Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, originally published in 1890, details the life of exceedingly handsome Dorian Gray, who comes to live a decadent lifestyle in Victorian London. While initially innocent, symbolized by his alluring countenance, he becomes obsessed with a desire for eternal youth and beauty. Through his acquaintance with mysterious aristocrat Lord Henry Wotton, he enters a bargain in which he will remain handsome and youthful, while a painting of him, created by artist Basil Hallward, ages.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful story following the life of Kambili, a fifteen-year-old girl living in Nigeria. The novel explores many themes, including identity, faith, family, resilience and politics. Kambili lives with her religious and oppressive family, and is required to make painful decisions for survival of both her home-life circumstances as well as her country’s changing political climate.
Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis follows Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, who awakens one morning to discover he has transformed into a giant insect. The story details the secondary conflicts Gregor experiences as a result of this new physical form, including his familial relationships, identity, and isolation.
Rielle Dardenne wants nothing more than to have Audric as her husband. However, he is already betrothed to Luvine, her best friend. When Audric is almost assassinated, Rielle has to reveal her powers to the world. The king of Celdaria forces her to complete 7 trials, one of each element to prove that she is the sun queen, the savior of the world. If she fails, and is deemed the blood queen, the destroyer of the world, she will be executed. Eliana Ferracora is an assassin that works for the undying empire.
Daughter of the Siren Queen is the riveting second book in the Daughter of the Pirate King series by Tricia Levenseller. After Heroine Alosa discovers a secret that her father, the despot Pirate King, has withheld her entire life, everything changes. Assisted by love interest Riden and her predominantly female pirate crew, she embarks on a race against time and her father in a quest for the siren treasure and position of Pirate Queen.
In Daughter of the Pirate King, Tricia Levenseller creates a thrilling world in which Alosa, the daughter of the feared tyrant Pirate King, allows herself to be captured as part of her mission to retrieve an ancient map piece leading to a remarkable treasure. She encounters Riden, the brother and first mate to the captain of the rival pirate crew, and they share strong, romantic tension.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is an engrossing novel filled with suspense and drama that takes readers on an intense, emotional journey. It follows the lives of two characters, a father and son, as they travel across a stark and hostile post-apocalyptic world in search of a better life. The story has a strong moral message which is thought-provoking and the characters’ struggles in the face of adversity are quite moving.
Nick and Charlie is a novella written by Alice Oseman, which is a spin-off of her popular Heartstopper series. Teens Nick and Charlie are now in their final year of school, and they face challenges regarding their future as Nick is going off to university. Oseman’s beautiful artwork once again adds to her strong story-telling, with endearing and engaging characters as well.
Heartstopper Volume 4 continues the love story of Alice Oseman’s characters Charlie and Nick through her expressive graphic novel format. It is an inspiring, tender and engaging story of empathy, understanding, and friendship as the 2 teens navigate their relationship in the face of external pressures. As with prior Hearstopper novels, themes regarding the challenges of identity, mental health and LGBTQIA+ are explored.
Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman is her third installment in this series. It is a captivating and emotionally-charged story of love, acceptance, and personal growth as it follows the main characters, teens Nick and Charlie. The characters are warm, appealing and relatable, with a rockier path to navigate in this story, but again with the telling more special through Oseman’s gorgeous artwork. This novel is another amazing read from Oseman, which left me excited to read the next chapter for Nick and Charlie.
