Study Bunny
Reviewed by Evelyn
Study Bunny is a study app and it’s perfect for studying and homework. There’s a virtual bunny that you take care of, and you use timers for study sessions. The app includes music, to-do lists, progress charts for how well you do in quizzing yourself on flashcards, and more. This app is really fun and absolutely perfect for middle school and I’m sure high school and college.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Reviewed by Aakash
The Handmaid’s Tale is a futuristic dystopian novel. This novel takes place in a fictional place called Gilead. In this place, there are extremely low reproduction and fertility rates. To combat this, the government took away the rights of women. They made some women become Handmaids, whose soul purpose is to have babies to influential people. Every influential person has a wife, and a Handmaid. The story follows Offred, one of these Handmaids, and her experiences as a Handmaid. The book exposes patriarchy and its negative effects and also speaks about women’s rights.
Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
Reviewed by Aakash
Surfacing is a book about an unnamed narrator and her journey. The narrator, her friend Anna, Anna’s husband David, and her boyfriend Joe go on a trip to the narrator’s home town where she grew up when she was younger. Although her friends and her boyfriend think it is a vacation, she wants to go to find out what happened to her dad who mysteriously vanished. While trying to find out about her dad and her family, she finds out that she is uncovering more about herself. Throughout the book, we learn more and more about the narrator’s past and the suspense builds all the way to the end.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Aareeb
The book is about a man recalling his childhood after returning there for a funeral. He remembers things he’s forgotten and the entire book takes place as a flashback to that framing device. The book is urban mythology with Gaiman specifically taking things from his own childhood and mystifying said elements. The book in a particular sense is about childhood seen from the lens of adulthood. The experience is whimsical, compelling and haunting at equal measure. Gaiman has an ability to capture the parts of childhood that we might not want to remember and the parts we pretend not to so potently that it might just shake something inside you.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Reviewed by Aidan
This book was based off of the Salem Witch Trials, a historic event taking place over a short period of time between 1692 and 1693, which was interesting that the book was about a bizarre historic event. The book was interesting because it gave you an insight about the wild and unbelievable truth about the Salem Witch Trials. The book set in stone themes about society and how a person can be so involved with his ego and status, that it can evolve into many other consequences for those who weren’t even involved. Also, the book exemplified how once one person accuses someone, everyone else jumps on and does the same, a lesson in itself. Finally, the book also shows how trust in government and higher officials can be lost very easily.
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Reviewed by Aidan
A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, is memoir of Ishmael himself escaping the war and chaos of Sierra Leone. The memoir does an excellent job of telling the story of Ishmael as he was constantly relocated, either with his family and friends, strangers, or himself. The part of the memoir that stuck out was the vivid imagery that’s apparent throughout the memoir. The imagery put an intense and vulgar image in the readers mind about the blood, violence, and terror Ishmael experienced during his time in Sierra Leone. It also put a sense of how traumatized and dehumanized Ishmael became, and how that affected him in his new home of New York City.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reviewed by Aidan
This book had several themes to it that can be followed along throughout the story. The story, while taking place 100 years ago during the roaring ’20s, and be applied to modern day life. The book most clearly shows a steep contrast between the “Old Rich,” or those who inherited wealth, and the “New Rich,” those who were not born into wealth, but gained it over time. A theme that was played out over the film was the idea of the “keeping up with the Jones’,” a practice by the “New Rich” that involves always wanting to be like the next richest person, and having what they have, a very common theme in modern society as well. The film also highlights a historical period, the Roaring ’20s Long Island Mansions, which was also very interesting to look into while reading.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Reviewed by Aidan
This book involves three stories of three different children during different time periods, all experiencing being a refuge. I really liked how the book bounced back and forth between stories and the suspense between them grew and grew with each segment. The book is wrapped up very nicely in the end as the stories end up crossing paths with each other, which is very interesting to see play out. The book is written in a third-person point of view but the type of dialogue seems more like a journal entry. The common theme of the book is supposed to be that although the stories take part across almost 80 years, the three children all experienced similar setbacks and challenges in their individual journeys, a message that not much has changed about being a refugee.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reviewed by Alaina
To Kill A Mockingbird is a beautiful yet bittersweet story about how everyone is human and deserves to be treated that way, no matter what they look like. The book is framed from the viewpoint of an innocent little girl, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, who lives in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. This lens provides for a unique way of seeing the world back then, and how it can impact one and those around them so much. The description, characters, and even slight humor in the story all mesh wonderfully, making the book all the more enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this classic, and would like to say that if I could rate the novel more than ten, I definitely would!
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Reviewed by Alesia
I haven’t finished yet but so far the Harry Potter series is amazing. If you liked Percy Jackson you might like this too. It is a fantasy book. And if you haven’t read either I would definitely recommend you try reading them. In book one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you get introduced to the main characters. I don’t want to spoil, but there are so many plot twists that really catch you. You keep turning the pages not wanting to stop or at least that happened to me. This book is about a magic school called Hogwarts, filled with wizards and witches. The Harry Potter books are full of surprises that left me shocked. Even though I thought book one had enough shocks books 2,3,4 had even more than I could have imagined. If you like fantasy/magic books with mysteries and surprises I would definitely recommend reading Harry Potter.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Reviewed by Ayla
If you want a book that bring you emotion, joy, sadness, happines, and enjoyment, it is The Outsiders. The book was an emotional rollercoaster. I recently read the book during class. And it has been the best book I have ever read! And trust me I have read a lot of books. There is also a movie that goes along with the book. One of the actors is Tom Cruise who is in Mission Impossible. Some points of the outsiders made me cry. And I am not the type of person who gets emotional over a movie. I am definitely going to reread the book atleast 10 more times. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something too read. The author should get a trophy for how good the book was.
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Reviewed by Caitlyn
For my English class, we had to read Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. I absolutely loved this book. The book is about a boy named Harry Potter. Harry is a wizard and full of magic. He is very special because when he was a baby the most evil, powerful villain Voldemort tried to kill him and instead lost his powers while trying to kill Harry. Harry went to live with his muggle (non magical) family who was very mean to him. But on his 10th birthday, Harry found out he was a wizard and got to go to a school for wizards called Hogwarts. There, Harry meet some great friends including Ron and Hermione who all get put in the school house Gryffindor. Harry finds out he is great at the sport Quidditch (like soccer for wizards) and helps his school win. They go on lots of adventures and save the sorcerer’s stone. I absolutely loved this book. It is a full of excitement, adventures, mystery, good vs evil, and friendship. I couldn’t put the book down and afterwards I watched the movie which i thought was amazing. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, both kids and adults.
Nine Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Reviewed by Caitlyn
For our school summer reading, we had to read the book Nine Ten. This book is about four middle school kids who all are connected and affected by 9/11. The four kids come from different backgrounds and live in different parts of the United States. There is Aimee, who moved to Los Angeles, California. Her mom got a new job traveling and Aimee misses her a lot. She is trying to fit into a new school. There is Sergio, who lives with his grandma in New York and his dad is never around. There is Naheed, from Ohio who doesn’t like being asked about her background and feels she doesn’t fit in. Last there is Will from Pennsylvania whose dad died. The book tells what each kids experience was like on 9/11. In the end of the book, all four children meet at the 9/11 ceremony one year later and want to help everyone who was affected by it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Reviewed by Dylan
This book was about a war between the Greasers and Socs. This story takes place in the 1960’s in Tulsa Oklahoma. The greasers live on the east side of town and they are mostly poor people. On the other hand the Socs live on the west side of town and are rich and spoiled. This causes major issues between the two groups. I thought this book taught me very good life lessons. I found all the characters interesting because they all liked their own things. I always wanted to know what would happen next. I recommended this book to anyone in Middle school.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Reviewed by Eesha
The book starts off with a pair of siblings, Beatrice and Caleb, who have to get ready to take an aptitude test to see which of the 5 factions they truly belong in. The 5 factions are: Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Candor, and Erudite. Both Caleb and Beatrice are in Abnegation. When Beatrice is called in to take her aptitude test, she expects her results to be normal. However it was quite the opposite, her results came as divergent and she was told to never let anyone know she’s divergent. Soon choosing day comes, and Beatrice is asked to make her choice on what faction she would like to go to. As Beatrice thinks about her family and what she wants, she makes the least expected choice of Dauntless. As Beatrice navigates how to live her new life in a new faction, she discovers that she has many obstacles she must go through. But the hardest of all? Not letting anyone know she was Divergent.
Half Bad by Sally Green
Reviewed by Eesha
16 year old, Nathan Byrne is an outcast amongst the White Witch society and his family. His dad, Marcus, is a powerful black witch that is feared and his mom is a well respected white witch. Nathan is a Half Code, fighting for his survival already from birth. White Witches fear him and Black Witches praises him. Eventually Nathan finds himself on the run from the Council of White Witches and tries to survive as best as he can, making friends that he would never imagined to have. As this journey continues, another problem arises. Nathan soon approaches 17 and must get his family’s blood in time and 3 gifts before his time runs out.
Warcross by Marie Lu
Reviewed by Eesha
Emika Chen is a bounty hunter who lives in an apartment with a roommate. With an admiration for a billionaire named Hideo Tanaka, the founder of a virtual reality game called Warcross, Emika dreams to be as successful as him. When Emika is threatened to become homeless with an eviction notice, she takes more jobs as a bounty hunter until she still realizes she’s at risk. When a Warcross final game arrives, Emika manages to hack into the game in front of millions and gets recognized by Hideo Tanaka. Hideo takes an interest in Emika and soon Emika is a girl on a mission. Find the Warcross shadow hacker named Zero, find his out his motives, and prevent Zero from carrying them out. On this mission, Emika will find love, betrayal, and friends in places she never knew.
Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld
Reviewed by Eesha
When Ethan Cooper, aka Scam, manages to land himself into some trouble with a criminal and get involved with a bank robbery due to his superpower, his friends, the Zeroes, must come to help. Ethan’s superpower is a voice that gets Ethan what he desires and uses any means to get it. While running from the cops, Ethan and his friends soon discover another Zero along their journey. Kelsie Laszlo, a girl who enjoys a good crowd and loves the feeling they give her. She knows of her power however, she wonders if there might be anyone else out there who can understand her. When she crashes into Ethan, all hell breaks loose fully.
Strange Happenings by Avi
Reviewed by Ethan
The book called “Strange Happenings” written by Avi is five short stories about transformations. All of the stories were completely different but still just as fun and easy to read. I really enjoyed it and I could not put it down. The book can be a little spooky but I would not call it scary. The final story was my favorite. I loved it so much because it taught Simon a lesson about how to be thankful for who you are and what you have. I liked how the author described the settings and the characters because it was easy to imagine the stories in my head. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone.
A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Reviewed by Iris
This book is very awesome. I enjoyed this book so much. This book is about a girl named Pippa doing her capstone project and she chose to solve a murder that occurred in her town years ago with a boy named Ravi. Ironically, the boy she’s trying to solve the murder with is the brother of another boy who was involved in this murder. I think this plot is interesting because everyone in this town is connected in some way and every page is nail biting and adds suspense which makes you want to read the book and finish it faster. The quality of the writing is very good which includes the grammar. The point of view switches in some pages which makes it unique to read since you get to see different perspectives of this book. I definitely recommend this book to teenagers.
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Reviewed by Isabelle
This book follows a North Vietnamese Spy in the South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War. Tackling racial assimilation in America, and the hardships of war and grief, this book made a decent summer read. The book covers what it was like for an immigrant to come to America in the 1960s/70s, the difficulties that many immigrants face and still face today. It also went over more abstract concepts like casualties of war and what revolutions are at their core. Juggling several themes, this book manages to produce a well crafted experience of a Vietnamese soldier at this time.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Reviewed by Jasmeet
Front Desk by Kelly Yang is such a good book. It includes many serious topics such as fitting in, immigrating, being in debt, and many more. The main characters is a ten year old girl who has many struggles at home. She has to work hard to be able to provide for herself and her family. This girl has actual struggles that people could relate to. Along her struggles she also make friends with people of various different ages. This book is definitely on of my favorites. The rollercoaster it takes you on is insane. The different types of emotions this book is filled with. If you are looking for a relatable book I would definitely recommend this book to you!
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Reviewed by Julianna
The book is about 12 year old girl named Sophie Foster who can read minds. But in a flash, she’s forced to be taken away from her home into a completely new world when a mysterious boy name Fitz find her. In this book she is met with challenges and finds out that she isn’t just normal. I really enjoyed the plot of this book of how she finds out more about herself and how much she risks in order to save the people she loves. I recommend it for anyone who loves fantasy and magic!
47 Ronin by John Allyn
Reviewed by Justin
The book is about a dystopian future where Humans and their values and morals have changed. They do everything for survival, some of these things are not considered humane. We follow two main characters and their struggles in their journey through this world which can be very difficult. The book didn’t necessarily go down my predicted path but still had a good ending. The book constantly gives you things to think about and reflect on. While reading reflect on the connections and the references the Author makes to early in the book. Things are repeated multiple times to send a image of perhaps something greater. I highly recommend reading.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Reviewed by Justin
The book is about a dystopian future where Humans and their values and morals have changed. They do everything for survival, some of these things are not considered humane. We follow two main characters and their struggles in their journey through this world which can be very difficult. The book didn’t necessarily go down my predicted path but still had a good ending. The book constantly gives you things to think about and reflect on. While reading reflect on the connections and the references the Author makes to early in the book. Things are repeated multiple times to send a image of perhaps something greater. I highly recommend reading.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Reviewed by Leila
This book is based off of the movie but goes more in depth of the girls stories and decisions, as well as what the boys who are viewing them see. The girls seemed normal and fine to everyone, seemingly having a perfect life, but little did everyone know they were each struggling individually. The title is exactly what occurs in the book. At times it can be a little hard to read due to some of the girls being so little in age. But, I believe it is important to get this stigma that girls have it easy growing up. Especially hitting the teens or adolescent age. It reveals how girls are constantly compared to one another and that the teenage life of a girl is not all about the outside perception, but that feelings should be accounted and not overlooked.
The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Reviewed by Liliana
The book is full of twists you don’t see coming and fast paced so it always has your attention. You never know where it’s going to go with two crazy narrators. It’s scary and thrilling. It has the same vibe as the show “You” on Netflix. It’s plot is engaging and there are lots of girl boss moments with the main character. It’s not an easy read in the sense that the content itself can be triggering for some. There is not a happy ending to the book since both characters have their flaws which may be a bit far fetched making them unlike-able. The only way the main character Delilah feels she can escape the hold the men in her life hold over her is to get rid of them.
People Like Us by Dana Mele
Reviewed by Liliana
This is a book where every single character is hiding a big secret that they would do anything in order to keep their secret hidden. It’s a thriller that solely relies on the character and the way they interact with each other. You never know what to believe while reading the book. Who did it and why was always in the back of my mind. All the characters have their own quirks and complex personalities that don’t feel like a made up character that you’re reading about even though they are. There’s so much drama and unanswered questions that it was hard to put the book down.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
Reviewed by Malawi
This book was very good and the author does a great job at explaining how one could fall down the slippery slope of painkillers. The relationships that she forms with the other characters are real and make sense, and play a crucial role in the story. The book also played very well into my feelings, joy and empathy all at the right parts (and I won’t lie I shed a tear or two). I would definitely recommend to a friend (I actually already have), but I would be careful because it honestly felt like I was reading someone’s thoughts more than a book so I’d check to make sure it wouldn’t be triggering.
Slay by Brittney Morris
Reviewed by Malawi
This book was amazing. Morris writes characters and speaks about black struggles, without it being the complete center of the book rather having the focus be black excellence. She also chooses to have the main character be someone who has been in (and remembers) a mostly POC community and a mostly white community, yet her view on the world is differs from the other black people around her (who went through similar experiences). Also I was able to follow the rules of the game very well which was great, since I usually struggle with the rules of card games, so I didn’t feel the need to skip those scenes. This was a great book with a powerful message, while still being a doable read.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Reviewed by Mariah
Emily Henry never fails to write such amazing books. I could not put this book down, I think I finished it in about a day and a half. This book is extremely hilarious and beautifully written. And not to mention the cover is so aesthetically pleasing. The banter between the two main characters is the best I’ve ever read. Nora is so witty and powerful and such a great example of a strong, independent women. Charlie is equally as funny and adorable as Nora and their dynamic is so grabbing. Emily Henry is an expert at crafting relatable, likeable characters. I could not recommend this books enough, READ IT!
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Reviewed by Mariah
This book was moving and beautifully written. Though this book is of the dystopian genre the main character is extremely relatable. In this book Juliette goes through her journey of discovering herself and her powers while also meeting many other people on the way . This is the first on 6 books in a series and one of the best. Its an extremely easy read with short chapters and compelling characters. I extremely recommend counting to read the rest of the series after his book because the story just keeps getting better and better. I could not recommend this book enough, especially for teens/young adults.
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Reviewed by Mariah
This book is academic rivals perfection. Rowan and Neil are competing for valedictorian, as they have competed against each other in basically everything their whole high school careers. They compete one last time their senior year in their senior class game, Howl. Both these characters are so funny and likeable all throughout. I would recommend teens who are struggling in high school to read this because Rowan and Neil are so relatable in their struggles with school and their home life. This is not your typical romance story and its absolutely adorable and so fun to read, please read this book.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Reviewed by Morgan
They Both Die at the End is a very good book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to last a bit if you’re a slower reader or a faster book if your a fast reader. In the book their is this thing called death cast and it call you when you will die in a certain day. Our main charactors get a call on the same day and meet each other through an app called last friend and they decide to spend their last day together and get each other to do things they would normally never do, a bit of romance may appear or a bit more then a little bit. I would definitely recommend and hope you read it!!
Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon
Reviewed by Nicole
I thought the book was pretty good. It wasn’t really my favorite book since it was a little predictable. There were some parts that had a twist that I liked. It was kind of like any average “scary” story. I wish that the book had a little more suspense as well, cause that would have made it so much better. I did like how they gave a back round to each character so that you knew a little more about them. It was really helpful. I think that the overall message of the book was really great. There was a lot of teamwork and emotions that really made the book meaningful. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good book and other people should read it if they like average scary stuff.
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Ronan
Percy Jackson seems to be a troubled boy with dyslexia and ADHD but normal otherwise. One day on a field trip however, Percy has a crazy vision that his assistant teacher turned into an evil eagle that wanted to kill him while his actual teacher, Mr. Brunner threw him a ballpoint pen and when he had uncapped it, it was a huge sword. Later that day his mom tells him they would go to Montauk (since he lived in NYC) for a vacation. When he wakes up in the middle of the night and sees his mom talking to his friend Grover and that they both tell him they need to leave and drive all the way back from Montauk to this “strawberry farm” but encounter a monster from Greek mythology. This monster “killed” Percy’s mother and when Grover and Percy escaped the monster they went to the field and Percy was filled in on everything. His friend Grover was a Saytr his teacher Mr. Brunner is a centaur who’s actual name is Chiron and this strawberry farm is a camp for Half-Bloods. Percy was also Poseidon’s only son of that camp and was told that Zeus’ master bolt has been stolen and he suspected Percy’s father. Percy had to go on a quest with two of his friends to locate the bolt and prove his fathers innocence while fighting monsters and interacting with gods. Will he be able to do it?
The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus,
Book 1) by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Ronan
Jason wakes up on a bus with no memory at all. He has a girl holding his hand claiming to be his girlfriend and a guy making jokes claiming that he’s their friend. Leo and Piper are their names. They turn out to be half- bloods and are children of Greek gods… or Roman. Jason looks at everything like it’s Roman and not Greek. When these three go on a quest to save the Greek god Hera or Roman god Juno they find more and more about Jason’s past but he still doesn’t remember much. They also have to find Pipers dad who is being held captive by one of the known giants Enceladus. They find Pipers dad and go to Hera’s location. They are able to free her before mother of earth, Gaea, kills her. They also make the main giant Porphyrion from rising. They find out the truth about how Jason got there as well.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Reviewed by Ryan
Mr. Lemoncello is a billionaire who made his fortune from the creation of whacky and creative board games and he couldn’t have done any of it without his local library. When his beloved library is turned into a parking garage he decides to fund the construction of a new library which takes 12 years to build. The main character, Kyle Keeley is obsessed with Mr. Lemoncello’s games. He breaks a window in haste to beat his brothers in a scavenger hunt and gets himself grounded from playing video games for one week. On the bus ride to school Kyle discovers an extra credit essay due that morning that is actually the entry to a contest. The winner of the contest gets to spend the entire night in the brand new library Mr. Lemoncello built before it opens up to the public. With limited time to hand in the essay Kyle only gets to write one line which expresses his enthusiasm for balloons. He works on his essay all day in school and tries to submit it but the teacher wouldn’t accept it cause the deadline passed. Kyle then decides to email Mr. Lemoncello his essay instead. Mr. Lemoncello is the judge of the essays and he chooses twelve 12 year old kids since those children have gone their entire lives without a pubic library. Kyle learns has has been chosen. The library lock in is packed full of games and prizes. The children are enjoying themselves and in the morning they discover a twist. They are invited to play a game. Whoever finds the secret escape from the library will star in Mr. Lemoncello’s commercial and be paid a lot of money, The players are divided into two teams. One team is led by Kyle Keeley and the other team is led by Charles Chiltington, his adversary who will stop at nothing to win the grand prize even if he has to lie and cheat to do it. Kyle has played nearly all of Mr. Lemoncello’s board games which gives him an insight into finding clues and adjusting to the twists. Charles uses deception and trickery in his quest to become the first one to find the escape route to victory. I will not tell you what happens during the quest or which team wins. You will have to read the book to find out the outcome and who the winner is.
Restart by Gordon Korman
Reviewed by Ryan
Restart tells the story of an 8th grade boy named Chase Ambrose, who was the star of Hiawassee Middle School’s football team. He was also notorious for being the school’s bully. He suffers from amnesia as a result of him slipping and falling off his roof and can’t remember anything about his life prior to the accident. The doctor in the hospital informs him that he doesn’t know if or when his memory will return. Once Chase returns to school he starts to discover who he was and starts to learn about the awful things he did to his schoolmates. The new Chase is shocked and upset by this discovery. He learned he was sentenced to community service with his two best friends, Aaron and Bear, for rigging an explosive device in Joel Weber’s piano and the device exploded while Joel was playing during a performance at a school concert. Joel was bullied relentlessly by the trio and after this incident he was sent away to boarding school for his own safety. Joel’s sister, Shoshanna, harbors an intense hatred towards Chase and his friends for the anguish they caused her brother and plans to get even. She encounters Chase at an ice cream shop and proceeds to dump frozen yogurt on top of his head. Chase has no idea why she did that or even who she is as he is still suffering from amnesia. He begins to uncover the truth about his past and vows to become a better person. He is committed to changing his ways, especially after he learns a crime has been committed by him just before his accident occurred. Chase wants to make amends but many are fearful of him and dislike him because of how he acted before his accident. He is sidelined from football so he joins the video club to connect with others. He excels at becoming a cameraman and makes an ally in Brendan Espinosa while others in the group, especially Shoshanna Weber, protest his involvement in the club. Every few days Chase reports to the Portland Street Assisted Living Residence where he has been court ordered to carry out community service for his crime. Although the court is not requiring him to complete his community service since his accident, Chase feels it is the responsible thing to do. Chase takes his service seriously while his two friends, Aaron and Bear, are busy being nuisances to the staff and residents. Chase befriends one resident in particular, a war hero named Mr. Solway who was the recipient of the medal of honor. Chase wants to learn more about Mr. Solway’s war experience but he has no recollection of the events that led him to earn the medal and he can’t locate it either. Chase and Shoshanna form an unlikely bond and begin working on a project for a contest she entered. She is using Mr. Solway as the subject of her documentary. Shoshanna is totally against working with Chase but she starts to notice a change in him and believes he has changed for the better. She convinces her parents of this fact and they remove Joel from boarding school and allow him to come back home assuring him that Chase won’t bully him anymore. Joel returns and sees that Chase has changed but Aaron and Bear have not. Chase’s friends are annoyed that he can’t remember their previous friendship and all their antics so they concoct a plan to help Chase refresh his memory. While Brendan films with the video club in the music room at school, Aaron and Bear burst in and spray all the instruments down with fire extinguishers. Chase, who was taking a test in another room is summoned to help and when Chase enters the room Aaron yells loudly that this was Chase’s plan. Chase is shocked and taken off guard by what he sees. When Chase tries to pry the fire extinguisher out of their hands he accidentally hits Joel in the face causing a black eye. The teachers hear all the commotion and rush in sending Chase, Aaron, and Bear to the principal’s office. Once inside the principal’s office Aaron and Bear lie by saying they rushed in the music room with fire extinguishers because they smelled smoke. Chase corroborates their story and Chase is expelled from the video club. In the meantime, Brendan reviews video footage of the incident which exonerates Chase from any wrongdoing. Brendan summons everyone in the video club including Chase to his house to reveal his discovery. En route to the meeting Chase suddenly recalls that Mr. Solway’s missing medal was stolen by him and he was hiding it under the roof shingles of his house when he slipped and fell causing his accident. He retrieves the medal from its hiding spot immediately heads over to the assisted living facility to return the medal to Mr. Solway. Upon arrival he encounters Aaron and Bear. The boys remind Chase they made a deal to sell the medal and split the money between them. Chase refuses to relinquish the medal and a physical altercation ensues. Chase confesses to Mr. Solway that he stole his medal before his accident and the police are called. Chase appears in court to face a judge regarding the stolen medal. Many character witnesses appear on Chase’s behalf including Mr. Solway and the judge has to make a decision as to whether to remand Chase to a juvenile detention facility or let him go. I won’t tell you the outcome. Read the book to find out what happens to Chase at the end.
The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers
Reviewed by Ryan
This story begins with the main character, Greg Ridley sitting on the stoop of his tenement building in Harlem, NY. He is reflecting on the conversation he had with his father about his grades. The principal of Greg’s school sent his father a letter informing him about Greg’s low math grades. Greg’s father is very angry with the news and begins to lecture him, emphasizing the importance of achieving good grades. Greg loves playing basketball but his father banned him from playing until he improves his math grade. A few days later Greg heads to the building across the street to avoid the lecture waiting for him at home from his father. Greg’s father has told him numerous times how hard he had to work to get to earn his degree after leaving school at age 13. Greg knows he has to work hard to study and improve his math grade but right now he is only interested in playing basketball. Greg sits down on a sofa and comes face to face with a guy he recognized from the streets. Greg thought the man was homeless because he used to witness him rummaging through the garbage cans. Greg learns the man’s name is Lemon Brown and he is afraid Greg is going to steal his treasure. Greg assures him that he has no interest in his treasure, whatever it may be as he has no knowledge of what the treasure is. Greg doesn’t really believe that Lemon Brown even has a treasure but Lemon Brown tells him that every man has a treasure and if he doesn’t believe that he must be truly sad. Greg reassures him that he isn’t after his treasure and they begin to converse, getting to know one another. He begins to tell Greg hard times have fallen upon him and their conversation is interrupted by 3 neighborhood thugs looking to steal Lemon’s treasure. Initially Lemon and Greg hide but then Lemon decides to confront the thugs. Greg joins in and distracts them long enough for Lemon to hurl himself down the stairs forcing the thugs to leave. After the encounter with the 3 thugs Lemon reveals his treasure to Greg, I won’t reveal what the treasure is. Read the book to find out what the treasure is and the symbolic meaning behind it.
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Reviewed by Sophia
Nine, Ten is a book that takes place during the two days leading up to 9-11 and on the day itself. It is about four teens figuring out how to do the right thing, to be kind, to be inclusive and to navigate difficult situations. While only one of the characters lives in New York, the others are connected to 9-11 because they live near where one of the planes went down, because their parent works for Cantor Fitzgerald and because they are a Muslim American during this difficult time in our history. The teens cross paths briefly at the beginning of the book and then again at the very end when they all find themselves visiting New York one year after 9-11 for the memorial. While I didn’t love this book and found it confusing at times because of so many characters, it did have some positive messages that teens could benefit from.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
Reviewed by Tara
The thriller, They Never Learn, by Layne Fargo is arguably one of the most empowering books I have ever read. It is a feminist serial killer story about a woman who kills men accused of sexual assault and rape. The book is told from dual points of view, alternating between characters Scarlett and Carly’s perspective. Fargo does a phenomenal job of using characterization to distinguish the two main characters in the book. She catches the essence of these women, adding more depth to the story. There is raw emotion all throughout this book- we see feelings of anger, terror, desperation, angst, and love. This book does contain sensitive content including graphic violence, sexual assault, and rape so I advise readers not to buy it if this will harmfully affect them in any way. Overall, this is a great book and I recommend it to anyone looking for a new thriller/mystery to read!
Dragon Quest 5
Reviewed by Aareeb
Dragon Quest 5 is one of my favorite video games of all time. The story takes place through the course of 30 years in the game and you see your main character grow through the ages. You see him as a child, a teen and a man with children of his own. It has a rooted emotional core. The world is a medieval fantasy, one with lords and kings and monsters and faery lands. The journey is globe spanning yet it maintains a sense of warmth and comfort. Dragon Quest as a franchise has a clear cut identity, one of fairy tales and bed time lullabies. It is video game comfort food of the highest order.
Enter the Gungeon
Reviewed by Aareeb
Enter the Gungeon is exceptional. It is a roguelike meaning the game resets every time the player dies, the levels are algorithmically generated and permanent unlockables persists across runs. There are 243 guns and 271 items in the game, which is a lot! The action is engaging and it has a certain crunch that keeps the player hooked. The game provides the player with a seemingly endless (at first) array of tasks to keep them busy and the challenge makes it satisfying to learn and bear. The gun theme persists throughout the entire scope of the game. Your user interface is made of bullet shell casings, your currency is bullets, your enemies are guns, bullets or some type of machine weaponry. A layer of hard science fiction exists on top to give the game some added flavor, one that evokes in me a taste similar to that of Dan Simmons’ masterpiece Hyperion but only on the surface. This game is an abyss and it will hook its teeth into you if you let it.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Reviewed by Aareeb
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is what video games now should strive to realize. The game was an attempt to put Zelda into a portable device, having been trapped in home consoles before then. The meat and bones of this game are the dungeons and exploration. The 8 dungeons form a clear cut structure of venturing into dungeons, getting new abilities and then using it to explore a rich vast overworld with loads of hidden secrets and find another dungeon and rinse and repeat. An understated layer of thematic storytelling persists in the game that gives it a layer of unexpected depth. It is structurally and mechanically conventional as a 2D Zelda game but the story and themes are anything but. It’s great, but not because of the franchise it’s from but because it is mechanically refined and presents genuine quandaries that challenges how you might perceive the world.
NieR Replicant
Reviewed by Aareeb
NieR is about a boy trying to cure his sister’s illness. It takes place in a post apocalypse. It also about hacking and slashing every monster that comes your way. The most remarkable thing about NieR is that it is completely unafraid to subvert every expectation a player might carry while playing it. This nature is so fundamental that the developers thought they were justified to make the player play through the whole thing multiple times to get the whole story. Whether you agree or not with that description it carries with a certain weight of expectation. The game is essentially about making you question everything familiar to you and look at things from different perspectives and how it tries to execute on that motive is what makes the game so incredible an experience.
Tunic
Reviewed by Aareeb
Tunic is an enigma. The game doesn’t tell you what to do nor does it tell you where to go. Everything, especially knowledge, in Tunic must be earned. For that purpose the game has something to do with a fox, a triangle and an island. These ideas might sound interesting on paper but to actually implement them in a video game and for it to actually work is absurd. Tunic’s innovative nature and it’s success in doing so alone makes it one of the best games I’ve played all year but add to the fact that the mechanics it takes from other games like the Zelda-like overworld and dark souls-like combat are equally as effective to it’s overarching design and are executed to a shine is what makes Tunic completely exceptional.
Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
Reviewed by James
Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (D&D 5e) is a Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG). It’s really fun, because the possibilities are endless. You will need at least two players, and someone must be the Dungeon Master (DM). The players get to make characters, which they have plenty of different options for. So many different Races, Classes, Weapons, and Spells to choose from. The DM gets to create a world to put those characters into, and guides them on whatever adventures they may be embarking on. On the other hand, the DM also makes encounters with a few of the many monsters that are currently in D&D 5e to challenge the players in combat, or the minds of the players could be tested with a tricky puzzle in the middle of a Dungeon. The only things you’ll need to play as a character are a pencil, your character sheet, a set of 7 TTRPG Dice, and an open Imagination.
Magic The Gathering
Reviewed by James
Magic The Gathering is a card game. There’s a minimum of Sixty Cards in a deck, and their is no maximum. In this case, the different deck types are colors. White represents Peace, Law, and Structure. Blue represents Knowledge, and Caution. Black represents power, and Sacrifice. Red represents Action, and Destruction. Green represents Wildlife, and Spirituality. You can also have multiple colors in your deck. Some common mixes are Red/Green, and Blue/White. It’s recommended that you stick to the minimum of Sixty Cards, and a Third of Your Deck is Land. It’s important to have a good amount of Land Cards, because those allow you to play creatures, and enchantments to benefit you, or harm your opponent. Each creature has a Power, and Defense Statistic. Power is how much Damage the Creature Deals, and Defence is how much damage it can take before it goes into your graveyard. Each Player starts the Game with 7 cards, and 20 Health. Whoever is reduced to 0 Health first Loses.
Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition
Reviewed by James
Warhammer 40,000 (40k) is a Tabletop Wargame. The first thing that’s very cool about 40k is that their ia an amazing selection of plastic miniature kits sold by Games Workshop. You get to build and paint them yourself, which could be very fun, or very annoying for you depending on how much experience you have with miniatures, and your interests. You can choose what kind of army you want to build, as there are many different factions in 40k. You and whoever your playing against will decide how many points your battle will be. Points are used to determine how powerful a players army is. Most Games are 500-2,000 points. A game mostly involves strategic placement of your units, and rolling dice to see how much of your opponents army you can destroy, as well as how many hits your army can take before they fall.
Among Us
Reviewed by Jarrod
In this social deduction experience, ten people are on a spaceship. Two of them are assigned the role of impostor (yes it is impostor, not imposter). The goal of impostors is to kill off the crew without being caught. The other eight are crewmates. Crewmates have to deduce who the impostors are and eject them (via a majority of players voting them off of the ship). During gameplay, crewmates do menial tasks, while impostors sabotage the ship and kill crewmates. When a dead body is reported or an emergency meeting is called, all remaining players discuss what they have seen and done. Among Us is a game of trust and betrayal in which you will need to learn how to tell friend from foe, or manipulate and trick people into trusting you. While the game may sound brutal, it is very cartoon-like in design and people of all ages can play it. Once you get the hang of it, this game can become very addictive. Among Us is incredibly fun and I would absolutely recommend it.
Villainous
Reviewed by Jarrod
Disney Villainous is a very interesting game in the sense that you play, as the title suggests, as a villain. Each player is given a realm (a personal board), featuring four locations (sections). Most locations feature four actions (with some exceptions) that the player can use when they move there. On your turn, you move to any unlocked location, perform all uncovered actions at your location in any order, and draw back up to a hand of four cards. You accrue power and spend it to play cards. These cards allow you to vanquish heroes and contribute to your objective. No villain has the same objective. While you try to either gain power, take control, defeat your enemies, etc., your opponents will play fate cards on you, which are heroes that hinder your progress. In a unique race to complete your villain’s objective first, you will have a blast as you mess with your opponents and take over. There is a special, hand-crafted piece for each villain and the illustrations are very detailed, making the game visually appealing. Disney Villainous is an experience unlike any other and is a fresh take on a board game. Anyone who is looking for something new should definitely give it a try.
Clash of Clans
Reviewed by Justin
One of the best phone games I’ve played. I have had this game for probably 8+ years and have a Town Hall Level 12. While it can be very challenging to play at times it can also be very fun. There is a slower progression as your level increases but you can raid enemy villages to take supplies to resupply your village after upgrading. Sometimes it can be very pay to win but you can also advance without paying at all and just playing for hours and hours. When you join a clan there can be a wider variety of fun things to do and you can also play with your friends. Your entire clan can be your friends who will wage war against other friends clans. Overall it’s a great time
Genshin Impact
Reviewed by Lydia
Genshin Impact is a fun, story based adventure game with exciting events and a well written storyline. The game revolves around one of two adventurer twins who were separated during one of their adventures. Your first choice in the game is to choose which twin you want to play as, this is your first character. The twin you choose is now in an unknown world, known as Teyvat. You complete challenges, explore new areas, and build relationships with characters in order to find your way out. The game is not finished as of now, but there is plenty of things to do and explore if you’re just a beginner!
Splatoon
Reviewed by Michael
Splatoon is all about people called inklings. the have cool guns that can shoot out a lot of ink. they also have the ability to turn into squids. there is also a story mode that you can play. so about these guys called the octotarians. they are the antagonists of the inklings. you basically play levels and beat up octo jerks with your ink gun. the levels are really fun and addicting. i recommend playing story mode as well as the local battle feature. the local battle feature is where you and a friend battle each other. you pop balloons to get points. the person with 30 points at the end of the battle win! other than that it’s pretty straightforward. Hope this finds you helpful!
FIFA 23
Reviewed by Tristan
I liked FIFA 23. I would suggest you buy the game. I would suggest you buy it because it is new and they’re constant updates every week or so. FIFA also has the most relevant players like Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar. One of the modes you could play is ultimate team where you build your dream team and play your team against the CPU or against another player. This mode is the most popular. Another mode you could play is career mode. Career mode is when you take over a real or create your own club and go through season after season playing and upgrading your team. In my opinion the one thing bad about the game is they don’t have all the nations/clubs.
Halloween
Reviewed by Antoinette
The Halloween movies are the best of the best! The Halloween movies are horror movies, and the last one is coming out this October. The main character (Michael Myers) is the villain, and lots of his “family” are involved. The movies are very suspenseful. Even if you watched the movie with the sound off it would still be scary. If you don’t watch the first movie first, the rest may be confusing. Also, the first movie is the best! I personally think that the first of everything is always good. Overall, the movie is pretty straightforward. Its almost like a comedy horror. If you are into movies that have jump scares these movies are totally for you. I don’t want to give anything away, and it’s so hard to not do that! I would 100% recommend you watch these movies, especially now because spooky season is upon us!
Almost Famous
Reviewed by Liam
Cameron Crowe’s 2000 coming of age film, Almost Famous, follows William Miller, a genius, music loving, 15 year old, played by Patrick Fugit, as he tours with 70s rock band Stillwater. William lives what may or may not be my own personal dream by living the life of a Rockstar as a teenager, but I digress. This film is energetic, wholesome, and at times even heartbreaking. Most of the film feels like a rollercoaster, at least for me, as I remember that someone so close to my age is in the middle of all this mayhem. However, during select scenes, the movie feels like one of the most heartwarming coming of age stories ever. I highly recommend it for all teens. 8/10
The Batman, 2022
Reviewed by Liam
Matt Reeves’s 2022 action/thriller film The Batman, leaves current marvel and DC superhero movies in the dust as it brilliantly displays what the genre can be when truly captivating writing is behind it. Watchers could understandably be given the wrong idea by the comic book movie starring “the guys from Twilight,” but Robert Pattinson gives, in my opinion, the single best performance given by anyone who has attempted to portray the caped crusader on screen. Additionally, Paul Dano gives a terrifyingly creepy and, in my mind, one of his best performances as The Riddler, second to only his portrayal of Eli Sunday in There Will be Blood, 2007. Additionally, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrel as The Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Penny, and Jeffrey Wright, as Commissioner Gordon of the Gotham P.D. give the film its backbone and make an absolute must watch for 2022. I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike, regardless of its near three hour runtime.
Before Sunrise
Reviewed by Liam
Richard Linklater’s 1995 romantic masterpiece, Before Sunrise is the first film in what I consider to be, if not the greatest, the single most underrated trilogy of movies ever made. Before Sunrise follows Céline, played by Julie Delpy, and Jesse, played by Ethan Hawke, as they spend a night wandering Vienna, Austria, while waiting for a train/plane home, Céline to Paris and Jesse to the US. What is undoubtedly the most compelling aspect of this movie, and the entire trilogy, is Linklater’s dialogue. The entire film is essentially one long conversation and not once does it get dull or even remotely interesting, given the immensely captivating characters and scenery. I highly recommend 10/10.
Clueless
Reviewed by Liam
Amy Heckerling’s 1995 comedy/coming of age film Clueless stars Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz, a 16 year old high school student in Beverly Hills, California. Loosely based on Jane Austin’s 1851 novel Emma, the movie opens with Cher’s philosophical, college student, step-brother from her fathers failed marriage, played by Paul Rudd, coming to live with her, disrupting her seemingly perfect life. Cher lives at the absolute top of her high school’s food chain. With this confidence within her, she and her best friend Dionne, played by Stacy Dash, decide to give new girl, Tai, played by Brittany Murphy, a makeover. Through this Cher inadvertently makes Tai even more popular than she is. Humbled by this and other romantic turmoil she comes into her own. With the undeniable chemistry between Silverstone and Rudd along with the simply entertaining and fun nature of the film I highly recommend this for teens and young adults everywhere. 8/10
Frances Ha
Reviewed by Liam
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig’s drama/comedy film Frances Ha follows 27 year old dancer-choreographer Frances Hallady, played by Greta Gerwig, as she tries to find herself while living in New York City. Greta Gerwig, to me, is an extremely interesting and quite unique film writer and director. One can notice very distinct similarities between Frances Ha and her more acclaimed film Lady Bird. Even though they are stylistically different, Frances Ha being in black and white, along with a ten year difference in the protagonists’ ages, the powerful themes of not knowing who you are or what you’re meant to be are extremely prevalent in both and I am very eager to see what more this writer/director has in store for the future. I highly recommend, 9/10.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Reviewed by Liam
Wes Anderson’s 2014 feature, The Grand Budapest Hotel, proves that style and substance can thrive together in this director’s films. This is perhaps one of the most stylistically ambitious yet visually pleasing movies I have ever seen. The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the story of quite possibly the world’s best concierge, Monsieur Gustave, played by Ralph Fiennes, and his protégé, Zero Moustafa, played by both Tony Revolori and F. Murray Abraham, as they navigate Europe and their jobs at the Grand Budapest. If asked to sum up this film in one word I would say “fun”. It is endlessly entertaining and a relatively easy watch, given its 100 min runtime. I highly recommend it for pretty much anyone. 10/10
La Haine
Reviewed by Liam
Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 indie drama masterpiece, La Haine follows three young men over the course of 24 hours as they navigate one of the poorest suburbs of Paris, coping with a brutal attack on a friend of theirs by a police officer. The sense of community created between the friends and area they live in immediately compels the watcher into caring for and enjoying the clearly distraught and flawed characters. While there are humorous moments, this brilliantly executed French picture tackles rough topics including racism, classism, and police brutality, and is not for the faint of heart. Regardless of plot, anyone interested in film in the slightest should give La Haine a watch for its incredibly interesting unique cinematography and style. Even though it is not a particularly easy watch for non French Speakers or those accustomed to movies in color, I highly recommend it for older teens and adults, given its intense nature. 10/10
The Royal Tenenbaums
Reviewed by Liam
Wes Anderson’s 2001 comedy/drama film The Royal Tenenbaums follows a wealthy dysfunctional family trying to reconnect after years of separation in light of their father, Royal, played by Gene Hackman, being allegedly diagnosed with cancer. The intrigue of this family comes partially from the father’s charisma, but mostly the three prodigy children, Chas, a financial and business genius, played by Ben Stiller, Margot, a brilliant child playwright, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and accomplished tennis athlete/falconer Richie, played by Luke Wilson. Wes Anderson beautifully portrays these character’s struggle to exist in a world in which they are no longer at the top of their respective fields. Furthermore, Gene Hackman gives a memorable and classically Anderson performance as the titular Royal Tenenbaum as his character tries to bring his family back together through abstractly entertaining and creative methods with the help from his butler Pegoda, played by Kumar Pallana. Director Wes Anderson creates, in my opinion, a masterpiece and his best film to date. The Royal Tenenbaums is, at its core, a fun and comforting movie with ups and downs that keeps an audience enthralled and entertained through its 110 minute runtime. I HIGHLY recommend for lovers of Wes Anderson, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, the Wilson brothers, Bill Murray, and Danny Glover. 10/10
Rushmore
Reviewed by Liam
Wes Anderson’s 1998 comedy\coming of age film Rushmore follows Max Fischer, played By Jason Swartzman, an eccentric 15 year old boy as he navigates life, in and out of, Rushmore prep school. In my opinion, it is during this movie that Anderson captures what makes his films so special and interesting. This could possibly have something to do with his first ever casting of actor Bill Murray as Max’s adult friend, Herman Blume. In my opinion, Bill Murray plays nearly the same character in almost all of his appearances in Wes Anderson’s movies. Murray’s performance in particular is what I think gives this film the charm and feeling of so many other great Anderson movies. Highly recommend, 8/10
Tangled
Reviewed by Lydia
Tangled was an amazing movie and yes it may be a bit old but it is still worth the watch I have and will re-watch this movie as many times as I can. From the beautiful songs, the romance, the secrets everything just felt like it was meant to be and nothing felt weird or out of place. This movie is also suitable for people of all ages, I watched this movie as a kid and still re-watch the movie to this day. Me (who is 13) and my sister (who is 6) have both watched this movie together. My friends who are also 12-13 all had a karaoke party type thing and dang along which shows how many people have watched it and enjoyed it. This movie is a work of art and I believe that you should watch this movie and if you have a sibling or any family member who hasn’t seen this movie to watch it.
Breakthrough
Reviewed by Sandy
The movie is basically about a Christian family (only one child, adopted). The main characters name was John Smith he and his friends were play on a frozen lake when a guy came and told them it was dangerous. However they didn’t listen and suddenly the ice breaks and John falls in. He was in the water for about 20 mins until someone got him out. Once the mom got to the hospital, the doctors tell her that her son is dead. She then starts praying and praying. Suddenly after about 45 minutes Johns heart to beat again. However he is on life support and all the doctors don’t know what to do. The parents to go the best doctor in the country and even he says that John wont make it through the night. John’s mom just wont accept it and she prays and stays everyday with her son. On one night their pastor and friends and family came to outside the hospital with candles and started to sing “Oceans” (a Christian song), meanwhile, his dad was giving up faith that John was going to make it. So what do you think will this be the end of John’s story or will he get a second chance to live?
This City Isn’t Big Enough by Apes of the State
Reviewed by Allison
Based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, folk punk band Apes of the State has a very unique style. Their first album, This City Isn’t Big Enough, is drenched with such strong emotions in songs you can’t help but want to scream at the top of your lungs. Compounded with a natural and acoustic style that helps to highlight the heart that went into the writing of these songs, this album, to me, is one of the best expressions of what makes us human. Most songs are derived from personal experience, from the grief in trying to find your way as a young adult found in songs like Bill Collector’s Theme Song and Timeline, to finding the gentle love in basic human connections like in Strangers, to the feelings that come from an angry, loud, and messy heartbreak found in a song like Plate Glass Apology. The entire album spans a bit less than 30 minutes, so it’s the perfect length to just put on and listen to the whole way through. Songs range from being rough, soft, loud, quiet, angry, and understanding, though above all else, every single one comes from a place of humanity and passion. I always tend to appreciate being a person a little bit more after experiencing, and I think it should be required listening for every young person.
Revolver by The Beatles
Reviewed by Declan
The Beatles Revolver album has really made me aware of the influence they had on rock music. Each track is something entirely new, and has a presence, from a simple acoustic guitar, to sitars all the way from India. You can really tell who wrote what song, and the vocals help to bring them to life. One of the best songs on the album in my opinion, is “For No One,” a sad-ish song about somebody having to deal with their significant other moving on from them. It uses just a bass, Piano, trumpet and vocals. You really feel the song. Same could go for “I’m Only Sleeping.” A song basically about not wanting to get up in the morning. Something everyone can relate to. The album has influenced many, and I’m sure it will influence more to come.
The White Album by The Beatles
Reviewed by Declan
When I first heard the full thing I was blown away. I had heard snippets of songs before, but since I got it on CD I’ve been able to listen to it fully again and again. The music sounds like something The Beatles would make, it can jump from bouncy songs to not so happy songs, and, even songs with stories written into them. This album is an experience, and a very good one at that. Makes me want to listen to more of their music, and thankfully I can with my record player. The White Album is one of my favorite albums they have produced, and I haven’t even listened to their full discography yet.
Hold the Girl by Rina Sawayama
Reviewed by Gianna
Rina Sawayama has always been my favorite music artist (highly recommended, by the way), and this album just further solidified my love for her music. It’s a very cohesive mix of various different music styles, but it all comes together and has recurring themes that you can pick out, and one common sound and voice with many different songs. My favorites were Hurricane, Hold the Girl, and Forgiveness. Sawayama combines grunge vocals, 2000s pop rock, and UK beats together to create a very uniquely modern yet nostalgic sound. And the stories behind some of her songs are very heartwarming, too, like Send My Love to John. It’s a wonderful blend of storytelling, personal experience, and music.
Midnight Memories by One Direction
Reviewed by Isabella
This album by one direction is absolutely amazing! All of the songs are outstanding and have a lot of meaning. There is the perfect combination of very upbeat dance songs and then the mellow ones to balance out the vibe of the album. This album is the third one direction album and is totally different than their first and second album, which is something that makes this album so much better.
Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils
Reviewed by Ariana
If you are looking for high quality colored pencils, Prismacolor’s are wonderful. Are they the absolutely best on the market? No. However, these are so significantly better than the average colored pencils, like Crayola’s. They go on paper smoothly and blend extremely well, and when you use them, you can immediately tell that they are quality pencils. I have created pieces that I’m extremely proud of using just these. In addition, professional artists use these and create unbelievable pieces—some of which you can’t even tell aren’t photographs. If you want to draw and have quality supplies, these are worth the investment, despite their prices. However, as for downfalls, the tips can break rather easily for quality colored pencils. These cannot take as much of a beating as some other brands. However, again, they are still much better than the average colored pencils (like Crayola’s).
Wing Stop
Reviewed by Aakash
Wing Stop is a new restaurant that opened on Hempstead Turnpike next to the Izumi. It is by my school so I went to it pretty often. Wings are one of my favorite foods so I have a little bias but I thought they had good wings. I tried most of their flavors, both boneless and bone-in wings. I like the boneless wings better than the bone-in wings because I feel like they were more juicy and they were bigger. Wing Stop had one of the best bleu cheese I have ever had. It tasted fresh and had a nice cheesy taste. However, I thought the flavors can be a little spicier and more unique. I like spicy but I did not think the wings were spicy. Overall, I like Buffalo Wild Wings better but Wing Stop is still good, especially due to the fact that it is very close.
Vincent’s Clam Bar
Reviewed by Michael
My family went to dinner at Vincent’s Clam Bar and it’s one of my new favorite places. We had a reservation so we didn’t have to wait at all. I got a lemonade that came in a fancy cup with sugar around the edge. We all liked our food and especially the bread. But my favorite thing is how fast the food comes out. We didn’t have to wait for a long time at all. They got our food to us really fast and it tasted good. I had penne alla vodka that was good. The only thing I didn’t like was the room was really crowded. But it didn’t bother me too much and I would go back again.
Cheddar Cheese
Reviewed by Ryan
Cheddar cheese, truly the greatest food item to ever exist in the history of man. It is crafted to reach quintessential states, it is perfection embodied in food. The moment the divine delicacy makes contact with your taste buds, a shiver is sent down your spine, a shiver of pure pleasure and happiness. Those who have not tasted cheddar cheese before are yet to be enlightened by its perfection. The moment you taste even a small portion of cheddar cheese, your eyes open up to see the world and the universe in a completely different way. Your points of view on how things work in general immediately change, and you can see through a pair of eyes you yourself do not own. It is impossible to put this perfection into words, the tongue of man cannot describe this divine piece of food.
Flour Shoppe
Reviewed by Sophia
Flour Shoppe in Rockville Centre is my favorite place to go out for breakfast. The chocolate chip pancakes are huge and fluffy. The bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches are also delicious. My favorite thing to do is get one of each and share because it’s too hard to choose just one. My mom’s favorite thing on the menu is the California omelet. She said it’s the best omelet she’s ever had. Four Shoppe also has so many desserts and pastries. Sometimes we pick one or two to have after breakfast or to take home for later. The chocolate mousse is so good! Sometimes my brother and I have a hard time on agreeing where we want to eat and what we want to eat, but we never disagree when it comes to Flour Shoppe!
Stranger Things
Reviewed by Abigail
Stranger Things was made in 2016 and the show takes place in the 1980s. The town is Hawkins, a fictional town but in the real state of Indiana. This show is made with some of my favorite actors who made the show even better. Some of the actors were Millie Bobby Brown who played Eleven, Joe Kerry who played Steve, and Noah Schnapp who played Will. I was Max for Halloween, she is another character from Stranger Things. I love all the characters in this show, but my favorite is Dustin. Dustin is funny and smart but he gets bullied by these two kids that go to school with him.
In conclusion, Stranger Things is a really good show and if you haven’t watched it you definitely should! I really thought it was going to be a scary show but then I watched it with my family and was not scared.
Heartbreak High
Reviewed by Gianna
This might just be my new favorite show. It’s set in a high school just outside Sydney, Australia, and the students there are in all sorts of trouble. It starts with the main character, Amerie Wadia, and her best friend, Harper, creating a map that details the romantic relationships of the entire school. When it’s discovered, chaos ensues, and Amerie becomes a social pariah. It’s sort of like if Euphoria was way more age-appropriate and didn’t have as many drugs. It’s also really funny and geared towards GenZ humor. There are lots of funny jokes in it, and at first I thought it would be just another rip-off of Euphoria or any other stupid teenage coming of age show that isn’t actually that good and only follows a formula, but it’s actually quite original, thought-provoking, and super funny.
Russian Doll
Reviewed by Gianna
This is one of my all-time favorite shows. It’s super funny and has a very interesting plotline. Basically, it’s about this woman, Nadia, who, on her birthday, dies, but gets stuck in a time loop, kind of like Groundhog Day. She sort of freaks out and tries to find answers, although she kind of runs into a dead end. Then she meets someone else, who also keeps dying and is stuck in the loop, Alan. Together, they work to try to figure out what’s going on and how to remedy their precarious situation. The show is an in-depth character study on two very interesting people and how they react to such a traumatic situation. The characters are super lovable and it’s genuinely the most interesting show I’ve ever watched.
The Crown
Reviewed by Kristen
The Crown, a Netflix series dramatizing the history of England’s monarchy dating back to the beginning of Queen Elizabeth II reign. Although this series depicts some historical moments in a more dramatic manner than truly anticipated, this series captures the stories behind the affairs, wars, political, and social issues that all played a role in shaping the Queen and her ways of ruling. Not only does this show guide us through the stories behind the monarchy, it reveals a true sense of humanity in these political figures that we don’t typically see from rulers. At the end of the day, viewers realize that the Queen and her family are forced to show different sides of themselves to the public rather than their true selves. The Crown recognizes the monarchs real identities and personal struggles, and how they are no different than everyday people.
Big Shot
Reviewed by Naomi
Do you like sports? Well Big Shot is about a girls basketball team with a new coach. The coach was a D1 boys basketball coach until an unfortunate event. They are in the last high school division, with their new coach they are striving to move up a division. The show displaces how the use of teamwork can get you places. Will they be able to move up a division with their new profound use of teamwork? What do you think?
Bondi Rescue
Reviewed by Naomi
Bondi Rescue is a tv series about live guards who work on an Australian beach. Bondi beach is filmed in Australia and tends to attract tourists from all around the world. Bondi rescue brings you into the lives of life guards. The dangers of the rough waters and waves and being swept out to sea is always a concern for life guards. Through the use of jet skies and boards these lifeguards risk their lives to save someone who is drowning.
Arcane
Reviewed by Nicole
The series is so amazing! I could watch it over and over again. They give back rounds to each character so that you know more about them, which I really like. I feel like you could connect with so many of the characters. They’re all so special and different in their own ways. There are some characters that are honestly really awful people, but I feel like every show has to have those kinds of characters anyway. I really love the storyline too. It separates the show from any other kind of show I’ve watched. There’s love, hate, friendship, teamwork, and so many other things that I can’t remember. The animation is so incredible too I can’t even explain it. The only negative thing I could say about the show is that there’s only one season, and it ended on a cliffhanger. Other than that, I definitely recommend watching it!
