Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Reviewed by Melvi A.
Grade 11

Many stories attempt to bring to life the gloomy years of The Great Depression, yet few do it as well as Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This book tells the heart-wrenching story of two incompatible characters. George is small, witty, and intelligent, while Lennie is big and frightening, but has the mind of a small child. What makes them even stranger is the fact that they stick together at one of the loneliest times in history.

The book opens with George and Lennie stopping at a small pond to take a break. They are traveling to the farm they are going to work on next. At their previous farm, George and Lennie had to flee because Lennie got them in trouble, and George is still mad at Lennie about that. When they arrive at the farm, they meet Candy, Slim, and Curley. Candy and Slim are friendly to them, but Curley, the boss’s son, is jealous of Lennie’s size and picks on him. Curley’s wife is very flirtatious around everyone, and Lennie does his best to ignore her. One day after work, George reminds Lennie that they are saving money to buy their own farm, where they are going to raise their own livestock and crops. Lennie wants George to tell this to him as much as possible, because in this farm he wants to raise his own rabbits. Candy hears the story and tells them that he can help them collect the money, as he wants to live with them because he is becoming useless at the farm due to his old age. Now their dream seems as close as ever, but Curley’s constant bullying and his wife’s flirtations threaten to get Lennie in trouble, and ruin their American Dream.

I think the reader gets very emotionally attached to George and Lennie, which makes them remarkable characters. The plot is truly a mix of hope and desperation, which really brings to life those dark times. For example, George and Lennie’s hope is their own farm, but they are stuck working 11 hours a day for someone else. What eventually happens at the end was inevitable, but the author’s style of writing throughout the story convinces you otherwise.

I highly recommend this book to all readers. It tells you a lot more about The Great Depression than any textbook ever could, since it makes you understand it emotionally. It teaches the reader how loneliness can make a society so divided, so bitter, and so intolerant.

Avatars: So This is How it Ends by Tui T. Sutherland

Reviewed by Melvi A.
Grade 11

What would you do if everyone except you suddenly disappeared without a trace? In Avatars: So This Is How It Ends, five teenagers from different parts of the world must find an answer to that question. As they were going about their accustomed way of living, time seemed to stop, the Earth shook, and--when the mysterious event was over--they knew something was wrong. They can see no one around, just crumbling buildings and odd animals made of crystal. An ominous silence occasionally interrupted by terrifying shrieks has enveloped the planet. What’s worse, they are also hearing voices inside their heads.

As she was taking the subway to go home one night, Kali awakes from a short nap to find that the subway is completely empty, and New York City is in total silence. In Chile, Tigre finds himself far away from home in a mysterious forest full of otherworldly animals with no memory of how he got there. In Los Angeles, Venus, a well-known and loved pop-star, and Gus, a technician and fan, realize that they are the only two people alive after an earthquake. Finally, the powerful Amon in Egypt seems to know something the others do not and is completely satisfied with what has happened. There seems to be an unfathomable force driving these teenagers to New York City. Some give in to this force, some try to resist it, but all of them want to know why they are the only survivors of this apocalypse. The book follows the teenagers as they explore the unrecognizable world, encounter strange animals who seem to be telepathic and some secret societies who do not seem to contain normal humans, but only deranged lunatics. When the shocking truth is revealed at the end of the novel, there are many different reactions. For some of them, it was amazing news. For others, despairing news.

In my opinion, the characters in this book are extremely well-developed. They have diverse personalities and show different reactions to the end of the world. For example, Kali mistakenly thinks that she has made the people disappear, while Venus is foolishly worried about the fact that the media will photograph her hanging out with a fan. Their thoughts and actions are relatable and they prompt you to think if you would do the same thing if you were in their place. I also think the author does a great job of keeping the plot gripping even though it takes place in a boring, dead world, ruled by crystal creatures.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of science fiction and mystery novels. The author uses casual language, so the book can be quickly understood. I also recommend reading the second book, Shadow Falling, because, as you will find out, the story is not over at the end of this book.

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Reviewed by Leah H.
Grade 12

Be More Chill is told from the perspective of Jeremy Heere, a high schooler, whose one wish is to date Christine Caniglia. The only issue is that Jeremy is tragically awkward and unpopular and Christine is witty and decently popular.

Jeremy only has one friend, idolizes the popular people, and gets bullied. All his attempts to fit in only exacerbate his ostracization, until one of his tormentors, Rich, tells him about his SQUIP. SQUIP, a Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor from Japan, sits in his brain and tells him how to be cool. Seeing this as his opportunity to date Christine and finally fit in, Jeremy follows Rich's instructions and gets his own SQUIP. The SQUIP helps Jeremy learn how to talk to girls and turn his former tormentors into friends, but it also strains his relationships.

The characters are a little 2D and cliche in the beginning due to Jeremy idolizing them, but they become more well-rounded once Jeremy stops putting them on a pedestal and becomes friends with them. Rich is an excellent example of this because he’s just a bully to Jeremy at the beginning, but it’s revealed that he used to be dorky, and his SQUIP made him bully Jeremy to become popular, and they end up becoming friends. Christine is also a well-rounded character. She’s sensible, witty, determined, and doesn’t fall for all the cliche things the SQUIP has Jeremy do and say.

Although some parts at the beginning are painful because of how much Jeremy overthinks things, I would still recommend Be More Chill to people who struggle with social anxiety because it teaches a great lesson of self-acceptance. I would also recommend this to those who are fans of the musical based off of the book. I would however not recommend this to anyone under the age of 13, as it is a YA book.