Best Books For Young Teens

 Book Recommendations for Younger Teenagers (13-15)

Today Tonight Tomorrow

This book follows two high school seniors on their last rendezvous of high school. They must complete a twenty-four hour scavenger hunt, and the competition is fierce. The two main characters have competed throughout the entirety of high school, and this bitter feud has caused each to detest the other; however, the scavenger hunt has other plans, as the two must team up to complete it. This slow-burn academic rivals-to-lovers love story is perfect for younger audiences, while still remaining entertaining. 

Caraval

A thrilling fantasy comparable to The Greatest Showman, Caraval is a perfect pick for younger audiences looking for an adventure. The story follows Scarlett, a girl on a quest to save her older sister, and resist the marriage her father chose for her. As she embarks on the adventure that is Caraval, she fights obstacles in the picturesque arena, and struggles with trust in a game where nobody is trustworthy. 

The Inheritance Games

Though heavily recommended, this option for younger teenage audiences is perfect. The mind-boggling puzzles combined with the twisty trills of the book cement this story as one suitable for all ages. Without losing any entertainment value, The Inheritance Games rejects the typical gory aspects of modern thrillers, and instead places teenagers against each other on the fight for one family's fortune. 

Anatomy: A Love Story

For teens interested in STEM, Anatomy: A Love Story combines a tale of female empowerment with romance and mystery in order to add a new, innovative twist on typical young adult romances. Although the story is set in a world like our own, it adds twists and fantastical elements along the way without losing its core historical aspects. For enjoyers of The Artful Dodger, or even Gray's Anatomy, Anatomy: A Love Story will satisfy the medicinal yet entertaining craving. 

I Hope This Doesn't Find You

Another academic rivals love story, I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang remains one of my favorite romances of all time. A story catalyzed by the mysterious sending of over fifty hate-emails, Sadie Wen must desperately try to repair her "perfect student" image with her peers, who now understand that she is much more than her positive attitude she holds in school. Her rival, Julius, bears the brunt of these emails, yet still appears to feel more than just apprehension towards Sadie. A perfect back-to-school read, I Hope This Doesn't Find You is bound to both make you giddy, and motivate you for the upcoming school year, no matter which one that is. 

Nepotism in Hollywood: The Good, the Bad, and the Unfair

Nepotism in Hollywood: The Good, the Bad, and the Unfair  

    From Gracie Abrams to Zoe Kravitz, it feels as though there is not a single modern celebrity excluded from the flood of nepotism. Celebrities no longer grow organically, but when did this exclusive trend begin? Nepotism happens when a child inherits their fame or connections from their parents or relatives, thus making them famous or successful merely by chance. Recently, the term “Nepo Baby” has made its rounds on the internet, as the recent surge, or what seems to be a recent surge, in nepotism in Hollywood has led to suspicion surrounding the ethics of this practice. Whether or not talent is inherited, is there an unfair advantage given to the children of celebrities? Although nepo babies do not decide their fate but instead capitalize on the opportunities that they have been given, the disintegration of Hollywood’s previous talent-based structure will lead to the downfall of the industry. 

    Nepotism is not limited to the film or arts industries, however; the US Government is a regular victim of nepotism, especially considering presidential elections. From names such as John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt, and George Bush comes John Quincy Adams, FDR, and George W. Bush. Each of these elected presidents have some relation to their predecessors, much like the names covering Hollywood right now. These democratic elections demonstrate that, even though people denounce nepotism, they still regularly contribute to it. Nepotism culture has changed recently, however, as people have begun to criticize Nepo Babies for being untalented or privileged. Like in the arts industries, many citizens have spoken out against the Russian government for employing too many officials out of nepotism. One specific commentator stated, “Favouritism and nepotism keep down effective competition for the superior positions and impede high performers’ career progress what turns to be one of the reasons for brain drain from Russia” (Safina). These negative reflections on government and nepotism reveal that people are not only tired of nepotism, they believe that it is corrupting the industries it overtakes. Although government is extremely different from the film or music industries, a negative effect on one will likely affect another. As nepotism makes its way through the Russian government, it corrupts it, and rejects the previous systems it had in place. Despite the previous acceptance of nepotism at the governmental level, nepotism is no longer viewed as a positive, or an inherited talent, but rather a disease spreading through these industries. Instead of focusing on the possible inheritance or places to learn from government nepotism, they are debunked because of the overarching negative effects. Although nepotism plays a large role in Hollywood, it has been both criticized and illuminated in other industries, much like film and music’s current problems. 

    Celebrity culture makes up a large part of American culture, as each and every person, no matter how rural they live, would understand who Taylor Swift is. This emphasis on brightly colored names and bedazzled legacy ultimately upholds the legacy of nepotism because it values proximity to celebrities. Additionally, these parasocial relationships insert the fans into this proximity (Claessens). When a fan feels a connection to a certain celebrity, they will likely extend that love to their family. These parasocial relationships are quickly formed, and further emphasized by the role of social media in celebrity culture. Looking back, however, the first true American celebrity, Clara Bow, rose to prominence completely organically (Hollywood Walk of Fame). Instead of manufacturing an image for herself, she built up her own story, which made her all the more interesting. Although she did not have a flashy name, she invented one, so people became interested in the ways she pulled off mainstream fame. Her luminous personality brought her farther than any connections could, but the system worked differently back then. The first real Nepo Baby, as we understand them today, was Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). His stepmother was the famous 20s actress Mary Pickford. Because of his familial ties, Fairbanks entered the acting field. He quickly found both passion and success in the industry, making him the first true Nepo Baby. This trend of introduction and reproduction only grew since Fairbanks’ experience, thus building the industry of nepotism seen today. Douglas Fairbanks Jr.’s success through his relatives only demonstrates the spiral of luck that Hollywood would soon fall into, even if the industry was already as exclusive as it could be. Although different from nepotism, celebrity culture and the ties American citizens build with them only creates the toxic atmospheres we see in Hollywood today. 

    Today, Nepo Babies face much backlash for simply existing in the industry, whether or not it was their connections that brought them there, but there are differing perspectives regarding their situations that differentiate who is a “valid” or “invalid” Nepo Baby. While Sofia Coppola directly followed her father Francis Ford Coppola, an acclaimed film director, in his field, she claims that her direct nepotism and quick access to resources does not diminish her as a director. She asserts that, although she had an opening, ultimately people will enjoy a good film whether or not it was created by a person from Hollywood or the middle of nowhere (Mulkerrins). While this statement diminishes those who do not have the resources to create a film like she does, she also touches on a more hidden side of nepotism. Bleak as it is, the surge of nepotism in Hollywood will continue, so either it will be something for people to get used to or it will be rebelled against. Sofia Coppola criticized the stigma around nepotism, but a similar star, Maya Hawke, had a different opinion. Maya Hawke, singer, actress, and daughter of actress Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, knows full well the benefits of nepotism. She understands that she likely would not be in the position that she was in without the aid of her parents, and she embraces that. In one interview, she was asked whether or not she owes her career to nepotism she replied, “There are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don’t, but I think I’m comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway. And I know that my not doing it wouldn’t help anyone” (Haque). Although she understands her privilege and her opportunities that opened the doors to opportunities like Stranger Things, she also comments on a lesser aspect of nepotism. If a person has passion or a talent but is a child of nepotism, there is no possible way to distance them from that nepotism label. While it most definitely aids them in casting and other areas, it is more important to try to contribute something to the industry and the world. Nepotism is a complicated issue, because it corrupts the industries it touches, yet at the core of the issue, it is merely a child following in their parents footsteps. Although these are horrible disruptions in the meritocracy of Hollywood, it is impossible to blame the celebrities who benefit from them, as there is little one can do to separate from the names they used to climb the industry. 

    Nepotism exists in every sphere of life, and although it is more frustrating yet apparent in art spaces, the problems with nepotism are societal, not individual, and they certainly are not limited to one industry. While these are widespread problems, that does not indicate that they are not problems at all. Although difficult, it is still crucial to criticize nepotism and disregard the system, no matter how marvelous Marie Antoinette was. Ultimately, nepotism will be difficult to prevent, but if it is not ended, Hollywood will destroy the talent-based, capitalistic nature of the industry in exchange for a monarchy of old stars. Always try to commit to understanding a persons talent before their name. Wealth inequalities and the barricades of equity are influenced heavily by nepotism, so to correct these gaps we must work to take down nepotism in all industries.

Spring Reading Wrap Up

 Spring Reading Wrap Up

Hello and welcome back after a long long slump. I took all my AP exams and I have stopped trying in school so I am yet again back to update on my reading over the past few months. April and May have both been a little slow, but I have picked up the pace a recently. I hope to keep reading quickly, and especially keep you all updated, however we shall see the results of this in the end. (I understand that spring is not over, Lord has this Massachusetts weather told me, but I wanted to do a wrap up now so that I could write more posts while staying updated, so here we are)

1. The Book of Unknown Americans* 🌕🌕🌕

    Not my favorite. I read this for school, and although it is incredibly important to teach the themes of this story and the lives of these people, the writing was not super sophisticated even when it was young adult. It is a necessary book to teach right now, but personally I would not pick it up. 

2. Where Sleeping Girls Lie 🌕🌕🌕

    Technically a book club book for a book club I did not attend, but I enjoyed nonetheless. It was a little slow to pick up, and most definitely read like a young adult thriller, but I enjoyed the overall themes and messages of the book. 

3. The Railway Children 🌕🌕

    I read this a while ago, so I do not remember as much. I thought it was a lovely story, though I am certainly not the target audience. I think this would be a wonderful book to read to younger children, and would thoroughly recommend that, but I do not think it is imperative that each person reads it. 

4. Jean de Florette* 🌕🌕🌗

    This book was written in French, so I read it in that language for that class. I enjoyed the story, though a little questionable. The struggles of disability are centered in this book, especially due to the time period, so that lens can be easily and effectively applied to Jean, or le bossu. Additionally, justice for Manon. 

5. Sunrise on the Reaping 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

    Would it really be a 2025 review without Sunrise on the Reaping? This book obviously made a splash, and with that I would wholeheartedly support it. While many criticized this book for being unnecessary, I do not agree, as the manufacturing of a specified image is especially relevant nowadays. Suzanne Collins makes no decisions without purpose, and telling this story was certainly not without purpose. 

6. The Great Gatsby* 🌕🌕🌕🌕

    CharliXCX was not lying when she said that this book was spectacular and inspiring. The overall story of this book, however, is regularly overlooked for the more simplified interpretation of a man's unrequited love. Although that is accurate, it removes core elements of the story, such as Nick's chosen point of view or Meyer Wolfsheim's questionable character. 

7. A Moveable Feast 🌕🌕🌕

    I started this book a while ago, November I believe, however I wanted to wait until my trip to France to finish it. While cliché, I put this book immediately down when it mentioned the small town I would be visiting soon directly, Cahors. It was enjoyable, however the level of pretentious this book reached was truly unfathomable. Good in theory, but a little insufferable in practice. 

8. A Tale of Two Cities 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

    Another France trip read, cliché as it sounds. I reread this book, my first time being in 9th grade, and I enjoyed it a lot more the first time. I could follow the details of each character more and more, with my favorite scene being either the last one or Monseigneur's parade through town. Another relevant story, this book truly captures every role and emotion during a revolution, and the trials and tribulations that come with it. 

9. Watch Me 🌕

    I hated every single book in the Shatter Me series, so the fact that I paid for this book astounds even me. It is of no shock that I did not enjoy this book, as it was just Tahereh Mafi reheating her own stale nachos and passing it off as its own story. Rosabelle takes an interesting role in the reestablishment, similar to a career, yet I still have more questions than could ever be answered about the New Republic's governing system. Foremost, how is everyone supposed to be equal when Juliette and her family and friends live in a specified, high-security community only to be accessed by them, further protected by each of their unique powers that could overpower any and every civilian? 

10. City of Bones 🌕

    Shocker! Yet another young adult book I did not enjoy. I think I'm encountering a trend. With City of Bones, though, I think my only problems are incest, werewolves, and Simon. Incest made the book just plain weird, werewolves are my least favorite folkloric creature, and Simon was plain annoying. That pretty much sums up all 480 pages I read. I'm sure this book was transcendent in the 2010s, but now it just feels outdated and boring. 

11. Huis Clos* 🌕🌕🌕

    I won't say much about this book, but listening to your entire French class make fun of Inesbian the lesbitch every day at 9am, reinforcing stereotypes that took decades to unwrite was truly my form of hell. 

12. Mrs. Dalloway 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

    Now this, this was queer representation I can get behind. There is nothing quite like the disconnected yet connected lives that Sally Seton and Mrs. Dalloway live, each confined by their own marriages yet reminiscent on the life they could have lived together, or at least from Clarissa's perspective. A fascinating experience of one single day, and the reflection of each moment on another, examining the way that time bends as we travel through it. 

Current Read: The Floating World

2025 Reads so far

 All of the books I read in 2025:

I refuse to edit this beginning because I have been in the thick of a reading slump combined with writers block and a month long migraine, so I would not like a single piece of negative feedback. 

January was a rough month. It was mostly midyears, but school has actually been hell. I shed many tears and watched exactly 2 movies (compared to last year's 20), but I didn't get COVID unlike last year!! Idk why I'm celebrating this my brain is fried, it is midnight, and I cannot find my glasses so if this is the least coherent thing you've ever read then I'm not surprised. 

1. The Yellow Wall-Paper

I enjoyed this book, as I do with much feminist literature, but it wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed the depiction of the domestic struggles of women, but as with much of CPG's work it was based entirely on the experiences of white women, which although I fall into that category, it feels bland and uninspired. A deranged woman is fun, but I regularly forget that I read this book. 

2. Macbeth

I'm not sure what possessed me to read this on a random Saturday, but I am grateful for it because I really did love this book. It's a stereotypical high school read, and I only wanted to read it because it is referenced so often I kept getting FOMO. So I read it. And it was wonderful. Expect a review of Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid in the near future. 

3. A Winter's Promise

I actually started this book in August before putting it down for the school year. I bought it exclusively because the notecard at Barnes and Noble said that it had Howl's Moving Castle vibes, and because it has a stunning cover. The book was interesting, but it dragged on and on in many places. This was why I put it down, because I felt as though the book did not move, and a slow-paced mystical fantasy was not what I needed at the moment. But when I picked it back up, I really did enjoy it. I fell easily into the world, and this time I was not frustrated that she wasn't using her powers. I want to read the second book so badly, but I have only ever seen people talk about the first. 

4. My Mechanical Romance

Yikes. I knew this would be bad going into it, and it was somehow worse than I imagined. I never would have thought that torque would turn someone on, but apparently it does. All it did was make me crash out at 1am a few weeks ago because I realized that I did not understand a lick of it the night before my test. I get that this book was meant to encourage STEM fields through a female-based medium of romance books, but it felt dumbed down and bad. Women are capable of understanding science without a dumbass FMC who thinks she can get into MIT without taking calculus. It's a bad look.

5. The Wood at Midwinter

I read it! That's about all I can tell you. It felt like it lacked substance? I think? It was even shorter than I expected, and I read it on my phone, but it was a nice little fairytale for a Thursday afternoon, but don't expect anything more than that. A little disappointed in myself that this was my first Susanna Clarke.

6. None Shall Sleep

This book was just a worse version of the Naturals. I missed Lia Zhang and hoped that this might fill the void, but it did not. The two main characters were older than the Naturals, so it almost defeated the point. Also, they were infinitely more insufferable than even the Naturals were. Cassie was annoying, but Emma was so so so much worse, and they didn't have a Lia to humble them. Just an overall poorly written book with no importance or interest. 

7. Between the World and Me

I won't say much about this book, because judging how our SLD on this book went, white people should not be discussing it. I enjoyed it and felt as though it had some important truths about modern society, but there were many points where it lost me a little. Particularly when he blamed the firefighters in 9/11 for police brutality. That was taken very out of context, so please take everything I said with more salt than Utah, but there were some points where I felt as though the narrator took radical beliefs about racism (whether or not they should be radical) and drew them a little bit too far, but I am not the one to police black people about how they should express their disdain for American Society. 

8. The Hollow Boy

Locklyle for life. I read this book because I got a recommendation from a TikTok comment and binged the show, only to find out that it was cancelled for no apparent reason. I, like any normal person going through withdrawals, immediately downloaded the books onto my Kindle and started them. Were they copy and pasted from Percy Jackson but with slightly different opponents? Yes. Do I care? No, because when I say that I will take any percabeth crumbs I mean it. However, Holly Munro and Rachel Elizabeth Dare can both get behind me, because although Holly's comment about how it would only take her about 30 seconds to make Lucy unattractive, I will forever defend the "home-wrecker" third book introduced characters. 

9. Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve

I made an entire post about this one, but I really enjoyed it! It talked about the nuances of living as a woman in today's society. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an introduction to feminist theory, or someone who does not understand the modern effects of the patriarchy. For more information, look at my last post!

10. The Creeping Shadow

Another Locklyle book that highkey destroyed me. I enjoyed this one more than the last, and I thought the development of Lucy's character, and the ability for each character to grow outside of each other was really impressive. It was a wonderful transition into the finale, and it felt very natural. I compared these books to Percy Jackson in the Hollow Boy review, and I would definitely say that the formula stays with this book. The story most definitely evolved, and it especially evolved the relationship dynamic between the characters, just like Battle of the Labyrinth. Additionally, I thought it was a really great metaphor for the abuse and privilege of mining companies and the control they had over their underprivileged workers in the 1900s and earlier. This book took it a step further and became much more fantastical, but it was still incredibly enjoyable. 

11. The Catcher in the Rye

I am a woman so anything I say about this book obviously cannot be misogynistic. Moving on, I enjoyed this book. People do not lie when they say it is full of teenage angst, and it is palpable. Holden is not a likable character, but he is so easy to relate to because he is so flawed and human. It is an impeccable portrayal of the struggles of teenage life, and how difficult it is to navigate the world in the between phases of childhood and adulthood. While Holden has many moments where he acts like an adult or is expected to act like an adult, he also has many moments where he really is just a kid. I am so grateful I was able to read this book at 16 because I could really apply Holden's character and his mindset to my own, and compare how we thought about different things. Despite the problematic undertones of this book, it is a wonderful read because the reader's job is to criticize the underdeveloped mine of Holden, and that was the real treasure of this book. 

12. I Am Not Jessica Chen

This book was not my favorite from Ann Liang. She has her ups and downs, and this fell a little flat for me. It is meant to be a commentary on perfectionism and individualism, combining the struggle for academic success and individuality in a Oscar Wilde-esque novel about a girl who trades bodies with her cousin, but it ended up very surface level and rudimentary. It did not feel like the book went much further than the typical "be you" message, so I could not take away much from it. Additionally, in such a short book, the characters felt extremely underdeveloped. I did not feel like I fully understood Jenna by the end, and the dynamic between her and the love interest's name that I have already forgotten felt thrown together. Their relationship felt like more of a selling point of the book than an actual plot point. Overall, this book was extremely forgettable, and it did not have much substance in the end, no matter how much I wanted it to. It has a pretty cover though!

13. The Woman Warrior

Another AP Lang school book, except this time I had absolutely no idea what was happening. This book is not just postmodernist, it is the most mind-boggling confusing novel I have ever read (aside from Kafka on the Shore). It was a pain to get through, but overall it was important. I'm glad I read it, even though I have read books in French that I have comprehended more. This is essentially me admitting that I am stupid, but I do not mind. I would rather write an honest review of a book that I only half understood than lie about the genius of a book's storytelling that I could not follow. 

14. The Empty Grave

The conclusion to the Lockwood and Co. was a bittersweet end, especially because this book catalyzed my reading slump. Even so, I enjoyed this book. It got wilder and wilder as it moved on, but it was easy to follow, entertaining, and had a lot of character development. This book also followed the PJO formula, but it was incredible nonetheless. I am going to leave this at that because I am scared of spoiling anything more, but I really would recommend this series to anyone in middle school/early high school. 

15. Yellowface

I don't think I can do R.F. Kuang justice in a mere few sentences, but I will surely try. Kuang not only perfectly portrayed the victim syndrome of many white women today, but she wrote about it in the most annoying yet enticing voice possible. As much as I wanted to slam this book into a wall, drown it, and rip out every page one by one, I kept reading because of the addictive writing. Athena and June's relationship will stick with me for a long while. I enjoyed this book so much because it was so relevant, however. There are many modern aspects of racism and asian hate that do not get addressed, and while I am most certainly the wrong person to explain this, I thought this book expertly displayed the way that subtle racism plays into many women's mindsets today, and the way that affects their decisions and personalities. I would recommend his book to anyone and everyone!

16. A Gathering of Shadows

This book was not very great. I'm sorry but there was absolutely no reason that it should have been 500 pages, and it added essentially nothing to the storyline. I cannot tell you a single significant detail of this book other than Lila can do magic and Holland is still alive. Both spoilers, but spoilers from the first 20 pages of the book. The last 480 felt like TikTok trope central, where the author wanted to play into the typical aspects of TikTok romantasy books, so she added elements like trials and balls to make it interesting, but it felt like V.E. Schwab lost all of the uniqueness the series had in its original installment. I will be reading the third book because I own it, but I was very disappointed by this book. 

Loud by Drew Afualo and What It Means to Be a Feminist

Loud by Drew Afualo and What It Means to Be a Feminist

I grew (or am growing up) in a mainly liberal town in Massachusetts. You may know this, you may not, but Hingham, Massachusetts voted blue in the most recent election, and nearly everyone I know supports Harris, or is too afraid of the social isolation that would come with outwardly supporting Trump. Although Plymouth County voted red in 2016, we are an extremely liberal area, similar to the rest of Massachusetts. 

I go to a school with 90% white students, 8% asian students, 1% black, and 1% other, meaning that diversity is rarer than hair on a 70 year old man. Contrarily, we have many transgender and queer students, myself included, and although we may not be the majority, at least 15 of the 200-something people in my grade are queer, which feels larger than the rest of America. It is an interesting situation, because despite the large percentage of Roman Catholics (I know exactly 3 people of another religion), the gaping margin of white people, 150k+ median income, and the overall lack of diversity or individualism, the town is still extremely progressive, which I am abundantly grateful for.

Similar to a lot of other parts of Massachusetts, we are a bit of fake liberals due to this lack of diversity. We will be Ron Desantis' worst nightmare teaching critical race theory to sixteen year olds and then turn around and say that black people should not be able to vote if it means restoring relations post Civil-War (real anecdotes from my AP Lang and Honors US History classes). Safe to say, I have grown up in a lot of ideologically progressive spaces, yet as Elon Musk would word it, many of them fiscally conservative. 

In an attempt to read more of these ideologically progressive works, and ideally combat these toxic, hateful words of my peers (and occasionally myself, I never said I was perfect), I read Loud by Drew Afualo. I have followed Drew for years now. How many? I couldn't tell you, but trust me when I say I am acutely aware of her humor, her beliefs, and her personality. I knew what I was getting into, and yet I still enjoyed it. 

I did not, however, enjoy the first 60% as much as I enjoyed the last 40%. The first chunk of the book sought to "introduce" the reader to the inequalities of the patriarchy, which to many people it may have succeeded, but it did not for me. It felt repetitive, and as if it were common sense, and I understand why she felt the need to state such obvious facts like "working in sports is hard as a woman" or "people typically restrict women to the domestic sphere", but I thought it went on for a very long time. At points the book felt preachy about these common inequalities as well. Although Drew shed light on them with personal anecdotes and her takeaways, a large sum of the first part of the book did not feel very innovative, and I did not think it captured a lot of the more nuanced inequalities or the effects of them in our societies. 

Much of the first part of the book felt unnecessary and obvious, but what wasn't obvious was her family dynamic. The way that Afualo incorporates her culture into this story kept the first chunk strong for me. Although much of it felt repetitive and uninventive, she still managed to add originality to some aspects of the story. Explaining the mistreatment of women in the sports industry is not novel, but explaining how the importance of sports to a culture is undervalued by the gender of the person speaking is. Intersectionality in feminism is not a new concept, in fact it is likely that idea that has drawn out the fourth wave of feminism, but Afualo's distinctly Samoan ancestry refracts the typical "men are evil" point and adds complexity to her experiences. 

The second half of the book was my favorite. Do I remember much of it? Of course not it's been a week. But I remember that I liked it! I particularly liked the body neutrality sentiment. I have always been on the smaller side (god that sounds insufferable), but pressure not even from social media but my own friends and family members has demonized people who gain weight, and have glorified my body as ideal despite my doctor criticizing me for being very underweight. I struggled a lot with this when I was younger, as in 6th grade my doctor told me I had gained a lot of weight, and was on track to becoming a normal weight. I'm not sure what kind of eating-disorder based stigma invaded my mind that normal weight was irregular, but I entered a dark time where I would weigh myself multiple times a day and rarely eat meals in their entirety. Instead of understanding that my body may grow and change as I grow and change, toxic standards of how a body is "supposed to look" altered my mindset in a way I am still attempting to deconstruct. I really appreciated how she emphasized the insignificance of one's body, because I really do think that body neutrality is the only way to be comfortable with one's outward appearance. 

Afualo's decision to write and publish this book in 2024 also felt very important. In such a polarized world, where people can nearly never see eye to eye on issues like the ones mentioned in this book, I found it incredibly impactful that Afualo decided to share her story with her false positive pregnancy test. There is a whole lot of stigma surrounding abortion and what mothers decide to do with their bodies, that I appreciated that Afualo had the courage to share this very traumatizing experience in this book. I am a queer woman, so I am not very fond of pregnancy, but I really did feel connected to Afualo, as her description of every single detail that persuaded her to act the way she did resonated with me, and likely resonated with hundreds of women across the globe. With an impactful story such as this, it was also very interesting to see it so far at the end of the book, but it makes sense. Afualo did not want to open with such an emotionally dense story, but at the end of the book it truly hammered home to overarching argument that Afualo intended. 

This book was well worth the $30. In fact, it might be worth more, because although many of the chapters in this book felt obvious to me, a leftist girl from Massachusetts, it may not feel obvious to another woman, and if this book could help even one woman realize all of the aspects of her life that have been influenced and molded by the patriarchy, I think that was Drew Afualo's purpose. Furthermore, if anything I discussed sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend checking out this book. I too, don't read nonfiction very often, but this book might just persuade me to read it more. 

Are Some Books Really More Important Than Others? : A BookTok Analysis

 Are Some Books Really More Important Than Others? : A BookTok Analysis

Recently, primarily on TikTok, however conversations have emerged on YouTube, discourse surrounding the content of books has gained massive exposure, and arguments over what defines a "book" have been argued by many. Whether the author is Colleen Hoover or Jane Austen, readers debate what constitutes an "intellectual" read, or a "real" book, but why are we so focused on uplifting ourselves by tearing others down by their hobbies? 

Reading has been a privilege since the beginning of language. Countless groups of people have been dissuaded from education, and even today many groups struggle to learn. In a country riddled with falling literacy rates, specifically in minority groups, reading for pleasure has become rarer and rarer. The rise of BookTok has halted many Barnes and Noble bankruptcies, but the problem withstands that Americans are simply not reading like they used to. 

Despite what many may argue, privilege in reading is not determined by pretentiousness, but by discouragement, so even if one book may not be as culturally relevant, important, or intellectual, a story is a story, and hobbies like reading should not be qualified by how "good" one is at said hobby. 

"BookTok" books like Colleen Hoover or Sarah J. Maas have been criticized in recent years for being full of "smut", or sex scenes, reducing this act of reading to simple pornography. Although these stories may rely on sex scenes for plot, many of them do not. Grouping a category so large as BookTok books, or books mentioned on an entire platform, to one simple genre reduces the effort that authors have put into their stories through a mass generalization and a stereotype. Instead of celebrating the resurgence of recreational reading, people target others-primarily women-for reading "pornography", as if embracing one's sexuality should be criticized. Pornography is not a healthy addiction, but many of the women on BookTok are not addicted. Women who read "smutty" books are degraded, but men who watch pornography are not. The dissonance between how women interact with their sexuality and how men act with their sexuality explains how little progress we have truly made in terms of acceptance, because women have just as large of a sex drive as men but are not praised for engaging with it in the same way that men are. A woman reading Yours Truly is the same exact thing as a man buying Sophie Rain's OnlyFans, but one of them is "addicted to porn" because of the taboo societal standards surrounding women's sexual health. 

If someone said that they played tennis on the weekend, you likely would not ask them whether they are going to the olympics. If someone said that they draw in their free time, you likely would not expect their artwork to be hung in the MoMA. If someone said that they make YouTube videos, you likely would not expect them to own a ruby play button. Although extreme, all of these examples are reasons that a hobby can be just a hobby. A person does not have to be an expert in order to enjoy something, recreational hobbies exist. Reading does not need to be competitive. Just because a person reads, that does not mean that they need to have finished War and Peace or Moby Dick in order to form an opinion and enjoy something. Reading the classics is important to understanding the evolution of language, but it is not necessary to open a book. Many people forget that there is no levels in reading. It is entirely a personal activity with a personal system. Nobody needs to share what they read, why they read, how they read, or anything of the sort. Tiering others based off of how intellectual they are perceived due to the amount of Dostoyevsky they have read does not give a person a higher IQ, it just gives them less friends. Instead of focusing on other peoples business and stories, everyone should focus on themselves, and then maybe reading levels may increase. Discouraging others by convincing them that some books are not "worth" as much as others is an elitist, useless take that has been entirely exhausted in online spaces. 

Although reading a book is beneficial no matter the content, some books are objectively better than others. Many of these "BookTok" books do not have the longevity of a classic, and will not withstand the test of time like the Brontës. They do not comment on the human experience, they do not have philosophical dialogues, and they do not provide anything new or innovative to the industry. Objectively, they are poorly written and inconsequential. Despite these flaws, "BookTok" books are gateways into reading, and they can promote readers who are new to the space to explore more than a few tables at the bookstore. Classics are important to understanding the significance of a book, and the power a book can hold, but they are not essential. You cannot be forced to read Metamorphoses unless you want to. The Illiad will never be thrust upon you instead of Haunting Adeline. Although nobody can prevent you from reading what you would like, I would highly suggest reading intellectual books, but they are not required. Read what you would like, no matter what anybody tells you. 

Reading has been controversial since the beginning of time. The people who can read, what they read, etc. has tormented our society for centuries, but we have reached a point that it is not reasonable to limit people's access to books or to shame them from reading. While I will never say "why can't we all just sit down and have a cup of tea?", partially due to my third grade substitute's response to that question (terrorism and suicide bombing), I do not think it is acceptable to deter people from an activity that brings them joy solely because you consider it stupid. Problems with BookTok are certainly evident, but no book is more of a book than another. Let people read what they like, and never shame people for what brings them joy, because that is the true reason literacy rates are dropping. 

This message is provided by a bitch who finished The Yellow Wall-Paper, Macbeth, and A Winter's Promise all in one day. 

2024 Reading Recap

2024 has been one of those years that defined me as a person. I turned 16 this year, I learned how to drive, I finished my sophomore year of high school and started my junior year, I took the SAT, I took the SAT again (and did worse), and I learned everything about myself. Moreover, in 2024, I began with a reading goal of 25 books, which felt ambitious considering I had only read 20 in 2023. Despite my apprehension, I read a total of 76 books this year, which I am extremely proud of. In starting this blog, I feel that I can better articulate my feelings about whether or not I like a book, but more importantly I can elucidate why I feel that way. For my last hurrah of 2024 on this wonderful blog, I have decided to compile my top and bottom 10 of 2024. Thank you for joining me. 

TOP

10. Circe by Madeline Miller

This retelling of one of the world's oldest hated women's story compelled me in a way only Madeline Miller could. I read The Odyssey in 9th grade, and I came away from it with a distaste towards Odysseus, as I questioned why the story made him the hero when it was nobody but his fault that he cheated on his wife. Although it may have been my own 14-year-old radical feminist opinions, I always believed that Circe was not the villain, and Madeline Miller rewrote her story in a way that articulated my own suspicions about the existing story. 

9. To Live by Yu Hua

This story was not my favorite when I originally read it. I read it sophomore year in my World Literature class, and I under-appreciated it at the time. The rise of communist China told through the life of one man, and his trials and tribulations along the way, flooded me with a love of life untouched by any other piece of literature. 

8. I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang

Young adult romances are my guilty pleasure. Typically, I don't rate these books very high. They are corny, shallow, and don't make any impact. The same cannot be said for this book. Sadie Wen had such relatable conflicts, ones I have related to immensely in the last few weeks. Junior year has hit me hard (and NOT soft), and Sadie Wen's development throughout this story has reminded me that not everything has to be perfect. Not only did I experience this inspiring message, I also got a giddy, wholesome, yearning romance. 

7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Another genre that typically does not land on top, children's. This book reconnected my with my young imagination, and it reminded me that although I have been treated like an adult in school and other spaces, I am only a child. I haven't left my childhood yet, and this book reminded me of that. 

6. Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Is this the best written book of all time? Maybe not. It is a young adult thriller, and it did what I believed no young adult thriller could. This entire series captivated me from the first book and invented a bond between myself and the characters I thought I would never have. I think about the storylines in this book, the ending, the characters, the relationships, the cult systems, all of it every day of my life. The looks into trauma and loss were something I would never have expected, but I love this book in a way that I will be telling my children about. 

5. Galatea by Madeline Miller

57 pages. This book is 57 pages and it had that large of an impact. Once I heard someone say that writing a short story is so much more difficult than writing a novel, because you have to be precise and concise with the amount of detail you add, and Madeline Miller's Galatea has mastered giving the perfect amount of detail. I cried. 

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I won't write as much for this story as it is not groundbreaking to say that I enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, and it is my favorite book I have ever read through school. It is a timeless romance, and Jane Austen's clever writing will never be topped. Where is my Mr. Darcy? 

3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

If you have ever met me, you know my feelings about this book. It is incredible that every single book Madeline Miller has ever written has appeared on this list, but it is not surprising because she is truly a voice of a generation. This book left me both sobbing and yearning. Greek myth retellings have become an oversaturated genre due to this book, and for good reason. The story of these two sad gay men has changed me, as I now know that you should never get mad and throw rocks. 

2. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

I had low expectations going into this book. It sounded extremely similar to 1984, and it did not strike me as particularly original. After a mere few chapters however, my opinions on this book vastly changed. The most talented thing a writer can do is not come up with an original topic, but it is to write about it in an original way, which is why I enjoyed this book far more than any other dystopian novel (1984 included). The way that Ogawa wrote about the human experience, the loss of autonomy, and ultimately the loss of self felt so important and so transcendent that I did not even notice the fact that the plot structure exactly mimicked 1984, and normally I am a huge stickler for plot originality. New, authentic writing will forever trump great ideas, because the toolkit of words that Ogawa possesses led me to immediately search for more of her books. 

1. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

To absolutely nobody's surprise, R.F. Kuang is at the top of the list. The talent that this 19 year old woman must have had to write a masterpiece such as this novel, I cannot begin to express. Every line left me shaking, crying, screaming, or wanting to crawl into my own hole. This book is so politically important because of its commentary on war, academics, and overall government, and Kuang's knowledge on these topics truly shines through. Her ability to criticize so many nuanced aspects of history in a new light through fiction exemplifies a talent that defines a great writer. I cannot think of another person in our generation with a talent for introspection and creativity quite like R.F. Kuang. 

BOTTOM (best to worst)

10. Maybe Meant to Be by K.L. Walther

This book was so forgettable, but I know that I loathed it for two reasons. First, the love interest was ginger and we were meant to pretend that that was perfectly okay. Second, the main character said that she "wished that she could be so open about her relationship" to a gay couple that had to travel states away in order to take one picture together, while her relationship was a straight one where the only reason they had not gone public was because she was too much of a wimp. That essentially sums up the excruciatingly tone-deaf narration of this book. Straight women please stop writing about queer men, you do not understand what it is like. 

9. Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

I have definitely read worse than this book, however the fact that it has such positive reviews solidified it as the number 9 spot. The relationship was only drawn out across the book because the two characters wanted completely different things out of the relationship, which, in my opinion, is a simple sign to let it be and break up. Unfortunately neither of them got the hint and they continued to have sex, although we are not supposed to say that they are having sex because for some reason the entire internet is convinced that this book is completely young adult? The ending was a cheap way to close off the book as there is no universe in which this man decided that marriage actually might be okay after going through such a rough parental divorce. 

8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

When I picked up this book I immediately knew that it would not be for me. This is the type of fantasy/dystopian book that only works if you are a straight teenage girl, and I only meet one of those criteria. I hated this book because of its non-ending, its weak world building, and its insufferable characters. Juliette and Adam are the primary receivers of this hatred, however Aaron never catches strays, and I would like that to change. Although he may be described as a conventionally attractive man, his decisions while Juliette is held captive can only be described as harassment. He does not back off, even when told no, and has such a large ego that he cannot comprehend that a woman may not be interested in him, which bothers me to the utmost degree. I absolutely despise that man. 

7. Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

I stopped the series after this book. I threw in the towel, and I refused to go through the torture of reading about these characters any longer. People love this series, but the beyond problematic content of this book and its predecessor has led me to draw a separate conclusion. This book was jam packed with smut. It was graphic, repeated, and unpleasant, considering the female main character was only sixteen and the male character was eighteen. Mind you, we met this female main character when she was fifteen. In my opinion, if your story must be filled with graphic sex scenes featuring underage characters, and you pride yourself, a grown woman, on your ability to write "sexy" teenage love stories inspired by you and your husband, pursue a career path that does not make me want to call the police. The lack of safety I felt reading these books as a sixteen year old, and the sexualization of children, makes me deeply wonder why this series is so beloved. Fuck you Chloe Walsh for writing Shannon as a child who is experiencing trauma and a sexy mature teenager at the same time. "Growth" and "storyline progression" are not reasons to write porn. Go back to Wattpad if you feel that way. 

6. The Wall by John Lanchester

The Wall was my summer reading book for AP Lang, and I am beyond disappointed that in such a high level English class I would read such a poorly-written book. It did not have any semblance of a decent ending, it was not interesting for one moment, and it had no commentary on our world (the premise of the entire dystopian genre, aside from this book apparently). My friends and I regularly joke about how atrocious this book is, as nobody can udder the words "it is cold" without someone completing "on the wall". 

5. Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi

It pained me to only include two Shatter Me books on this list, however I included the most devious offenders. The ending of this story was so incredibly horrible I cannot even begin to describe it (but I will, so spoiler warning here). Why does Juliette hold the mindset that the only way to change the world is to kill the leaders, and then she believes that she, a seventeen year old traumatized child, has the wits to rule the world in a non-corrupt way despite the fourth book, where she has already been shown to be a horrible leader, and her incredibly unbalanced powers. There is no system where Juliette can rule the world and not fall into the dictatorship that had previously strangled the world, and what bothers me most is how there is no real explanation for that. They expect the reader to just accept this horrible, corrupt ending to the series with open arms, the same ending the third book had which possessed the author to create 3 new books to try to describe the effects but that only furthered the wretched world building and the author's inability to create an effective ending. Unfortunately I will be reading Watch Me only to prove that I was correct and Juliette's ruling strategy of just simply building houses (with what money? Which workers? What land?) would not work long term. 

4. Lightlark by Alex Aster

This was one of my first reads of 2024, so I do not remember all the details, however I do remember how much I hated it. There was no reason for the book to be based entirely off of men, despite my understanding of romantasy. The main character was a girl, yet I doubt that even she would pass the Bechdel test, much less the entire book. Furthermore, the two main male characters were both insufferable and far too old. Isla was 25, and yet I was supposed to believe that her ideal partners were both over the age of 500? In what world is that not predatory? Additionally, the author prides herself on how evenly balanced her love triangle was, but they did not set Oro up as a love interest until the last 100 pages, where the author promotes Grimshaw to a level we never see with Oro. 

3. Begin Again by Emma Lord

The main character in this book cheated. She did. I don't care if she never technically hooked up with him, but the fact that this book qualified as "slow burn" when the two characters were practically in each other's genitals by the way they were interacting despite this girl being in a committed relationship (so committed in fact that this man transferred to community college for her) they still were flirting like nobody's business. Now I am no God of relationships, but if my girlfriend was acting the way this main character (I don't even remember her name) was acting around this man, I would have broken up with her immediately, but since this was a romance book, that could not happen. The way that the author absolutely demolished the ex-boyfriend's character solely so that the main character could cheat in peace agitated me beyond belief. I absolutely abhorred every character in this "novel". 

2. What Happens After Midnight by K.L. Walther

Never in my life have I seen more Taylor Swift references. And I live in a suburban Massachusetts town with a 94% white population. There is nothing more unrealistic and annoying than a book claiming that the two teenagers were "dancing with their hands tied" and that is why their relationship did not work out. Leave that poor woman and her cats ALONE. I would be surprised if there was one song not mentioned in this book. I know many people love Taylor Swift references, but this is a "see for yourself" situation because I cannot describe how horribly this author threw in song titles for the purpose of doing so, hurting both the writing quality and plot. And, yet another book with teenage sex. It happens, but you shouldn't be romanticizing it, because it is illegal. 

1. Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

Shocker, the other half to Keeping 13. If I have not already stated how much I detest these two books, I do. The purposeful yet unnecessary time period of 2005 solely so that the author could write women in a degrading, outdated manner, and writing men as sexist, homophobic, and ableist did not sit right with me. Not a single character in this book passed the Bechdel test. Additionally, I hated the way that characters like Bella were written, as they were meant to be a caricature of a "typical woman", sex obsessed, mean, and evil. The portrayal of Shannon and her friends as the outliers simply because they were kind reduces women to this caricature and sets feminism back about 20 years, to 2005. Just because the book was set in 2005 does not mean that you need to write women as if you are writing in 2005. This book came out in 2018. We can use critical thinking and digest that women are more important than their relationships, and women should not be in your story to just be mean and prostitute themselves. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.