Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!
Dear readers,
I have never imagined writing a review about books I read for school but the novels we discussed in my 9th grade Honors English class were some of the most thought-provoking pieces of literature that I have ever read. These books questioned my views of the world in such an eye-opening way that I feel like I must recommend them. For that reason, I would like to present to you, Educated by Tara Westover, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Educated by Tara Westover
This transformative and awe-inspiring novel was our summer assignment and I was truly blown away by how it challenged my views on American childhood and parental influence. Educated is a moving autobiography that follows main character Tara through her journey as she grows up in a family that is isolated from most of the world and its culture. Her father doesn’t believe in public schools or the government so Tara mostly stays in her house and blindly follows what her parents say. When Tyler, one of her older brothers, sneaks out to go to college against their parents’ wishes, Tara starts to see that there are opportunities beyond the mountain where her family lives. When family members get injured at her dad’s junkyard, she no longer thinks it is a coincidence or tragic accident, but looks deeper, realizing how careless and dangerous her father is. But when she raises her concerns to her mother, including how her brother Shane is abusing her, her mom calls her crazy, making Tara struggle to trust herself and her memories. Educated is truly a story of resilience and Tara paving her own path, even when it seems impossible. I found her story incredibly inspiring and a definite must read if you are looking for a shocking and thought-provoking book! I often found myself wondering about the impact of childhood on one’s future self and other deep questions. While this was a book that I had to read for my freshman year of high school, which usually dampens my enjoyment, I still loved it and can confidently say that Educated is by far the best book I have ever read for school! It is also important to note that Educated is an adult book and has difficult topics including domestic abuse, traumatic injuries and grieving the death of a loved one.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird touches on topics of systemic racism, making assumptions based on false information, code switching to fit in, and how young people’s views are shaped by what their parents believe. Scout Finch is eight years old when the novel begins and lives in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Her father Atticus is a lawyer and believes in civil justice and equality, which is why he takes up Tom Robinson’s case. Tom Robinson is being put on trial for attacking and raping Mayella Ewell, a white young lady. Being a black man in the 30’s meant that he was ready for his case not to be taken seriously but Atticus made it his mission to represent Tom fairly. The events of the court case challenge Scout and her brother’s views on the court system and open their eyes to the injustices of the world. A side plot that continues this transformation is Scout and her brother’s fascination with Boo Radley, a mysterious man who never leaves his house. Based on the little information they know about him, they taunt and mock him, which makes them feel ashamed when they grow up and realize most of Boo Radley’s character was a myth. To Kill a Mockingbird pleasantly surprised me by showing the issues of racism in the segregated South while still being a fun and entertaining read!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This was our final book of the semester and we actually did a project comparing this novel to To Kill a Mockingbird which I found quite interesting. The Hate U Give portrays the racial injustices viewed in To Kill a Mockingbird in a more modern and fast-paced novel. Starr lives in Garden Heights, a black community riddled with gang violence while she goes to school at Williamson, a white private high school. The different nature of these environments forces Starr into code switching, acting more polite and guarded at school and laid back at home. Starr tries very hard to keep her two personalities separate, meaning that her best friends at school never hear that she was in the car the night Khalil died. Starr and Khalil hadn’t seen each other in a long time when they met at a party to catch up. Shots started firing and they escaped in Khalil’s car, but not for long as they were soon pulled over by a white cop. As soon as Khalil made one sudden, nonaggressive move, he was shot dead. All Starr could do was stare in shock and stay still as the officer’s gun was now pointed at her. This moment brought her back to when she was ten years old and her friend Natasha had just been killed in a drive-by shooting while they were playing together. As news spreads about Khalil’s death, it becomes harder and harder to hide the truth about her involvement, but doing so would make her peers at school pity her, and she would never be the same. Her white boyfriend Chris becomes increasingly worried about her distant behavior but Starr can’t bear to tell him what she has faced. All these storylines weave together to create a powerful story about identity and racism, making for a compelling read!
Thank you so much for reading, enjoy!
**Thanks so much, Sofia!**