Summary: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon is a compelling work of fiction set on a generational spaceship, the HSS Matilda, where society is divided by race and class, echoing the injustices of America. The story follows Aster, a dark-skinned healer who discovers secrets about the ship's past while navigating a hierarchy that mirrors the worst aspects of slavery.
The Outsiders is a book about a 14 year old boy and his 6 friends. They live in an era where two groups are divided by economic and social status. Ponyboy and his friends fall into the “greasers” side, which is the less rich and more tough side. Ponyboy has two brothers, Soda and Darry, and they all hangout with their other friends, Dally, Johnny & Steve. Ponyboy grows close to Johnny but when he commits a crime, their lives all fall down and a series of events that even leads to death happens after.
The Glass Castle is a memoir by journalist Jeannette Walls about her family and childhood. Her parents rejected societal norms, which was often detrimental to the Walls children but also beneficial in its own ways. Jeannett’s father was a genius who helped accelerate the education of his children, but also an alcoholic without any money management skills and constantly on the run from the bill collectors.
Mare Barrow is a 17-year-old girl who lives in a kingdom where people are separated into two different social classes based on the color of their blood. People with silver blood are supernatural, and have superpowers, and they’re also rich and live good lives, while people with red blood have to live in poverty because they don’t have any special superpowers. Mare has red blood, so she lives in poverty. To help her family, she steals by pickpocketing from Silvers and the people in her village.
Amir and Hassan have spent their entire lives together. They grew up together and have always seemed to have a special connection. One thing separates them though. Their race and social classes have always created some issues between them. After a traumatizing event in Hassan’s life, Amir is left with immense guilt. Throughout Amir’s life he must come to terms with his guilt and do what he can to repay Hassan for his loyalty.
Kestrel lives in an empire that relishes in violence and war. They enslave others they conquer and show no mercy. Kestrel is the general’s daughter, and as such she is aware of the methods of her empire. As a seventeen-year-old young woman, Kestrel has a decision that could alter the rest of her life: she can join the military or get married. A strong, independent woman, Kestrel battles for another option.
Red Queen takes place in a society where the hierarchy is based on your blood-red or silver. Mare Barrow, a red blood, is placed into the kingdom as a servant and observes the court as they are selecting the bride for the young princes. Suddenly, Mare exposes herself, showing lightning powers coming through her, and everyone in the court is heavily confused. The King and Queen quickly betroth her to Maven, the youngest son, and create a fake backstory. No one was suspicious of her blood afterwards, and people proceeded to believe she was a silver.
In The Selection, thirty-five girls are chosen to compete for the hand of Prince Maxon. Not much else to it. Great concept in a way. Horrible dystopian landing. Author trolls their readers' Goodreads reviews. Book gets way too much credit. One of the worst writings I have ever read. That’s just the brink of it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton provides a look into what teenage life looked like in the 60’s in America. A book targeted towards teens, The Outsiders tries to capture a more accurate perspective on these children. Almost sixty years have passed since its release, however, meaning that most of the book is not applicable to today’s society.
