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Beneath a Meth Moon: an elegy
Separate Piece, A
The novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles explores the guilt and betrayal of a young boy by the name of Gene. Gene attends a New England Boarding School in the early years of World War II and meets his future friend and also competitor Finny. Gene is independent but also lonely while Finny is athletic, popular and a star pupil. Throughout the novel, Gene's rage and jealousy spires out of control and does something that will affect Finny's life forever. The boys have a club and one of the initiations is to jump out of a tree and unknowingly, a harmless game goes terribly wrong. Gene pushes Finny off of the tree and causes him to break his leg and worse, end his athletic dreams forever. In this novel, deception and jealously play a large role in the conflicts. This story taught me to never be envious towards someone and their hard work. A person who receives recognition for their success deserves it. No one likes a sore loser, if you work hard, good things will happen to you. Ending one's career or even happiness will not lead you to success or popularity. I recommend it to any reader who is coming of age. Boys aged 13 or so would definitely be able to relate to the struggles of these characters. F KNOWLES
(review by KS [Class of 2013])
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Black City
In the novel Black City by Elizabeth Richards, a girl named Natalie, the daughter of a government official, falls in love with a half blood boy named Ash, which is illegal in their government. The novel is all about a war, forbidden love, and secrets. Natalie finds out a dark secret within her government and now she has to choose between her family and Ash, the boy she loves. I started reading this book and I couldn’t stop because in the beginning, the author grabs my attention and interest very quickly. If someone is into romance and likes mythical creatures or immortality, this is a great book for them. I don’t find this book boring because it doesn’t drag with a lot of details or hard vocabulary. It’s a very easygoing book. Also, Richards’ novel has a mixture of love, mystery, and fiction. I would recommend this book for teens and young adults age 16 and up. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I wanted to keep reading after every chapter and it’s not boring; some kind of action or attention grabber is always happening and it’s not confusing, so it’s easy to follow along and comprehend. F RICHARDS (review by js [Class of 2013])
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Embraced by the Light
Embraced By the Light is a true story about a woman named Betty Eadie who had a near death experience. Betty was in the hospital to undergo a partial hysterectomy. After her surgery Betty ran into complications and passed away for a period of time the doctors are uncertain about. Betty went to Heaven and communicated with God and other spirits. Through Betty’s story, readers learn what Heaven was like. She loved every minute she spent there. She explains how when you enter Heaven you go through a tunnel that changes you; your perspective on life changes and you see what is truly important—to love one another. Betty was forgiven for her sins and was ready to be with the angels and God in Heaven. She told us how beautiful and magical it was. It almost makes you want to go there yourself, but of course, we all can wait until it’s our time. This is an amazing book and I would recommend it to anyone. It will change your views on life. This book would be perfect for someone who believes that there is a Heaven out there and all spirits go somewhere. When we die we go to a much better place; it’s just the beginning. This book would also be great for someone who doesn’t believe in God, or angels or even Heaven. This will truly change your mind and make you a believer. You will want to change your ways and be a better person. I would most definitely recommend this book to someone who has lost a loved one. It truly gives you comfort knowing that they are in a far better place. She answers complicated, vexing questions like why babies and young people die. There is an answer for everything; everything happens for a reason. Earth is our temporary home and Heaven is where we will spend eternity. You feel happy and relieved to know a loved one is at peace and happy. Betty explains how warm and comforting Heaven was. She did not want to leave. She felt love and happiness she has never felt before. She felt safe. She begged God to stay, but she had to complete her mission on earth first. She had a purpose on earth and needed to finish it before returning. I would give this book five stars. It was an amazing and inspirational true story that I will never forget and I will cherish it forever. Anyone who reads it will most definitely feel the same. 133.9 EAD (review by as [Class of 2013])
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Split
What do you do when you are 16 and you are thrown out of your house and your family. Jace Witherspoon decides to show up at the doorstep of his brother, Christian, who he hasn’t seen in years. All Jace has with him is a beat up face from his father’s fist, $3.84, and a secret. He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can't make him forget what he left behind--his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret. At least so far. He knows his brother will throw him out if he finds out what Jace is hiding. Both brothers realize that after fighting, running, and making the split, you have to go back to where it all started in order to have your life go forward. This is an intense story that will keep you turning the pages. F AVASTHI
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Safekeeping
17-year-old Radley has been volunteering in a Haitian orphanage after a recent earthquake. While she is in Haiti, the President of the United States is assassinated and the country is now run by the American People’s Party. Anxious to get home to her parents, Radley insists on leaving Haiti. Arriving home, she finds herself in a changed country under military rule with severe security and travel regulations. When she cannot find her parents, Radley begins a long and hazardous journey to find safety and hopefully her parents. Her journey is one of survival where she must scavenge food and fears of arrest. Radley’s life will never be the same again. F HESSE
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Calico Joe
As he looks back on his childhood, the 1973 baseball season has special meaning for Paul Tracey. It was the summer that Joe Castle, a kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, took the Chicago Cubs by storm. As soon as he took the field for the Cubs, he began breaking and setting records. Paul Tracey, an avid 11-year-old baseball follows Joe Castle as do many baseball fans around the country. Paul has a special connection to baseball. His father is a pitcher for the New York Mets. Warren Tracey is not a star pitcher and has been shuffled from team to team. Abusive to his family, Warren is far from loving. That summer, Paul and his sister were watching their parents’ marriage come apart. As the season progress, Paul realizes the record setting Joe Castle and his father will meet on the ballfield and he fears there will be tragic consequences. F GRISHAM
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Never Fall Down
This story is based on a real person, Arn Chorn Pond, who was 11 years old at the time of the country's Communist revolution. Arn's story is one of fear, starvation, and humiliation combined with his will to survive. 'Arn is separated from his entire family. He is told not to think about his family or food. He and all the other people are told that "Angka will end corruption, double the rice crop, cut out what is infected and will make Cambodia great again." However, Angka does not seem to provide enough food or stop the torture and killing. Arn's survival means making great moral compromises, bravery, and a capacity for love and friendship despite the nightmarish circumstances and watching and participating in death. The reader follows Arn through his life before the revolution, the march and his life in the camps, his times as a soldier in the Khmer Rouge, and his transition to life in America. This is a heartbreaking story that you will not be able to put down. F McCormick
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Beneath a Meth Moon: an elegy
Laurel Daneau lost her mother, grandmother, and home in Hurricane Katrina. She lives with her father and younger brother but memories of her mother and grandmother haunt her. She thinks things are going well with her new life as a cheerleader and the girlfriend of basketball star T-Boom. T-Boom introduces her to meth and she finds the drug helps her deal with her past. When we meet her, she is a meth addict living on the street and it looks like she will not survive. The only thing Laurel lives for is meth. She has been in rehab but it didn't work. If she is to survive, Laurel must rely on the help of an artist named Moses and her friend Kaylee to overcome the addiction. F WOODSON
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The Berlin Boxing Club
This is the story of an aspiring cartoonist Karl, a 14-year-old Jewish boy in 1930s Berlin. Karl has never paid attention to his religion and neither has his parents. Karl begins to pay attention when he begins to receive beatings from his Aryan classmates. He is ashamed to tell his parents and he doesn't want to bother them as their art gallery business is declining. His father's friend, boxing champion Max Schmeling, agrees to train Karl as a boxer so that he can defend himself and his younger sister, Hildy. As the Nazi regime gains power and influence, it becomes clear that Germany will eventually not be safe for Karl and his family. Over the course of a few years, Karl craves the freedom of moving to America, falls in love with his Catholic neighbor, Greta, and and is forced to confront his own prejudices. F SHARENOW
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Sold
Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi lives in the mountains of Nepal with mother, baby brother and stepfather who doesn't work but drinks and gambles instead. He uses what little money her family has to support his bad habits. Her family is so poor they cannot afford a tin roof like the other families in the village. Lakshmi wants to go to the city to work so that she can send money back to her family but her mother wants her to stay in school. Happy to get money, Lakshmi's stepfather arranges for her to go to the city to work. Lakshmi is happy, proud that she will be able to help her family. She soon learns that her job in the city is not the maid job she thought it would be. She has been sold into prostitution and now she is stuck in India forced to pay off the price that was paid for her. Lakshmi struggles to make it through the nightmare her life has become and dreams of the day she will be free again. F McCormick
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