Do you need a book to read for an independent reading book for your English class? How about a topic for your next essay? Or, maybe you just want to read a good book. Here are some book recommendations that I personally loved, and why you should read them.
1. THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE BY HOLLY JACKSON
An author you may know from her hit series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson displays her ability to write any type of mystery in her most recent book. This novel tells the story of Bel Price, a teenage girl whose mother disappeared 16 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Bel lives in New Hampshire with her father, Charlie, who Bel knows is innocent, despite conspiracy theorists on Reddit (and her grandmother) loudly stating their contradicting opinion. Everyone knows the story of the Disappearance of Rachel Price. It’s been covered on news stories and true crime podcasts, and now, a documentary. In the middle of the filming for Rachel’s documentary, of course, is Bel. She is over it, she doesn’t even remember her mother, let alone her disappearance. But, halfway through the filming of the documentary, someone comes knocking on Bel’s door. It’s Rachel Price, back from the dead, and she can’t say where she’s been for the last 16 years. Join Bel and her slightly (okay, slightly is an understatement) dysfunctional family as she goes on a hunt for what happened to her mother, in a story filled with mystery, lies, incredible plot twists, and even a romance subplot. This book, which is meant to contradict usual YA novel tropes, is an incredible read and a wild ride.
2. THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR BY NICOLA YOON
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I loved it. A romance novel, it has a dual point of view from its two characters, Natasha, a girl whose father is getting their family deported back to Jamaica, and Daniel, a poet whose father doesn’t want him to be. This happily-ever-after type love story was such a fun read, and made me smile half the time I was reading it. Its unique writing style of giving short chapters from the point of view of side characters, and letting everything come full circle, guarantees it a good read for anyone that wants to dip their feet in the romance genre.
3. SHATTER ME BY TAHEREH MAFI
You can explore one of my favorite writing styles in this dystopian romance novel that unsurprisingly went super viral. This book is so pretty, with the main character, Julliette Ferrars’, narrative bordering on poetry. This book is about Julliette’s struggle with her power; that her touch can kill a man. First in an asylum with a familiar face from her childhood; Adam Kent, she is moved to sector 45 of the Reestablishment, where she is met by Aaron Warner, the person in charge, and the person with a desire to harness her power as a weapon. If you enjoy poetic things or are looking for a different kind of writing, run to this beautiful novel
4. THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW BY S.E HINTON
I think we all had to read Hinton’s book, The Outsiders, for English in seventh grade. But from the same world comes an entirely new story of betrayal, harsh realities and brotherhood. This short novel follows a found family, Bryon and Mark, with Bryon’s mother, who is in the hospital, and in the boys’ rapidly changing, and deteriorating relationship. Set in the late 60’s, it follows Bryon and his experiences with his friends, in the chaos of their town. And the rapidly growing problem with drugs, the ones that will slowly follow Bryon and tear apart the people he thought he knew. This book set out to show a dark reality with no happy ending and really did just that.
5. I AM PRINCESS X BY CHERIE PRIEST
Now that I have recommended a book on brotherhood, I’ll recommend a book for sisterhood. This painfully underrated mystery novel follows a girl named May, as she uncovers the mystery of the webpage that bears uncanny resemblance to her and her childhood best friend’s comic book character, which they called Princess X. But what’s so weird about that? Copyright? No, it’s so much more. You see, the childhood best friend, Libby, died in a car crash several years ago, and with her died Princess X, the book of the comic being lost with Libby’s death. But when a rabbit hole leads May to a webcomic featuring Princess X, the more she looks the more odd parallels the comic has to Libby’s mysterious death, and the more it looks like the car accident that killed her, might not have been an accident, and it might not have killed her at all. This is one of my favorite thriller novels I have ever read, it hooks you in right away and keeps you there. Definitely a must-read for lovers of suspense.
So, those are my picks. Of course, I have so many more, and if you like them or have read them, talk to me, I’d love to hear it. Also if you have any books you think every freshman should read, tell me, I could always use another book to read.
