Book Reviews

Book Review by Daniel Kosyakov

‘Pizza’ by Carla Bardi

I chose this book to review because I have a massive and unhealthy passion for fast food, I reckon I consume it regularly, and no ladies, no, I’m not a lipid. If I were to recommend a pizza store, I’d give it to the one and only Jacob Borny in our school, who owns Lynbrook Pizza and Pasta. This book allowed me, a trash chef, the ability to learn a variety of ways to cook and prepare an ACTUAL good pizza.

 With this book's easy-to-follow instructions written by Carla Bardi, recipes for more than 50 scrumptious pizzas, and full-sized photos of finished pies, you'll be making and baking your favourite pizzas in no time. The book provides a brief history behind the significance of pizza, it gives recipes for basic, whole wheat, and gluten-free dough. I made the basic dough; no, it wasn’t that good because I can’t cook to save my life. 

Margherita Pizza

CRUST

1. Prepare the pizza dough following the instructions on pages 8-11. Set aside to rise.
2. Preheat the oven to 500̊ degrees F (250 degrees C/gas10).
3. Oil a 12-inch (30 cm) pan.
4. Knead the risen pizza dough briefly on a lightly floured work surface, then press it into the prepared pan using your hands.

TOPPING

1. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch (1 cm) border all around. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the mozzarella.
2. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the mozzarella is bubbling and beginning to brown.
3. Drizzle with the oil, if liked, and garnish with the basil.
4. Serve hot.

I enjoyed this book because at each step there were photos. After you’ve made your dough, the next step is to decide which pizza to make. I made a Margherita pizza with simple mozzarella and fresh basil. Each pizza is presented in two pages: one-page directions, and the other page an entire photo of the completed pizza. Mine didn’t exactly look like the photo, but it was still edible in my eyes. I’d 100% recommend this book to students who can’t cook, so at least when you get married your wife OR husband will be pleased to have you cook the world’s best pizza IN THE WORLD!

Book Review by Krystal Addison 

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ by Tim Burton/ Megan Shepherd

One of my favourite movies is The Nightmare Before Christmas and I love that this book has been created using images taken from the movie.  We meet Jack Skellington in this well-loved picture book, which could only come from the imaginative mind of author and illustrator TIM BURTON. 

Introducing Jack Skellington. It's his job to make Halloweenland the most awesomely eerie place in the area. But Jack soon gets tired of tricks and treats, so he looks around for other celebration ideas, and he discovers doors in the forest leading to the other holiday towns, then goes to Christmas Town! Jack is amazed by Christmas and returns to Halloween Town, deciding that Christmas is exactly what Halloweenland and the entire world need. His goal is to assume the role of Santa where he rallies the locals to take charge of organising Christmas. All the locals get to work creating their spooky versions of presents.

Jack gets the mischievous trio Lock, Shock, and Barrel to abduct “Santy Claws” and bring him to Halloween Town. Jack tells Santa he will Santy Claws this year and orders the trio to keep Santa safe. However, they deliver Santa to Jack's long-time rival Oogie Boogie: a bogeyman who likes to gamble and plays a game with Santa's life. 

Sally, a rag doll that was created by Dr. Finkelstein, has a terrifying vision of Jack’s efforts ending in disaster. But Jack ignores her and gets her to make him a Santa Claus suit.  You see Sally is secretly in love with Jack and longs to be by his side, and with Jack’s beloved dog Zero she tries to save Santa before she is captured. 

It’s time for Jack to deliver his sleigh filled with presents led by a skeleton reindeer to the real world. But the presents he leaves scare the people, and they hide in their homes. The military force is called, and they shoot down Jack until he crashes into a cemetery. Halloweenland fears Jack is dead.

Will Jack's wish to have the ideal Christmas come true, or will it end up being a complete nightmare? Jack realises that he still loves trick or treating and being spooky and is taught a lesson by Santa and the true meaning of Christmas.

Even though this book is meant for little kids, it’s still fun to read at Halloween with your siblings for a fun spooky tale. You should read this to your younger brothers and sisters before you watch the movie and show them the cool artwork! 

Book Review by Josh Chhean

‘My Pet Fish’ by Lynn Hamilton

I chose this book, simply, because it was a book with an intriguing cover. I side hustle in working at a fish and chip shop (the best in the peninsula), so cooking fish is my specialty. However, this book is about owning a pet fish not cooking or eating it.

My Pet Fish written by Lynn Hamilton, is a delightful picture book that introduces young readers to the joys and responsibilities of owning a pet fish. With captivating illustrations and a simple yet engaging gallery, it's an ideal choice for young readers.

The book begins with a gallery of many fish breeds ranging from goldfish, guppies, and angelfish. Alongside their images are little details about the fish including their appearance, size, and preferred habitat. It sparks curiosity about aquatic life, introducing different fish species and care essentials.

Furthermore, it includes the life cycle of fish from when they’re eggs, to birth, to fry, to maturity, to living life, and then finally into the crispy batter (ifykyk). *Do not take offense, I don’t mean it!

To end the book, Hamilton provides a pet puzzle where she asks the reader questions about the general care of pets, such as how much food they should consume and if certain species of fish can habitat with others. Also towards the end are frequently asked questions such as “Do fish sleep?” The answer is “Yes, they do, their eyes just do not close!”

The most common fish that is a pet and my personal favourite is the goldfish, so I will inform you with a little extract from the book:

Goldfish

• Many different varieties.
• Often orange, golden or red, but can come in many colours.
• May live from 5 to 25 years in a home aquarium.
• Cold-water fish; they thrive in water at 18 degrees Celsius.
• Hardy fish that can adjust to a range of conditions; some can live in outdoor ponds
• Normally peaceful; will chase smaller fish.

However, my favourite fish would probably be a nice grilled and crumbed Barramundi or a King George Whiting with some nice slices of lemon and tartare sauce.

I thoroughly recommend this book to people who love aquatic life or are seeking to own a new pet fish so that they don’t die and can live to their fullest (the fish, not the reader!) 🙏🏽

Book Review by Mark Aracas

‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert

Dune is an epic novel on the scale of ‘Lord of the Rings’ but in space. The story takes place on the planet Arrakis. (As a piece of trivia, Arrakis is pronounced the same as my surname, Aracas which is another reason I love this book). 

The book is set in the distant future, in a universe ruled by feudal noble houses that control the planets, and where a precious spice called "melange" is the most valuable commodity in the galaxy. The novel explores politics, religion, ecology, and the balance of power between different groups. Our hero is Paul Atriedes, the son of the appointed ruler of Arrakis who leads a resistance movement with the indigenous peoples. 

There are many themes within Dune, including the ecology of the desert planet and the use and commodification of water.  Another theme is the manipulation of power by the emperor of the galaxy and his allies.  The use of resources such as ‘melanage’ to fund and justify war is also a familiar and relevant theme. Within this context, our young hero who leads a rebellion from a desert planet to overthrow an empire, is at the heart of Dune. If it sounds familiar, George Lucas recently confirmed that Paul Atriedes was his influence for Luke Skywalker in Star Wars as was the planet Arrakis for Tatooine. 

Dune is a science fiction classic with lots of intrigue, action, and adventure. With a new movie version recently released starring Timothy Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa; there has been renewed interest in the book.  As a huge fan, I welcome a new generation of readers to the universe of Dune.

Paul fell asleep to dream of an Arrakeen cavern, silent people all around him moving in the dim light of glowglobes. It was solemn there and like a cathedral as he listened to a faint sound—the drip-drip-drip of water. Even while he remained in the dream, Paul knew he would remember it upon awakening. He always remembered the dreams that were predictions.

    The dream faded.

    Paul awoke to feel himself in the warmth of his bed—thinking ... thinking. This world of Castle Caladan, without play or companions his own age, perhaps did not deserve sadness in farewell. Dr. Yueh, his teacher, had hinted that the faufreluches class system was not rigidly guarded on Arrakis. The planet sheltered people who lived at the desert edge without caid or bashar to command them: will-o'-the-sand people called Fremen, marked down on no census of the Imperial Regate.

Book Review by Nicole Addison 

‘Spells Trouble: Sisters of Salem’ by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

This is the first book in the Sisters of Salem trilogy about twin witches from the powerhouse duo P.C. and Kristin Cast!

Double double, twins spell trouble…The blurb reads:

Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life. When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town. Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.

I loved the cover of this book, and it’s by one of my favourite Y.A writer teams, so I was eager to read this. I came across this series out of order and read the third book before I was able to find the first book. I've always found the backstory of any novel to be fascinating when it’s about The Witch Trials of Salem. 

It’s present day in Illinois and Mercy and Hunter Goode, the witch twins, will soon turn sixteen. The twins are quite close even though they are total opposites. They must become the Gatekeepers just as all their ancestors were before them. It's time for them to celebrate their birthday with their mother, and they announce the god or goddess that they are going to follow. 

They follow their usual routine, but something unusual occurs this time. After their mother passes away, the twins—who are still in mourning—decide to take up the case on their own and contribute to the investigation into the spate of killings that have been occurring in the town. However, magic alone won't fix this case. It will require love, guts, and what we eventually come to understand as acceptance.

I fell in love with the characters, especially Hunter, my favourite. I adored that she was gay and felt a strong connection with her. I also adored how much she tries to support her sister and yet is grieving even though she doesn't express it much! I loved the LGBTQ aspect of this book and how it all came together with the grief and mystery. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology and likes the idea of modern-day witches.

Book Review by Nikolina Nedic

‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry

“Sir? ”Jonas said shyly.

“Yes? Do you have a question?”

“It’s just that I don’t know your name. I thought you were the Receiver, but you say that now I'm the Receiver. So I don’t know what to call you.”

The man had sat back down in the comfortable upholstered chair. He moved his shoulders around as if to ease away an aching sensation. He seemed terribly weary. 

“Call me the Giver,” he told Jonas.

The Giver is a dystopian novel by Lois Lowry that explores the journey of 12-year-old Jonas as he begins to understand himself and the society that he lives in. It explores the emotional journey he faces as he is assigned the role of the “Receiver”. Jonas is now responsible to hold onto all of the painful memories of the past. Jonas’ seemingly perfect life is now tainted by the discoveries and lessons he learns. We watch as Jonas lives in the community and struggles to navigate growing up and receiving his assignment. Jonas is a depiction of what it is to grow up, go through changes, learn about yourself, and face society.

I read this book when I was fifteen in high school, I always loved it, but I don’t think I ever appreciated the true value of it until now. Re-reading this book now that I have entered the adult world, I've realised it tells a fundamental life story. The book makes you question what the world would be like if everything were black and white (literally). Having every life decision made for you from birth, your parents, the house you live in, and even your career.

Lois Lowry does a phenomenal job of describing a world that has no atmosphere. As Jonas learns about his environment you find yourself fully immersed in the bland, pain-free, and rule-abiding community. It is evident that Lois Lowry's community has been changed by past societal issues, the elimination of segregation, gender roles, and beauty standards are just a few. He has taken those negative standards and transformed them to create this perfect world. Death is celebrated in Jonas' community; it makes you ponder about the role faith and spirituality have in death and how it saddens the matter. Despite all these positive experiences within the community, Jonas discovers it's not as perfect as he thinks.

This is one of those books that makes you think, and if you ever have wondered “What is the meaning of life?” It's a good read. It won't answer your questions, but it may change how you view the negative experiences we as humans face, and how that changes us to become better people.