At the time I read this book, it was one of those times where this is exactly what I needed to
read. Going through the story of Esther’s intense breakdown and insanity in a way that becomes
so rational and real, to her as a character and to me as a reader. It follows her dark feelings as
well as the brighter ones of her psyche. I was so drawn to this book, having finished it in about 3
days. I’ve never been into classics but I was pleasantly surprised with how this one was written,
It follows the four Mirabal sisters who were very different from each other, but have the desire
for change in common. In a time of dictatorship and uncertainty, they found the courage to start a
revolution. Despite the risk of being imprisoned or killed by Trujillo, the dictator in the
Dominican Republic in the mid 1900’s. The Mirabal sisters have left a lasting impact on people
to this day including the importance of speaking out against repression, which is apparent in
Rating: 4 My rating for this book is a 4 because the book has a great plotline. The only reason his is not a 5 is because it can get confusing at times.
Agnes lives happily in Red Creek. She likes the people, the tasks, the Prophet, the God, everything. But Agnes is a sinner. She makes contact with the Outside to treat her little brother of his diabetes. But it’s through this contact with the Outside that Agnes realizes that Red Creek isn’t perfect. That’s when everything starts to go wrong. Stuck between a religious cult and a global pandemic Agnes must fight to stay alive.
The United States gets replaced by the Republic of Gilead and the reproduction rates are super low. To combat this Handmaids are assigned to bear the children of elite couples. The story follows a handmaid assigned the name Offred. Her rights are heavily restricted and stripped of her old life. As the story goes on we meet the handmaids that are a part of a group to try and escape. Although escaping isn’t that easy in Gilead. There are guards and strict rules and punishments and it is too risky to be so reckless.
Kim Jiyoung is a novella detailing the discrimination South Korean women face at school, the workplace, and in their personal lives. The book is written as if you are Kim Jiyoung’s psychologist, listening to her recount her life after her psychic deterioration. Interspersed with personal stories are statistics detailing how common her experiences are – just like the name Kim Jiyoung was the most common name for Korean baby girls in 1982.
Squad is about Becca, a new student at Piedmont High who’s always been a weirdo. However, after she gets invited into the biggest clique at school, she gets everything she wants. Becca has new friends, new clothes, and a new start. There’s only one problem: they’re all werewolves, who prey on predatory boys. And when she’s let into the pack, and a boy dies, things get complicated.
Rules For Being a Girl is about a girl in high school named Marin who is a steady rule-follower with big dreams. Marin has a teacher named Mr. Beckett that admires her rule-following and creates an unprofessional relationship with her that leads to Marin being assaulted.
In this collection of eight short stories, author Carmen Maria Machado explores the lives of women through a journey into psychological realism, fantasy, horror, and more. In “The Husband Stitch”, a husband attempts to remove the green ribbon tied around his wife’s neck — her only secret. In “The Resident”, a writer has trouble reckoning with her childhood trauma while vacationing in isolation at an artists’ retreat. In “Especially Heinous”, the show Law and Order: SVU is reimagined with doppelgängers, insanity, and the ghosts of raped and murdered girls.
Circe by Madeline Miller is an epic that follows the trials and triumphs of the Witch of Aiaia and Daughter of Helios, Circe. Written from Circe’s perspective in the form of a flashback, the novel begins with Circe’s birth into an immortal family, one with which despises her and with which she doesn’t fit into. After discovering her talent for Pharmakeia--or witchcraft--and using it to transform her mortal love interest and a fellow nymph into different forms, Zeus and Helios exile Circe to the island of Aiaia.
