Library-Book Reviews

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Refugee

by Alan Gratz

Review by Bryan Velasco Merida

Depicts the emotional and physical struggles that 3 protagonists Josef Landau, Isabel Fernandez, and Mahmoud Bishara, endeavor to escape conflict and persecution at the risk of their safety, all in the hopes of survival alongside their family. These children’s journeys all share a constant theme of perseverance against risk, with them facing the turmoil of warfare, terrible living conditions, and unjust imprisonment. It forces them to keep moving despite the fear of death looming over them constantly. These struggles accumulate into a thrilling series of events filled with intense action alongside perfectly blended historical context that keys into its theme. The narrative is integrated with a heavy tone of realism that really makes this novel stand out amongst others for how fascinating these stories are. The integration of a law from 1933 that banned Jewish people from working in Nazi Germany, as well as the plummet of Cuba’s economy in 1990 led to terrible living conditions for its population and a revolution that lead to a civil war in Syria in 2011 all key in to create an interesting series of events that have profound effects on our protagonists lives and constructs riveting tales of utmost horror. This leads to the most captivating aspect of this novel being on how heavily plot-orientated it is with its constant action. Sadly this isn’t balanced with its character development as characters are driven to traits rather than unique personalities. Leading to tropes such as Mahmoud’s dad Youssef who acts only as comedic relief even in grim moments which really clashes with the tone. If you’re interested in intense and enticing thrillers with a lot of action then I’d highly recommend Refugee.

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As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

By Zoulfa Katouh

Review by Bryan Velasco Merida

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, written by Zoulda Katouh, covers the journey of Salama Kassab and the difficult experiences she encounters in the perseverance of a better life. Salama is an observant and benevolent protagonist who faces many hardships throughout her journey. Salama faces many conflicts from different aspects of her life such as being, as a volunteer at a Siberian hospital or her role as a protector of her remaining family and facing tremorous grief. The theme of moving on and persevering through different tasks by placing selfless roles enforced in her life despite a lack of control over the circumstances going on is the most redeeming part of the novel. The conflict in decision making intercedes with the life of Salama leaving her in constant stress of her remaining family and the people in need. In a year her goal of creating a new life for her family outside of the country is the only thing she strives for. The moral dilemma the protagonist faces is both captivating and thrilling for readers. The devastating attacks, based on real-life events, serve as the foundation of the story, grounding it in reality and leaving a profound impact on the narrative. While the novel boasts well-developed characters, there are instances where certain secondary characters overstay their welcome, detracting from the tone and impact of key events essential to the narrative. The journey of Salama is an excellent showcase of the devastating effects of war and the conflicts that come with it affecting all aspects of a person’s life and truly entrances the reader in fear of what comes next. Alas ‘As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a well-written novel with a historic emphasis that is compelling and a lesson that’s worth the read.

Violeta

By Isabel Allende

Review by Veronica Kopanicak

Isabel Allende’s novel Violeta follows the intriguing life of Violeta del Valle as she recounts her life story in a letter to a valued individual in her life. Born during the Spanish flu pandemic, Violeta learns of the struggle that life brings, yet begins to see the beauty in living as well. Throughout the book, Violeta endures many hardships, broken relationships, political unrest, and unprecedented events as the reader is immersed into them with her. From the start, I was committed to Violeta’s life as she faces ups and downs, yet at times I felt disconnected from the story as I had a sense that Violeta was simply narrating another’s story rather than her own. I feel that there could have been a stronger connection to Violeta’s life and her emotions. In comparison to this, I found it appealing as a young female myself, to have Violeta represented as a strong independent woman living as the main character in her own life rather than a side character in a more prominent male gaze. Overall, Violeta shows extensive character development as she learns from constant life experiences. Her life includes a wide range of family members and friends that she encounters, whereas as the reader, you get to view how each individual shapes her personality. I found the lack of detail for a handful of these side characters made it difficult to recall them as they reappeared later in her life. However, I did find some lovable characters along the way that I often liked hearing from again. Overall, Violeta is filled with heartbreak, depression, suspense, love, power, joy, and all the wonders of a life well spent. I would highly recommend this book to those that find comfort in exploring the lives of others and their journeys in our simple yet complex world.

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Illegally Yours

By Rafael Agustin

Review by Bryan Velasco Merida

“Illegally Yours” is a hilarious and informative story about the life of Rafael Agustin . Born in Ecuador and living a happy and colorful life, his love for American culture would introduce his love for America. As an illegal immigrant, he would have to live through the struggles and pleasures of life in America. The way this book can show the portrayal of life in a new country was very original.When showing the parts of a new country the story doesn’t shy away from showing only the prejudices of a system at fault, but also the benefits of being an immigrant. For example, one memorable moment was when Rafael is traveling, his friend gets suspected for being illegal even though he was documented. Rafael gets away due to his skin color. Moments like these highlight injustices that are still happening to this day. This story has good moments, but living as an immigrant isn’t easy. This is a very well-written bibliography with lots of charm and realism. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in an engaging story of one immigrant’s life in America.

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Safe Harbour

by Christina Kilbourne

Review by Bryan Velasco Merida

Safe Harbour, by Christina Kilbourne, is a remarkable and amazing story about a 14 year old homeless girl struggling to survive the tough winters of Toronto, as she awaits the return of her father. Harbour’s emotional state, throughout the novel, is portrayed in a realistic way. When Harbour is asked if she’s homeless, she doesn’t believe it at first. She instead pretends and lies to herself about her existence, believing that living in a tent with few supplies counts as a home. The increasement of these false lies grow and when they unravel the story is at its peak. The characters are well-developed as we see Lise, her best friend, change. She goes from a closed off person to someone who can open up and show off her sensitive side. For example, after a terrible storm her growth as a person is displayed as she now worries over Harbour telling her to join the youth shelter, instead of living in a tent. The amount of situations and struggles Harbour has to face really make this novel one I would highly recommend.

The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1) by Angie Thomas | Goodreads

Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship to be awarded for 2nd time - The San Diego Union-Tribune

The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas

Review by Bryan Velasco Merida

THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas, centers on Starr Amara Carter as she faces a horrific experience that leaves her broken and emotionally scarred. Her involvement with this traumatic tragedy leads her to be motivated to initiate change in her neighborhood of Garden Heights. A part of this novel I found the most fascinating was how Starr wears metaphorical masks throughout her life. One as a girl from a troubled community and another as a quiet girl from an upper class school . The novel addresses these masks in a dramatic and exciting way. One of my favorite parts of this narrative is how realistic it is, forcing one to draw connections between the events of this novel and historical incidents that have been occurring for decades. Due to these problems, the climax is suspenseful leaving the reader shocked in its excellence. The emotional journey that this masterpiece demonstrates is one that is enticing and impressively executed, undisputedly one that I would highly recommend.

Loyola Catholic Secondary School

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Library-Book Reviews

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