Valerie Zhang
137 Articles5 Comments

Valerie is sixteen. She attends a boarding school near Boston, where she writes, reads, and attempts to be a studious student. She's too lazy to write the rest of this bio, so follow her on Twitter @torquoiseworld because shameless self-promotion is alive and thriving!

Book Review: ‘Breaking Sky’ by Cori McCarthy

It’s 2048, and America’s best hope is in the two teen-fighter pilots of the United Star Academy. Chase Harcourt, call sign “Nyx,” is one of the two pilots chosen to fly the experimental “Streaker” jets at the academy. Her tough…

Book Review: ‘The Last Changeling’ by Chelsea Pitcher

I often find myself entranced by the cover and the premise of a book, only to finish the book questioning the significance. This most often occurs with fantasy books, as it’s much easier to get lost in the story writing…

Book Review: ‘The Good Sister’ by Jamie Kain

I’ve always had a special spot in my heart for books about the bonds between sisters. (This preference stems from the fact that I have two younger sisters, but don’t tell them that!) Unfortunately, most books about such bonds are…

Book Review: ‘All the Rage’ by Courtney Summers

If you’ve read any of her other books, you might notice that Summers has returned to telling a novel about a schoolgirl. Except this time, the return is even sadder, even more beautiful. Content wise, All the Rage will break…

Book Review: ‘King Dork Approximately’ by Frank Portman

In elementary school, I read “The Clique” series and the “Canterwood Crest” series, devouring the stories of these impossibly cultured middle school girls. Then, I got to middle school and realized my life was boring in comparison. In middle school…

Book Review: ‘Tear You Apart’ by Sarah Cross

Though Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are Hollywood’s most popular fairy-tales, Sarah Cross’ second novel in the “Beau Rivage” series revamps the tale of Snow White. As any princess in the city of Beau Rivage knows, not all fairy-tales…

Book Review: ‘The Fire Artist’ by Daisy Whitney

I initially loved everything about The Fire Artist, until I thought more deeply about the novel when penning this review. (Basically, I had the same reaction to Twilight.) The author’s writing is compelling, but for what purpose? So we, as the…