About Review Crew
Book & Media Reviews by Teens
Review Crew began as an initiative to help Sharon teens virtually fulfill community service requirements during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues now as a means for teens to practice writing skills and share their love of reading with peers.
Local teens in grades 6-12 sign up to read, listen to, or otherwise enjoy books and media - and then submit reviews. Reviews are posted on a rolling basis and are aimed at tweens and teens looking for their next great read!
Interested in becoming a reviewer? Fill out a volunteer application. Already a volunteer? Start reviewing here!
June, 2024 Reviews
| Reviewer: | Anya |
| Title: | The Hunger Games |
| Author: | Suzanne Collins |
| Published | 2008 |
| Format: | Libby E-Book |
| Genre: | Dystopian Fiction |
| Summary: | The Hunger Games starts out with the main character, Katniss Everdeen, waking up to hunt in District 12 on day of the reaping. The reaping ceremony takes place in each of the twelve districts, with two tributes being selected from each, to sum up to 24 tributes participating in the arduous Hunger Games. Katniss lost her father in a mine explosion when she was eleven, causing her mother to fall into depression, diminishing her ability to take care for Katniss and her younger sister, Primrose. Five years later, Katniss is left fending for her family, and putting food on the table even during the toughest times. Fortunately, Katniss has a way with the bow and arrow, giving her precision when it comes to hunting. Katniss meets her best friend, Gale, in the forest to hunt and forage. Hours later, Katniss and her family as well as many others from District 12 gather in the square, a common meeting place in the district, for the reaping ceremony. Then the unthinkable happens. Out of thousands of people, Katniss's sister, innocent Prim, the only person Katniss truly loves, is randomly picked as a tribute. Without thinking, Katniss volunteers to take Prim's place in the dangerous Hunger Games. On her journey in the Games, Katniss must strategically hide and hunt her way to victory, even if it mean losing another tribute who could turn into her life-long partner. After all, there can only be one victor. Or so it seems... |
| Review: | I really enjoyed this book. There was not one part where I felt bored while reading it, because it was so compelling. I really enjoyed some of the relationships between characters, such as Peeta and Katniss's relationship, and Katniss's relationship with Rue. I also enjoyed Katniss's realistic and honest tone, since it was something I could personally connect with. I already have the second book of the series on hold, and am excited to read about Katniss's next journey! |
July, 2024 Reviews
| Reviewer: | Matteo |
| Title: | Deepfake |
| Author: | Sarah Darer Littman |
| Published | 2022 |
| Format: | |
| Genre: | Fiction |
| Summary: | Sarah Darer Littman's book "Deepfake" tells the story of two high school seniors. Dara Simons and her boyfriend, Will Halpern, compete for the valedictorian spot. However, a video showing Dara accusing Will of cheating on the SAT became viral, putting Will's Stanford admission at risk, but also made Dara and Will's relationship fall apart. By analysing the video, Dara spots a deep fake. This saves her bond with Will. And together, they unmask {SPOILER}! |
| Review: | This tale packs a wallop! Diving into how AI lies ruin trust and ties. It fires up folks to stay sharp in a world where real and fake content blurs with advanced technologies, showing how digital trickery messes with our links. It's a call to action, we must keep our eyes open as tech makes truth-spotting a real head-scratcher. |