Life of Pi -Yann Martel
One of my best friends recommended me this book, and I can honestly say that never has my imagination been so captivated. This book is a piece of literary genius. It made the incredible, believable. And then you reach the end...
When the book takes off in part two, you have a boy who is all of a sudden in an insanely complicated situation. He is trapped on a life boat in the middle of the ocean with a Bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan, each trying to fend for their lives. From this point on, Martel frees your imagination and lets it run wild. This is one of those books where you cannot spoil the story for those who have not read it as the depth cannot be reached by speech.
In all, the novel tests human limits in survival, faith, and spirit. Is it ok to change the story for other's benefit? How much can you bend the truth before someone believes you?
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| “The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity; it's envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can.” |
Room -Emma Donahue
Room is a place. It's a place where Jack and Ma live after Ma was taken by Old Nick. It's an 11 X 11 ft. space with common house hold amenities. Oh. And Jack has never left Room. To Jack, everything he sees on TV is pretend. Everything he has ever known is in Room.
The fact that things like this occur in real life sat in the back of my brain the whole time I read this book. Room is an excellent statement of the world we live in. We live oblivious to the world around us, and once we do find out about something, all we care about is the publicity it has to offer. Read this book. The narration done by Jack will leave you in awe.
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| “Goodbye, Room.' I wave up at Skylight. 'Say goodbye," I tell Ma. 'Goodbye, Room.'" |
The Perks of Being a Wallflower -Stephen Chbosky
I'm in high school right now and my time is not unlike most others. I'm the social type, so I'm always acquainted with many people, but I have always had a small, close knit group of friends. Reflecting on it right now shows me that it is fun. I manage to stay away from the drama, mostly by not giving a crap about a whole lot. With that, most of the things around me provide a good sense of entertainment.
Perks follows Charlie, an introvert with a whole lot of genius in him. We know that he's been through some traumatic events which has led him to be the person he is. Soon. he becomes friends with Sam, Patrick and their circle of friends who take him like family. Together, they flow through the ups and downs of high school as they become infinite.
For me it was easy to connect with the characters. Especially Patrick, as his slightly maniac personality proves that I'm not the only crazy person out there. All the characters were emotionally stripped and it created a raw emotion that has never been captured by other "coming of age" stories. It was rather fascinating to read such a familiar story, yet feel like you've never heard of such a thing. You become invested in this story and feel like you've lost a friend when you finish.
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| "So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." |
The Glass Castle -Jeannette Walls
I, at first, didn't know what to think of this memoir. It was a bit unbelievable that a person can grow up in such environments. I mean, I thought my parents were one of the more liberal types compared to others around me, but this book shows you the far side of the liberal spectrum. It was interesting to see such free spirit, loving, parents in extreme poverty raise kids in a lifestyle that never provided for their needs
Walls wrote most of the book about her younger days. It provided a youthful look on life with equal parts sadness, joy, and love. Her struggle between loving and respecting her parents and her want to be taken care of was heart wrenching, but it couldn't have been told better. It was just a lovely book.
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| "I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a dumpster." |
