InvestiGATORS: Heist and Seek

By: John Patrick Green

InvestiGATORS: Heist and Seek, is about two Alligators named Mango and Brash. They are secret undercover agents working for a crime-stopping agency called S.U.I.T., which stands for Special Undercover Investigation Teams. In this book, which is book number six, they encounter an art thief who has stolen all of the most important paintings in the world before an important art gala at the art museum! Then, they search some warehouses, and they find the art and return it to the museum. But then, during the gala, everyone suddenly starts puking all over the place, and the art! It turns out that the snacks at the party were all expired, and in the midst of all of the chaos, the paintings are loaded into an armored truck, and driven straight into a fireworks factory, destroying all of the paintings but one of them. When they reached the surviving painting though, they took it to the General Inspector, the leader of S.U.I.T., but then later realized it was a fake, and that the art thief had created incredibly realistic copies of the paintings and made it look like all of the paintings had been destroyed. So, while all of the guests of the Gala are being treated by doctors for their extreme food poisoning, Mango and Brash search the warehouses and find the real artwork, safe and sound in the one warehouse that they hadn’t searched before. Then, they found the art museum caretaker, who is a cheetah, in the warehouse with the real art. Then, Mango and Brash tricked her into getting into a police van and then they turned her in. They called her “the copycat” in art school because she was so good with forgeries and copying other people’s work. Then, they take the “copycat” to jail, and they return the paintings to the art museum. 

Now, John Patrick Green is making a 7th book in the series, InvestiGATORS: All Tide Up, in case you want to continue the series. But before you read this book, make sure you catch up on the first 5 books in the series! Also, I hope you enjoy the series as much as I did!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

★★★★☆- 4.5 out of 5

This is an absolutely amazing, well done, and thought-out book overall! I loved the middle to end, with all of the action and it never let me put the book down.

Plot-★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) ➡ The plot is what took my full review down by 0.5. The middle through the end of the novel was captivating and I could hardly bring myself to put it down, but the beginning was very slow and not interesting at all. This is normal for the beginning of books in series, so I wasn’t very upset- as the end of the book made up for it. The climax, also, wasn’t very exciting, since the book was full of very exciting parts (which, again, is not a very bad thing- just a different style of writing).

Characters-★★★★★ (4.5 out of 5) ➡ I know there is a lot of 4.5’s, but nothing can be perfect! 😀 I loved ALL of the characters, but they pretty obviously acted and seemed like Harry Potter characters. The main characters showed great growth and character development!

I would recommend this book and series for all 10–14-year-olds! If you haven’t read this, you should! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Frankly in Love

Frankly in love by David Yoon is a book about a Korean American boy named Frank Li. In his high school he meets an amazing and kind girl named Brit Means. She is white. Frank’s parents want Frank to marry a Korean girl, for whatever reason he doesn’t really know. So, he comes up with what he thinks is a genius plan. He and his friend, Joy Song, (who is in the same predicament with her Chinese boyfriend Wu Tang) decide to fake date so that they can both go out with their partners. But when things with his parents start to go south, Frank has to try to get out of the mess he had gotten himself into. This book kept me giddy and guessing from beginning to end and the result utterly surprised me. I love this book and it’s relatable feeling to live up to expectations all while trying to make the best of the youth you have left. I would definitely recommend this book to people who need a little break from all of the drama.

If You Could See the Sun

 

“Yes, is the obvious answer. I do hate you. I hate everything about you. I hate you so much that whenever I’m around you, I can barely think straight. I can barely even breathe.”

Overview:

If You Could See the Sun is Ann Liang’s Fantasy Fiction YA debut.

Summary:

Alice Sun is a bright, diligent student who attends her elite Beijing international boarding school. She has her whole life planned out: she wishes to graduate top of her class, attend a top university and obtain a satisfactory job. Her life takes a sudden turn right before her award ceremony, and her parents have a serious talk with her. Alice is shocked to learn that her parents can no longer afford her tuition, despite the scholarship. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she starts turning invisible. She’s always felt invisible in a sea of her wealthy classmates, but this was another level- she was physically invisible. Alice uses her quick thinking to put her two problems together in order to find a solution to both. She could use her invisibility to discover and sell the secrets of China’s richest teens to her classmates that want to know. With this business, she could finish her studies at Beijing International without her family worrying about money. But Alice do it on her own. She seeks the assistance of her 4-year-academic rival, Henry Li. As the school year progresses, things only get harder. She has trouble balancing her IB level classwork and tasks start to escalate from petty scandals to literal crimes. With her newfound power comes responsibility and an important choice. Alice has to decide if helping her family is worth losing her conscience or even her life.

Rating:

If You Could See the Sun is a lighthearted, beautifully written novel with intriguing characters. This drama-filled book is perfect for readers who enjoy a good rivals-to-lovers romance. My only complaint was that I wished it was longer!

4.5/5

The Darkest Minds Book Review

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Genre:

The Darkest Minds is a dystopian and fictional book

Overview:

The Darkest Minds features a dystopian American society where every kid and teen is being rounded up and put into government camps because of their “supernatural” abilities. This happened because they survived a mysterious virus that killed most kids. The remaining kids were known as the Psi, developed unnatural abilities and were put into camps for the safety of the country. The abilities fall into one of five classifications. “Greens” have advanced intelligence, “Blues” can levitate objects, “Yellows” can control electricity, “Oranges” can enter people’s minds, and “Reds” can control fires. 

Summary (WARNING: MIGHT BE SOME SPOILERS):

The story follows a 16 year-old named Ruby, who is being held in a government camp in Thurmond, West Virginia. She has been in this camp for 6 years now. She was classified as a Green, but she took over the scientist’s mind to convince him; Ruby was actually an Orange. She lost her best friend, Sam, in camp because she accidentally wiped her memory, and Ruby couldn’t tell people she was an Orange because all Reds and Oranges were being rounded up and killed. Eventually, Ruby, with the help of a doctor named Cate, escapes camp with another Orange boy named Martin. Cate says she is part of the Children’s League, an organization that opposes the camps. However, when Ruby accidentally uses her powers on Cate’s boyfriend Rob, she finds out that they were killing Psi kids. Leaving Martin behind, Ruby runs away and stumbles into a small girl named Zu. Zu leads Ruby to a small group of Psi kids: Zu is a Yellow and doesn’t speak because of traumatizing events, Liam, a Blue, was the leader, and Charles, also a Blue, was intelligent. Joining the group, their main goal is to find a camp that is rumored to be a safe haven for Psi kids. However, getting there isn’t easy as there are many dangers, like bounty hunters, and they only have a vague clue of where this camp is located. Can Ruby and her new friends find the camp? Who can she trust? And is the camp as amazing as everyone says it is? Read the Darkest Minds to find out.

Rating:

The Darkest Minds is perfect for teens and young adults interested in the supernatural and a dystopian society. Due to a lot of violence, I would recommend this book to kids 14 or more years. With action, adventure, and betrayal, I would give this book a solid 9/10.

Reviewed by Akshobya P.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

All the way from when I first picked up the book to when I put it down at the very end, sobbing my eyes out, this book never failed at being amazing. It had everything you could ever want; comedy, romance, absolute destruction of your soul, etc. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of the very few books that I would rate a solid 5 stars, and it is the very first book to ever make me sob. And while I wouldn’t read it again (for fear of my soul actually collapsing from emotional pain), I would definitely recommend it to someone. One hundred percent sure.

Usually, I struggle with connecting to stories; instead tending to judge how well it’s written, or how well built the characters are. However, this book was different. Although I at first had difficulty remembering the characters, by the end of the first few chapters, I was already in love with each and every single person. I can recall every person in the story; not because they’re so easy to remember, but because they were portrayed as actual people living life instead of characters in a story. I fell in love with Liesel, who was so brave and strong and yet not one of the stereotypical heroes in stories. I fell in love with Rudy, who was the funny strong boy who still had a soft heart. I fell in love with Max, who cared so much and deserved the world. I fell in love with Ms. Hotzapfel and her son, Michael Hotzapfel, who deserved so much more than they were given. And there’s so many more that I simply don’t have time for, but oh, I wish I did. Every single one of the characters in the story deserve for their own story to be told and shared.

The Book Thief also did a lovely job of telling the story itself; the pacing didn’t seem too rushed nor bored the reader by spending too much time on an unimportant plot point. The narrator is Death, which is an interesting twist on regular storytelling. However, it fits perfectly. Death is always lingering about in the story’s setting, and the fact that even Death is a character makes the entire story more touching. However, while some may perceive as Death with the stereotype of dark and moody, the Book Thief represents Death as a tired worker who simply toils under the large death toll. Readers can, in a way, relate to the narrator, connecting to the little commentary and annotations of the story. And this just makes the pain so much greater at the end. Because there is now one more character that you are emotionally attatched to.

Finally, the pain at the end. I’ve seen so many book try and fail at adding in major character death or a large plot twist. But this book did it perfectly. The absolute heart-wrenching pain at the end hurts so much, not because it was unexpected (the book pretty much tells you what happens at the very beginning) but because it was executed so well. I can’t explain it too much for fear of spoiling it, but it’s perfectly planned. What seems innocent at first leads to disaster, and readers can’t help but watch as it unfolds with the narrator.

The Book Thief is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It might even be my favorite period. It tells the story beautifully while teaching readers about history. It moves the plot along without rushing it. It creates so many different characters without making a single one flat. But at the end of the day, there’s only so much that words can do to explain the book. Because The Book Thief uses enough words to explain itself sufficiently.

The Final Gambit Book Review

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre:

The Final Gambit is a mystery thriller novel.

Summary (READ THE HAWTHORNE LEGACY FIRST, THEN READ BELOW):

Near the end of The Hawthorne Legacy, Avery finds out that her mother and Toby Hawthorne were in love together. It is also revealed that Avery has a half sister named Eve, who is the biological daughter of Toby Hawthorne, while Avery was not. After Grayson’s biological father Sheffield, who captures Avery, is stopped, Avery promises Toby to take care of Eve, but Toby decides not to stay. Heading into the final book of the series, Avery is only a few weeks away from turning 18 and becoming the richest teenager on Earth. However, when Eve arrives, things become more complicated. Meanwhile, there is one more dangerous and unknown puzzle, which could unlock the remaining secrets in the Hawthorne mansion, but Avery and the Hawthorne brothers have to face a powerful player. In this book, there is a lot of drama and mystery, with a surprising twist in the end. Who is this unknown player? What is his/her connection with Tobias Hawthorne? To find out, read The Final Gambit to solve the most elusive puzzle yet.

Rating:

The Final Gambit is the perfect ending to an amazing series, holding the same great qualities as the first two books. This book is appealing to kids above 10 years old, with the best puzzle in the series, plenty of drama, and a bountiful of secrets. With the perfect blend of drama and mystery, added with the shocking ending to the series, The Final Gambit easily deserves a rating of a 10/10.

Reviewed by Akshobya P.

The Hawthorne Legacy Book Review

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre:

The Hawthorne Legacy is a mystery thriller novel.

Summary (READ THE INHERITANCE GAMES FIRST, THEN READ BELOW):

The Hawthorne Legacy, the second book of the Inheritance Games series, continues right where The Inheritance Games left off, following the journey of 17 year old Avery Kylie Grambs. At the end of the first book, Avery learns that Skye, the Hawthorne brothers’ mother tried to kill her. Even more important, however, is that Tobias Hawthorne left another mystery for Avery and the Hawthorne brothers, which is that Toby Hawthorne, the old man’s son, is alive and they have to find him. In the second book, Avery and Jameson Hawthorne have a weird relationship because they kissed in the first book. With the help of the Hawthorne brothers, Avery attempts to find Toby Hawthorne but initially has trouble. Throughout the book, Avery follows a series of clues that point to Toby Hawthorne’s mysterious disappearance, while she is still struggling to adjust to a life of a billionaire. Why is Toby Hawthorne hiding? In danger again, will Avery be able to solve the shocking secrets of Toby Hawthorne? Read on to uncover a shocking ending to the book.

Rating:

The Hawthorne Legacy is and maybe even more entertaining than the first book. With a fresh new puzzle, even more shocking secrets, and more drama, this book is perfect for any reader above 11 or 12 years old.

Similar to the first book, The Hawthorne Legacy has the perfect mixture of mystery, entertainment and romance, which is appealing to many readers. I would rate this book a 10/10.

Reviewed by Akshobya P.

Big Nate: In Your Face!

Originally published: March 2, 2021

Big Nate: In Your Face! is a wonderful graphic novel by Lincoln Pierce and follows the middle school life of 6th grader, Nate Wright. The book is one of many in the series, and it is a fun and simple read. I really enjoyed the book for all  of the simple drawings, wonderful color, and, of course, the humor. In this book, the spotlight is on Nate’s hilarious middle school soccer team and his antics as their goalkeeper. Nate gets hit in the face, becomes  the coach, and even plays division one teams. There are also many other topics in this book about keeping up with his daily life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a simple and funny break. You don’t have to read all of the other books in the series to keep up with everything that happens in this volume, and it is enjoyable right from the start. These are my thoughts on the book Big Nate: In Your Face!

My Objective Thoughts on 1984 (Yes, the Book)

I’m going to be completely honest here. Trust me when I say that this book, yes this classic book that is praised and practically used as a political chunk of evidence, is in fact, overrated. It just is. I know so many people say that this is what a dystopia truly would look like, and they’re not wrong, it’s simply that this doesn’t hold up to a lot of modern aspects of society and that the book doesn’t actually focus on the dystopia itself, but the act of living in it.

I’m not saying the book is bad, but it certainly isn’t great. Orwell has a very superior book that actively portrays a dystopia and the effects of one better. And that book is Animal Farm. Now this isn’t going to be some compare and contrast essay. I just wanted to point out the fact the Orwell has a better book on this subject. I suggest you read that instead.

Now the main problems I have with 1984 is that it is segmented into three parts. Well, I am not mad about this, but it all comes down to the execution. The different parts of the book are so clearly separate that it doesn’t feel all too coherent. Basically it has a very good exposition that sets down a lot of rules in this world but then the second part is almost purely raunchy. Like, this is the raunchiest stuff I’ve read. Although that says a lot about me I suppose. But, it also says a lot about the active lack of plot. And then the third part is one very drawn out torture scene.

It just feels not good enough for something that is supposed to be the best example of a dystopia. It just isn’t.

Anyway, those were my objective thoughts on 1984.