I've always been a big reader ever since I was a kid but lately I have had a hard time finding a great book to keep me occupied. Don't get me wrong, I love those YA teen fluffy romance books but sometimes I just really want something engaging. Here are some of my recommendations that are a great read and will no doubt stimulate your mind.
The Girls by Emma Cline
Inspired by the Manson murders and the infamous cult, Emma Cline explores the inner workings of Evie Boyd, as she recounts her experiences as a fourteen-year-old growing up in the thrilling end of the 1960s of Northern California. When Evie spots Suzanne, a mysterious older girl who looked like she didn't have a care in the world, she abandons her docile life to join her circle and is immediately drawn to its leader and his charismatic words. Everything about their free-spirited lives enthralled Evie, but as she sought approval, she was coming closer and closer to extraordinary violence.
I am a sucker for a story about the sixties, especially if it is about such a defining moment in our history and Cline really did it justice, but in her own way. She refashioned Charles Manson and wrote this book as it was coming from an older Evie as to explore the disparity between a young girl and her need for acceptance versus a mature woman who can recognize mistakes. Cline's writing style is colorful and descriptive and I couldn't put it down. Definitely a beachside book!
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence Eastman spends her summers at a private island with the rest of the very wealthy Sinclair family. Each chapter describes a different summer, most quite uneventful until Cadence's aunt brings her boyfriend and his nephew, Gat, who quickly becomes fast friends with her and the other cousins, Johnny and Mirren. They call themselves the liars. Summers pass and Gat, who is Indian, falls in love with Cadence which causes trouble within the family. Morals are tested, rules are broken, and tragedy strikes leaving Cadence more broken than before.
This book has the biggest plot twist I have ever experienced, hands down. I read it in one night and was struck with tears at the end of it. This story is tragic but hauntingly beautiful, the writing is so exquisite which makes everything feel symbolic. We, as readers, get to watch as Gat and Cadence fall in love amidst much turmoil and see how fast families will turn on one another when inheritance is involved. Truly a magnificent story, filled with just as much grief as there is love.
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
The critically acclaimed author of Silver Linings Playbook, Matthew Quick, writes another stunning book. The story begins on Leonard's birthday, it is also the day he will take his grandfather's gun and shoot his former best friend and then himself. But before he does that, he has to say goodbye to the four people who mean the most to him. Through each goodbye, and as the clock ticks faster and faster, Leonard's secrets roll out and the truth comes in.
This book is jarring, not because its events are so tragic, but it is just another day in the life of a mentally disturbed boy who has no one to turn to. You will be crying a lot, mostly tears of sadness but many from laughter. I read this on a plane, bad choice. I got many strange looks as I sobbed into my thin airplane napkin. Many of the issues that Leonard has have been widely discussed but never like this. A heartbreakingly beautiful but crazy story. A MUST READ!!!
The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins graced us yet again, this time with a prequel to her famous series, The Hunger Games. It is the 10th annual Hunger Games and future president Coriolanus Snow has been chosen to be a mentor for the girl from district twelve. The odds are not in his favor until his tribute, Lucy Gray, turns out to be a star and Capitol favorite. It is truly a fight to the death, inside and outside of the arena as tensions rise and Snow does whatever it takes for his great name to land on top.
I had no idea what I was expecting when I started this book but I had to read it because I am such a fan of the original series. From the moment I started the first chapter I knew I would have a hard time reading this because Snow is kind of an antihero. I found it hard to root for him because of what I know he becomes, which I think is the point. We see Snow struggle to maintain his Capitol persona but we also see his compassion for Lucy Gray. My favorite parts were when we hear the origin stories of many of the things we enjoy in the other books, like the hanging tree song. The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is a way for us to see the evolution of this society and how they become so much of an enemy. If you are looking to see humanity undressed, this is the book for you.
Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
Maddy Flagg
Excited for their educational trip to Ecuador, fifty British teens board the plane only for it to crash mid-air over the ocean with only three survivors: Semi, Miranda, and Arnie. After being stranded on what they think is a deserted island, the kids stumble their way into the lab of Dr. Franklin who can't wait to use them in his experiments with genetic engineering.
This is probably my favorite book of all time. Full disclosure, I got it in fifth grade from my principal on my birthday because she thought I was "advanced." Since then, I have read it at least once a year. Albeit very freaky, I love this story because you really get to see the changes that each character goes through, mentally, emotionally, and physically. While Dr. Franklin is trying to morph the genes of humans and animals, the readers get an inside look into the kids' minds as they go through these terrifying changes, something Dr. Franklin would love to see. Limits are tested and bonds are formed in this sci-fi thriller of a book. I will forever recommend this to anyone.
