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celia_thebookishhufflepuff's reviews
687 reviews
Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
5.0
This book was amazing! It might be the first actual adult book (Not YA) that I've thoroughly enjoyed. I need to read more of Maya Angelou's stuff!
All My Sons by Arthur Miller
4.0
It's actually quite good, and I was surprised. I really love the plays we're reading in English this year (this and [b:A Doll's House|37793|A Doll's House|Henrik Ibsen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427119396s/37793.jpg|10535173]) but I wish they were longer.
In this book, the story is just amazing, with tons of plot twists, even if it is only 80-some pages and takes place in a day.
I really enjoy the way Arthur Miller writes plays about very realistic happenings with a creative, real spin. I read [b:The Crucible|17250|The Crucible|Arthur Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447764813s/17250.jpg|1426723] in eighth grade, and I loved it's simplistic style and the way it easily compared the witch hunts of the 16-1700's to the Communist witch hunts of the late 1900's.
This play also follows that simple style and gives a very real perspective on the war and the truths behind why people do what they do. It teaches a lesson that can be applied today, which is that people aren't always what they seem, and everyone sees his or her own reasoning as to what is right.
In this book, the story is just amazing, with tons of plot twists, even if it is only 80-some pages and takes place in a day.
I really enjoy the way Arthur Miller writes plays about very realistic happenings with a creative, real spin. I read [b:The Crucible|17250|The Crucible|Arthur Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447764813s/17250.jpg|1426723] in eighth grade, and I loved it's simplistic style and the way it easily compared the witch hunts of the 16-1700's to the Communist witch hunts of the late 1900's.
This play also follows that simple style and gives a very real perspective on the war and the truths behind why people do what they do. It teaches a lesson that can be applied today, which is that people aren't always what they seem, and everyone sees his or her own reasoning as to what is right.
Eight Days on Planet Earth by Cat Jordan
4.0
I love, love, love science fiction. And naturally, with a name and summary like this one, I expected that's what I was getting into. Right up until page 233, after Emily saves Priya in the water and notices her "C shaped scar."
Unlike most people, I know what a C-shaped scar on a head is. I know too many people who have them. I might even have one; I forget.
From that early on, I knew what the book was about, and I knew the ending, even when I wrote that I didn't have any idea of the genre in my currently-reading review.
I'm not going to give spoilers, but in one way of telling the story, Priya reached her spaceship. That's all I'm going to say.
Unlike most people, I know what a C-shaped scar on a head is. I know too many people who have them. I might even have one; I forget.
Spoiler
It's a brain tumor. And I've read too many brain tumor novels to expect everyone to live.From that early on, I knew what the book was about, and I knew the ending, even when I wrote that I didn't have any idea of the genre in my currently-reading review.
I'm not going to give spoilers, but in one way of telling the story, Priya reached her spaceship. That's all I'm going to say.
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
5.0
I just want to start by saying, I love my AP English/Great American Writers class so much, and it's probably the best English class I've ever taken. All of the literature we've read is truly unlike I've ever seen before. I love that in this class, we get a taste of minority American writing, and not just literature from old, dead white guys.
I'm really enjoying what we're doing with our unit on feminist literature at the turn of the twentieth century. It brings up so much good discussion. I'm really glad my teacher chose to focus on this aspect of feminism and women in the early 1900s. It's a new perspective for me, and it's something I really love.
I'm really enjoying what we're doing with our unit on feminist literature at the turn of the twentieth century. It brings up so much good discussion. I'm really glad my teacher chose to focus on this aspect of feminism and women in the early 1900s. It's a new perspective for me, and it's something I really love.
Raw by Hana Malik
4.0
I love those little books of profound poetry that take no time to read but make me feel quite a bit better. They help me to be a better person myself, and it's great just to sit and read modern feminist poetry by and for women.
The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling
3.0
I remember a few years ago, when I first found out that [a:Rudyard Kipling|6989|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1183237590p2/6989.jpg] was not, as I had assumed ever since I knew that [b:The Jungle Book|77270|The Jungle Book|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327873594s/77270.jpg|17441265] had been an actual book before it was produced by Disney, an Indian man. I was shocked and somewhat hurt to find out that he was actually just another white imperialist writer of the time.
Reading [b:The White Man's Burden|24261189|The White Man's Burden|Rudyard Kipling|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|43844824] brought back those feelings. I'm not exactly sure which side Kipling is on in terms of the issue he addresses, but I cannot say I appreciate the way he approaches imperialism.
If the poem is satirical, then I accept it. If it's simply a commentary, I can tolerate it. But if it is a push for continuation of the status quo, then I am incredibly against it. I am unsure what it means, but reading it in my honors US history class today, I felt very conflicted reading the poem.
Reading [b:The White Man's Burden|24261189|The White Man's Burden|Rudyard Kipling|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|43844824] brought back those feelings. I'm not exactly sure which side Kipling is on in terms of the issue he addresses, but I cannot say I appreciate the way he approaches imperialism.
If the poem is satirical, then I accept it. If it's simply a commentary, I can tolerate it. But if it is a push for continuation of the status quo, then I am incredibly against it. I am unsure what it means, but reading it in my honors US history class today, I felt very conflicted reading the poem.
The Heir by Kiera Cass
3.0
For some reason I have this thing about spinoff series...except for Percy Jackson, I really just can't stand them, and I guess it's probably because the Heroes of Olympus series still focuses around the main characters, instead of introducing new ones.
Reading [b:The Heir|22918050|The Heir (The Selection, #4)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422993526s/22918050.jpg|42484814] was like reading [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183] for me. As with the first of the series and my emotions to America Singer, I just couldn't get into Eadlyn's character. There seemed to be too many plot holes, and I really just can't see any of it as even being written by [a:Kiera Cass|2987125|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1318605410p2/2987125.jpg]. The styles are just so different, and there was definitely not enough of America or Maxon.
When I first started looking at [b:The Heir|22918050|The Heir (The Selection, #4)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422993526s/22918050.jpg|42484814], I honestly thought the story would be exactly like the original series but from Maxon's point of view. I can't say it was that far off. And that's something else that makes no sense: America and Maxon force Eadlyn into the Selection, both having hated the idea originally, but blinded by the fact that they've found true love there. This would be bad enough, but they also never told Eadlyn anything about their own experiences.
I feel like there are a lot of unnecessary plot twists, especially near the end. So yes, I plan on reading [b:The Crown|26074181|The Crown (The Selection, #5)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446759650s/26074181.jpg|42492659] to find out what happens, but I just feel like there's so many other ways this series could have gone, even given Cass chose to do a spinoff about America and Maxon's daughter.
I will point out one thing that I really do like, though: in the original series, you already know that America Singer is going to be the One, just because she's the title character. The opposite is true for Eadlyn, and as a reader I find myself rooting for specific Selected and for kicking out others.
Also, Eadlyn: is it really that hard to learn Finnish???
Reading [b:The Heir|22918050|The Heir (The Selection, #4)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422993526s/22918050.jpg|42484814] was like reading [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183] for me. As with the first of the series and my emotions to America Singer, I just couldn't get into Eadlyn's character. There seemed to be too many plot holes, and I really just can't see any of it as even being written by [a:Kiera Cass|2987125|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1318605410p2/2987125.jpg]. The styles are just so different, and there was definitely not enough of America or Maxon.
When I first started looking at [b:The Heir|22918050|The Heir (The Selection, #4)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422993526s/22918050.jpg|42484814], I honestly thought the story would be exactly like the original series but from Maxon's point of view. I can't say it was that far off. And that's something else that makes no sense: America and Maxon force Eadlyn into the Selection, both having hated the idea originally, but blinded by the fact that they've found true love there. This would be bad enough, but they also never told Eadlyn anything about their own experiences.
I feel like there are a lot of unnecessary plot twists, especially near the end. So yes, I plan on reading [b:The Crown|26074181|The Crown (The Selection, #5)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446759650s/26074181.jpg|42492659] to find out what happens, but I just feel like there's so many other ways this series could have gone, even given Cass chose to do a spinoff about America and Maxon's daughter.
I will point out one thing that I really do like, though: in the original series, you already know that America Singer is going to be the One, just because she's the title character. The opposite is true for Eadlyn, and as a reader I find myself rooting for specific Selected and for kicking out others.
Also, Eadlyn: is it really that hard to learn Finnish???
The Death Cure by James Dashner
3.0
I really don't know what to think about this final installment of [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375596592s/6186357.jpg|6366642] series. Usually, I love unpredictability, but this was a little much. I think a little too much happened in [b:The Death Cure|7864437|The Death Cure (Maze Runner, #3)|James Dashner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1303997647s/7864437.jpg|11022464] to really fit easily into one book. All the plot twists seem random and scattered, and there's too much to follow. I don't know if I'm going to read [b:The Kill Order|13089710|The Kill Order (Maze Runner, #0.5)|James Dashner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330636153s/13089710.jpg|18261314], which seems like a prequel. Again, it's all just too random.
Panic by Sharon M. Draper
5.0
I'm finally on spring break. Yes, I started this book today for break reading, and yes I also finished it today because I just could not put it down.
There was so much I loved about [b:Panic|14800895|Panic|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340200754s/14800895.jpg|20454207]. First off, I love the parallels between Layla's relationship with Donnovan and Justin. At the beginning of the novel, I saw Layla and Justin's chapters as unimportant to the story. Then, as the story wove on and we learned more about Diamond's plight, I began to see the parallels. I could see how Donnovan was on his way to becoming Thane English, Diamond's abuser. In that way, Layla and Diamond also had a lot of parallels.
This book contains the kind of things that you never want to think about, which become the things you think about at night, which become the things that need to be written in order to keep sanity in the world. Serial rape....threats of more rape, worse kidnapping, kidnapping Diamond's sister if she didn't cooperate....and abusive consensual relationships to boot. Author [a:Sharon M. Draper|51942|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236906847p2/51942.jpg] perfectly combines these ideas into a work unlike anything I've ever seen before.
One other thing I loved was that this book really showcased female empowerment above everything else. Ultimately for both Diamond and Layla, they emancipate themselves with no help from a man. In Layla's case, it is only other women who help her see who she needs to be, but for both girls, it ultimately comes down to the power they have in themselves. I also love that this is achieved through dance. The arts are often something that get overlooked by society for their mental health benefits, but they are some of the most healing (non-psychiatric) remedies, and the way that this book explores that through dance is very gratifying.
I also want to say that I was slightly surprised to find out that the same author, [a:Sharon M. Draper|51942|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236906847p2/51942.jpg], also wrote [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347602096s/6609765.jpg|6803732]. While I saw many of the same themes of perseverance, I found [b:Panic|14800895|Panic|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340200754s/14800895.jpg|20454207] to be filled with more hope and empowerment. The books were published about three years apart, with [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347602096s/6609765.jpg|6803732] first, and I think that just goes to show how much Draper has changed as a writer and learned her audience.
There was so much I loved about [b:Panic|14800895|Panic|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340200754s/14800895.jpg|20454207]. First off, I love the parallels between Layla's relationship with Donnovan and Justin. At the beginning of the novel, I saw Layla and Justin's chapters as unimportant to the story. Then, as the story wove on and we learned more about Diamond's plight, I began to see the parallels. I could see how Donnovan was on his way to becoming Thane English, Diamond's abuser. In that way, Layla and Diamond also had a lot of parallels.
This book contains the kind of things that you never want to think about, which become the things you think about at night, which become the things that need to be written in order to keep sanity in the world. Serial rape....threats of more rape, worse kidnapping, kidnapping Diamond's sister if she didn't cooperate....and abusive consensual relationships to boot. Author [a:Sharon M. Draper|51942|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236906847p2/51942.jpg] perfectly combines these ideas into a work unlike anything I've ever seen before.
One other thing I loved was that this book really showcased female empowerment above everything else. Ultimately for both Diamond and Layla, they emancipate themselves with no help from a man. In Layla's case, it is only other women who help her see who she needs to be, but for both girls, it ultimately comes down to the power they have in themselves. I also love that this is achieved through dance. The arts are often something that get overlooked by society for their mental health benefits, but they are some of the most healing (non-psychiatric) remedies, and the way that this book explores that through dance is very gratifying.
I also want to say that I was slightly surprised to find out that the same author, [a:Sharon M. Draper|51942|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236906847p2/51942.jpg], also wrote [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347602096s/6609765.jpg|6803732]. While I saw many of the same themes of perseverance, I found [b:Panic|14800895|Panic|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340200754s/14800895.jpg|20454207] to be filled with more hope and empowerment. The books were published about three years apart, with [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347602096s/6609765.jpg|6803732] first, and I think that just goes to show how much Draper has changed as a writer and learned her audience.