A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Imagine a book where you’re following four college friends through their years after high school: their highs and lows, best and worst. Now imagine that storyline, but way sadder. That is the most simple synopsis of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I cannot stress this enough, but please read the trigger warnings before embarking on the Little Life trip. Yanagihara writes in such a beautiful way that many scenes feel real. The emotions expressed in this book are very raw and uncensored. It highlights the premise that not all stories have a happy ending. The story is mostly all character driven, which is one of the most gripping parts of the book. Though as harsh as some points in the book may seem, it brings up an interesting commentary on friendship and mental illness.

Written by Katelyn, Teen Volunteer

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

What made this book stand out so much was its amazing commentary on generational parenting and the relationship between mothers and daughters. There is the Chinese cultural aspect, but there’s also how it explores what it’s like as generations start to distance themselves from the culture and how that feels for all involved. These conversations aren’t just jumped over, but fully developed in all aspects of the book. The stories are moving and touching, even relatable at most times. It delves into the ideal of feminism and self-worth based on the idea of parental expectations. Though all of the themes may seem daunting, the book was a fulfilling read. Each chapter builds off the last which leads to a whole “aha” moment at the end of the novel.

Written by Katelyn, Teen Volunteer

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed

The novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, written by Taylor Jenkins Reed, is about a Hollywood actress named Evelyn Hugo.  After a long life and career at 79 years old Evelyn decides to let a journalist interview her about her life and seven husbands. This book discusses Evelyn’s feelings for each husband, her love for each one of them, and her reasoning for each marriage. Evelyn must also live with the grief of her dead loved ones. This is something that affects the way she sees love, and affects her process of dealing with emotional struggles as well. I enjoyed this book because it taught me to question love and wonder what it truly is. I also learned to question the reasoning for my actions. I loved the philosophy of this book along with the fitting ending for Evelyn’s long and troubling life. Although seven husbands might seem unbelievable to many people, this is what it took to allow Evelyn to realize who she was truly in love with and what she really wanted.

Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

In The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, the main character named Lieutenant Jimmy Cross serves in the Vietnam War. During the time in which Jimmy Cross serves, he struggles to face the many burdens of being a soldier which include both mental and physical struggles. The biggest mental challenge for Jimmy is his guilt. When Ted Lavender, a soldier that Jimmy was in charge of dies as a result of Jimmy’s distraction, Jimmy becomes distraught. In this situation, Jimmy’s guilt teaches him a lesson because he learns to stay focused on his job. On the other hand, every decision that Jimmy makes now causes him to think about the death of Lavender. Jimmy also faces decisions during this novel. For example, Jimmy contemplates crossing the Canadian border to run away from being sent away to the war. Jimmy realizes that he would not be able to face the guilt of this action and stays. Throughout the book, Jimmy deals with pain a person should never have to experience. His morals are questioned at every turn in his journey. This novel takes you on the path of war through the mindset of a soldier.

Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The novel, “A Court of Silver Flames” written by Sarah J. Maas is the fifth book in the ACOTAR. This final novel has different points of views. No longer is it Feyre and Rhysand, but Cassian and Nesta. Nesta is in bad shape; she has completely isolated herself regardless of Feyre’s pleadings. She drinks and engages in risky activities with people who mean nothing to her. She is alone, but she puts that on herself. However, Feyre and her court especially are done with Nesta’s behavior so they give her an ultimatum. Either Nesta goes back to the human lands or she will have to reside in the House of Wind and will be training with Cassian every day and working in the house’s library. She can’t go to the human lands, which would be torture for her, so she reluctantly chooses the latter option. Her journey is quite interesting actually. She is awful and personally I still don’t like her.  As much as she’s been through, Feyre has probably been through more, and yet Nesta has the audacity to blame Feyre for everything. I know I love my High Lady of the Night Court, but she is amazing and she deserves everything. I’m not saying Nesta doesn’t but she should be less rude to the people who stood by her regardless of their own issues and problems that they were going through. Anyhow, Nesta forms quite a bond with the House and soon she becomes friends with two females who have gone through some traumatic things as well (though it seems everybody in this series has gone through hell and back). She starts to train with Cassian and convinces other females to join; she forms a bond with him and she helps find the last two objects of the trove so the queen from the human realm has no more power than she already has. 

I recommend this book because I like how Nesta has a huge character change for the better. I love how Cassian and Nesta were able to finally be on the same page with their mating bond. It was starting to get annoying because Nesta kept on ignoring the mating bond and Cassian didn’t know what to do but finally at the end they figured it out, thank god. This book has a lot of spicy scenes and thoughts, just to let you know. There is so much cute and funny banter between Nesta and Cassian. They are both so strong and fierce which makes me a proud mom as Nesta grew from her drunken state to a powerful Valkyrie. 9/10.

-Written by Julia, Teen Volunteer

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Piscine Molitor Patel, or “Pi” for short, is the 16-year-old son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India. Through growing up at the zoo, Pi learns how the animals live by habit. His father also teaches him that animals are ferocious, but by providing for their needs and establishing dominance, circus trainers can tame animals. Although Pi’s parents are secular, he is raised as a Hindu and eventually begins practicing Christianity and Islam as well, just wanting to love God no matter the religion. When his father decides to move to Canada, they close the zoo and board the Japanese Cargo ship Tsimtsum, bringing the animals along to North America to be sold. A few days after their departure however, the Tsimtsum sinks and Pi ends up stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a tiger named Richard Parker in the middle of the Pacific.

I loved this book because of how thought-provoking it was. Pi’s journey was a mystical coming-of-age story that was interesting enough on its own, but the ending ties the story together in an incredible way that was genuinely shocking when I read it for the first time. I thought the book’s story and theme were handled beautifully by Yann Martel, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting read.

Written by Aedan, Teen Volunteer

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

It Ends with Us follows the life of Lily Bloom in both the past (through diary entries) and the present. After living in the small town of Plethora, Maine and falling in love with a homeless boy named Atlas, Lily moves to Boston. While in Boston, Lily meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid and even opens her own flower shop. Lily and Ryle can’t get each other out of their minds and Ryle begins to fall in love with Lily and pursue a relationship with her despite his “no dating” rule. However, as the relationship progresses, some of Ryle’s actions become questionable to Lily, beginning to resemble her abusive dad. When Lily suddenly runs into her first love, Atlas, more questions about her relationship with Ryle overwhelm her. 

After reading this book, it became my new favorite. This story is extremely powerful with a message everyone should follow. The storyline of the book is so smart and there are many unexpected moments. I fell in love with Lily Bloom and was wishing for more and more after the book ended. The way Colleen Hoover makes you feel one way about a character and completely twists your feelings about them within a line or two is one of the great parts about this book. However, this book does contain some sensitive topics and is not appropriate for young readers, but I would highly recommend it for readers 15 and up. Another plus is that this book is currently being written to become a movie which is very exciting. The whole time I was reading, I was visualizing how exciting this story will be as a movie. Overall, I highly recommend this book for those who want a sad, but heartwarming read with a good message.

Written by Julia, Teen Volunteer

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Defy the Stars, in my opinion, is a very action based sci fi drama book. Though the beginning starts off a bit slow it’s a worthwhile read. After Earth became almost inhabitable, multiple planets had to be colonized which led to different factions. This  book highly revolves around the idea of space and space travel,and follows the main protagonist Noemi Vidal. Her main motivations are preventing war on her home planet, and in order to do so she finds herself trapped in an abandoned space shuttle where she meets the mechanic, Abel. Though their relationship starts off extremely rocky, both of them being on opposite sides of the war, the book follows the two through their journey and deals with self discovery, trust and reliance. While the book may not be for everyone, the action and fast plot makes it binge worthy.

Written by Katelyn, Teen Volunteer

1984 by George Orwell

The story based in 1984 is really well written, and though at first  it wasn’t my favorite, after a reread the idea of the book really stuck with me. 1984 is a dystopian science fiction story set in the middle of a war. It follows Winston Smith, who works at a newspaper company, though his job is to monitor and censor the press. The book follows him as he begins to reevaluate himself and those around him while being under a very oppressive government, lovingly named Big Brother. The book deals with messages of self identity and respect, as well as more political ideas and the dangers of an oppressive government. All in all, 1984 can be seen as a classic and a must read book, and it was able to climb its way to be one of my favorites.

Written by Katelyn, Teen Volunteer

Allies by Alan Gratz

Allies, a novel written by Alan Gratz, is a historical fiction book that tells the story of four World War II survivors. Dee is a soldier who is on a boat leading towards the shore of what will be known as the D-Day battle. Samira is a French spy who is working against the Nazi army. James is a paratrooper who must leap out of a plane to fight in battle. Henry is a medic who must try to help save injured soldiers while fighting against difficulties due to his race. 

Throughout the book, the characters face physical, mental, and social challenges. They struggle with their responsibilities in the war, the mental pressure that is placed upon them, the sadness of the death surrounding them, and the relationships they try to hold onto with the other characters. This allows the reader to put themselves in the shoes of the characters and visualize the setting during each event. 

Not only will you love to read about the characters in the book, but you will gain knowledge about World War II as well. When you read this book, time seems to fly. The intricate plot of the book will ensure you are never bored. If you have enjoyed any of Alan Gratz’s other books, you will also enjoy this!

Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer