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Teen SRC 2021 – The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner eBook by Khaled Hosseini - 9781408803721 | Rakuten Kobo  United Kingdom

“For you, a thousand times over.”

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a historical fiction novel set in Afghanistan, and the United States. It follows the life and journey of Amir, the son of a a rich Afghan businessman, whom he calls Baba. Amir is rather sensitive and intelligent, and has a talent for storytelling. He and Hassan are best friends, having grown up together, but he is jealous of how Baba seems to favour Hassan over him.

This envy, combined with Amir’s ever-growing desire to prove his worth to Baba, leads to the unthinkable. He turns a blind eye when Hassan is sexually assaulted, and pretends he has not seen. Because of this, Amir is weighted with guilt, and for many years, he looks for a way to redeem himself.

The Kite Runner is one of those books that is felt deeply. It reaches into you and plays with your heartstrings. It evokes all kinds of emotions from you, from joy to heartbreak. For this reason, I loved it. It was a gorgeous, albeit devastating read, and it truly affected me. Hosseini writes with a distinct style that changes with the characters’ ages, and it genuinely feels as if I watched Amir grow up, making it all the more engaging. The characters are so well developed, and I especially appreciate the realism with which Hosseini depicted them. He makes you realize that the world really is all different shades of gray. That people are flawed; we’re not bad, we’re not good, we’re only human.

This book is also extremely relevant given recent events, and I am so glad I had the chance to learn more about Afghanistan and its people. The ending was very open, and I actually really liked that. It leaves a tinge of hope, because what happens next is up to us to decide.

Overall, I would rate this book a 9/10. I have yet to dislike a historical fiction, and The Kite Runner was no exception. I would recommend it to anyone who isn’t opposed to a heavy, emotional read that tackles many, many important topics.

Teen SRC 2019- The Fall Of Butterflies by Andrea Portes

The Fall of Butterflies

Whenever I read an incredible book, I like to search up the author and see if they have published other works because chances are, if I enjoyed one of their books I will also enjoy the others. Once such example is Andrea Portes. After reading Liberty (see my review here), I decided to read some more of her work, hence my review on The Fall of Butterflies. I am disappointed to say that I enjoyed The Fall of Butterflies less than I did Liberty, but found it a good read nonetheless.

The story starts with our protagonist, Willa Parker leaving her small town of What Cheer, Iowa to attend a fancy prep school her mother has chosen for her. Willa doesn’t see how a new life in the East will help her, and having hardly been able to fit in Iowa, she knows she will never fit in with the wealthy students of Pembroke Prep. Determined to lay low until she can find a way to escape, even if it means taking her own life, Willa goes by unnoticed by the students of Pembroke Prep on her first day at school. She is a little surprised, but mostly relieved. Her plan to lay low is demolished the next day, though, when a glittering, elusive, and rich girl takes the empty seat beside her in class.

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Teen SRC 2019- The Hidden Memory Of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato

The Hidden Memory of Objects

The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato is a book that encompasses loss, grief, friendship, and learning to heal in a beautiful story that will leave readers speechless and wanting for more.

Megan Brown’s brother, Tyler died, but no one understands how — or why. When the police tell her that he died from a drug overdose, and potentially a suicide, Megan is crushed. The brother she had known and loved — was it possible that she didn’t know him at all?

Heartbroken, she starts sifting through his old things, hoping to find some answers. But when she stumbles upon an old cigar box, one that was found on Tyler’s body after his death, intense pain fills her head at its touch. Confused, Megan starts touching other belongings of Tyler’s and realizes that when she touches some objects, she has visions of what happened in the past to the owners of the objects. Desperate for answers, she teams up with an charming friend of Tyler’s, and an old friend of her own to find out what happened that fateful day.

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Teen SRC 2019- Blind by Rachel DeWoskin

Blind

Blind, by Rachel DeWoskin was a raw, powerful, and captivating read.

This book is about fifteen-year-old Emma who became blind after an accident. Everything that had come naturally to her now is impossible to do, like choosing an outfit or crossing a road. Almost a year after her accident, though, Emma decides that she’s ready to start high school again. She wants everything to go back to normal… except that there is no normal for a girl like her

Then, a girl from Emma’s grade is found dead in a lake, and the world twists on its axis again. The people in Emma’s town are content with declaring Claire’s death an accident, but Emma wants to know what really happened.

I found this book very interesting because it showed how life is like for a blind person. Another aspect of the story I liked was Emma’s relationship with her family. As one of seven children, it was interesting to see each siblings’ personality and what it’s like living in a big family.

I give this book a 7/10. Although I loved each scene and every character, there was no apparent plot. Emma grappled with her blindness for half the book, and the other half was spent discussing Claire’s death. There were no big action scenes, and the lack of suspense was a bit disappointing. Despite that, I loved the characters and each of the relationships Emma built with them. I would recommend this book to other people who want to read something different.

A World Without You by Beth Revis

This is my favourite book of 2016!!! I could not put it down. Not only is this book by one of my favourite teen authors, Beth Revis, but it’s an amazing read!

It is told from two points of view: Bo and his sister Phoebe.

Bo, 17 years old, believes he can travel through time. At 10 years old, he traveled back in time to watch the sinking of the Titanic. At 15 years old, he went back in time to witness part of the American Civil War. But no one believes him. His parents don’t know what to do with him and send him off to a special school. Bo believes this school is for kids with superpowers.Read More