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Book Reviews

illustrated characters seen from the back; the girl has long red curly hair and the boy has short black hair. they both have headphones on
Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell
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4 Stars

New kid and outcast, Eleanor, finds her perfect match in Park, a well-regarded member of the community who just doesn’t fit in. Despite their differences in social standing, homelife, and self-confidence, Eleanor and Park learn what it truly feels like to fall in love and the lengths they’ll go to protect it. This coming-of-age story about young love surviving in the wake of domestic violence is beautiful, ugly, tragic, and funny all at the same time! If you’re looking for “all the feels,” look no further!

-Lydia
Posted 8/22/2024

book cover featuring typewriter keys and flowers
Divine Rivals
Rebecca Ross
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5 Stars

When two young writers vie for the same columnist position at the Oath Gazette, tensions will arise. Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt want nothing more than to make names for themselves; one wants her words to hold meaning in a world lost in war, while the other wants to be known for something other than being the son of a powerful man. With an invisible and magical string tying the pair together, Iris and Roman find there is something greater to be said. Divine Rivals weaves the harsh reality of a devastating war between gods with a blossoming romance that is sure to captivate romantasy lovers.

-Val
Posted 7/12/2024

book cover featuring a large crimson red moth
Heartless Hunter
Kristen Ciccarelli
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5 Stars

“Isn’t that the point of art–to tame the monsters in us?”

Heartless Hunter is the story of Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe. Rune, a witch, lives a life in the public eye and one in the shadows, protecting other witches. When a rescue attempt goes wrong, she’s forced to change tactics and tries to court Gideon, a famous and unforgiving witch hunter. One caveat? He’s the brother of her best friend. Gideon and Rune’s dynamic in Heartless Hunter is one to die for: the push and pull, the danger, the seductive dance of light and dark; it’s a fantastic love story. And the added detail of witches? All the better.

-Aurora
Posted 5/28/2024

cover with a photo of a fishing shed on an iced over lake
Just Do This One Thing for Me
Laura Zimmermann
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4 Stars

With an absent father and reckless con artist mother, Drew is used to taking care of her younger siblings. But when their mother goes missing and the IRS starts knocking on their door, Drew must decide: should she leave her family behind or follow in her mother’s footsteps and start some schemes of her own? Darkly funny with an offbeat yet quietly suspenseful plot, this fast-paced novel is perfect for readers looking for a character-driven story.

-Amity
Posted 3/13/24

illustrated cover featuring the two main characters cheerleading
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
Crystal Fraiser
Find in Catalog

4 Stars

After being told she needs extracurriculars for her college applications, Annie finds herself pressured into joining the cheerleading team; Bebe, Annie’s former best friend, is the cheer captain and the only out trans girl at their school, which comes with its own set of obstacles. Working through their differences and learning from one another, the two begin to wonder: is there more than just friendship between them? Fluid, colorful art perfectly complements this gentle read, perfect for Check, Please! and Heartstopper fans.

-Amity
Posted 1/18/2024

Going Dark
Melissa De La Cruz
Find in Catalog

4 Stars

Amelia Ashley has it all – immeasurable beauty, a doting boyfriend, and a loyal fanbase who follow her foodie-based travel blog. But she also has a deep-seated, dark secret about her true identity. Enter Josh Reuter, the aforementioned adoring boyfriend. He was whisked away by Amelia to a Roman holiday gone horror-show. A compelling mystery about Internet fame, family and fraud ensues. Told in split perspectives, this story has a winding twist ending that hits the palate with a sweet taste of revenge.

-Hannah
Posted 11/15/2023

The Honeys
Ryan La Sala
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

This suspenseful body horror novel immediately draws you in and keeps you guessing the whole time. Mars’ twin sister shows up at home in the middle of the night when she is supposed to be at her elite summer camp, which Mars no longer attends. She attacks Mars and dies in a fall during this haunting attack. Mars wants to find out why his sister lost herself and what the summer camp has to do with it. Mars decides to return to the summer camp to investigate for themself, despite his negative prior experience of being bullied by campers for being genderfluid. Although dreadful and gruesome, many moments of witty banter between characters provide enjoyable comic relief.

-Caitlin
Posted 10/21/2023

A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Mindy McGinnis
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4 Stars

Overachieving, Ivy-League-bound Lydia and outspoken rebel Bristal work together on Lydia’s podcast when they discover they’re both one credit shy of graduation. Covering their small town’s “long stretch of bad days” – a week in the early 90s when a tornado and flash flood destroyed everything and the town’s only homicide occurred – the two unlikely friends uncover long-buried secrets that upend their close-knit community. This suspenseful mystery examines issues of classism with a feminist undertone, all while maintaining a brisk pace and intricate plot.

-Amity
Posted 8/31/2023

Go Hunt Me
Kelly DeVos
Find in Catalog

3 Stars

When Alex gets waitlisted for her top college, her horror-film-fanatic friends fundraise the money to create her dream student film. Everything is awesome; and then an A-list actress offers a film set of a Romanian castle. Nothing about this experience should vampirically suck… until Alex’s friends begin to wind up dead. Is money the root of all evil here or is something wicked wandering the castle halls? Full of high stakes, broken trust, and one girl’s goal of horror film fame, this book can’t be laid down, unless we’re talking into a coffin.

-Hannah
Posted 8/30/2023

You Should See Me in a Crown
Leah Johnson
Find in Catalog

4 Stars

After being denied financial aid to her dream school, wallflower Liz competes for Prom queen and the associated scholarship. Soon, Liz becomes overwhelmed by the campaign, further complicated by her feelings for one of her competitors: quirky new girl Mack. If she wants to get the girl and win the crown, she must decide if it’s worth stepping into the spotlight. This sweet coming-of-age story contains funny, feel-good prose that nevertheless does not ignore the realities of small-town prejudice. Fans of Heartstopper looking for a similar swoony, heartfelt read would enjoy this novel.

-Amity
Posted 6/20/2023

Web Resources

Book recommendations, homework help, and more!

  • Path2Purpose Campaign: Evidence-based mental health tips and techniques to help cope with the COVID outbreak, the stay-at-home blues, depression, anxiety, and more so that we can all grow stronger together from this crisis.
  • Teen COVID-19 Resources: A collection of resources for teens living during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • YALSA Teens’ Top Ten: The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year!
  • YALSA Book Finder: Search 4,000+ books, audiobooks, and films from YALSA’s book awards and book lists.
  • Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers’ Choice Award.
  • Explora Secondary: Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality.
  • Points of View Reference Center: Resources for students to understand issues, develop criticial thinking skills, and develop persuasive arguments. Includes essays, overviews, articles, and transcripts on, citizens’ rights, earth and environmental issues, global issues, health and medicine, and media and communications.

College & Career Resources

  • CollegeBoard: Features programs that help students plan for college, pay for college, and explore careers.
  • FAFSA: Students may use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid they’re eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: Government resource that features guides on all jobs, with data such as job outlook, typical earnings, and educational requirement.
  • MyFuture: Helps young adults plan their next steps in life by bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers and military service opportunities from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor.
  • SummerJobs: Allows a summer job seeker to explore opportunities both locally and across the US.

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