John Knowles' A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age story that recounts the friendship of two boys during World War II. Gene is brilliant and introverted, while Phineas is charismatic and popular. As the two boys suffer under the pressures of war, their jealously will attempt to overcome their friendship. This book appears to be a simple story, but it's filled with symbolic meaning.
Eliza is a pro at writing poetry. She is so good, that boys in her school ask her to ghostwrite love notes for their significant others. At first, she doesn’t mind using her talents for others, but when Theo Moses, a guy she likes, asks her to write a love letter for his girlfriend Lila, she contemplates what is good for her and what isn’t. What happens next? Read more to find out!
Meri Miller is a teen living in Soldotna, Alaska, (aka the middle of nowhere). She desires traveling to big cities, like LA. Since she is in her senior year, she expects her plans to run perfectly, but when troubles arise in her family and life, she must face the world as she knows it.
Little Dog knows his mother cannot read, her education put to an abrupt end after the destruction of her schoolhouse by a napalm raid in her native Vietnam. So when he addresses this letter to his mother, he speaks not only to her but also to himself, straining to break free of his past. The words and phrases he knows his mother cannot understand spill out like secrets, truth, or something that lies somewhere in between.
Peyton Sinclaire is a chef with big dreams stuck in a small town. When she gets the chance to participate in a reality tv cooking show, she jumps at the chance, hoping to pursue her dream. When she is at the set, she realizes it isn’t what she hoped it would be like, she wonders how far she is willing to go to make her dreams a reality.
Naila comes from an immigrant Pakistani family where she isn’t allowed to enjoy many of the privileges her friends are lucky enough to have, including a boyfriend. But right before she graduates high school, her parents discover that she has a secret boyfriend and decide to take a family vacation to Pakistan to reeducate Naila. Naila even starts to enjoy herself a little, but her new life takes a turn for the worse when her parents decide that they want her to get married, and have already found her a husband in Pakistan for her arranged marriage.
Aideen is an imperfect teen that is facing many problems. She suddenly finds herself in a situation that she can solve. She decides to help Meabh, an overachieving, stressed out classmate, by pushing her down the stairs. After finding out that Meabh was able to get away from her problems, students with their own issues come to Aideen. This in turn leads Aideen to run her own secret business all while juggling her own problems at home. Will Aideen be able to solve her own problems and help others? Read more to find out!
The House on Mango Street represents a perspective of someone whom you would never think of. I liked how this book took into perspective how Esperanza lived in her community and how she was looked at by certain people. This book shows a lot of realistic events that seem very meaningful and makes the book very interesting to read. I gave this a five-star rating because I liked how this book was written. It is very intense in Esperanza's feelings but also very truthful about what happened to her.
The first time I saw this book was online while I was browsing through the Johnson County website. I was interested in this book because of the cover. As I read further into this book I understood that it was more than an adventure story but also a way of going on the journey with Karr. This book has the highest of commendations because it shows how Karr, a kid, journeys throughout the entire galaxy to find out how his powers work only to find out that he was predestined to do something else. This book will help people find how to find themselves because it helped me in that way.
Blade Morrison’s life seems perfect. He’s a skilled guitarist with a famous musician for a father, and he has plenty of money and girls to choose from. But despite this, Blade feels lost. The one girl he truly cares for can’t be seen with him. His father’s face covers the tabloids. And ever since his mother passed away, he doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of his family. Solo explores Blade’s search for identity through poetry, following his quest for love and belonging.
