The Giver is set in a dystopian society where no one knows the history of the society except for a select few that are assigned to be the receiver of memories. Young Jonas is selected to be the receiver for his generation. He trains with the current receiver, where he uncovers the secrets of his society and the world.
The story of love, heartbreak, betrayal, and reunion between the two main characters, Connell and Marianne. Told over the course of a few years, readers follow their journey through high school and college as they navigate their ever-changing relationship. I really wanted to like this book. After everything I had heard about Sally Rooney, I had high expectations for this book, and unfortunately, I feel like it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Normally I am a big fan of romance, but this one just didn’t cut it for me.
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of a young Latina girl named Esperanza as she grows up with her family in a predominantly white Chicago. We get to see her struggles with friends, family, school, money, racism, and much more. What I love about this story is that it is told in vignettes. Each vignette is a unique portion of Esperanza’s childhood, each with its own lesson and message that can be applied to the lives of the reader.
A story that takes place in New York City in the 1920’s of the narrator, Nick Carraway, as he befriends the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby and helps him try and reunite with his former girlfriend. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. On the surface level, it is a very simple and straightforward read. Only 9 chapters, easy to follow, not a very complicated vocabulary. But what I enjoyed about this story was how there were so many aspects with hidden, deeper meanings. This is what really made the story worth reading for me.
The Prestige tells the story of two rivaling magicians, Angier and Borden, both trying to outsmart and outwit the other one, and ultimately attain more fame than the other. Although I really enjoyed the concept of the story, I didn’t care too much for how the author went about telling the story. There were multiple timeline jumps, and most of the story was told through the perspective of the magicians’ ancestors.
After moving to London, Dorian Gray befriends an artist named Basil Hallward who paints him a portrait. After living with the painting, Dorian soon agonizes over the fact that he will be aging while the painting of himself will stay youthful forever. Dorian will go to great lengths to prevent himself from becoming a different man than the one in the painting.
Delirium is the story about a dystopian society where love is a disease and people are forced to take the “cure” when they turn 18 in order to be unable to fall in love. Lena is very excited to get the cure until she falls in love with a boy named Alex only a few months before her 18th birthday. The concept of the book alone was enough to make me love it. I love dystopian stories, and Delirium was a super fascinating take on totalitarianism.
Navigating Early is a story about two boys who meet at a boarding school and decide to go on an adventure through the Appalachian Trail in hopes to heal from past issues. This book was a beautiful read. If you like hearing people engage in deep conversations about any subject under the moon, you will enjoy this. I know I did for sure.
The Color of Lies is a mind-bending story that will keep you hanging by the edge of your seat. When the main character, Ella, meets the mysterious Alec, her world gets turned upside down. Together they will unleash deep family secrets that will change Ella’s life forever. The imagery the book possessed was surreal, it really felt like I was living inside the story.
Me (Moth) is a coming of age story told in verse by Amber McBride. Moth lost her family in a tragic accident; she feels alone, scared to take up space. Enter Sani, a depressed boy looking for a place filled with constant love. The two take a road trip together, trying to outrun the feelings that weigh them down; maybe Sani can make Moth feel alive, and she can bring him happiness. I’m not usually a fan of poetry or stories told in verse, but McBride’s writing is absolutely brilliant.
