The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an emotional story about two teenagers hopelessly in love yet set apart by the unfortunate circumstances surrounding them. This young adult romance novel does contain some hard-to-process material, as the protagonist Hazel suffers from thyroid cancer affecting her lungs and doesn’t seem to have a will to live. Her pessimistic nature contrasts that of Augustus who also suffered from cancer but has a completely different outlook on the world.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is a book about a boy in a community based on sameness. He is selected as a receiver of memory, and the old receiver (The Giver) helps to give Jonas ancient memories. He acts as a source of wisdom in and for the community. I would rate this book a 3.5/5, as it is a good book for community research, and recommend it to those who love such novels. This book is relatable as the guidance of elders is always crucial.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a book about a 14 year old boy named Ponyboy Curtis, and his 2 older brothers named Soda & Darry. They are all orphans and have to struggle to succeed in a lower class area (The East Side). They are part of a gang called the “Greasers” and they are the working class street boys. This book is a good novel regarding how some people’s lives are, however can be a little confusing. So I would rate the book 2 stars, but recommend it if you like older novels.
The novel Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton contains many aspects that readers may find disturbing. Such as stalkers, murder and cults. "Haunting Adeline" follows Adeline Reilly who catches the eye of a dangerous man named Z. Adeline is a successful writer who just moved into her late grandmother’s home. She soon finds out his motive behind stalking her.
Lore Olympus is a slightly modernized version of the Hades and Persephone myth. Hades, King of the Underworld and Lord of the Dead, is currently in a relationship with Minthe, the river nymph. Persephone has just moved from the mortal realm and is living with Artemis in Olympus for her scholarship with The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood. They meet at the 1500th pantheon at Zeus’s palace and Hades eventually had to bring her home to the Underworld after Eros and Aphrodite trick her.
Batman: Nightwalker is a young adult novel written by Marie Lu as part of the DC Icons series. The story follows a young Bruce Wayne before he becomes Batman. After an encounter with the police, Bruce is sentenced to community service at Arkham Asylum, where he meets Madeleine, a mysterious and enigmatic inmate. As Bruce investigates a series of crimes in Gotham City, he becomes entangled in a dangerous web of corruption and intrigue.
Jude and Noah are the closest twins in the world in I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. But something causes them to fall out. Growing up, art, their parents, and boys are all factors that influence their relationship. Split between Noah and Jude’s perspective, the book follows Noah when the twins are just tweens and Jude when the twins are 16. Going between the two perspectives we see the complicated relationship and what comes between the pair over time.
The Betrothed is a fantasy novel about a young lady named Hollis who is dating the king. As she gets a taste of life as queen, she realizes that being royal is harder than she thought. When she decides to flee the castle after the king explains that their children are his and not theirs, she finds peace in the country with a new lover. Soon a tragic event tears her from her family and she must decide if she will be alone or cling on to those, she never knew she needed.
In George Orwell’s 1984, society is constantly being manipulated by the government, to the extent that people can’t even have a conversation full of individual thought. Individuals are forced to hide their true intentions behind a facade containing praise for the totalitarian-style government. In fact, the manipulation present in the dystopian world prevents individuals from creating bonds.
There aren’t many books that change my perspective on the world, but after reading The Handmaid's Tale I’m surprised to add one to the list. However, reader discretion is advised as there are some topics that are hard to process. Formerly known as the U.S.A., the new country of Gilead is going through a civil war, forcing many women into a Red Center to provide safety and promote reproduction.
