Reviews written by Jason Gallaher

For those of us who drug our feet during history class, read Linda Sue Park’s When My Name Was Keoko. Her tale of Japanese invasion in Korea during the Second World War really explains the importance of history. Keoko tells a story of Korean history that I...

Here’s one thing I loved about Carl Hiaasen’s “Flush:” Despite being an environmental book based on poop there was a surprising lack of toilet humor in this work. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fart joke every now and then, and going into a book called “Flush,” I...

I think we can all agree that there is definitely no shortage on dystopian YA novels nowadays. I figured that there are so many it would be hard to find something that really breathes some fresh new life into the genre. Well I am now biting my tongue on that...

Here comes one of those books that you just can’t talk about without giving away a big ol’ spoiler. John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” revolves around a spoiler, so if you haven’t read it and don’t want to know what happens, stop reading! If you’ve read the book, or if...

Now don’t get me wrong, I love me The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I have been craving a good fantasy epic that gives a fresh, new take on elves. Yes, that’s a very specific want, but hey, I read a lot. Thank goodness for Shannon Messenger’s “Keeper of...

Yet another book leaving me pondering what sort of supernatural/magical/fantastical power I would like to have if I was forced to choose. In Kristin Cashore’s “Graceling,” people don’t get to choose this power, they are born with it and it’s called a Grace. A Grace is an exceptional talent at...

I love a good pleasant surprise in any story and Ally Condie’s “Reached” provided just that. The third book in the Matched trilogy, “Reached” took a completely different direction than I thought! Without giving too much away (for those who don’t want to know ANYTHING about the...

Who knew gardening could produce more than just produce? Thanks to Paul Fleischman’s "Seedfolks," I now get that. "Seedfolks" follows the story of a trash heap turned community garden started by a small Vietnamese girl. Normally, I wouldn’t think it’s important to reference a character’s race in...

After seeing loads of people with eyes painted on their hands I figured I better read Laini Taylor’s “Daughter of Smoke & Bone.” Now that I’ve finished the thing, I’ve come to the conclusion to take much better care of my teeth in case anyone ever decides to resurrect into...

Slightly older readers have all seen one too many talking My Little Pony or nonsensical “bow wow” from Blue via Blue’s Clues to become wary of any sort of media featuring talking animals. Sometimes they’re just too dang annoying or childish to really merit spending time with these Chatty Kathy...

I think we should all agree that we will never take pills that we have no idea what they do. That’s a key lesson Cassia should have learned heading into “Crossed,” the second book in Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy. In the second book, Cassia is out traveling...

Who knew that it would be a twelve-year old girl in 1978 who figures out the nuances of time travel? That’s not to say she’s figures out how to actually travel time herself, but she at least discovers all of its little quirks. That’s just one of the many surprises...

In the fifth Animorphs book, “The Predator,” Applegate introduces the theme of a missing parent or parents. Marco, the witty, sarcastic, comedic relief of the group, narrates for the first time, giving readers a glimpse into his difficult home life. He’s nearing the two-year anniversary of his mother’s mysterious death,...

I think we can all agree that nothing about Star Wars is normal. We aren’t aided by a group of intergalactic policemen known as Jedi, the closest thing we have to Jabba the Hut is Honey Boo Boo Child’s mom, and Darth Vader’s breathing problems could be easily fixed with...

It’s that age-old question: Is there such a thing as a soul mate? That one person who is made just for you, and the universe is doing its darndest to put you two together. (That’s how I always felt about Dolly Parton, but the world has still failed to cross...