1984

Novel: 1984

Author: George Orwell

Blogger: Mackenzie Jimenez

 

    In the book, 1984, you get sucked in a dystopian society along with the characters of the book. The book deals with living in a society in Oceania where your every move and sound is watched by Big Brother. Big Brother is the ruler of Oceania and his face is plastered on everything you could think of, ranging from billboards to coins.

    The main character of the book is Winston Smith. As long as Winston can remember his every move has been and has the opportunity to be watched. At any given moment he could be caught doing something that would ultimately have him “vaporized” which means his every existence would disappear from society, never to be heard from or about again. He questions how Big Brother came to be and knows that from working with the news paper, most of the information put out into the public is all false. In the book Winston finds ways to go against the order of Big Brother and he starts using a diary to write down the thoughts that roam through his head that he is not able to say out loud.

 

As claimed in the book nothing is illegal in Oceania but that doesn’t mean that you can roam around and do what you want. By writing in this diary for either people in the past or the future, he doesn’t know why he decided to do it, but he was always aware of the consequences if caught. Throughout the book many more characters come into play into his story and become a part what goes down in his diary. The reason the book is so intriguing is because Winston knows what could happen to him if caught by Big Brother, but he is willing to take that chance to write about present day for purposes of the past life of what Oceania was or for the references of the future, so that things can change.
 

    This book is a great book for high school students because it keeps you on edge. It always has a new twist to the story that makes you wonder if Winston or any other character that comes into play will one day get caught by Big Brother. The book is a great summer reading book because it's a book that is very easy to get through while still being age appropriate and enjoyable.

The Book Thief

Posted on behalf of Ms. Hart:

This YA book has it all- well thought-out characters and plot, moments of suspense, heartbreak, and wonder, and a new and engaging perspective on the Holocaust.  I know, I know, you’ve read about the Holocaust before, but trust me, you’ll want to read this one.  It focuses on a young, German girl who becomes dragged into the turmoil and politics of the time, as she tries to live as normal a life as possible in such times.  This book has moments of sheer joy that balance out the stark, sad undertones, and gripping characters that will leave you feeling like you are old friends.

"Who am I, exactly?"

Novel: Turtles All the Way Down 

Author: John Green

Blogger: Emma Walton

It’s not every day that one sets out on a quest with their best friend to uncover a mystery involving the disappearance of a shady, neighborhood billionaire who is, circumstantially, also the father of one’s childhood friend and soon-to-be love interest; but then again, most teenagers are not like Aza Holmes. Suffering from a severe and ruthlessly incessant anxiety disorder, protagonist, Aza, proves to be caught up in a perpetual spiral of confusion, leaving her to question, on the daily, the authenticity of her own existence. Using the extra layer of complexity that Aza’s ever-worsening condition provides to the story, John Green’s dramatic and deliberately bittersweet novel, Turtles All the Way Down, serves to explore the classically adolescent struggle one experiences in attempting to locate and define one’s identity.

Gradually morphing into a love story that both speaks to and extends far beyond the romantic interpretation of love, Green leaves the reader with a cuttingly simple yet refreshingly surprising response to the question Aza had been constantly asking all along: “You remember your first love because they show you, prove to you, that you can love and be loved, that nothing in this world is deserved except for love, that love is both how you become a person, and why … I, a singular pronoun, would go on, if always in a conditional sense” (285). Here, Green suggests that who one is, is found through the way in which one endures life for those he or she loves, whether that love may come in the form of family, friends, or a romantically involved partner. Contrary to the traditional definition of identity, the author explains that it is not who a person is when he or she is standing alone that makes up one’s identity, but, serving as almost an anchor, it is the people in one’s life who prove to tie a person down to his or her character-defining core.

Proving to be a fantastic read for summer break, I would recommend this book to high-schoolers who are between the ages of 13 and 17. Even though its target audience may specifically appeal to those who, like Aza, suffer from anxiety disorders, the novel’s interesting and easy-to-follow storyline accompanied by a unique and thoughtful take on the concept of identity is perfect for all young people who are also navigating through the confusion involved in becoming a distinctly independent individual.

If you have ever, even for a second, contemplated the question “who am I, exactly?”, then John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down is a novel that, I assure, will not disappoint you.

Ender's Game

Here's another book suggestion from the one and only Ms. Hart:

ENDER'S GAME
This novel is one of my favorite sci-fi titles.  It’s an exciting adventure that has plenty of twists and turns surrounding the titular character, Ender.  You find yourself connecting to Ender and drawn to discover what lays ahead. The characters are well-developed and interesting, and you’ll want to continue the series to find out what happens next for them.  I have reread this book, and the rest of the series, since I first encountered it my junior year of high school, and I think of it quite fondly.

Paper Towns: Teen Novel Mediocrity

Imagine a book where the narrator, while being a character in the book, isn't the main character, and said narrator is practically obsessed with the main character of our story. Welcome to Paper Towns by John Green, where Quentin Jacobsen (the narrator) is obsessed not with this girl, but with the idea of this girl in his head. That girl, you may ask (but probably shouldn't) is his next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, who he was certainly close with in early childhood, but he hasn't talked to her much since 4th grade. He still has this huge crush on her; he thinks of her as some larger than life figure, and he will always refer to her by her full name as a way to state his idea of her greatness. There are so many things that make me just hate Quentin as a character, one being that his crush on Margo doesn't come off as cute, it comes off as creepy, obsessive, and weird. Not to mention that at that it is highly unlikely they will end up together in a realistic situation by the end of the book, which I was dying for while reading the story.

Well, you say to yourself for some reason I don't understand, the narrator is creepy and boring, but at least main character is an interesting person to some degree, right? In some ways, yes; however, Margo is an unrealistic character which to some extent justifies Quentin's awful obsession. One of the best qualities of Holden Caulfield, the main character in "The Catcher and the Rye," who is often compared to Margo, is that while Holden has a hunger for something more and meaningful in life, he falls victim to his own laziness and doesn't even attempt to find it. Margo in some ways is essentially Holden if he went through with his ideas; however, Holden not going through with his ideas is what made him such an interesting, relatable, and most of all realistic character, while Margo is only slightly interesting. However, near the middle section of the book where Quentin and his friends were searching for Margo, I did feel worried to some extent during the search, which is good on John Green's part for making some of the book interesting. Overall, I rate this book a 1.5/5 and I dread looking it over again to complete the rest of my summer assignment.

Dust Lands

Part Mad Max, part Hunger Game, Moira Young's Dust Lands series is a tightly woven trilogy centering on the heroic journey of Saba, a strong-willed twin with a complicated and sometimes cloudy destined path.  Unlike other works in the recent teen dystopian or post apocalyptic catalog, the complete trilogy moves at lightening speed, with very little digression or unnecessary plot moves. 

The characters have depth, the action sequences are jam packed, and Saba (like my favorite character, Moana) has not just one spirit animal, but two (perhaps, if I'm being honest, she has three).  If you have time left in your summer vacation to commit to all three books, you won't be disappointed.  They are fun, engaging, and at times, even surprising (which is not too easy with all the dystopian fiction around). 

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak- book review

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak is one of the most interesting books I've read in the past year, while still fitting in the generic teen book format and story line. The narrator and main character of the story, Ed Kennedy, reminds me of The Catcher and the Rye's protagonist, Holden Caulfield; however, Ed is less cynical and bleeds early 2000's. The second chapter of the book truly sells Ed's similarities' to Holden, as it is possibly the most direct chapter, and in it Ed explain's his current situation and his distaste for it. In short, Ed is a 19 year old cab driver who plays cards with his friends Audrey, Marv, and Ritchie at least once a week, has never accomplished life, and therefore questions his own purpose in life, though he is "20 years too early for a midlife crisis." Suddenly, after stopping an amateur bank robbery, Kennedy's life becomes much more interesting, as he begins receiving playing cards in the mail with addresses on them. The addresses direct him to houses where he assumes that he would have to deliver a message helping the residents of the house, thus giving his life a purpose.

One of the few issues I have with the book is the predictable and cliche "love story" of Audrey and Ed. One of the best parts about The Catcher and the Rye is that Holden Caulfield doesn't have a happy ending, and that his "love life" is as boring as the next guy's. However, in I Am the Messenger, Ed assumes the role of the generic "friendzoned" orbiter of Audrey, who has dated many guys and none of them were Ed, and considers him to be her best friend(which is a role Ed is not too happy about). From the start of the book, it became clear to me that Ed will eventually end up with Audrey, and by the end of the book my prediction was proven to be true. Overall, I would consider this book to be a 4/5, and I would read it again.

All The Lights We Cannot See

Novel: All The Light We Cannot See

Author: Anthony Doerr

Blogger: Mackenzie Jimenez

   In the book, All The Light We Cannot See, you really get taken on an emotional rollercoaster going through the years of life through both characters journey. The book deals with living with a disability, living in an orphanage, joining the military, and surviving the war. The book shares the story of two main protagonist, Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig.

    I suggest this book to high school students because the book follows the life of Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig starting when they were both just children. The story gives you a better insight on what goes through the minds of the disabled and the unfortunate. There are many things in life that we take for granted, such as eyesight. At an early age Marie-Laure is diagnosed with bilateral cataracts which causes her to go completely blind. Another thing we take for granted is a good home. Werner Pfennig and his sister lose both parents at an early age and have to live in an orphanage that rarely has enough food or clothing to support everyone.

    As the story progresses their lives change drastically. Werner joins the military, Marie-Laure's father is imprisoned and her uncle is nowhere to be found, when the bombers invade the city. Marie-Laure is left in her house all alone, frightened and unaware of what's to come. Werner on the other hand locks himself in the cellar of an old hotel to protect him from the dangers of the outside world. By the end of the book Marie-Laure is an older woman who reflects back on her life and all she has had to endure. Marie becomes a scientist of mollusks and does things such as volunteering to participate in the French resistance. Werner pfennig grows up to be a really smart kid who uses his intelligence in all the wrong ways, as a kid he loved the topic of science and as he joins the German army he uses his intelligence to help murder hundreds of people, civilians and all.

    This book is a Historical Fiction story and is a good suggestion for high school students who are open to controversial topics such as war and disabilities. The book is a good summer reading book because it always keeps you interested and wondering what will happen next.

 

Who Tells Your Story?

A few years ago, a group of seniors in my class worked through a literary analysis of a then-new musical about one of our country's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.  In the throes of ending a busy school year, I listened to a few tracks from the original score while I looked at their work, and then the chapter of that school year closed.  Looking back today, one word comes to mind when I think about this group and their study of Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton- energy.  Each time they came together to work on their writing and discuss the text, a creative and fun energy captivated them.  They were into it.

A few days ago, I finally listened to the whole musical start to finish because my daughter recently caught onto the excitement of the music and the book Hamilton - The Revolution authored by Miranda and Jeremy McCarter; upon listening, it became very obvious to me how such creativity captivates the audience and makes them want to experience more.  

Composing the pages of the book, the authors bring the "behind the scenes" look to Hamilton to a new level, encapsulating the many genre that contribute to the whole product, diving into the historical story telling and theatrical revision, and revealing details of the process of making a master work of hip-hop genius from the life of Hamilton and the revolutionary times in which he lived.  


"What is a legacy? It's planting scenes in a garden you never get to see."   --  A great work should always leave you wanting more, and luckily for people who catch the Hamilton wave, there is no shortage of what to read next.