Posts

Finding Sense of Self in Aristotle and Dante

Image
  For the past few weeks, I have been reading a book called Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I had heard about it a few times online, and so I decided to borrow it from the library, only to be slapped in the face with some of the most beautiful writing I have ever seen that reads so musically I forgot more than once that the book was prose– and now, this may be one of my favorite novels I’ve ever read. Aristotle and Dante (for short) is a book following two teenagers in 1980’s El Paso, Texas: Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza, and Dante Quintana. Dante is carefree, kind and artistic, giving little mind to what others think of him. Ari is the opposite— he is a quiet, closed off person easily prone to anger and worries extensively about his masculine image, often confused by Dante's way of thinking. They become friends quickly after meeting despite their differing personalities, though it doesn’t take Dante very long to feel like something is ...
1 comment
Read more

A Short Reflection on Bridge to Terabithia

Image
Bridge to Terabithia , written by Katherine Paterson, in my opinion, is a quite moving story about imagination, friendship, and growing up. The main characters in it are fifth graders, Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. They become close friends despite their different personalities and backgrounds.  Together, they create Terabithia, an imaginary kingdom in the woods which they go into every day to escape daily pressures and build a world that’s full of freedom and creativity. For Jesse,  Terabithia becomes a place where he can feel understood and confident. And Leslie’s imagination helps open up his world in new ways too.  Then unexpectedly the story takes a very emotional turn (I’m not going to specify what happens because it would be a big spoiler). This plot twist forces Jesse to face some hard emotions far too early. But I think the author handles the moment really well with honesty and simplicity and that I think makes it especially powerful. So, in the end, I think thi...
2 comments
Read more

MATCHED by Allie Condie

Image
  Matched by Ally Condie                    When I first heard about this book it was because my aunt recommended it to me, and from what I heard, I was a little skeptical about it. But, in mid to late January, I was at a thrift store, and I found it for a really cheap price and decided to buy it, and looking back I am very glad I made that decision. SUMMARY                    Matched by Ally Condie is told through the eyes of the main character, a seventeen-year-old by the name of Cassia Reyes living under a dystopian government (known as "The Society") that controls the peoples' every move. In this society, citizens will attend a Matching Ceremony where they will be "matched" with their ideal partner. cassia is partnered with her best friend Xander, but a glitch shows up in the system also matches her with a boy named Ky. She is assured that her true match is Xander, and ...
3 comments
Read more

Elizabeth Thompson's Lost In Paris

Image
Are you interested in reading a book about family, secrets and has historical elements? In Lost In Paris by Elizabeth Thompson, Hannah Bond works as a Jane Austen tour guide in London. After her great-grandmother Ivy passes away, her mother, who lives in Florida, discovers a deed to a Paris apartment. Hannah and her mom have never been close, but the deed leads them on a trip to Paris, giving them a new chance at their relationship. After inheriting the apartment, they make many discoveries about their late grandmother's secret life and try to fix their past issues. One thing I liked about this book was that it switched between present and past times. In the story, Hannah finds Ivy’s diary in the apartment. In between each chapter are pages of her diary entry. The switch in time gave the reader a deeper understanding of Ivy’s secret life. And this was one of my favorite parts of the book. Another thing I liked was the descriptions in the book. The author depicts Paris and other loc...
5 comments
Read more

City Spies: A Good Start to a Series

Image
City Spies is a book I read a few years ago and recently decided to reread. It's the first book in the six-book City Spies series. I stopped after the first two when I read it before, so this time I’ll probably read them all if they don't get progressively worse as many series often do. The main character is Sara Martinez, an 12 year old orphan who’s a hacker and recently hacked into a foster care system and a bank to try to expose her foster parents for treating their foster kids badly and only taking them in to get paid. Unfortunately, she’s the one arrested. However, when she’s about to have her trial, a fake lawyer shows up and manages to get her out of trouble. Sara’s confused why he did it until she finds out she’s being recruited to join a group of kids with special talents working for MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service.  Sara accepts, and starts going by the name Brooklyn, as the kids take the name of their city and she’s from Brooklyn, New York. Spy life isn’...
4 comments
Read more

The Unwanted's by Lisa McMann

Image
           The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann explores common themes such as grief, isolation, and artistry. I first heard of this back in December when my childhood friend recommended it to me, and I must say I was not disappointed. My favorite book is definitely the sixth book, Island of Graves as I found it the most emotionally significant.     The story follows the Stowe twins Aaron and Alex, who live in Quill, where any form of emotion or creative expression calls for you to be "purged". Alex gets caught drawing with a stick in the dirt, but instead of receiving a death sentence, he gets sent to this place where magic and artistry are praised. I really enjoyed this series because the plot was carried out in such an easy-to-understand way, and I could connect with the feeling of "being different" that Alex Stowe felt while he was in Quill. And I loved seeing the contrast between Quill and Artime, as Quill is this dark grey, depressing place. But the...
1 comment
Read more

When Memory Fades but Love Remains: A Reflection on And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Image
                                                                                                And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer is written by Fredrik Backman and it is a story that can deeply move someone, it's about memory, family, and the quiet ways love persists even as the mind begins to fade. The author is known for his ability to mix emotional depth with humor using that he crafted this narrative that goes into what happens when someone you love slowly loses pieces of themselves.    ...
1 comment
Read more