Even though this book is not flawless, it can inspire the reader to be better and do what is best for themselves. Because these two boys live in the shadows of their fathers, they are forced to decide whether to follow in their fathers’ footsteps or to create their own, better path. Even though this book does have an extensive amount of violence and inappropriate language, it is an age appropriate book

CHILDREN OF BLOOD & BONE

by TPS reader buchananb25

Children of Blood and Bone is an amazing book with a fantasy twist on inequality. I love all the adventure, hardships, and the writing really gets you hooked, and you really want to see what happens next. It has a fast pace, which I enjoy, but not too fast, so you can still keep up with what is happening in the story. The book also really makes sure to provide you with enough context, so you know what’s going on, but not enough to understand everything going on inside each character’s mind; it maintains a sense of mystery of the world, yet can still immerse you inside of it. Sometimes, you can really understand how a character feels in that moment, and sometimes, you can’t, maybe you learn how they felt there later. The magic, the seemingly stereotypical yet such unique storyline makes it near impossible to want to stop reading. Nothing seems to happen just for plot convenience; everything makes sense, even if only in that scenario or universe. The book has many things happen that are unexpected, but looking back, could or would have had to happen, maybe earlier or later then expected, however. You can see some of these coming, but not 100% of them, or 100% of the time. Every small event has a point, no matter how insignificant it seems. It could be just to show the reader that one character can do something others can’t, or it can have the butterfly effect, the tiniest event causing a huge reaction. This book can teach you lessons, it can just be a book to read if you like fantasy, it really can be for anyone. You may know some of the lessons, like to treat everyone equally, but they can still help you, and there are other lessons you can learn, too.

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V.E. Schwab

by TPS reader ruppj18

In A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, a guy named Kell is one of the last of his kind. Antari are a rare type of magician who can travel between different worlds. There used to be four worlds, Red London, White London, Gray London, and Black London, until Black London was consumed by the magic that the people there so desperately wanted to control. Now no one goes there and any remaining magic from there was destroyed, so people could not travel there. Kell is a messenger for Red London, which is the most beautiful and prosperous London, and he travels between Londons on official business, or at least most of the time. On the side, Kell is a smuggler, carrying magic to those who wish for the magic they will probably never have. This habit leads to a dangerous object being passed to him in White London, which was ruled by terrible people and was full of death and fighting, and an accidental betrayal of the crown. While in Gray London, he stumbles upon a girl named Delilah Bard, or Lila, who promptly robs him of the dangerous item he had recently obtained and also saves his life. Lila has always wanted to be a ship captain and live a life of adventure, and she saw the discovery of Kell as her opportunity to escape her life and have some fun. Now joined together, these two friends must face countless trials and betrayals in order to keep the people they love and the places they live safe from harm.

This book starts off slow but gets really good. You’re instantly attracted to Black London, a place full of mystery and forbidden to everyone. Kell is a loveable character, and Lila is a funny, tough girl who you really want to succeed. I really liked this book and I can’t wait to read the rest!

RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard

by TPSreader wuerzk19

Mare Barrow lives in a world where everything is divided by the color of your blood. Those with silver blood are the elite who have supernatural abilities, and those with red are the commoners, forced into a life of serving the Silvers. Mare and her family are Reds, struggling to survive in their harsh world and constantly living in fear. Mare steals what she can to provide for her family, but her upcoming eighteenth birthday looms ahead of her, taunting her with the fact that she will soon be forced to join the army and fight for a cause she doesn’t believe in. However when her best friend Kilorn’s apprenticeship is cut short with the death of his master, the knowledge that he too will soon be drafted into the war is too much for her. She goes searching for a way to save him from having to join the army, and it is this that leads to a twist of fate, winding up with her at the royal Silver palace. She starts working there as a Red servant but a shocking event leads to the discovery that Mare is extraordinarily different. Although her blood is red, she has an ability like those of the Silvers. To hide this, she is forced into the role of a long lost Silver princess, and her life is drastically changed forever. As her new role draws her even further into the Silver world, she uncovers secrets and forms deadly alliances, all while her heart is torn between two people. Shocking plot twists lead Mare to discover the hard way what she was told all along… anyone can betray anyone.

This book is completely action-packed, never having a dull moment. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and forced me to keep reading, even when certain things happened that made me want to throw it across the room. By far the best thing about this book was the numerous amount of plot twists; every time I thought I knew what was going to happen I was relentlessly proved wrong. If you enjoyed Shatter Me or The Selection series, you will most likely love Red Queen. It had certain elements that reminded me of both of those books, combining the girl with a unique ability and the girl who transforms from a commoner to a princess overnight. This was definitely an enjoyable read, and Victoria Aveyard did an excellent job of keeping me hooked on every word. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an action-packed story full of plot twists that will make your heart drop.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer E. Smith

by TPS reader wuerzk19

Lucy Patterson is a bit of an outcast, and she’s constantly left behind in her New York City apartment while her parents travel around the world and her brothers go off to college. She doesn’t have any friends and is ready for another boring night alone in her apartment when suddenly a citywide blackout occurs, and she becomes stuck in an elevator. Little does she know the boy stuck in the elevator with her would soon play a significant role in her life. Owen Buckley is also an outcast, the death of his mother having changed his life forever. At his old home he had friends and a good life, but with his mother’s passing, Owen and his father set off to New York and left their old life completely behind them. Owen hates New York until the night the power goes out and he meets Lucy. Together they share one amazing night wandering the darkened city and gazing up at the stars from the roof of the apartment building. However, when the lights come back on, so does reality, and Lucy and Owen are forced into different directions, both moving away from New York City. As they start new lives and meet new people, they try to stay in touch by postcards and emails. But will their one perfect night be enough to keep them in each other’s lives forever? Or will the distance be too much for them to keep in touch?

This is a sweet long-distance love story, perfect for anyone in search of a good romance book. The colorful descriptions give the reader a taste of many different parts of the world that they get to experience along with the characters. The book is also packed with plot twists and unexpected events that keep the story moving along. I definitely recommend this book to anyone searching for a satisfying love story.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

by TPS reader lamara20

This is a book centralized around the idea of emails. One girl and one boy begin an email chain on the total chance that this boy typed in the wrong email address. He, Graham Larkin, was trying to email the person who was supposed to babysit his pet pig. He explains this to the girl, Ellie O’Neill. Graham in his reality is living as an actor as the main part of the last move to one of his previous. Ellie is a simple girl from a simple town, but with a troubled back-story we find later in the book when she admits it to Graham. He ends up being so interested in this mythic girl who he’s found through a simple mistake that he tells his producer to have them shoot the next movie in her hometown. She and her friend work in the same ice cream shop. Ironically, her best friend borrows her shirt and then Graham asks her out. At dinner, when Graham realizes it must not be Ellie, he makes it a bit too obvious and his date realizes it too. However, she just so happens to be Ellie’s best friend so she understands and gives him directions to her house. Ellie didn’t like the Graham Larkin that everyone knew, but the Graham Larkin who’d been emailing her for so long now, she felt an instant connection. However, Ellie still has a secret she’s been hiding that could be the end for her and Graham. This book is a must read for romantics, and you won’t want to put it down for a second.

 

MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner

by TPS reader frezzaa17

The Maze Runner by James Dashner was one of the better books I have read. The main character Thomas gets put in a whole new world when he arrives inside a maze. He can’t remember anything about his past life, besides his name. A short time later the first girl ever,named Teresa, lands in the Glade with a note saying she is the last person they are sending. Once she arrives, the Maze starts acting up and things start to change. The doors don’t close at night and Grievers run amok inside the Glade killing off some people. Chaos and order have left the Glade, and the position of authority is challenged. Thomas and Teresa must work together with the others to finally find a way out of the Maze. The book is much better than the movie. Hollywood leaves out funny plot details along with other information that add to character development and the overall plot. Dashner also has a great use of words that paint a better picture your head than what Hollywood can do in a movie. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book of the Maze Runner series.