Category Archives: Authors We Love

Authors We Love: John Green

Posted on by
12

john_greenOne of my favorite contemporary authors by far is John Green. He has inspired me to become an author myself. He primarily writes young adult fiction.

He is also well known on Youtube for his channels Vlogbrothers and CrashCourse; both of which are shared with his brother Hank Green. His works include but are not limited to: The Fault In Our Stars (which is set to become a major motion picture), Looking For Alaska, and Paper Towns.

The Fault In Our Stars is John Green’s most recent novel. It was published in 2012 and was ranked #1 on The New York Times bestsellers list. The title is an allusion to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It is centered around the romance of two cancer-afflicted teenagers, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters.

looking_for_alaskaLooking For Alaska is John Green’s first novel. It was published in 2005 and won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellent in Young Adult Literature in 2006. It is a novel of firsts. It documents Miles “Pudge” Halter’s junior year of high school. Miles is obsessed with famous last words. He transfer to a boarding school in Alabama from Florida upon Francois Rabelais’ last words: I go to seek a great perhaps. The greatest “perhaps” is, in my opinion, Alaska Young. Alaska Young is an emotionally unstable girl with whom Pudge thinks he is in love. He never fully comprehends who she is until it is too late. She asks Pudge how will you ever get out of the labyrinth of suffering, which were the last words of Simon Bolivar. At the end of the novel, Pudge concludes that the only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.

paper_townsPaper Towns is John Green’s third novel, published in 2008. It won the 2009 Edgar Award for the best Young Adult novel. It tells the story of Quentin “Q” Jacobsen, a high school senior in Florida. Q has been in love with his neighbor Margo Roth Speigelman since they were kids. They have since then grown apart but it is not until one night Margo asks for his help that they reunite for an adventure of a lifetime. Q unknowingly helps Margo bid farewell to her life in Florida. The very next day, Margo runs away from her “paper town.” Q follows the clues she didn’t intend to leave in order to find her. Q comes to understand Margo through her clues but it is not until he finds her that he truly understands that she is not a mystery after all. There are many parallels between Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns. Alaska very well could have been the mold for Margo.

John Green is one my favorite authors not because of the stories he tells but rather because of the messages he conveys. His simple yet profound statements have continued to capture my curiosity and admiration. As they say in John Green’s hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!

-Sarah B., 11th grade

Authors We Love: Kurt Vonnegut

Posted on by
2

Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most important black humor authors in American history. There was a time that every college student passes by the classrooms with a Kurt Vonnegut book, and I would like to say that it was a Vonnegut’s age that, however, already passed. How many young people know that Kurt Vonnegut was a great author just like Mark Twain? Do they ever meet his works before they appear on their schools book lists? It is a pleasure for me to know this author, and I want to share what I got from him with you.

monkey_house_coverThe book that introduced me to Vonnegut is Welcome to the Monkey House, a collection of Vonnegut’s short stories. I believe that many of us teenagers will be reading this in high school, and I suggest reading it carefully with some knowledge about the author. It will not only help you with your school essay but also inspire you deeper meanings of the stories.

As a German-American, Vonnegut’s life was not easy during the time of World War I and II. He loved peace but later decided to fight for the U.S. in World War II. Almost died on the front, his experience in war led to one of his best works, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969). However, he was still been treated unequally even when he fought for equality. “Yes, and even today there is a sort of San Andreas fault line running between German-Americans and Anglos, but fainter all the time.” He stated in his last work, A Man without a Country.

man_without_country_coverWhy did Vonnegut consider himself as a man without a country? His works are well known by his humor, but Vonnegut decided to change his style in his last book, stating, “You get just too tired, and the news is too awful, and humor doesn’t work anymore. It may be that I am no longer able to joke– that it is no longer a satisfactory defense mechanism.” (A Man Without a Country, 2005)

For me, every Vonnegut story I read connected to Vonnegut’s life. For example, Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” explains Vonnegut’s understanding of equality, and you can see the connection. Vonnegut wanted equality and fought for it, but at last he did not achieve what he hoped for. When the main character Harrison frees himself from all the trashes that lock him, could we say that Vonnegut had the hope to free himself from the bias of people around him? Did he ever imagine crushing the labels that people put on him before knowing him as a human being?

As a great author, Vonnegut influenced a generation. However he was not a happy man- almost struggled for his whole life, Vonnegut did not meet his end happily. He fought for what he believed with humor, and he died.

So it goes.

-Wenqing Z., 10th grade

Authors We Love: Meg Cabot

Posted on by
7

megcabot_avalonhighMeg Cabot is an author who writes specifically for adolescents, teenagers, and sometimes tweens. Being a #1 New York Times best selling author, her multiple series and works have accomplished numerous awards.

I have read all of Meg Cabot’s books. She is so amazing; Meg Cabot themes her books based on her past experiences. She states, “I hope readers will realize that they are not alone in feeling the way I did when I was in middle and high school- like a great big freak! Also that “normal” is not what you see on TV. Being true to yourself, and to your friends, is way more important than being part of the “in crowd.” I am living proof that it is possible to profit from being a middle and high school freak.”

Her method of writing truly inspires many teenagers across the nation. Some books of her that I specifically have enjoyed are: The Princess Diaries series, the Avalon High series, Jinx, the Underworld series, and the Airhead series. These books are truly fascinating, themed on regular teenage girls who go through different complications in their lives.

Avalon High, especially, is one of my all time favorites because of the techniques that Meg Cabot infuses into the series. She mixes history with modern day cultures, and makes a surprising twist. The series is based on the legend of King Arthur; this is a must-read! Also, particularly because I prefer the paranormal romance genre, the Underworld series is a marvelous collection. Truly, Meg Cabot is a wondrous author, and I am looking forward to her future works.

– Nirmeet B., 9th grade