These are reviews written by Auburn Hills Public Library teens!
Want to submit your own reviews? Fill out the form here!
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
Chris Colfer
This fantasy series has always been one of my favorite fairytale novels. The series gives a new alternative to classic fairytales that everyone knows. It begins with siblings who are magically transported into a magical place where all the fairytale
Read More View in CatalogInherit the Wind
Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
This is a classic play as it's an interpretation of the Scopes Monkey trial. The novel is in play format with characters having lines and an interactive narrator. The setting is the town of Hillsboro where Cates, a school teacher who taught evol
Read More View in CatalogBeyond the Break
Heather Buchta
Lovette is a devoted Christian and due to her brother's surfing accident, she forbids herself to surf as well as date. However, since she encountered Jake Evans, she is now breaking her former rules. Throughout the book, she struggles to be the
Read More View in CatalogThe Call of the Wild
Jack London
This is a loving story that contains many life lessons in its pages. Buck, a muscular dog gets dognapped in Canada during the reign of the gold rush. He then faces many troubles even one that can result in his death. However, his strength allows him
Read More View in CatalogGirl in Pieces
Kathleen Glasgow
This novel can be described as a deep and passionate journey as Charlotte Davis partakes in extreme amounts of suffering that leads to damaging thoughts. Throughout the novel, it is visible that she has clear emotions letting one have a more sincere
Read More View in CatalogA Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Holly Jackson
This book is completely intriguing, it has concepts of mystery, romance, and suspense. I felt like a detective piecing together all the clues delivered in the novel as the main characters Pippa and Ravi do as well. The plot provided many twists in th
Read More View in Catalog
The House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros
The House on mango street follows 12-year-old Esperanza as she experiences events that force her to evolve into a young woman. In Chicago during the 1960s, she undergoes discrimination, sexual harassment, and a desire to become rich like her peers. E
Read More View in CatalogOne of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus
This is one of my all time favorite books. It’s full of suspense, a plethora of drama, and covered in mystery. I could not stop reading as the book constantly changes perspectives. McManus provides much detail to each of the characters as they try
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
See You at Harry's
Jo Knowles
This book does a very good job of showing the reader what grief is like, and will resonate very deeply with younger readers. With the main character only being a middle schooler, I highly recommend younger readers to read this book. Every feeling in
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Cinder
Marissa Meyer
Think about Cinderella, but with a twist. The author does a really amazing job of making it seem as though you are in the book's universe. It makes you completely forget about everything going around. It is a book that just makes you not want to
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★☆☆☆
Reverie
Ryan La Sala
Truthfully, this isn’t a book that I have enjoyed because the plot was very confusing. In the book there is a lot of visual imagery and descriptions, however although it is amazing at times, it also took away from the story. It felt like there was
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
V. E. Schwab
This book was one of my 16 five star reads out of almost 300 books. It follows a woman named Addie LaRue who was taught by her mentor to "never call on the gods that answer after dark". After her parents try to force her into a marriage wit
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Dragon Republic
R. F. Kuang
This book was one that broke my heart but I loved it because of that. If you didn't really like Rin and Nezha's relationship in the first book, you might not enjoy this book that much. I, personally, loved them, especially because of the fa
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
These Violent Delights
Chloe Gong
I am in love with this author's debut novel; the writing style is amazing. I love the fact that we get to have another morally grey woman to fall for. Juliette is an incredibly accurate representation of how it feels to be a part of two cultures
Read More View in Catalog
Rated ★★★★★
The Drowning Faith
RF Kuang
I have read this novella 15 times in the past two months. That says a lot about my mental health, but it also means that this novella is amazing. I love how it gives us an insight to Nezha's character. I love watching his heart break and it stom
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★☆☆
Serpent & Dove
Shelby Mahurin
This book isn't necessarily my favorite but I really liked it. It is essentially a marriage of convenience story between a witch and a witchhunter. This book also has the "there was only one bed" trope and I love the way that it was do
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Wrath & the Dawn
Renée Ahdieh
"What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?" he whispered. "If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed." The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest. "No
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★☆☆☆
Paper Princess
Erin Watt
Personally, I didn’t really enjoy this book because the writing style had a very “wattpad” like vibe. By that I mean that it was very unprofessional and that isn’t what I like to see in a published novel. The characters weren’t very likable
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Something, Maybe
Elizabeth Scott
As a lightly cliche but well written romance novel, Something Maybe is a pretty nice read. In my opinion, Scott certainly did a good job writing the characters. I personally liked the unique character concepts of the parents in this book; particularl
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Goddess Test
Aimée Carter
The Goddess Test has an interesting take on greek mythology, with its modernized pieces and intriguing characters. It follows Kate Winters, a girl returning her terminally sick mother to her childhood home, where Kate meets someone who claims to be H
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Liz Kessler
The Tail of Emily Windsnap is a cute fantasy fiction read for younger audiences. When I was in middle school I really enjoyed this book and the series. It’s about a girl who learns the truth about herself and her father, while making a special frie
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
The Fault in Our Stars is a bittersweet classic romance novel that tells the story of two terminally ill teenagers who fall in love. I call it a classic as the movie for this book seemed to spark a number of other romance movies with illnesses involv
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Switched
Amanda Hocking
Switched is about a girl discovering her true identity. It’s the first of the Trylle series, and opens the trilogy pretty well. I particularly like the descriptiveness of the scenes that really helped me visualize the story. Overall, this is a good
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Torn
Amanda Hocking
While some sequels can happen to be lackluster, Torn does an excellent job on following where the first book left off. I liked the way the character interactions and developments carried out in this book, especially since it didn’t seem like a fill
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Ascend
Amanda Hocking
A great ending to the trilogy; Ascend really wrapped up the story in a satisfying way that left me curious about Hocking’s other writings. This book shows incredible character development with the main character as she shows how she’s grown so mu
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★☆
Frostfire
Amanda Hocking
While it can be a little odd on pacing, I enjoyed Frostfire as a follow up to Hocking’s Trylle series. I enjoyed the contrast in society in this tribe as it gave some insight on the troll world. I somewhat wished there was a little more development
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Ice Kissed
Amanda Hocking
Ice Kissed is another well written sequel by Hocking. It continues right where Frostfire left off with quality story depth and excitement. Hocking’s writing proceeds to fascinate me with beautiful descriptive properties. It did happen to contain a
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
Crystal Kingdom
Amanda Hocking
A good end to a good trilogy, Crystal Kingdom wraps up the Kanin series pretty well. This series finale seemed to really show lots of shining change in the main character. Along with such, there are many parts and details that truly come full circle.
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
A Dog's Life
Ann M Martin
As a child, I found “A Dog’s Life” to be one of my favorites to check out from my elementary school’s library. It’s sad yet beautiful writing really imprinted on me and has stayed with me for many years. The Book is about a stray dog named
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Angel Experiment
James Patterson
As a classic sci-fi novel to me, Maximum Ride is a special middle school favorite of mine. Patterson really does a good job at creating an elaborate plot that’s pretty believable in terms of details. I really enjoyed the way the characters each hav
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★☆
The Iron King
Julie Kagawa
The Iron King is a captivating romance fantasy with an intricate world. While a bit cliche here and there, I liked it because of its charming take on fey/fae/faerie and the characters that grow on you. Kagawa’s writing really paints a hauntingly en
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Giver
Lois Lowry
The Giver is an insightful piece of writing that I feel tells that there cannot ever truly be a perfect society. It takes place in a world where in a futuristic world after eliminating all conflict of pain and war, everyone has settled for a set syst
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo
The Tale of Despereaux will always be a book I’ll remember with fondness as it’s one of my childhood all time favorites. It follows a number of characters, the main character being a little mouse with large ears and a large heart on a special que
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★☆
The Iron Daughter
Julie Kagawa
Despite being the second book of the Iron Fey series, it was the first book I had read and remains my favorite of them to this day. As a sucker for star-crossed romance, The Iron Daughter really hits the target for cliche novel lovers. To be honest,
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
A great read, in or out of the classroom. The Great Gatsby is a classic tragedy with several themes within. It follows a young man in named Nick Carraway as he witnesses the story of his eccentric neighbor unfold before him. Along with the interestin
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★☆
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
"Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson is an insightful story about a girl who suffers the aftermath of sexual assault. Despite being unlikable at times, the characters are pretty well written. Something that stood out to me is how this book conf
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein
"The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein is a heartwarming story about a dog's recollection of his life. As I dog owner myself, I definitely related to this book in a very fond way. While it somewhat follows the well-known puppy
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★☆
Where She Went
Gayle Forman
Picking up a couple years after where "If I Stay" left off, "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman tells a realistic answer to the typical question of "what's next?" when finishing a book. It does so in a way that's
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★☆☆
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien
While I admit it's not really my style, The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is an overall well written book. To generalize, it's about a recluse going on a quest with several companions and learning the value of friendship and adventure. It has a n
Read More View in CatalogRated ★★★★★
If I Stay
Gayle Forman
If I Stay is a lovely book about a car accident survivor struggling through a coma. I enjoyed it because it was pretty insightful on the value of life and how easily things change. Other than that, the characters are well written and very likable. I&
Read More View in Catalog