Book Review: My Name is Parvana

Title: My Name is Parvana
Author: Deborah Ellis
Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney
Rating: 4/5 Stars

In My Name is Parvana, Deborah Ellis tells a powerful story about a teenage girl in Afghanistan who never gives up her hopes and dreams for her future even as conditions in the war-torn nation make life more and more difficult and dangerous for her family. An average girl struggling with her own emotions like any other teenager, Parvana faces problems that most Americans her age could not imagine – being accused of terrorism and imprisoned by foreign troops. The events that she recalls that led up to her imprisonment, her family working to create a school for girls much to the disapproval of the public, keep her mind occupied and invulnerable to the American soldiers’ threats. The love that binds her family and friends together against every danger gives her the strength to keep her head and the willpower to withhold information from the foreign troops. 

My Name is Parvana is real, heart-wrenching, and compelling. Before reading this book, I, like most Americans, had a vague idea of what is going on overseas in Afghanistan, and had become numb and desensitized to the occasional report of another roadside bombing there, or a group of children being shot by the Taliban. What we rarely, if ever, hear about are the emaciated children in refugee camps, the young girls forced into marriages with older men, the activists who are assassinated for trying to make a better life for women – or the senseless violence and damage done by our own American troops. My Name is Parvana made me aware of these tragedies. The strength with which Parvana faces all of these dangers is absolutely inspiring, and empowering to all young girls and women. Deborah Ellis, with simplistic yet powerful prose, conveys a message that all American teenagers should hear – that there are people their age who have to break laws to get themselves an education, to feed their family, and even to dress and speak the way they want to.

Book Review: Seraphina

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Teen Reviewer: Kinsey Manchester

Rating: 4/5

Seraphina Dombegh lives in a world of tense peace between humans and dragons. The dragons of her world are shape shifters but despite their ability to communicate with humans, they are looked down upon. Her kingdom of Goredd is under a lot of pressure as the 40^th anniversary of the peace treaty between humans and dragons approaches. This time, Seraphina witnesses it firsthand as a new member of the court, the musician’s assistant. She finds herself in a lot of drama in Castle Orison as a member of the Royal Family has just been found dead in the woods. The way he died is mysteriously similar to the way that dragons eat humans, which only worsens the situations of the dragons living in their human forms in Goredd. Seraphina is interested in trying to solve the crime and is paired up with the Captain of the Queen’s Guard, Prince Lucian Kiggs. Kiggs is dangerously observant, which becomes a problem for Seraphina, as she has secrets of her own to hide. Kiggs and Seraphina become friends, but soon he starts to question her past and her teacher, the dragon Orma. As secrets unravel, feelings get hurt and people get in trouble. Seraphina has to deal with a lot of overwhelming responsibilities that her job requires, as well as help out Kiggs, and keep up her own mental health. When the leader of the dragons, Ardmagar Comonot, finally visits Goredd for the 40^th anniversary, it is questionable whether or not he is actually safe. Seraphina works to protect herself, the ones she love, and her kingdom’s royals as she tries to solve the Prince’s death.

This book was classified as fantasy, but I think it also had an element of mystery. I liked the secret side of this book and that it kept you guessing until the end about some things. I also liked the relationship between Seraphina and Kiggs, which was a really good friendship. I liked that they knew their boundaries, since Kiggs is engaged to his cousin, Princess Glisselda. I think they work so well together because they are not afraid to just say what they are thinking. I loved all of the supporting roles in this book, such as Lars, Seraphina’s father, and Abdo. I think they really added another layer of depth to the book and complemented the major roles well. Glisselda surprised me with her poise because at first she seemed like just another glamorous Princess. However, she turned out to be very mature in the end and I liked her. Seraphina was a really enjoyable main character and was relatable, despite the fact that she is clearly different. I must admit that when reading this book, the author goes right into using the idioms and slang language of the Goreddis, so it was a little hard to understand at first. Once I got into the swing of things and noticed the helpful dictionary at the back, I was fine though. I would not suggest this book to anyone who can’t handle a little bit of dragons, kings, and dueling, because you can find all of these in here. Although, I think this book surprised me with how good it is and I would recommend it to most people! It’s not a short book, but it is definitely worth the time!

Book Review: The Namesake

Title: The Namesake

Author: Stephen Parlato

Teen Reviewer: Timothy Wood

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Namesake, by Stephen Parlato, is the story of a teenager, Evan Galloway, whose father has just committed suicide. Evan is an extremely gifted student and artist, and everyone expects the best of him. Wanting to be able to understand why his father ended his life, he tries to find the answers. But as he does this he is opposed by a number of different people who try to stop him from getting to the truth of his father's death, and he has his own social life, or lack thereof, to worry about as well. Will Evan solve the mystery of his father's murder and be able to heal from it, or will he never know the full story and have to live with that fact?

This book was an interesting read for me. At first I was suprised at the book's bluntness and did not think that it depicted a teenage boy's life very well. But then, about in the middle of the book, I realized that this is what life is like for someone his age. It can be difficult and confusing. Told from Evan's point of view and from his mind's eye, the book does a great job of thinking like a teenage boy would, though at times it seems a bit random. One thing I did not like about the writing was that on multiple occasions, when the book begins a new section, it starts off after something important happened, then jumps back to what actually happened. This was a bit frustrating, but I got somewhat used to it. Also, the book still seems a bit unrealistic in some ways, but very realistic in others. Despite these shortcomings and even though I did not enjoy the book as a whole, it had a lot of plot twists and fantastic character development, making the book very exciting and enjoyable in spots. Because I found some parts frustrating, I would not read it again, but I am sure a lot of people will enjoy it. I rate this book a 4 out of 5.

Book Review: The Turning

Title: The Turning

Author: Francine Prose

Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney

Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Turning by New York Times bestselling author Francine Prose is a spooky and entertaining read, ideal for preteens. When high school student, Jack, first arrives at the remote island where he is to babysit two young children for the summer, he feels a little nervous but overall enthusiastic. However, it does not take long for Jack to become very unsettled and frightened about things going on in the house and with the kids, who both at first seem to be polite and friendly. Although the mansion is the only house on the island, and he and the children its only inhabitants, he begins to feel that they are not alone - that there are elusive spirits living among them. Read Jack’s letters to his girlfriend that recount the details of the strange happenings on the island, and witness the turn he takes from an easy-going kid to someone unlike his old self completely.

For the young reader, The Turning is suspenseful and thrilling. The way that Prose uses letter correspondence to tell the story allows you to get inside of Jack’s head, which helps develop the story and show the mental transformation that the events on the island puts him through. The added drama between him and his girlfriend adds to the excitement of the novel, and other unique touches of romance throughout will please paranormal teen-fiction fans. Readers who enjoy mysterious novels will also enjoy The Turning, as Jack’s investigation for the source of the activity on the island uncovers new leads that are not resolved until the end of the book. However, there were some issues with the novel that I could not ignore.

               

In this short, easy-to-read book, there are some parts that do not exactly make sense. Toward the middle of the novel, the conversation via mail becomes less realistic, as he continues to write extensive letters to his girlfriend even as their relationship goes through a rocky patch. Toward the end, he writes to his Dad about things that he was there to witness, throwing in phrases like “remember that, Dad?” Since everything he says in the letters must be said to tell the story, I think it would make more sense for the book to be written in the traditional style. Disregarding this minor detail, the book is still enjoyable and entertaining.

Overall, The Turning is an exciting, mysterious tale of creepy paranormal happenings and psychological deterioration. The young reader who enjoys a good scary read will enjoy this novel by Francine Prose.

Book Review: Revolution 19

Title: Revolution 19
Author: Gregg Rosenblum
Teen Reviewer: Kinsey Manchester
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

 Nick, his brother Kevin, and his adopted sister Cass have all lived in a community in the wilderness their whole lives, while keeping hidden and safe from the robots that now control the remainder of the world. One day, the robots find their civilization and attack it, killing some and capturing others. Nick, Cass, and Kevin barely manage to escape, but their parents are nowhere to be found. With no other options, the three teens decide that they must enter one of the dangerous, infamous Cities to search for their parents. The City has always been depicted as a place where robots ruthlessly rule over the human slaves. It is not a place where any human would journey to of their own free will. However, when the three arrive, they find that what they have been told is not exactly the truth. The siblings meet a pair of girls who decide to help them find their parents and hopefully save them from being assimilated into the City. The entire City is aware that they are on the loose so any person they see could turn them in to the authorities. Once their parents are assimilated, they could forget everything about themselves and worse, their children. As the three fight against time, robots, and even some other humans who are out to get them, they realize that it is not just about saving their family. There is a bigger goal- saving the human race from the control of the drones. Can Nick, Cass, and Kevin save their family and safely escape the dangerous City before the robots capture them? Or will all hope be crushed with the ruthlessness of the robots?

Revolution 19 was a science-fiction type novel with action, mystery, and even a little love interest on the side. Nick was my favorite character because he was the older brother and he always put the safety of Kevin and Cass above his own. He did a few stupid things, but to him, they made sense to keep his brother and sister safe, and that was his top priority. Nick was smart and clever, which was necessary in the dangerous situations that the children often found themselves in. Cass, who was the middle child, was also fun to read about. She could beat any guy at any athletic competition, and I admired her for that. Overall, I enjoyed all of the characters for their bravery and perseverance at remaining true to their mission of saving their parents. However, one thing stuck out as strange to me. The three siblings were relentlessly detected and discovered but never injured or killed. They witnessed other humans being murdered or hurt, but the real threat wasn’t until the end of the book. Their continuous good luck was a little too unrealistic for me. Don’t get me wrong, I was satisfied with the ending, and I definitely enjoyed the book. I liked the quick pace of the book. I found most of the characters very relatable and some of them even surprised me with their compassion in such scary predicaments. I would recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, dystopian, or action books. It was a good, quick read and I think most teen readers would enjoy it, too.

Book Review: My Book of Life By Angel

Title: My Book of Life by Angel
Author: Martine Leavitt
Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney
Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt is a realistic story told from the point of view of a young girl of the Vancouver streets. After her bad habit of shoplifting gets her kicked out of her home by her father, Angel moves in with Call, an older man who makes her feel grown up, and introduces her to new substances that she becomes addicted to. Without fully realizing it, Angel is turned into a prostitute under Call’s control, and loses all hope of ever returning to her former life.  It is not until Call brings home a new girl, a very young and innocent one, that Angel has something to fight for – someone that she can save. Angel, the protagonist that almost all teenage girls can relate to, whose thoughts remain innocent and pure despite her circumstances, tells her extremely moving and inspiring story about holding on to what’s right even when things could not be more wrong.

Written in free-verse poetry, the terse lines of My Book of Life by Angel capture the voice of the troubled teenager and give the reader a new perspective on the struggles of the women subjected to violent sexual experiences and exploitation under the control of their pimps. Though not sexually explicit, Angel’s story does contain some unsettling language that Leavitt uses to convey a completely realistic message about what young women of the sex trade go through.  Although the message is heart-wrenching, eye-opening and intense, the poetry makes it simple and easy to read. I would recommend this book to young women and men who want to learn more about the terrors of prostitution that are prevalent around the world, and the girls who become victims of the sex trade.