Author: Drew @ Twin Hickory

In this classic retelling of Batman villain Mr. Freeze’s tragic romance, Victor Fries, an up-and-coming young scientist, meets Nora Faria, a girl diagnosed with a fatal illness that will kill her at an early age. As the two become fast friends, they realize that they have a lot to talk about, including their pasts. Once Victor learns about Nora’s illness, he’s determined to save her by using a previously unexplored, and possibly unethical, method: preservation by freezing, also known as cryopreservation. However, Nora plans to end her life on her birthday, sooner than Victor can possibly finish his experimental cure. Will Victor’s cure work, and save Nora?

I honestly thought this book was emotionally moving. I knew a lot about Mr. Freeze, the Batman villain, but DC Comics never dove deep into his backstory, so I went into this with tempered expectations. However, I came out of the book stunned – the ending was as I had assumed, but the way Myracle came to the book’s conclusion was a wild ride of twists and turns. The characters were full of life and charm, each having their own characteristics and inner conflicts to battle. I absolutely loved how close the titular characters were and reading their inner dialogue gained my sympathy for their causes. In addition, seeing Gotham City portrayed as a friendly and bright environment was fantastic. Usually Gotham City is portrayed as a grim city full of crime, and its reimagining gave the city a new perspective.

The most memorable part from the book was Victor and Nora meeting for the first time. The two being able to relate through the pain of losing a loved one was what tied them together and established their bond. I believe it was memorable because it was their grim circumstances that brought them together, rather than their wildly different personalities.

Reviewed by Allyson, Twin Hickory Library

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After the protagonist, Ellie, has her brother die in an accident on the road, she finds herself in a harrowing situation. Her brother, Luke, had left the family a few months ago in sheer disdain for her mother’s tendency to attempt to control things in the house. Furthermore, he especially despised the quiet suburban town of Eaton that he had lived in for all of his life. Luke wanted something different from life, an ambition that just hasn’t crossed to Ellie the same way it did to Luke. Left with no feelings and an inability to truly cope, she is left with emptiness and a feeling of unfulfillment. However, there was something left of Luke in the house other than his untouched room. Discovering an old letter left on her desk, she finds a map that was made when Luke was still with her. It was a map – not just any map, but the same map that Luke and Ellie marked their bucket list of locations to visit at least once. It was a dream road trip, planned by Ellie, Luke, and Wes, a childhood friend. However, the sender of the letter had no name, but what was there was an address in Michigan. Setting out to find whoever sent the map to her and learn what Luke did with his life after he left, she prepares for a long road trip. This does not prevent a few old friends from finding out including Cade, a former lover of hers, Wes, a childhood friend, and Gwen, the former girlfriend of Luke.

The story of Luke is sad, to say the least. Unlike the other parts of this book, Luke’s ambition is almost reminiscent of what a lot of rebellious teens have dreamed of at least once, which is something that intrigued me throughout the book. Luke wanted to live life differently, possessing an ambition that so many teens have, yet never follow through with.  However, unlike most teens, he went through with those ambitions. Leaving his home and his friends which he cherished so much, Luke left to find the life he wanted. Luke wanted to change, something that his life had never provided him throughout his childhood. The story explores this runaway style of a road trip when the main characters follow in Luke’s footsteps. That is what makes this story fun in a way beyond the words of its pages. It is a story exploring what most adults wanted to do when they were teens. Most of them never did, and in turn, abandoned their ambitions as their age placed them into the workforce. The story is about a bunch of teens being teens, and I like it that way.

The characters were not very memorable. I found myself unable to connect to them the same way many other stories manage to. However, I can’t say that it takes off from the themes. The book makes you think about the issues of life and your part of it more than any book that I have read before. It provokes a level of thought in the reader that makes them feel connected to the reader.

Reviewed by Jaewon, Twin Hickory Area Library

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Reviewed by Faribah, Twin Hickory Area Library

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This story follows the early life and political career of current California senator Kamala Harris. Growing up in California as the oldest daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Kamala learned the importance of equality and justice from a very young age. Throughout the rest of her life, her goal has been to implement these two important virtues in communities across the country that greatly lack them. This motivation to make her community a better place has driven her farther up the political ladder, putting her into a position to assist even more citizens with every promotion. Throughout this entire process, she has also emphasized inspiring the next generation of empowered leaders in this country, with the possibility of spreading her influence if she is elected as the 46th U.S. President.

I really liked the way that this book was structured. Each chapter began with a short anecdote, usually describing an event that Kamala Harris encountered during her life. As the chapter progressed towards its end, she was very reflective about the event and connected it to her core beliefs about equality and justice. She also gave a lot of context about every situation so that those who are very unfamiliar with law would be able to understand what was going on. My favorite aspect of this novel, however, is likely the inspirational message that she aspires for every reader to understand.

I learned a lot of valuable lessons while reading this book that make me think about life in this country in a completely different way than I did previously. It made me a lot more aware of issues that significantly affect members of my community on a daily basis and how to go about solving these problems. Ultimately, this book taught me how to be a good citizen, and even more importantly, a better person.

Reviewed by Griffin, Gayton Branch Library

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Reviewed by Shraddha, Twin Hickory Area Library