Teen Book Reviews February 2024
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Review by Anonymous
Retellings fall under the sort of writing that provides you both with simplicity for access to origins and overwhelming creative license. To tell stories that have been told for centuries may prove the most revealing form of fiction, and this book’s plain candor illustrates that exact point. Norse Mythology holds whimsical characters acting in life-or-death situations, immortal beings using their infinite lifespan to spite each other or to love their counterparts. Gaiman’s rich and playful prose shed fresh light on old tales, beckoning the reader ever closer to the inner workings of these comedic and tragic stories. Reincarnating Odin, a powerful god with wisdom who oversees all affairs, to be seen again as a more present being with insight and experiences that make him a comfort to readers, something familiar and trustworthy. His son, Thor, cares greatly about being the hero he is, but often to a fault, his judgement and intelligence clouded by arrogance. Lastly, there is Loki, the instigator of the vast majority of the events in this book, Odin’s reluctant family, strong and deceitful, tying many existences and conflicts together and in doing so highlighting the ebbs and flows of being a god. All these figures and more contribute to a comedic structure with a cemented folklore, welded together smoothly as a purposeful weapon from a forge, complexly developed and eternal. Including the key events of these worlds while staying true to his tangled fictional signature, Gaiman formulates a reborn world from mythical ash.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Review by Anonymous
In the sporadic and tangled world of fantasy literature, there are always developments, like every other genre, that display a fresh reimagination of what a story can be and mean to the reader. One rather common method of creating an entire world is walking in the shoes of the people experiencing it, since they’re in virtually the same position as whoever opens the book, one of discovery. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake showcases an incredible knack for pacing and a beautiful, seamless manner of setting a scene. Blake seems to analyze what is being emanated in the thought of the observer and uses it to her advantage, warping the world she created to fit perfectly with logic and connection while maintaining elusive intrigue throughout the entire work. An academic mausoleum of magic and history selects six magicians every decade, subjects them to a rigorous year of study alongside whatever dangerous schemes result from guarding invaluable knowledge, and allow a consuming air of deceptive mocking infiltrate the vast, scarcely populated property. Despite its academic allure and dark psychology, The Atlas Six cannot help conveying a sort of desperation to be something it is not: original. Though the addition of external torment to intellectual is an impressive feat of figurative meeting literal, the concept of tortured exclusivity is not a new one. There is freshness in the story’s blunt scandals, but from it springs exhaustion at the ceaseless drone of immoral wisdom, persistently bombarding the reader with unmet expectation. Certainly a valuable read on many levels, Blake’s first book of her trilogy contains intricacy that takes focus and commitment to patient reading, making it a story not to be read lightly.
A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Ōima
Review by AN
This is one of my favorite manga books and anime movies which I have seen multiple times. Bullying and disabilities are themes for this manga, and it gets pretty heavy and serious. The setting takes place in a school environment, a typical one for most stories about bullying, where 2 elementary schoolers interact with each other, but not in a positive way. Shoko Nishimiya is a deaf girl as seen when the first chapter begins, whom Shoya Ishida and the classmates targeted to victimize her. Regardless of every situation, Shoko was kind, caring, and understanding when she had every right to curse out every student in that class. Obviously, you would find this intolerable, only if you refuse to continue the next volumes. Since this is the only volume the library has, I couldn't be spoiling more than this for the next volumes. The characters are opaque in this volume, especially Shoko—her feelings might confuse the reader. However, the manga moved on quickly to their juniority, and from here, there are scenes where each character will develop more complex feelings. Overall, there's a high chance it would intrigue you to read the next volumes once you finished this.