A classic novel about the "American Dream," and the qualms of social classes, this 1925 based story is centered around four main characters. Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy and Tom Buchanan. This novel was written in a way, where all four of these characters come from different social classes and walks of life. We are given insight into the personal lives, fears, and secrets that each of these characters carries with them, and as we slowly begin to know all of these characters' stories, Fitzgerald immediately throws us for a loop. The Great Gatsby unearths every little dirty secret every character in this novel hides and turns all of our familiar characters into something much more sinister. The Great Gatsby speaks volumes on the importance and issues of social classes, and the so-called "American Dream." All in all, a highly renowned classic, The Great Gatsby lives up to its fame and delivers beautifully written lines and shocking twists.

Reviewer Grade: 11

In William Golding’s allegory, Lord of the Flies, he tries to prove the point that humans are bad, and need to learn how to be good. This book was written soon after World War 2, so it makes sense that he believes this. He does a very good job of proving his point with the characters for example.
The first character I will be talking about is Ralph. In the beginning of the story Ralph is happy that there are no adults on the island, and he messes around. Eventually, Ralph is elected leader by the other kids on the island. He is a good leader, and he is the primary representation of order, civilization, and productive leadership.
The other character I want to talk about is Jack. Jack wants to be leader as well, but gets out voted by Ralph. Although Jack isn’t the primary leader of the boys, he gets to be leader of the hunt. On a hunt he has an opportunity to kill a baby pig, but he decides not to. After this he started only caring about killing this pig and Ralph was sick and tired of it. Jack even decides to break off from the group to start his own. Almost everybody joins Jack, but Jack was a terrible leader. He only cared about having fun, not about survival. Jack represents the chaos in people.
Overall, William Golding does a very good job using this book as an allegory. The characters are very well written to fit the ideas he was going for. My favorite is Jack, because of his development throughout the entire book. Although Jack is the antagonist of the story, I still like how he represents the craziness in the world.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri is a story about a young orphan girl who is sent to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. This story was very enjoyable and enchanting to read, and I particularly liked reading about the day-to-day activities that occurred in the Alps, and the people who Heidi met. I loved the mountain setting of the novel, and it made the story feel very cozy and lovely. The bonds that Heidi made with her cranky grandfather, and many other friends she made in the mountain were very heart-warming and wholesome to read about. Even though this novel is labeled as a children's story, the novel had some valuable morals littered throughout it, and in my opinion, the plot could be easily enjoyed by all ages. I'd recommend this classic to anyone who likes an easy, but heartwarming read.

Reviewer Grade: 11

If you're looking for an awesome book that makes you truly fall in love with its characters, you've found the right novel with The Outsiders! Meet Ponyboy, a greaser living in 1950s Tulsa, Oklahoma with his two brothers: Sodapop and Darry and all of his friends including troublemaker Dallas Winston and his best friend, Johnny Cade. The boys are all stuck in an intense turf war with the richer kids also known as the Socs, but will they find a way out of the intensity or will life only get rougher for them? I absolutely loved the characters in this book, you will grow to love their fun personalities and their strong bond, showing that family is not just connected by blood but by love. I also enjoy how this book focuses a lot on the differences economically during this time, showing that the 50s weren't just poodle skirts and milkshakes, but also difficult for those who couldn't afford to be rich. If you want a book that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wanting more, don't overlook the Outsiders for a minute.

Reviewer Grade: Senior/12th

The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas is a fantastic whirl-wind of unforgettable characters and interweaving story-lines that left me awestruck and yearning for an even deeper glimpse into this world of treachery, romance, adventure, and mystery. This book is as deceivingly witty as it is over-flowing charisma and has nestled its way to a special place in my heart as one of my favorite novels of all time.

The novel starts out with a scenic over-look of an Italian waterway in Marseilles as it carries along a lofty ship named Pharaon with one passenger in particular who is unlike any other named Edmond Dantès. A dashing young and honest man dawning with potential who has just returned with news that will change the course of his life, and the lives of many others, forever. He is falsely accused of traitorous activity and is sentenced to life on a prison located on an island off the coasts of Marseilles forcing him to leave behind his family, his friends, and the love of his life Mercédès. This marvelous tale unfolds within the walls of this prison and among its outer-walls as Dantès attempts to make a dashing escape with a kind mannered preacher. But, this is only the beginning of his tale. As the life of Dantès unfolds, so does the life of the many others who have been lucky enough to fall into his life.

This novel is truly unforgettable as it follows not only the life of Edmond Dantès, but also the lives of his lover, best friend, family, and even his partners from his shipping company. Filled to the brim with treacherous plots, revenge, heartache, mystery, and pirating; it also contains young love, faith that knows no bounds, and families filled with the knowledge that blood truly is thicker than water.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to fall in love with not only a menagerie of unforgettable characters, but to a reader who is looking to fall head-first into a world that they will find themselves cherishing forever. Many blessings and happy reading : ),

Reviewer Grade Level 11.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, an American classic, is one that rightfully deserves all of its fame. A coming of age story that follows four sisters living in poverty, I truly enjoy stories such as these, that slowly follow a "true to life" plot. I love how this novel unraveled each sister as a 3d character and worked through small, but super realistic day-to-day conflicts, while also addressing large societal issues at the time. Published in 1868, I enjoyed the issues this novel shed light on during those times, especially concerning stereotypes and the rights of women. Not being too preachy and upfront about these issues, I enjoyed how gracefully Alcott addressed these conflicts, utilizing the plot to weave these issues into, making the messages pack much more of a punch. Comparing this novel to other classics, however, I'd say that Little Women is not a very difficult read, and the novel is fairly simple to digest, which is something that I enjoy, especially in classics. I would recommend this novel to anyone since it's pretty much a globally known piece, and I think that every message in this novel holds value and merit to life now, as well as it did back then.

Reviewer Grade: 11

The dynamic duo, Frank and Joe Hardy are camping in the woods with their friends while also trying to help their father find some information from a man named Mike Onslow that has to do with their father's new case. One evening, they get a call at the local hotel from their father's friend, Hank Shale, who their father is supposed to be staying with in Lucky Lode, Montana. Their father was supposed to be hunting a band of dangerous criminals, Black Pepper and his gang, but Hank Shale, or whoever it was, said that their father was in trouble, and they needed to get to Lucky Lode as fast as they could. The boys decided that they needed to fly to Montana to help their father and are going to attempt to catch a flight to the west in the morning, but first they stumble upon Mike Onslow in the woods finding him injured with a bullet in his leg. They help nurse him to better health and he tells them about his encounter with Black Pepper and his gang. He and three of his other partners are surrounded by Black Pepper and his gang after they had struck it rich. One of them managed to get away with the gold and promised to meet them and split the gold. The guy never showed up and they never heard "hide nor hair" of him ever again. Along with this useful bit of information, he gave them the most probable area for Black Pepper and his gang in Montana. The next morning, they depart, but everything is not as it seems. On one of their airplanes stops, they are kidnapped, and have to escape so they don't miss their flight, and when they arrive in Lucky Lode, they are ambushed again by a shotgun that was booby-trapped on the helicopter that they had to take instead of a plane to get to the small town. There is definite foul play going on and this is only the beginning. From Timberwolves and a cave in, to piano-playing ghosts this book is an amazing puzzle that allows the reader to wonder how the mystery to be solved.

I liked this book because of the reason mentioned above and because the final ending of the book puts the puzzle pieces together in one of the most astonishing ways that I have ever read. I first picked this book for a book report in the 4th grade, and it created such a lasting impression on me that I have read it over and over. The thing that I enjoyed the least about this book was the fact that it felt short. I kind of wish that the story was extended a little and there were a few more key details. I remember when I was first reading the book it was the complete opposite of predictable. The plot twisted and turned in so many directions and I love it for that. I sadly couldn't really relate to any of the characters in this book besides one of them that was only at the beginning, Chet Morton. The only reason I do is because I share the same like of food that he has. This is one of the best books I read in that year that I read it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good and high stakes mystery.

Reviewer Grade: 8

Dune is a sci-fi series written by Frank Herbert depicting detailed politics with twists and turns. The first one begins with the story of a boy called Paul, the son of a duke. His journey begins on Arrakis, a desert planet filled with a valuable resource called spice. When the duke’s palace is attacked, Paul must flee and find refuge in the desert. This book was entertaining for me, but it goes a little heavy into politics and there are a lot of things you need to pay attention to in order to understand the story. I lost interest in the overall series after the first 4 books as it just gets so weird with mystical stuff in the world. The genre it fits into is not scifi, but a mix between fantasy and scifi.

Passing by Nella Larsen is a classic novel following Irene Redfield and Clare Bellew. The novel follows the timeline of the Harlem Renaissance and delves into themes of 'white-passing' amongst the black community.
Irene, the narrator of the novel considers herself to be a very levelheaded, calm, thoughtful woman, who looks out for her children and is a perfectly attentive wife. Clare Bellew on the other hand is Irene's childhood friend, and her personality is much more colorful than Irene's. When Irene and Clare reunite after many years, we delve into their complicated relationship and clashing personalities.
Passing is a novel that illustrates what the standards of beauty really are and educates readers on the logistics of what passing of as white can mean for a black woman back in the 1920s.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, as 'white-passing' was something I wasn't super aware of, and barely even knew it was a phenomenon in the 1900s. Larsen also created a very interesting dynamic between Irene and Clare and crafted very realistic characters. I enjoyed reading Irene's inner monologues, as it's pretty rare to see an author build up very dynamic characters, that are also painfully human. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, as it contained lots of powerful messages and themes, without coming off as cliche or overdone.

Reviewer Grade: 11

The Phantom of Opera by Gaston Leroux is actually a simple classic novel that is really beautiful yet an extremely compelling story in itself. As the very name suggests the book is about a Parisian Opera (Opera in Paris), that is apparently Haunted by an alluring and a mysterious Phantom.

The worst part is that the Phantom eventually falls in love with a soprano Christine Daaè which in the end causes a lot of trouble for the Parisian Opera House.

Anyhow let's get back to this book review. Though the story is actually all about romance and mystery it is also full of obsession and suspense. The book is a classic literature and a bit Broadway musical genre, it is perhaps not bad to say that the book is filled with a lot of suspense and almost an indefinite thought provoking moments that some would find very interesting, when some would find it awkward.

Even though the story itself does go deep into the Christine's childhood and the Phantoms backstory what we really enjoyed is the psychological aspect and angle of it. So, a lot of thrilling moments that will literally nail you to your stool or a bed while you read it.