by Kahled Hosseini

5 Stars

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a well written, crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being completely destroyed. It tells the story of a young afghan boy named Amir, who faced many different challenges during his childhood, which will haunt him forever. This story takes place during the 70s in Afghanistan, following the two protagonists. Amir, a Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara. They were great friends and were both raised in Baba’s house (Amir’s father). One of the biggest challenges for the main protagonist Amir is to face the complex culture he faces. Growing up with Hassan, Amir felt like Hassan was stealing Baba’s love from him. Readers will get to see how Amir deals with his jealousy, and the ways he will get his father’s attention.  

To conclude, this novel is definitely worth reading. The events that took place during the novel were a bit disturbing and explicit, but overall I enjoyed reading it. The book contains a rollercoaster of different emotions. Hosseini also uses many literary devices such as Imagery, Foreshadowing, and Symbolism, to help engage the reader more into the book. The story itself, in my opinion, was heartbreaking and devastating. This life lesson story opened my eyes and has taught me the importance that everyone can become a better person, no matter their past, and the first main step is to forgive themselves and move on. It was an absolute pleasure to read this remarkable book.

Ahmed Q.

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by William Golding

5 Stars

Lord of the Flies takes the reader on an adventure of the depraved side of humanity, and the savagery that underlies with even the most well-mannered, civilized human beings. William Golding purposely wrote this novel to illustrate and help readers understand mankind’s evil nature. Golding presents his message in a very unique way. He portrays a variety of events leading a group of young, civilized boys, who later on, turn into savage, bloodthirsty killers who have no desire for human life.  

In the midst of an infuriating war, a plane evacuating a young group of schoolboys for Britain is shot down, and ironically, all of the adults were killed in this tragic incident. The well-mannered, civilized boys find themselves on a deserted, tropical island, where no help is found. The group of young boys initially revel in their freedom and try to develop and expand their own society. They do this by appointing hunters, using the conch for a signal of help, holding assemblies, etc. Everything starts going well, but as disagreements break out amongst them, their life on the island becomes increasingly harsh and brutal. 

Overall, this expressive, tragic novel portrays a deep meaning. William Golding reminds us of the dark side of human nature. I personally enjoyed reading this book. Many readers as myself thought that Lord of the Flies might be confusing or boring, due to it being a classic novel, but the novel itself is quite exceptional. The ways different events change and devolve, add a very interesting and dynamic ending, of how the good of a person can quickly vanish and their primal human instincts taking over. The novel also contains good imagery that is displayed in the book. I recommend this novel for anyone who likes adventure and survival.

Ahmed Q.

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by Arthur Golden

4 Stars

Memoirs of a Geisha follows nine-year-old Chiyo as she begins a new life and is taken from her small fishing village in Yoroido, Japan by a businessman, Mr. Tanaka. Because her mother is sick, and her father cannot raise her and her sister alone, Chiyo believes that she is being adopted by a wealthy family. However, Chiyo eventually ends up in Kyoto, far away from her family and with an unexpected new family. She is sold to a Geisha house, forced to be a maid until the house’s ruling hierarchy determines if she is ready to become a Geisha herself. After much training, Chiyo becomes a Geisha and goes by the name Sayuri. Sayuri has incredible influence and beauty and begins her new life as one of the most powerful Geisha in Japan overcoming obstacles and learning valuable lessons along the way. 

All in all, this novel was filled with drama and constant surprises. I felt connected to Chiyo as her character was very realistic and described so vividly. By reading this novel, I got an insight into the world of Geisha in Japan, which I had no knowledge of prior to reading this novel. I was intrigued and fascinated by reading about the life of Geisha and Japanese culture. The overall storyline was griping and truly fascinating. My only critique would be that at some parts of the novel, I felt that some details could have been left out and some sections dragged on for too long. But overall, Memoirs of a Geisha is truly a beautiful and captivating novel that I enjoyed reading very much. 

Emily K.

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By Stephen King

4.5 Stars

Dread is lurking throughout Derry, the parents are too ignorant to realize it, and the kids are too scared to face it. And for every 27 years, this dread resurfaces, only to feed on the small frightened children of Derry. The last thing that these victims will ever feel is the fear of the dreadful, ashy clown, the presence of IT. However, fear turns into anger within a child after IT hurts someone close to him and anger can be a dangerous thing, even to a clown.  

Stephen King’ s  IT  is a horrifying book. Not just from the killer clowns and haunted houses, but from its grim twist on reality. What should be worried parents are just abusive, negligent monsters. The bullies in this book aren’t only just bothersome and annoying, they are borderline murderers that want everyone else to feel more than just pain. However, within this twisted outlook on reality, there are some genuinely enjoyable moments throughout the book. Whether it was biking to beat the devil or a triumph that took 27 years to achieve, these moments will keep your blood pumping even minutes after you’ve finished the chapter. Speaking of getting your blood pumping, the scary elements of the book are near perfection. Ninety percent of scares have a purpose, either to masterfully set the tone, to establish motivation, or even to foreshadow future events. Not to mention that they’ll make you want to check under the bed for monsters. So every time a door creaks or a kid is all alone in a lifeless hallway, you know you’re in for a real thrill.  

One common complaint that I hear about the book though, is that it’s way too long. To be fair, it is a little more than 1000 pages, but you don’t need to finish it in a week. This book is diverse enough to not feel repetitive, even after 1000 pages. 

Adam O.

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By Daniel Keyes

5 Stars

Flowers for Algernon is an amazing novel written by Daniel Keyes. It’s about a man named Charlie who has been chosen by researchers to be used as a subject for an experimental surgery to increase the intelligence on a human with a lower IQ. Before researchers could do the experimental surgery on Charlie, they first had to test it on a mouse by the name of Algernon. Throughout the process, researchers had many tests done on both Charlie and Algernon to see if they would be good candidates for the surgery. Along the way, Charlie became very fond of Algernon, and they quickly became friends. Algernon had the surgery; first, it seemed to have gone very well, which gave everyone hope that Charlie’s surgery would be just as successful. After Charlie’s surgery, his intelligence and IQ increased at a large rate, so much so that Charlie’s IQ had surpassed his doctor’s IQ. With Charlie not remembering much about his family, he was overwhelmed when he started getting his memories back after the surgery and decided that he wanted to learn more about his childhood.  

Flowers for Algernon is a great novel that I believe everyone should read at least once. This novel shows you that you should never judge a book by its cover, and that anyone can surprise you. Charlie is a man that shows great interest in anything and everything. He’s very eager to learn new things and work hard to get to where he wants to be. With Algernon by Charlie’s side, he feels he can accomplish anything.   

Ashleigh O.

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