After a long summer filled with activities, Hackley students are back on the Hilltop and are anxious to tell friends about their adventures and travels. Amidst all of this excitement, a sometimes forgotten popular activity that students did to unwind for the summer was read! Here are some of the most captivating and notable books that they recommended from last summer:
One of the first books recommended by Sophomore Julia Feehan was The Selection, by Kiera Cass. The novel is set in a dystopian world where 35 girls are selected to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon. Throughout the story, the main character, America, is thrust into the thrill and glamor of the competition where she learns what it’s like to live among royalty. Throughout her journey, she finds herself slowly starting to fall for the prince of the palace, but in order to win the title of princess, she must deal with the danger and challenges that await her. This book is a cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, and is a book that expresses many themes regarding love, loyalty, and family. It’s a great fantasy book and one that is filled with plot twists and cliff hangers.
Junior India Davis-Hanessian’s favorite book she read this summer was, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottesa Moshfegh. The book follows an unnamed protagonist and her journey living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In an attempt to reset her life, she decides to try a “year of rest and relaxation”, where she turns to the use of medication and tries to sleep for an entire year. Throughout this process, she finds herself constantly interrupted by her friend, mother, and past boyfriend, all while deciding to abuse more medication which leads her to sleepwalk to random places in New York. All of this concludes with the protagonist finally completing her rest and her point of view on people and the world being completely changed. This story is a great read for all those who love fiction, and is one that India felt was very “realistic” to where you might believe the book was somewhat based on a true story.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, was recommended by Senior Talia Tirschwell. This book follows main characters, Sam and Sadie, and their journey as video game designers. Although a rare sub genre, “The concept around writing a book about video games was something I was surprised I liked so much,” Talia said, “The plot was well written and the characters’ stories regarding video games really intrigued me.” Later on in the book, the characters join with Sam’s roommate, Marx, and the trio works together as they make their popular video game called Ichigo. This book is set in the late 1990’s, and includes many different topics regarding love, tragedy, and the pressure that Sadie has working in a male dominated world as a video game maker. But most importantly, the novel shows the art, thought process, and overall industry of video games back then and now.
Lastly, Sophomore Gabriela Nunes recommended Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney. This novel is a compelling story about two best friends, Frances and Bobbi, and the secret affair that starts after meeting a married couple named Nick and Melissa. As Frances and Nick continue to see one another, the four friends get caught in a whirlwind of emotions and events. This leads to them taking a step back, and figuring out what exactly they want for themselves and each other. Sally Rooney is a best selling author of her famous book Normal People, and Gabriela said that she got into this book simply because, “she loves all of the novels that she writes.” This book is full of feeling and understanding the relationships around you, and is a perfect coming of age story.
