EunaBi Reads

Suggested Reading Book Review  Rating: 3.75/5 When I first got this book, I didn't really know what to expect. It's not as dramatic as the most recent books I've read, but after reading the inside flap, I was intrigued. This book discusses banned books, which I thought would be an interesting topic. As some of you reading may know, several places are trying to ban, and have banned, books about race, gender and sexuality. Suggested Reading is something that could be our possible future, with books being silently taken off the shelves and the discouragement of reading about certain topics. I think it's important that books like Suggested Reading spread awareness to readers. I thought this book was good. The plot was interesting, and even though the ending was quite predictable, I still enjoyed it. After finishing the book, I felt pretty happy, but nothing really stood out to me. My biggest problem with Suggested Reading is the lack of character development. Clara was comp...

  The Red Palace Book Review  Rating: 5/5 I love, love, loved this book! Before this book, I was in a reading slump. I felt like I didn't have time to read at all and would get bored pretty quickly after reading a few pages of any book. But when my school's Thanksgiving break rolled around, I was able to sit down and finally start to read a book, which happened to be The Red Palace! It reminded me why I love to read, especially murder mysteries, so I am very excited to be reviewing this book.  I'm sure many of you reading have watched or heard about Korean dramas. They are full of romance, excitement, and- of course- drama. It starts with watching one episode, but before you know it, that one episode becomes three and then an all-out binge-watch. I mean, who wouldn't? They're so interesting and addicting, it's hard to not love them. When I opened this book, the sole purpose of it was to show myself that I was finally reading a book so I wouldn't feel so guil...

WANT Book Review  Rating: 4.75/5 I started this book for my school's dystopian unit and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. The plot of this book fascinated  me and kept me on the edge of my seat. The fact that the setting of this book could be our near future is pretty scary, and I think that the book emphasizes that fact. It sheds light on topics that are usually dismissed, and I believe that it is important that the book brings awareness to these social and global issues. The characters are very well written, and I couldn't put this book down! I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fast-paced, interesting book.  Zhou, the protagonist, was a very determined, intelligent character. However, I was also drawn to his friends, and I wanted to learn more about them. I loved how they were all practically family and the interactions between them always seemed so real. The book was written so well and each time the setting changed I felt like I was ther...

Temple Alley Summer Book Review Rating: 4/5 Temple Alley Summer is from the famous Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba. This book was originally written in Japanese but was translated into English in 2011. In fact, Kashiwaba's book The Marvelous Village Veiled in Mist was the inspiration behind the famous Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away! As a fan of both Studio Ghibli and ghost stories, I was very excited to read this book. Another thing that drew me to the book was the art. I think it's super cool to have art that shows some of the scenes in the book. Kazu, the main character, was well written, and I liked how the author maintained the fact that he was in 5th grade, by making him do things most 5th graders do, like complain about homework, and hang out with friends. Even though he was scared of Akari at first, when he figured out more about her past, he was very kind to her, and I thought that it was very sweet. Akari's reasons for coming back to life were s...

  Six Crimson Cranes Book Review Rating: 5/5 Six Crimson Cranes is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is a magical fantasy book based on East Asian mythology. Not only was it captivating and enchanting, but it was also such a sweet and loveable book as well. It’s not just an adventure story but also a coming of age story, as we see the main character Shiori grow.  I loved that Shiori wasn’t portrayed as a helpless girl, and was instead a strong minded, brave, and determined character. She had a vibrant personality, and if I could, I would’ve loved to become her friend. Her pet paper crane Kiki was so adorable, and together they made a great pair. Her six brothers had unique, distinctive personalities , so it was easy to tell them apart.  Takkan was such a sweetheart, and was super kind. Even when everybody else believed Shiori and her brothers were dead, he kept his faith in them and kept on looking. Megari was the perfect cunning, cute little sister, and she...

  This is Where it Ends Book Review Rating: 3/5 This book contains mature themes such as school shootings and death.  This is Where it Ends is about a school shooting. I've read many reviews on this book, and it's as if this book has split the reading community in half. Some people have said that it has brought awareness and attention to the subject and captured these shootings realistically, and others have said that it was very black and white, and it took school shootings and compressed it into a simplistic, short book.  The book was told from four different perspectives, which was confusing. There were so many characters, and they were all related in some way. I think it's clever to tell the story at different angles, but the four characters were very similar.  At the same time, it was an emotional book, that captured the emotions of the characters well. I wanted to find out what happened, regardless of what I thought about the characters. It was heartbreaking an...

  Dumplin' Book Review Rating: 4.5/5 My library was giving out books to students and in the young adult section, I found this book. I'd heard of Dumplin' before, and I knew that it had received many good reviews. So, I decided to take it home and read it. And wow, I definitely wasn't expecting to love the book this much! Willowdean, the main character was bold, and stood by her beliefs, which was very inspiring. This book also included touches of feminism and romance, adding even more to Willowdean's personality. It showed the ups and downs of true friendship, how you should appreciate your body, and much more. A truly heartwarming story.  Willowdean, also known as Will, is the daughter of former beauty pageant queen, Rosie Dixon. She had always been comfortable in her own body, despite what others may say to her. With her best friend Ellen by her side, she feels unstoppable, until she meets Bo, and develops a crush on him. To her surprise, Bo seems to like her back...