Junior Eliana Hanson recommends: “The Lake of Dead Languages” by Carol Goodman.

“I found [the book] in a weird way, but it was totally worth it. I love this book so much. It’s a murder mystery, but it’s also a coming of age. There’s this lake that a school is attached to, and there are girls who died at the lake, and people don’t think they killed themselves. They think it was foul play. I liked that it wasn’t boring and it didn’t drone on. Every page kept me hooked, and I really liked that,” Hanson said. (Ballantine)

Sophomore Pearl Ricci-Upin recommends: “Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys.

“It’s a historical fiction based on a true story which takes place during World War Two, and it’s multiple perspectives from four people, which is really interesting. I’ve read every other book by the author; I really like her. I’m a big history nerd, so I think that was a big selling point for me,  but also, the chapters were really, really short, which I think made it really easy to get through. So I finished it in like a week,” Ricci-Upin said. (Philomel Books)

Senior Claire Lincke recommends: “Lovely War” by Julie Berry.

“I thought it was so good. I read it directly after ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ and it doesn’t really focus as much on the actual battles, but more sort of on the battles that are off of the front lines and more on the home front,” Lincke said. “It started in 1917, and it’s a split perspective between multiple different characters who tell their experiences about the war, and they’re all kind of interwoven.” (Viking Books for Young Readers)

I recommend: “Infernal Devices” trilogy by Cassandra Clare.

As the year comes to an end, I am constantly thinking about my favorite reads from years past, and the Shadowhunters universe was a middle school staple for me, especially the Infernal Devices. These books are set in Victorian-era England and are centered around three main characters– Will Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Jem Carstairs– as they fight demons and come to realizations about the lives that they’ve been living, as well as struggling with love, life, and betrayal. The books are an easy read: fantastical, fun, and sweet. I love all of the characters, with Will being my favorite, and I love all of their evolutions as they grow and change both in the reader’s mind and on the page. (Margaret K. McElderry Books)