Reviews by Tag: classic

Teen Review
To Kill a Mockingbird book cover

To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Victoria O.
Mar 18, 2024

To Kill a Mockingbird is a historical fiction book by Harper Lee. The book takes place in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The book is from the perspective of Scout as she and her older brother Jem learn about racism and prejudice through their father's defense of a black man accused of rape. They witness the injustice of the legal system and the racism of their community. 

Teen Review
Son

Son

By Lois Lowry
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Victoria O.
Mar 15, 2024

Son by Lois Lowry is the final book in the Giver series. The book is about Claire, a young woman who lives in a seemingly perfect place called "The 4errtcv er Community". However, when Claire's son is taken from her shortly after his birth, she becomes determined to find him and sets out on a dangerous journey to do so. Along the way, she discovers the true nature of The Community and the sinister forces that run it.

Teen Review
Messenger

Messenger

By Lois Lowry
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Victoria O.
Mar 15, 2024

Messenger by Lois Lowry is the third book in the dystopia Giver series. The community is known for its hospitality and generosity, but it is also surrounded by a dangerous forest that is a mystery. Matty is a messenger who is tasked with delivering important messages between Village and other nearby communities.

Teen Review
1984 book cover

1984

By George Orwell
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Aditi R.
Mar 14, 2024

Summary: In the gripping novel, 1984, we meet a future totalitarian society where the government, known as the Party, controls every aspect of people's lives. The protagonist and member of the Party, Winston Smith, begins to question the authority of the Party and its leader, Big Brother. Winston's rebellion against the Party leads him to a forbidden love affair and a dangerous journey to uncover the truth about the Party and their methods of control.

Teen Review
The Odyssey

The Odyssey

By Homer
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Jeli N.
Mar 8, 2024

SUMMARY: Odysseus, stranded on an island, makes it out alive through the favoritism of the Greek gods, Zeus and Hermes. An adventurous, sorrowful and tragic twenty-one long year journey back to Ithaca he takes to see his beloved home as Poseidon chases after him, wanting him dead. Many lives are lost during the journey, only for him to find out that there are hordes of hubris men overstaying their visit. 

Teen Review
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

By Ken Kesey
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Gia-Dat P.
Mar 6, 2024

Nurse Ratched, the head of the psych ward, runs a pretty tight ship. Oppressing her all-male patients and enforcing strict rules, readers experience the mechanical, routine life in the ward through the eyes of Bromden, a half-Indian deaf patient. This life is disturbed by the new patient McMurphy, exuberant and philanthropic in his own way, who catalyzes a change in the men on the ward. Kesey chronicles the war between him and Nurse Ratched while tying in ideas of societal pressures, sexuality, and the 1900s concept of mental health.

Teen Review
The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Mar 5, 2024

Summary: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne follows the story of Hester Prynne, a woman in Puritanical Boston who conceives a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' as punishment for her adultery. Hester refuses to reveal the identity of the father, leading to speculation and ostracism within the community. As she struggles with the consequences of her actions, Hester finds strength and independence, eventually carving out a respected place in society despite the stigma of her past.

Teen Review
Normal People by Sally Rooney

Normal People

By Sally Rooney
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Feb 15, 2024

Normal People is a young adult novel written by New York Times award-winning author Sally Rooney. It explores two protagonist Connell and Marianne, and we are introduced into their world and how they collide. It’s a complex exploration of young love, social dynamic, and finding one’s identity. Rooney’s writing is raw and honest, ensuring the feeling of teenage innocence with every page you turn. The characters in this novel feel so incredibly real, flawed, yet relatable.

Teen Review
1984 book cover

1984

By George Orwell
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Feb 14, 2024

1984 is a dystopian novel about what life is like in Oceania with the totalitarian government watching over every citizens’ move. The main character, Winston, struggles with the concept of freedom since citizens are not allowed to have thoughts, or do what they want. The book explores how Winston tries to go about rebelling against the totalitarian rules. I would highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It exposes a world of fear and the unknown, and how characters live a life in a situation like this.

Teen Review
The Stranger

The Stranger

By Albert Camus
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Sara
Feb 14, 2024

The Stranger by Albert Camus follows the story of a man named Meursault who is indifferent to everything around him. He is only really controlled by his basic primal needs, like hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. Throughout the story, he doesn't show any deeper connection to anything and only describes things at face value. This makes sense considering his personality is so indifferent, but it creates a dull story where that is very slowly paced.

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