Teen Book Reviews: Spring 2023 page 2
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Review by Anon
Escapism is one of the pinnacles found in the human experience, whether it’s done through others or what they have created, and there is no form of art that acknowledges this as fiction does. Thematically, characters in books use some alternate world as a refuge, and this novel is a show of enduring things, both real ones and illusions. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a paralleled story that logs relational complexity and the fervorous passion behind every creative project and partnership. Centering on the connection between Sam and Sadie, gamers with decades of history, author Gabrielle Zevin studies knowing someone intimately and openly, coexisting with them and ingraining bits of their souls into yours. The unique obstacles faced by the pair begins a tradition of miscommunication and defensive secrets. Years after their first falling out, Sam and Sadie are on a subway platform in Harvard when their reunion with each other sparks a leap of great emotional and geographical distance to collaboration that solidifies a bond with many cracks. A combined pioneering spirit transpires to develop original video games which bring success to the pair and all those who worked alongside them. When the structural integrity of the projects and personal conflicts at hand is tested by the flaws rooted in mistakes of the past, years of buried and unsaid burdens gradually cause the carefully constructed facades to falter. Reading this story brings about extensive connection to the world around you by pushing and pulling on your own anthropic understanding like a tide of humanity’s essence. Though the genres this book falls under are typically ones of moderately predictable simplicity, this novel is a defiant study of identity that uses the impossibly strong force of empathy to involve every reader that comes across it.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Review by Aurora I.
The Mysterious Benedict Society is an amazing children’s book written by Trenton Lee Stewart. As the name suggests it is a mystery novel. It is about a group of unwanted but gifted children who all end up being chosen by Nathan Benedict to save the world from his long lost twin brother Ledroptha Benedict. These children must infiltrate his school to stop him from brainwashing the whole world through television. This book has many puzzles and mind games that will engage the reader. It is an interactive book that has a complicated plot that is always keeping the reader on their toes. It is very unpredictable and has many great plot twists. Although this is a children’s book, I would recommend it to anyone regardless of age. The plot is so interesting and so complex that even adults will find the book intriguing and will find that they can’t put it down. If you like this book it is the first part of a series of 5 books.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Review by A.N.
This book contemplates what it means to be normal. One of the most bizarre characters I have witnessed, Keiko Furikami, reflects on people masking themselves as her persona is built from other people. Although she graduates with a degree, she finds herself most comfortable within the rules and bounds of a convenience store. The woman does her best to emulate the dress, mannerisms, and mode of speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a ""normal"" person excellently, more or less. At 36, Keiko is very happy in her life, her family pressures her to settle down with a man and to find a proper profession. This in fact is a typical rule for Asian women that they should marry at a certain age. I love how this quiet story is about society's pressure for individuals to adhere to. The first-person narration worked beautifully as it gives the reader the opportunity to see life and people through Keiko's slanted views, and sometimes it's very stripped back and deceptively simple as it critiques the world through her eyes without seeming to decry. Her sincere efforts to accommodate society's expectations indeed lead to outlandish situations that make a fun read!