To kill a mockingbird
Harper Lee
2006
ISBN: 9780061120084
A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, Scout, as her father, Atticus Finch, a crusading local lawyer, risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
"To Kill a Mockingbird," written by Harper Lee, is set in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. The story is narrated by Scout Finch, a young girl whose father, Atticus Finch, is an ethical lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Through Scout's eyes, the novel explores themes of racism, morality, and empathy. As tensions rise in the community, Scout and her brother Jem learn valuable lessons about justice, innocence, and human behavior. The book highlights the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of prejudice.
Ready player one
Ernest Cline
2011
ISBN: 9780307887436
"An exuberantly realized, exciting, and sweet-natured cyber-quest. Cline's imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe."--Booklist, starred review.
Reviewed by Charlotte W. High School
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was a very interesting book to read. It’s about a virtual reality world that was created for the purpose of escaping the bleak outside world, focusing on a teenager named Wade Watts. I love books with good world-building, and the vast amount of planets and cities that were described in great detail made it a very interesting read. The protagonists had relatable personalities, interesting arcs as well as complex relationships with each other that made the story progress more smoothly. As for the antagonists, Cline makes it very easy to dislike them, which can be good for writing about any antagonist.
Gone girl : a novel
Gillian Flynn
2012
ISBN: 9780307588364
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from police and the media -- as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents -- the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter -- but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they really know the one they love.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
Gone Girl is a psychological thriller that delves into the toxic marriage between Amy and Nick, following Amy's mysterious disappearance. Flynn expertly plays with unreliable narrators, dark twists, and a chilling portrayal of manipulation and deceit. The tension builds throughout, leaving readers questioning every character’s motives. While the pacing is sharp and the twists shocking, some may find the characters too unsympathetic or the plot overly bleak. Nevertheless, it’s a gripping, unsettling exploration of marriage, media influence, and hidden facades, perfect for those who enjoy dark, psychological narratives.
You : a novel
Caroline Kepnes
2014
ISBN: 9781476785592
"Love hurts... When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe works, he's instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: She's gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams. Beck doesn't know it yet, but she's perfect for him, and soon she can't resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. But there's more to Joe than Beck realizes, and much more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect facade. Their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences. A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes's You is a perversely romantic thriller that's more dangerously clever than any you've read before"-- Provided by publisher.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
You is a disturbing psychological thriller told from the perspective of Joe, a bookstore manager who becomes obsessed with a customer. The novel’s unsettling tone stems from Joe’s warped view of reality and his manipulative, stalker-like behavior. Kepnes effectively blurs the line between love and obsession, drawing readers into Joe’s disturbing inner world. Some may find the book uncomfortable due to its intimate portrayal of predatory behavior, but it’s a compelling character study for fans of dark thrillers. The fast-paced, creepy narrative grips the reader, but the protagonist’s unsettling perspective isn’t for everyone.
American psycho : a novel
by Bret Easton Ellis
1991
ISBN: 9780679735779
In a black satire of the eighties, a decade of naked greed and unparalleled callousness, a successful Wall Street yuppie cannot get enough of anything, including murder. Now a major motion picture from Lion's Gate Films, released Spring 2000, starring Christian Bale (Metroland), Chloe Sevigny (The Last Days of Disco), Jared Leto (My So Called Life), and Reese Witherspoon (Cruel Intentions), and directed by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol). In American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or any other. Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, Bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day, while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker who indulges in violent and sadistic fantasies. The novel’s cold, detached tone mirrors Bateman’s sociopathic personality, making it a disturbing exploration of consumerism, identity, and moral decay. The graphic violence and explicit content can be overwhelming, making it difficult for some readers to digest. Ellis’ critique of 1980s materialism and alienation is thought-provoking but not for the faint-hearted. Its blend of horror and satire creates an unsettling narrative, but the graphic nature may alienate some readers, leaving others questioning the line between horror and shock value.
The girl next door
Jack Ketchum
2015
ISBN: 9781503950566
Slowly being tortured to death by their aunt, whose madness is infecting the entire neighborhood, Meg and her crippled sister, Susan, find themselves at the mercy of a troubled boy who can either end their misery or be their salvation.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
This harrowing novel is based on a true crime story and centers on the horrific abuse of a teenage girl at the hands of her caretaker and local children. Jack Ketchum’s stark, unflinching writing makes the violence and torture deeply disturbing. The book’s exploration of cruelty, mob mentality, and innocence lost makes it a painful, unsettling read. Some readers may find the graphic depictions of abuse too much to handle, but its emotional weight and dark, realistic portrayal of evil leave a lasting impact. It’s an extremely uncomfortable, yet powerful read for those who can stomach it.
We have always lived in the castle
Shirley Jackson ; introduction by Jonathan Lethem
2006
ISBN: 9780143039976
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a gothic, unsettling novel about two sisters, Merricat and Constance, who live in isolation after the mysterious death of their family. Jackson masterfully builds a sense of claustrophobic tension, with an eerie atmosphere that makes readers question what’s real and what’s imagined. The unreliable narration from Merricat adds to the novel’s unsettling nature. Though the pacing can be slow, the creeping psychological horror and themes of madness and isolation make it an unnerving, thought-provoking read, ideal for fans of gothic fiction.
Bird box
Josh Malerman
2014
ISBN: 9780062259653
Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from. Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat -- blindfolded -- with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
In Bird Box, an unseen force drives people to commit suicide upon seeing it, and the story follows a woman named Malorie trying to survive in this terrifying new world. Malerman’s novel creates an intense atmosphere of dread, with tension building as the characters must navigate a world without sight. The premise is unique and unsettling, and the pacing is fast. Some readers might feel the character development is thin or the ending rushed, but the novel’s ability to sustain tension and horror without relying on visual descriptions makes it a chilling read.
Sharp objects : a novel
Gillian Flynn
2006
ISBN: 9780307341549
Returning to her hometown after an eight-year absence to investigate the murders of two girls, reporter Camille Preaker is reunited with her neurotic mother and enigmatic, thirteen-year-old half-sister as she works to uncover the truth about the killings.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects follows Camille, a reporter returning to her hometown to cover a series of murders. Flynn’s writing is gritty, and the novel delves into dark themes of family trauma, self-harm, and mental illness. The unsettling tone is amplified by the small-town setting and the twisted dynamics between the characters. Flynn excels at creating deeply flawed, troubled protagonists, and Camille’s psychological unraveling adds to the dark atmosphere. While the book’s intensity can be overwhelming, its sharp plot twists and disturbing themes make it a gripping, if unsettling, psychological thriller.
The only good Indians : a novel
Stephen Graham Jones
2020
ISBN: 9781982136451
"Peter Straub's Ghost Story meets Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies in this American Indian horror story of revenge on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Four American Indian men from the Blackfeet Nation, who were childhood friends, find themselves in a desperate struggle for their lives, against an entity that wants to exact revenge upon them for what they did during an elk hunt ten years earlier by killing them, their families, and friends."--Provided by publisher.
Reviewed by O'ryon H. 11th Grade
This horror novel follows four Native American men as they are haunted by an event from their youth involving the killing of elk. Stephen Graham Jones blends psychological horror with cultural themes, creating a novel that’s both unsettling and thought-provoking. The slow-burn tension builds into a terrifying climax, while the novel explores themes of identity, trauma, and tradition. Some readers may find the narrative style disjointed or confusing, but the horror elements are visceral and haunting. It’s a dark, atmospheric novel that lingers long after finishing, particularly for fans of supernatural horror.
The maze runner
James Dashner
2009
ISBN: 9780385737944
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.
Reviewed by Charlotte W. High School
The Maze Runner, written by James Dashner, is one of my favorite books and fits in very well to the dystopian theme. It’s about teenage boys whose memories are wiped and are then put into a maze with one task; escaping. But it’s not easy and the maze is massive and complex. The main character is Thomas, and everything seems to go wrong after he shows up. This book has funny and interesting characters, amazing world building, a creepy metallic big creature, and intense fight/chase scenes. Even when there aren’t chase scenes, the calmer interactions are still interesting. I would highly recommend this book.