During the school year, there are books that students are required to read, and for the past couple of years, I have read many of those books. Now, I have a love-hate relationship with the books that are required. On the one hand, I hate them because I’m being forced into reading books that I don’t necessarily care about. While on the other hand, I enjoyed some of the books and found the message meaningful. Either way, I have opinions on these books, and these opinions may cause some anger.
To Kill a Mockingbird: I wasn’t a fan when I first started reading “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But after a bit, I grew accustomed to it, primarily because of one character Atticus Finch. He is one of the best characters in literature, if not the best. Change my mind. He is the definition of a righteous man who believes in justice and equality. Moving on from Atticus, the plot and setting of the story capture the racism and discrimination that African Americans have to endure. Unfortunately, some parts of the book were boring, and I skipped a few pages, but I still managed to get a 96% on the test. 8.5/10
The Giver: Hated it. I hated it before I started reading it and after I finished. I had no love for Jonas. But the scene of Jonas’ dad euthanizing the baby was shocking. The movie adaptation is the only positive thing, but I only like it because it’s laughably bad and cringy. Just a personal bias. 3/10
Tangerine: I read it in seventh grade, and I despised it. I didn’t even finish the book. “Tangerine” was boring, and I found the main character, Paul Fisher, annoying. I don’t know why I have such a hatred for him, but even after three years, I get a sour taste in my mouth. Or perhaps I don’t like him because I didn’t finish the book and didn’t see him grow as a character. I just looked up summaries of the chapters and managed to get away with it. Well, until now. I’m sorry, Paul, you probably didn’t do anything wrong. 3/10
The Most Dangerous Game: I loved it. I love that the most dangerous game is humans, not animals. The irony of Sanger Rainsford becoming the prey instead of the predator was a nice touch. Plus, the twist at the end is good. My only issue is that there was a limited amount of action and too much exposition, and I instantly knew that Zaroff was the bad guy. 7.5/10
Lord of the Flies: I first thought it was boring as the characters were British schoolboys fighting over a conch shell, and the boys could be annoying. Then, I realized that the book’s perspective is through children’s eyes. So they were going to be childish either way, and I appreciate how realistic it would be if British schoolboys were trapped on an island. Watching children’s mental health and well-being deteriorate is horrifying, especially after all the events of the book. There was too much symbolism, and it only meant something once my teacher explained it. 7/10
The Tell-Tale Heart: I read it in eighth grade, and I fell in love instantly. It was one of the first poems I’ve ever read of Edgar Allen Poe; since then, I have read multiple pieces of his work. However, “The Tell-Tale Heart” will always be my favorite. It takes place in a tense atmosphere, and the narrator is unreliable as he murdered his roommate. However, the detail of the heart under the floorboards has been ingrained in my memory. I once heard someone say that they got nightmares from this poem; this person was 13. This is just a testament to how good this poem is. 10/10