Lord of the Flies by William Golding
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After reading this book, I was in shock. I wasn't completely sure how to react. The book itself was very well-written and had an interesting storyline, but then ending completely took me off-guard.
Still, besides that, Lord of the Flies was amazing. It tells the stories of a group of British schoolboys that land on an island and try to create order; but with a large amount of people still in school, how limited can this order be? The book got me thinking, and my dad said that after he read it when he was a student, it disturbed him so much he "sat up all night wand wrote letters about it." Still, Golding demonstrates a wonderful mastery of words, making it an easy book to get hooked on.
The book shows how small divisions can spread so quickly, leading to something much bigger than it had originally seemed. A small disagreement between two schoolboys, in this case, led to a fire that engulfed the whole island that they had been living on. Not only does this book have a good plot, but it is also a good representation of the struggles of life and getting along with other humans.
"The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance."
I must admit, that wasn't the quote I wanted to share; but the quote I did want to share gave away a bit too much. I wouldn't want to do that, especially since I would definitely recommend this to my friends. A small warning; this book is definitely not for the weak of heart, for it has a lot for someone to grasp.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
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"Okay."
A word that we use in our everyday language, made momentous by this touching book. After I read this, it had given itself a boost onto the top of my reading list.
Many of you may have read The Fault in Our Stars before, due to its stupendous popularity. This popularity is well-deserved; make sure you keep that in mind before deciding not to read it. John Green has created a stunning plot that had me crying at the end. Filled with the right amount of tragedy and romance, you follow the adventures of Hazel Grace and Augustus, who struggle to get through teenage life as well as fight deadly sicknesses.
This book also struck close to my heart due to something that was going on with a person close to me. I found so many touching quotes that I managed to identify with, and felt just as Hazel did-- felt as if a book was one of my friends, someone that understood me. After reading through it the first time, I went back and almost finished rereading it before I had to leave for camp, leaving the first part of the book dog-eared due to all of the wonderful quotes I happened upon.
"'All salvation is temporary,' Augustus shot back. 'I bought them a minute. Maybe that's the minute that buys them an hour, which is the hour that buys them a year. No one's gonna buy them forever, Hazel Grace, but my life bought them a minute. And that's not nothing.'"
Before you think I'm giving you a spoiler, that was about a video game.
Overall, this was a wonderful book. I would definitely recommend someone to read it, since not only does it have a great surface story, but it also has another great story hiding underneath the words.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
