By Cecilia Schutt
Photo by Cecilia Schutt
The school year is coming to an end once again, and for most students, the approach of summer means more free time. Whether you’re at home or on the beach, here are some books to read this summer, recommended by students:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
You may have heard of the Netflix show based on this book, and this book is definitely worthy of a series. It’s about a girl trying to solve the case of a murder in her town with the help of the brother of the boy accused of the crime. I’m not usually the biggest fan of murder mystery books, but this one was good, and the plot twist was unexpected.
Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters
Shady Grove has the ability to call upon the dead using her father’s fiddle, and while she normally knows better than to do so, she finds it hard to resist the urge when her brother is accused of murder. “I really loved this book because of the murder mystery plot and because the characters are really well written,” said freshman Carys Brown. “I would suggest the book to anyone who loves folk horror, Southern elements, ghosts, and mystery.”
Scythe by Neil Shusterman
Recommended by sophomore Nabeeh Ndiaye, Scythe is set in a world where humans have overcome the causes of death, like war and disease. Now, the only way people die is when they are killed by scythes, people whose job is to keep the world’s population down. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to become the scythe’s apprentices, they discover that the stakes surrounding their apprenticeship are higher than they’d thought.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed
Evelyn Hugo is an old Hollywood star who has not opened up much about her life in the past, but now she’s ready to share her story with the world. When she unexpectedly picks Monique Grant, an unknown journalist, to cover her story, she spills everything about her past, changing Monique’s life. “It’s written kind of like a documentary, and I like that aspect about it,” said sophomore Kaia Thompson. “It’s also written from two points of view, which is always nice.”
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
Pax is about the determination of a young boy and the fox that he befriends, Pax, to reunite after the boy is sent away to live at his grandfather’s house. “I liked it because of the split point of view of the main characters,” said sophomore Milton Isaac. “They both experienced drastically different things in the story, which kept it from being too straightforward and boring.”
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
For those of you who aren’t already familiar with this series, The Hunger Games is set in the dystopian country of Panem. Each year, teenagers from each district of the country, such as the main character, Katniss, are chosen via raffle to compete in the hunger games, an annual competition where competitors fight to the death and the last one standing is crowned victorious. “It criticizes society in a very real way, and the plot was genuinely really good,” said sophomore Emily Baek. This series is worth the hype.
