The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

Back Cover Blurb:

“Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leve the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…

“Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once scathihng satire, dire warning, and tour de force.”

Margret Atwood, author of this and many other wonderful books, is perhaps one of the most intelligent human beings alive today. The Handmaid’s Tale is an insightful, well-researched dystopian novel that exceeds expectations of modern fiction. It is deserving of the utmost praise. It is one of the most brilliant and political pieces of literature from the 20^th century.

That being said, this novel is dark. I cannot emphasize that warning enough. It is certainly written for a mature audience. The youngest age I would recommend it to would be high schoolers, and only if I knew that individual had the capability to handle “rated R” presentations of hot topics. That said, I believe every mature adult needs to read this book, and others within the dystopian fiction genre, as a reminder of just how frail society really is, and how quickly liberties can be slip from our grasps.

Works Cited:
Atwood, Margaret. Handmaid's Tale, The. New York: Anchor Books, 1986. Print.

Skellig, by David Almond

Back Cover Blurb:
“Man, bird, or angel? Who or what is Skellig?

“Ten-year old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister’s ill, his arents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage.

“What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever.

“Told in lyrical prose, Skellig is a mystery, an adventure, and a family story, in which Michael learns about nature, poetry, and the healing power of love.”

I am often driven crazy by this idea that is found surrounding Young Adult literature. This notion that – because an author is writing towards a younger audience – he needs to “dumb down” his words and writing style. This seems to be believes by YA authors, publishing companies, readers, and non-readers alike. Because of this, adolescent literature often gets a bad rep. Reading the work of authors like David Almond is refreshing, because they remind us that this stereotyped way of speaking to youth is unnecessary – kids are smart. If you give them something to read that is beautifully crafted, it won’t be too much for them to handle. Which is why I so enjoyed this book: it is beautiful; it is magical; it is poetical prose. It is certainly written towards a younger audience, yet it maintains an identity of being substantial literature containing beautiful language with merit.

Skellig reminds readers the importance of love, friendship, and miracles; and how one accompanies the others. And that is something people of all ages would do well to remember.

Works Cited:
Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Yearling, 1998. Print.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Back cover blurb:
“In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants’ kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson build not just one but fifty-five schools – especially for girls – in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit.”

Three Cups of Tea, coauthored by humanitarian Greg Mortenson and author David Oliver Relin, is a beautiful, enticing, and inspiring story. Reading this book will change your outlook on life. It will inspire you to become proactive and perform good deeds. And in that way, it is a successful book. However, in recent years there have been many questions surrounding the actual events depicted, as well as the legitimacy of the mission of the Central Asia Institute (the non-profit organization started by Mortenson that is allegedly dedicated to building schools for girls in Middle Eastern countries). It is impossible to talk about this book without addressing those issues, so let me clarify my opinion: I would not call Mortenson and his organization a scam, per se… but I would not say he is running a group that is in touch with fully-ethical methods. However, I greatly encourage people to do some research and formulate opinions for themselves on the manner.

Now that I have addressed the “elephant in the room,” let me go back to this book: it is a phenomenal piece of literature. It is literature, by the way… the book advertises itself as non-fiction, but reading it gives the feeling more closely related to watching a movie that is “based on a true story” than watching an actual depiction of the true events. It is grossly apparent that Relin utilizes his poetic licensure, and does a beautiful job telling an exciting story. The validity of the story, while questionable, isn’t actually what matters here – what does matter is that the book is effective in inspiring social action.

And so, I urge everyone to read this book. I urge teachers to teach this book. And if it moves you to become proactive, do some research to find a reputable charity or organization with whom to work with or raise donations for.

Works Cited:

Mortenson, Greg, and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

Back cover blurb: "before. Miles 'Pudge' Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" [Francois Rabelais, poet] even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

after. Nothing is ever the same."

Now, let me begin by saying: I have a bit of an authorial crush on John Green, his writings, and his online community that he has created known as Nerdfighteria (a group of people made of awesome, fighting against world suck. Check out youtube.com/vlogbrothers) so I will probably review a few of his books before this project is finished. Starting with his first novel, Looking for Alaska.

I read this book in high school, and re-reading it has been wonderful. The novel is still compelling, the narrator is still delightful, and I think this is a very important book for high school aged students to read. In fact, I would say the narrator is a 21st century Holden Caulfield, that's how great of a coming-of-age novel this is.

The strongest part of Green's writing in this book would probably be his exploration into character development. In the age of sparkly vampires, this seems to be lacking in Young Adult fiction. It's as if adults don't trust teenagers to enjoy the complexities that real people have within their literature. Green takes the notion that youth cannot handle controversial characters and turns it on its ear. The two main characters are teenagers who drink, smoke, use explicit language, and have sex. But that isn't the focus of the novel - the life of a teenager is. These things aren't glorified, they aren't made immoral. It's not a dirty book. It's a real book.

Which is why I highly recommend this novel - it's real. It's profound, insightful, articulate, and compelling. It's not for children, but it's not vulgar. It's full of the true complexities a real life will throw at someone.

Works Cited:

Green, John. Looking for alaska. Speak: New York, NY. 2005.

Book Pages: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

The book blurb: "Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley -- a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry -- and anyone who reads about him -- will find unforgettable.

For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter."

Seven books main, plus some extra ones about magical beasts, Quidditch, and wizard fairy tales. Eight movies. Countless fan websites, Pottermore (which is still in Beta. Sigh.), an entire music genre, an intercollegiate level sport, dozens of international conventions, and countless projects towards good have resulted from this book about the Chosen One. J.K. Rowling has pioneered not only a new generation of readers, she has rallied an entire community in a way that no author has ever done before.

Obviously this book is a HUGE part of the 21st century pop culture (despite the first book having been written at the end of the 1990s). For any of you who have been, say, living under a rock, let me clue you in on why Harry Potter is so great: it's a series of seven fantasy novels that chronicle the Harry from his 11th birthday through his 17th year (plus a poorly written epilogue but we won't mention that, ever) and the things he goes through... all while constantly having epic battles on issues of good versus evil. Which is, ya know, kind of an important theme...

Mostly, though, what I love about these books is the community that has been inspired from it. The knowledge that books can have such an impact on people astounds me. And gives me hope that a literate future awaits.

Works Cited:

Rowling, J. K. Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone. Arthur A. Levine Books: New York, NY. 1997.

Book Pages: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

The blurb from douglasadams.com: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of the The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out of work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin their journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitch Hiker's Guide "A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have" and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out to lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ball-point pens he has bought over the years.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the archetype example for quirky literature. The first book in a science fiction comedy series, Adams’ cleverness and wit will leave you clenching your side form laughter. Not to mention, by reading this book you will be on top of many popular cultural references such as why people (falsely) claim 42 is the meaning of life (it’s actually the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Which is what inspired this blogger’s username!) or why people (such as myself) carry towels annually on the 25th of May.

It’s hard to find a good comedy out there. Now-a-days humor seems to be strictly cultural or crude. Adams’ sense of humor is based around wit and clever word-play, which is a lost art form. While this book may not, at surface level, seem to cover any important issues or hot topics, it is much easier to examine the essence of humanity from the perspective of snarky alien life-forms.

I would recommend this book to anyone in search for a good laugh, and especially to any aspiring creative writers out there. Actually, I’d recommend the entire series. The books began as a radio broadcast program and provide a great example of how literature can transcribe between mediums (radio to novel to BBC television series to movie) and still maintain the endearing qualities though expressing them differently. In fact, I recommend checking out all those versions of Hitchhiker and exploring how they differ and how they express Adams’ ideas. Good luck in this venture in comparing and contrasting!

No matter what, though, remember: always carry your towel, and whatever you do, DON’T PANIC.

Works Cited:
Adams, Douglas. Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. Harmony Books: New York, NY. 1979.

Book Pages: Memories of Summer by Ruth White

I borrowed this book from my school library, which apparently has an opposition to leaving slip covers on hard copies of books. So where I would normally insert a back cover blurb, I will instead give an Amazon.com book description:

It is the mid-1950s, and Lyric’s family’s dream is finally coming true -- they are moving from the backwoods of southwest Virginia to Flint, Michigan, where her father hopes to get an assembly-line job for a car manufacturer. Thirteen-year-old Lyric has always been close to and admired her older sister, Summer, who is pretty and popular. But in their new hometown, Summer unexpectedly and drastically changes. She becomes remote, speaks gibberish, stops taking care of her appearance, won’t go to high school, and then seems to have hallucinations. Lyric and her father try to cope with the devastating effects of Summer’s mental illness, but, sadly, there is no bringing the old Summer back. Ruth White has written a heart-wrenching novel which, despite the sad and serious subject matter, offers readers humor and hope and most of all love.

Now that description hardly does the book justice. This is an important young adult novel dealing with important themes: coping with family members suffering from mental illness, adolescence, and compassion. Now, to fully let you appreciate why this book is a wonderful read, allow me to share an anecdote real quick:

When I was in 6th grade (entering into those pleasant adolescent years myself), my older brother was diagnosed with severe schizoid bipolar disorder (that is to say: extremely bipolar with schizophrenic tendencies). I had just moved into a new town where I had no friends, and my father had just gotten called up to serve for the military. In essence: I was the new girl, in a single-parent home, with an older sibling battling a mental illness that I knew very little about. And somehow, by pure chance or luck, I managed to pick up Memories of Summer from the teen section at the local library. My life circumstances mirrored those of the main character in the book… and this knowledge of not being along gave me hope. Much needed hope. Few-to-none resources are out there to help teens cope with mental illness in loved ones (I learned this first hand), but the thing is: this is a very real issue. Novels like this are important because they reach out to young people coping with similar issues, and present mental illness in a way that is approachable to people who know nothing about it. Too often in popular culture, mental illness is poked fun off. It’s funny to be “crazy,” right? I’m not one who cares much for the “political correctness” fire that seems to be sweeping the nation, but it is not okay to portray insanity in such an insensitive way. People need to educate themselves.

I’ll get off my soapbox now and go back to talking about White’s great novel. This novel was great for me as a teenager because I could relate, and as an adult I must say: you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel all the things that make reading wonderful.

One more note: Don’t let the subject matter intimidate you from approaching this book. Mental illness is a hot topic that many people don’t know how to handle, simply because they cannot relate to it. But at its core, this novel is a coming of age story about a young girl and the troubles she faces in her life. We ALL can relate to that, can’t we?

Works Cited:
White, Ruth. Memories of summer. Farrar Straus Giroux: New York, NY. 2000.