Messenger by Lois Lowry is the third book in the dystopia Giver series. The community is known for its hospitality and generosity, but it is also surrounded by a dangerous forest that is a mystery. Matty is a messenger who is tasked with delivering important messages between Village and other nearby communities.
Summary: In the gripping novel, 1984, we meet a future totalitarian society where the government, known as the Party, controls every aspect of people's lives. The protagonist and member of the Party, Winston Smith, begins to question the authority of the Party and its leader, Big Brother. Winston's rebellion against the Party leads him to a forbidden love affair and a dangerous journey to uncover the truth about the Party and their methods of control.
SUMMARY: Odysseus, stranded on an island, makes it out alive through the favoritism of the Greek gods, Zeus and Hermes. An adventurous, sorrowful and tragic twenty-one long year journey back to Ithaca he takes to see his beloved home as Poseidon chases after him, wanting him dead. Many lives are lost during the journey, only for him to find out that there are hordes of hubris men overstaying their visit.
Nurse Ratched, the head of the psych ward, runs a pretty tight ship. Oppressing her all-male patients and enforcing strict rules, readers experience the mechanical, routine life in the ward through the eyes of Bromden, a half-Indian deaf patient. This life is disturbed by the new patient McMurphy, exuberant and philanthropic in his own way, who catalyzes a change in the men on the ward. Kesey chronicles the war between him and Nurse Ratched while tying in ideas of societal pressures, sexuality, and the 1900s concept of mental health.
Summary: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne follows the story of Hester Prynne, a woman in Puritanical Boston who conceives a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' as punishment for her adultery. Hester refuses to reveal the identity of the father, leading to speculation and ostracism within the community. As she struggles with the consequences of her actions, Hester finds strength and independence, eventually carving out a respected place in society despite the stigma of her past.
Normal People is a young adult novel written by New York Times award-winning author Sally Rooney. It explores two protagonist Connell and Marianne, and we are introduced into their world and how they collide. It’s a complex exploration of young love, social dynamic, and finding one’s identity. Rooney’s writing is raw and honest, ensuring the feeling of teenage innocence with every page you turn. The characters in this novel feel so incredibly real, flawed, yet relatable.
1984 is a dystopian novel about what life is like in Oceania with the totalitarian government watching over every citizens’ move. The main character, Winston, struggles with the concept of freedom since citizens are not allowed to have thoughts, or do what they want. The book explores how Winston tries to go about rebelling against the totalitarian rules. I would highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It exposes a world of fear and the unknown, and how characters live a life in a situation like this.
The Stranger by Albert Camus follows the story of a man named Meursault who is indifferent to everything around him. He is only really controlled by his basic primal needs, like hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. Throughout the story, he doesn't show any deeper connection to anything and only describes things at face value. This makes sense considering his personality is so indifferent, but it creates a dull story where that is very slowly paced.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is one of the most disturbing and symbolic books I have read. I am hesitant to rate this book so high considering how it deals with so many serious topics, and how it might not be suitable for many people. Lolita deals with the adventure of a French literacy professor who moves to New England in 1947 and goes by the pseudonym Humbert Humbert.
The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a man from Minnesota who moves to New York City and gets tangled up in Long Island High Society through his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom. Nick looks up to his neighbor, a grand mysterious man who is somehow in love with Daisy, and the possibility of her reciprocating these feelings is high, especially when struggling with Tom's own infidelity.
