The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a profound, heartbreaking historical fiction narrated by Death. Tasked with collecting the souls of the departed, Death recalls the life of an extraordinary book thief. He tells the story of a young girl adopted by an old couple in Molching, Germany. Despite the Nazi-organized book burnings, Liesel learns to read and write, recovering works from the mayor’s library and piles on the street.
In Julia Alvarez’s Afterlife, Antonia’s commitment to her family and willingness to support others highlights her selfless nature, even at the expense of her needs and desires. Antonia hesitates when one of Antonia’s neighbors, Mario, asks if his girlfriend Estela, an undocumented immigrant, can stay at Antonia’s house due to the precarious situation she may face. She explains that she cannot “handle something like this right now” because she is grieving the recent passing of her husband, Sam (Alvarez 29).
Death-Cast has just made its latest calls to the people who will die sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Goodbyes are being said, and last minute wishes are being fulfilled. For Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, total strangers before the call that changed their lives, all they want is a friend who understands. Through an app especially for people on their last day, they get to talking, and decide to meet up. Their goal? To live their future in their last moments.
Thunderhead is the second book in the Scythe book series. This book specifically focuses on the Thunderhead, the big cloud-like technology that controls everything, and corruption within the Scythedom. Citra gleans using her compassionate methods and Rowan hunts down corrupt Scythes. Meanwhile, the Thunderhead is growing worried about the corruption, yet it can’t do anything about it due to its limitations.
Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End is a Young Adult, LGBT novel that recounts the final hours of main characters Mateo and Rufus’ lives after being informed that they only have 24 hours to live. Confronted by this daunting news, both characters are forced to confront their fears and regrets as they set off together to fulfill their final wishes.
Many avid readers of today may know author Tahereh Mafi, creator of the Book Tok-popular series, Shatter Me. While I love Shatter Me as much as the next person, I have another book that I believe to be Mafi’s most eloquent work.
The Book Thief is a historical fiction book by Markus Zusak. The book takes place in Germany during WWII and is narrated by Death. After the death of Liesel's brother and being separated from her mother, Liesel is taken in by a foster family just outside of Munich. Using a book she found in the snow, Liesel learns to read and becomes very close with her foster father, Hans. As the war progresses, Liesel's family hides a Jew in their basement, and Liesel will go to extreme lengths to defend him.
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is a young adult romance novel. 16-year-old Julie is still grieving from the loss of her boyfriend, Sam and it doesn’t help that some people blame her for his death. She makes up her mind to stop thinking about him and throws out his stuff, but after reading a message that Sam left for her in the yearbook, she tries to call him. Little did she know that he would pick up.
