I'm excited to share these book reviews recently submitted by two of our teen volunteers. Sarah reviews Sadie by Courtney Summers and Olivia reviews The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. I hope you enjoy these, and maybe you'll find your next great read!
It can be terrifying knowing that we don’t really know anyone. We can establish a feeling of trust with them but their actions can be shocking and gut wrenching, each cell in our body covered with chills at this disbelief. Ultimately it is a game with ourselves. Wondering where we went wrong or what we could have done better to prevent it. Sadie Hunter unravels a world of the unknown in hopes to find answers and validation with regards to her sister’s death. She learns independence and self-worth when fighting this battle alone. In Sadie by Courtney Summers, you get to follow the suspenseful encounters and adventures she faces while at home, a radio host, West McCray tracks her steps trying to figure out what happened to her.
Sadie Hunter is on the search and is declared missing as she is trying to find her sister’s, Mattie Southern’s, killer. West McCray takes the challenge of trying to find Sadie as worry is rising in Cold Creek, Colorado. Sadie’s mother, Claire, abandoned her and her sister when Mattie was eleven to live through her alcohol addicted reality. May Beth Foster, their “adoptive” mother watched over them but Sadie had an eye like a hawk over Mattie and dictated her whole life solely out of protection and fear that she would lose her to. Sadie unravels many secrets from people of her past and meets people from all different kinds of towns, making friends and enemies along the way. From Ray’s Diner, to Silas Baker in Montgomery and the Bluebird Hotel, danger is a prevalent factor that Sadie endures throughout her journey, keeping an eye out to stay safe physically but also trying to keep hold of her sanity in the process. But the mystery of Mattie’s killer is that motivation factor that never leaves her mind no matter how horrifying it may be.
In all honesty I decided to tackle this book as it was Barnes and Nobles monthly pick and I heard good reviews about it! I really enjoyed Little White Lies by Philippa East and wanted to read another thriller. This plot really does emphasize how manipulative and mysterious people can be. Putting on a blank face and an act around you and others to hide their darkest intentions. I enjoyed how Summers convinced the reader that it could be one suspect but then had you thinking again when another suspicious character was added to the storyline and their background with Sadie and her family. The ending definitely took a twist and left you more in interpreting what you think happened than being very direct with it. Personally, it was not one of my favorite books but if you are at the age of 14 or 15 and love reading mysterious thrillers, then I would recommend this book to you! According to GoodReads, a book similar to Sadie is Wilder Girls by Rory Power! This book follows a girl searching for her missing classmate escaping the school while they are supposed to be quarantined because of an infectious outbreak and facing the dangers ahead.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is about a girl who is trying not to get deported, and a boy who has to tell his parents he wants to be a poet. This is an excellent book because it touches on mature subjects like deportation and illegal immigrants, but explains them in a great way. This story is told from multiple different perspectives, so you can see how it is through another character's eyes. The perspective changes are usually between the two main characters, Natasha Kingsley and Daniel Jae Won Bae, but sometimes through minor characters' eyes, like Natasha’s dad and the Woman at the customs office. I would recommend The Sun is Also a Star to anyone who likes realistic fiction and romantic novels. The age group I would recommend would probably be 12 and above. Overall, The Sun is Also a Star is a great book about romance and deportation, and I would definitely read a second time.
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Have you read either of these books? What did you think? Have you read anything lately you would recommend to other teens? Let us know in the comments.
You can find both of these books in the young adult section of the library. Use these links to place a hold:
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