Compound Fracture follows our main character, Miles Abernathy, as he dives deep into the rotten history of his West Virginia mining town, and how it ties with his family. When a ghost shows up, Miles takes on the task of trying to break free from the wicked blood cycle of the town– but at what cost? This is truly a different work from Andrew Joseph White, wholly unique in premise (as always), but fundamentally different from his other books.
Teen Hazel Grace Lancaster has cancer. Having to constantly live, imagining that she might not wake up the next morning, is hard. Nevertheless, she tries her hardest to have as typical of a life as she possibly can. While at a cancer support group, Hazel Grace meets Augustus Waters who has his own troubles… and it’s love at first sight. This book follows their romance and their humanity.
Film student Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. He claims he didn’t do it, but does the jury believe that? Monster narrates his experiences as an African American seventeen-year-old from Harlem in the judicial system, and the apparent biases/stereotyping from his jurors. How does it all end? Find out!
Anthem takes place in a futuristic world in which society functions as one collective whole. “I” does not exist, only “we.” The novel explores themes of freedom, human will, and individuality. You are introduced to the narrator, Equality 7-2521, through this writing style of only using collective pronouns. The book, while quite short, teaches you important values about humanity through the eyes of a person “rediscovering” it.
Starr Carter, the protagonist of The Hate U Give just wanted to live a normal life free from any huge troubles. However, her dreams of normalcy are shattered when she witnesses the shooting death of a childhood friend. Starr is torn between speaking out and keeping it to herself, but as challenges in her community grow, Starr realizes sometimes, you have to be brave to cause change.
Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse, is a high-stakes fantasy epic inspired by a solar eclipse. With interesting and rich worldbuilding, Roanhorse makes a darker and more adult take on the classic hero’s journey story, turning it on its head, as the main character is really more of a villain, a cultist hoping to usher in an age of darkness for a crow god. If you like fantasy, high stakes, magic, and a sprinkling of adult themes, this book is for you.
The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead, is a book about justice. The main character, Elwood, is a teenage boy who believes in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and is sent to reform school for a crime he had nothing to do with. He resists his oppressors time and again to rise above the constraints placed in him by society. Elwood’s reform school, the Nickel Academy, is inspired by the real reform camps of the segregation era and the horrors that would go on in those schools.
Power Play, by Joseph Finder, is a book full of a very specific charm. The strong male protagonist uses his ingenuity, wit, and determination to save the day and rescue the damsel and takes the reader for an engaging and suspenseful ride along the way. The story explores social politics and dynamics in the business world, as well as what bigwigs do when the lives they play with suddenly get a little too close to their own.
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer, is a stylistically incredible story of survival. The novel follows a Biologist, thrown into an anomalous environment that seems to have a mind of its own. She is set to discover the source of the anomaly along with several other specialists with dubious motives. With a rich exploration of the Biologist’s mind, an environment that falls perfectly into the uncanny valley, and undercurrents of mystery, distrust, and unreliability, VanderMeer creates an incredible and engaging story.
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a classic work of literature almost as well-known as Shakespeare’s other great work Romeo and Juliet. While many have heard of it, fewer know its true depth. Known as Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet is a complex play about revenge, madness, and love that causes the reader to question what they would do in the characters’ circumstances.
