Book Review: What Kind of Girl

Title: What Kind of Girl

Author: Alyssa Sheinmel

Reviewer: AJ Townsend

Rating: 4 stars

What Kind of Girl tells the story of two young women, one plagued by abuse and the other anxiety. Now after reading that sentence, you might not want to dive into a sad read. But this book is anything but sad. This is a tale of love, respect, and forgiveness. These two girls are quite possibly the bravest literary heroines I have ever read about. Maya comes to school one day accusing her perfect boyfriend of hitting her and she has proof, a bruise on her face. Juniper struggles to realize it is ok that she cannot handle everything. These two girls' lives intertwine and come to a satisfying conclusion.

The thing that really drew me to this book was the cover art. It has what looks like smeared lipstick in different shades and I found that really interesting. This story of self-discovery really makes you think about your life. I found it deeply moving and thought provoking. Maya and Juniper show you how it’s ok to not be perfect and to need help. This book covers all problems such as bulimia, drugs, anxiety, abuse, and school troubles. I really enjoyed reading this because I felt like it spoke to me as a teenage girl. Alyssa Sheinmel perfectly encompasses the struggles of being a teenage girl and for that reason I give this book four stars.

Review: The Virgin Suicides

 

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Reviewer: AJ Townsend

Rating: 3.5 stars


The Virgin Suicides was full of secrets and dark turns. Through the perspective of an unnamed teenage boy, we follow the five Lisbon girls and their fatal sadness. From afar, these girls seem beautiful, intelligent, and normal. But pretty faces always have something to hide. The youngest girl, Cecilia, is the first to end her life. Throughout a year, all the girls will follow. The neighborhood boys devote their lives to finding out what happened in their home and what made them end their lives.


It takes a lot for an author to write the entire summary of the book on the back cover and still surprise readers. When I picked this book out, I knew that this was about suicide and after reading the back cover, I felt I knew everything that would happen. Some part of me still wanted to read it and I am glad I did. Jeffrey Eugenides really encompasses what it means to be a teenage girl. The author goes into extreme detail about everything and that can be a little boring to read at times. Once you get past the descriptions, it is a riveting read.

Review: All Your Twisted Secrets

Title: All Your Twisted Secrets

Author: Diana Urban

Teen Reviewer: AJ Townsend

Rating: 5/5 Stars


All Your Twisted Secrets starts off with six seniors getting invited to a scholarship dinner. A loner, a stoner, a jock, a queen bee, a band geek and a valedictorian. When they all sit down to wait for the host, the door shuts and they are locked in. Locked in with a ticking bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note stating they must kill someone with the syringe or they will all die. These six students will fight for their lives. They start to think about who could have put them there and everyone they have wronged. As it starts to count down to single digits, they throw each other under the bus to try to save themselves. 


All Your Twisted Secrets is chock full of plot twists and wowing details. Through this book, I never knew who put them there and that was one of the best parts of this read. I loved how there were lots of flashbacks which really helped with character development. You really get to connect with the characters and understand the level of hysteria they are experiencing. I love a good thriller and this definitely made my top five list. This was a thrilling read from start to finish and I highly recommend it especially if you liked Karen McManus’ One of us is lying. A thrilling read down to the last word.

Review: Lost and Found

Title: Lost and found 

Author: Orson Scott Card
Teen Reviewer: AJ
4/5 Stars


Told through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy, Lost and Found tells the tale of Ezekiel and his gift of finding lost objects. Ezekiel’s gift, known as a micropower, is a common struggle for him because when he finds things and returns them, the owner thinks he stole them in the first place. After run-ins with the police, Ezekiel decides to stop returning things. He still knows where lost objects are and how to find their owners but he decides to ignore them. Everyone ignores him, thinking he’s a thief, until one day a girl named Beth enters his “shunning bubble,” as she likes to call it. When a police officer comes to his house in hopes that Ezekiel will help him find a missing girl, Ezekiel doesn’t want to but Beth convinces him. Cue a thrilling adventure of twists and turns which ends in Beth going missing. Ezekiel must find these two girls before it’s too late.

Normally, I look at the first sentence of a book and I can tell if I am going to enjoy it. The first sentence of this book didn’t hook me and it took a chapter or two to really captivate me. Once I was thrown into the world of micropowers, I could not put it down. When reading, you will understand what life is like when you are a social outcast and Orson Scott Card shows that in a riveting new way through the creation of micropowers. This book really captures the feelings of losing someone and regaining them into your life. This was an inspiring mystery to read and for this reason, I give it four stars.

Book Review: White Rose

Title: White Rose

Author: Kip Wilson

Stars: 3.5 stars

Teen Reviewer: AJ Townsend

White Rose takes place during Hitler’s reign in Germany and is a historical fiction verse novel. Told through the eyes of a young anti-Nazi woman, White Rose is based on the true story of a Nazi-Resistance group. This book focuses on Sophie and her brother Hans. Sophie is living in an anti-Nazi home with a father who hates Hitler. She sees her brothers and her boyfriend being sent off to fight for Germany. At the beginning of the book, she is proud to be a German but as she comes to understand Hitler’s true plans, she says, “I once loved my country, but now the only thing that shames me is that I’m German.”(p.294). She learns that her brother has started a resistance sending out leaflets of treason to the people of Germany. She soon joins in; proud to be fighting for what is right. But sometimes, the right thing to do comes with a cost.

This book is told in first person but changes between different timelines. This can be difficult to understand at times. Other than this, White Rose was a rollercoaster of thrill and tragic action. This book encompasses courage and how hard it can be to do the right thing. I would give this book three and a half stars. This was an inspiring read and I suggest taking some time out of your busy day to delve into a shining moment of female bravery in our history.