The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

“And in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen.” (Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried)

War can be light and dark; it can be helpful and dreadful. It is about conquering your biggest fears and feeling extreme anguish. A war story is full of hundred of other stories, having nothing to do with war. The Things They Carried is about the capacity to love, it is about carrying the burden of keeping everyone alive, it is about keeping the dead alive, it is about honoring the dead, it is about growing up.

20 years after fighting in the Vietnam War, Tim O’Brien writes The Things They Carried, along with other books to help him deal with all the guilt and pain after experiencing such horrible atrocities. Every soldier carried the same basic items, which were things like pocket knives, matches, salt tablets, C rations, and canteens of water. Them some carried bibles, love letters, little pebbles, and tranquilizers. They all carried each other. But possibly, the heaviest things they carried were what they had on the inside. Whether it was fear, or grief, or remorse, or love or longing, they all felt it.

The Things They Carried is so eloquent and powerful, that it is hard for me to believe it is a work of fiction. Tim O’Brien writes straight from the heart, making the characters and the situations seem so authentic and beautiful. The story is so unique, but at the same time it is heartbreaking and tragic.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Last Words:

• François Rabelais- “I go to seek a Great Perhaps”


• Thomas Edison- “It's very beautiful over there”


• Simon Bolivar- “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?”


• Someone’s last words can teach us many things about a person, like what they enjoyed, where they wanted to go, what they wanted to do, or what they wanted to learn. In John Green’s Looking for Alaska, Pudge has an obsession for learning and memorizing the last words of famous people.


• Miles Halter is leaving his home in Florida to escape his unpopular, dull life, and goes to Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama in search of the “Great Perhaps”. Once there, he befriends his roommate Chip, also known as the Colonel, who gives him the nickname, Pudge. Pudge later meets the Colonel’s best friend, Alaska Young, a gorgeous, wild, moody, and self destructive girl who immediately becomes the object of his affection. He joins their group and becomes involved in their pranks against the Weekday Warriors, and gives into their bad habits such as drinking and smoking. This moving, poignant novel explores Pudge’s journey as he searches for answers, love, friendship, and most importantly the “Great Perhaps”.


• Before I even finished reading the book, I knew Looking for Alaska was going to be one of my favorites. Not only are the characters beautifully drawn and the plot brilliantly conceived, but the story is full of so much substance, making it almost impossible to put down. Looking for Alaska offers some of the most valuable messages and life lessons to readers in a very accessible way. Overall it is passionate, hilarious, and though-provoking.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Imagine yourself emerging from of a near death experience, where in one way or another, everyone is after you. Your town is diminished, your home—gone. You’re confused. You don’t know who to trust, where to go, or what to do. Not only have you lost someone you loved, but you might also have lost yourself. You are trapped in a dark pit of sorrow and anguish and it feels like you will never escape. This is parallel to how Katniss Everdeen feels at the beginning of Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen escapes the Quarter Quell to find District 12 in ruins. She now stuck in District 13, which was thought to be destroyed. She wears a bracelet that says “mentally disoriented” but meanwhile is the figurehead of a huge rebellion taking place throughout almost all of the other districts. It seems like the world is against her and she is beyond confused. Her mind is flooded with countless haunting questions: Where’s Peeta? Is he alright? Should I trust in President Coin? Is it Gale who I want? Am I capable of being the Mockingjay? Katniss is caught in a war and she doesn’t know if she should fight or hide in the nearest closet. Suzanne Collins brilliantly concluded the Hunger Games trilogy with Mockingjay. Throughout all of the books, she successfully displays themes such as loyalty, trust, violence, and rebellion. I absolutely adore all of the books and how wonderfully the characters developed. Also the flow of the series is fantastic. While reading, I did not want the book to end. I was hooked to the plot and the characters. I was so angry and sad when I finished Mockingjay because I thought the magic was over. Little did I know that the magic would never go away. I finished the book almost two months ago and lie awake some nights thinking about the books.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In a place that used to be North America lays twelve districts, ruled by the cruel people of the Capital. While people in the Capitol live in luxury, most people in the districts live as peasants at the brink of starvation. Every year the Capital holds the Hunger Games to remind the people who is in control. Each district must choose two tributes, one girl and one boy, at random. The 24 tributes must fight to death, and the last one alive wins.

Katniss Everdeen of District Twelve has been keeping her family alive since she was twelve. There is almost no one she loves more than her little sister Primrose, so the moment Prim is called to participate in the Hunger Games, Katniss immediately takes her place. Although Katniss tends to be slightly unsociable, she demonstrates great courage and diligence when it comes to survival. Katniss Everdeen is “the Girl on Fire”.

I absolutely loved The Hunger Games and would recommend it to almost anyone. Some moments in the book are so thrilling and violent, I could help closing my eyes and clenching my teeth. There were no dull or uninteresting parts in the book. Throughout the whole book I was so captivated in the story that even between chapters I had trouble putting it down. This book kept me up at night even after I stopped reading because I could not help but think about everything going on.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Mikael Blomkvist is a reporter and creator of the magazine Millennium in Stockholm, until he destroys his own career after losing a libel case against Wennerstrom. Despite the rejection of his business partner and best friend, Erika Berger, Blomkvist steps down from his position at the magazine in the face of professional disgrace. This is when Henrik Vanger, former CEO of the Vanger Corporation asks Blomkvist to investigate the disappearance of his great niece, Harriet Vanger. Blomkvist agrees to work on the case on Hedeby Island for a fairly large salary and information that will help take down his rival, Wennerstrom. There is little hope that Blomkvist will uncover a 36-year old mystery and satisfy Henrik’s obsession. In the beginning Blomkvist lacks the optimism that he will ever solve the mystery but tries his best by reading through all of Henrik’s documents and information. Halfway through the year Blomkvist hires Lisbeth Salander and together they discover the dreadful secrets of the Vanger family. Lisbeth Salander has a gift for absorbing and retaining information, but has a great deal of issues.

Although it starts off pretty slow, I really enjoyed reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The second half of the book is so eventful; I was barely able to put it down. Lisbeth Salander is a truly intriguing character and possibly the main reason I liked reading the book. Lisbeth is intelligent, fierce, troubled, and antisocial, but that does not keep her from getting close to Blomkvist. Struck by the violence taking place against women in Sweden, wrote a thrilling novel.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen revolves around Elizabeth Bennet, the second child out of five girls. Of all her sisters, Elizabeth succeeds as the most sharp, clever, and independent, but she is prone to making judgments based on first impressions, which sometimes leads to negative outcomes. Elizabeth’s mother, Mrs. Bennet’s main goal is to marry her five daughters as quickly as possible. In the beginning of the novel Mr. Bingley, a wealthy bachelor comes to Meryton accompanied by his sisters and his close friend Mr. Darcy. At a dance held by Mr. Bingley Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy and initially sees as arrogant and haughty. Because Elizabeth is so caught up on her first impression of Mr. Darcy that she fails to see how they are a perfect match. There are many obstacles which postpone Elizabeth from uniting with Mr. Darcy, such as her own initial feeling towards Mr. Darcy, his own conceited attitude, other snobbish girls, like Mr. Bingley’s sisters, and her own family. Luckily Elizabeth’s charm repeatedly draws Mr. Darcy’s interests and she eventually succeeds in overcoming all of the obstacles.

Overall I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice, especially the second half of the novel. I think I would give it a seven out of ten. I favor how Jane Austen portrayed Elizabeth throughout the book and the description that was given for all the characters. Pride and Prejudice offers a great variety of different characters, some who are lovable like Elizabeth, and some who are completely irritating like Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet. Through this novel Jane Austen was able to incorporate social, moral, and economic issues that can appeal to many readers.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

“One man’s mission to promote peace…one school at a time”

Truly intrigued and amazed by the accomplishments of Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin decides to write Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson starts out as a mountaineer and as he fails to climb K2, he stumbles upon a village in Pakistan. While there, he is fascinated by the kindness and hospitality of the Balti, the residents of the village, and promises to pay them back. Mortenson realizes what this villages lacks is a school, and therefore promises to build a school the next time he returns. Within a decade, Mortenson not only builds a school for the Balti, but founded the Central Asia Institute, which in total created fifty- five schools, especially for girls.

Many people make promises and promise to do amazing things for others in need. Unlike most, Mortenson fulfilled his extraordinary promise to the Balti and changed the lives of those who live in unsafe, isolated, anti-American places in Asia. One promise made by Mortenson turned into a large campaign. Doing this Mortenson risked his life in many ways. Separation from his family, kidnapping, and death threats could not keep Mortenson from helping the people of the underprivileged areas. Mortenson did not do this in hopes of becoming a hero or making a difference, he was solely trying to carry out a promise. I admire Mortenson greatly for his determination and for starting a whole movement. I am amazed that this all started because of one person.

Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

Charlie and Sam had a relationship stronger than most, as brothers and as friends. The story begins with Charlie at age fifteen, driving home from a Mets game with Sam (age twelve) and their dog Oscar. Unfortunately, they come into contact with a drunk driver, who terminates Sam’s life, and almost Charlie’s. Before Charlie was resurrected he promises to never leave Sam. The day of Sam’s funeral, Charlie experiences a miracle as he wanders into the forest. He is able to see and interact with his brother Sam. After that day, Charlie would go off to the forest everyday for about thirteen years. Charlie develops the gift of seeing ghosts before they move onto the next stage.

Charlie St. Cloud is a suspenseful story which embraces the undying themes of romance and brotherhood. It goes beyond the ordinary means of love and explores the true meanings of devotion and promise. It made me believe there is a world in between life and death and that when we die, parts of us live on. I was intrigued by every part of the novel, including the characters, the storyline, the theme, and the descriptive language.

Reading this book I saw Charlie as trapped. He failed in living his life to the full extent and he failed to take advantage of the fact that he was given another chance at life when he was resurrected. In many ways, Charlie feels like he does not deserve to live a happy life, seeing as Sam’s ended at age twelve. For a long time, Charlie lacks the strength to break away from Sam because he became so dedicated in keeping his promise to Sam. In many ways, Charlie’s life ends when Sam dies. It is amazing to see how Charlie manages to gain back his life in this riveting novel.

A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive

A Child Called "It" proves to be a moving memoir about David Pelzer, who goes through most of his childhood unloved, unfed and abused. David is left in the hands of his abusive, imitating alcoholic mother who plays torturous and brutal games on him. Although David started out loved along with the rest of his brothers, his mother quickly turns against him in her times of depression. David is often in the presence of his many brothers, but he stands alone in his fight to stay alive. Mrs. Pelzer has scared everyone out of helping David. His brothers, the neighbors, the school, and even his father fail to help David escape his mother.

Mrs. Pelzer is a truly cruel and bitter person, despite her caring veneer. Mrs. Pelzer insists on playing fatal games on David, like locking him in the bathroom with a suffocating ammonia-bleach mixture in a bucket. Throughout this book, David slowly loses all his hope of surviving, as the conditions worsen and his mother becomes more bitter and heartless.

David was a child all on his own struggling to stay alive. He never gave into his mother and he never gave up in trying to survive. While reading A Child Called "It" I could not help but cry as David withstands his mother's ruthless beatings. I feel like I would never be able to measure up to David in that he has undying courage and power. David never lost sight of his goal, which was to survive the blows of his mother. I will forever wonder how such a young child could survive such horrors. A Child Called "It" is an inspiring, tear jerking story as David strives to live through his mother's brutality. Whoever decides to read this book should be prepared to shed some tears.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

George and Lennie are complete opposites, George is wise and small, while Lennie is a large, strong man who seems to suffer from mental problems. As different as they were, I thought George and Lennie would stick together through anything. George and Lennie have one thing in common, and that is their desire to own an acre of land that they are in charge of. While trying to make the money to buy the land George and Lennie work on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, where there dreams are one step away from becoming true. Despite his unswerving obedience to George, Lennie has screwed up many times in the past because of fear and his unawareness of his own strength.
Despite Lennie's flaws, he is my favorite character in the book. Lennie seemed to be unique in that he is overly loving and unbelievably loyal to George. I overall enjoyed Of Mice and Men even though i was not completely satisfied with the ending.

Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors is a memoir describing the unusual childhood and teenage years of Augusten Burroughs. Augusten lived in a clean and neatly polished home with his fighting parents until the age of twelve. This is where his life changes drastically, as his mother sends him to live with their psychiatrist. Augusten is then stuck in a dysfunctional, dirty household with no rules or structure.
Although some parts of this memoir disturbed me, I still found it funny in a twisted way. While reading Running With Scissors, I sometimes felt like some of the events occurring were fictional. It was hard for me to believe that Augusten experienced such things as young as he was. Running With Scissors transported me into another world were free will was taken to the next level. Most of the time I enjoyed reading about Augusten's bizarre childhood.