Esperanza Cordero is a young girl in a poor area in Chicago. Working towards the goal of self-empowerment and self-discovery, she finds problems with race, gender, class, and economic statuses that stand in the way of her. Short vignettes, stories, and poems provide insight into her life as she progresses towards her aspirations.
Educated by Tara Westover is a gripping, emotional rollercoaster that changed my life, just a little bit. Her ability to retell events that completely changed her personality and life completely took me. I would read it for hours when I was supposed to go to bed. I would read it when I could have played on my phone. I would read it when I had any moment of free time where I could get ahold of it. If it was within my reach, I was reading it.
This work recounts the point of view of Elie Wiesel as he faces the horrors of World War II. His family was taken away, and he was shuffled into concentration camps. This account showed to many that the people that were affected by the holocaust are more than numbers. They are living, breathing humans, with aspirations for the future and their life today. A thought-provoking work that truly makes one readjust their worldview to diversify for more and different insights. Recommended for all teens and above, and also recommended for a reread. Five out of Five.
Supergifted by Gordon Korman is about Noah, who is supergifted. Finding a way out of the academy for students with high IQ’s, Noah transfers to a normal middle school that his friend Donovan attends. Soon, Noah finds a way to support his school and joins the cheerleading squad, but Hash Taggart (aka. Hashtag), an uber jock in the school, starts picking on him. Noah’s friend Donovan helps Noah and lands himself in a big fight with Hashtag. He’s told not to go anywhere near Hashtag.
Justyce McAllister is a high school senior and a passionate debater, going along with fellow student Sarah-Jane Friedman and mentor Dr. Jarius Dray. But, he is surrounded by problems in his personal life along with the major issue of racism. Along the way, He finds himself in multiple encounters with the legal system. Through it all, he reminds himself of the great Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy, attempting to follow his example in the divided world.
Ungifted by Gordon Korman is about Donovan Curtis, who is far from anything close to gifted. When a prank goes too far, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the academy for gifted students because of a mix-up by one of the administrators. Now in the academy of scholastic distinction, Donovan has to fool all the other students with super high IQ’s in order to stay there.
An encapsulating journey that presents the dynamics of 12 men as they attempt to prove a boy “guilty” or “not guilty” for the charge of murder. All jurors must unanimously agree on whether or not the boy is responsible for the crime. Some vote based on “undeniable proof,” some on preconceived notions, and others for no certain reason. Reasonable doubt can change it all. It is captivating and intriguing to watch 12 jurors as they attempt to convince one another of the suspect’s guilt or innocence using systematic logic, or less substantial matters.
Unravel Me is a beautifully written book. Although it’s not my favorite out
of the six books in the Shatter Me series, it is still very good. All of the
books in the series have left me speechless and shocked. Definitely my
favorite series of all time.
