Book Review: The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

 
Title: The Walls Around Us
Author: Nova Ren Suma

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Source: Digital ARC Courtesy of Netgalley

Book Summary:(via Goodreads) The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.

We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Characters: Amber, Violet, Ori

What I Loved: There is a lot to love about this book, so I am going to try my best to do it justice without giving too much away (which is going to be difficult)!  First, I really like the multiple points of view.  I love hearing about an event from those involved, but when you hear it from two sides it really gives you a clearer picture of what is going on.  In the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Amber, who is an inmate in the Aurora Hills Juvenile Detention center. She tells us of life inside and how it changed when Ori arrived. Ori is the connection between Amber and Violet.  Her story is one that I still can’t forget.  Ori is just one of those girls/ characters that everyone loves.  She is well written, entirely believable, and kid that I could imagine at my school.  She is nice, thoughtful and someone who brightens the room when she walks in.  Then we meet her best friend Violet, who is the opposite in every way from Ori, and you are left wondering why, why would a sweet, nice girl be friends with someone who is obviously not.  Violet is hard, cold, and conniving-- a difficult character to connect with. But as her story is revealed, you are left to wonder, not why she was the way she was, but were the events that occurred to her what shaped her, and was this the person she was always going to be?  What surprised me was how big of a role bullying played in this book. It begins as teasing and then quickly escalates into much more.  It adds a sense of realism to the book-- a what would you do, how would you react type of situation. Although, personally, knowing Violet’s whole story does not make her in the least bit more likable for me.  I think that it will make a great book for discussion with my students.  What are you born to do, and how much of what happens to you in society changes you.  I also can’t wait for my students to read it because the ending….. OH MY!!!! I just need to talk about it with someone!!  

What I could have done without:.  The only thing I will say about this book is that at the beginning... it was confusing.  I won’t give it away, but I reread the first section of Amber’s story because I wasn’t getting it.  I think that when my students read it, I will just encourage them to keep going because it all does come together at the end!

Final Grade: B+

Review by Janine

Book Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

 

 

Title: Vanishing Girls

Author: Lauren Oliver

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: This book a stand alone

Source: Digital ARC courtesy of Edelweiss

Book Summary: (Via Goodreads) New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Characters: Nick, Dara, and Parker

Plot: Nick and Dara are sisters with a close bond.  Nick is the responsible older sister and Dara is the younger sister who is always getting into trouble, trying risky and dangerous things.  One night after a party the sisters are in a horrific car crash and after, nothing is the same.

What I Loved: There is so much to love about this book!!!  I would like to begin with a disclaimer that this book is awesome BUT it has some major twists.  However, I will not give any spoilers so if the review seems to be missing something, it is!!!!! This book is told in alternating points of view and at different time periods to you are getting the story of the sisters and what led up to the crash and the aftermath in bits and pieces.  As Nick tries to regain her life back by working and interacting with people again and at the same time trying to come to grips with the aftermath of the crash on her and her sister and her family you can see just how far she has slipped into despair and guilt over what has happened.  She begins working at the local amusement park at the insistence of her mother and even though she is hesitant she begins to come out of the shell that she has built up around her. She also at the same time is trying to find out what what caused her sister to go down the path that she did and what she could have done to help her.  This is part of the guilt that is very much destroying her.  This book is truly a psychological thriller so not only is it a little difficult to discuss without giving away a major plot point but it also makes you rethink (and in my case reread) everything in this novel.  I found myself going back to different points in the book and seeing things much differently!!!! Since I am a librarian in a school this book will not only be LOVED by my students but will make for a great discussion! I can’t wait for my students to read it.

What I could have done without: It is not that I could have done without it but at the beginning it was a little confusing.  The chapters alternate between different points of view (although each chapter is labeled with the person’s name) but what really got me was the different time periods for example some of them are labeled before and after and some have exact times.  Once you get into the story it is less of an issue but at the beginning I had a difficult time with keeping things straight.

Final Grade: A

Book Review by Janine