Summer break is the perfect time to catch up on those countless number of books you’ve been wanting to read all year! Now that summer is over, we decided to write some book reviews on a few of the amazing novels we’ve read over the past three months.
1. The Gone Series by Micheal Grant
This is a sci-fi dystopian novel series, revolving around the characters Sam Temple, Astrid Ellison, Caine Soren, Little Pete, and a few other feisty teenagers. In this fictional town Perdido Beach in Southern California, all the adults disappear in the middle of a school day, leaving the children confused and panicked. But that’s not all. There’s a catch; some of the kids have powers! The town divides, and all the kids are trying to figure out how to survive in this chaos. It’s a great coming-of-age story that always keeps you on your toes.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t finish the entire series. It just wasn’t for me, and kind of bored me. Although I highly recommend anyone who likes this genre of books to give it a read! This book series has many fans, and I’m definitely willing to give it another try!
2. Simon Snow Series by Rainbow Rowell
One of my favorite series ever! Set in the same world described in Fangirl, this fantasy series focuses on a trio in a wizarding school called Watford, in London. It follows the story of the “Chosen One”, Simon Snow, and his friends Penelope Bunce, and Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch (otherwise known as Baz).
The trilogy tells the story of how Simon overcomes his hate of Baz and discovers who he truly is. It’s an amazing story filled with tons of action-packed suspense, romance, and comedy. 10/10, I definitely recommend reading it! Trust me, you won’t regret the nights you spend obsessing over this series!
3. Realm Breaker Series by Victoria Aveyard
I read the first book in this series in the winter of 2021, and this summer I read the stunning new sequel Blade Breaker. I absolutely love all of Victoria Aveyard’s books, especially Red Queen, and I was so excited when I found out she was writing another series! It’s set in a dystopian/fantasy world, where humans and immortals live harmoniously. The story is told in alternating perspectives, mostly focusing on a young girl named Coryane an-Amarat. She’s the daughter of a famous pirate and takes on her mother’s qualities of fearlessness, bravery, and defiance.
The novels follow her quest with Dom, an immortal prince, Andry, a royal squire, Sorasa, a former assassin, and Valtik, a witch. Together they go on multiple adventures to close the Spindle and defeat Taristan; another immortal and Erida; the Queen. This series is heart-stopping with its lethal action, twists and turns, and dynamic characters.
However, it’s not over yet…the author announced that there will be a third book, where we’ll find out the gratifying ending of this novel series, and I simply can’t wait! You should definitely check these books out!
4. The Last 8 Duology by Laura Pohl
Another sci-fi book series for any fans of alien apocalypse stories! This series is a thrilling survival story about eight teenagers who lived through an alien attack. These eight teenagers would be; Clover Martinez; headfast, strong, and a pilot, Brooklyn Spencer; a conspiracy theorist, Adam Foster; a total sweetheart, Flint Rogers; sarcastic and an epic star wars fan, Avani Sharma; super smart and the techie, Rayen Kindelay; brave, scary, and a fighter, Andy Walsh; the one no one knows much about, and Violet Deveraux; the Boss.
Together they take on the job of destroying the aliens and getting their planet back. You will find yourself totally immersed in the story, and it’s a definite must-read!
5. The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
This extra stellar series is for any sci-fi fans once again! After Earth is attacked, humans are evacuated onto three main spaceships: Alexander, Hypatia, and Copernicus. The three books are based on three different sets of characters. The book itself is very eye-alluring with black pages, words written in all different directions, illustrations, and computer log-style dialogues.
I myself didn’t enjoy this book as much as some other ones I’ve read, but I still think it’s an amazing and interesting novel series!
6. The Aristotle and Dante Duology by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
A midsummer story set in 1987, following the story of two young men, Aristotle (Ari) Mendoza and Dante Quintana. These two best friends meet each other at the pool and the books follow their lives as their relationship grows stronger. The two boys are so different yet so alike at the same time.
I absolutely loved this book! It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story, filled with heart-moving events. Definitely a 10/10 book!
Warning: you will cry reading this book. A LOT. I mean, full-on heart-wrenching sobs. It’s such an emotional story, and I highly recommend reading it! The books also really made me think about life and how I should be grateful for the family and friends that I have. A truly moving story.
7. The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Another sci-fi book series (I’ve been getting into them recently!) taking place in space. It tells the story of a group on a mission from the Aurora Academy; Aurora O’Malley, Tyler Jones, Scarlett Jones (a twin duo), Catherine (Cat) Brannock, Finian de Seel, Kaliis (Kal) Gilwraeth, and Zila Madran.
Aurora, who coincidentally has the same name as the academy, has been trapped on a floating spaceship for over a century. Saved by Tyler, she joins the group, but it’s quickly obvious that there’s something special about her. What is it? you might ask…well you’ll have to read it to find out!
I really enjoyed reading this series and loved it so much! This suspenseful series will keep you up at night, with its action-packed plot and upbeat surprises.
8. The Young Elites Trilogy by Marie Lu
My absolute favorite!!! This fantasy series follows the story of not a hero- but instead a villain. Which makes it such an amazing book series! In a post-plague world, the few survivors of the disease came out marked and with powers of their own kind. They were called the Young Elites and seen as being cursed and evil.
The main character Adelina Amouteru has to overcome many obstacles to rise in all her glory. After accidentally killing her father, Adelina is taken to prison. After being saved on the day of her execution by a group of Elites, Adelina has to learn how to master her powers, survive on her own, and save herself from being hurt.
After being used and played with multiple times, she decides she’s had enough and soon after becomes the Queen. You have to read this thrilling story! Another 10/10, and the ending is simply spectacular. Slightly sad, but still an awesome story!
9. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing was another coming-of-age murder mystery that was one of the best books I read this summer. Yes, I am aware of your thoughts. It's surely just another teen novel like all the others, but no. With its intertwined plot from two different periods that details the life of a young girl known as the "Marsh Girl," this book is quite unusual.
The first timeline depicts her growing up by herself in the remote marshes of our own North Carolina. The second timeline focuses on the inquiry into the murder of Chase Andrews, a well-known resident of the made-up North Carolina town of Berkley Cove. These two tales are far more connected than you might imagine.
What makes Chase Andrew so well-liked? The "Marsh Girl": Who is she? Why is that her name? How are they related? As you read this "Record Breaking #1 New York Times Bestselling phenomenon that has attracted millions of readers across the world," you can find out the answers to all of these questions!
That’s all for today! We hope you all enjoyed getting to know about these books. Stay in touch for the next post!
- Saha and Nicky
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