Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin; Review by Eddie Sim

Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin is about the discovery of the "missing link" between lizards and fish, Tiktaalik, as well as what makes people evolve and the changes that occur in evolution. Shubin is an paleontologist who discovered the bones of a fish with hands, called Tiktaalik. Tiktaalik was a huge find, as it was already known to be the transition from fish to reptile, but nobody had ever seen proof of its existence. Additionally, Shubin discusses evolution, specifically how the body decides what parts develop as needed. These range from better senses of smell to growing or losing limbs to better suit the environment. Not only that, but he also shows how similar our body parts are to ancient creatures that have gone extinct many years ago. For example, we share a large part of our genes with worms, and our hands used to be fins! I liked this book because it was easy to read but still taught me a lot about ancient life and transitions in anatomy. I'd recommend Your Inner Fish to anyone who wants to learn about the ways our bodies have grown from simple fish to the complex animals we are today. It does take a little while to actually get into the meat of the book, but the introductory paragraphs pass quickly. 

Eddie Sim

Review of Taken By Erin Bowman By Aastha Kannan

Taken By Erin Bowman

By Aastha Kannan

           

A fan of The Hunger Games or Divergent Series? Then this is most certainly the book for you. Centered around a boy named Gray who lives in a town called ClaySoot, the book follows his journey to find out the truth about his life and the Heist. The Heist is a ritual that occurs on every boy’s eighteenth birthday. On the eve of a boy’s eighteenth birthday, a feast is held in his honor to say goodbye and the minute the boy turns eighteen the ground shakes hard and he is swallowed up, never to be seen again. Many boys who know that their fate is to be the same, attempt to climb the Wall which is a barrier between ClaySoot and whatever lies beyond it, but their burned bodies show up at the bottom of the Wall the next day. Every time. Gray refuses to believe that this is the only solution and looks into matters himself. By his side is his childhood crush Emma. She slowly falls in love with Gray and follows him in his search for answers. Answers are not always easy to find in ClaySoot and with Gray’s eighteenth birthday creeping up, time is running out. Nevertheless, Emma and Gray keep the search going for an explanation for the Heist and why it happens and how. Their questions lead them over the Wall, a feat no one has managed to survive so far. The next morning their bodies are not found at the bottom of the Wall. They are the first climbers to ever survive. If I give away much more there will be no need for you to read the book so I will only say this, for people who enjoy mystery, suspense, romance, and thrill, this is a book you do not want to miss out.

Review of Today We Are Rick by Tim Sanders; review by Eddie Sim

Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders is a book about harnessing self confidence to achieve what people previously thought was impossible. Tim Sanders often brings up what he calls the "Negativity Loop", a cycle where someone thinks negative thoughts, suffers from it, and keeps thinking negatively resulting in a downward spiral. In this book, Sanders discusses his "sideways years" where his life takes a turn for the worse and he makes continuously worse choices, creating a negativity loop. This is resolved as he remembers the confidence lessons his grandmother taught him as a child that he can apply to turn his life around for the better. The book also covers his clients who suffer from their own problems, and how he has helped them get their lives back on track. Sanders shows how to deal with a worst case scenario (it probably won't happen), and how to turn negative thoughts into positive energy. As a whole, Today We Are Rich is not a book on how to make profit, but rather being rich as a person and living life to the fullest.

I really enjoyed this book ever since I got it a few years ago. At the time I had been struggling in school and my own personal life, but this book helped me bring my confidence to a new high. I learned that the worst case scenario I imagined almost will never happen, and how to prepare for a better outcome. I feel like I’ve become more positive overall! I’d recommend this book to anybody who is currently in a slump right now, as it’s a short read but provides a huge amount of insight into how to improve yourself.

Eddie Sim

Book Review of The Storyteller By: Aastha Kannan

Book Review of The Storyteller

By: Aastha Kannan

            Written by Antonia Michaelis, The Storyteller, is a book I have glanced over and walked away from numerous times while searching for books to read in the library.  Thankfully, on my last visit I passed it once more except this time, I stopped and picked it up. When I saw the purplish pink cover littered with blood drops and a single rose, I knew I had to read it. Good thing too because until that moment I did not know how much I was missing out on. Michaelis is a terrific author who blends in mystery and romance flawlessly. The story follows two characters named Anna and Abel, a good girl and a bad boy, classic tale right? Except, this romance involves a murder and a storyteller’s story. The book goes back and forth between the storyteller’s story and reality and strangely Anna starts to realize that Abel (the storyteller) seems to be incorporating murders that have not yet happened but will eventually in his stories. She does not realize until it is too late, until she has already fallen in love with him and his younger sister Micha for whom he tells stories. Beautifully written, using vivid colors and characters that who can be made relatable to young people, Michaelis knows just how to draw out every emotion throughout the course of the novel. Anna and Abel’s desperate love and need for each other gives the story a certain degree of heartbreak and grief because Michaelis’ genius writing allows your subconscious to realize what the story is saying without actually interpreting it till you are told. Therefore, you are left with a feeling of anxiety about who the murderer is while wishing that everything works out for Anna and Abel but at the same time knowing who the murderer is and praying that you are wrong. The other characters in the story are wrapped up in the rawness aspect of the story and Michaelis ties them in perfectly, just enough for the reader to be aware of them but not enough for the reader to think much of them until much much later. Until it is too late. Overall, this book is a 10/10 for me and any and everyone must read it should they get a chance. This book will truly change your perception of writing.