Everyone knows how scary it can be when you're assigned a new reading book- especially when you don't know what to expect.  Read our reviews of different reading books in the English curriculum, and get familiar with your current or to-be assigned reading novel.

The bane of a freshman’s existence is the ninth grade English curriculum.  But if you are able to survive all of the reading guides and motifs charts, you might just be able to actually enjoy some of the required reading.

The story of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one such book, and can seduce a reluctant reader to enter the world of slow moving Maycomb and Alabama, and step into the shoes of six-year-old Jean (Scout) Louise Finch. Although the book has some intense, high suspense moments, the plot is mostly lethargic and the story’s real beauty lies in its ability to paint a clear picture of life in the South during the 1930s. The story is told from the simple, innocent mind of Scout as she starts to discover that the town she has known and loved all her life has a maliciousness on the issue of race, the cause of which she can not fathom. Containing scenes of hilarious parody, extreme bravery and violence, the book has something that can appeal to everyone, but patient people in particular will find this book enjoyable. There are many long uneventful passages throughout the book which, although sometimes tedious, are necessary for the reader to get a good feeling for the small, slow moving, Southern town. 

Of Mice and Men

By John Steinbeck
Reviewed by Rylee Genner

Most assigned English books have a reputation for being tortuously dull; however, I was pleased to find that Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is quite the opposite. This novel describes the tragic tale of two friends named George and Lenny, and their desperate pursuit of the American dream.  

The plot is filled with violence and excitement that successfully captivates readers and pulls them into the story.  It is also a relatively simple and understandable read, with clear, concise language and a plot that is not too difficult to follow.  

One thing that sets it apart from the other required reading books is its size.  It is very small and compact, with only 100 pages; however don’t let that throw you off guard. For such a small book, it’s packed with a surprising amount of emotion and descriptive story telling that’s just itching to be dissected and analyzed in every possible way. Be prepared to spend hours of class time scouring every page for hidden meanings, metaphors and microcosms. As you study microcosms, miniature, analogy-like versions of larger things that have happened in the world, you will find it to be one of the most tedious but unavoidable aspects of English 9, as will be searching for metaphors and other forms of figurative language. However, despite the over-analysis, Of Mice and Men proved to be a riveting and engaging story worthy of a recommendation. Crooks represents African Americans, Curly's wife represents women, George and Lenny represent all of the poor Americans with big dreams, and it's just like a mini world.

The Catcher in the Rye

By J.D. Salinger
Reviewed by Peter Langer

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has often been considered one of the most controversial novels of its time. In its pages, sex, drinking, smoking and heavy profanity are depicted, used and referenced. However, don’t be deterred by this; it is a great book.  
The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a guy with whom most teenagers can identify. Holden is a 16-year-old who is quite smart but has failed out of his school because he hates doing assignments that are superficial and unnecessary. He decides that he doesn’t want to shame his parents by admitting to them that he has failed again, and instead runs away to New York City. With a few hundred dollars to his name he tries to survive in the Big Apple, but finds that all the adults he encountered are all “phonies,” they are not sincere people.  He longs to be a kid again and he wishes that he was as innocent and naive as he used to be.

Catcher in the Rye is a great story that is so much more than your average tale of teenage rebellion. It’s a story with a message – don’t grow up too fast, because you might miss something on the way.

All The Pretty Horses
By Cormax McCarthy
Reviewed by Ian Green

All the Pretty Horses is a book in the eleventh grade curriculum that, to say the least, is controversial. Many people love it but many people also detest it. The people who love it may say that it’s a simple story of a boy who feels lost and tries to find himself in the beauty of the open land of the Southwest. They would say that Cormac McCarthy explained this beautifully, and his unique prose is unparalleled to anything written before him.

The people who hate it would say that it is a confusing book with no quotation marks that is unnecessarily complicated with imagery stacked about imagery which is about to fall down like a game of Jenga that I played with little kids that reminds me of my youth when things were simple and before the accident and before the house was sold and it was a simple time and it was the last time I was happy. That is an example of the type of writing from the novel, with the haters commenting on the lack of commas and the run-on nature of the sentence. 

I would include myself square in the middle of the lovers and the haters. I could keep up with the novel for the most part, and I got used to the writing style over reading it and it got easier. I liked the story and felt that I could identify with John Grady Cole. It was a book about a sixteen-year old boy growing into a man, and I enjoyed the fact that for once in school I read a book about someone I could actually relate to.

Even though I could understand McCarthy’s style, that did not mean I thought it was brilliant. I liked how original it was and how it was different from any other book I had read before, but it did not amaze me. I was impressed, but it was not a life-altering novel. Now please let me play my game of Jenga in order to feel that life matters at all.