Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a Young Adult Fiction book. Speak, told by Melinda Sordino, is about facing the traumas of high school. Before Freshman year, Melinda goes to a party, in which she calls the cops. Therefore, no one talks to her, not even her best friend. At that party, an older guy raped Melinda, so when she goes back to school, she is continually haunted by the guy. But, when she learns to speak for not only herself, but many other teenagers, things change.
Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, can fit into the Tragedy/Drama/Fiction genres. Willy Loman returns back home, while listening to a sweet flute. He realizes that he is a failure, as a father and a husband. Willy’s sons, Happy and Biff, are not successful, and Willy's career is falling. Biff, who constantly argues with his father, has nothing to say to him, even after coming back to his hometown. However, after one incident, everything changes.
It started with a hoax. A simple prank to convince the entire school that Missy and Claire Vianello were not just cousins, but identical twins. What seemed like a simple prank led to a story of untangling of a secret buried under years of deception. Three Black Swans is a YA suspenseful fiction book by Caroline Cooney. Overall, I would rate this book a 2.5 stars out of 5. The concept was interesting and the beginning of the book was engaging.
1.brutal - 3/10 - The song itself is very punk rock and is a great song for this genre, however it does not fit the style of the album. It is different instrumentation and is a completely different genre from the majority of the album.
All American Boys is told from the perspectives of Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins. The story revolves around Rashad getting beaten by police after being suspected of robbery. Both characters struggle with the aftermath of being the victim and witnessing police brutality. Normally I don't opt to read books with more than one perspective, but I genuinely enjoyed reading the stories of Rashad and Quinn. The authors do a great job distinguishing which character the story is being told from.
Set in the rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, a gruesome serial killer shattered the sense of safety held by the Amish and “English” residents. Now, sixteen years later, Kate Burkholder returns to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. All is well until a new body is found. Kate must prevent more deaths, and by doing so may put those who mean the most to her in danger.
Told through the point of view of Death, we follow a young German girl named Liesel. She is living in the midst of World War II in Germany, the heart of the Nazi regime. After stealing her very first book, she finds comfort in the words and develops a passion for reading and learning. However, soon her life is put into danger when her parents decide to hide a Jew, the once thought of enemy.
The Hunger Games follows the main protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a sixteen-year old girl, living in District 12 in Panem. Each year, a girl and boy are taken from each district to fight in the Hunger Games. However, one day Katniss’s sister is chosen and without much thought Katniss volunteers herself instead. The Hunger Games to Katniss is a death sentence because she must kill the rest of the competitors to be the ultimate winner and that seems unlikely.
Taking place in the future, we follow American Singer, a sixteen-year old girl, who is given the ultimate chance of a lifetime. The kingdom has offered thirty-five girls a spot to potentially marry Prince Maxon. American Singer is one of the thirty-five that is chosen, but unlike her peers who would kill for this part, she is unhappy. She cannot bear to think of leaving her lover, Ashton, for some man she doesn’t know at all. However, things start to change when she meets Prince Maxon in real life.
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.
