Author Archives: Albert X.

Book Review: A Burning by Megha Majumdar

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I read this book for English class this year, and it was a very intriguing book. The book is an adventure that involves three perspectives, Lovely, PT Sir, and Jivan. Lovely is an aspiring actor who finally finds some success after years of trying. PT Sir is a PE coach who finds success within a political party. Jivan is a woman who witnesses a terrorist attack and is framed for it. The perspectives of Lovely and Jivan are told in first person while PT Sir’s perspective is told in the third person.

The book shows corruption and internal conflict between the characters. Although they all have separate lives, they are somehow related through Jivan’s court case. Sacrifice is a big theme in the book. For example, Lovely becomes popular through her acting career,. She is left with the choice of either helping Jivan’s case or being successful in acting. She chose to ditch Jivan and become successful with acting, although it was a hard choice.

Another big theme is corruption, and this is shown through PT Sir’s actions when he gets power. Bimala Pal, the political party’s official instructs PT Sir to testify against innocent people in order for him to gain more power through the political party. PT Sir accepts and puts multiple innocent people in jail.

Overall, this book shows the reality of the court system in some countries. A lot of innocent people are put in jail for false accusations, and in this case, Jivan ends up unfortunately being put to death because of it. I would recommend this book to everyone as it is pretty fascinating to see the characters’ development. It takes place very recently, so the book incorporates technology like phones and Facebook.

-Albert X., 10th Grade

A Burning by Megha Majumdar is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Catcher in the Rye

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I read this book as classwork for my English 1 class, and it was actually a really interesting book. It changed my outlook on life, and I really love the perspective of Holden. The book is written in first-person, from Holden’s point of view, and it shows the thought process of a teenager in internal conflict with himself.

The book is about a young boy named Holden who was born into a rich family. He went to Pencey Prep, a boarding school, due to his behavior and actions. His family was successful, and he wondered why he was not the same as them. This school journey ultimately leads him to the decision of leaving his school and wandering the streets of New York City. There, he talks about how he feels about life and what he needs.

Holden also talks with the people around him. For example, when he gets a taxi, he asks the cab driver about “what happens to the ducks in the Central Park lagoon.” I do not want to spoil the book too much because it is very interesting, and you will definitely not expect where Holden ends up.

The depression and mental illnesses Holden faces lead him to try to change his life for the better. He tries to protect other people’s childhood and innocence. He transforms eventually and in the end, he shifts his perspective in life and tries to redeem himself.

Overall, I would rate the book a 9/10, especially since I read it when I had just turned 14. I would mainly recommend this book to teenagers and high schoolers since the perspective is of a highschooler. It was a blast seeing Holden come of age and evolve throughout his thoughts and actions.

Albert X., 10th Grade

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Book Review: Life Of Pi By Yann Martel

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I read this book about half a year ago, towards the beginning of the school year. It was summer homework for my school, and I thought it would be very boring and a hassle. This proved not to be true as I kept reading.

This book is about a young boy, Pi Patel, who is stranded out in the middle of the ocean on a lifeboat. He is stuck with a giant tiger and some other animals. The book shows the thought process of a shocked boy who just lost his family and needs to do everything in his power to survive.

Initially, everything was well for the Patel family. They owned the Pondicherry Zoo and lived a happy life. When they decided to move to Canada, Pi’s dad decided to move all of the zoo animals to Canada and then sell them for money. This proved difficult since the ship sank, leading to Pi being stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. I don’t want to spoil too much of what happens, but I personally thought the ending was fulfilling and that the book was very interesting.

One part I found particularly interesting was the fact that Pi was named after a swimming pool in Paris. Both of Pi’s parents were never too fond of swimming, but it was their family friend, whose favorite pool was the Piscine Molitor, who inspired them to name him that. I found it sad that the people at Pi’s school teased him by calling him “Pissing” instead of “Piscine,” but he dealt with the teasing really well and I loved how he responded to everyone, even the teacher.

Overall, I feel like this book is a great option for anyone who is looking for some good survival books. It was a lot of fun to read and there is a lot of action in the book. You will never get bored by this book!

– Albert X., 10th grade

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.