Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book review – Lord of The Flies by William Golding

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Lord of The Flies is a psychological fiction that follows a large group of British schoolboys, ages 6-12, who end up stranded on an uninhabited island after a plane crash during a fictional worldwide war, likely referencing World War II.

The boys initially attempt to establish a sense of community. Ralph, one of the older boys, is selected as chief of the island, taking responsibility of leadership. He emphasizes the importance of being rescued. However, as time passes, darker truths of human nature get revealed in the book as the boys descend slowly into savagery.

The book has many powerful qualities, I’m excited to share the ones i found the most interesting and meaningful.

Themes and ideas

  • “Humans are Inherently evil”

The book demonstrates how almost every single kid on the island becomes out of touch with sense of civilization, and becomes savage. Without influence, the boys develop an animalistic lust to hunt and kill, which supports this message Golding is believed to have implied.

  • Fear

The boys are consumed with running thoughts that result in the increasing fear of the unknown “beast” which drives the boys to absurd violent behavior. Regardless of being unsure of what the beast is, the boys, especially the younger ones, are kept up at night.

Symbols in characters

  • Ralph

Ralph is one of the most civil boys on the island. He clings on to the hope of being rescued, while other boys cascade into violent savagery. He was a good leader, and therefore symbolizes order and structure.

  • Jack

Jack breaks away from Ralph’s civilized society and forms a violent tribe, therefore he is one of the first to depart from societal culture that everyone is used to. Jack represents savagery, and the supposed truth of human nature.

  • Piggy

Piggy is one of the smartest characters in the book. He is also one of the boys only hope of being rescued or retaining civilization. He has rational thoughts, but not many listen to him. He symbolizes civilization and struggle to maintain intellectualism in the island.

Overall, the book was a very intriguing interpretation of human nature. It has deep themes about survival and instinct. In real life, times of war or poverty can be the cause for many people to resort to similar dynamics, such as violence and power struggles. I would suggest the thought provoking novel to any people who are interested in complexity of human nature. The book is recommended for high school students.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free as an audiobook from Libby.

The Gypsy Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

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The Gypsy Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, is a direct sequel to the author’s award-winning book, The Egypt Game. This book follows the same characters and setting as in the previous book. The story begins with April and her friend Melanie deciding to stop playing the Egypt Game. Instead, they switch over to play what they call the Gypsy Game. Their friend Toby claims to have real gypsy ancestors. His father even paints a mural of a gypsy caravan to help with the game. Toby also brings some of his grandmother’s gypsy jewelry. The children look forward to starting a new and exciting game together.

Before the game begins, Toby starts acting very strange.  It turns out that he is dealing with problems in his family. Toby goes missing, and the rest of the Gypsy Game members become fearful about what may have happened to him. The children are confronted with ethical dilemmas while trying to find their missing friend.

This book is fun and entertaining but also quite suspenseful as well. The story is full of twists and turns, which made it hard for me to put the book down once I started reading it. I kept wondering what was going to happen next. I especially enjoyed the alternating perspectives from different characters throughout the story. I was excited to read this book as soon as I finished The Egypt Game, and I am glad that I did. Even though I was surprised that the children never actually ended up playing the Gypsy Game, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it.

Little Women: Character Analysis

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Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, is a classic story set around the time of the Civil War. It’s mostly centered around the 4 March sisters and how they grow up. All four are inspiring young women who differed in many ways despite their shared blood, and all 4 have unique morals to teach.

Margaret March, nicknamed “Meg,” starts as a girl who cares for her younger sisters but struggles with materialism. She spends the book learning to become more generous and a woman who adheres to the idea of a biblical matron. She gives birth to two children, who represent her growth.

Josephine March, otherwise called “Jo,” is introduced as a tomboyish teenager with a mind to write and an independent spirit. She struggles with becoming a feminine, considerate woman. Throughout the book, she expands her worldview and works in various writing-based jobs. In the end, however, she starts a school for disadvantaged boys with her husband.

Elizabeth March, often referred to as “Beth,” was a sweet child who always tried to be “out of the way” and a good, obedient, quiet girl. Unfortunately, she died early in the story because she caught a disease from the immigrant baby from the poor neighboring family nearby. Had she spoken up and told the others to actually do their chores and help tend to the family, she may not have been the victim of the disease. This event also makes us question their mother’s decision-making abilities, as she was a major factor in their association with the other family. Her character development death teaches us the importance of speaking up for oneself and not leaving any regrets. 

Amy March, the only sister without a nickname, is at first a vain child who places most emphasis on herself and her looks. However, she grows to become an accomplished and kind young lady with a better tongue and a smarter mind. I thought that all the surviving girls marrying somebody was very characteristic of the times, and that Jo’s and Amy’s marriages felt quite forced, but it all depends on the view of the reader. 

In my personal opinion, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to refer to the March sisters as the My Little Pony Elements of Harmony set in a realistic fiction 1800s setting. Through their trials and joys, we are left with a unique set of morals and a new perspective.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

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On My Honor is a short novel by Marion Dane Bauer. The story is about a young boy named Joel and his best friend, Tony. Joel and Tony decide to ride their bikes to a nearby state park. When Joel asks his father for permission, his father permits him to go under one condition: that they will go nowhere else except the park. Joel promises his father that he will not go anywhere else. However, on their way to the park, Tony decides to stop by the Vermillion River. Even though the boys had been warned never to go near the river, Joel challenges Tony to a swimming race to a nearby sandbar.  Hoping to prove his bravery, Tony agrees.  Joel finally makes it to the sandbar, but when he turns around, he realizes that Tony has disappeared. Joel is shocked and terrified at the thought of returning home and telling everyone the truth of what happened.

This book is quite short, but it is one of the most compelling and tragic stories that I have read. I was very impressed by how well it was written. It perfectly describes the thought process of a young boy. The way Joel rationalizes and excuses his lies within his mind is particularly realistic. I appreciate the message of this book about the consequences of dishonesty. Joel’s inner battles with guilt and grief are very powerful. This book teaches valuable lessons about the importance of morality and fatherhood.

I highly recommend this book. It won a Newbery Honor award in 1987, but I think it is deserving of the medal. This book would be especially beneficial to young people, because of the lessons it teaches about growing up and dealing with the consequences of our choices. Anyone can appreciate its realism and intensity. This is a powerful book.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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To be completely honest, this book gave me nightmares when I was 10. I tried reading it, I really did, but the incredibly detailed explanations of the monsters freaked me out. I then proceeded to hide the book under my bookshelf, because if I put it under my bed: the book would come alive and eat me. So yeah, don’t read if you get spooked. However, now as a high schooler, this book is THE BEST. I still think that the monsters are a bit creepy, but this novel is absolutely spectacular.

To start, let me give you a short-ish summary.

16 year old Jacob Portman has always loved his grandfather’s stories about his childhood and his childhood orphanage. He talked about monsters and magical, or he would say peculiar, children. Later, when his grandfather mysteriously dies, Jacob swears he saw the monsters of those stories. However, everyone knows that monsters are not real so his parents put him in therapy. While the thought-to-be-crazy Jacob goes through his grandfather’s old belongings, he finds letters to Miss Peregrine, one of the main characters in those old stories. He convinces his father to take him to the address on the letter (an island off the coast of Wales), but he doesn’t find any trace of her. 

Somehow, he ends up finding his grandfather’s old friends, but they aren’t old like his grandfather was. He then learns that he traveled into a loop, which is one day on constant repeat forever. This loop is kept by Miss Peregrine, the headmistress of the orphanage (also the book title). There, Jacob learns that he is peculiar too! Except, his peculiarity is to see the monsters. Those horrid, children-killing, eyeball eating, soul sucking, purly wretched monsters. Only he can see the monsters, they are invisible to everyone else. All the while, Jacob sparks up a little romance with a girl named Emma, a fire wielder who also happened to be in love with his grandfather (that’s a whole nother level of ew, but that might just be me). Anyways, Jacobs life finally seems normal and right. Until the loop gets raided. The monsters, which are called Hollows, find the loop and steal Miss Peregrine. The children and Jacob then rescue her. In the end, they learn that other loops are being raided and go on an adventure to help cure Miss Peregrine, who was hurt by the wights. 

I really liked this book. I thought it was super cool how throughout the book the author included vintage black and white photos. The photos directly show what’s happening in the book. I read more about it, and it turns out that the author based some of his characters off of pictures, which I thought was interesting. The book was originally supposed to be a picture book, but Ransom Riggs changed his mind.

There is also a movie, directed by Tim Burton, that came out in the early 2010s. Although the movie definitely strays away from the book, I still like it. I would rate the book a 9/10, just because I’m still creeped out by it a bit. I definitely recommend that if you like Coraline or The Mysterious Benedict Society, you should read this book.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review – contains spoilers!

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorite books by J.K Rowling. In it, Harry Potter starts his 3rd year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and finds out that a killer named Sirius Black is out on the loose.

During the train ride to Hogwarts, the dementors come and check the train for Sirius Black. I think the concept of them is excellent since they are able to suck happy memories out of you and make you cold. One of them got so close to Harry that he passed out. At school, dementors are stationed everywhere on campus.

Harry also get a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Lupin. Lupin then turns out to be a werewolf. I think that was an excellent plot twist since it was so unexpected.

After Harry’s best friend Ron’s pet rat runs away, they follow him into the stump of a tree, where a vicious wolf-like creature comes out and takes Ron’s pet rat away. The wolf-like creature is actually Sirius Black as an animagus. An animagus is someone who can turn into an animal at will. I think this is really cool since you can sneak around places without anyone being suspicious. On top of that, Sirius turns out to be Harry’s godfather! With all of these plot twists and a lot of magic, I rate this book a 5/5.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

Anne Frank–The Diary of a Young Girl

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On a spring day in May, in the year 1940, German Nazis stormed the Netherlands. The persecution of Jews quickly escalated, forcing many Jews to evacuate or go underground. One family, the Franks, went into hiding like thousands of others. Anne Frank is known for writing a diary that captured the horrors of World War II and her experience underground.

Reading this book, or diary, was exceedingly somber. In her diary, Anne highlights the constant fear, boredom, hunger, and threat of living life as a Jew. Despite the seriousness of the situation Anne is in, readers notice how cheerful and clever she is. Although she is put in the worst situation possible, Anne continues her fight for life in her ambitions to learn and become a writer. Even though she died as a young woman, she is a significant symbol of life, dreams, and the future. After reading this novel, I’ll admit that I was humbled to take everyday life for granted. Anne Frank’s Dairy is a wonderful commentary that is filled with her amusing, inspirational, and courageous thoughts that touched the hearts of millions.

November 1, 1944, was Anne’s last journal entry; the reason for the discovery of her family is kept as a long-lost mystery. One of her lasting passages reads, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart,” showing the depth of her optimism regardless of her circumstances (Frank). 

Anne Frank’s Diary is a masterpiece that everyone should read once in their lifetime.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

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Over the summer, I read a classic, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It remains a pioneering work in American literature. The story captures the 19th-century era with detailed and rich storytelling, showing Tom’s childhood adventure as a young boy who loves to get into trouble.

As we examine this classic, it’s crucial to recognize the evolving cultural context of the era and how social norms have changed since its publication.

When I read this in class, our teacher asked us to read it out loud, and some of the wording still made me uncomfortable saying it.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published in 1876, and the societal attitudes and values of that time were so different from those of today. Twain’s portrayal of 19th-century American life is charming, engaging, and revealing, a world where language and cultural norms differ from today. He wrote the terms and phrases that might have been commonplace or acceptable then but would be frowned upon if anyone wrote them today. The most memorable part of this book was the terminology and racial references that he used, which were appropriate for then but not today. We counted the racial slurs in the books, which were more than 100 words.

Even though it was a classic, many students in my class weren’t happy to read it. There were many stereotypes and racial prejudices, but if we consider the era or the 19th century in which the book was written, it’s understandable that a good writer would make it very life-like and believable, and Mark Twain is no different. At that time, such language was embedded in our culture’s fabric, and its use was not questioned as it is today.

We have come a long way since then, understanding the harmful effects of stereotyping and racism. Modern readers and critics usually grapple with the discomfort of such languages in classic literature. Still, it is good for us to understand and see the change and growth in our society and what we deem acceptable and not acceptable.

I still like reading Tom Sawyer because it’s a classic, and it shows that our society has evolved and grown into something much better than the classics we read. The discomfort of encountering outdated language shows the positive changes in societal attitudes and how our society has grown and aspect more empathy, respect, and understanding from people.
Despite the controversial language, this book offers a human experience and captures youth’s essence. Tom, with his mischievous personality and also his struggles to do what’s right even though he seems to attract trouble.

Finally, while The Adventures of Tom Sawyer provides a snapshot of a 19th-century era, it is a reminder of the ongoing journey toward cultural sensitivity and social justice. So, the next time you read a classic, examine it critically and see how societal norms and language use differ and evolve from one century to the next.

Happy Reading!

Bella H.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Lottery: A Classic That Hasn’t Lost Its Kick

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“Horrible”

“Superbly Contrived”

“Cancel My Subscription” 

These were all reactions to Shirley Jackson’s infamous short story, The Lottery. Originally published in The New Yorker magazine in 1948, this story has been haunting minds for generations. When my mom was around my age, she read The Lottery in her 8th grade English class. According to her, she found it eye opening, “I was amazed at how much suspense and curiosity a writer could evoke in just a handful of pages.” After she explained to me more about the story and author’s influence, I was interested in giving it a read. I checked out a book containing an anthology of Shirley Jackson’s short stories from the library. 

Flipping to the table of contents, I located The Lottery and began to read. The Lottery is a story about a yearly lottery event held in a rural American town. The purpose of the lottery is to ensure a good harvest, but how the lottery achieves this is unclear until the end of the story. At its heart, the Lottery is a cautionary tale about the dangers of blindly following tradition and adopting a mob mentality.

The title alone is foreboding, especially when you have heard people’s previous reactions to the story. This short story is so influential that even Stephen King was inspired by it. He states that, “I read it in the study hall, back at good old Lisbon High School. My first reaction: Shock. My second reaction: How did she do that?” Later, he adapted The Lottery into his short story, Rainy Season. 

As I closed the book, I found that it was very impactful for a short story. The writing invoked a lot of suspense, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick but thought provoking read. If you are interested in reading it for yourself, (which I highly suggest as it only takes 5 minutes) you can find a free digital/audio copy here at: The New Yorker.

Why Are We So Obsessed With the Apocalypse?

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So much media features the end times. From movies like A Quiet Place and Mad Max to novels like Silo and The Girl With All the Gifts, people just can’t seem to get enough of the genre. Why are we so obsessed with the apocalypse? According to Hugh Howey, author of the post-apocalyptic novel series Silo, humans tell stories as much for warning as for entertainment. Stories about disaster are expressions of our internal fears, and seeing characters prosper in face of those disasters gives us hope.

For this reason, wilderness and survival stories have always been popular. But why have we moved past the wilderness and towards the world-ending?

As we’ve explored most of the Earth, we’ve lost a lot of the wonder and fear we used to have for certain environments. Howey believes that “we need to imagine a future where we might be exploring other worlds, or a future where our world returns to the wilderness that we fear” in order to make our stories interesting.

If you’re interested in the post-apocalyptic genre, here are my top 3 favorites:

  1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  2. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
  3. Silo series by Hugh Howey

These books are absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend them!