Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Antonio Sanchez Ortiz 

Plot Summary:
This book follows two teenagers named Eleanor and Park, who meet on the bus after Eleanor comes as a new student to the school and Park is forced to sit with her after yelling at her for taking his seat. After this moment they start sitting together on the bus and we start seeing their relationship develop and throughout the book we see the struggles that Eleanor has to face throughout the book that also impact Park.

Critical Evaluation:
This book would be an 8.5/10 since during this book you feel as if you are with the characters and you won't want to let go of the book, but some parts in the story are too "perfect" without little to non-struggles. This book makes you question everyone's background because of how Park has a nice background and Eleanor has a tough background but each has their own struggles. It also makes you realize that you should walk a mile in another person's shoes in order to understand their struggles without judging them.

Good-bye Days by Jeff Zenter

   

Anayency Favela

Plot Summary
Carver Briggs has everything: a perfect family, a good school and three best friends, Mars, Blake, and Eli. Until one day when Carver texts Mars to ask them where they are and he never texts back. Later Carver finds out that they had been killed in a car accident and the police found Mars phone texting Carver back. Now Carver blames himself and Mars's dad, judge Edwards, is opening up a crime investigation.

Critical Evaluation 
Goodbye Days reminds us that you never know when something bad can happen to the ones you love.  Jeff Zentner tells us to acknowledge the ones you love by dedicating your time to them. In the book, Carver dedicates his time to his best friends by having a "goodbye days" where they do things the dead person would love. For example, Blake loved to fish, so they spend the time fishing.

I give this book a 10/10 because it's filled with sadness, heartbreaking moments and it taught me to spend more time with my loved ones.

It by Stephen King

Maria Donlucas

Plot Summary
The terror begins in 1957 when Georgie is killed by Pennywise the clown. Pennywise the clown is also called It because he can turn into your worst nightmare or someone you love. Bill, Beverly, Eddie, Stanley, Ben, Richie and Mike have all seen the clown and seen the horrible things IT has done. Now they must find a way to kill IT before he kills more innocent kids.
  
Critical Evaluation
Stephen King asks us if we should kill our nightmare or hide away and hope IT doesn't kill us. At first the kids are scared of what IT can do to them because IT has killed so many innocent children. The kids find out that IT would not leave them alone until they are buried 6 feet underground. They all stick together and fight against IT's nightmare of illusions. Nevertheless, the kids fight back against IT to survive the Derry horror. 

IT the book is more detailed than the movie. IT gives you the thrill you need in a book. IT makes you think of your worst nightmares but makes you always want to keep reading. I give this book a 10/10 stars because it makes you go beyond your imagination and gives you the creeps. 

Grendel's Guide to Love and War by A.E. Kaplan

Haotian Jiang

Plot Summary
Tom Grendel was supposed to have a peaceful summer vacation by earning money through lawn mowing, and hanging out with his best friend, Ed Park. Everything changes when Tom's old neighbor moves away, and the new neighbor, the Rothgar family moves in. Tom has a crush on Willow Rothgar, but he hates her brother Rex Rothgar because of all the things he has done to ruin Tom's perfect summer. Everything goes wrong for Tom after the Rothgars move in, and now it is up to Tom to fix everything that has been broken after his mom's death.

Critical  Evaluation
 If I would write an essay on this book, I would talk about "What does the book tell you about communication and family?" Tom's family was shattered after his mom's death, but nobody in the family really talks about the real issue, and this only makes his family more broken than it already is. I strongly recommend you read this book because it shows how important it is to communicate to your family in order to built a strong bond among the family.

 I would give this book a 10 out of 10. I have never read any book like this before. The complicated relationships between the characters made the book really fun to read. And there are funny moments and serious moments which balance out the story's purpose.

Cure for the Common Universe By Christian Mckay Heidicker

Haotian Jiang

Plot Summary

A boy named Jaxon is sent to video game rehab because his dad is tired of his laziness and disrespectful attitude. Later on, Jaxon tries to escape the video game rehab by cheating in the games so that he can go on his first date with a mysterious girl who’s “anti-technology”.

Critical Evaluation

I give this book a 10 out of 10 because, although the book itself is funny, it still shows the readers that how harmful it can get when you become addicted to video games. The lesson I learned from the book is that what you learn in the real world is much more useful than what you learn in a fiction world. Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

By Maria Donlucas

Plot Summary
Christopher is a 16-year old boy. He is short, has brown hair and brown eyes. He has a pet named Toby which is a rat. He wants to take level A math which involves physics. He is mentally ill and can't talk to stranger or be touched by anyone even his father. He hates the color yellow and brown. A dog died named Wellington with a pitchfork to his stomach. Now Christopher wants to find out who killed Wellington but along the way the ones that loved him won't be by his side.

Evaluation
I give this book a 10/10 because it had adventure and mystery. Another reason is because it always kept you on your toes. There was never a part where I didn't want to read it. Once you pick up the book it will become your favorite. Christopher the main character is very interesting. He is complicated like a puzzle but once you put the pieces together you start to know who he is. He has no friends which makes me like Christopher because I always have to be surrounded by people. To get a perspective of someone who does not have friends is very interesting. Christopher also shows to never give up and the ones you love will end up hurting you the most.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Antonio Sanchez Ortiz

Plot Summary:  

After Shadow gets out of jail he meets a mysterious man named Mr.Wednesday, who offers him a job. While working for Mr.Wednesday his whole life changes and he discovers a whole new world filled with Gods. He also has to deal with his now dead wife who somehow comes to life again, and he tries to finds a way to bring her back.

Critical Evaluation:

I would give this book a 10/10 for its plot, structure, and many character developments that are in it. This book has a structure unlike any other books I have read, at the end of many chapters it includes more information about the Gods or about different things happening. While the plot is one of the very best I have seen. You get really enticed with the story and don't want it to end. The character developments are shown in many of the characters. You get to see Shadow grow as a character, while finding out more and more about Wednesday and why he picked Shadow.

Boomerang Effect by Gordon Jack

Haotian Jiang

Plot Summary
Lawrence Barry is a 16-years-old teenager boy who goes to Meridian high school in Silicon-Valley, California. He uses drugs to get high and get drunk in parties. His dad thinks his friends are "idiots" and is often disappointed in Lawrence because he always gets in trouble at school. When Lawrence is assigned as a mentor for a freshman after a conference with the teachers, he realizes that he needs to change his old lifestyles.


Excerpt

“I had been involved in enough ‘incidents’ in my two years at Meridian that we could go on like this all day” (Page 6) The quote reflects Lawrence's lifestyles during high school, he always causes troubles, and the school Principal hates him.

Critical Evaluation 
I give this book a 10 out of 10 because the main character Lawrence Barry is a really interesting character. Lawrence was miserable and had a messy life when he was around his old crew, but when the Principal threatens to sent him to Quiet Haven, he knows that he needs to start to put his life together. This book is good for readers who likes to read books that has humor and it is about teenagers. I really like this book because some of the things that happened in the book actually related to me, and instead of feeling embarrassed, I actually found it to be fun and encouraging.

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

Antonio Sanchez Ortiz 

Plot Summary:
This book is set 6 months after The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl, but instead of it being The Fanboy”s perspective, it is Kyra's perspective (Goth Girl). Kyra throughout the story is plotting her revenge against Fanboy since she believes that he never wrote her or tried to communicate with her while she was away in Maryland Mental Health Unit. Throughout the story we also see her changing to find who she really is.

Quote:
“As angry as I was at Fanboy, as much as I hated him, I still cared about Schemata . So I called him that night and I told him what was wrong with it, and I thought that was going to be it, but...God! Eff him! Eff him!”(51)
This quote shows how Kyra hates Fanboy deeply but still cares about the comic book that he made, so her feelings seem to be a mess at this scene of the story.

Critical Evaluation:
This book would be 10/10. It keeps you on your toes wanting to know more about what is happening and the character development of Kyra is one of the best I’ve seen. It also has plenty of things we can relate to as teenagers. Also had many humorous moments and twists to keep the story enticing.

Wanted by Nick Stephenson

Anthony Deleon
Summary: Wanted by Nick Stephenson takes place during modern day Paris, France, a city which many call a city of love, but this is not the case for Blake. Blake is an FBI agent sent to France to secure art work worth millions of dollars he must protect. Along the way he meets one of the security chiefs with whom he discusses recent criminal activity in the area, surprised there had not been a crime in weeks. But unfortunately for Blake that peace and quiet ends and brings him one of the bumpiest rides his rides throughout Paris, leaving him scared for his life. Imagine yourself fighting through everything, trying to save the innocent from what they don't see. Blake takes us on a ride we will never forget for a year he will not unfortunately forget all the agony and pain we must see.
Critical Evaluation  

For this novel I have to give it a 7/10 the reason for it does not have this ability to capture the attention of the reader and sometime become difficult  to follow along the story although does show great Heroes  and villains showing their true potential. I believe people who like a good mystery or Thriller would love this book due to just how the story unfolds with action, villains, and pace. Will Blake be able to defeat all odds through his long days on Paris streets or crumble under all the pressure.

Boot Camp By Todd Strasser

Bryant Cruz

Plot Summary

Garrett is a young teen who was kidnapped one night buy some agents who work for a camp called Lake Harmony. There they beat up the kids to straighten them out. Garrett is tired of it so he  and two friends plan an escape. However, Garrett gets caught and goes back to Lake Harmony. His parents come and see him and find out what they have done to Garrett throughout his time being there. How would you feel if you found out you parents sent people to kidnap you and take you away?

Critical Evaluation
I would rate this book 8/10, because the plot was very interesting, but the ending was slightly disappointing. After all good details and this book give's you something to think about. It makes you wonder if you could even handle being in a boot camp.

Playing Dead by Tim Bowler

Chris Yang

Summary

A 16 year old kid called blade, no one knows the city like him. Balde is on his own and he can't trust anyone, he is trying to hide his past, and run away from thugs. He thought he is safe in this city, he is practically invisible, perfectly alone. But he finds himself on the run again. But this time he is not alone, he is with a girl called Becky and her daughter.

Critical Evaluation

I would rate this book a 9 out of 10, because the book is filled with emotions and the story is twisted, and you just can't put the book down.

Elsewhere By Gabrielle Zevin

Siyu Jiang

Plot Summary :

Elsewhere, a pretty place with great beaches, the weather is warm with a breeze. this is Elsewhere, a great place for a vacation, but unfortunately to go to Elsewhere, they only sale oneway tickets. because it is where the dead lives, and it is where 15 year old Liz now residences, Liz is the victim of a hit and run, and this got her a one way ticket on the SS Nile, the cruise to Elsewhere... 15 and yet, already a goner, Liz refuses to believe she is dead, how can Young liz let go of the life she had and embrace a new one?

Critical Evaluation: 
I would rate this book 10/10, the plot and writing is very interesting, the author carefully illustrated the death simply as a life reborn, this book have love, Romance and grief all smoothly mixed in as one.

All The Bright Places By Jennifer Niven

Francisco Lopez

Plot Summary:
 All The Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven, is a book which tells the story of a young couple. A boy named, Theodore Finch, who knows how to live but is fascinated by death, and a girl named, Violet Markey, who's scared to live, and move on. They meet at school, when Theodore Finch volunteers to be Violet's partner for a senior project. They go on adventures around their state and as he teaches her how to live she slowly falls for him. Out of nowhere Theodore disappears but leaves clues for Violet to follow.  

Critical Evaluation:
 This book kept me intrigued the whole time, and it made me want to keep reading. It is a new kind of love story, which just makes you want to find out what happens next. The book is also very relate-able. I give this book a 10/10.

It by Stephen King

Ashley Salgado

Book Summary 
It by Stephen King focuses on a small town in Maine named Derry. On the outside, Derry seems like a small, well-reserved town; but beneath the exterior glance, Derry is full of many unexplained horrors and mysteries. Seeking answers and wanting to stifle curiosity, a group of young kids look into the mystery of a vivid serial killer who has been haunting and killing children for decades. What this young group doesn't realize is that this horror will follow them beyond their childhood and prevent them from ever having a normal life.

Critical evaluation 
When combining the aspects of intense horror, graphic detail, a great plot and well developed characters, It earns a well deserved 10/10. This book will inevitably keep you up at night, whether that be by reading it or by igniting a intense paranoid feeling of creatures lurking in your bedroom... when reading it prepare for the worst.

The Third Twin by CJ Omololu

Carlos Diaz

Plot Summary

This book is about a girl named Lexi, and her identical twin named Ava whom persist messing with their childhood made up sister. They named the third sister Alicia, and when Lexi and Ava cause trouble, they point to Alicia. Now they're in high school, and the girls use Alicia for dating guys and do things they would never think of doing otherwise. It's all fun and games until one of the guys that Lexi and Ava go out with using the identity of Alicia winds up murdered, and the DNA evidence found by the police leads to Alicia. The made up third twin. Both girls claim that they have done nothing wrong, but the investigators believe otherwise. Lexi and Ava decide to keep using Alicia identity when the cops arrive at their door hoping that it will pass away soon, and someone is simply pulling a sick joke, or it was a mistaken identity to whom the traffic ticket to a car that neither of them own is issued to. Who could the killer be? Is there a chance that the triplet does exist?

Critical Evaluation

I would rate this book a 10/10. This book would be deserving of this rating, because this book has a perfect amount of suspense and mystery, and has a great pace for a mystery. This book will have any mystery book lover wanting to read faster in order to figure out along with the character "who done it." This book will keep any reader intregued, because of the many plot twist, and unpredictable ending. This book uses lots of efficient techniques such as foreshadowing and builds up suspence, without giving away too much. It also has a great balance of funny moments and romance on the side.