Science fiction has the hefty task of creating both fictional people and worlds. By showing us how the collective actions of humans can create strikingly horrific dystopias, science fiction authors expose the fundamental aspects of human nature. As this rising generation of teens faces some of humanity’s toughest dilemmas, it’s no wonder that dystopian literature has made a comeback. The following three books each look at the direction of the human race, and more fundamentally, what what it means to be human.
--Heather M. of High Tech High International '14
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After reading novels from three dystopian series, I found that they all include warnings that are key to the rest of the book. Each includes rebels who go against the government for different reasons. The government in each book is doing something that is causing the people to want to rebel and fight for themselves.
I was drawn to these books because I wanted to get a better look at dystopian novels and how they are similar, yet different. --Kevin V. of High Tech High International '14
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Whether the story contains monsters from a different world or demons within the house you live, horror novels are riveting. We acknowledged the difficulties that authors must encounter while sustaining the audience’s suspense and therefore wanted to look into different kinds of horror novels to see what general characteristic this genre contains. After choosing to look at what aspects of horror stories are truly terrifying, we uncovered a few key elements in these three books.
--Dylan C., Jason R. & Monica Z. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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What is it like to live through an addiction? To have a fatal attraction to something so poisonous to the health, mind, and spirit? Through these three books, you realize how weak you really are against a battle with addiction. It’s a never-ending cycle of relapse, denial, pain, and struggle. These people live through a nightmare they can’t wake up from, even with all the help and support they need. This collection of books will help you to understand the factors that make an addiction so difficult to break.
--Priscilla A. & Jenny C. of High Tech High International '14
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How do we grow up? What influences how we will be like as adults? There’s nothing like immersing yourself in a good coming-of-age book to find the underlying questions about the mysteries of pre-adulthood. In these three books, the main characters evolve from their child-like ways and find who they truly are through the relationships they develop. Each of these coming-of-age novels tell a story of learning, transitioning, and growing up.
--Maritza R. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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During the bombing of Dresden, Kurt Vonnegut was captured in the Battle of the Bulge. After the Second World War, he wrote many novels that expressed critical opinions on society. He later called himself a man without a country until he passed away. “So it goes.”
Vonnegut’s satire was present in all of his stories. The plots of his novels feature eccentric characters and an unorthodox writing style and structure that is unique to his genre. The messages in Vonnegut’s books put things into perspective for anyone who reads them. --Nathan G. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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What makes us read horror novels? Is it the thrill of getting surprised? The mystery that intrigues us? How does the author succeed in scaring us?
These three authors are good examples of how to write a horror novel. Their horror novels also contain many scenarios that make you think, What if this happens? What would I do? Their horror novel brings your nightmares into reality, making you think twice whenever you want to take a walk by yourself. --Jonathan M. of High Tech High InternationaL
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Why would anyone put him or herself in a dangerous or unreliable situation when all that lies ahead is an uncertain future? Many philosophers discuss a metaphorical road of life, one on which people choose different paths--some more difficult than others. It is through these journeys, which lead to strange situations and unlikely friends, that people discover themselves and their world. The books listed below questions what’s considered “normal” and “popular” by working against the grain of life.
--Hunter B. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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Nicholas Sparks’ books are infamous for setting young adult girls’ standards high for romance. Whether it be Landon in A Walk to Remember, Noah in The Notebook, or John in Dear John, the men and relationships have become ideals in a girl’s mind. Through each perfect couple, Sparks teaches his readers a lesson about what it means to love. These three books can influence the way you look at love, and what it takes to have a successful relationship. I chose to read these these three books to understand why exactly girls are so drawn to Nicholas Sparks’ novels.
--Rebecca K. of High Tech High International '14
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These three heart-wrenching books shed light on how hard it is for a child to survive abuse. They allow us to see what the children saw through their innocent eyes and feel what they felt. These painful, true stories are written courageously and can offer encouragement to those going through similar situations. Each one of these books take you on a journey and shows readers how difficult it can be to recover from sexual abuse. We were drawn to these books because they’re so far from our own experiences and offered us new insight into the struggles of others.
--Madison C. & Kaysia S. of High Tech High International '14
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Sometimes things can be hard to deal with. Sometimes you just want to drown out all the pain, all the hurt, and all the feelings and emotions that may be flowing through your veins. For some people, the way to cope is through substance abuse. Each of these writers succombs to an addiction and details his struggles to recover from it.
These three books have raw, brutal and unfiltered dialogue. Each of these books deal with drug addictions and finding that anchor to keep them from doing those drugs. --Cevriye H-K of High Tech High International '14
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Why is government control and the downfall of society so relatable to every person of all walks of life? I chose these three stories originally because of their national acclaim, but I continued through them because of their captivating storylines and their thought-provoking philosophical dilemmas. Through these three books, you can delve in-depth into the world of classic dystopia and learn what the eternal and timeless root of true fear is throughout humanity and our modern society.
--Kirby B. of High Tech High International '14
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Everyone goes through times that one believes he or she may not be able to handle. And these “times” can be the ones that shape how one thinks and feels. Young individuals can experience trauma and feel hopeless at times, but everyone finds different ways to cope. The question is, how does one survive it?
In these three books, the main characters experience similar traumas, but demonstrate. different coping mechanisms they use to fight depression and abuse. All of these characters have the perseverance that is takes to survive in an unkind world. --Kathlene C. & Karley R. of High Tech High International '14
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Does narrating a book from the villain's perspective make their atrocious acts seem more acceptable?
These three books, written for mature readers, tell the backstories of villains, and allow the reader to get a glimpse of the “bad guys’” point of view. These books are good for readers who are attracted to the evil characters in books and movies and find them interesting. It is very entertaining to read a book from an often unheard point of view. The voices of villains often go unheard, so reading a book written from their perspective is refreshing and fun.
--Rebecca M. of High Tech High International '14
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What makes a good comedic book? What makes the people laugh? These three novels are all about making the reader laugh and find deeper meanings through light-hearted banter and a crazy, twisted plot. Find what makes a book funny and entertaining in these three hidden gems.
--Raphael C. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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What if there was something more out there that the government was hiding from you? Would you want to know? Do you feel that you deserve to know?
These three dystopian novels might just help you to open your mind a little more and think outside of the box. --Teris J. of High Tech High International '14
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What do Charles Dickens’ books reveal about human character? Does everyone have the potential to be evil? What is the importance of being earnest? These three classics cover it all, from magical spirits on Christmas morning to bloody battles of justice. His characters remind us what we are truly afraid of and what people cherish. If you’re looking for action and adventure, coming of age, or a classic tale about how love conquers all, open one his books and check it out. You might just like them.
--Ivanka K. of High Tech High International '14
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Have you ever gotten tired of the same old “villain commits crime, hero appears, things go wrong, hero prevails and throws villain in jail” superhero stories? I know I have. I picked up these books because I wanted an unpredictable, new kind of story. These graphic novels flip the normal superhero story and put the protagonist in a new kind of trouble, and in a few cases, a grave. Take the path less traveled and try flipping the superhero story with these graphic novels.
--Francesco R. of High Tech High International '14
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There are many types of governments, but which one is the best? Which one is the worst? In the Divergent series, all three novels present us with a dystopian future society. They compel us to regard and recognize the realities of our modern day society and the possibility that we could, even without realizing it, fall victim to those forces that could strip us of our individuality and freedom. What drew me to read this series was the setting of the dystopian world in which the characters live in. The government created a world where everyone was forced to act in accordance to one ideal, to live as a homogenous society. But when that ideal is challenged, everything falls apart. This series proves that when people in control try to inhibit thoughts in their citizens either subtly or through force, their power will only be temporary, as it goes against human nature.
--Vanessa P. of High Tech High International '14
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Why are we obsessed with youth? Why is youth and innocence coveted by so many? We are born innocent and the length of time in which we remain so can depend on the experiences we have and the way we grow up.
Some people are forced to remain innocent by others, some have their innocence stolen from them, and some people seem as if they’ve never been innocent. These three novels interested me because of the young characters that lead unlikely childhoods filled with deceit and corruption which evidently affect the rest of their lives. These three prove that just because someone may be innocent does not mean that they aren’t aware of the cruelty of the world. --Alex S. of High Tech High International '14
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Chuck Palahniuk addresses how change can completely flip life upside down. Palahniuk include interesting characters who must find ways to adapt to the changes in their lives. Some characters changed for the better, and some for the worse.
Palahniuk writes in a very interesting way. To some, "interesting" could be interpreted as "confusing." But if you take time to understand the message, there is a lot to learn from Chuck Palahniuk. --Spencer H. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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Stories capture us, but how can someone create multiple stories and keep the reader interested? It’s not only about new events and characters. The setup of the story itself has to change to keep things interesting. These books tell the tale of genius students who graduate from a military training school. This series is a parallel to the widely renowned Ender’s Game series. After defeating a foreign enemy in space, these students must deal with power hungry countries on earth. Every nation wants their own empire. The series transforms from following just one of these students, to following all of them, and also follows additional key figures in the story. These books are great for those who enjoy a unique science fiction story.
--Beckett B. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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How can an author make readers care for characters that live only to kill each other?
All fantasy books have some element of magic. The magic in these books, however, is not in the form of a crazy religion or fire-breathing dragons. The magic in these books is within the interactions between characters. Because each chapter is narrated by a different character, every single character feels like a real person with an individual personality. After watching the series on TV, I decided that I wanted to read the books in order the get my own idea of the series. After reading the first few books, I have a better understanding of the overarching story. --Ben D. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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In every journey, there comes a difficult time in your life that determines whether you are a true athlete or not. You cannot decide your own fate, but you can learn to grow stronger and learn to pick yourself back up. In these three books, the athletes tell the stories of setbacks in their careers in which an average person would quit. They aren’t average because they chose to learn from their struggles and chose to pick themselves back up. I was interested in these novels because I am an athlete myself, and I’ve gone through great adversity as well. I wanted to see how these athletes overcame their odds.
--Norman B. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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Governments are constantly trying to improve in any way they can. Authors these days seem to think that our government is going to take a turn for the worst in the near future--or at least believe it would make things interesting. In these novels the changes are extreme. It’s always an oppressive hand that is pushing down on all citizens in the society. Governments want to push people to do a certain thing, or be a certain way-- they always try to dehumanize being human. And, while it may seem perfect from the outside, there will always be outstanding issues. And, something, or someone will try to rebel. In most ends, there are winners and losers, and we find out that nothing is perfect.
--Michael L. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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We’ve all reached some point in our lives when we tried to be one of the "cool" kids so that we could feel like a part of society. We want to feel like the ones who look like they have their lives all planned out. At some point during the process in trying to be more like them, we lose personality traits that we didn't even know others admired about us. These books will show you some of the things that are lost when trying to fit in with society.
--Jazmin N. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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Have you ever felt like you were losing your mind? Like no else understood how you were feeling? Sometimes, we let things get to us. But for some, depression is a daily struggle.These three books will show you how this illness has affected people and what they did to control it.
--Melissa G. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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Why do we read? To entertain or make us think? Most of the time, I read to entertain myself. Though, I think that it all depends on the book that you read. The reason I think this is because you could be reading something assigned to you by a teacher or simply because you happen to pass a bookstore and find a book that looks interesting so you want to read it just to enjoy it. I chose these three philosophical fiction books in order to entertain myself and to get me thinking.
--Jesus V. of High Tech High International '14
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Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do? Or perhaps why water is wet? These are questions that have pondered many people for ages. Why are we the way we are? It is a very broad question with many different ways to answer it. The literature I am about to present covers many of these questions. As a fellow human being, the yearning to understand is what drove me to find answers to these questions. The answers may surprise you.
--Troy A. of High Tech High International '14
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When I think of young adult novels, I think of movies like the Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink--stories of young love. Not all young adult novels are like this, though. Some, like I Am Messenger, are crazy, adventure stories where instead of the thrill being in the emotion and feeling, the thrill comes from taking a journey. This is why young adult novels are so great: they are so versatile and cover so many different scenarios. They evoke so much emotion and allow readers to reminisce about their youth or relate to what is going on in their lives right now.
--Gio B. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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It seems that people find solace in nature when life is not going according to plan, and they are looking for a change in their lives. After they do without unessential things while they seek refuge from society, they are usually better off when they decide to go back to society... if they do come back.
--Carlos C. of HIgh Tech High International '14
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What makes chaos so attractive? As I read these books about people whose lives were ruled by self-destructive behaviors and outright insane living situations, I came to the realization that no matter how explicit and tragic these stories were, there will always be this attraction to a life lived by one’s own rules. The most prevalent similarity in these people’s lives was that this lifestyle had become their reality and normality, and to them, their lives weren’t nearly as negative as we, the readers, interpret.
--Janie V. of High Tech High International '14
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Very rarely do you find a dystopian book where the government is the good guy. In Allegiant, the third Divergent book, the government is trying to do what they think is right, but are not necessarily doing it in the most beneficial way for the individuals. Sometimes the government evolves into a helpful figure, even if not everyone in the book believes that, as is show in the third Legend book, Champion. Other times the book is about people forced into a government like leadership, as is shown inHunger, the second Gone novel. However, the government is never truly liked by all the characters in the book.
--Killian H. of High Tech High International '14
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Although dystopian fiction is about the future, this is merely a tool to tell us about the present. By stepping into tomorrow, the authors can strip away distractions and present a clear warning about today.
Dystopian, young adult authors express their opinions on what is wrong with our world by by creating a world constructed in which this flaw is exaggerated. Authors know that readers like stories where characters struggle and in the end achieving the initial dream. Here are three books I found that gave good warnings while entertaining us with a fun, interesting plot. --Kotae H. of High Tech High International '14
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What makes a good sci-fi book? A good science fiction novel should make your imagination go wild and includes things that you can only imagine--aliens, monsters, futuristic cities, and anything that seems impossible--seem plausible. These three books make you use your imagination to experience a world that the reader has never seen.
--Kristen K. of High Tech High International '14
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We have all seen the Disney classics, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White.They are staples in many family homes.
However, these stories have truly dark origins. They include evil witches, dangerous dragons, betrayal, and death. Here are three stories that are consistent with the themes of violence, showing morals, and the plight of an underdog. We chose to read this book because we wanted to know the original tales behind the popular Disney movies. All of these stories can be found in Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales. --Shelby C. & Lena H. of High Tech High International '14
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I recommend these three nonfiction texts that will tell you of the fantastic things that happen right outside your door: a world of incredible proportions with unlimited possibilities and fantastic characters. All three are written by the people with first-hand experience. These books will break the grip of fiction and allow you access into parts of the real world that you may not know exist.
--Tom D. of High Tech High International '14
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