A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Upon visiting Plymouth Rock, Horwitz begins to think about early American history, the history before the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were not the first people to settle or visit what is now North America; most people do not know about the Spanish and Viking voyages prior to the early 1600s. So, Horwitz ventures on a self-imposed quest to tour the destinations of the conquistadors and early explorers to learn more about America's history. In this travelogue/American history lesson, Horwitz discovers myths and facts about the early explorers and ultimately looks at the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in a different way.

Full of adventure and unforgettable people, A Voyage Long and Strange is a fascinating book. I loved every page of it. He has a wonderful way of capturing the reader's attention, switching between historical accounts and his adventures in modern day settings. What a great way to travel without leaving your home!

If you enjoy A Voyage Long and Strange, I would recommend trying his Confederates in the Attic, another American history/travelogue that has Horwitz looking at how the aftermath of the Civil War still effects a few citizens and organizations. This too is a very interesting and entertaining read!

Reviewed by Jessica

Wake by Lisa McMann

Age Level: Teen

Format: Book

 

Seventeen-year-old Janie lives with a secret, something that she can never tell anyone.  When you dream, you’re not really alone.  She gets sucked into dreams, watching, first hand, the falling dreams, sex-crazed dreams, and, unfortunately, nightmares.   

 

Janie believes that she’s cursed with this ability that she doesn’t want, and cannot control.  She hates it.  She lives on the fringe, keeping her secret from everyone.  But, someone notices that there’s something going on . . . and then Janie gets sucked into a twisted nightmare.  One that chills her to the bone because this time, rather than just watching, she’s also a participant.

 

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book.  I figured that this would be the usual sci-fi/fantasy-ish book, but it was so much more.  Janie is very real, very grounded.  I felt like she could have been someone that I went to school with, maybe someone who I passed in the halls and paid no attention to.  In this book, you are transported into her head.  You know her thoughts; you know how much she simply wants to be able to sleep at night without falling into dreams.  And you know how much she simply wants to graduate, go on to college, and make something of herself.

 

It may take awhile for you to get used to the sparseness of the writing style, and there are major twists in this book . . . some are more believable that others.  But the entire book leaves you wanting more, and it sets you up for more.  Will there be sequels?  I hope so.  I want to learn more about Janie and some of the other people that you meet in this novel.  I know you will too.

 

Reviewed by Sara.

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Age Level: Teen

Format: Book

 

Raquel whispered, “Don’t you ever feel like there’s something at this school that’s . . . evil?”  Her voice shook.  “Do you believe in real evil?”

 

Nobody had ever asked me that, but I knew the answer.  “Yeah.  I do.”

 

Evernight Academy is a secluded boarding school tucked away in the middle of no where.  To outsiders, it seems like just another elite boarding school for the rich.  However, it’s a place that has secrets – many secrets – and these secrets have been around since the school’s founding centuries ago.  

 

Bianca is a new student at Evernight Academy.  Both of her parents have just signed on as teachers at the school.  She’s not happy about having to move away from all of her friends to this new place, where she knows, she does not fit in.  She’s resigned herself to a lonely existence at her new school, but then she meets Lucas, another student who doesn’t fit the mold and she knows she has found a rare friend.  Unfortunately, there are forces conspiring against Bianca and Lucas.  Their newfound friendship and love seems doomed.

 

I absolutely loved this book!  The story is tightly written with many great details about both the school’s forbidding character and the relationship between Lucas and Bianca.  There is a major twist in the middle of this book which caught me completely unaware.  I thought I knew where the story was going, why Lucas and Bianca’s budding romance was probably not going to work out, and what the evil at the school really was.  I was caught by surprise, and so will you. 

 

Give Evernight a chance.  You won’t be sorry.

 

Reviewed by Sara.