Absolutely! To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel by Harper Lee that takes us to a small town in Alabama during the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of Scout Finch, a young girl who is growing up in a world where racism is prevalent. Scout's father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who takes on the case of a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a book about two teenagers, Hazel and Gus, who meet at a cancer support group. Hazel has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs, while Gus has lost a leg to osteosarcoma. They fall in love and embark on a journey to Amsterdam to meet their favorite author.
May, an Asian-American highschooler, has a normal life with a popular brother, parents who want her to do her best, and really good writing skills. When her brother Danny commits suicide, she and her family break down. But a racist man accuses her family of causing Danny’s death and uncovers the closeted racism in her community. May raises her voice to protect her family from the racist and hateful words directed for them by writing to the newspaper. When it gets published, her story incites a discussion on the racism of her community.
This book was a miraculous roller coaster. The Way I Used to Be is a young adult fiction novel by Amber Smith that explores mature themes of sexual violence in an incredibly personal and intimate way. The novel follows Eden, a young girl in high school, and the adversities she faces when trying to speak up about being a victim of assault. Normally, I'm not the type of person that gets emotional about books, but the way Amber Smith approaches serious themes is truly inspiring.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is by far one of my favorite books I’ve read. It explores life within a psychiatric hospital utilizing comedic undertones. The book highlights a power struggle between McMurphy (the cowboy-esque patient) and Nurse Ratched (the tyrant ward nurse). The book is incredibly unique because it presents unreliable narration and forces the reader to continuously guess what’s upcoming.
The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a dystopian thriller by Suzanne Collins. Set after the Civil War between the Capitol and the Districts, the book follows a young President Snow as he is given the task to mentor a tribute from District 12. Unfortunately for him, he is given Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from the most impoverished district. Slowly, him and Lucy hatch a plan to manipulate the Games in her favor. This leads to the formation of a tyrant.
Emilia is one of the most popular girls in the school and has a seemingly perfect life but what the others don’t know is that she is a member of one of the best eSports teams.
She wants to participate in the eSports competition that comes to her city with her team without anyone knowing. But, a member of another team and her childhood friend, Jake, recognizes her. They reconnect and get to know each other after a few hiccups. And then, they realize that they both like each other.
The Great Gatsby is a book about life in the 1920s. It explores the life of protagonist Gatsby who is known to be wealthy and mysterious along with protagonist Nick Carraway who seems to idolize Gatsby’s lavish life. The book explores the characteristics of the 1920s and is a classic book for all ages!
As You Like It is a comedy written by William Shakespeare, and it proves that William Shakespeare was one of the most meta writers of his time. The story revolves around Rosalind, who is a young and beautiful woman who lives with her cousin and uncle because her father, Duke Senior, was banished to the forest. She’s best friends with her cousin, Celia, but her uncle, Duke Frederick, is less than fond of her because he thinks she’s stealing the attention from his
Twelfth Night is a play by Shakespeare and is unique because of how it comments about gender roles in an era where it was unusual. The story is about a young woman who disguises herself as a man to get a job after getting shipwrecked (and she ends up thinking she loses her brother, even though he survives) and gets caught in the romance of two aristocrats while also having to deal with romantic problems herself. A writer with this kind of story would
