By Laura Martens
Reading is one of the best ways to gain knowledge on experiences you would not otherwise have. Viewing things through different eyes makes you a more well-rounded and empathetic person. These seven books each hold a unique message that will stick with you and change your perspective on the world long after you finish reading them:
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The novel We Were Liars follows the Sinclair family (grandparents Tipper and Harris, their three daughters, and seven grandchildren) who spend every summer together on Beachwood, their private island just off the coast of Massachusetts. It is narrated by Cadence, one of the three oldest grandchildren called the Liars. At the end of the summer when Cady and the Liars were 16, she had a terrible accident that put her in a short coma and caused her to lose her memory of the accident. The novel follows 18-year-old Cady who is still struggling with the effects of her accident but cannot remember what caused it; despite the trauma she is processing, she is pressured by her mom to keep up the family’s perfect image. Throughout the book, Cady recalls the events leading up to her accident while her memory slowly pieces back together; at the end of the story, the truth is revealed and causes a major plot twist that changes the reader’s perspective on the entire novel.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This Young Adult novel is told through a series of narrations and journal entries by Pippa Fitz-Amobi. Pip is a High School senior who is doing her capstone project on a local mystery that still haunts her town. Five years ago, 17-year-old Andie Bell was seen on camera driving away from her house in her car and was never seen again; her car was found on the side of a remote road with her blood in the trunk. Besides the small amount of blood in the trunk, there is no evidence proving that Andie is dead, but that does not stop the town from saying that Andie’s boyfriend, Sal Sigh, murdered her. Sal had an alibi for the time she disappeared until his friends turned on him. They told the police that they had initially lied to protect Sal and they didn’t know where he was when she disappeared. The next day, Sal was found dead in the woods behind his house; he had died of a drug overdose and the police ruled it a suicide. Everyone assumed that Sal killed Andie, hid her body, and then killed himself out of guilt. But Pip is still bothered by all the holes in the case; for instance, the fact that they still have not found Andie’s body. Pip teams up with Sal’s brother, Ravi, to prove Sal’s innocence and find the real killer.
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
Eden McCrorey used to be a typical happy, book-loving teenage girl until the beginning of her freshman year of high school when her brother’s best friend rapes her in her own bed. This traumatic event alters Eden’s perspective of the world and her self-worth, but she never tells anyone what happened because she worries no one will believe her. The novel is told in four parts that focus on her four years of high school as she grows increasingly rebellious and struggles to maintain good relationships. The Way I Used to Be is an inspiring story that shows survival as a long, confusing process but also shows the importance of opening up about your trauma and not letting it completely define you.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Liz Buxbaum is a hopeless romantic; she knows everything there is to know about Rom-coms but has never been in a relationship herself. No one has ever seemed good enough to give her the movie-worthy love she dreams of, that is until her childhood crush, Micheal, moves back to town. Liz is determined to get Micheal to fall in love with her but she needs some help. Wes Bennet is Micheal’s best friend and Liz’s pestering neighbor, but she decides to arrange a deal with him; he helps her stand out to Micheal and she lets him take the good parking spot in front of their houses that they’ve been fighting over since they started driving. Wes and Liz start planning to get her around Micheal, but Liz is feeling something unexpected; she is looking forward to her time with Wes. He is protective and funny, and his sarcastic jokes are becoming more cute than annoying. Liz only made a deal with Wes because she wanted to get close to Micheal, but her newfound feelings have her questioning what she really wants.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles is a retelling of Homer’s The Iliad from the perspective of Patroclus, the closest companion of Achilles. They met as boys when Patroclus was exiled to Achilles’s father’s kingdom and Achilles chose Patroclus to be his companion out of the many boys his father had adopted. The novel follows the young men on their journey to Mount Othrys where they are taught by a centaur all the way to their joining of the Trojan War. Achilles and Patroclus remain loyal to each other despite all the forces that try to tear them apart. Even when they are separated by fate, they are connected by love.
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
17-year-old Cassie Hobbs has a natural ability to profile people; she can look at something as small as their clothing choices and make assumptions about their personalities. The FBI recruits Cassie along with four other teenagers with unique abilities to help them solve cold cases. Just when Cassie gets comfortable and thinks she’s found a place where she belongs, she is contacted by her mother’s killer. She had promised to not use her place in the FBI to dig into the case, but she no longer has a choice now that her life is being threatened.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In 1950’s Hollywood, everyone is beautiful and glamorous and Evelyn Hugo is one of the biggest actresses in the film industry. She is known for her bright blonde hair and ravishing good looks, but most of all, her 7 marriages. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction novel packed with drama that will keep you hooked through every page. It also explores the sad yet very realistic truths about the struggles female actresses faced during that time and the secrets celebrities had to carefully hide from the public. The novel opens nearly 70 years after the height of Evelyn’s career. She has barely been seen in public since the death of her daughter, Conner Cameron, and she has certainly never agreed to any interviews. That is until struggling journalist Monique Grant is given the news that Evelyn Hugo has agreed to a tell-all biography, but only if Monique is the one to write it. Monique is in utter disbelief that Evelyn Hugo even knows she exists, but knows this opportunity is way too big to pass up. So, despite her confusion, Monique agrees to sit down with Evelyn in her New York City apartment and conduct a series of interviews that will reveal every secret Evelyn hid for the sake of her career. Throughout these interviews, Monique hopes to find an answer to the biggest question people have about Evelyn Hugo: Out of her seven husbands, who was the true love of her life?
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