Book Reviews by Eliza Roesler
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
I thought that this book was fantastic. It was relatable, it wasn’t too lengthy, it had a good plot, and it was a good read overall. One exceptional part of the book was the whole bit about his sister. He talks about how much he loves his little sister and when she tries to run away with him, he stops her, and for the first time in the book, he acts like an adult. I also really felt like I was on a similar journey, that of growing up. The first person narration really puts you in his head, and I felt I really knew him by the end. The one thing that could’ve been better was the ending. It made me sad the way they cut it off, and I think it could have been done better.
4.5/5 Stars
Q & A by Vikas Swarup
This was a very interesting book. I didn’t really like it though. It had a lot of flashbacks, and even though it added to the plot, it was a little confusing. I have seen the movie version, and I really thought that it was better. The plot was definitely original, but I thought it was a little too in depth and that the character was somewhat emotionless. I think that the author could have improved in that part; I mean, the man was getting tortured and he didn’t seem to care! Overall, the book was interesting, but I would probably not recommend it to a friend.
3/5 Stars
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Atonement was, all in all, an intriguing book. However, it was a pretty hard read, considering its extensive vocabulary and complicated grammar. The setting, in the 1900’s, was pretty interesting, and Briony was a very complex and relatable character, for me. The fact that her imagination and her writing were wild enough to get a man arrested and ruin two people’s lives was riveting. And also the melancholic ending in which neither Cecilia nor Robbie die, alone heartbroken, and heavyhearted. You find this out in part four, when Briony is an old woman, and is explaining her book, revealing that it was indeed untruthful in the ending (she lied that Robbie and Cecilia found each other again), but that probably never saw each other again.
4/5 Stars
I thought that this book was fantastic. It was relatable, it wasn’t too lengthy, it had a good plot, and it was a good read overall. One exceptional part of the book was the whole bit about his sister. He talks about how much he loves his little sister and when she tries to run away with him, he stops her, and for the first time in the book, he acts like an adult. I also really felt like I was on a similar journey, that of growing up. The first person narration really puts you in his head, and I felt I really knew him by the end. The one thing that could’ve been better was the ending. It made me sad the way they cut it off, and I think it could have been done better.
4.5/5 Stars
Q & A by Vikas Swarup
This was a very interesting book. I didn’t really like it though. It had a lot of flashbacks, and even though it added to the plot, it was a little confusing. I have seen the movie version, and I really thought that it was better. The plot was definitely original, but I thought it was a little too in depth and that the character was somewhat emotionless. I think that the author could have improved in that part; I mean, the man was getting tortured and he didn’t seem to care! Overall, the book was interesting, but I would probably not recommend it to a friend.
3/5 Stars
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Atonement was, all in all, an intriguing book. However, it was a pretty hard read, considering its extensive vocabulary and complicated grammar. The setting, in the 1900’s, was pretty interesting, and Briony was a very complex and relatable character, for me. The fact that her imagination and her writing were wild enough to get a man arrested and ruin two people’s lives was riveting. And also the melancholic ending in which neither Cecilia nor Robbie die, alone heartbroken, and heavyhearted. You find this out in part four, when Briony is an old woman, and is explaining her book, revealing that it was indeed untruthful in the ending (she lied that Robbie and Cecilia found each other again), but that probably never saw each other again.
4/5 Stars