Teen Book Reviews: Summer 2023 page 2
Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth by Hermann Hesse
Review by A.N.
This book leads the audience through the journey of protagonist Sinclair, from his childhood to youth. It is the type of book that causes the reader to reflect and think. I expect anyone who reads this would most likely relate to Sinclair, who learns what it means to grow up. As Sinclair grows, he acknowledges that he has desires that contradict the rules with which he has been raised. Throughout the novel, Sinclair is described as torn between two worlds—"world of light" and "world of illusion." Sinclair feels torn because one side is a good family and the other side represents the dark world, where all the evils like alcohol, murder, and sex takes place. The novel portrays the existential doubts that define an individual and the contentious issues between good and evil. In fact, most people even doubt themselves whether the path they're walking is the right one. And there is a character, Demian, who is described as Sinclair's lifelong guide and a spiritual mentor. Perhaps, Demian is meant to symbolize one's inner voice that helps the person find the right self to his unique destiny. I found this book interesting in terms of the spiritual and psychological, and certainly, I recommend this book to anyone curious about mental well-being. It's a short book with only 8 chapters, yet its depth is mesmerizing. It's a powerful story because it proposes so much hope for the audience, for new ideas and new paths.
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Review by Levi
I think you will really enjoy The Red Pyramid, the first book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. It is a fascinating new entry into the Percy Jackson universe because instead of only one main character, there are two: Carter and Sadie. I really like that because it provides more perspectives which is a good twist on the tried and true formula. The book starts out with the two main characters who are also siblings who watch their father summon gods from the Rosetta Stone in a Museum in London, only for their father to be kidnapped by the evil god Set and trapped in a coffin. Then they meet their mysterious uncle Amos who brings them to his mansion, which kickstarts the rest of the events of the book. The book takes you for a wild ride with spirits, transforming cat guardians, and a super-smart birdman. This is all in front of the wondrous backdrop of ancient Egyptian mythology. Riordan truly does his due diligence with the level of research he does into each different pantheon of gods and monsters he writes a series about. You can expect the same level of expertise in this book, and will surely learn more about a fascinating type of mythology that you probably haven't delved deep in before. To conclude my review, I have no regrets in reading this amazing novel and I'm sure you won't either. I would rate the book as an 8/10, and would especially recommend it to any fans of Percy Jackson or Magnus Chase.
Death in Her Hands by Otessa Moshfegh
Review by Anon.
Truth is only consistent in its being relative. The reason its edges are blurred so frequently and often disastrously is because they aren’t finite. With this in mind, one can greater understand the jaded, twisting story of Death in Her Hands, a surrealist tale of psychological deception and the fog of certainty rapidly, and almost absent-mindedly, dissipating. Vesta Gul, a lonely old woman with no companion aside from her dog, happens upon a dramatic note, declaring a murder and a mystery to accompany it, lying in wait while she is on her daily walk. Rattled and in confused disbelief, she stands in a forest that has suddenly become haunting rather than familiar, waiting to understand the inscrutable situation. After a drab and loveless life, she endeavors deep into the bounds of her own sheltered mind, taking the little she finds tangibly and developing a richly disturbing story linking all ‘clues’ together. Strangely, it seems that her unreliability as a narrator may not be as disreputable as thought, real life supposedly echoing all the analyzed perceptions Vesta has compiled. Without other outlets for thought or emotion, an extreme and compulsive attachment forms, turning a piece of paper into a livelihood and an escape. Time goes on and madness grasps the handle she had on reason, tormenting her with disillusion and aching, isolating singularity. Cutting and brash as is her style, the author, Ottessa Moshfegh, paints an intense picture of the effects seclusion can have on individual discernment, demented insight, and every other variation of a descent to delusion with no path to return to what is true. Freshly original as always, Moshfegh draws light images connected to captivating shadows, creating a result of brilliant intrigue.