Monday, September 22, 2008

Atonement, by Ian McEwan

Atonement, by Ian McEwan, has recently appeared on the big screen. Despite this, the book is undoubtedly on a level of its own. It is written through the eyes of a young girl who is forever changed by an event. Briony has just witnessed her sister, Cecilia, having a possibly dangerous encounter with their servant boy. Briony is in complete shock of this, and seeks to tell what she has seen. As I was reading this book, I couldn't help to compare it to the movie. Though, I quickly found out the book is written so vividly and built upon such real characters, it's bound to be one of your favorites. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an unforgettable romance. - Reviewed by Christina, grade 11.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

In this book, Holden Caulfield is telling us his story of the time that he got expelled from his fancy all-boys school known as Pencey Prep because he was failing four of his classes. Holden has had enough of the school and he’s happy that he is finally out of the school. Winter break is near and he only has to wait a few more days until he leaves. After getting into a fight with his roommate, he decides to leave early. He already knows that if he goes home early his parents would realize that he’s been kicked out. Therefore, he goes to New York to spend a couple of days there. In this novel, Holden tells us about his past, family, teachers, girls, and just about everything else that a sixteen year old boy would think about. Although he is writing to us from a mental hospital, I think we can all relate to Holden’s story. This book is very interesting and I would recommend it to every teen reader.

- Reviewed by Ani M., grade 9.