October Wrap-Up
Book Count: 5
Pages Count: 1,708
Star Count: 19/25
Invictus by Ryan Graudin
Farway is the top of his class in the year 2354 until he fails his final time-travelling exam and is kicked out of school. As his future collapses, Far is desperate to resurrect it, so he joins a black market operation travelling through time with his friends.
The plot and setting of this was epic and really intriguing, but it definitely could’ve been pulled off a lot better. The entire story was just dragged on forever and it felt just too much. I felt like there were a lot of parts that we unnecessary and didn’t add much substance to the overall story or character development.
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Vivian Carter is fed up with her sexist, small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. To fight back, Vivian creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. The zine stirs the pot in the small-town high school and creates a kick-ass girl revolution.
This is another important book for young women to read. Girls today need to know that just because women degradation is normal and very prevalent, does not mean that it is by any means acceptable. Women need to know that they have a voice and that they can change the world if they set their minds to it. Women are not weak, and men are not stronger.
The book overall was really well written and very realistic for young feminists. It wasn’t just about feminism, but also about discovering who you are, and learning that you deserve the best in life.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Fabiola and her mother move to America from Haiti. Fabiola is American born, but her mother is not. When her mother is detained at JFK airport, Fabiola has no choice but to continue to Detroit to be with her family. While in Detroit, her mother remains detained in an immigration camp and Fabiola becomes desperate. Fabiola becomes involved with a drug case that traces much closer to home than she had ever anticipated.
A wonderful look into the life of immigrants and the struggles they face even after entering this country. This was a really difficult book to read because of how real it was. This girl and her mother just want freedom in America, and instead America becomes more of a prison. Fabiola is forced into doing anything she can to free her mother. Little does Fabiola know that she is just digging an even bigger whole into her new life.
This is a must read regardless of your heritage. This book is REAL and it would do the world better if everyone could see lives from different (and diverse) perspectives.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce McAllister comes from a poor family but was given a chance when he was enrolled in a prestigious school and accepted into Yale. Regardless of his education and respectable upbringing, him and his best friend were caught in the path of a bullet from an off-duty cop.
I am not going to lie, this was NOT what I was expecting at all from this. But that being said, I’m not sure WHAT I was expecting either. But can we just agree that EVERY SINGLE CHILD should read this book? If more kids read books like this, maybe there’d be less misunderstanding and strife in this world. We could show them the difference between right and wrong through books. And we should start with THIS book.
My reasoning for giving this book 4 stars is simply because I wanted more. I hate to relate it to THUG (The Hate You Give) because you really can’t, but I just loved how invested I became in Starr’s life, and I didn’t feel that for Justyce. Maybe because it was so short, or that it was difficult for me to relate to a black male. I’m not sure. I just wish I could have become more engrossed with the story that I was. That is my own personal opinion and I do not on any circumstances want anyone to NOT consider this book just because of a 4 star rating. Everyone needs to read this. Everyone needs to understand how today’s society is affecting children! And children need more books that they can relate to.
Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson
Leah Westfall and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents.
The third and final book of The Gold Seer Trilogy, but probably my least favorite of the entire series. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a wonderful book (4 stars worth!) full of the characters I love, but it just didn’t deliver like the others had. And when the story comes to an end, it didn’t tie enough loose ends for me and I was left unsatisfied.
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