Has one book made such a big mark on you that it stays with you for the rest of your life? That is what The Girl Who Drank the Moon did to me. The plot revolves around a girl, Lundi and her caretakers and friends, Xan the witch, Glerk, the swamp monster, and the dragon, Fyrian. The story moves smoothly and beautifully. At the end, the conclusion blossoms like a pink rose in spring. One way it changed me was how I thought about generic “witches” in fairy tales. Most had puke-green faces, warts, and a pointy black hat along with matching black robes. They rode broomsticks and were evil. The witch Xan is not evil, she is gentle and caring, but all the people in the village think that she is evil. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a fictional story with magical elements, but I think it tackles some problems about stereotyping in the real world, too. Luna’s rashness in the beginning of the story also reminded me of my own cheerful and mischievous childhood. Luna acted so upbeat but ten times as troublesome as your average toddler. Seeing her antics that caused serious damage, like turning a barn into a gingerbread house, made me giggle and shake my head at the same time. It was exciting to see a young me in the book. Finally, when I realized the true antagonist of the book, my first thought was, “Whoa, I don’t want to be like that when I grow up!” And do you know what’s sad? The antagonist could have become a nice normal person. They just made the wrong choices. I plan on not making the wrong choices. The Girl Who Drank the Moon has impacted me in so many ways. It was a great book, and it has changed me a lot. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Algonquin Young Readers, 2019. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
book review
Daughter of the Deep, Reviewed by Jeremy Lim, 10
When I saw a copy of Daughter of the Deep, it was love at first sight. The cover art stood out with the colors of the ocean and a giant squid in the background. But the selling point for me were the fancy letters on the top of the cover. They read: By Rick Riordan. You see, I am an avid fan of just about every adventure, sci-fi or realistic fiction chapter book there is. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, 39 Clues, you name it! Riordan is especially great because he adds pop culture and a fast-paced plot with a myth or story. So I snatched the library book off the shelf to give it a go. It did not disappoint me. The narrator and main character Ana Dakkar just wants to have a normal life. It is close to her birthday when her world starts unraveling. She is going on a field trip for her final exam. Then her school goes up in flames as she and her classmates are catapulted into a new world. They are now at war with Land Institute. The Nautilus, Captain Nemo, and the events of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were real. She is now forced to lead her crew of high schoolers after her professor reveals a secret she never knew. She is a direct descendant of Captain Nemo. And she is the key to his technology. What the book mainly shows, however, is that secrets are a double-edged sword. From the action packed beginning to the climatic end, the plot is based on a series of secrets being revealed, with most of them being one blow after another at Ana. Her friend is granted information that she should’ve known too. She doesn’t know her family well. She doesn’t know what happened to her parents. And even though her ignorance protected her for some time, they had to reveal the secrets to make her truly safe in the end. What makes this book stand out from other science fiction thrillers, however, is that while you can never see what technology is coming next, you also can’t see what twist is coming next. You see the warring sides clearly throughout the book, yet some things still don’t feel quite right. You can even doubt the technology at times. So, it sends the sense that you have to be on guard. It’s sort of like a detective story, just that you have to figure out the enemy’s move, like a chess game. However, if you can guess the “OH!” moment near the end, you must be a genius! This book is definitely for science fiction and action book fans. If you’re looking for a mythological book like Percy Jackson, this book will be ok for you, but it lacks the information and strong connections to myths. You should try it anyway though, because with a strong and fast-moving plot, this thriller will please fans of all genres. Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. Disney Hyperion, 2021. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Murder on the Orient Express, Reviewed by Orin, 13
Murder on the Orient Express is a tense, nail-biting mystery written by one of the most widely published authors of all time, Agatha Christie. The book stars detective Hercule Poirot, who is on the Orient Express when a millionaire named Samuel Ratchett is found dead in his compartment. With a body stabbed a dozen times in the train, the detective must look for answers among his fellow passengers who just might be the killer. This novel, although old-fashioned, is mystery at its peak. Red herrings are packed piles and piles atop each other and every single passenger Poirot interviews could be lying, adding a mysterious tone throughout the entire book. As the book goes along and the case drags, the pace gets a little faster and the book adds a more tense tone. As the book crescendoes to the climax and the solution, Poirot’s allies grow more desperate. The book then reveals its big twist, and the story concludes itself. One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much is not just because of the mystery and the twist, but because of how it plays with tone emotion. You sympathize for these characters and you feel the raw emotion pop out as the book peels off its layers like an onion. The theme of this book blurs the line between good and evil and right and wrong. In the end, Hercule Poirot makes a difficult choice that is both right and wrong. The tone, emotion, and the themes make this book not just a clever mystery, but a tragic, dramatic story that makes the reader learn a lesson. The writing is also top-notch. Every little detail is not hidden from the reader adding more and more elements atop mysteries as the book goes on. You can not only understand the physical clues, but understand the psychology behind the characters that guides you closer to who the killer is. Poirot interviews the passengers like a professional and every word that he or the passengers speak has a secret double meaning. Agatha Christie is truly a gifted writer. Finally, this book is so relatable because of the emotions that drive the crime. Because you want to understand why the killer did what they did and you feel what the passengers feel as Poirot inches toward the solution, you can’t put the book down. I felt the passengers’ feverish excitement and their deepest despair. I felt the core of their guilt and the wound filled with grief that wouldn’t go away. Murder on the Orient Express is a book hard to leave behind and impossible not to finish in just a few sittings. The book has mystery, emotion, a tense tone, and a big twist. The book also has countless movie and TV adaptations. Agatha Christie also wrote other brilliant books like Death on the Nile, Murder on the Links, And Then There Were None, and ABC Murders. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Collins Crime Club, 1934. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
