I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
by June Jeong, opinions editor
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings tells the true story of Maya Angelou who lived with her brother and strong grandmother in a Southern Town. Maya and her brother Bailey suffer under the racism that the small town is consumed with, in addition to coping with their mother’s abandonment. At eight years old, when she briefly rejoins her mother in St. Louis, she is raped by her mother’s boyfriend and lives in a state of trauma that lasts a lifetime. With resilience in her spirit, she eventually learns in California how to love herself, how to embrace the ideas of her favorite authors, and how to let others in. She frees herself from the cage she was formerly in and learns how to live despite the hardships she faced at such a young age.
This book poignantly addresses issues of rape, PTSD, complicated grief, prostitution, and racism in a tasteful manner. Unfortunately, it has been placed on countless banned book lists across the country. This is understandable, considering Angelou presents her trauma as a child in a descriptive, vivid way, but the book never borders on excessively graphic or vulgar. The issues prevalent in this book need to be addressed instead of cast aside just because they are unsettling. Angelou was a brilliant poet and author, and her ability to be so honest about all the painful challenges she faced astounds me. Powerful and lyrical, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, will touch and open your heart.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
by Maya Girimaji, section editor
Everything, Everything is more than just the book title. It’s the perfect way to describe this book. It’s intriguing, awe-inspiring, heartbreaking and terrifying. It takes John Green’s writing style to a whole ‘nother level as you follow the life of the main character, Maddy. At first glance Everything, Everything appears to be just another generic ‘boy next door’ story but Maddy’s rare disease draws the line between a sappy love story and a number one New York Times bestseller. Because of this rare disease, Maddy is allergic to everything. She hasn’t left her house in seventeen years and the only people she has interacted with are her mom and her nurse, Carla. But when the mysterious, tall, lean boy, Olly, moves next door her entire life changes and she most certainly falls in love with him. It’s one of those books that keeps you up until three in the morning because you want to finish it. And, when you do finish it, it keeps you up for two more hours because the ending is quite possibly the biggest plot twist in the world and makes you question everything you have ever know. Even though the writing style and plot (for the most part) is simple enough for the reader to focus on and, hopefully, learn from the moral that the author, Nicola Yoon, is trying to portray: the greatest risk is not taking one.
The Selection by Kiera Cass
by Maya Rios, staff reporter
The Selection by Kiera Cass tells the horrible truths about a land ruled by a caste system and a young girl who grew up humbly and wanted nothing but to marry a poor boy in a caste below her. One day, when she walks home she learns that letters were sent out throughout the kingdom to eligible girls for the start of the Selection. The Selection gives a “chance of a lifetime” for 35 girls to win the heart of the prince to become his bride. For the young girl, it’s the last thing she wants to do, but she does it to please her family and the one she loves planning making the worst impressions to get out quickly if she was selected. But once she was selected and gets to see the castle and the life she could have as a princess, she starts to fall for the glamorous life that she never imagined. Over time, the competition with the other girls begins to bring jealousy and heartbreak and complications arise when Aspen, her lover from home, arrives at the castle. Cass tells a thrilling story, and her novel will be soon adapted into a movie.
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
by Katerina Kountakis, section editor
At first glance, The Little Prince looks like a small children’s book that has some fascinating illustrations a little child might find amusing. But the book is so much more. It is about a pilot that crashed his aeroplane in the middle of the desert. While he is trying to repair his plane, a little boy appears and ask the him to draw a sheep. The author then realizes that when things in life get too difficult and you do not understand them, the only option left is to give in to the unknown. The pilot then obeys the little prince and begins to draw. The tale continues to show its readers what is really important in life, and that being an adult is not what it is cracked up to be. Readers of The Little Prince understand that the book is for children, but know it to be written for adults. It reminds grown-ups that it’s okay to think like a child and get lost in your imagination, that repetitiveness is boring and it will make you miss the little things in life. Antoine De Saint-Exupery was a wonderful thinker and had a vivid imagination. I believe The Little Prince is one of his greatest stories and will continue to be the greatest for many years to come.
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
by Rachel Lamb, executive editor
My Beloved World is a recount of Sonia Sotomayor’s path to being the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court Justice. An almost-400 page autobiography on a Supreme Court Justice might seem boring, but it is an engaging and exceptionally well-written memoir as she breaks the custom of Supreme Court Justices and speaks personally about her life up until she was appointed as a judge. It tells the tale of her life growing up in a Bronx housing project, not speaking English, and growing up with a single mom and alcoholic father. It showcases her spectacular will and dedication to achieve her goals as she graduates in the top of her class at Princeton,and attends Yale Law school. Her story connects with many people as she speaks about her life with a chronic illness and growing up in poverty. She continues on, recounting her failed marriage and the impact that mentors, friends and her extended family have had on her. It is a raw and honest look at possibility, and showcases immense resilience, courage, and optimism to achieve a far-away dream.
