Aisha Pasha '20 returns with a couple of books that have continued to linger in her mind after reading them.
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider is a refreshing and uniquely written masterpiece about how we define our own identities. This book is anything but the cookie cutter high school romance with a happy ending.
Ezra was a varsity tennis player with a future of competition and victory. But when a tragic car crash leaves him permanently injured, he is unable to continue what he has always found comfort in—tennis. Without tennis, Ezra doesn’t know what to do with himself and his time. Knowing he can’t do anything else, he joins the debate team. There, he reconnects with old friends and befriends the enigmatic Cassidy. He’s on the journey to find out what defines him, but revelations about his accident threaten to shatter the new happiness he just found.
This book was completely different compared to any other high school romance that I have read. Schneider made all of the characters have a great sense of humor and realistic voices. Ezra, the narrator in this book, had a hilarious outlook on life, and his comments made me laugh out loud. His anecdotes about how he grew up moved the story along and made him that much of a better character. In contrast, Cassidy was a mystery from the beginning. Even though Ezra and Cassidy’s relationship was built on secrets, it felt real and genuine. It was interesting to see how they grew throughout the book and see where their separate paths led them. After finding out about her actual past at the end, readers were still left with questions about Cassidy. Nevertheless, the ending was satisfying, and Schneider was able to wrap up everyone’s stories in a realistic way.
The writing style has to be my favorite part of this book. Schneider knew when to write lyrically and when to be direct to really evoke emotions from the readers. Funny, heart-warming parts were complemented by utterly heart-wrenching events.
Verdict: I would definitely recommend this book for those who like books about high school life and want a refreshing and hilarious read. I wasn’t able to pull myself out of the book, becoming completely invested in the story.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas has a spot as one of my favorite books of all time. Celaena Sardothien, the most feared and ruthless assassin in the land of Ardalan, is given a chance at freedom when the Prince of Ardalan gives her the opportunity to be his pick for his father’s assassin competition. If Celaena wins, she will become the King’s personal assassin and get what she wanted after living in the cruelest prison for a year—freedom. After living a life full of tragedy and anger, Celaena feels like she deserves it. She takes the offer and is determined to win for herself and for the others she soon learns to trust. Each round of competition weeds out the weak candidates; however, competitors soon start disappearing, their bodies being found mutilated days later. Celaena is given the task to find out who or what is killing the competitors, but what she finds isn’t what anyone expected, and her life is thrown sharply into danger.
Maas writes her characters in a beautiful way, making them come to life. By the first page, you can tell Celaena is a force to be reckoned. Her mind is sharper than anyone else’s in the book; she is constantly analyzing people’s movements, thinking of escape routes, and determining who she can trust. However, the reader realizes very quickly that Celaena is not simply an unfeeling robot. Celaena allows herself to befriend her companions, Nehemia, Prince Dorian, and Captain Westfall. What I found most interesting about Celaena was that nothing stopped her from making humorous remarks towards her friends to get under their skin, but at the same time she was cautious to not let her real self show on the outside. She underwent major character development throughout the book as she learned to trust people and look back at her past in order to think about her future.
Verdict: I would recommend this book to people who enjoy high fantasy, because the world building throughout this series is amazingly detailed and captivating. I also would recommend it to those who like books with a competition in them and the occasional fight scene here and there. The sixth book in the series is coming out this year, so start the series now and dive into the world Sarah J. Maas has created!
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