TCPL | Teen Services

The official tumblr for all things teen at the Tompkins County Public Library here in Ithaca, NY! Follow us for book reviews and recommendations, the latest programs for teens, articles.

[tcplnyteens]

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games series. While a sad truth, Suzanne Collins is currently working on prequel books. The first prequel book is 'Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' which follows the tenth hunger games and the first District Twelve victor Lucy Gray Baird. The other is 'Sunrise on the Reaping', set to come out in 2025 with a movie in 2026, which will follow the second District Twelve victor Haymitch Abernathy.

On the topic of Haymitch, the plan he set up throughout Catching Fire is what sets off the events in this book. After breaking many of the former victors out of the arena with help from the Capitolite rebellion (put together by head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee) and the believed destroyed District Thirteen.

Without giving away too many spoilers, President Snow is doing his very best to destroy the Mockingjay (Katniss) and Katniss is doing her best to survive. With Peeta captured by the Capitol and seemingly fighting on their side even after they rescue him from the Capitol's hands, it seems like Snow has the upper hand. All throughout she needs to remind herself who the true enemy is. She needs to remind everyone around her. Only when that is truly acknowledged, does the war effort finally become clear. This isn't a war among Districts, not even against the Capitol, this is a war against Snow. Against the history of Panem since the Dark Days.

Even after Peeta slowly returns to who he used to be and the war comes to a close, there is no way for anyone to feel whole again. Too many lives lost, too many friends gone. Far too many years of suffering to fully trust that the world is better now.

This book really demonstrates the futility and hopelessness of war, and this series demonstrates how there are never truly 'Victors'. Only survivors. Victims of circumstance and those who thrive in it.

Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. This follows the fallout of Katniss's actions in the 74th Hunger Games, specifically her act of rebellion against the Capitol by sharing the nightlock berries with Peeta. With both of them crowned Victors, to the Districts thrill and President Snow's dismay, they are set out to go on their victory tour. This tour is where the victor (or victors in this case) are displayed to each district, intended to display the Capitols hold over the districts but also what the people should be striving for.

However, things don't go according to plan as Katniss's spark of revolution starts catching fire. Mutterings of rebellion riddle the districts, barely controlled by the harsh Peacekeepers (Capitol workers sent out to the districts intent on keeping 'peace') and public executions and punishments.

Rebellion or not, the games must go on. This year, the 75th Hunger Games, is also known as the Third Quarter Quell. Every Quarter Quell has some kind of twist to it, to spice things up. The first (25th Hunger Games) had the twist of voting in the tributes rather than having a reaping. The second (50th Hunger Games) which is the game that Haymitch Abernathy won, had the twist of double the amount of tributes being put into the games. The third, the one which occurs in this book, throws the previous Victors into the arena once again.

A nauseating twist seeing as there are few things promised to the Victors. 'Fame', Food, and 'Freedom' from the games. Seeing as District Twelve only has three living victors, its hardly a game of chance. Katniss, being the only female, is going in regardless and that leaves Haymitch and Peeta for the male tribute.

Peeta goes in and Haymitch is left to make a plan on his own. This plan leads to the events in Mockingjay, but I think I've spoiled enough for now.

This book series has become my new obsession recently and as someone who loves to look into every detail, it is perfect for me. There is so much subtle world building in every action.

One that stands out to me particularly is when Finnick Odair (a district 4 victor) performs rescue breaths on Peeta after an unfortunate event. Katniss is incredibly confused, believing Finnick just randomly decided to kiss Peeta. While rescue breathing and CPR is likely common in Finnick's district, seeing as they live on the coast and likely are taught it in schools in case of emergency, those lessons wouldn't be of any use to Katniss. Even though her mother is a skilled healer, if someone were in need of rescue breathing it would probably be too late for them anyway.

Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I'm not crazy about fantasy, but The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson is easily my favorite as of right now. I am only on the third book of the series, Oathbringer, currently because of how long these books are (I think The Way of Kings was like ~800 pages. Words of Radiance ~1,000 pages, but I honestly can't remember). Not to mention, the books are incredibly slow.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it slowly, since it was incredibly long and at times very boring. However, I absolutely adored all the characters whose perspectives you would read, which helped me get through it. Not to mention, the way the novel concludes is just so incredible, it makes you required to pick up the next one.

Even for a fantasy novel, The Way of Kings moved slowly (unlike Mistborn, which is by the same author). The early chapters is practically just world building, and unanswered questions, disguised by powerful words and confusing interlude chapters. Although it was slow, I found I could read multiple hundred pages in one sitting, there's just something mesmerizing about the way Sanderson wrote this novel. Sometimes it felt like I had to have a notebook handy for quotes I thought were intriguing. Not to mention the complexity and interesting ways of the world in the novel.

There are three main protagonists in The Way of Kings; Dalinar- the alcoholic brother of a king who was assassinated, Shallan- the daughter of a lower noble family in search of being a ward for the Alethi princess, then finally my personal favorite, Kaladin- a surgeon's apprentice who joined the army when his little brother was drafted. The book rotates between these characters' perspectives, and a couple others (like Adolin, Dalinar's son, and the "unknown" characters in the interludes).

This book, and the whole series really, is a complex and long, but rewarding journey through a fantasy with unique cultures, and interesting magic. The magic system isn't described in detail in the first book, but you do know that there are these spirits (which they call "spren") everywhere, and in everything. For the most part, they ignore the spren, and don't communicate. However, in the beginning of the novel a spren, believed to be a windspren, begins speaking to Kaladin. I won't spoil, but there is a very complicated reason she is only visible to Kaladin, that the spren herself isn't even aware of at first.

It takes multiple hundred pages to learn anything while reading this book, but it makes it all the more rewarding for those of us who enjoy longer and more complex novels. I'm not a fast reader, but I can make it through any book if the characters are likable enough. If you like long novels, fantasy, found family, I could not recommend this series enough.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Content Warning for discussion of eating disorders (not pro)

This book follows a seventeen year old girl named Stevie as she goes through a standard eating disorder recovery center. Through the book we slowly learn more about what happened before she arrived at the treatment center... and why Stevie is going to die in twenty seven days. She has no plans of recovering at first, the pressures of the world are weighing too heavily on her and the anniversary of her brothers death looms on the horizon, just twenty seven days away.

I enjoyed this book. Unlike Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, this book depicts eating disorders in a non-glamorized light while still being realistic. Granted, Bulimia Nervosa is often less glamorized in comparison to Anorexia nervosa, but both are often romanticized in media.

I remember growing mildly frustrated at the pacing and the vagueness of why she was so upset, but looking back it was definitely worth it. It gave a sense of empathy, where the reader couldn't know what was going on because Stevie refused to confess. While Stevie had fully accepted her guilt in what happened the reader wasn't privy to this knowledge for a while, similar to how the medical professionals didn't know about it either.

From an abused child to a self-blaming teen, Stevie's development is riddled with negativity. The development of her disordered habits as a child evolving into a full blown eating disorder which steadily consumes her mind is realistically portrayed amazingly. The author drew from her own experience with an eating disorder and from her studies as a registered counselor. That gave her much needed nuance and care when it came to handling the sensitive topics discussed.

All in all, this was a great book. I would recommend it for those who have an interest in stories surrounding mental health/illness.

[tcplnyteens]

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I'll pick up just about any book with a cat on the cover.

The premise of the book was very intriguing to me, a little café tucked away in Tokyo, that gives people the ability to travel back in time, but only before their coffee turns cold. As soon as I heard the plot summary I grabbed it, it seemed like just my cup of tea (or coffee). Likely expectations were too high, and unrealistic for the book to achieve for me. The book just did not resonate with me the way I had hoped.

There are four protagonists in this book, each of which with a different goal in mind. There were also a selection of rules customers must follow to travel back, one of which being that nothing you could do in the past would change the present, which made me wonder, why go at all? But its not about changing your life, it's about reliving an experience that you had dismissed the first time as unimportant. At least, that's what I remember. I read this book fairly recently, and yet I cannot recall a single detail. I almost wish I could go back in time to when I was reading it to recall all my feelings, before MY coffee got cold. But my coffee's been cold for months, and so has the growing disappointment I had for this book.

At the time of reading, it was very enjoyable. I remember feeling disappointed, but still thoroughly enjoying the story. It just was not a book that stuck with me the way I had expected or wanted. I have read countless books that I can quote directly from, and recall any detail I need, and while I expected the same from this one, it just did not deliver. What I mean is, it was not a bad book by any means. A solid 3 or 4 stars. I just personally built up so much excitement for it that was then destroyed and it ruined my view on the book.

I only read part of the second book, before setting it down and never picking it back up. Maybe I will sometime, and reread this book and give it a second chance.

I picked up this book expecting to learn, but I did not. Instead, I read an enjoyable Japanese novel about a time traveling café. I was disappointed, but maybe some will enjoy it where I have not.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin

Honestly, I don't even know where to start with this book. It is a translation from Chinese to English of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. So it is a collection of poems about Taoist philosophies and religious ideas. I am not personally religious, but I do believe that no matter your personal beliefs, you should read religious texts to gain a certain understanding of others' perception of the world. Tao Te Ching also isn't purely religious, because there is a heavy sense of truth about the physical world within his poems. Ursula K Le Guin's translation and footnotes/analysis of the poetry is also incredibly entertaining and useful.

Ursula K Le Guin has been and probably always will be one of my favorite authors because she knows what she's talking about, and she knows the best possible way to say it. Even her Catwings books, which I read as a kid so in truth I don't remember them completely, they had a certain smooth but simple feel to it that only the best children's books have.

I read this book because my dad believed I should read and analyze it as I was getting older and maturing (he has degrees in both philosophy and education, if that is at all surprising). I heavily recommend this collection of poems to anyone who is willing or interested in dipping their toes in Taoist philosophy. Also to everyone who is a fan of Ursula K Le Guin's other books will enjoy this one- the ideas Le Guin shares with Lao Tzu becomes clearer in her other books after reading this one because you can see the similarities of her beliefs with Lao Tzu and Taoist philosophies.

All these poems are about the way of the world, and many have an anarchist feel to them due to them being an allegory or simple analogy about the corruption of power, while still being very strongly Taoist. Le Guin makes a comment along the lines of "no wonder anarchists and Taoists make good friends" (Le Guin 31).

In the end, I encourage all kinds of older teens to read these poems. Exploring different thoughts and ideas about the world will help you contribute your own, and this is a great religious and philosophical text translated by a great author.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Forewarning for talk about eating disorders and pro-anorexia content!

Wintergirls is a book about mental illness, trauma, and coping. In the book "Speak" by the same author, she handles these topics very well. However, this book is very.. of its era. Given the prominence of 'heroin chic', thigh gaps, and the high standards put upon people in the early 2000s. These topics are very serious and while they are represented realistically, if dramatized for the sake of literature and 'showing' rather than telling, they aren't treated as seriously as they should be.

The story follows Lia after the death of her best friend Cassie. The two of them suffer from eating disorders, with Cassie suffering from Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Lia suffering from Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The two of them have self identified as "Wintergirls" because of their eating disorders, and it is later explained that they live between life and death by steadily starving.

As defined by most medical journals Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by attempts to compensate. These actions may include induced vomiting (purging), excessive exercise, fasting, laxative abuse, diuretics, or other methods with the intent of preventing weight gain.

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a distorted body image, with an unwarranted fear of being overweight leading to moderate to severe restriction of energy intake.

Those with BN may express characteristics of AN and vise versa.

While I believe the plot of this book is decent on its own, with Lia coping with the loss of her best friend and the potential guilt of being a cause (as the two of them made a 'pact' to be the skinniest). I have a lot of issues with how things are described. Many of the disordered behaviors the characters portray are heavily romanticized and glamorized. To an almost disturbing degree. I could go into detail about my specific opinions on the depictions of these behaviors, of Lia's thoughts, and on her explicit actions, but then this post would turn into an essay.

The author herself has never experienced an eating disorder, at least not that she has publicly stated, and as I mentioned before this book is very "of its era." Published in 2009, particularly on sites such as tumblr, there was a booming pro-anorexia culture. Eating disorders were promoted as a quick way to lose weight and fit the beauty standards of the time. I love Laurie Halse Anderson as an author, but this book is not her best work.

-Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

Night Witches by Kathryn Lasky

Night Witches by Kathryn Lasky is a YA novel telling the fictional tale of a very real event. It takes place during the siege of Stalingrad during WWII, and the book is from the perspective of a 16 year old girl who joined the elite Soviet all-female 588th night bomber regiment, nicknamed "Night Witches" by the Germans.

The reason they were nicknamed "Night Witches" was because they would fly low, and turn off the engine of the plane to decrease the chance of them being spotted, which meant that the Nazi soldiers would be unable to see them, and would only hear the wind from the plane. That apparently sounded like a witch on a broomstick.

This book was written with history in mind, so although the characters and plot is fictional, the events were very real. I read this book a while ago, when I was 11 years old (I went through a phase of being very obsessed with the Night Witches). Looking back, and rereading what used to be my favorite parts, I'm not as intrigued. I would say Night Witches is a good read for late elementary age kids, but it does have a couple somewhat brutal scenes (it IS about one of the most infamous wars, after all), so maybe middle school would be more appropriate.

Overall, this book was enjoyable to me when I was young, and I'd hope other young teens interested in history or aviation would enjoy this book as well.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

Horrid by Katrina Leno

I read this book quite a long time ago so I don't recall every detail, however I do remember enjoying it. While it wasn't my favorite book, I still found the concept interesting and I am a fan of books centered around mental illness. This book, while I don't believe it is overtly said anywhere within, follows a character who suffers from Pica.

For some context; Pica is an eating disorder in which a person eats things that are not usually considered food. This may include ice, clay, soil, or paper. However, a one time consumption or curiosity surrounding the consumption should not be a cause for concern as curiosity is normal. Pica is diagnosed when these non-food consumptions lead to health problems or distress. Common causes are stress, nutritional deficiencies, pregnancy, and cultural factors.

In the case of this book, her habit of eating non-food items is brought on by stress and grief (if I recall correctly.)

With that out of the way, let us get into the book. After the loss of her father, Jane and her mother move away from their home in California to live in a small town in Maine where the mother grew up. The house is old and in a state of disrepair, which is far from the 'fresh start' the family had been imagining. Despite this fact, Jane slowly starts to make friends at school.. and also starts to be bullied.

While she is struggling with the loss of her father, finding a job, passing her classes, and everything else on top of that, she starts to notice her mother is also spiraling. But she is refusing to explain why despite Jane's persistence.

There is something wrong with this house. Something hidden in a 'storage room' that her mother closed off, barring her from entering. Something that is making everything spiral out of control.

This book wasn't really my cup of tea, maybe that's simply because it wasn't the type of book I was looking for at the time, but if you enjoy a non-thriller ghost story I would recommend this one. It would be a nice October read given the almost cozy but surreal vibe it has within the writing.

-Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

Night Flight by Antoine De Saint Exupery

[This review contains spoilers]

Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (I apologize in advance for the lack of accent marks on my computer) is a captivating read telling the tale of a group of pilots who flew night routes around South America. This book is one I picked up at a used book store purely because I saw "flight" and I'm a sucker for aviation literature. The copy of this book I picked up was only 87 pages long, including the preface. Despite being possibly the shortest book I've read since elementary school, I found it still took me a couple days to read.

Even from the very first paragraph I was intrigued, I loved the way the book described flying. I will say it was difficult to follow at first, with perspectives changing and the time period being unclear, but as soon as you get into the rhythm while reading it is very enjoyable. Especially if you're into history and/or aviation.

Throughout the whole book, flying is described as this almost mythical experience that every pilot enjoyed. Despite the dangers, not one of those men dreaded taking to the air. Although the tone shifted near the end, from before Fabien's disappearance and his conversation with his wife both foreshadowing those events and bringing to front just how dangerous this night flying was. The despair Fabien's wife went through, and how she begged the chief, Riviere, for any information regarding her husband.

I read a couple reviews about this book, and about the background of the author to make sure I had truly understood the premise. Although I've never read The Little Prince, the book almost everyone knows the author from, some say Night Flight is what made Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Not to mention, Antoine de Saint-Exupery had gone missing during a flight in 1944 and presumed dead, which was a very similar ending that Fabien had in the novel. Which is heartbreaking, to say the least, but it also shows just how accurate the dangers while flying at that time that he depicted are.

In the end, I would heavily recommend this book to anyone interested in the history behind aviation but still loves fiction, as it shows night flying in the 1930s, a time where aviation was very new to the world. Although the aviation jargon is not too heavy or impossible to understand for those who aren't familiar with the field so even if you just want to have an enjoyable but emotional flight with one of those pilots, I'm sure this book would interest you as well.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was the spark that inspired a wave of dystopian division and rebellion based YA lit when it came out in 2008. These other series include the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Fifth Wave series by Rick Yancey, and the Legend series by Marie Lu. I haven't personally read much of those other series, but I still think Suzanne Collins really hit the nail on the head with the intricacies of this story. There is a new prequel book hopefully coming out in 2025. And I may or may not be absolutely obsessed with this series at the moment so I will gladly sing praises of it, maybe take the review with a grain of salt.

The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl born into a post-apocalypse North America which has now regrown into 'Panem'. Panem is divided into thirteen districts, however we soon learn that there are only twelve that remain. Katniss and her family live in the poorest district, District Twelve, which is known for coal mining. We see the world through her eyes as she describes her rituals of hunting, foraging, and evading the risk of government intervention up until her life changes in the blink of an eye.

As the story progresses she goes on to describe the titular event, The Hunger Games. A gruesome display of the Capitol (the main government and bureaucracy) put on to show how much control they have over the districts. They randomly select two (or occasionally more) tributes from each district to be sent into the arena. Within the arena, they will need to fight until they are the sole survivor, redolent of the Coliseum fights where gladiators would be faced with beasts and challenges. Another similarity to the gladiators is that while some were highly trained soldiers (like those of the more wealthy districts) many were not, simply slaves that the aristocrats would purchase and toss into the ring (like those of the poorer districts). The Hunger Games are held every year as a reminder of this control.

This book is quite gruesome. With descriptions of gore, starvation, disease, addiction, and much more. However, if you enjoy being able to dig into a book and assess every little detail I would definitely recommend this book series.

-Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

The Martian by Andy Weir

This book follows the unfortunate circumstances that Mark Watney finds himself in. While on an expedition to Mars, his base faces a severe wind storm, severe enough that all of them doubt the base will hold and choose to evacuate and begin their trip to return. However, while attempting to evacuate, one astronaut is lost. Easily presumed dead as he is ripped away from his team and thrown into the storm.

Except Mark Watney isn't dead. Unfortunately, for a long time, he's the only one who knows that. There's too much risk for his team to turn back and he's already in a damaged base with a rather severe injury. One of the first to walk on Mars.. and potentially the first to die there too.

Despite the circumstances, he refuses to simply lay down and die. No. If he's going to be the first to die on Mars, he might as well make the most of it. And, well, maybe try not to die while doing so.

This story has a happy ending, which I won't spoil for you since I feel that the tension adds to the experience of reading it. I found it to be a really good book, and the author is quite good at what he does. He's written two other books; "Project Hail Mary" and "Artemis". I have only read the latter and I would recommend it if you prefer a female protagonist and crime. I've been meaning to read "Project Hail Mary" but I hear it is quite sad so I've been putting it off.

This book, "The Martian", was turned into a movie in 2015. I remember enjoying the movie, but it did leave out a decent portion of the book. This was probably done because the horrible conditions in which mark Watney had to survive at some points would've been hard to portray on-screen. Either way, Sebastian Stan was in it so that's nice.

-Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is a book that tells the story of a college professor and his former student managing grief. Grief is without a doubt a heavy and serious topic that most people avoid to go into detail for it. As if it is taboo, or as if death is something you could avoid if you just don't talk about it.

In the book, Morrie, the college professor, falls seriously ill and gets told he has only months left to live. Despite being about topics as heavy as grief and death, the book wasn't as somber as one might expect. Each week, on Tuesdays, Mitch would visit his former professor, Morrie, and interview him.

Every week was a new topic, and Morrie would give advice based on what he learned during his life. While reading this, I found Morrie a very enjoyable character, a man who could face his oncoming death with bravery, I guess you could say. It was by no means the best or most enjoyable book I have ever read, but it faced topics with a perspective that many shy from. Morrie taught, and he taught, and taught. I believe he taught me something, when I read this book. Since this book was a real person, and a real thing that happened, it was written to portray real things. Everyone has lost something, or someone, and sometimes it's gradual like an illness, or suddenly. There is a different sort of grief when you know you are going to lose something, versus when you actually do. Morrie lost something everyday he had that illness, he'd lose his ability to walk, then his ability to eat without assistance, before finally losing his ability to use the bathroom without assistance (which was a big deal to him, as it would be for just about anyone).

On a more personal note, I read this book while grieving someone close to me who had fallen seriously ill. She had passed away around the time I finished the book. In a lot of ways, my last days with her reminded me of Mitch's last days with Morrie. They both showed me that grief doesn't have to make you miserable. Even in your final weeks, you're allowed to laugh and cry and everything in between.

There are lessons to be taught, and learned, throughout life. This book shows that in as many ways as you need. It is truly amazing to have a book written with someone as their final days approach. That regardless of Morrie passing away long before I and many others were born, we can all still learn something from him.

Tuesdays with Morrie was an amazing book regarding grief and terminal illnesses, and I believe everyone should read it around high school or college, or whenever these serious topics should come to play in your own life.

-RKD

[tcplnyteens]

Wolfsong TJ Klune

I found this book to be a lot of fun. The characters have such deep bonds and the romance develops slowly, which is something I personally enjoy. I will say the reviews I read before reading this book didn't warn me about everything. This book has a few explicit scenes a decent amount of violence/gore, and swearing. I would say it is better geared towards older teens (16+) unless you've already been reading more... heavy media. Despite the shock of that and the sadness, I found it to be really sweet.

Wolfsong has a heavy emphasis on family and how it is important to have people that support you. The perspective character, Oxnard Matheson, starts off with very few people that he holds dear. His father abandoned him and his mother struggles with the grief of the abuse he put both of them through prior. Throughout the book we can see how that loss has impacted Ox and how it influences his choices, but we also see how he grows from it and finds his own way to flourish especially after meeting the Bennett family.

I was so invested that I found myself getting genuinely frustrated with the characters when they made their stupid decisions or when they failed to communicate something important.

TL:DR, if you like queer fiction, werewolves, miscommunication, angst, and slow burn romance, I would recommend this book to you.

-Rowan

[tcplnyteens]

Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

“What are you looking for?” 

This is the question that the seemingly mystical librarian Sayuri Komachi poses to five very different people who are all, in some way, lost. 

Michiko Aoyama’s 2020 novel, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, traces the stories of five ordinary people in modern-day Tokyo, all of whom are searching for something. These characters lead very different lives, but they are all drawn to a small library located in the community center of their Tokyo Suburb. There, they meet the fearsome, unmoving librarian of the community center: Ms. Komachi, who resembles a fairy-tale witch characteristic of a Studio Ghibli movie. Whether it is a magazine editor struggling to balance motherhood and work, a disillusioned art major, or a newly retired cookie factory worker, each character comes to the library and leaves with a book recommendation (and a felted trinket, courtesy of Ms. Komachi) that will change their lives forever. 

Translated from the original Japanese by Alison Watts, this is the first of Aoyama’s many celebrated novels available to English readers. Aoyama’s distinct voice shines through the five chapters, manifesting in a light and comfortable tone, resembling a conversation with your best friend. These characters are smart and snappy; they tell it like it is, a welcome diversion from the flowery, descriptor-heavy prose I’m used to reading. 

Don’t be deceived by the casual atmosphere, though. This book explores the intricacies of life and dreams with such tender care that you’ll be taken aback. I certainly was—at the sheer empathy that is steeped in these pages. This book slips you into its characters’ minds and dreams effortlessly. It’s easy to become invested in these characters’ lives. My heart ached for their troubles and pined for their happiness—whether that was for Tomoka, a young retail worker, to get unstuck in life, or for Ryo, an anxious accountant, to work up the courage to pursue his love for antiques—and when each character’s story ended and the next began, it was as if I were saying goodbye to an old friend.

The beauty of these five stories is how ordinary they are. These people are not superheroes; they’re not saving the world (at least in the conventional sense). They are office workers and comic book fans and mothers and fathers. There’s something beautiful about the familiarity of these characters’ lives. Real life is not always an exciting adventure, but this book shows how even the most ordinary of days can become meaningful in their own ways. Aoyama has created an ode to the beauty of the little things, like how only a reader can understand how these five characters, complete strangers, can lead lives that are linked in many unexpected ways. 

Still, Aoyama’s characters are far from ordinary. Faced with the hardships of ordinary life, they are just like the rest of us—they get stuck, unmotivated, uninspired. But they keep going. They are empathetic and communicative. They never stop thinking and searching, and eventually, they are led to the library, and something resembling inner peace. My personal favorites of the five were the first story, about a young retail worker who finds joy and motivation through baking castella (cake) from a children's picture book; and the last one, about a retired elderly man who finds new purpose through his daughter and a book of poetry. It's hard to put into words how these stories make you feel. Rewarded? Triumphant? Inspired? All of the above.

I believe that these characters represent the best qualities in all of us. Maybe we all have the potential for a happy ending, if only we look in the right places. Like a library. 

~Tania

[tcplnyteens]

Review: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

“It came from the woods. Most strange things do.”

Venture into the abyss and back in this collection of hauntingly beautiful illustrated tales from Canadian author Emily Carroll. Even if you’re lucky enough to make it out of the woods, you will never be the same. 

This short collection features five original, delightfully creepy stories: “Our Neighbor’s House,” “A Lady’s Hands are Cold,” “His Face All Red,” “My Friend Janna,” and “The Nesting Place.” All of them are connected by the classic fairy-tale woods, and all of them will leave you unnerved to the core. In true dark fairy-tale fashion, none of these stories have happy endings, and all of them end with more questions than answers. This book is a relatively short read, too, so you can enjoy it with even a snippet of time on a dark and stormy night. 

To me, the most appealing aspect of this book was how the art and prose worked together to create a truly delightful experience. It feels wrong to even call them “illustrations,” because the art in this book is so much more than an accompanying image. I cannot imagine this book without the art, because it is an integral part of the stories. You are truly immersed in the splashy, creepy world on the pages. The style is distinctive and punchy; it doesn’t try too hard to be realistic or creepy (the prose accomplishes that) but it’s not abstract enough to be unrecognizable. 

The stories themselves were all delightful in their own way. They are all very unique and address different themes—friendship, sibling relationships, loneliness—so there is definitely something in this book for everyone. Personally, I enjoyed “Our Neighbor’s House” and “His Face All Red” the most because of their unique spins on common tropes. “Our Neighbor’s House” was the only story that actually made me feel creeped-out by the end. The prose and the illustrations worked together to create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, and I loved the deliberate use of repetition, first-person narration, and the limited color palette of red, white, and black. I also loved how, unlike some of the other stories, this one left many things unanswered. (What happened to the sisters? What was the “man,” really? What did he symbolize?) This story deliberately makes the reader uncomfortable and confused, and that’s all part of its appeal. 

On the other hand, “His Face All Red” resembles a classic fairy tale, until it takes a dark turn. Without spoiling too much, I will say that I loved the premise of the story—sibling jealousy—and the way the author used the genre and the setting to explore that theme. Once again, the prose was extremely punchy and unsettling, and I loved how the narration mirrors that of a fairy story. 

“My Friend Janna” and “The Nesting Place” were more of your typical horror story, featuring demonic possession and grotesque monsters. Perhaps I am too familiar with horror tropes, but but the plot twists in these two stories didn’t really surprise me. Finally, I personally didn’t enjoy “A Lady’s Hands are Cold” as much as the other stories. The bright yellow text against the blue backdrops in nearly all of the panels was a little overwhelming, and I don’t think I quite understood what Carroll intended for the reader to understand by the end of the story. Unlike “Our Neighbor’s House,” where the confusion is part of the fun, in “A Lady’s Hands are Cold,” I was just confused. Even so, the art and story in all of these were still absolutely gorgeous; they just didn’t appeal to me personally as much as “Our Neighbor’s House” and “His Face All Red.” 

Overall, I had a really fun time reading this book. Maybe it was because I read it in the middle of the day at the library, surrounded by other people, but I didn’t find this book too scary. 

The feeling of lingering dread that some reviewers describe somehow escaped me. I’m sure it would have been way creepier if I had read it at night, alone in my bedroom, so if you are looking for a fright, that’s what I recommend! Otherwise, if you are not bothered by frightening imagery and mild gore, this book is a great way to pass the time for thrill-seekers and non-thrill-seekers alike. Will you make it through the woods?

~tania

[tcplnyteens]

Review: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion is a pretty old book. So old that I remember seeing it on the shelves of bookstores and libraries when I was in elementary school. This year, in fact, marks its 21st anniversary since publication. But for the past few weeks, I’ve had snippets of free time here and there throughout the day, and The House of the Scorpion proved to be the perfect thing to fill those odd gaps. 

I need to preface this by saying that The House of the Scorpion is one of the best pieces of dystopian fiction I’ve ever read (and quite possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read, period). It’s up there with the classics like 1984 and Animal Farm, and the short stories of Ray Bradbury. I had so many thoughts and feelings after I finished The House of the Scorpion that I just had to write them down, which is a testimony to how good this book is. 

The House of the Scorpion is about a boy named Matteo Alcarán. Matt is a clone of the ancient El Patrón, the supreme leader of a country called Opium, a strip of land that lies between the United States and what used to be called Mexico. Growing up on the Alcarán estate, Matt must face off against people who see him as nothing more than a monster because of how he was born. In a heavily prejudiced and violent society, Matt struggles to reclaim his humanity—until a betrayal by one of the only people Matt has ever loved forces him into the dystopian hellscape of the outside world. Fleeing from the Alcarán estate, Matt discovers unspeakable truths, meets true friends, and begins to forge his own path in the world.

This book is so, so good that I don’t think any review I can write will do it justice. Nancy Farmer has mastered the morally gray protagonist. I never thought I could genuinely hate and continuously root for a book character as much as I did for Matt. As irrational and destructive some of his actions were, I felt that I could truly understand his character and where he was coming from. After all, how can you expect a kid to not turn into a selfish psychopath when the people around him have dehumanized and abused him all his life? It’s only human, and that’s what Farmer does so well—create characters that are so painfully human. As such, I found myself becoming more and more invested in Matt’s development over the course of the book. It was immensely rewarding to see him rise above the terrible definitions the Alcaráns assigned to him and grow into a strong, intelligent person.

The worldbuilding in The House of the Scorpion is also absolutely top-tier. Nancy Farmer flawlessly combines the pressing issues of the current day—climate change, the border crisis, drugs, cloning and ethics—into a strikingly realistic dystopia. The world of this book is not extreme like that of 1984. Instead, it’s a future projection of today’s issues, and a commentary on the state of the world and humanity, which brings me to my next idea: this book’s powerful ideas about humanity and the human psyche. How do children respond differently to oppression and abuse? In the worst situations, which parts of human nature shine through? What does it really mean to be human? These questions and more are all explored in depth in The House of the Scorpion. This book made me really think about my own opinions about humanity and the advancement of technology. 

Despite the masterful character and worldbuilding, the most appealing part of this book is, in my opinion, the storytelling. Nancy Farmer is a storyteller like no other. I don’t remember the last time I was so invested in and scared to continue reading a book. The sheer suspense and pacing of the story were done just perfectly. I couldn’t stop turning the page, but at the same time, I didn’t want to know what would happen next. I was genuinely terrified that Matt was going to die. Part of it was the genre of this book, and part of it was the perfectly anxiety-inducing plot progression, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so convinced that a character was going to die. Usually when I read thrillers or action novels, I’m relaxed because the protagonist’s plot armor will protect them from anything. This was not the case for The House of the Scorpion, to my genuine surprise and fright. (I’m not telling you if Matt dies or not. Muahahaha.)

Anyway, that looming sense of dread made the book’s bittersweet ending hit so much harder. I won’t tell you why it was bittersweet for me, because I think this book needs to be experienced completely authentically. I’ll just say that even though it was sad, I was ultimately really surprised and happy that Farmer gave us a somewhat happy ending. I was preparing myself for an emotionally damaging ending, like the ones in 1984 and Animal Farm, so I appreciate that Farmer ended the novel on a hopeful note. I think writing happy endings for dystopian novels is such an important thing, because the point of dystopian novels is, often, “if we don’t fix this issue in the present then a terrible thing will happen.” But giving all of these books terribly hopeless endings really doesn’t do much to inspire people to act. Seeing my favorite characters rise back up stronger and more determined than before, despite all of the awful things they endured, gave me hope for humanity.

Overall, just go read The House of the Scorpion. It’s such a good piece of writing, and a combination of all the things I love most in books: a dystopian setting, slightly twisted characters, commentary on the world, and well-done suspense. I would recommend this book for people who are looking for thought-provoking, complex ideas and who don’t mind mild violence and fear. I guarantee that if you finish it, even if you don’t like it, you will have learned something profound about the world or about yourself. 

~Tania