One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf (370 pages)

School is supposed to be a safe place. Being surrounded by friends and caring adults, you would assume it’s the safest environment to be in. But anything can happen, and for Megan, that “anything” is a gunman entering her daughter’s school and holding an entire classroom of kid’s hostage. Thankfully, Megan’s 12-year-old daughter was at her dad’s; far away from the chaos unfolding at her elementary school. Although Megan was happy about her child not being involved, plenty of other kids where stuck in that building, with no way out, not to mention all of those worried-sick parents who would do just about anything to get into that building. This book is suspenseful and can definitely put a tear on your face. 

By Jazmin Straffin

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (292 pages)

Tiger Lily had always been taught to fear Peter and the lost boys. All of Neverland had stories about Pan and the men he’s killed. But when Peter leaves a mysterious note on her pillow one night, her curiosity overpowers any doubt. An unwanted engagement and a disapproving tribe gives her even more reason to stray from her own village and strengthen her strange bond with the lost boys. They introduce her to a life of childlike fun and adventure. To Peter and Tiger Lily, it feels like forever until they are suddenly entangled in a web of betrayal, broken promises, and life-threatening battles. Though Peter has grown large in her heart, she realizes she must make a choice. This, a mesmerizing tale of Neverland before Wendy, fills in some of the gaps of Peter Pan’s story. It gives insight into the minds of the boys and girls who never grew up.

Reviewed by Madeline Mayor