Top Ten

I've been writing book reviews for the last three years on my high school newspaper. Over the years, I've written 46 reviews. With graduation a week away, I've decided to pick my favorites from that long list and share them with you. These are books that made my laugh, cry, and think. Stories that broke me, saved me, and changed me. Each and every one of them is worth the read.

10) "The Life of Pi" by Yanni Martel

This book is a modern classic. A fantastical adventure at sea between a tiger named Richard Parker, and a scared scrawny teenage boy that kept me up all night turning pages. "Pi" is magical realism at it's finest. It's one thing to blend reality and fantasy in a way that feels organic and beautiful, but Martel does so much more. He asks the reader to make a choice between reality and make believe in the end. Do we believe in this wonderful journey we spent pages invested in, or do we believe the "truth"? This is a story I could totally write an extensive AP Lit essay about.

9) "The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender" by Leslye Walton

Three generations of women that are tragically unlucky in love. The Roux women are quick to find love, but also quick to find heartbreak. Tragedy seems to follow each generation like a curse, the most peculiar of which seems to be on Ava Lavender, who was born with brown, speckled wings. The novel explores Ava's family history and how their tragic love stories created her wings and her own personal tragedy. The prose is lovely and lyrical, but the pacing is intense, even heart pounding at times. It's a strange contrast that works so well here. I was completely spellbound, finishing the entire book in a matter of hours. Just thinking about it makes me want to reread it all over again.

8) "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

It's not that often that I start a book and immediately want to scream "THAT'S ME!" after the first few chapters getting to know our main character. I saw my 11th grade self in Cather. She is shy and awkward in person, but vibrant in her writing. She prefers spending the evening in her dorm room, blasting Kanye West and dancing out her anxiety rather than facing the actual world. As the story progressed, I got to see the cracks in Cath's walls and I realized they were the same ones I had. The fear of meeting new people combined with the fear of being stuck alone forever. The desire for adventure and the desire to stay at home and protect her family. She feels all these emotions at war within her, and I can see myself. "Fangirl" is clever, witty, and romantic fun with the perfect dash of anxiety. It's an honest piece of realist fiction that combines real life and Internet culture seamlessly.

7) "Dr. Bird's Advice For Sad Poets" by Evan Roskos

Mental illness isn't always taken seriously. James Whitman's parents believe that his depression isn't real, that it's just a phase. They refuse to help him pay for the therapy he desperately needs, so he creates his own imaginary one, a pigeon named Dr. Bird. Full of Walt Whitman references, delusion, and hope, this book is a force to be reckoned with. I love quirky books with a dark side, stories that blend the weird with the bad is a strange hodgepodge of tragicomedy. "Dr. Bird" is an emotional roller coaster in the best possible way.

6) "Looking For Alaska" by John Green

Over the last few years, John Green has gained in popularity and become the king of contemporary YA, for better or for worse. He gets much more flack and praise than he deserves, honestly. "Alaska" is his first novel, and in my opinion, his best. It's about a shy boy's journey to someone who can stand on his own, It's about how sometimes the why  of the matter isn't as important as we perceive it to be. On the surface, Alaska appears to be the typical "Manic Pixie Dream Girl", but she's deeper than that.She's a twist on the entire idea, Green combines religious history, death, and his signature wit perfectly. None of his other books can really compare to this gem.

5) "The Silver Linings Playbook" by Matthew Quick

Junior year, I went on a Matthew Quick binge. He's got a gift for blending the weird and the raw in really unique stories. I had seen the "Silver Linings" movie starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and I was obsessed! I devoured the book in a matter of days, and loved it in a completely different way. The book and movie are not even close to the same, and that's a really great thing. The movie paints all of the characters are more sympathetic, while in the book, Pat is so naive it's frustrating. It's one of those rare cases where the movie is equally as good at the book. This is because they exist as separate entities, Quick understands that visual storytelling is different that literary storytelling, and that's so important.

4) "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

A.S. King is the queen of weird. I love all of her books, so choosing one to be part of this list was like choosing a favorite child.  (That's how making this entire list felt, actually.) I eventually decided on "Vera", because it's the one I related to the most. Destiny is a common thread in all of King's stories, Her characters are constantly trying to escape a seemingly predestined fate, repeating their parents' mistakes. In this novel, Vera must try to escape her destiny, deal with her best friend's violent death, and deal with her terrible habit of drinking vodka during her pizza delivery route. I've never seen myself so well in character that's nothing like me before. This is the story that started it all when it came to my love for King;s writing. I've read almost everything that she's written ever since. I have a feeling it will get you hooked too. 

3) "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Jandy Nelson's prose is like poetry. In her second book, she carefully crafts a beautiful, lyrical story about twins Jude and Noah. Noah is an aspiring artist, his chapters tell the story of his 13th year and the tragic events it lead up to. Jude is stiff and superstitious. She uses her grandmothers book of good luck to guide her in life. Her chapters follow the twins 16th year, post tragedy. Alternating sections weave together to create suspense, magic, and mystery. It's one of the most beautifully written novels I've ever read. Art, luck, tragedy, and true love. What more could you ask for?

 

2) "All the Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

  As stated in a previous post, this book crushed my heart into pieces, but made also made me walk on air. Finch's character was not written, but sculpted. Each quirk, each beautiful piece of his soul comes from Niven's steady, masterful hand. This book is deeply personal to her and it shows. Mental illness is depicted real, raw, and stigma free. I can't recommend it enough. This story will suck you in, swallow you whole, and spit you out a completely different person. Please, PLEASE read this lovely story. It will change your life.

1) "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chwbosky 

The summer before my sophomore year, I read this sweet, strange little book. I saw myself in Charlie, a quiet outsider always looking in, until one night at a football game he befriends a group of seniors and begins the ride of his life. Punk rock, Rocky Horror, first loves, and a boy called Nothing all shape Charlie's freshman year. By the end of the novel, he's able to step out into the world and address the darkest parts of himself. He has a support system. He's learned to come out of his shell and step out of his comfort zone. My own high school experience sort of mirrors Charlie's. I was a wallflower for most of high school. Only this year, after being forced into classes that made me voice my opinion (thank you Mr. Kreitzer and Mr. Holt) and having to be a leader, I grew more comfortable in my own skin. "Perks" is required reading for everyone starting high school. It will open your eyes and show you that life can be infinite. All you have to do is open your eyes and jump in.