The Catcher in the Rye
Plot Summary:
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is an expansive coming-of-age story that features a rollercoaster of emotions for both the protagonist Holden Caulfield and the reader. The story starts off with Holden being expelled from his school Pencey Prep for his lackluster grades. After hearing this news he returns to his dorm and finds his roommate Ward Stradlater needing an English paper to be written soon. He urges Holden to write the paper for him, to which he complies. Holden also learns that Stradlater is going on a date with a girl named Jane Gallagher, who Holden used to have a very deep relationship with. Holden is slightly mad and a bit jealous at Stradlater. He begins writing a very personal essay about Holden’s late brother Allie. When Stradlater returns from his date, he refuses to accept the paper Holden wrote. Holden is infuriated. He tears up the paper and attacks Stradlater, who easily defuses Holden’s assault. After dealing with the behaviors of his roommates Ackley, who does not have very good hygiene and invades personal space frequently, and Stradlater, he decides to swiftly move out of the school without notice in the middle of the night. He takes a train to New York and intends to go back to his parent’s house on Wednesday when they receive a notice that he was expelled. In New York, Holden indulges in many different activities such as dancing with women at a nightclub, drinking, smoking, and likely one of the most effecting of these is when he hires a prostitute named Sunny. When she goes to Holden’s hotel room, Holden regrets having bothered her and feels very bad, so he tells her to leave. Sunny’s pimp, Maurice, barges into Holden’s room and demands he pays more, despite Holden insisting that he paid Sunny the correct amount. Holden insults Maurice, which he does not take lightly, so he robs Holden and punches him in the stomach, leaving him on the floor writhing. After this event, Holden calls Sally Hayes in a desperate attempt to relieve his severe loneliness and depression. They both agree to watch a play, and while Holden was on his way to meet up with her, he stops at a shop to buy a record called “Little Shirley Beans” for his sister, Phoebe. While the two interact, Holden talks about how he wants to run away and live isolated from society, and urges Sally to join him. She rightfully declines, calling it an insane and childish plan, and their talk soon turns bitter, and they leave each other heated. After this, Holden meets with his old classmate Carl Luce. They meet at a bar, where Holden is acting very childish and asks Carl juvenile and immature questions that invade his privacy. Holden then proceeds to get drunk and break the record he intended to give Phoebe. He also calls Sally and asks her about putting up her Christmas tree. Holden is rightfully depressed and essentially broke at this point. He decides that he wants to go see his little sister, so he sneaks into his parent’s house at night. He wakes Phoebe, who is shocked and disappointed in Holden when she learns of his expulsion. Holden then discusses with Phoebe about what he truly cares about and what he wants in life, which is to be the “Catcher in the Rye,” meaning that he wants to protect the innocence of children and halt them from growing up. Holden leaves the house once his parents arrive home and decides to visit his old English teacher, Mr. Antolini. They have a discussion, and Mr. Antolini says that if Holden keeps doing what he is doing, he will have a great downfall and not recover from it. Mr. Antolini offers Holden to sleep in his house for the time being. Holden accepts, and in the middle of the night he wakes up to Mr. Antolini patting him on the head. Holden is very startled by this and leaves the house as swiftly as possible. He goes to the train station, where in the morning he intends to leave the city and live out his “fantasy” of being a deaf-mute. He calls Phoebe and wants to meet with her to say goodbye and explain everything. They meet at the museum, where Holden finds Phoebe with a suitcase, ready to leave Holden. He turns her down and says that it would be very dangerous, which upsets her. He attempts to cheer her up by going to the zoo, but it is unsuccessful and she is still angry. However, they go to a carousel, and as Phoebe is riding it, it fills Holden with immense joy for witnessing this sight of pure childhood innocence. Holden is now at ease, finally finding the sense of humanity and connection that he had been looking for the entire story, and cries tears of joy. Holden then reconciles with his parents and is attempting to get his life back together with school.What did you think about the book?:
This book was a very deep and emotional story that I connected to on a personal level. The emotions that the protagonist, Holden, feels are perfected and inflict feelings that make me feel genuine sadness or anxiety, and toward the end of the book, a lot of happiness and empathy. There are many important lessons in this book, such as the fact that pushing a problem away from you is not going to fix it, as it may make it worse, and that you must face it head on to solve it. In all, this book captures the feeling of moving up from the teenage years to adulthood in what I would imagine is the perfect way to portray any teen from any era facing immense change in their day to day.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Plot Summary:
Five years ago, a girl named Andie Bell was murdered and her boyfriend was accused of the crime, eventually killing himself. The main character Pippa, doesn’t think that her boyfriend killed Andie and instead thinks the killer is still out there. For her school project, Pippa tries to solve the murder of Andie.What did you think about the book?:
I thought it was an amazing book. There were a lot of crazy plot twists and I almost would’ve never expected the ending. My favorite part of the book was when Pippa was looking through old photos of when the murder took place and realized that some people weren’t telling the truth. My least favorite part was when Pippa confronted the killer.
King of Wrath
Plot Summary:
The story follows Vivian, a woman who thought she’d have her freedom for another year or two. While Vivian is an independent woman, she doesn’t want to damage her relationship with her parents by refusing the arranged marriage that she is sure will come. But she never expected that her new fiancé would be Dante, a man whose reputation precedes him. He soon makes it clear that their one-year engagement will be a business arrangement only, as will the loveless marriage that is set to follow. To keep up appearances, Vivian moves in with Dante, and it’s there that she gets to know her fiancé. Not just the cold businessman who leaves for weeks at a time without notice, but also the sweatpants-wearing guy who sneaks into the kitchen late at night. As the two become closer, Dante finds himself softening towards his fiancée – but there’s one major issue that he knows will be a problem down the roadWhat did you think about the book?:
I think that this book was great and had such a great plot. The twists and turns that were occurring had kept me hooked to reading and seeing their relationship unfolding was amazing.
Red, White and Royal Blue
Plot Summary:
After a small scandal involving the First Son of the US, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and the Prince of Wales, Henry, the two are forced into a public friendship. Alex is not to happy about this, considering he has disliked Henry from the first time they met. What begins and a publicity stunt, starts to transform into a real friendship, and then soon more. Alex and Henry have to figure out how they are going to maintain their relationship, while also maintaining their publicity, and keeping it a secret.What did you think about the book?:
I really enjoyed this book. It did a great job at making me feel all different kinds of emotions towards the characters, and for the characters. There were also some fun aspects to it. For example, the author created emails for the two characters to communicate through. The book was set in the second-person point of view of Alex, and I really liked seeing the real version of Henry through those emails, rather than seeing him through the way Alex had perceived him.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Plot Summary:
An 11 year old boy, that goes by the name of Harry Potter discovers he is a wizard. After receiving an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry learns about his magical heritage, including his fame for surviving an attack by the dark wizard Voldemort as a baby. At Hogwarts, Harry makes friends, such as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and discovers the truth about his parents' deaths. The trio unravels the mystery of the Sorcerer's Stone, a powerful object hidden within the school. They confront various challenges and ultimately prevent Voldemort from stealing the Stone, ensuring its safety and protecting the wizarding world.What did you think about the book?:
I think this is a great book for anyone who would like to get into a good book series. My favorite part of the book is when Harry discovers the world of magic, as before he was just an orphan with terrbile guardians.
The War That Saved My Life
Plot Summary:
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's "The War That Saved My Life" tells the story of Ada, who is a young girl with a clubfoot condition and her brother Jamie's evacuation from London during World War Two. After fleeing their violent mother, they are adopted by Susan Smith, a reserved but compassionate country woman. Gaining her first taste of independence, Ada battles her fears as she gradually comes to trust and love. She finds resilience and inner strength despite the chaos of war. Ada starts to realize her value and acquires confidence under Susan's care. Ada becomes more courageous as she faces her painful past and overcomes new obstacles. Ada's fight for acceptance of herself and a bright future takes place against the backdrop of the war. In the end, Ada's voyage represents her transition to a brighter and healthier lifestyle.What did you think about the book?:
I really loved this book because it helped me understand the importance of taking care of someone else, especially someone obviously in need. The role that Susan Smith adopted, as a mother, showed me the meaning of responsibility and compassion. I can understand Susan's position from a secondhand position as I can with my cousin. My cousin is autistic and is being cared for, which also helps me relate my own family experiences with this book. As well as being a caring and compassionate person, this book also taught me how to be confident in one's own skin or identity. As with my cousin, he is capable of functioning in society, to an extent, and I found it relatable to the main character who is also trying to find functionality in her life. For example, with Ada's hobby of horse riding. So, because the book related to me in a personal way, I really appreciated the message that it was trying to send.
And Then There Were None
Plot Summary:
"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is a murder mystery story about 10 people invited to an island. They are invited to this island by an anonymous person who goes as U.N. Owen. The guests are group of diverse who all have a dark past that they are running from. Upon arrival, the guests are struck with the realization that there is no way off the island and that they are stuck here. One by one, the guests start to die off in oddly specific ways. The remaining survivors after each murder are left to solve the mystery on who this stalking killer is. Towards the end of the story the remaining guests realize that they are connected by their evil path. In the end of a story, a plot twist reveals the killer and his/her odd motive behind the murders. Agatha Christie uses her outstanding skills to create incredible plots and magnificent plot twists.What did you think about the book?:
I enjoyed reading the book. I was not really interested in the beginning but being a fan of Agatha Christie, I kept on reading knowing the story was about to take an incredible turn. Towards the second half of the beginning I enjoyed the part when the murders started to beginning the suspense was rising. In the middle of book I enjoyed how everyone was to blame and the continuous suspense. The ending the outstand because I did not expect the killer to be that person and the plot twist was a really good end to the book.
To The Summer I Turned Pretty
Plot Summary:
This book is about a teenage girl named Isabel Conklin (Belly) that goes with her mom and brother to her mom’s friend’s house for the summer. They have this tradition and spending the summer there and Belly has had a crush on one of the Fisher brothers for a while named Conrad. This summer is special as Belly has turned “prettier” and will catch the eye of not just one but both of the Fisher Brothers. Both Jeremiah and Conrad Fishers have eyes for Belly in this book. There are more books in this series and there is also a TV Show on Amazon Prime.What did you think about the book?:
I think that this book is great to read during the summer and especially if you are interested in love triangles. I watched the show before then read the book but, I think the book should be read before as it explains more in detail.
1984
Plot Summary:
Winston is the main character who lives in Oceania which is being controlled by Big Brother (the government). This novels portrays his different and creative ways of thinking, which is strictly prohibited. Because of this, Winston faces countless challenged when it comes to experiencing a variety of emotions and thoughts, like love and betrayal.What did you think about the book?:
I liked this book since it was interesting.especially because of how controlling the government was. There were many parts of the book that I did not expect, but enjoyed. For example, the plot twists are super entertaining and they definitely leave the reader in suspense.
Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief