January 20, 2011
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas is a teenager that wakes up on an elevator lift and the only thing he can remember is his name. The lift finally stops and the doors open and he finds himself looking at a bunch of kids all about the same age and a big open area surrounded by walls. He soon becomes friends a boy named Minho and tells him that kids come up that elevator every thirty days. Every once and a while, big giant doors open up to a maze filled with giant bee like creatures. Minho explains that Most of the older kids will make an attempt to the maze but they either come back scared or get killed. Thomas and Minho start making more friends and enemies but will they get out alive or not?
Isaac T., Class of 2014
The WHS Library owns The Maze Runner in print and audio.
November 29, 2010
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Written in 1945, Animal Farm is a satire about a farm controlled by animals. They have chased Mr. Jones, the cruel (and usually drunk) farmer, off the farm, and are now running their own affairs. The animals create a system of thought called Animalism, which basically says that anything with four legs is good, and anything with two legs is bad. The pigs, who are the smartest, run the farm. For a time, things go wonderfully. The animals have enough to eat, no one is whipped or killed, and the harvest is successful. However, revolutions are often corrupted by their leaders, as is the case in Animal Farm. This book is an excellent portrayal of how a rebellion can oftentimes make a bad situation worse. In Animal Farm, the animals want better living conditions. However, their leaders, the pigs, end up becoming more and more like humans. This is a classic story of a dystopian society.
Molly D., Class of 2014
November 9, 2009
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, is an exemplary work of fiction with a clear message about the necessity of individualism. the plot centers around a lone individual living within a near hive-mind society. In this society, every physical or mental difference is frowned upon, everyone is expected to be of the same intelligence, and grow at the same rate. even the use of the pronoun “I” is forbidden on pain of death. eventually, the individual, (who is unnamed until the end) breaks away from the collective, and renames himself Prometheus. I found the book to be brilliant in terms of writing style and philosophy, the harsh depictions of the collective versus the optimism in Prometheus is a magnificent display of Man Vs. Society as well as a great way to depict a first person point of view. Rand is able to depict prometheus as both a brilliant maverick, who’s advancing faster than the entire society, as well as a lost child, who is unable to grasp why his society does not want to move forward with him. as complex as the book is, it is not a difficult read, so I recommend It for 9th graders and up.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
Marty, 10th grade
We own Anthem! Check the catalog to see if it is available.
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