Relationships

Mar

2022

Room to Dream

In the book Room to Dream by Kelly Yang, the third installment of the Front Desk series, Mia and her family finally saved up enough money to go to China. When she arrives, she is linked with an editor of a Chinese middle school newspaper by her grandfather. She starts writing about her own life, with all the drama happening with it. The editor says that is good. Mia is not as sure.

She goes back home, only to see that Calivista is running out of business and that her best friend Lupe got placed in high school math. She is devastated to hear that the Magna hotels bought the two hotels next to them, and their cleaning services don’t even clean everything. Mia eventually works out a plan, and it works! People are coming back to Calivista, and Lupe can help out again.

I liked this book because it encourages readers to go with their dreams and achieve them, proving that you can do anything. Mia faces challenges such as not being able to see her best friend, and Jason turning his back on her. She finds a way to fix these problems, while managing the Motel.

I didn’t like how ignorant Mia was. When her mom was pretending to be rich to impress another woman, Mia gets angry and blurts out things that make them sound poor. I understand why she would be angry, because she doesn’t care what others think but she should have thought about her mom’s feelings. After working and scrubbing bathrooms for weeks straight, when she finally has an opportunity to hang out with cool people at the mall, Mia ruins it for her.

Jan

2022

Parachutes

by Kelly Yang

Parachutes by Kelly Yang is a great book for young adults. In this book, Claire, the daughter of a rich Asian family, is told that she will be moving to the US. Dani, the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, will soon become Claire’s host-sister and classmate. Dani has a favorite teacher named Mr. Connelly, who is the coach for the debate club. He really likes Dani’s talents and always invites her to eat with him off campus. Claire, who first seems bratty and spoiled, is actually very smart and after being placed in English 1 for international students, she tests out into the regular English 3 class. They both face many problems, but they also have many similarities. Many characters in this book are Asian students studying in America without their parents nearby. Multiple times they are harassed because of their “parachute” identity.

I like this book because it is very realistic with real life references, such as the Me-too movement and Crazy Rich Asians movie. The author tells us that this book is based on her three years in college and how she was harassed and assaulted, so this book is a warning telling us to be careful. Yang describes everything in a lot of detail, which is helpful but at the same time, I wish there weren’t as much. Many parts in this book describe sexual harassment, so when I read it, I regret reading it because it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Another part I like is how the chapters are not numbered, instead they switch back and forth between Claire and Dani in first person perspectives. I like these kinds of books because when one character ends, it ends on a cliffhanger, making you want to read more but you are paused by another character who introduces a new problem, creating a new cliffhanger.

One part I don’t enjoy as much is where Dani started becoming uncomfortable with Mr. Connelly, but doesn’t share what’s going on, only trying to talk to him less. When something is bothering you, you should tell a friend and an adult so you can feel better and figure out what to do. Dani tells her best friend Ming, and Ming says that it’s ok to say no. Dani takes this advice, and the next time Mr. Connelly invites her to lunch, she says no. I liked that part because it shows that she is standing up for herself.

Overall, I think this book is worth reading.

Dec

2021

Three Girls from Bronzeville – A Uniquely American Story of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood

by Dawn Turner

In the book Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner, three black girls by the names of Dawn, Kim, and Debra grow up in a small community in Chicago in the 1980s, with Kim only several years younger than Dawn and Debra. Kim is Dawn’s little sister while Debra is her best friend.

I liked the quote, “Prophet told us a storm was coming.” because it symbolized the part where Kim dies. I think that’s important because Kim’s death deeply impacted Dawn’s life. The storm represents the death of Kim and the sorrow that sweeps over the family. The Prophet works at the church they go to.

I disliked this book because it was too sad. Kim died from a drug overdose, Dawn was struggling with depression, and the Blacks were being discriminated against. They were all very sad events. It was also very difficult to comprehend, with many words I didn’t understand.

I thought the book was realistic, as if it could happen to any one of us right now. We could be going to school and our friends quit doing bad things, our sisters start them, and we are stuck in the middle.

Overall, it was ok. I recommend this book to teenagers in high school and college because it was hard to understand

Aug

2021

Harry Potter – the original seven volume series

by J.K. Rowling

The original Harry Potter series included (1) The Sorcerer’s Stone, (2) The Chamber of Secrets, (3) The Prisoner of Azkaban, (4) The Goblet of Fire, (5) The Order of Phoenix, (6) The Half-Blood Prince, and (7) The Deathly Hallows.

The seven volumes of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is very popular with kids. A wizard with no parents named Harry Potter is introduced to the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of 11. There, he meets his forever loyal friends, Ron and Hermione.The books follow Harry and his friends on a journey to defeat the Dark Lord, Voldemort. The “8th book”, is a script of a play called The Cursed Child, which is about one of Harry’s children, Albus Severus Potter.

My favorite book out of all of them, would have to be the 6th one, The Half-Blood Prince. In this book, Harry discovers more of Snape’s secrets and learns to prevent Voldemort from entering his mind. Snape is my favorite character and this book is mainly focused on him. I like how Snape is very intelligent and gifted in the art of potion making, and beyond loyal to his true companions. As I learned more about Snape’s past, I learned that he was a tortured and lonely soul, which only gravitated me towards him more.

Sadly, there was a book I did not enjoy as much as the others. The 3rd one, named The Prisoner of Azkaban. It is about Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Black, who was falsely accused of murder and betrayal, and sent to a prison called Azkaban. Many may argue that this was the best book, but I disagree. The whole plot is very confusing, because of everything that’s happening. Peter Pettigrew is actually a servant of Voldemort, Sirius is a dog, Lupin is a werewolf, and Hermione has a time turner to save a Hippogriff.

Books tend to be much better than the movies, and I agree. The Harry Potter books have so much more details, uncover more secrets and have more characters than the movie, for the movies have a limited amount of time. No one wants to sit and watch a 6 hour movie just for one book. No thanks.

Overall, I loved these books. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter myself, no matter if I disliked anything. I have already read the books twice and if I forget the books and need to start reading again, fresh in my mind, I would.

See my review of the Hogwarts Library series: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Quidditch Through the Ages

See my impression about the main character in the 8th book The Cursed Child here.

Jul

2021

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Find The Hunger Games at your local library.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a book about a futuristic dystopian society. In what was once North America stands a nation called Panem, consisting of 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year, the Capitol hots an annual murder game, called The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen, the main character, volunteers to be a tribute in place of her sister at the reapings, which is a ceremony where fighters are chosen for the Games. Katniss and her partner Peeta must find a way to kill off the other 22 tributes in the Games and later, one of themselves to win.

One part I liked in the book was how much detail the author put into each moment. Collins would use many types of figurative language and lots of references to the mockingjay, a fictional bird. Whenever Katniss had an injury, major or minor, the author connects her injuries with the bird by saying it was an act of rebellion or it was a sign that the rebels will win.

Another part I liked about the book was how the story was told and presented. It was told in first person by Katniss and I really liked the idea of the story being told from a character’s perspective. I enjoy it more when it’s told from a first person point of view because you get to understand the character’s actions more clearly. You know why they did what they did and you also know how they feel and why they feel that way, an advantage of listening to a story told by a certain person in a book from their point of view. You can tell if a book is told from first person if you hear the words I and me, when describing something not in a dialogue.

One part I did not like was how the author did not reveal secrets or the why in the actions of other characters. Collins decided to choose ignorance as a trait for Katniss which made her mad much of the time and closed the doors to everyone she loves. Little does she know that they are trying to help her. When I was reading, I knew why the other characters did what they did which made the wait for Katniss to know become agonizing.

Overall, I think that this book was extraordinary. Every time I discover a secret, it makes me want to keep on reading to discover the next. I also liked the plot of the story, with the Hunger Games, an idea no one would have thought of if it were not for Collins.

See my review of the second Hunger Games book Catching Fire here.

See my review of the third book Mocking Jay here.

Jul

2021

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

Find Catching Fire in your local library

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is a great book about the continuing adventure of Katniss Everdeen. After the first Hunger Games, President Snow tells Katniss to pretend that she and Peeta are very madly in love or else a revolution will start. Since they both attempted to commit suicide in the last hunger games, they are seen as a sign of rebellion and bravery. Snow decides that since the next hunger games is the 75th quarrel, he would choose two victors from each district and allow them to compete. But in the end of the book, the remaining victors fly into District 13.

When the president announced that the remaining victors would be playing, I was surprised and happy at the same time. I was hoping for Katniss to become a mentor, but instead, she got chosen to compete again. I wanted her to not have to relive the horror, but at the same time, I wanted to see what they would do this time around, now that only one person is allowed to win. Thankfully, Katniss and Peeta survived, which I was joyful to know.

Also, after the games, when Katniss is in the plane, Haymitch says that there is no District 12 which got me thinking a lot. Was District 12 actually District 13? Later, you find out that District 12 got bombed but that line made me wonder and think more deeply than I usually do. The author wants you to keep on reading, to uncover the unknown within the characters by revealing the secrets later in the book, which is also a reason I enjoyed it.

But, as always, in every book, there is a part people dislike. Personally, I didn’t enjoy the part where Katniss planned to keep Peeta alive and do everything she can for him. I think that Katniss is way better than Peeta and that Peeta should care for Katniss. I don’t like when the boy is weak and can’t protect the girl even though it shows a bit more of something different. It’s always Katniss who has to save and fulfill the quests Peeta fails to do. And that right there just proves that this is not your average fairy tale story.

Overall, I think that this book was amazing, and I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a surprise or adventure. But, be sure to read the first book before the second or else you won’t know what’s happening.

See my review of the first Hunger Games book here.

See my review of the third book Mocking Jay here.

Jul

2021

Mocking Jay

by Suzanne Colins

Find Mocking Jay at your local library

In the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss finds a way to lead the desperate, solemn people of District 13, to find a path to freedom. When Peeta is taken away by the Capitol, to use as bait, Katniss struggles to decide who to love. Peeta or Gale? After what happened in the last hunger games, Katniss yearns for a life where none of this was ever possible, a life where she won’t have to worry about her future kids becoming a tribute.

The plot had a lot of twists and reversals from the previous two books. Several characters broke the images I had formed in my mind. Peeta, previously described as caring, selfless, and courageous, is now presented as a selfish, scared, and traumatized adult. Even though injecting poison into someone’s body was illegal, the Capitol still tried to do this with Peeta. That’s why he’s so disoriented when District 13 finally retrieves him. Because of this change, Katniss was hurt, for someone she actually cared about thought she was a monster. I was very disappointed since I was expecting that if Katniss was rescued in the Games, so would Peeta. But, that’s not what happened and it broke my heart to see someone’s love hate them.

I don’t think Katniss was supposed to be seen as a woman, or with super heavy makeup, which is why I think no one really saw her as she is, therefore no one really believed in what she was saying. I didn’t like how the author made Gale such an antagonist, for I had thought Katniss would actually spend the rest of her life with him, but after all he did in the third book, I changed my mind. The change in their relationship tells me that not every girl and boy relationship ends peacefully with love. Obviously, Katniss and Gale had different ways of ending the war, and that’s what separated them even further, after the fake dramatic relationship with Peeta

I thought when Peeta started remembering, he would return to himself fully. Sadly, that’s not what happened, though I would have enjoyed it more if it did happen. This shows that hope may not ever match up with reality because when you hope, you are optimistic and think of every possible way for someone to survive. But when you face the harsh reality, the “hope” of what is possible becomes very small and unlikely. In the end, Peeta ends up staying with Katniss, and they have two beautiful children. Even though he did not remember everything, he remembered his love for her, and that she was the one he wanted to spend eternity with.

Overall, this book was amazing. The plot had many twists and turns, along with some cliffhangers, but that’s what makes it fun to read.

See my review of the first book The Hunger Games here.

See my review of the second book Catching Fire here.

Relationships

Room to Dream