Summaries by Satvika – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Amazon.ca: Jackson, Holly: BooksA Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 

A Review by Satvika Suresha. 

‘When you ask people what happened to Andie Bell, they’ll tell you without hesitation: 

“She was murdered by Salil Singh.

No “allegedly”

No “might have”

No “probably”

No “most likely.”

He did it, they say. Sal killed Andie.

But I’m not so sure.” 

 

Seventeen-year-old Pippa ‘Pip’ Fitz-Amobi is your ideal high school student. An overachiever, workaholic, clean record, good student. So, it’s a big surprise when she decides to solve a murder that occurred 5 years ago for her senior capstone project. 

Pip starts to delve deeper into the past, uncovering the secrets and the real players behind the murders of Sal and Andie that someone wants to desperately keep hidden. And if the real murderer is out there, still alive, how far will they go to quiet Pip and let their secrets die with them? 

I originally picked up this book at the Alpha school library because of the cover. ‘Red string, white paper and an ominous title? Seems like the read for me!’ I was attracted to the title, the description and the cover art. 

Shallow, I know. 

And so, I curled up in the corner of my bed, picked up the book and started to read, with ‘Throne of Glass’ beside me as a backup in case the book ended up being a dud. But as I burned through the pages, and started to read see the mystery unfold, I was wholly, undoubtedly, 

Hooked. 

The character arcs and design themselves are magnificent. It’s obvious that the author hasn’t used any cookie-cutter templates or created any Mary Sues-they’re all beautifully original. 

But the plot. Oh, the plot is a piece of art! Chef’s kiss! Fantastique! The plot is well-developed and interesting-lots of plot twists and scares. The mystery that is embedded into the book is cleverly made, that one could only say that is immaculate. 

Even after rereading it multiple times, I can say confidently that I cannot find any faults in this book. Everything, from the plot to the characters, to the mystery is so intricate and perfect that there cannot be any faults. 

I rate this book a 10/10 and whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone, whether it be fantasy fans, sci-fi, fans, romance fans, but especially mystery and drama fans. Actually, scratch that, any YA reader, PLEASE read this book. 

Content warning: Has mentions of sex, drugs, rape/sexual assault and other topics that may trigger trauma or panic attacks. Please read mindfully. 

Attention All Gamers!

Platforms, gadgets cater to gamers' increased activities during COVID-19 - Thu, July 30 2020 - The Jakarta PostDo you love video games? Would you consider yourself a gamer? Are you looking for a novel to read, either for English class, or for fun? Well, you’re in luck! Powell’s Books, an awesome bookstore in Portland Oregon, has put together a list of “read-alikes” for popular video games. Basically, they have recommended a book for you to try if you like playing a certain game. I have copied and pasted the list below, or you can checkout Powell’s original post here.

The Last of Us –>Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Beyond: Two Souls –>The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Call of Duty: Black Ops (Zombies) –> World War Z by Max Brooks

Final Fantasy –> Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Mass Effect –>Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Alice: Madness Returns –>Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Halo –>Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein

Portal –> House Of Stairs by William Sleator

Mario Kart –> The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

Dark Souls –>Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Life Is Strange –>We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Stardew Valley –>How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Fable –> Young Elites by Marie Lu

Borderlands –>Velocity by Chris Wooding

Dishonored –>Airman by Eoin Colfer

The Oregon Trail –>Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Elder Scrolls series –>The Naming by Alison Croggon

Bioshock –>Dark Life by Kat Falls

Fallout –>Razorland by Ann Aguirre 

Assasin’s Creed –>The Way of Shadows Night by Brent Weeks

Dragonage –>Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Legend of Zelda –>Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Until Dawn –> Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Sonic –> Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Overwatch –> Bluescreen by Dan Wells

Uncharted –> Passenger by Alexandra Bracken 

Pokemon –>Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by JK Rowling, and Newt Scamander

Mario Party –>Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Black Lives Matter Book Recommendations

Black Lives Matter - WikipediaAre you looking at what’s going on around the world right now and thinking, what can I do? A great place to start is by reading books on the topics of systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Educating yourself is key to combating internalized racism and prejudice in the world.

A good place to start: Ideal Bookshelf has created artwork and a book list of Antiracist YA. According to the website these “are very specific books on being an antiracist and being Black in America, but also some about being discriminated against for other qualities (including magical powers! see: Children of Blood and Bone), and how to love everything about yourself ❤️”. All books on this list are for age 13+.

No photo description available.The Bookshop Diverse Spines, a shop that highlights female authors of colour, has also created a book list called the #diversespinesreadingchallenge. The idea is to diversify what you read to include more books written by people of colour in order to encounter more view points and experiences which differ from your own. See how many you have you read from the list and try to read some more.

They have also curated a list called An Anti-Racist Reading List to Help You Do The Work

* please note that the last two lists are general and not specifically focused on teens

 

I will leave you with this quote from Leslie Dwight:

What is 2020 isn’t cancelled? What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for? A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw- that is finally forces us to grow. A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber. A year we finally accept the need for change. Declare change. Work for change. Become the change. A year we finally band together, instead of pushing each other further apart.

2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.

Alpha Reads 2018

With the beginning of semester 2 comes the launch of our new Alpha Reads! 10 amazing titles have been chosen that include sci-fi, fantasy, realism and everything in between.
The books in Alphabetical order by author are:
Remember to take a ballot and enter our draw every time you read one of the 2018 titles. There will be a weekly Friday draw for small prizes as well as a GRAND PRIZE draw in May. So get reading!

Books Becoming Movies in 2018

With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to get excited about all of the Young Adult books being turned into movies. Click on the title to find the book at Alpha library, or watch the trailer to see if you think the movie will live up to the book.

JANUARY 26
Maze Runner – The Death Cure

MARCH 9
A Wrinkle in Time

 
MARCH 16
Simon Vs the Homo Sapien’s Agenda
 
MARCH 30
Ready Player One

Other books being adapted for the big screen this year are:
The Sun is Also a Star
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
The Hate You Give

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. If you would like more information on LGBTQ+ life or issues, we have a number of excellent non-fiction books on display in the library. We also have a display of novels which feature gay, bisexual or trans characters. For more information on what this day is about, check out the IDAHOT website, this pdf,  or stop by the library!