Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens follows the captivating story of Kya Clark, known as the "Marsh Girl," who grows up isolated in the marshes of North Carolina. Abandoned by her family at a young age, Kya learns to survive on her own, forming a deep connection with the natural world around her. As she grows older, Kya becomes entangled in a murder investigation when the town's golden boy, Chase Andrews, is found dead.
The once wealthy Snow family has fallen on hard times but Coriolanus Snow is set on changing that by mentoring a winning tribute for the tenth annual Hunger Games. The problem is he gets paired with the female tribute from District Twelve, which puts the odds against him. His only shot at fame and fortune is to win over the public and train his tribute to survive the games. This proves difficult when he faces complicated feelings for his tribute and has to decide between what’s right and his survival.
Silence is a book regarding faith and religion in a time and place where seeking a religion outside Japan’s interest would lead to immense suffering for its citizens. Sebastian Rodrigues, a character this book focuses on extensively, is a priest who has journeyed to Japan to tell the people about Christianity. The story quickly develops into his constant evasion of Japanese authorities looking to coerce him to renounce his faith.
Sera is chosen as a sacrifice for her home, The City Above the Sky. The city is tethered to the planet below. It becomes time to move to the next planet and the only way to do that is for a Cerulean to be chosen and sacrifice themselves for their city. However, Sera’s sacrifice doesn’t work and instead, she’s stuck on the planet below which poses more danger than she once believed.
After her sister is chosen to compete in the annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place. The Hunger Games consist of two teenagers, from each of the twelve districts of Panem, entering the games where they fight to the death until there is one survivor, who becomes the victor.
Siddhartha is a unique novel that blends philosophical questions about life with the vast and unique journey of Siddhartha (the character). The book describes Siddhartha’s progression from a little boy to an old man, and his trek in losing faith and purpose, to finding it. Alongside the storyline, this book also questions how a person perceives the world. For instance, knowledge and thought are occurring subjects in the book that encourage the reader to think about what we know and how we know what we know.
Lauren Robert’s debut novel Powerless takes place in an exhilarating fantasy world. It revolves around female protagonist Paedyn, a regular, disguised Ordinary in a world of Mundanes and mostly Elites. Surviving in the slums, Paedyn poses as an elite, concealing her true identity. However, when she finds herself saving the Elite Prince Kai, she is voted into the brutal “Trials” for the royal’s entertainment.
Dry by Neal Shusterman occurs in the near future when California has run low on water due to extreme drought. This book is an absolute masterpiece when it comes to depicting human behavior when no water is available. In this book, the main character, Alyssa, is forced to make many decisions and makes many acquaintances to increase their odds at survival better.
The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington follows the journey of Davian, a young man who discovers he possesses powerful abilities in a world where magic is feared and controlled. As he grapples with his newfound powers and the secrets of his past, Davian becomes entangled in a web of politics and ancient prophecies. Alongside his friends Wirr and Asha, Davian embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about his heritage and the threat of dark forces that threaten to plunge the world into chaos.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins is a compelling novel that dives into the harrowing world of addiction through the eyes of Kristina Snow, a high school girl who becomes entangled in the dangerous allure of meth, also known as "crank." As Kristina's experimentation with drugs intensifies, she transforms into her alter ego, "Bree," leading her down a path of self-destruction, fractured relationships, and profound loss.
