TAB Blog Post - June 2024

Mercer County Library System Teen Advisory Board members contribute to our library community in many ways. Some write book reviews that we share on the library’s GoodReads account. Please enjoy these recent reviews by TAB member Aubrey, who loves YA and general fiction. Find both the physical and eBook/eAudiobook versions of these titles at the library!

The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook is a novel I highly recommend if you're a fan of tearjerker romances. I personally felt that it was a comforting read, because I love the classic idea of “finding your way back to each other.” I do not typically read books from this time period, so it was extremely intriguing to read a novel that does not take place in the current day. 

I found the 20th century time period interesting to read about because it made me consider how warfare and levels of discrimination (for various reasons) can affect teenagers and their day-to-day life. Seeing the way Noah and Allie try to navigate through this was unlike any other romance novel I've read so far.  

One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the way it was told. The point of view is from a narrator who could see both characters' points of views and explain what each person was feeling. I enjoy reading books from one person’s point of view because it is more realistic. When a book is told from someone’s perspective, it emulates real life, because you are unsure of what the other person is feeling and what their next action may be. When there is a narrator, there isn’t really a chance for there to be that surprise factor that makes books more relatable. Other than that, I loved this book.

Better Than the Movies, by Lynn Painter

If you’re a high schooler in need of a new romance novel, I highly suggest you read Better Than the Movies.

The story revolves around Liz Buxbaum, a senior in high school. When her childhood crush, the boy she's always dreamed about, Michael, comes back to her school after moving away, she decides she will do whatever it takes to win his heart. Even if that means going out of her way to talk to Wes Bennett. Wes has been Liz’s next door neighbor since the beginning of time. Ever since they were younger, he did everything in his power to annoy Liz and make her mad. The worst part is the effectiveness of that goal. Wes is, and always has been, the thorn in Liz’s side. But ever since Michael came back, him and Wes have been reconnecting and growing a lot closer. When Liz realized this, she knew Wes was her ticket back into Michael’s life. 

Through this journey, Liz realizes that while she spends time with Wes trying to get closer to Michael, she actually enjoys being around Wes a lot more. This emotional story forces Liz to rethink who should be by her side in her “perfect ending”. 

I LOVED this book. For reasons I can’t reveal without spoiling it, it literally had me holding back tears in class. I finished this book within 48 hours because I physically couldn't put it down. It was well-written and super accurate for a high school teenage girl, and it was from Liz’s point of view which I really appreciated. Even though it was a typical romance novel, it had unexpected plot points and twists which constantly kept me intrigued.

I really loved that this book had a theme of self love. Liz often noticed that she stood out because her style wasn’t similar to other girls her age and she was interested in different things, and yet she didn't have a care and she had admirers because of it. 

While the romance in this book is super adorable, there is more to Better Than the Movies than just a love triangle. It shows a clear POV of someone who is struggling with the death of her mom and is able to still be happy while navigating through her grief. Even better-er: If you like this book, there is a sequel called Nothing Like the Movies.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson

Have you ever wanted to investigate a situation further, because something just didn’t feel right? That’s how Pippa Fitz-Amobi feels in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. 

This book is the first book in a trilogy. Pip is a 17-year-old high school senior who is also an aspiring journalist. During the summer before her senior year, she researches the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh, her late classmates, for her senior capstone proposal project. Andie Bell went missing five years ago, and had never been found. Sal Singh, her boyfriend at the time, was accused of killing her and hiding the body. A few days later, Sal’s body was found in the woods, and it appeared to be suicide by overdosing. The objective of Pip’s project is to prove Sal’s innocence, and she works with Ravi Singh, Sal’s younger brother, to do so. 

In this novel, there are many plot twists and clues that allow you to try to figure out the culprit along with Pip and Ravi, which I thought was entertaining. It was never a predictable plot twist either- they always made me reread the page three times because of how thrown off I was. To put it simply, it’s quite the thought-provoking story.