Allegedly by by Tiffany D. Jackson

Tania Sanjuan
Summary
Allegedly is a book about a girl named Mary, at the age of nine she was accused of killing a three month old baby named that her and her mom used to take of. But did Mary really do it? Mary was sent to juvi which she calls "baby jail," then moved to a group home where she is not liked, wanted, needed, or loved. Now Mary is now 15 and pregnant by a teen named Ted, and finds out that she can not keep her baby, will Mary confess to crime and what really happen? or have her baby taken away and finish her time?
Critical Evaluation
I would give this book a 10/10 because This book teaches us a lot about, love, and everyday lives. We also learn more about how the teens in group homes live, and how they feel about being a group home. When we are stuck in position when its your life what do we do? Do we take the blame and got to jail or prove your innocents? When Mary kills a 3 month old child everyone blames it on her and instead of having a supportive mother. Her mother leaves her with guilt.

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.

All Involved By Ryan Gattis

Tania Sanjuan

Plot summary 

All Involved connects all the characters and how their lives relate to one another. Throughout the book we meet lots of characters and how they are overcoming with gang life and police brutality in LA while there are riots and shootings going on. The only thing gangs are seeking is revenge.

Critical Evaluation

I give this book a 10/10 as it allows you to enter a new world of gang life, living in LA, and police brutality. There is a whole lot to understand in the end, and a lot of coldness throughout the book, but it will help you understand why people do the things they do.

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.

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.

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Nathaly Ramirez


SUMMARY
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is about two outcasts in their senior year who are not looking forward to getting involved with any group in school to stay away from drama. Greg and Earl make films/movies out of their creativity and love for a movie they watched. No one is allowed to see those movies, but that is about to change when his mom steps in. Greg's mom notifies him that his old "girlfriend" Rachel from 6th grade, is sick with leukemia. Rachel is very shocked Greg was the one who visited her from school because after they "dated" he never spoke to her again. It was surprising to her that he wanted to help, but at the same time Greg didn't want to be there with her. After some time of him and Earl visiting her at the hospital it became a habit and also pressure for them to make her feel better before she died. It wasn't really a sure thing she would die it all depended on how strong the treatment was and how strong she was herself, but Greg and Earl decided they would make a film for Rachel for her to view in honor of her friendship with many at school. As time progressed, things became more complicated and we are left with the shocking decision on whether Rachel will stay on the treatment or will stop the treatment and eventually die. Earl's and Greg's future is about to change with this huge event and the fact that the entire school now know they are making a film for her because of one person, his mom.

CRITICAL EVALUATION
I rate this book a 10 out of 10. This book takes you through a funny, and sad adventure. You can't put the book down. It is very age appropriate, and super easy to read and comprehend. I have never read a book that I felt so attached to because of the concept. I learned so much from the book and how great it is to have friends to always be there with you.