If you’re struggling with life, this is the book to read. Even though I’m young, I like to think that I’ve gone through a mid life crisis or two. This book help evaluate through life and give you guidance on how to live it to the fullest in my humble opinion.
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Summary:
Being overwhelmed with how his life has turned out, Mitch Albom revisits his favorite professor. Mitch feels like his life is on a boring cycle and can’t seem to get out of the funk. After his professor agrees to be interviewed, they create an undying bond that continues throughout the book. As Morrie continues to help Mitch decided what’s important, he also helps the reader with each chapter.
Reviews:
One of the reasons why this isn’t ranked higher is because it got really emotional for me. That’s not something I like to admit, but many people on GoodReads also think that this book is really good too. Here are some comments:
So i didn’t realise this book was actually nonfiction until after i’d just finished reading it.. and now my feelings are all over the place!! This was a beautiful story, I would definitely recommend reading it if you haven’t already.
I have never written a review like this before but this book truly inspired me.
I didn’t know this book was a memoir when I picked up this book. I wasn’t even consciously looking for this book. It’s one of the books in my sister’s collection. I picked it up because I needed some kind of motivation/inspiration to live life again with zeal. But what this book offered me was something I wasn’t expecting from it.
This book broke me. It was raw, thought provoking, heart breaking and real.
Loved it. So, so sad and yet so uplifting at the same time.
Tuesdays With Morrie definitely makes you look around and realise how lucky you are and that you should make the most of life while you still can.
Random Remarks:
Like previously stated, this is a memoir which means this book really happened. Pictured to the left is the author and main “character” of the book too. He has learned how to live his life to the fullest thanks to Morrie. He reflects on his past before and after in several videos and clips of him reading the memoir as well. If you’re seriously struggling to pick up a book or continue to push through life, please pick up this book.
I actually read this novel for a class and it pointed out some serious issues that are present in our country. It’s a graphic novel which is probably why it’s not a perfect ten. I’m not a big fan of graphic novels personally but I know other people are.
This novel is beautifully written with an unexpected twist.
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Summary:
This graphic novel written by Gene Luen Yang, follows three storylines in one completed piece of work. You have Jin Yang a young Chinese American student moves to a new school, noticing that he is the outsider. He gets bullied everyday for not being a white American, but he feels like it gets worse when he falls in love with an “All-American” gal. In attempt to fit in he has to overcome the racism he faces each and everyday.
In storyline two, you follow the Monkey King and his journey through life. It derives from an old Chinese fable that the author was told growing up. He struggles with greediness and power, trying to prove himself in superiority compared to all the other elders and gods. Ultimately he tries to become the one and only greatest of all gods.
Storyline three follows a teenager named Danny who’s cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit. Chin-Kee represents the ultimate worst Chinese stereotypes wrapped into one character. Essentially things like his accent, intelligence, and even clothing makes Danny feel like his life is quickly being ruined. As you continue the novel, you see how these three storyline eventually fall in line with each other.
Many people believe that this graphic novel has a resounding and loud message behind each page. You can read multiple ratings on GoodReads, but I will list a few below:
A unique message and vivid writing – I loved how he was able to weave together three stories in such a short story!
And for once in my life I was pretty happy about being awake in the early morning hours because I realized rather quickly that American Born Chinese is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read so far.
Both books are about the immigrant experience, a topic difficult to write about in ways that are (more or less) politically correct but not too obvious and predictable.
Quite a quirky book, but it benefits from it. It does it’s own thing and completely does it well. The themes were powerful and well delivered: I loved seeing the three different stories comment on racism, but more than that, self acceptance.
Man this hit me in the feels. This would have been a momentous book for me as a pre-teen. I totally identified with Jin Wang and in him recognized the need to fit in as a second generation Asian surrounded by a majority of white peers and the undercurrent of Asian stereotypes that still bubbled to the surface from Long Duk Dong to William Hung. It is a coming of age story that explores this overwhelming need to fit in while wresting with a larger cultural identity.
Apparent Themes:
This graphic novel focuses on racism and self-acceptance. The systematic racism that has dripped through generation after generation has not disappeared over the years. In fact, racism towards Asians has increased dramatically over the last year or so. Due to some of the things that our former President, Donald J. Trump, said made people believe that all Asians were the root of the pandemic.
Hate crimes towards Asian have skyrocketed recently, but not all of them are being labeled hate crimes. According the The NY Times, prosecutors and police claim that there is usually not enough evidence to prove racist motives, but there is for attempted murder or murder in general.
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You can look up any petitions or fundraisers being held to stop the hate crimes that are on the monumental rise.
Final Thoughts:
This novel was a whirlwind, but an excellently written one. In fact, there were multiple points that have occurred to me in my lifetime too. Although I am not of any Asian decent, I was born in Japan and lived there for a couple years. Growing up in a small town, once people heard that news, they would make snide racist remarks, pull their eyes so they would stretch, and mock the culture. It was painful growing up at times and I was white American. I cannot begin to imagine how painful and confusing it can be for Chinese Americans to be bullied and harassed for their culture.
This book was brilliantly crafted, but one of the things that ranked it lower was the confusion in beginning. That confusion caused me to put the book down for a long time and not pick it back up. I hate doing that with books. This book actually peaked my interest because of the way it blew up on social media.
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Book Summary:
This novel follows four kids who all vacationed to a family house on the water each summer. They call themselves The Liars. It is never fully explained why, but you can tell that all the kids don’t really get along with their rich family members. They prefer to adventure on their own. The main character, Cadence, has a terrible accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury. She is diagnosed with retrograde amnesia and cannot remember the events of the injury without enduring a migraine. But what happened the night of her accident? And why is no one telling her?
Reviews:
The twist in this book is amazing, but it took awhile to build up into it. For me, I don’t think I would read again because I already know the “shocking” ending. However, even though the book is not my favorite, it touches on topics that I hold in my heart. On top of showing what it is like to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the author also teach valuable lessons about kindness and being in control of your future.
Here are some other people’s reviews on GoodReads:
This book has almost no plot. It is full of odd sentence structures and purple prose.
It’s true what they’re saying: you’re better off if I tell you nothing about this book.
This was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and well-crafted books I have read in a really long time.
sobbing. sobbing. sobbing. so much love for this book, and its perfect, perfect ending.
This story left me defeated, but its tragedy was paired equally with an unconventional beauty. It gripped me instantly to the point where I couldn’t stop thinking about its mystery…
You can tell from the reviews that the book has some pretty mixed reviews. People either love it or hate it and there’s not much room in-between.
Issues Evident in the Novel:
The novel touches base on racism and classism with the Grandfather of Cadence. A man who really own cares about money and position of power. But for me personally, I think the book does an amazing job on touching bases on PTSD. Out of all the mental disorders, PTSD seems to be one of the most ignored in larger communities. It can be evident in anyone that has gone through a traumatic experience, and is especially heavy in military veterans.
PTSD effects everyone differently and the symptoms have a pretty varied range. According to the Recovery Village, PTSD effects approximately 3.5% of the population, which would equate to around 8 million people in the United States.
PTSD is one of the leading reasons as to why there are so many homeless veterans. Although PTSD can vary between people, treatment remains practically the same. It mostly focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy treatments to meet the best outcome. The scariest part about PTSD is sometimes you don’t always know you have it until one word or action send spiking triggers in your brain, resulting in sometimes erratic behavior.
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Final Thoughts:
People enjoy plot twists, in fact I think they live for them. This novel obviously struck a chord with the population, especially during quarantine, and that was one of the reasons why it took off so fast. Even though it was published in 2014, its fame didn’t arrive until covid came along with it. The one thing I can leave you with is; if you ask me about the ending… just know I’ll lie.
This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I very quickly accumulated a liking for this book when it was removed from the high school curriculum in my hometown. This story is a beautifully written piece based on a true story. Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of “speak,” actually grew up near where I lived. I feel like that added to the connection I felt with this novel.
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This novel follows the life of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman, chronicling her life in a diary format. As the story unfolds, so does Melinda’s depression. Melinda spends a majority of her time hanging out in a janitor’s closet as she avoids the eyes of a specific senior. This senior, Andy Evans, is Melinda’s sexual assaulter. At a party before school, Andy rapes a rather drunk Melinda and in the midst of sheer panic, she runs and calls the cops, leaving with guilt feeling like it is all her own fault.
This novel excellently portrays the mental struggle that victims face everyday. The writing style is jumbled and spazzy just like Melinda’s thoughts. That is what makes it feel so real.
Many people left similar reviews to my own. Here are some examples:
“I’m happy I did because this was one of the best books that I have read lately. Speak was very well paced and I never found the story to be dragging or boring. I loved the character development and Melinda’s voice throughout the story.”
“I didn’t think I’d be so gripped by this book but the author captures the pains and troubles of everyday high school life with such honesty and raw emotion that I couldn’t help recognizing half the characters from my own high school days. “
“Speak, to me, is taken more as a lesson than just a book. A lesson worth reading and worth analyzing every little detail, no matter how the writing is and no matter how repetitive it can get.”
“This is such an important book for the content and message it presents. The writing was fantastic and Melinda was such an interesting character to read.”
“I did really enjoy this book, even though the writing style was pretty simple… the plot more than made up for it. It’s such an important topic and I love that the reader only gradually grows to understand what has happened (mirroring Melinda’s memory).”
Now let’s rewind to my earlier statement: this novel was removed from the high school English curriculum because it was inappropriate. Is learning not one of the main reasons behind going to school? Why not focus on a beautifully written honest piece of work that will educate everyone about such an important topic? Perhaps if this remained in the core curriculum and students were exposed to the real world with the help of this novel, then rape cases may not be as high as they are today.
According to statista, in 2019 there were 98,213 forcible rape cases recorded in the United States. The year 2019 actually saw a drop as rape cases were on the rise for the last five years prior. Yet, no matter how much the students at my school retaliated, the answer was always the same: NO. It was always profound and they would sometimes cut us off before completing. If I’m being honest I don’t think they found the content inappropriate, but I think it is so honest that it made them uncomfortable.
Sexual assault, including the incidents above, can have a devastating impact on its victims. Although it can take years or decades for victims to begin to address the trauma and come forward to report the incidents (as we are currently witnessing), the rumors and whispers may begin the following day at school, in the hallways, and over lunch—even when some of the participants were too drunk to remember anything. The underreporting of sexual violence has been documented by researchers extensively. According to a 2017 report from the Justice Department, only 23 percent of all sexual assaults are reported to the police.
NAN D. STEIN & BRUCE TAYLOR
To read more about the above quote click here. This website takes a psychological and a criminological viewpoint on sexual assaults within school environments. The researchers from CDC from Youth Risk Behavior Survey say that “10% of high school students were sexually assaulted in 2017.” Out of that 10%, “females, 15%, experienced higher rates than males, 4.3%.”
With the use of social media, several movements have been made so victims can be heard. One of the biggest movements is the #MeToo movement that took off around the world. It allowed women from all over to feel like they were not alone and that people could finally understand them. To learn more in depth about why some victims stay silent, click here to further educate yourself on how toxic rape culture has become in today’s society.
This novel is a culture shock that exposes the world to how serious sexual assault has become in today’s world. The best part about this book is that, like previously mentioned, it is based on true events. These events belonged to the author. After seeing her novel take off and receive the support it did, Laurie Halse Anderson published a book a couple years ago about her own story. My hope is that as support grows for this book, that it can one day be used in high school education again, to ensure that this topic is not being hidden.
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