A Separate Peace is a historical fiction novel written by John Knowles. This
novel is about students attending a school called Devon in New Hampshire in
1942. This book goes over a 16 year old student who grows at the school, through
experiencing many different situations. He tries to make a relationship with his
best friend Finny, and tries to cope with all the situations he goes through with
him. The main characters are Gene Forrester, who's experiencing these emotions,
Phineas or also known as Finny, Leper, Brinker, and the rest of their friend group.
They try to cope with this war, and it shows how their life has changed. Gene wants
to be like Finny. However, his guilt and over-analyzing mindset always comes in
the way. He tries to learn new ways to trust his friend, but problems always come
in the way. However, they grow closer as time goes by.
At the end, even though there are many conflicts, Gene feels like they are
one. He plans to enlist in the war, trying to forget his past, but learning from it to
live a better future. The most compelling aspect of this book is when Gene is
guilty but he does not tell the truth. I was disappointed when he kept lying to
people and not telling them what really happened. This is because if he had told
people what really happened this would help him grow as a person and he could
gain more trust in other people's eyes. The thoughts and feelings at this book
inspired it to trust others in a positive aspect, and not overthink everything. I
recommend this book to overthinkers and those who wish to understand the true
meaning of trust.