A Child Called "It" Review

Title of the Book: A Child "called It"  Author: Number of Pages: 180  Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Review: You’ll really appreciate your mom after reading A Child Called It By David pelzer, because this book hits you right in the feels. The book opens with David going to school bruised from his mother's abuse and the nurse noticed, after getting the police officer david was taken to the station and told “She will never hurt you again”. The book then goes to the beginning of it all, Dave talks about his mother’s cooking, and family trips before she began to drink. This book makes you feel small right off the bat, making you feel like david, getting every beating along with him.

As the book progresses, things don't get any better, graphically describing the harsh and unwarranted “Punishments”  for being a “Bad Boy”, for instance making him repeat the second grade, and wear the same clothes to school every day, for years. The only glimpse of hope in this book is that this poor little child can muster the will to survive from the scraps of esteem left from his mother.

His father is hardly present, he learned not to help Dave when he gave him some Paint-by-Numbers for Christmas, and Catherine threw a fit at him. She begins withholding food, making him eat his brothers left out cereal from that morning, and eventually if caught eating, he would be made to vomit it up, and eat it while she and his brothers watched. It's really a heart breaker when his dad refuses to help him, not even give him food, when he begs for help. It's unthinkable how a parent can refuse their child begging for food.

Things get worse when he is forced out of his room and into an old army cot in the garage.he had to live like that until he was 12, abused for six years by his mother and “Mothers lil Nazi” as he would call his brother, who she often allow in on the punishment. Honestly I would only recommend this book to parents to give to their spoiled little brat who thinks his life sucks because he has responsibilities.   

Title: Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl

Author: Anne Frank

Number of Pages: 352

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most inspirational, emotion-tangling, and intriguing books I have ever read. I say this with confidence. The book is about a young girl in hiding from the Nazis in World War II. She hides with seven others in unimaginable places with living conditions that will make you cringe. They hide at the secret annex at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. They stories told by Frank are so detailed and intense that there were times where I had to stop reading and take a deep breath. I got lost in this book in all aspects. The group, including Frank, were deported to a concentration camp for Jews after about 2 years of hiding in Amsterdam. At this point, the book takes a hard turn and you really start to get sick to your stomach from the awful (and truthful) things Anne Frank and her family went through. When the group is at the concentration camp, they suffer from hunger, disease, separation from each other, and death. Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, is the only character of the group that survives by the end of the novel.

This book is absolutely amazing. I think that Anne Frank’s writing style and skills are what makes the read so compelling and heart-wrenching. If someone else with limited writing skills wrote the book, I think I would take away more of the awfulness of the holocaust in itself, rather than what the personal experiences of the poor souls who were in it were like. I have never seen the movie to this novel and I’m not sure if I want to. I don’t know how good the reviews are on it, but I would imagine that only the best filmmakers and screenwriters in the world can portray the raw emotion and detail that Anne Frank demonstrates in her writing. I love this book and I will read it again. It’s the perfect example of a “bittersweet” read, because the events are so incredibly horrible, but the way they are described are so tasteful, detailed, and will make you keep flipping pages until your eyes burn.

I would recommend this to someone who loves to read, and also someone who can handle the weight of such an intense subject. As far as my friends go, I would recommend it to them because of the sole reason that they’re great readers and can take a lot of emotional stress. As far as the general public, I would recommend the book to them, but also warn them for tears smearing the ink of the book, not to mention feeling a sense of depression when you’re done reading it for the day.

By: Ryan Schoenmaker

Eat Pray Love Review

Title of the Book: Eat Pray Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Number of Pages: 352
Rating: ☆☆☆
 Review:

Elizabeth comes to a stop in life where she has a realization of what her life is, and what she wants it to be. Through crying nights and a life thats supposed to be filled with kids and a happy marriage, she ends the day to day life she's living. Elizabeth changes everything from being married, thinking she wants children, where she's living, to what she eats and her religion.

A new love life arrises but is a rollercoaster such as her feelings and financial stability. She pursues a short living situation in Italy as she meets new people, and eats... a lot!
Her 4 months comes to a end as she then arrives in Indian.

Religion was a thought often to Elizabeth as she felt the need to look up to something and to have faith. In India she seeks this as she sees a guru and try to find whats within.
Lastly in the book her 4 month trip in Indonesia teaches her more about what she wants out of life as she talks to the reader directly to bring them along her journey of finding herself. The wording is perfect be able to find a laugh here and there at the hardest times within Eat Pray Love.

I found myself much relating to this book as its very relatable emotionally and her confusion towards life and what she wants is what I hear from many woman of all ages and also men. Elizabeth could be a person who could be judged easily due to her desicions and ways to find herself. A open minded reader who is there to listen and think as apposed to think of life with rules and ways should read Eat Pray Love . Elizabeth had boundaries in her life when she wasn't content so he decides to be open to learning and to tell all in her book. This is what makes Eat Pray Love the unique book that it is and has drawn in a ton of readers.

By: Brenna Erickson

Title of the Book:A Long Way Gone   Author:Ishmael Beah    Number of Pages:218  Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Review:

A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, is an extremely powerful and emotional book. Ishmael begins his story in his hometown; his friends and him are about to leave to go to a talent show for rap. While they are gone his hometown is attacked by a rebel army and he is forced to go on the run with his friends. He writes about his struggles of trying to survive as a 13 year old boy with no resources. The boy's face challenges around every corner, whether it be finding food or being attacked by scared villagers. After travelling for weeks and experiencing much hardship, Ishmael finally gets to bit a stability, only to have it ripped quickly away when he is enlisted into the army. Ishmael shares some of his war stories and then goes on to write about how he recovers from the traumatic events of being a child soldier.

A Long Way Gone is unique because it shares a personal encounter with being a child soldier. Ishmael puts you in his shoes and you really feel what it was like to be there because of how it is written in first person. As you read you feel like you are there with Ishmael experiencing what he is experiencing, although some of his memories are hard to imagine because of how horrific they are. Ishmael also writes dialogue the way it was spoken which makes it easier to be in the book.

I would recommend this book to people that like to read war stories because it is a first hand encounter of being a child soldier before, during, and after. I think this book would be a great tool to use in help raising awareness of the problem of child soldiers because it includes the violence Ishmael went through at a young age, this being an eye opener to most people. You experience how Ishmael is changing and losing his innocence and childhood as his journey continues. All around it is a really captivating and moving book that makes you want to do something for child soldiers.

Into The Wild

Title of the Book: Into The Wild
Author: Jon Krakauer    
Number of Pages: 203
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Review:

            Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer, is a very well written book that emphases how nature can be unforgiving even if it doesn’t seem like it. Chris McCandless drops everything in his life, donates all the money he has in his bank account to charity and tries his best to disappear with his goal to live in the wild. Changing his name and working small jobs here and there to make a little money so he could make his way to Alaska, McCandless decided that the best way to live was to live free in nature all on his own. His family didn’t know where he was, and he wanted to keep it that way. He lived like he wanted to in the wild away from the stresses of society.

This book was very unique because Jon Krakauer tells the story in pieces that aren’t all in order, and helps piece together why McCandless decided to go live in the wild. He uses letters written by McCandless to the people he met along the way and stories from those people to find out what McCandless did in the time after he decided to go by a different name. It’s also a captivating because Krakauer also adds in his own stories of his experiences in the wild and how he figured out that nature is a lot more dangerous than he originally thought. Krakauer can relate to McCandless with how he too is drawn to nature making the book interesting and easy to read.

            I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nature and doesn’t mind that the story isn’t told in order. Also if you don’t mind how Krakauer adds in other stories that relate to the story of Chris McCandless along with some of his own experiences, that creates depth and makes the story as a whole more interesting, it’s the book for you. Krakauer is a storyteller like no other because his background of writing articles for magazines and so his style of writing is similar to what you would find in a magazine. Overall I would recommend the book to anyone because the way it’s written is unique and it’s a great story.

Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air Review

If one in every twenty people died on a trip that you were going to go on would you do it? It’s possible, but what about one in four or five? Those stats are a little more threatening, those are Mount Everest’s stats. The top of the world doesn't just let anyone conquer it. You have to want it, you have to be in tip top emotional and physical health. You can be the strongest climber but you don’t have the head for it then you turn around or Everest gives you the boot. The climb is the ultimate test of mental and physical endurance and only the strongest make it. 

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a book that gets your heart racing. It felt as if I was watching a movie when reading it because of the vivid detail by Krakauer. The book starts at the summit of Everest. For a book about climbing one would think that the summit is the climax! But not here, the summit is actually probably the most anticlimactic part of this book. The second and third chapter touch on the history of the mountain and the indigenous people that surround it. Finally it seems like the story actually starts around chapter four. Krakauer explains how he ended up taking this job to go write a article about the commercialism of Everest and how the gig started out with him remaining safely at Base Camp but evolved into him going on an expedition to attempt the summit. He then moves on to who will be in his own expedition as well as those that will be in others that will also be attempting the summit.  He shares his concerns or how sorely underprepared his fellow climbers. Once the characters have been touched on the acclimatization process starts. This takes place during the weeks before the climb and consists of the clients making series of ascend and descend’s. Back and forth from Base Camp to camp 1 and back, then back up the camp one and onward to camp two etc. This proves allows the clients to adjust the the severe lacking of oxygen in the thin atmosphere. I feel as if the rising action begins when Krakauer sees his first body on the slope and doesn't climax until the descend. During which there are many complications, some that were unavoidable and just Mother Nature’s way of testing the climbers but some that could have been prevented entirely. Once finally off the mountain and back to Base Camp, Krakauer tallies the dead and presumed dead. For a couple years that expedition held the title of the highest body count ever recorded in one summit attempt. Krakauer writes about how he came to his decision to expand on his assigned article and turn the experience into a full blown book. He stresses the fact that he felt this was what he was meant to do. He believed he was meant to write this book so people knew what happen on that mountain. So they knew the heroics some people showed in their last moments and even the mistakes.

I think the book was unique because of how he started it. The first four or so chapters are not in chronological order. He jumps right in to what would seem to be the most exciting part of the book, the summit, but it wasn’t intriguing or climatic. And I think he did this to show immediately that this was not gonna be just anther climbing book. This was not gonna be a climbing action on the ascend, climax at the summit, and falling action on the descent. No this was going to be something entirely different, the most exciting part of the book is when they are on their descend after reaching the summit or being forced to turn around. The authors tone was impressively neutral most of the book. If it was me that had encountered the rudeness of the South African leader than there would have been less sugar coating. Krakauer did a good job and simply pointing out the decisions that were mad and not passing judgement on them. If he had taken clear sides while writing then he would have gotten a lot more upset family members. It was wise to just lay down the facts and let the reader determine what he or she thinks what could have been done. A memorable moment would be when he told his wife “I’m not going to die, don't be so melodramatic” because I’ll bet he got one heck of an earful when he got home barely in one piece! Another would be the multiples times that total disaster was heavily foreshadowed. I would absolutely recommend this book to someone, it was an easy read and didn't take a quarter of the book for you to get engaged in it. 

Title: Into Thin Air  Author: Jon Krakauer  Number of Pages: 291  Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆  Review: I think this book was great. It kept me wanting to not put the book down and I haven't read a book like that in a while!

Into The Wild

Title of the Book: Into The Wild
Author: Jon Krakauer 
Number of Pages: 224
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Review:

On September 6th 1992, three hunters stumbled across a body lying in a bus in the Alaskan wilderness. Unknown to them, the man inside was Christopher Johnson McCandless. A bright young man who graduated from Emory University with honors two years earlier. Shortly after he decided to donate twenty-four thousand dollars to charity, invent a new life for himself, and start his journey into the wild.

Growing up in a relatively well off family, one wouldn't expect Chris McCandless to be so displeased with the nature of materialistic things, yet he went against the grain of what society called for and happily danced to the beat of his own drum. Moving across the United States, he met many people and changed some peoples way of life completely. He adopted a similar outlook to those of which he had read stories from such as, Jack London, John Muir, and Jules Verne. He rid himself of money and belongings so he could be free to experience the vast nature our society has neglected and encroached. Without as much as a phone call to his parents or sister, he disappeared into the tremendous Alaskan forest.

What makes this book great is not only the in-depth description of the whole hearted life Chris McCandless lived, but furthermore it talks about the people he met and affected along his journeys, making you realize how deeply this young man felt for genuine human connection.

Jon Krakauer has a roughly casual tone throughout the story keeping it mellow but still full of vibrant detail and colorful word choice. His presence remains soft throughout the book, as he portrays the life of the young adventurer with reality that makes it feel like you personally know the boy. He writes "Roman, Andrew, and I stay up well past midnight trying to make sense of McCandless' life and death yet his essence remains slippery, vague, elusive." (pg. 186). This quote from the book makes you understand, it's almost impossible to fully know someone else's story. Granted, Krakauer did the best he could to convey the boys story given the information he had.

This book is a good read for anyone who has ever craved adventure or dared to ponder the idea of what life's like outside of today's society. Krakauer explains Chris' life in comparison to other explorers such as Everett Rouse, showing little difference in the boys besides the time they passed, you realize there are many people with this same outlook on life. Ridding of material things and blazing new trails into nature prove to be a stepping stone to a greater purpose. It's easy to see why Christopher took his journey into the wild.

A Child Called "It" Review

Title of the Book: A Child Called "It"
Author: Dave Pelzer
Number of Pages: 180
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Review: “Mother starved me for about 10 consecutive days.” This quote is from Dave Pelzer’s horrific childhood which is brought to light in the book “A Child Called It.” This true story of child abuse is extremely hard to read but well worth it. This book is much more than a book about abuse, it’s about human courage and how far a human can be pushed before breaking. The drive for survival is something every human possesses, this book shows how far that survival instinct can go. Pelzer’s awe inspiring will to live is something that is not understated in this book. No other book can have such an evil but enlightening plotline at the same time.

The worst story of child abuse in the history of California comes in the form of a book called A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. This true story is about a child's struggle to survive his mother’s sadistic games. Once living in a happy and healthy home life, everything changes and his mother begins to abuse him to the most horrific extent possible. Although the torture he suffers would break any normal person, Pelzer’s courage and will to survive are something truly inspirational and awe inspiring. This book isn’t about torture, it’s about one child's will to survive.

This book is like no other. It is depressing, but also inspiring at the same time. The courage the author has to survive is so amazing and impressive. This book gives you two emotions at once. It’s so impressive how the author blends hope and torture into one. The Climax of this book is horrendous, but also inspiring at the same time. A quote Pelzer tells himself is a prime example of this, “No! I told myself, I don’t need that bitches help!... You cry, you die. Now take care of that wound!” Pelzer was about 8 or 9 at the time this happened. No 9 year old should have to tell themselves this.

This book is written from the first person perspective of Dave Pelzer as a child. He seems to switch between reliving the encounters and actually being there, even as an adult. However, he does this in such a clever way that it flows so well and you feel like you’re standing there watching him but there’s nothing you can do. He describes his pain, torture, hunger, and depression in such a way that you feel as if it’s happening to you, it’s gut wrenching. Especially during the moments of true torture, such as being forced to eat a used diaper, swallowing a spoonful of Ammonia, eating his own vomit, or getting his arm burnt on a gas stove. There are so much more examples but these are some of the most gruesome.

Anyone who can get their hands on this book should read it. It leaves you with questions that seem unanswerable and make you think about your own personal morals. It makes you look deep in yourself in a way you probably haven’t experienced. This book tears you down but lifts you back up. It shows so much about the human spirit and how much it can actually go through before breaking. It lifts you up with how positive this kid can be when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a hard subject to talk about but Pelzer writes about it with such finesse that it makes it an easy topic to write about. This book is a must read.

Into the Wild

Title of the Book: Into the Wild.
Author: Jon Krakauer.
Number of Pages: 212.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Review: Chris McCandless, a kid who was raised wealthy wanders off into the world with very little on his back in hopes to end up in Alaska. Along with his travels, McCandless begins to find his true self. As he hitchhikes from state to state he ends up meeting many of people that help him. As the book goes on the life of McCandless unfolds with every word. Jon Krakauer does an excellent job making the reader feel as if he or she were to be with Chris on his journey. This book is somewhat like a giant puzzle, where every page is a piece of the puzzle falling into place. With Jon’s outdoor enthusiasm, he can recreate these scenes to make it seem like we are going through it. It is hard to believe that this book came to life after Jon had seen a short article in the newspaper about a hiker found in the deep woods of Alaska.

I found the first part of the book to be an enjoyable read, learning about McCandless and very lightly touches on his life. Whereas the second part of the book really goes into detail and shows us how many people this young man had made an impact on. One of my very favorite parts of the book is one of the first things that happens, a trucker picks up McCandless and out of the kindness of his heart, he gives him his winter boots. As if it weren’t enough for the trucker to go out his way for the kid, but he was kind enough to loan his boots to McCandless so he wouldn’t freeze to death.

I believe this book is a great read for anyone and everyone. If you are an outdoor enthusiast or not this book is meant for you. One thing that I would recommend though is this book isn’t just about his journey, there is a bigger picture that is very easy to miss.

Eat, Pray, Love...Read!

Title of the Book: Eat, Pray, Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Number of Pages: 352
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert dives into the struggles that ordinary people face and illustrates how the author sought out balance in life. The book is a chronologically ordered vegetable soup with the ingredients in the form of 108 stories from her journey. Gilbert starts off the book crying on the bathroom floor hearing her own voice say, “go to bed” as a way to cope with her life stresses. The author breaks free from a toxic marriage and embarks on a three-country journey of self-love. She starts her journey in Italy, moves to an Ashram in India to work with a spiritual guru, and finally, ends her journey in Indonesia.

This novel is one that should be judged by the praise on its cover. Gilbert’s comedic style of writing is one that can appeal to readers (and food lovers) of all ages. You can feel the author’s soul and personality radiating off the pages in the first section, Eat. Elizabeth’s perspective of the world makes you feel like you are in Rome enjoying gelato and chatting with her friend Luca Spaghetti (no, I am not joking about that name) yourself.

I found the section set in India, Pray, to be lacking in some respects; it somewhat lost the character that the first section was packed full of.  However, being a Buddhist and a person who meditates, it felt like the most raw and relatable section. I love the way Gilbert wrote about her chat with her inner self while trying to learn how to meditate. When I was learning to mediate, I had similar hilarious chats with myself. I found Elizabeth’s reflection on her journey to pursue beliefs in God, a bit slow. The author snail walks the mile to get to the part of her journey where she confronts her religious faith. The descriptions of vegetarian food at the Ashram appealed to my senses, as I am a vegetarian myself. Journeying to Indonesia, the Love section, was a fascinating read filled with Gilbert’s usual humor and charm.

For those struggling in their day to day life, or those who just need a book to escape in, Eat, Pray, Love is the book for you. It’s a beautiful travel and self-acceptance book sure to delight any reader.

Into Thin Air

Title of the Book: Into Thin Air
Author: Jon Krakauer
Number of Pages: 333
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Jon Krakauer is a magazine writer and experienced mountaineer who was hired to climb Mt. Everest and write about it. Jon shed light on what it is really like to climb Mt. Everest through a tedious and dangerous experience that ended up being a tragic disaster.

Jon Krakauer opens the novel by explaining what it is like to be at the top of the summit. Shockingly, Krakauer explains the lack of elation that most people would expect after reaching the top of the world. The novel jumps back to the beginning of the expedition starting before they even make it to base camp. Krakauer was hired to write about the commercialism of climbing Mt. Everest. His magazine company paid a guide, Rob Hall, to take him to the summit. With Hall leading the group up the mountain, Krakauer learns a lot about what it is really like to climb Everest. He learns that Everest is a true test of commitment, both mentally and physically. With his harsh attitude towards the expedition, Krakauer is bothered by the other members of the expedition. He is bothered by the lack of experience within some climbers, the money hungry guides, and motivations that some climbers carry on the mountain. Krakauer blames certain tragic events on these ideas later on in the novel.

Into Thin Air is not a light-hearted story about the success and joy of summiting Mt. Everest like most people would expect. This story is focused on the personal expenses that climbers have to endure while on Everest rather than the challenge of the actual climbing itself. Jon Krakauer’s focuses a lot on what he is thinking during the climb. This lets the reader actually feel what it is like to climb, instead of just hearing about the events.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience an intense story about a horrible experience climbing Mt. Everest from a person that wishes they would have ever done it. It is an action-packed, fast-paced story that leaves the reader with a sense of defeat and gratitude that they did not have to endure this tragedy.

The Nazi Officer's Wife

Title of the Book: The Nazi Officer's Wife   Author: Edith Hahn Beer    Number of Pages: 305 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

A Jewish girl is trapped amidst the Nazi regime in World War II with no way out, and no friends or family that can help her. How does she survive? She changes her identity and pretends to be a Nazi. The Nazi Officer’s Wife is the memoir of Edith Hahn and how she narrowly avoided extermination during the Holocaust. The story not only shows her survival, but it recounts her earlier life as well and shows her constant struggle against anti-Jewish sentiment. As times get harder for Edith in Vienna, she finds that she eventually can’t even rely on her family and friends for help.

What makes The Nazi Officer’s Wife unique is Edith’s strong intellect and how she uses that to survive. Ironically, it’s this intellect that Edith must hide in order not to draw too much suspicion onto herself. While Edith hides her wit and edgenuity away from the public, the reader still gets to experience it throughout the book as it details the thoughts inside of her head. One of the most engaging parts of the book is getting to know Edith and the way that she thinks. Due to the extreme measures that she finds herself in, she is a very cautious person, and through her writing we get to see that she is extremely careful in making every decision that comes her way. Additionally, the book does a great job of discussing the idea of morality. For example, when Edith is forced to work in a box factory for the Reich, one of her managers secretly gives her tips on how to get her work done quicker. During times like these, Edith and the reader find that even in inhumane bodies such as the Reich, there can be decent people inside of it.

Overall, The Nazi Officer’s Wife is a thrilling, devastating story that shows a unique way in which someone survived one of the worst genocides in history. From its deep exploration of themes of morality to its emotional moments with Edith struggling to survive, this book is a must read for sure. I would highly recommend it.

The Perfect Storm

Tittle of book:  The Perfect Storm
written by:  Sebastian Junger:
# of pages 233:
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Review:

The perfect storm is a book about a sailor named Sebastian Junger that ventures out on a boat named "The Andrea Gail".  Junger tells us about his sword fisherman's life and his ventures off the coast of Newfoundland.   Junger gets into a romance story and experiences storms out at sea.  We learn much seaman vocabulary like to make the "water smoke" and learn about a sea man's life style.  The Los Angeles Times heralds this book as "superb" and says there is nothing imaginary about it.  The characters are not afraid to use language we would all get into trouble if we spoke the words in front of an English teacher.  It is all "terrifyingly awesome and real".  The Entertainment Weekly says it is "Ferociously dramatic and vividly written".  It is very much so dramatic and written with passion. 

Rocket Boys Review

Title of the Book: Rocket Boys
Author: Homer Hickam
Number of Pages: 388
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆  

Review:

Homer Hickam’s Rocket Boys begins in a small coal mining town in West Virginia, where a bright young boy feels hopeless and doomed to a life working in the coal mines.  This young boy, is none other than Homer Hickam himself.  Hickam describes his own experience as a high schooler growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia, and how his passion for rocket building brought a new sense of hope to himself, and to the rest of the town.  When the book opens, Hickam tells us that the only kids who manage to make it out of Coalwood, are a few lucky ones who get football scholarships.  Homer’s brother Jim, is one of those lucky ones, and his parents couldn’t be more proud.  Homer, however, is not very athletic and has often struggled to fit into the mold that his father has created for him.  He is more interested in space and the world outside Coalwood, while his father would like him to be excited about following in his footsteps at the mine.  Hickam tells the story of how he and a group of his friends (the Rocket Boys) were able to use math and science to build rockets and find their way out of Coalwood.  

Rocket Boys is a true example of the American Dream in action.  Homer Hickam tells us an inspiring story of how he worked hard and beat the odds in order to make a better life for himself.  At times, Rocket Boys can be tragic and emotional, but overall it is one of the most beautiful and uplifting books I’ve ever read.  You can’t read Rocket Boys without feeling a sense of inspiration.  Hickam does a brilliant job of illustrating life in Coalwood so you can really imagine what it would be like to life there.  His voice is fun and witty, while also finding times to be powerful and emotional.  There were many times when I laughed out loud as Hickam told stories such as blowing up his parents fence on their first rocket attempt.  But for all the times I laughed, there were times when I found myself tearing up as characters were lost to accidents in the mines, and Homer struggled to overcome different obstacles.  

There is no way you could read this book without finding yourself caring deeply some of the characters.  Even if you can’t relate to a love of rockets or science, many people can relate to the idea of wanting to create their own path and be their own person despite what their parents or anyone else might think.  Homer’s struggles to make his father understand him, throughout the story, is something that I could really relate to as a teenager.  Hickam does a great job of creating very dynamic characters who each have many flaws which humanize them.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of the people who had an impact on Homer Hickam as he grew up in Coalwood.

Rocket Boys is also a great read for any history buffs out there because it gives an interesting perspective on the Great American Space Race.  We often learn about the space race from the perspectives of politicians and scientists that worked to beat the Russians.  Rocket Boys allows us to see how this era was perceived by the more common folk in a small American town.  The Russian’s launching of the famous first ever satellite, Sputnik, is the first thing that inspires Homer to start building rockets at the beginning of the story.  

Overall, Rocket Boys is an inspiring and uplifting story that anyone would enjoy.  It highlights the beauty of the American Dream and the importance of education as a gateway to a better life.  I think that every high school student should read Rocket Boys because 21st century high schoolers often become apathetic about learning, and reading this book has given me a new appreciation for the importance of education.  

Into The Wild book review

Title of the Book: Into The Wild  
Author: Jon Krakauer
 Number of Pages: 215
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Review:

A boy by the name of Chris McCandless wanders from his home in spite to go on an adventure. His dream is to live off the land in the Alaskan Wilderness, but he doesn’t realize he’ll experience much more than what he hopes. The book takes you on a journey through McCandless’ life, telling stories from hitchhiking across the country to spending months on end alone in the wilderness. Jon Krakauer did a very good job writing this book because he knows a thing or two about the Alaskan wilderness. He shares his story of climbing the dangerous Devil’s Thumb, a monstrous mountain that only few have ever touched. Some would say Krakauer’s experiences are similar to McCandless, making a perfect match for telling this story.

This book is nothing like the movie they made about Chris McCandless. If you really want to know his story from every little detail, I would recommend that you read this book. It’s filled with characters that aren’t mentioned in the movie, and new experiences as well. If you’ve never seen the movie, then I would definitely recommend you read the book first. McCandless was a young adult, dealing with personal issues just like a lot of young adults do today, but his issues were on a deeper level. Have you ever just wanted to run away from home and never talk to your parents again? Well that is what Chris did. He wanted to live his life the way he saw it, not the way his parents were forcing. The adventure in this book is endless and you won’t want to put it down at some points.

I think most readers will enjoy this book, but if you really like travel and adventure then this is a book you must read. It’s dedicated to Chris’ life and it does a great job telling the story that Americans criticized. Some people will say Chris McCandless was an idiot, but I bet they didn’t read this book. 

A Work in Progress Review

 A Work in Progress
 Author: Connor Franta
 Number of Pages: 212
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ (A Must Read)

Review:

Connor Franta is an internet sensation that took the world by storm through his vlogging lifestyle, curated social media accounts, entrepreneurial endeavors, and his constant philanthropy. At the mere age of 23, Connor has gathered a multi million membered audience who are invested in his Youtube channel, photography, his company Common Culture, and his frequent work with The Thirst Project and other charities. This intimate memoir provides an in depth look at Connor's childhood and his late teen life that propelled him into his early twenties filled with fame and stardom.


Within his anecdote filled novel, Connor shares his trials and tribulations that molded him into the person he is today and as he seeks to constantly evolve. Filled with beautiful photography and notes, Franta paints a clear window into his soul as he relays his struggles with his identity, sexuality, mental illness, and how he found his passion for the arts and kept a constant line of creativity flowing into his everyday life that he was able to build into a career. As Connor illustrates his attempts at growing up and trying to find a place within society it mirrors many of our own confusion filled years and allows the reader to connect on a truly personal level.

This book seeks to inspire and for those who are willing to take the words of wisdom that is laced throughout the pages, one can embark on a journey of self discovery. Connor's writing style is fluid and rich with humor as he reflects on his life thus far and begs the reader to look at where they have been and where they want to go.  I recommend this book for Connor's simple honesty and unique perspective on life and believe that if purchased it will not just reside on the book shelf but be taken down again and again to relive the experience this memoir entails.

 "Once we learn to accept who we are, imperfections and all, then - and only then, can we achieve our full potential. Forget about negative self-image and self-judgement. It's about self-love and no one teaches you that in school. No one teaches you that if you accept and love yourself, nothing and no one can touch you." (Franta, A Work in Progress)