Teen Book Reviews: March 2024 Page 3
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Review by Sterling S
The Secret Life of Bees is one of the most gorgeous young adult books I have read. It feels raw and real and relatable, and at the same time so utterly magical. The librarian at my school suggested I read this book and now I will never forget it. It centers around a 14 year old girl called Lily who is growing up in the 1960’s. All of her life she has grown up on a peach farm, haunted by the fact that she killed her mother. She was four, and it was an accident, but Lily has never forgiven herself for picking up that gun that set off by accident. It doesn’t help that her father, a war veteran, has resented it for her ever since. Lily’s father abuses and neglects her. Her only solace is her best friend and nanny, a black, brazen woman named Rosaleen. When Rosaleen is attacked by white men on her way to cast her vote for President, the pair run away together in fear of their lives. They end up in a small, southern town, with three beekeeping sisters who will change Lily’s life. I loved the way this book was written, I loved the cute, South Carolina town, the beekeeping philosophy, the lively celebrations but most of all I loved the characters. I admired Lily’s courage, I laughed at Rosaleen’s witty remarks, I respected Zach’s ambition, and I cherished August’s wisdom. Each of their stories were inspiring to me and I am in awe of how Sue Monk Kidd manages to create such real and relatable characters from fiction. I highly recommend this novel.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Review by SS
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had done this or hadn’t said that? Are you weighed down by the regrets you carry with you day to day, imagining how your life could be better? What if you found a library in which every single book was a different life you could’ve lived depending on your decisions, and all you have to do to live that life was open that book? This is where Nora Seed in The Midnight Library magically appears after deciding to take her own life. Nora finds out she’s not dead (yet) and she has the chance to redo any and all of the regrets she’s ever had by jumping into one of the millions of stories in the library. In doing so she learns about the intricate complexities of life, love, happiness and sorrow. In some lives she is depressed and hardly gets out of bed, in others she’s an olympic athlete. In some she’s married and a mother, in others she’s living on a boat in the Arctic conducting scientific research. Every life is different and in each life she comes to find out more about herself and the lies she believed about what makes ‘a good life’. The Midnight Library is one of those magical books that can change your entire perspective of the world. The author goes deep into philosophy and his wisdom becomes a big part of Nora’s quirky character. This books is heavy, as it starts off with Nora’s decision to attempt to suicide, but it is written extremely well and actually left me with a more positive outlook on life. This book is for anyone who has ever felt like they weren’t good enough, because trust me, if there’s one thing I learned from the The Midnight Library it’s that you can be a gold medalist, a professor, a waiter, a mom, a rockstar, or a lonely cat owner but no matter what, you are good enough.
When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
Review by SS
Mamma Mia meets You’ve Got Mail in this cute young adult novel following a 17 year old soon-to-be broadway star in search for her birth mother. After Millie (a stylish, self-confident diva) finds out she was just accepted into her dream school—a prestigious, performing arts pre-college that’s on the other side of the country—there’s just one problem…she doesn’t exactly have her father’s permission. And to keep her spot on the roster, she needs to send in a parent’s consent. That’s why Millie sets out to find the birth mother she’s never met. After reading her father’s journals, Millie discovers there are three women who could be her mom: there’s Beth, a Broadway lover and theater nerd, Steph, an aspiring actress and assistant to a famous Broadway talent agent, or Farrah, a beautiful dance teacher. Millie starts taking dance lessons from Farrah, interning at Steph’s office, and attending Beth’s club ‘the Broadway Bugs’ to collect clues as to which one of the three women are her mother. Millie’s journey is filled with embarrassing moments, witty remarks, tons of glitter and lots of laughs. Millie is spunky and sweet and it is so fun to live in her world. Her ambition is admirable and you can’t help but root for her dreams to come true. The side characters in the story are also so loveable: from Millie’s single, dorky dad, to her cool aunt and her cute arch-nemesis Oliver. When You Get The Chance is adorable without being too cheesy and sure to make you smile. I really enjoyed it!
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
Review by EB
You might think that a book about a man who lies around, eats, and sleeps all day long would be boring. However, Ivan Goncharov manages to make this subject very interesting. This book is about a middle-aged man named Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. Oblomov spends his days lying in bed, eating lots of food, and dreaming up a wonderful future for himself. He takes no steps toward the future he wants, though, because he is afraid of anything that requires effort. He is told to move out of his apartment so it can be renovated, but he refuses to think of it because moving is too difficult. Oblomov needs to take better care of his estate, but that takes too much work. Oblomov procrastinates endlessly, preferring to stay in bed and have conversations with his occasional visitors. This would go on indefinitely, but Oblomov’s best friend Stolz gets in the way. Once Stolz returns from his trip abroad, he forces Oblomov out of bed. He takes Oblomov everywhere in St. Petersburg and introduces him to countless new people, including Olga Ilinskaya. Olga Ilinskaya ignites a fire in Oblomov’s heart and forces him to be more active than ever. With the help of Stolz and Olga, Oblomov starts reading, following politics, visiting museums, and attending social events. His life is completely transformed. I enjoyed this book because Ivan Goncharov created an interesting plot and is also a great writer. Goncharov’s descriptions of emotions and settings really help to place you in the story. I also loved this book because Goncharov places a lot of emphasis on the nuanced relationships between many characters including Oblomov, Olga, Stolz, Oblomov’s landlady, and even Oblomov’s servants. I strongly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in romance books or books that really touch your heart.
Educated by Tara Westover
Review by India D
My best friend in high school is a former Mormon. We have had many conversations about what it was like for him growing up in the church. One day this past summer, he told me that if I really wanted to learn about Mormonism taken to the extreme, that I should read Educated by Tara Westover. I spent the next week reading this electrifying and eye-opening memoir. After reading Educated, it is clear to understand why it debuted #1 on the New York Times bestseller list when it was published in 2018. Westover writes of her life growing up in Bucks Peak, Idaho in a family of Mormon survivalists who believe that a disaster that will wipe out humanity is just around the corner. She is the youngest of seven kids with five older brothers and one older sister. Her father, Gene, did not believe in public schools, hospitals, modern medicine, and the government and instead ran a very patriarchal household in which his fundamentalist beliefs ruled the family. Her mom is also a strict Mormon and is an herbalist and midwife. Her father stockpiles food, weapons and other essentials in preparation for the end of the world. Westover recounts her childhood, which included physical and emotional abuse at the hands of one of her older brothers, danger with working amid her father’s scrap metal yard, and her constant struggle with wanting to be accepted by her parents yet resisting their Mormon fundamentalist beliefs and her father’s oppressive ways. Westover knows she must leave her family so she applies and is accepted to Brigham Young University. She is then awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University where she earns a Masters degree and eventually, a PhD in intellectual history. But throughout her life, she is always confronted with the dysfunction of her upbringing and suffers debilitating panic attacks. After writing Educated, Westover was estranged from many of her family members because they did not accept or approve of her account of their life. While Educated gives a very extreme look of one’s family experience with Mormon survivalism it is a remarkable story of resilience, strength and the power of family.