Reviews written by Samantha Randolph

302 results - showing 16 - 30
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Ordering
February 21, 2022
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
Examination on true crime and the lines around interest, obsession, and respect

Natalie is passionate about true crime. She even has her own podcast with her best friend, Katie, and she used to be in the true crime club at school under the tutelage of her favorite teacher. Her mom discourages her interest at every opportunity, and Natalie has never understood why....

February 16, 2022
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
3 Reasons to Read YEAR OF THE REAPER

Lord Cassia "Cas" was imprisoned for three years after being ambushed by enemy soldiers. When the plague took everyone in his camp but him, he was able to escape and make the journey to his home, unsure of what he would find there. Upon his return, he finds the king...

February 08, 2022
Overall rating
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Indie
Engaging YA mystery

When Becca loses her best friend, Rose, under mysterious circumstances, she is swallowed up by grief. It doesn't help that her best friend's brother, Ben, keeps trying to get her to investigate her death with him. Most people are saying it was an accident, but neither Ben nor Becca can...

February 07, 2022
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
Pitch perfect origin story of Harley Quinn

Harleen is spending her gap year working in a psych lab at Gotham University as part of a prestigious scholar's program. Her goal: acceptance into Gotham U with a full scholarship. Her obstacles: her father and the sexist STEM environment at the university. After a party goes wrong and the...

February 04, 2022
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
3 Reasons to Read CRUSHING

In a city bustling with crowds, two people feel alone. One is the picture of perseverance, always trying to make connections but awkwardness sometimes gets in the way. The other is never sure where to start or what to do and can get overwhelmed by superficial conversations. In the twists...

February 04, 2022
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
A powerful exploration of grief, technology, and love

Bailey and Vanessa were best friends. That's why Vanessa was at Bailey's house the night she died, to help cheer her up after a bad day. But when Vanessa left to supposedly go home, she never made it. Her car swerved off of a cliff that wasn't on the way...

January 31, 2022
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
Another stunning fantasy by Margaret Rogerson

The mission of the Gray Sisters is to cleanse the bodies of the dead to prevent their souls from turning into terrifying spirits. Artemisia may not win any award for most friends at the convent where she trains to become such a sister, but she at least knows she's good...

January 11, 2022
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
Love letter to teen slasher movies

Chrissy, Chase, Kiki, and Emma run a YouTube channel dedicating to haunted locations and terrifying stories. Chrissy is psychic, which in her case means she can see the dead and get a read on the thoughts of the living. When they select an infamous LA hotel as their next video...

January 10, 2022
Overall rating
 
3.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Nostalgic dive into the fun Buffyverse

Frankie has grown up with the high stakes, life-or-death stories of Buffy, Xander, Spike, Oz, and Willow (her mom). The redeveloped Sunnydale is now, more or less, normal, and Frankie just wants to pass her classes and practice her eco-witchcraft. When an explosion rocks the spot all the slayers had...

January 05, 2022
Overall rating
 
4.5
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
Middle Grade Fiction
Unexpected friends and other secret underground creatures

When Grey takes a shortcut through a grave to get to school, he drops his homemade model of the cemetery project. Before he can get it back, a creepy hand grabs it, and it's gone. Soon after, he finds a new model on his front porch, and later, more gifts...

December 30, 2021
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
Gentle and warm story of unexpected new friends

Ash and Pudd are very serious about their roles as caretakers of the creatures in the woods. For winter, they've readied scarves and seeds for their woodland friends, including the trees. One day, they stumble across something unexpected: a snowman. Together, Ash and Pudd work hard to create something warm...

December 30, 2021
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
Kids Fiction
A must-have on every picture book shelf

Zubi is so excited for her first day of school. She knows it's a big, important day and wants to treat it as such. But as she gets ready, she overhears her mother talking about being too big, her sister talking about dieting to be pretty, and her father talking...

December 22, 2021
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
Middle Grade Fiction
3 Reasons to read THE AWAKENING STORM

Grace is starting a new school in Hong Kong with her mom and new stepdad. While she initially worries about fitting in and making friends, she soon realizes her problems are much bigger than she expected. A mysterious woman gives her a dragon egg, and with the newly hatched dragon,...

December 13, 2021
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Middle Grade Fiction
What really makes someone honorable?

Sebin has longed to join the Thousand World Space Forces and follow in their uncle's footsteps as a captain. Sebin has always seen Uncle Hwan as an idol, so when they are suddenly told Hwan is a traitor and not to be trusted, they don't know what to do. While...

December 03, 2021
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Young Adult Fiction
An unexpected, heartwarming graphic novel

Jackie Chavez's best memories are of the trips her and her family took to the Kingdom Adventure amusement park. Since her parents were deported, it hasn't been the same. She still enjoys going with her friends, but even that is threatened when her Tía Gina tells her they can't afford...

302 results - showing 16 - 30
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