Readers United Book Reviews | Highly Illogical Behavior and More Happy Than Not

Aisha Pasha '20 returns to share two books that feature exciting, unanticipated plot twists.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Agoraphobic sixteen year old, Solomon ("Sol"), hasn’t been outside of the confines of his house in three years. Completely content in his little bubble, he doesn’t expect Lisa or her boyfriend, Clark, to completely change his life. 

Lisa has been dreaming of getting into one of the best psychology programs for college and wants his help. Her elaborate plan is to encourage Sol, who doesn’t suspect a thing, to go outside and get over his phobia. She tells herself that this is the only way she can make herself stand out on her applications. However, when the three of them become closer than expected, Lisa starts to doubt her plan. She begins to wonder if after all of this, she can still hold onto the friendship that started out as a guaranteed college acceptance and morphed into a genuine, close bond.

I absolutely loved this book. It was relatively short—only 256 pages—so it didn’t take me long to get completely involved in plot and finish the book. Sol was such a quirky character and some of his dialogue had me laughing out loud. It was interesting to see how he interacted with Clark and Lisa after not seeing anyone other than his parents for the past three years. 

I think the most impressive character arc was Lisa’s. She started off as being okay with manipulating someone for her own benefit, but she grew so much by the end. I was surprised! Even though Clark was an important part of the story, I was glad that the book didn’t go off track and revolve around his relationship with Lisa. Their romance was just a small part of the novel, and Sol's growth is a more vital part of the plot.

Verdict: Highly Illogical Behavior was a funny contemporary about forming friendships that everyone should read. It is the perfect length to be able to read in a couple of days, so pick it up. This was a solid four out of five star book to me.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not is a heartbreaking yet inspiring book about the pain of the past and resurfacing emotions. Aaron Soto is determined to reach his happy ending after he failed to take his own life and after his father committed suicide. Aaron has an amazing girlfriend, a fantastic mother, and a new best friend, Thomas, to help him through his struggles. But as his feelings and emotions start to warp into things he doesn’t understand, all Aaron wants to do is forget. He gets a chance to do so with the new Leteo memory alteration procedure, which will let him remember what he wants and forget what he doesn’t. With happiness seeming father than ever, what does he have to lose?

I was amazed at how well written the story was. Despite the book being relatively short, Silvera successfully described Aaron's entire backstory and integrated meaningful character development and an interesting plot. While reading, I thought I had figured out what was happening, but I was completely wrong. The plot takes an interesting turn I didn’t see coming, and the unanticipated twist made me anticipate the ending even more.

Aaron’s relationship with the people around him made him a real and raw character—someone that people could understand. His pains felt real, and I couldn’t help but sympathize with him. I felt connected to Aaron and was genuinely happy with how realistically his character arc wrapped up at the end. 

Verdict: This book got me rooting for Aaron’s happiness and had me surprised at every page. If I could wipe my memory to read this book all over again, I would. Though the beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, I couldn’t put the book down after getting a little less than halfway through. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a good “finding yourself” story—but make sure you have a box of tissues next to you, because this book will have you tearing up.

Readers United Book Review | Red Queen

Although we have a core of writers who post book reviews during scheduled intervals, we welcome everyone's book reviews, no matter what!

During lulls in book discussions, it is often Siri Palreddy '20 who speaks up to pose a new, interesting question to the rest of the club. Here, she shares her thoughts about a book she's recently finished.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Mare Barrow would be an average teenager—except that her blood is red, and in the world of Red Queen, people have been condemned for centuries for the color of their blood by the silver-blooded elite. 

This futuristic fantasy novel depicts a society divided between the Reds and the Silvers. The Silvers have extraordinary, god-like abilities that allow them to exert power over the Reds to establish a permanent hierarchy.

However, Mare cracks this hierarchy’s foundation when she discovers she has Silver-like powers—powers she isn't supposed to have because red blood flows through her veins. Thrown into Silver society to hide her secret, she faces foes, danger, and learns a valuable lesson about where she should place her trust.

Aveyard skillfully wrote this piece, weaving in impactful diction. I loved how the story flowed, how the plot twisted, and how the characters developed...but what I certainly disliked about this book was the lack of originality.

I had been anticipating a lot from this widely popular book. I thought that the creative and unique world building of the book would allow for the author to create more impressionable characters. However, once I had read half of the book, I felt like I was reading The Hunger Games all over again. Mare followed the usual journey of every archetypal hero. It was almost like Aveyard made a formula from all the successful young adult titles, then inserted her own characters and setting.

Nevertheless, although I was disappointed with the novel’s originality, the novel was an easy read, and I liked Aveyard’s pacing. The plot moved quickly enough to ensure that readers won’t be bored, yet highlighted the most important sections. All in all, I found Red Queen to be a likeable, but forgettable book.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a really exciting, new series which will stay in your mind and heart, I’d recommend for you to pass on this book. However, this book is interesting enough to read in your spare time. Even though I didn’t particularly love Red Queen, many people are enthralled with it, so if you have a moment, take a look at this novel.

Readers United Meeting Minutes | Reunion at Red Paint Bay

Readers United decided to read Reunion at Red Paint Bay by George Harrar over spring break. Here are some of our thoughts when we discussed after we came back to school:

March 27, 2017

Summary: Overall, we did not enjoy Reunion at Red Paint Bay as much as we had hoped to. Still, it was an interesting read and led to a great discussion! We’re looking forward to picking our next thing to read! 

Discussion points:

• The story did not go the way many expected or the way in which many thrillers do—it felt like there were many moments it could have become more exciting.

• Many aspects of the story seemed cliché. 

• People did not like the ending at all—was there a resolution? Did the narrator commit suicide? It was left ambiguous.

• Were the characters developed enough?

• Does the author pull off this particular point of view?

• Unreliable narrator—we discussed the function and execution of unreliable narrators in general, but agreed that in this case it was not done super well.

• What function did the narrator’s wife play in the story—was she a voice of reason? 

• Did this book border too closely on giving justifications for rape? On one hand—we understood the point of view was supposed to be distorted but on the other hand it was very much like he was trying to convince us it was all okay.

• Does the author pull off this particular point of view?

Readers United Book Reviews | How the French Think and Avid Reader

As the saying goes, "Never judge a book by its cover." Caroline Rispoli '20 returns with two books that are more engaging than they may seem at first glance.

How the French Think by Sudhir Hazareesingh

No one knows French culture—past or present—quite like Sudhir Hazareesingh. How the French Think is a riveting book that showcases Hazareesingh’s intense knowledge of French history, people, and culture. Not only an intellectual book but a humorous one, How the French Think provides an education on the French unlike any other to all readers that pick up this book. Like a roller coaster at an amusement park, this book takes its readers on a fast paced journey through French thought and life with Hazareesingh's consistently captivating and informative writing.

How the French Think contrasts French mannerisms to American ones, emphasizing the uniqueness of French culture and people. With an analysis of both past and present France and focusing on a variety of topics from its leaders to the progression of culture, this book gives its readers a complete and thought-provoking history that will leave them knowledgeable and interested in French life today.

Through this book, Hazareesingh differentiates himself as a writer who is breaking the status-quo, who is turning what most may think at first glance to be a dense, boring textbook into an interesting novel that leaves its readers clamoring for more. This book will open the minds of readers and historians alike.

Verdict: A thought-provoking book that will leave readers educated and interested in French history, thought, and culture. How the French Think is for those who wish to broaden their perspective and knowledge of the world.

 

Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb

Robert Gottlieb shares details of his life and career in publishing with his book, Avid Reader. The title reflects directly on who Gottlieb is and what he loves most in the world: books. As he chronicles his life from the start of his publishing career all the way to the end, Gottlieb weaves a narrative that readers will find themselves captivated by. It is hard to resist turning the pages to read more. From the his time spent at Simon & Schuster to his stint at The New Yorker, Gottlieb’s life is one filled with adventure as he forms lasting relationships with icons such as former President Bill Clinton.

It is immediately obvious from the novel that Gottlieb loves what he is doing with his life. Reading and publishing—they compose a large part of his life, along with his family and friends. For some of these friends, the minute they met him, they adored him and as a result dedicated their works to him. Not just a timeline of relevant facts but an engaging story, Avid Reader is engaging and witty while providing a detailed glimpse into the life of one of the most important faces of publishing.

Verdict: A page turner that no one will want to put down, Avid Reader is penned by an author who writes like no one else can. 

Readers United Books Reviews | Kindred and The Handmaid's Tale

In this installment, Ava Hathaway-Hacker '18 writes reviews about two provocative science fiction books.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Part historical drama, part science fiction, and part slave memoir, Kindred by Octavia Butler is a story with a narrative that transcends time as much as its protagonist. The novel has a non-linear structure and begins at the very end of the story, with a first line full of the straightforward truthfulness that characterizes the novel as a whole: “I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.”

The story centers on Edana Franklin (Dana), a twenty-six year old black woman living in California in 1976 with her white husband, Kevin. She faints while moving into her new house and finds herself thrust back in time to the antebellum period where she saves a young boy, Rufus, from drowning. Rufus is, though she doesn’t know it yet, her ancestor. From there, she finds herself jumping back and forth in time, watching Rufus, a wealthy slave-owner’s son and heir, grow into a cruel and selfish man. Called back time and time again to save his life and preserve her own, she can only return to her former life when she herself is in danger. Though the story is full of time-travel and the characters and situation are, of course, fictional, the novel realistically depicts the numerous horrors and struggles of slavery in the antebellum period, as well as the racial prejudices that reach far beyond the past.

With a rich and gripping plot as well as a powerful historical narrative, Kindred delivers a thought-provoking message on race, control, identity, and human capacity for cruelty and selfish ignorance. Many of questions that arise at the beginning of the novel leave the reader in suspense until the very end. The strong first-person narration brings the reader with Dana on her many travels back and forth in time, and makes the horrible scenes of brutality all the more disturbing. With powerful prose and a suspenseful and artfully woven plot, Kindred is a novel well worth a read.

Verdict: Fans of historical fiction and sci-fi time travel, who enjoy novels that explore complex and important topics, will love this powerful novel. Even those who do not normally enjoy these genres should give this book a chance.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Set in the fictional Republic of Gilead in a New England of the relatively near future, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a gripping and horrifying vision of a dystopian world where women have been stripped of all human rights. Atwood’s powerful writing and disturbing insights elevate and deepen the impact and strength of the novel. Especially in times when some question just how far we truly are from such a future, The Handmaid’s Tale provides a thought-provoking dive into a bleak world.

The premise of the novel centers around an overthrow of the previous government by a movement known as the “Sons of Jacob,” who destroy Congress, suspend the Constitution, and quickly move to remove women’s rights piece by piece. The conservative Christian movement reduces society to the strict hierarchy of the Old Testament and puts in place many other severe regulations that strip away power from women in all aspects, from reading to raising families. A group of women, known as the handmaids, are used as reproductive machines for the high-ranking men of the Republic. The novel focuses primarily on one of these women, Offred, whose name, like all of the other handmaids, refers to the man who controls her, known as “The Commander.” Offred remembers the time before the Republic began, her husband and daughter she has not seen since a failed escape attempt to Canada. Her assignment to the Commander brings a set of complications and put her in contact with a variety of characters, who are themselves mere pieces in the horrifying puzzle of this new world.

Atwood’s writing is detailed yet reserved, every word chosen deliberately and carefully as she paints a vivid and terrifying image of a society built on oppression. What would it feel like, she asks, to have everything you have ever known or ever had taken away from you? Full of meaningful, horrifying, symbolic, and disturbing images, events, and characters, The Handmaid’s Tale is a life-changing novel. Once you read it, you will find it near to impossible to look at the world as you once did.

Verdict: A gripping and disturbing tale of a dystopian future that feels far from impossible, The Handmaid's Tale will leave you restless and, like the best works for fiction, will cause you to see the world around you differently. Highly recommended for all, though be warned that the novel can be disturbing.

Readers United Meeting Minutes | The Opposite of Loneliness

Over the past couple of weeks, Readers United read The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan.

January 30, 2017

Status: Midway through collection of short stories and essays

Introduction: Story of author and her tragic death right after graduating Yale

Discussion: 

Cold Pastoral—short fiction

• What do you think of Lauren? Did you pity her? Was she realistic?
• Was Brian and Claire’s relationship even real? After all, Claire had to get the notes from Lauren.

Stability in Motion—personal essay

• Explores the author’s relationship with her car and the memories she has there.
• Nostalgic tone

February 13, 2017

Status: Finished the collection

Discussion:

Baggage Claim—short fiction

• What was the point of the story? 
• An exploration of one man’s decision; the conflict seems to come from his internal tension.
• What drove the character’s decision to leave and go back for the ring?

Against The Grain—personal essay

• Story on multiple levels, exploring both author’s Celiac disease and relationship with mother.

Challenger Deep—short fiction

• Everyone dies? How were the characters developed?
• This story confused some people—but we all figured it out by the end.

Overall: How does the author’s death affect the way we read her work? Would this work have been published, or would it have been so widely read and acclaimed, if not for the circumstances?

Readers United Book Reviews | Down River and Catch-22

In this installment, Fritz Legaspi '18 returns to share a couple of extremely thought-provoking stories.

Down River by John Hart

John Hart’s Down River dovetails themes of suspicion, rumors, and mob mentality. Five years ago, Adam Chase was just barely acquitted of a murder charge. The case had become so messy, his father had even thrown him out of the house. After his friend Danny Faith convinces Adam to return to the town, the entire county is on alert. Due to his conspicuous past, Adam is attacked, insulted, and harassed within hours of his return.

Soon afterward, dead bodies begin to mysteriously appear. Of course, Adam is the primary suspect, but without any evidence against him, no one can bring him to trial. However, the suspicions of society weigh on Adam immensely. With his former love interest now with the police, Adam’s already over-complicated life becomes that much more complicated. Down River is filled to the brim with characters carrying an enormous amount of secrets, and Adam must struggle to stay afloat.

Throughout the book, many different secrets are revealed, many of them shrouded at the beginning. Hart writes in a clear style while still successfully withholding the truth from the readers. The plot develops in an engaging, attention-grabbing fashion, with several recurring motifs appearing in the novel. Moreover, Hart’s background in criminal defense law provides him with an extremely novel viewpoint to write about the story of our barely-innocent protagonist.

Verdict: I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who feels up to the challenge of a book with many hard to decipher secrets. The novel progresses fairly quickly, ensuring that there’s hardly a dull moment while reading it. Adam’s background as an almost-convicted felon is the main driving point of this book, and is a large and welcome change from the innocent protagonists most series and novels seem to be based upon.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

What do you do if you were given an impossible mission, one which would be suicide to undertake? To get out of their missions, the airmen of the 256th Bombardier Squadron must request to be proven mentally unfit. Yet, per military regulation, to do so would prove one mentally fit. Known as a catch-22, this double bind is the reason so few men were able to leave the military during the second World War.

To go more into depth, Captain Yossarian, the protagonist, explains that those deemed mentally unfit, or simply crazy, would not be required to go on flying missions any longer. However, to apply to stop flying would prove a soldier sane, as doing so would indicate that they cared about their own safety. At first, the men of the 256th are proud to fly for their country, and for the defense of other countries in need. As the novel continues, we learn that similar regulations apply to many other facets of the military, preventing soldiers from leaving.

As Captain Yossarian faces this dilemma, we also learn about the other characters in the book. Through extreme amounts of detail, Heller leaves very few characters without their own background and history. Heller seems to greatly enjoy the irony of certain situations, and he gleefully inserts comic details in his stories of other characters. For example, when he describes a character as “good-natured, generous and likable,” Heller also states that nobody could stand the character.

I was thoroughly captivated as I entered the occasionally extremely deep perspective behind the thought process of military personnel during World War II; these airmen prove for an interesting read. Yossarian and others suffer from many mental afflictions, the foremost of which being post-traumatic stress disorder. Their journey, though fictional, is truly one to enjoy in.

Verdict: If you do not have an elementary understanding of warfare, (knowing about air squadrons in particular would help!) this book picks up extremely quickly. If not, an open mind to the struggles of these soldiers is highly recommended for optimal understanding of the novel. As the plot thickens and events seem to worsen, it is important to stay empathetic and sympathetic to Yossarian and the other characters.