Emendable

Wicked Like a Wildfire is so well written, that, like its cover, the descriptions are sweet and keep you wanting to read more, and when it overly describes, those small instances are quickly forgiven. Iris and Malina are twins that are different in almost every way except their ability to perform magic, or what they call the gleam.   Iris is headstrong and boisterous, and Malina is peaceful and congenial; Iris cannot get along with her mother, and Malina is favored by her; Iris is the partier, and Malina thinks of a good time as singing songs with her bestie; and Iris dreams of leaving home and using her magic while Malina can’t imagine a life outside supporting her mother. Iris and Malina do not know much about the gleam or their past other than that they have never met their father, their mother’s family was killed because they had it, and they must keep it a secret (they cannot share it with others or practice it) for fear of their lives. As much as Iris and...

The sliver of hope usually prevalent in any thriller, drama, or classic novel is completely absent in Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You . While waiting for any redeemable characters or any instances of hope, you are given everything that the characters never told, including some things that may have been better left unsaid. A family is searching for their daughter Lydia, who you find out in the first line of the book that she is already dead. Lydia is the middle child of a Chinese American family. Each family member knows Lydia differently because of their interactions with and expectations of her. From her parents who saw her through the hopes and dreams they had for her to the caution her brother had for the boy she hung out with, each family member is trying to piece together exactly what happened. The book is a cycle of parental faults: parents expect their children to live up to their standards and end up acting just like them. Parents expect their child to g...

Despite some character inconsistencies, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire jumps straight into the fun action now that we intimately know the main characters. Harry has attended Hogwarts for three years now, so everything mystical and weird about it is no longer shiny. He glides through the school with the Marauder's Map with ease, gets by with his made up perilous fortune for a Professor Trelawney exam, and even lands a Christmas school dance date. Harry does not have too much time to get too comfortable, though, when his name is drawn out of the Goblet of Fire, pitting him against three of the strongest students from around the world. Like most middle schoolers, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all are facing the pressure of being themselves despite other's expectations. Hermione, the underdog herself, takes up a moral fight against house elf slavery. Ron, who is always in the lime light of his dragon-studying brother and famous best friend, must swallow his pride and en...

Three stories collide, making you wonder how it will end: that of Natasha the cynical scientist, Daniel the romantic poet, and the Universe, made up of particles, philosophies and is still unpredictable. Natasha is twelve hours from being deported to Jamaica from New York City, and as always, her fate falls entirely onto her shoulders. Her ideals and outlook on life are not characteristic of a typical young adult but one who has had to take on too much responsibility within their family, leaving her anxious and pessimistic. Because of her impending future, she does not have the time nor the belief that love is a reality. Daniel is bright and on track to go to Harvard. His family emigrated from South Korea when Daniel was born to give his brother and him the chance to succeed academically. Daniel aspires to be a poet, but he knows his family will never understand. He is scheduled for his first interview for Harvard, and on his way, he believes fate has brought him to Natasha....

Horrorstor : A Novel  is a quick, fun horror comedy that is best likened to a well written fan fiction of a disgruntled Ikea worker. Trinity has no desire to be working at Orsk, “the all-American furniture superstore in Scandinavian drag, offering well-designed lifestyles at below-Ikea prices,” and her biggest plans are to transfer back to her original Orsk when she is given the chance. Even though both stores are identical, she mainly wants to escape management, or more specifically, her overenthusiastic boss Basil, who, according to the management handbook, just needs to give Trinity a nudge in the right direction, and she will be sure to be just as excited to work at Orsk as he is. Trinity is not the only one who believes that her work is more likened to slavery or imprisonment. Matt and Amy are coworkers that find the only silver lining in working at Orsk is each other and the chance of proving it to be haunted. After a few odd instances such as messes created o...

Lindsey Stirling’s biography provides a unique view of an even more unique career as a dancing violinist, and her story is an inspiration to twenty somethings pursuing their own passions. Stirling’s biography is a myriad of short stories starting from childhood on. She wrote the book while on tour, and her sister Brooke helped her edit and gather pictures for the book. Stirling wrote the book for the same reason she records YouTube videos of her in a Zelda costume dancing: Lindsey Stirling is confidently her quirky self, and she hopes to inspire others to enjoy being themselves and pursue their passions. Part one “The Childhood/ Developing Teenager Part” details her uniqueness as an adolescent. She always wanted to fit in, but she always found her crowd with those advocating for the whales or dressing as pirates. Her friends encouraged her to be herself and introduced her to the fun of film-making, and they proudly shared their videos with their school. She fell in love with the...