Penfield Public Library's YA Lit Reviews

Ender’s Game , the first novel of the Ender-verse series, is a futuristic story written by American novelist Orson Scott Card. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, who may be the military prodigy that Earth exceedingly needs in a war against an alien assailant, competes in a no-gravity game created by the instructors at the Battle School (a large space-school orbiting earth). Yet unknowingly, Ender is involved in something far crueler and desperate. As the story progresses, so do the themes of human atrocity and symbolism, utilized by Orson Scott Card to offer the reader an extraordinary environment entrenched in the science-fiction world.  Ender’s Game presents meaningful and lucid imagery that our world does not offer, ethics expressing that there is no right or wrong decisions, and unpredictable plot twists. Orson Scott Card, by writing Ender’s game, displayed many literacy techniques in the universe of Ender Wiggin – creating an entire series of books worth reading. This series is recommende...

The Hill House is a place of horror and madness. Stories of ghost sightings, death, and other supernatural events fill its history. Naturally, where there is a mystery, there are always people to solve it. Meet Dr. Montague: a philosopher. He set out to the Hill House to find a scientific explanation for all the supernatural events. He needed assistants however, so he chose three people: Eleanor, Theodora, and Luke. This group then experiences terrifying events during their week-long stay, while experiencing conflict between them. This was an amazing read. I felt very engaged while reading. I love how I was able to see what type of people they are thanks to Shirley Jackson’s work. I recommend this to people who are into horror topics, or people who are looking for something continuously engaging. -Reviewed by Aaron

A Game of Thrones is the first book in the series. I love this novel because it always had me wanting to read more and not wanting to put the book down. The author describes the scenario so clearly that it almost feels as if you were there. The characters' feelings and thoughts are described so thoroughly it makes them seem lifelike.  A Game of Thrones is a science fiction book which also includes the political system of lords and lordships.  I highly recommend this book to those of you who have liked the books in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan, and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and the book Eragon by Christopher Paolini . -Reviewed by Olivia

  Esperanza Ortega had the perfect life. Her father was the owner of a big ranch called  El Rancho De Rosas. She had money, a big house, beautiful dresses, and lots of friends. However, on the eve of her 14th birthday,  tragedy struck. It was a tremendous  blow to her and the whole family. More troubles forced Esperanza and her mother to flee their home. She had lost everything. Her life was uprooted and had turned upside down.  I loved this book; it is a fantastic work of art. I love how Pam Munoz Ryan shows how Esperanza has changed as a result of her troubles. This is a story of fear, love, heartbreak, loss, and determination. I would recommend this to just about anyone who wants to learn a little bit about Mexican culture, and those who are looking for a captivating read. -Reviewed by Aaron

Life As We Knew It is a fictional diary about a 16-year-old girl named Miranda who lived in Pennsylvania. When she first heard warnings about an asteroid hitting the moon, she easily dismisses them, just like everyone else. But when a fatal event causes the moon to knock closer into orbit, altering Earth’s climate, Miranda’s life drastically changes. Grocery stores run out of food, gas prices go up, and everything else is completely closed. Miranda witnesses catastrophes like mass tsunamis, weather changes, and more, all while writing in a diary almost every day. She writes about struggles between her family, friends, and how hard it is to survive. But just as everyone may seem to get used to this apocalyptic world, another catastrophe happens completely sending life out of control once more. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy science fiction or apocalyptic books.  -Reviewed by Vivienne

                Prisoner B-3087 is a heartbreaking novel about a Jewish boy’s struggle to survive in concentration camps. Yanek Gruener was only 10 years old when Hitler started his war against Jews. Yanek had to learn how to share his apartment flat with several other families and how to work for hours just to get barely enough food. At only 13 years old, Yanek was sent to his first concentration camp.  Follow Yanek through 10 painful, murderous, and deadly concentration camps where every minute is a struggle to survive, and every day is a miracle to live through. It is a truly fascinating tale based on a real Jewish man who lived through the dreadful experience of brutal concentration camps that seemed impossible to live through. -Reviewed by Vivienne