First Quarter Annotated Reading List

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print.

Brave New World is a story about a Utopian society that genetically picks and chooses what your going to be in life from the moment of birth. Children in this society are bred and made through an assembly line process of selective breeding. Before the are even living, they already have their social class and their entire personality decided for them. People are taught from the moment of birth that no one has intimate relationships, that sex and marriage is just a regular everyday event. However, like in all Utopian societies, not everyone can be happy. Bernard Marx, an unusual figure that is different from everyone else in the society, is one of those people. The age old battle of the fine line between Utopia and Dystopia is fully expressed in this novel. The characters are deep and difficult to completely understand, but throughout the book, the learn about their true selves. I did enjoy reading Brave New World for its spin on how complete control can affect a society. The novel gave me a whole new perspective on the control and sameness of a community. It made me realize how thankful I am for the diversity and unique-ness that we as a society are allowed to keep and have today. (259 pages)


PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Austen, Jane, and Pat Rogers. Pride and Prejudice. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006. Print.

Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, is a chivalrous, romantic story about a relationship that broadens and grows between two people of completely different backgrounds. Elizabeth Bennett, a girl of manners but also of sharp wit, comes from a family of five daughters. All they want in society is to marry a handsome, wealthy man and live a happy and carefree life. However, unlike her vain sisters, Elizabeth wants to marry someone out of love and not out of forcible choice. Her dearest sister Jane throughout the novel slowly falls in love with a rich, gentleman named Mr. Bingley. With him he brings his spiteful and sarcastic friend, Mr. Darcy. Darcy and Elizabeth share a common dry wit, but other than that they can not stand each other, yet they are a bit enamored of one another. As the novel progresses, they grow closer and soon it is a love and a relationship that neither of them will ever forget. Out of all the books that I read this quarter, this one was by far my favorite. The humor used throughout the novel had me laughing out loud at times, and the characters were absolutely adorable. The pure chivalry and old-time romance of this novel tore at my heart strings. Though the 1800s style writing is occasionally difficult to understand, the overall meaning of the book is one that I will most likely want to experience again. (312 pages)

WHEN IT HAPPENS

Colasanti, Susane. When It Happens. New York: Viking, 2006. Print

Sara wants to find true love. Tobey wants to make Sara fall in love with him. At first glance, it seems like the perfect match. But, the first guy that truly catches Sara's eye is Dave, the handsome, young athlete. In the novel, all Sara wants and dreams of is for Dave to realize that she exists, but for some strange reason she can't get her mind off Tobey. He understands all of the little things that matter to her in life, and more importantly, he feels like something real. When It Happens is a story of two completely opposite high school students finding true love in a person that they never expected. This was an excellent book. It may have only been a "candy read" but the characters were lovable, the events of the story were easy to relate to, and the writing style was enjoyable. The author switched perspectives throughout each chapter of the novel, and it gives the readers to understand both sides of the story. One side from the girl, and one side from the boy. It was really easy to get into this book, and my favorite part, was the romance of it. I'm always a sucker for a cute, high school, teenage book about a "lovey-dovey" relationship. I would definitely recommend this book to any girl who likes reading about the stress and drama of everyday high school life. (320 pages)