Author: Benjamin Alice Sáenz 

Genre: YA, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ2S+ 

Year of Publication: 2012

Summary: Aristotle and Dante is a book that is set in El Paso, Texas in the 80s. It follows two Mexicans, Ari, who has a very negative outlook on life and feels like no one understands him and Dante, who loves living life and wants to make the most of it. Over the summer they become friends and over the span of a year a lot happens between the two but that just makes their relationship stronger.

Review: The book Ari and Dante has a very accurate portrayal of teenage life and the teenage mind. It shows how when people with completely different outlooks on life how strong they can be together. The two main characters in this novel show the two sides of being a teenager, the sad side and the happy side. Overall, this book very accurately represents the teenage mind and experience. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: Madeline Miller 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Greek Mythology 

Year of Publication: 2011

Summary: The Song of Achilles is a retelling of Homer’s Iliad from Patroclus’ perspective. This story follows Patroclus and his journey throughout the Trojan War and his companionship with the hero Achilles. This novel shows how they grew up together and how their relationship develops with Achilles being a demigod and Patroclus being a mortal. 

Review: The Song of Achilles is a truly beautiful book. The writing style and description of all the events were amazing and the storyline was very captivating as well. Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship and its outcome was heartbreaking and will leave everyone with the question “How far should anyone go for love?”. 

Rating: ★★★★

Author: Marissa Meyer 

Genre: Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) 

Year of Publication: 2012

Summary: This book takes place in a futuristic world where there is advanced medicine and technology. There are different classes such as humans, cyborgs, and lunars. The main character is a girl named Linh Cinder, she is a cyborg and lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. Inside the story, there is a deadly virus going around. One day, a stepsister of hers contracts the virus and is taken away. This causes many issues to arise in the story as her "family" thinks it is Linh Cinder's fault that the stepsister caught the virus and they are out to do anything to get rid of Linh as revenge. 

Review: In general, this is a wonderful book! I highly recommend it! It is a bit hard to fully understand the story and characters at the beginning but once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down, the book is always leaving you on cliffhangers and is overall a good read! 

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: Marissa Meyer 

Genre: Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) 

Year of Publication: 2013

Summary: This book is number 2 in a series called The Lunar Chronicles and it is a continuation of the book known as Cinder. This story follows a young adult named Scarlet through her misadventures as she tries to find out the reason for her grandmother's disappearance. Along the way, Scarlet realizes her grandma was hiding something/someone from her and was kidnapped because others wanted the information she knew but now that her kidnappers know about her existence, they are out to get her too. Scarlet can't trust anyone, she never knows who is actually on her side. 

Review: I really enjoyed reading this book! If you have yet to read the first book, Cinder, you may want to start with that one as this book is similar to a filler and gives you extra information about other people in the story and their interactions with characters from the previous book. 

Rating: ★★★★

Author: Marissa Meyer 

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) 

Year of Publication: 2014

Summary: Cress was forced to live on a satellite. One day, Cinder (and others) attempt to rescue her so she can help overthrow Levana before she can take over Earth, but their plans are foiled by Levana's lackeys. After a few setbacks they are reunited (with exceptions) and they end up kidnapping Kai.

Review: I really enjoyed this book! It is very action-packed but also has a sprinkle of drama which makes it even more interesting to read! I love how in this series each book is based on the fairytales you typically hear as a kid. For this book, Cress has a backstory similar to the one of Rapunzel except, instead of living in a tower, she lived in a satellite as a hacker. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: David Small

Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir, Nonfiction 

Year of Publication: 2009

Summary: "Stitches" is a sad but powerful book by David Small about his difficult childhood. David finds comfort and escape in drawing after growing up in a suffocating family with detached and emotionally cold parents. His calm shelter is disrupted when he undergoes a life-altering surgery for a throat tumour, which leaves him voiceless and intensifies his sense of isolation. In losing his ability to speak, he finds his real voice. 

Review: “The fact that you now have no voice will define you from here on in. Like your fingerprints, the colour of your eyes, your name.” The remarkable black and white artwork, rich in detail and symbolism, distinguishes Stitches and adds a layer of depth to the storyline. The illustration accurately conveys his journey dealing with agony, vulnerability and strength. Not only does it tell a powerful story but also mesmerized me with its cool and distinctive art style. This book will speak to anybody who has faced personal challenges and shows how the human mind has the ability to heal. Whether you're a lover of graphic novels or looking for a thought-provoking and emotional book, Stitches is an excellent must-read. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Sneha Shuhashini Shuha, Grade 11

Author: Alice Oseman 

Genre: Fiction, LGBTQ2S+, YA 

Year of Publication: 2018

Summary: I Was Born For This mostly a young girl known as Angel and a boy named Jimmy who is a part of a famous band. One day, their paths collide and the truth about what actually happens in the band is revealed and private information is leaked. This causes the group to want to disband and Angel thinks it is her duty as a fan of the group to fix everything. 

Review: At the beginning, the storyline is a bit predictable but once the novel goes on, it slowly creates its own twist to the typical cliche, making this an interesting book especially if you are looking for a quick read. 

Rating: ★★★★

Author: Rainbow Rowell 

Genre: Romance, Fiction 

Year of Publication: 2013

Summary: This book is about a college student named Cath who has a passion for writing, she writes fanfiction about a popular series. Throughout her time at college, she meets new people, some of whom support her and others who just want to use her to get better opportunities.  Now she has to figure out who she chooses to spend her time with. 

Review: If you are someone who prefers to read more realistic or romantic stories over fantasy, then this book is perfect for you. When I began reading this I was completely invested in the novel and how it would play out. 

Rating: ★★★★

Author: Tom Ryan

Genre: Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, YA, LGBTQ2S+ 

Year of Publication: 2018

Summary: Mac has just graduated from high school when he discovers a note left for him by his best friend, Connor, who was supposedly murdered a year ago by a serial killer. The note was dated to the same night the boy was murdered and had an ominous message telling Mac to meet him in the cave where his corpse was found. This causes Mac to further investigate Connor's murder, in hopes of finding out the truth. 

Review: I absolutely loved this book! It is the perfect mix of mystery and thriller without being too gory or leaning too far into fiction. This is a novel I highly recommend as this story will make you feel as though you are right there with Mac (the protagonist) putting the pieces of the murders together. 

Rating: ★★★★★