The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a man from Minnesota who moves to New York City and gets tangled up in Long Island High Society through his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom. Nick looks up to his neighbor, a grand mysterious man who is somehow in love with Daisy, and the possibility of her reciprocating these feelings is high, especially when struggling with Tom's own infidelity.
The prequel to the Hunger Games series was one I was looking forward to for a while as I had loved repeatedly watching all of the other movies. However, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was by far my favorite of the whole series. The movie starts out with a heart-wrenching scene from Coriolanus Snow’s past, demonstrating how the unfortunate circumstances of rebellions resulted in the creation of the infamous Hunger Games. His life fast-fowards as the audience witnesses Snow as a young adult preparing for the reaping.
The Scarlet Letter is a story that follows Hester Prynne, a woman living in 17th century Puritan society, who has been accused of adultery and must wear a letter “A” to atone for her sin. She struggles to raise her baby without the father there to help her, as he will not confess to his sin. Hester continues to hide the identity of the baby’s father from her husband and the rest of the town until the baby grows up and it’s ultimately revealed.
Catch-22 is a book that follows a World War II bombardier called Yossarian that wants to leave the army. He isn’t able to because of a catch: the only way to leave the army is to plead insanity but if one is sane enough to plead insanity, they should be sane enough to stay in the army. He is constantly met with these contradictions and catches throughout his time in the army, as he continues to simply want to survive and be done with war.
Frankenstein is a book following the life of the scientist Victor Frankenstein. He creates a monster with a horrifying appearance and a conscience which he immediately abandons upon its awakening. He continues to be haunted by his creation, and the story follows the many encounters Frankenstein and his monster have. Frankenstein ultimately has to grapple with the morality behind creating life as he continues to face the consequences of doing so.
Racing with Aloha starts with the story of how Mark Haywood's childhood growing up in Hawaii influenced him to finish High School in California on a swim scholarship. Then, go on to be a champion swimmer, to champion windsurfer, to father, and very successful realtor on his home island of Maui. The book follows Mark's life growing up barefooted and in the water in Hawaii. When he starts swimming competitively, he finds out he has a really special talent.
Beyah is a teeneager forced to spend the summer at her—absent through most of her life—dad’s beach house, with his new family. She is not the most excited because she lived a poverty filled life, much different than her dad’s and her new step sisters. She feels out of place, especially around the guy who really caught her eye, Samson. As they spend more time together, their emotional connection grows and grows. But something is holding them back, and on top of that, their relationship is built on secrets. I, simply put, loved this book. It is a relatable book for teenagers.
Kenna is the main character in Reminders of Him. She just recently is out of prison and is back in her hometown. She runs into local bar-owner Owen, and feels like she has seen him before, but can’t put a finger on where. Kenna is on a mission to reconnect with her daughter, but it is not that easy. She has to live with one bad decision for the rest of her life. The book follows her story and life after trauma, getting released from prison, and memories.
The storyline of November 9 follows Fallon, who is making a cross-country move to New York and Ben, an aspiring novelist. They have an attraction that leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in Los Angeles together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time, through the ins and outs of life they continue to meet on the same day (November 9th) every year, for 5 years. Until Fallon gets a feeling that Ben might be hiding something from her.
Summary: Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper follows the story of an eleven year old girl, Melody, who struggles with cerebral palsy. After not being able to express herself her whole life, she is finally given the chance to speak and show her talents. Melody is the smartest in her class, with a photographic memory. Though not everyone is ready for her. Battling with the struggles of middle school and her new way of communicating, she is forced into a whole new battle.
