Readers United Book Reviews | All the Light We Cannot See and Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance

Skylar Hansen-Raj ’20 returns with two interesting and profound historical novels, one fictional and one biographical.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is a beautifully written piece focusing on the effects of war on seemingly everyday people. Doerr’s gorgeous style of writing is both clever and unique, as it slowly unfolds a bittersweet story of two young adults during World War II. This book is a magical read, as it is able to pull the reader in. 

One of the story’s main features is Doerr’s use of time skips. He starts off the book with a vivid image of an airplane gliding over the coastline of the French port Saint-Malo just before liberation. “To the bombardiers, the walled city in its granite headland, drawing ever closer, looks like an unholy tooth, something black and dangerous, a final abscess to be laced away,” Doerr writes. The poetic language of the text allows the story to be one of grace and strength instead of grit and gore. Although a variety of tough subjects are brought up, Doerr’s careful insight and use of blank space allow the reader to pause and truly reflect.

The plot centers around two characters in very different situations. The first is Marie-Laure, a headstrong and resilient girl who happens to be blind. The other is Werner, an orphan with a knack for mathematics who was born in the wrong place and time. Marie-Laure and her single father, a locksmith, escape Paris just as it is occupied by Germany and flee to Saint-Malo where relative Etienne lives. The father is entrusted with the safekeeping of the Sea of Flames, a highly valuable diamond that supposedly allows the owner to live forever. However, it causes terrible things to happen to the people the owner loves. Over the course of the book Marie-Laure struggles for survival, learns to do what’s right, and comes to love the city.

In the beginning of the novel, Werner dreams of leaving the orphanage. He and his younger sister Jutta listen to the broadcasts on the radio. One broadcast specifically catches their interest: a Frenchman who plays the piano and talks about science. He is the one who inspires Werner to build and solve the mysteries of the radio. Werner is noticed for his skill of the radios and successfully tests into the Nazi academy. He leaves Jutta behind, but not before she demands, “Is it right to do something only because everyone else is doing it?”

At the academy, Werner’s skill is noticed and put to use. He also befriends Frederick, a kind boy who seems out of place. Throughout the book Werner suffers and regrets before he finally understands what it means to live.

I really loved this book. The imagery and writing style impressed me so much that it has inspired me to try some creative writing. The way Doerr articulates the meaning of living is especially profound. The book manages to not be heavy on war but instead on the small actions of people trying to live their lives during hard times. It is not just a tale of survival; it is a story of love and hope. Doerr successfully manage to place the reader into the mind of a Nazi and makes you challenge your own morals. Although I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, I feel as if I could read this book a hundred times more.


Verdict: I would strongly recommend this book to those who feel like a dark theme but a light read.

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance by Alessandro Vezzosi

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, by Alessandro Vezzosi, is an excellent documentation of da Vinci’s background, private life, discoveries, and art. A dense but short read, it is extremely factual and surprisingly interesting.

One of the greatest figures of the Renaissance, da Vinci has long been idolized and studied. This book goes into deeper detail of who he truly was. Although best known for his art, da Vinci was so much more than simply an artist. He was a scientist, philosopher, anatomist, astronomer, engineer, courtier, and an inventor. In fact, his paintings were often ways of studying the human body and its capabilities. His spirited and active imagination led him to explore the mysteries of the world. He studied the heavens and designed several parachutes to get him there. Da Vinci also researched medicine, hydraulic, mechanics, painting techniques, architecture, warfare, and weaponry. Many of his discoveries were crucial to inventions made today.

This book is more than just a biography. It takes the reader on a journey through Florence, Milan, and France. Each setting is accurately detailed and represents the hardships da Vinci faced as he struggled to make a name for himself in the world.

This book was fascinating to read because I had never appreciated all the work da Vinci did. He was a true scientist. I loved the way the information was presented. Instead of cramming everything onto a page, the author created a fresh format to keep the book from becoming overwhelming.

Several prints of da Vinci’s paintings and notes are also included, which allow the reader to see the exact pieces the text references. I gained a lot of respect for da Vinci, as there is a lot more than the textbooks describe him to be. Although little is known about the true life of da Vinci, the book does a great job describing myths and also real snippets of his own works. My favorite quote of da Vinci’s is: “When I thought I was learning to live, I was learning to die.”

Verdict: I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for great and in depth information about both the Renaissance and da Vinci.

Readers United Book Reviews | Today Will Be Different and The Alchemist

Some books are quickly forgotten, but others linger and stay with us even after we have long finished reading. Skylar Hansen-Raj ’20 returns with two books with beautiful and meaningful stories and messages that will remain with the reader long after the books have been closed.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

Maria Semple’s Today Will Be Different balances comedy and tragedy through a day in the life of 49-year-old Eleanor Flood. Although the book only covers a span of 24 hours, Semple’s clever use of flashbacks and monologue delves into a story much deeper than what it initially seems. Packed with surprising twists, humorous jokes, and insightful narratives, Today Will Be Different is a definite page-turner.

The book starts off with a promise Eleanor makes to herself. “Today will be different," she vows. "Today I will radiate calm. Kindness and self-control will abound. Today I will buy local. Today I will be my best self, the person I'm capable of being. Today will be different.” Indeed, her day does turn out to be different, albeit not the different she is hoping for. It starts off uneventfully, as she drops off her third-grade son Timby at his elite private school before mustering up the courage to have lunch with her “friend” Sydney. Yet, she is quickly summoned back to pick up Timby, who claims to be sick. She takes him to the doctor, who says his stomachache is due to stress from school. She decides to take Timby to meet her friend, who brings up a piece of the past Eleanor has worked so hard to avoid.

Of course, the day doesn’t get better from there. Instead, it takes wild leaps and turns, introducing characters such as Eleanor’s husband Joe, a sports-medicine doctor, who has told his colleagues (but not Eleanor) that he is away for the week, a disgruntled poet who turns out to have a boring grocery-store job, a surprise crashed meeting for sex addicts, the rambunctious Seattle Seahawks, and even the Pope. And, through flashbacks, we meet Eleanor’s younger sister Ivy and her controlling husband, Bucky. We also learn of Eleanor’s past, how she survived with an alcoholic father and made a name for herself as an animator for the show “Looper Wash”. Every page contains a new layer, a sudden twist, or an exciting revelation that keeps the reader on their toes.

My favorite part of the book was the language Semple used. She blended together difficult situations with humorous language to balance an otherwise heavy theme. The structure of each sentence was almost poetic, and there was a rhythm to the book that kept the flow smooth. One of my favorite quotes is: “That was happiness. Not the framed greatest hits, but the moments between.” Today Will Be Different truly highlights the “moments between.” It captures just a snapshot of one woman’s intricate and complicated life and brings forth an unexpected energy that is both inspiring and true.

Verdict: I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a beautiful read. The language made the book come alive. Although some parts are confusing and messy, it alludes to the unpredictable nature of life itself.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

 “The Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness… To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

Paulo Cohelo’s enchanting book, The Alchemist, is a life-changing read. Its simplicity and wisdom has inspired a devoted following around the world. This book exceeds all expectation, and everyone can learn something from the pure and eternal wisdom the novel has to offer.


The story itself centers around Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd, who travels from his homeland of Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of the Pyramids. His recurring dreams give him a clue that his travels will lead him to his treasure. Although a bit skeptical at first, Santiago is convinced after meeting a mysterious old man who tells him of his “Personal Legend.” "Personal Legends" differ for each person, but Santiago’s is to travel to the Pyramids so he can claim his treasure: “Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you realize you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.” Inspired, Santiago decides to give up his life as a shepherd in order to travel to the Pyramids. Along the way, he meets many teachers, who come in the form of a crystal shop owner, a caravan leader, an Englishman, and the desert. Santiago learns to listen to his heart and eventually finds out the truth of life itself. He meets the alchemist, who tests and teaches Santiago so that he can meet his final goal. Santiago also meets the love of his life, Fatima, in the oasis, and learns that true love is something worth waiting for. What starts out as a journey to find worldly riches turns into a discovery of the treasures found within our own souls.

Each page of the novel is rich with deep and meaningful wisdom. I found myself immersed in the book, and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I connected to Santiago and rooted for his success the whole book. This book is one I could read again and again, and I would learn a new message each time I read it. Cohelo’s ideas about life and the meaning of our lives on Earth shine through in the most beautiful way. The tone and language of the book is vivid and gorgeous.


Verdict: I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a relatively short read, and the messages it gives are truly eye-opening. The poetic language and elegance of the mysterious characters reveal some of the greatest truths of life.

Readers United Book Reviews | 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl and Fangirl

Would you ever want to revisit your teenage years? Middle school, high school, college—life is complicated, and confusing, and we're still figuring things out. As we do so, it’s nice to read novels, fiction or otherwise, and realize that we are not alone in grappling with who we are and what we want to do with life. Here to share some refreshing, realistic coming-of-age stories is Skylar Hansen-Raj ’20.

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

In her stunning debut, Mona Awad describes the fictional life of Elizabeth, an overweight woman who wants to find her place in the world. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl follows Elizabeth's everyday life as she grows from an obese adolescent to a skinny woman. The book illustrates the challenges Elizabeth faces, including her desire to be “dateable” and “beautiful.” However, even when the world seems against her, no matter how hard she falls, Elizabeth is always able to pick herself up and keep going. Overall, this story does not only describe one girl's coming of age, but also society's stigmas against the idea of being overweight. 

Throughout her life, Elizabeth struggles finding where she belongs. Her obese mother clearly has health problems, which she will not talk about; her father is absent from Elizabeth's life. Elizabeth’s only friend is Mel, another overweight girl her age, and later, she makes friends with other girls, though she is plagued with insecurity when she notes that they are much skinnier than she is. Elizabeth is also desperate for attention from men, and even when she lands the man of her dreams, she is insecure and wants to become skinny for him, despite his seeming indifferent to her weight. So Elizabeth loses the pounds through harsh dieting and rigorous exercise, but wonders if this is really what she wants in life. She asks herself if she will ever be anything else but fat.

Overall, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl portrays the challenges Elizabeth encounters beautifully. I was especially impressed with Awad’s style of writing. She was able to make the story a light read, even with all of the more complicated, deeper concepts she was exploring. Her novel really moved me to think about how we as a society create environments as dark and pressuring as the ones in the book. Awad was able to tackle a wide range of topics from love to depression through mundane scenes like dressing rooms and nail salons.

Verdict: I would recommend this book if you want a short but entertaining read, covering a variety of topics, ideas, and realizations about society and the impact it has in creating insecurity.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl blends a world of first loves and tangled familial relationships in a refreshing tale about introvert Cather Avery. Fangirl portrays the lives of two very different twins, their bipolar dad and absent mom, and the relationships each twin forms with the people in their colleges. 

Fangirl is a realistic, witty, and down-to-earth read. The story follows Cather (“Cath”), who is an extreme introvert. Her popular and pretty twin sister, Wren, decides not to room with Cath their freshman year of college, leaving Cath terrified of how the year will go. The only thing she looks forward to, however, is her fiction writing class. Cath is an avid fanfiction writer, specifically about a book series that revolves around characters Simon Snow and his enemy Baz. Her fanfiction has tens of thousands of readers. 

As the year progresses, she begins to bond with her roommate Reagan, Reagan’s “boyfriend” Levi, and classmate Nick. Meanwhile, Wren becomes increasingly distant, and she seems to be having issues with alcohol. Cath also becomes aware of her developing feelings for Levi. And then on top of that, trouble is brewing at home. Cath grows concerned for her father’s health, and things seem to take a turn for the worse when Cath’s mother tries to reach out to her.

Overall, Fangirl did a great job portraying dorm and adolescent life. I was amazed at how spot-on Fangirl’s descriptions of all the students in college; they were refreshingly and startlingly accurate. Watching Cath’s character development was amazing. I also enjoyed the way Rowell included snippets of Cath’s fanfiction and the canon books of Simon Snow into the actual plot. Fangirl is an amazing book, beautifully written with an inspiring plot.

Verdict: I would recommend this book to everyone who loves romance, slice of life, and coming-of-age books. The playful elements and realistic characters are truly amazing. I was completely immersed in the story, and when reading, I was in a completely different world. A page-turner, Fangirl captured my heart—and I won’t get it back anytime soon.