Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

            A Review by Hannah Wynot

Molly, a foster child in 2011 Maine, has to do community service to make up for stealing a worn copy of Jane Eyre from the local library, and that’s how she meet Vivian. Vivian is a 90 year old rich lady, who lives alone in a giant house, with an attic full of memories. That attic needs organizing, and this is how Molly is going to stay out of juvie.

            Life in foster care has not been a smooth ride for 17 year old Molly. She is about to age out of system and her foster mother has to be talked out of kicking her out daily. Molly likes that the kids at Mount Desert High School keep their distance, and her Goth looks allows her to sit in the back of the class and hope not to be noticed. Her only friend is Jack. Her only chance of not getting sent away is to suck up her pride and go see Vivian Daly and ask for a chance. The serendipitous meeting, between Viv and Molly changes both of their lives forever.

            Flash back to New York City, 1929, the story of young Irish immigrant family floundering in New York City. After a fire in their tenement apartment, the only survivor is Niamh (pronounced “Neev”) an eleven year old red head. The Women’s Charitable Society sets her on the Orphan Train, where orphaned children from immigrant families in New York City would be sent to the Midwest where they would be adopted. For baby, this is a good and fortunate opportunity, but for older children, this is simply a chance to be an indentured servant on a farm. A red-headed Irish girl hasn’t a good chance to find a good family and Niamh is passed from household to household, until her fate changes dramatically.

            Orphan Train is a well-told story, if one likes the two story lines, of modern day Molly in Maine, and Niamh in the 1920s. It’s a fast paced book which keeps the reader moving to find out what happens. It was interesting to read about the orphan trains, which are a real thread in our American fabric. There is a less than subtle orphan theme, and some of the events are rather cliché but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Tuesdays with Morrie

John Dexter

Book review for Tuesdays with Morrie

                  Tuesdays with Morrie was a masterfully written novel about a friendship between teacher and student. Mitch Albom is an amazing author in the sense that he can take a real life experience that he had actually gone through himself and form it into a story we can all relate to. I loved the character Morrie and I love even more that he was a real person because I feel like I knew him even though we never met. Morrie was and is a good man his story is a sad but needed one because without death there would be no life because all life is infinitely recycled.  Morrie has taught me things that I could not have ever learned from going to school. Tuesdays with Morrie was an inspiration for me to listen first and speak after, this story is full of helpful life lessons and can really keep you going when you are in a tough place and need a hand up or a friend to talk with.

Dear Killer

Dear Killer

            Written by Katherine Ewell when she was only seventeen years old, Dear Killer is a great psychological book. Kit is a pretty, blonde teenage girl living two lives. While she is Kit, she’s just another person in the crowd; she’s someone you wouldn’t suspect could kill a grown man with her own two hands. However, after looking over letters from her secret mailbox and deciding which request for assassination she will fulfill on a given day, she becomes Diana, a coldhearted serial killer. Kit’s story of her own psychological development from the young age in which she made her first kill is told in this book, as she begins to question her own morals.

            I enjoyed reading this book; it was very suspenseful and I enjoyed reading from the killer’s point of view. I liked Kit’s character and her reasoning, and how Ewell was able to show her growth throughout the book. I would recommend all teenage girls to read this book.

Salt and Storm

Salt and Storm

                  Written by Kendall Kulper, Salt and Storm is a thrilling book that tells the story of the Roe witches through the main character, Avery Roe’s perspective. The book begins with Avery living the life she thought was perfect, helping her grandmother with spells and charms in her small cabin at the tip of Prince Island. When her mother takes her away from her grandmother and magic to live with her and the pastor, Avery is furious. Her mother bans her from going back to the cabin, and without her grandmother’s help, Avery has no idea how to become the next Roe witch and take her aging grandmother’s place. After having an important dream, Avery realizes she is in danger and must find a way to get to her grandmother, but she is conflicted the whole journey on wether or not her fate can be changed.

                  I applaud Kendall Kulper for writing such an emotional and exciting book. Her writing technique draws you in, and after a few chapters, you just can’t put the book down. Avery’s story, although completely fictional, brought me to tears at points. I would recommend any teenager to read this book.

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Reviewed by Hannah Wynot

Set in Australia during the late 1920s, Tom Sherbourne survives the war on the Western Front, only to take a post as the lighthouse keep on Janus Rock, the most isolated island off the Australian coast. Tom is a solitary man, and island life suits him well. He soon brings his lively new bride Isabel to the island and life is completely different. After the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages, a fortuitous event changes their quiet island lives forever. A boat washes ashore on the rocky beaches of Janus rock, and inside is a healthy infant and her dead father.
                Will moral and steadfast Tom be willing to not report the boat and it’s passengers in the lighthouse logs, or will he agree to Isabel’s pleas that the baby is a “Gift from God” and claim her as their own. Will the baby be missed? Does she belong to someone they know? Can Tom and Isabel keep the man’s death a secret? Will they have to stay on the island forever to conceal this lie?
                This novel is told in third person, and is well-told. The descriptions of the characters and Australia in 1929 is realistic. This reader couldn't help but picture our own Isles of Shoals as the back drop for this dramatic and suspenseful tale. The book is a bit slow to start, but once it got going, it was hard to put down. Full of twists and turns, betrayal and moral dilemmas, this book does not fail to keep the mind churning through the pages. This book is highly recommended for people who like contemporary fiction, and the kind of story that stays with you.

Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin, don't care that Karl has never been in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.

So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself. But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

 Review By Joey Franciose

Riley Park by Diane Tullison

 Best friends Corbin and Darius are your average teenage boys, constantly thinking about girls, parties, and having fun. Corbin has a crush on Safeway cashier Rubee. But, Rubee has a boyfriend, or had a boyfriend, neither boy can be sure. Darius invites her to a party at Riley Park, the popular hangout spot.

However, a carefree night takes a horrific turn when the two friends are surrounded by a group of three masked strangers with crow bars. After brain surgery, Corbin wakes up in the hospital confused and asking for Darius. The nurse breaks it to him gently, Darius is dead. Now, Corbin must try to regain his memory and learn to live life without his best friend.

Review by Joey Franciose

Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am by Peter Lerangis

Ben Bright’s senior year seemed like a start to a  successful life, with college, loving girlfriend and an acting career spread out in front of him. Except for his plan to join the army first. Stubbornly committed to being the patriot he thinks ethics demand, Ben can’t explain it to anyone—especially not Ariela, the girl he plans to marry when he returns. As Ben departs for basic training and then serves in Iraq, Ariela heads to college, and best friend Niko, along with Mr. and Mrs. Bright and autistic younger brother Chris hold to normality. 

When the scary call comes, informing them that Ben is injured, no one knows exactly what to do or how to help. With the  use of italics to indicate Ben’s thoughts, the contrast between what the outer world sees and how he processes it is clear. Progress happens, but it’s slow, and the toll on all is plain. Chris’ reactions are particularly . In 148 pages, the complexity of the effects of modern war is laid bare. The tight focus on one soldier does not oversimplify but rather captures the human drama in the personal: The Brights’ marriage is more than challenged, Ariela is pulled away by her college friends and Chris’ restricted, defined universe has to expand to encompass Ben’s new condition. The book's power is in the honesty and hope made true.

Reviewed by Joey Franciose