By Chloe Kiparsky
The House in the Cerulean Sea
By TJ Klune
Linus Baker’s life is utterly unremarkable. He lives alone and works making sure magical government orphanages are following the rules. He flies under the radar, which is why he is extremely surprised when Extremely Upper Management hails him and asks him to travel to a faraway orphanage on a classified assignment. Not having left his routine in a very long time, Linus is hesitant to accept, but what he finds at the orphanage will change his life.
Cerulean Sea has some of the most lovable characters of any book I’ve ever read. Linus’s gradual shift in perspective through the book is neat to read as well. This book is a great, magical escape from reality.
Turtles All the Way Down
By John Green
The quote at the beginning of this book sums it up perfectly. “Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills” (Arthur Schopenhauer). Aza Holmes is trapped in her mind. She can’t control her thought spirals; her thought spirals control her. This book follows her as she navigates through her own mind and tries to solve the mystery of a missing local billionaire.
It sounds (and is) quite a chaotic story, but it’s impactful and even the first two pages are amazing enough to give you a taste of the whole book.
The Song of Achilles
By Madeline Miller
We’ve all heard about fairytale and mythology retellings, and they’re typically all the same. This book, however, is different. It is a new take on the myth of Achilles, told from the perspective of his friend Patroclus. The writing is so poetic and beautiful, and the research that went into the tale shines through gorgeously. And the best part that makes it unique from everyone else’s retellings: there is not a single mention of an Achilles Heel in the entire book.
Fans of this book will adore Madeline Miller’s masterpiece “Circe,” another retelling of Greek mythology. It is another book that makes us see the old tales in a completely fresh new light.
Scythe
By Neal Shusterman
Imagine a future where the only necessary job is to be a Scythe, a professional murderer. A future where an artificial intelligence controls everything in perfect harmony, and where nobody can get sick or die. This is the world of Rowan and Citra, who, when they get selected to be Scythe apprentices, are brought into a world that they never imagined.
This book (and the rest of the trilogy) is extremely insightful and entertaining, qualities that one would expect from the author, Neal Shusterman. I could be read this book forever and never get sick of it.