LA METAMORFOSIS- FRANZ KAFKA

 

SINOPSIS

¿Qué pasaría si una mañana despertaras como un insecto? Esto es lo que le ocurre a Gregorio, un joven

comerciante que tiene que viajar todas las mañanas para sacar a su familia adelante económicamente.

Al ver que su físico ha cambiado, tiene que acostumbrarse a sus nuevas características escondido de la

gente que lo rodea, sintiéndose así aislado y diferente a la sociedad. Su nueva realidad tendrá

consecuencias tanto en su familia como en su trabajo. Teniendo esto en cuenta, descubre que pasará

con la identidad de Gregorio.

VALORACIÓN CRÍTICA

La novela literaria existencialista a comentar se titula La Metamorfosis y fue escrita por el autor

checo Franz Kafka. Podría considerarse una obra sencilla y directa, pero con gran cantidad de

simbolismos que deja una intención profunda al lector. Primero de todo, porque al tratarse de

una novela existencialista reflexiona sobre el individuo en la búsqueda de la libertad que

pierde al convertirse en insecto; la aislación de su nuevo yo; o incluso la alienación, ya que se

vuelve alguien ajeno y extraño que conlleva que pierda el control de sí mismo. Por otro lado, al

convertirse en un bicho, aumenta la marginación. Por lo tanto, el autor intenta dejar en

pensamiento y deliberación sobre los temas tratados.

En mi opinión, es clara la posición de los personajes, exactamente la de los familiares, que son

los que muestran al protagonista como una carga o molestia. Es más, a pesar de inicialmente

sentir compasión hacia Gregorio, han acabado queriendo deshacerse de él, lo que muestra el

comportamiento y rechazo de la sociedad cuando se trata de convivir con alguien diferente a ti,

y del cambio de actitudes que uno puede sufrir.

Finalmente, ante la frustración y perdida de la libertad que Gregorio tenía como insecto, Franz

Kafka nos presenta su muerte después su lucha por encontrarse a sí mismo.

Teniendo en cuenta lo mencionado, podría concluir diciendo en que ha sido una lectura

interesante y diferente.

AUTORA DE LA RESEÑA: ISABELA PRIALA

DAVID COPPERFIELD by CHARLES DICKENS

 

SYNOPSIS

David is a little child who is constantly facing difficulties. The first one, is the death of his father, who will be followed by his loved ones. His story is fullfiled with lost and new begginings. Even if the people around him didn't root for him, he still became a polite and educated man. Friend of his friends, always remembering hist starting point, his holidays and death relatives, he acted with love in the constant search to be happy. After all his pain, finally, he was able to have a family and stability. Also, that letted him to pursuit his dream of becoming a writer. This story, is his first book; his life.

PERSONAL OPINION 

David behaves in a expected way at the start of the book. As he is only a child, he acts listening to what others tell him, speciallya dults (eventually he became victim of adults): His acts resamble his harmful situation and how any child in an abusive enviroment would react. That is only at the start. As the novel goes on, David starts to act in an unexpected way; he worked so hard to become his best version. It is unexpected, surprising and difficult because his historical context and live. For those reasons, he was likely to become abusive too, but he broke the harm life in the family. As the book is situated in an specific historical context and time, we will continue remembering that. In the novel, hey show the difficult times of war and the terrible consequences of that. This way, the book shows the image of a dark time full of negativity taking control over the world. To learn, we need to keep in mind that so we won't make it again. Also, we should take the importance of cultivating hope even in the worst times. Darkness will continue approaching, but if we keep looking for light in everything; in the mundane too, everything will be alraight. All the things are something to chersish and be thankful for. That's a great message from the characters in the book. When David goes to the school in London, the author really shows how painful it was. The setting is perfectly discribed as a dark place, ruled by power and surrounded by suffering. t shows and old scenary with harss rules and histility; a nightmare. A place that no one would wanted to be. Certainly, the book really captures the settings in a material and emotional way. As we imagine the furnitures, we also see the characters criying, laughting or expressing themselfs. Truly full of emotions. Charles was a really well known writer, his pieces of art are still relevant these days. I like how he writes difficult scenaries wich are relatable. The emotions that surround yhem are so well described that we can be part of the story. Despite of the fact that shows his capacity of creating dark times, Charles leaves a hopeful and meaningful message that has a lot of relevance. As I find really beautiful his ability of transforming the bad in shine, I would ask him about that. I would like to ask: "how do you find yourself having the caapcity to erase the complicated parts of life with hope?" amd "How can we still se the light when there is nothing to hold to?" Because, as I said, he always leaves a good philosophy behind his books. I liked a lot how live is in every corner of this book. The characters are so full of it about everything and it is what keeps them alive in a constant try and fail. It showecases how strong and powerful is love.

REVIEW by ERIKA LANDI

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN by PATRICIA HIGHSMITH

 

SYNOPSIS:

The character of Bruno behaves in an unexpected way. I would say it because he behaves like a psychopath. He says: “ You murder my father and I'll murder Miriam. The police will never find us. We’re strangers, we met on a train and nobody knows we’re friends.” This type of thing says a person who isn’t normal, because who thinks to murder someone? I would say that the characteristics will continue to be important in the future. Firstly, Guy, who is the main character, hates his wife whose name is Mirianm and Bruno, who is an important character too, hates his dad. This is essential because nobody would think that this couple has a connection between them. I mean, you never know if a person has a relation with another, and for that reason, you mustn’t trust anybody. In addition, you shouldn’t think that the police never find things because 100% in the future they will find and they will discover everything. At page 15, the author does an effective job describing the setting: “The island was dark and quiet, there were a lot of trees. People came here to kiss and make love.” I have to say that the author doesn’t describe a lot in this book but in this passage something he’d say. If I could interview the author, I would ask if this story happens in real life. I think that the response would be positive, because nowadays people are very crazy. Furthermore, I would ask what he would do if he was the character of Guy. I think that the response would be to go to the police without giving importance to Bruno’s threats. I like that it wasn’t very long and I read it very fast. Apart from that, I liked it because the theme was entertaining for me and there weren’t a lot of characters like in other books. 2 men met on a train whose names were Bruno and Guy. Bruno hated his father and Guy had some problems with his wife whose name was Miriam and they were going to divorce. Bruno has an idea and killed Miriam. After that, Bruno phoned Guy and wrote letters, telling him to murder his father. Guy was frightened he would tell his girlfriend that he knew about Miriam’s murder. He was tired of it all, so tired, so he said yes and he killed Bruno’s father. He wanted Bruno to disappear but instead of it, he appeared in all the places Guy was. One day, they were sailing both of this and Guy’s girlfriend. A wave came to the boat and Bruno died. Weeks later, the inspector discovered that Guy was the murder of Bruno’s dad and the story finished there.

REVIEW by NATALE PECHARROMAN

MOTORCYCLE MYSTERY by SANDRA SHERWOOD

 

SYNOSPIS:

In this reading we meet a character who behaves in an unexpected way. This character is Janet's co-worker, Melissa. Melissa at first seemed like a quiet girl who followed the rules, didn't lie, didn't do anything, but as we continue reading the book we can see that she is not a quiet girl. Melissa decides to invite Janet to her house to go to a friend's party. Janet thinks that it will be a calm night, but suddenly Melissa lies to her saying that they will go to a discotec with one of her friends. We have to bear in mind that they are underage, they can’t go to a discotec. Melissa says that she has a fake card where she is of a legal age. Melissa takes Janet and goes to the discotec to dances and drinks alcohol. When I read this I didn't expect this behavior from Melissa.

One of the features of this reading that will continue to be important in the future, for example, will be support. In this book Janet supports her cousin Kevin in his studies. Janet doesn't let him give up, she helps him. This behavior will continue to be important in the future, since the best thing we can do so that a person doesn’t give up is to support him or her as much as possible.

A passage from the reading where the author does an effective job describing the setting: “I entered Kevin’s bedroom and looked around. There were motorcycle parts on the floor. Road signs and motorcycle posters

were hanging on the walls. Stevie was sitting on the floor, playing with a box of silver balls.”

If I could interview the author of this reading I would ask if Kevin passed the mathematics test and if he and his father fixed their misunderstandings. I think the response would be that Kevin passed and he and his father fixed their misunderstanding but it took a while because his father didn’t understand him in many aspects.

PERSONAL OPINION

I did not like the character of Kevin's father at all. He always treated him badly. Even if he didn't do anything, he mistreated him. He doesn't understand him, and he blames it all on Kevin's poor mother. But not everything is negative, there are things that I liked too, for example I liked the part where Kevin opens up to Janet. I felt it was very nice, because from my point of view, opening up to someone and telling them everything that happens to you is not very easy.

REVIEW by ALAITZ FIORILO VARGAS

A FOREIGNER IN NEW YORK by RAMÓN IBARRA RUBIO

 

SYNOPSIS

While reading this book I saw that the main character behaves in an unexpected way. Many people think that a foreigner in a big city like New York would feel lost and scared, however the character is actually quite curious and eager to explore new places and to have new experiences. The first idea that will remain important in the future is that the character’s experiences highlight the importance of understanding different cultures. The second one will be that overall we have to adapt to new situations as the protagonist does, and this quality will continue to be important as people face changes in their lives. The last idea is that I have to emphasize the value of forming connections with others and by this way we build supportive communities. The passage that describes an effective setting might detail the busy streets of New York. For example, the author could write about the sound of traffic, the bright lights of Time Square, and the mix of people from different backgrounds. This specific description helps the reader feel the energy of the city and understand what the character is experiencing. If I could interview Ramón Ybarra Rubio, I would ask him What inspired him to write about the life of a foreigner in New York. And I think that he would respond that he wanted to show how powerful the experiences of being in a new place can be. What I particularly liked about this book was the positive attitude of the main character. His enthusiasm for discovering the city. On the other hand, one thing I disliked was that some parts of the book were a bit rushed. I would have liked to see more details about the character’s feelings.

PERSONAL OPINION

In my opinion, A Foreigner in New York is an entertaining book.These types of books help people improve their language skills but not only that, they also encourage them to continue learning more and to read more books like this.While you read the book you will wonder how New York can change a person.To sum up, it'a a lovely reas that makes you to learn English and meaningful.

REVIEW by ELISA BOZONCA

EAR-RINGS FROM FRANKFURT- by REG WRIGHT

 

SYNOPSIS

Jennifer's parents died in a road accident, she has always been an independent woman and she is a nurse, she works a lot. She has a younger brother, called Richard and he always needs Jennifer’s help. He is a problematic boy, never lasts long at a job and he is always borrowing money. This time he needed Jenni´s help to give him twenty pounds, according to him as a gift to his girlfriend. He had lost his job and the boss didn´t want to give him the salary. Jenni didn’t believe him because he always said the same, even so she gave him the money but with the condition to give her the money back. Richard accepted. That same afternoon Jenni was meeting Claire in the restaurant named Maxim´s. Here was a birthday party however the girl that was having it didn´t look very happy, this caught Jenni´s attention but the ear-rings she was wearing caught her attention even more.They were big and shiny gold. She thought that it was strange that a beautiful woman with beautiful ear-rings was unhappy on her birthday and mentioned it to Claire. By surprise there was a loud crash. One of the men that was singing “happy birthday” had blood in his face. Jeni and her friend jumped up and ran over to him. “He needs a doctor” said Jenni so Claire took her car and they carried him to the hospital. While they were on the road the man insisted on not going to the hospital but the girls didn´t care about it. When they arrived a nurse came and she took it, the man didn´t thank the girls. After that they returned to the restaurant but found everyone outside and the police at the door, two of them were holding the unhappy girl. Jenni and Claire looked at each other but did´t say anything. When they saw that they weren´t letting anyone in, Jenni suggested going home. The next day Jenni went to her work, ñike every day and the boss called her saying that someone called her, the person who called said that her name was Wendy and she was Richard´s friend. Jenni didnt know anyone called Wendy and it seemed odd. At the end of the day while Jenni was going up the stairs she heard voices above. Two men were at her door. They said to her that they are detectives and they have to ask some questions, so Jenni opened the door and the three of them went inside. They asked many questions about Richard and about the night before. Jenni answered honestly to their questions but when they asked about Richard´s girlfriend, Jenni didn´t know anything about the relationships of her brother. One of the detectives mentioned that the name of the girlfriend was Wendy, Jenni assumed it was the girl who called her this morning but didn´t say anything about. Before the detectives left they said to Jenni that they were looking for some stolen jewellery and they believe that her brother knows something about it. Also they said that Richard was working for a criminal. Jenni didn´t sleep well at night. The next morning after working, she returned to her house and she heard that the telephone was ringing. It was Wendy. The girl said that she was round the corner from her flat and she asked if she could enter. Jenni accepted. When she saw Wendy´s face from the door she knew who is, the girl who was having a party at Maxim´ s for a few days. When they entered inside Wendy told him when she met Richard, from where were the ear-rings that she wore on Maxim´s night, who was their job boss… She said that Joe Kelly, the boss and the man which Jenni and Claire took to the hospital, was a criminal. One day he said to Wendy to go to Frankfurt for some egg boxes, obviously she was afraid and she thought that was strange, and no matter how much she insisted on not going Kelly forced her. The next day while she was waiting for the plane at the airport Richard appeared and he said that Kelly told him to go too. When they arrived to Frankfurt, to the hotel, came one white car for them, like Kelly said to her. The men of the car were Kelly´s friends who they had to give the egg boxes. The men took them to an old house, and gave them the 3 egg boxes, and suddenly a lot of policemen entered the house. One of the policemen took Richard and Wendy and he said to them that the boy´s call was helpful to know what was soing their boss. The policeman ordered them to return to their city with the egg boxes and to don´t say anything about this. They obeyed and came back, they gave the boxes to Kelly and he gave some big earrings to Wendy, telling her that they were his birthday present. He also told her that he would throw her a birthday party at a restaurant. Wendy said that she didn´t want the stolen ear-rings and also the party, but Kelly didn´t matter. Jenni heard all this with attention when suddenly someone knocked the door: Richard with the detectives of the last day. The men entered the house and everyone wanted to speak. Eventually, the detectives explained that the polices of Germany spoke with them and they told all to them and now Kelly was in the prison. When the detectives left Richard gave back the twenty pounds to her sister and gave to Wendy her birthday present, a pair of gold ear-rings, but this time not stolen.

PERSONAL OPINION

I liked this book a lot. The ending was satisfying because Richard returned the money and gave Wendy new ear-rings, showing that things are not as bad as they seemed at first. Overall, I think it’s a good story that combines family, crime, and suspense in a way that keeps the reader interested. Also, it is very fast and easy to read, the vocabulary is simple and if you don´t understand something the book has a glossary. I have never read any book in English and I think that I will be encouraged to read more books like this.

REVIEW by SALMA MAKBOUL

THE INNOCENT VICTIM by SIMON BETTERTON

 

SYNOPSIS

A boy named Richard, had a purple Suzuki 500 motorbike that he adored. On his birthday someone stole it, so he and his girlfriend, Alison, started searching for it with the evidence that they found. That same day, a robbery at a jewelry store was reported in the newspaper, and by coincidence, Richard was arrested for an armed robbery he didn't commit. He only had Alisons and a friend's help. They'll do whatever it takes to get Richard out of jail.

PERSONAL OPINION 

In my opinion, it's an entertaining book that you can read quickly and easily. The chapters are very short and It has pictures to better understand the story. In addition, while you are reading it, you can see some words in bold. This is because at the end of the book, you can find a glossary with the translations in several languages, like, spanish, catalan, basque and galician. Furthermore, before the glossary, there are several questions for each chapter to help review.

REVIEW by SIMONA BEUKA

A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by SARAH J. MAAS

 

SYNOPSIS

Does a character in this reading behave in an unexpected or expected way? Explain your answer. The main character in this book, whose name is Nesta, behaves in an unexpected way. Nest suffers the loss of her father in front of her eyes, and because she couldn’t have done anything about it, because an evil king killed him to hurt them, she resents the world and anyone who lives in it. She feels really bad with herself for not treating her father as she should have, when her father always said that he loved her. And because she was also transformed into a fairy against her will, as well as her other sister, Elain, while her youngest sister, Feyre and her friends, injured and bleeding, watched without doing anything in their hand to stop it. To make a summary, instead of helping and working towards bettering the world they live in, she numbs herself with alcohol and treats the ones who love her with resentment because she feels miserable and regretful for her past behaviours. Which, for me, is something I do not comprehend. I do understand that you have suffered a lot, but you can not or should not be living drinking alcohol and spending your sisters’ money without thinking twice, plus hurting and causing pain to the ones who love you. That is why I think her behaviour is unexpected, because I would not behave that way, it would make me a wreck, like Nesta. And even if it is true that she had done wrong things in the past, doing nothing to change it while hurting others will do more harm than good. - What are some ideias, characteristics or elements from this reading that will continue to be relevant or important in the future? After Nesta starts to finally heal little by little, while she works in a library (which had been imposed by her sister for her improvement even though it was against Nestas’ will) where acolytes live there and do not go out of there (for their pasts and traumas), decides to make a training group for them and for herself to feel strong and sure with themselves, so they do not feel weak and useless any more. At first, it takes a lot of time and effort to collect even just one person, but in the end, more and more acolytes decide to join them, which makes Nesta happier and proud. This way, Nesta trains them like modern Valkyres, a warrior sisterhood and empowers the females. The formation of this new group emphasizes the theme of female friendships, which will remain significant as the characters face future challenges. - Find a passage from the reading where the author does an effective job describing the setting. "The House of Wind was carved into the side of the flat-topped mountain and seemed to be half living stone, half castle. Pillars of rock had been shaped into elegant archways, and smooth balconies flowed from the structure as if they’d grown from the mountain itself. Water trickled from some unseen source, a gentle, endless whisper of sound. Clouds drifted in the distance, and a cool breeze brushed against Nesta’s skin, carrying the scent of pine and snow." This passage does a great job not only describing the setting, but also immersing the reader into the mystical, imposing atmosphere of the House of Wind. Mixing natural and manmade elements. Completing it with details that make it feel tangible and alive, enhancing the beauty and serenity of the setting, which is something that is not seen in a lot of books and that I really appreciate. - If you could interview the author of this reading , what would you ask him/her? What do you think the response would be? I would ask her what has gone throughout her life to be able to write like that. Because not only does she have talent describing features, characters and environments, but you can also see the way the characters feel and think, and with loads of them suffering with different types of problems, I am pretty sure that she herself has suffered from at least one of them. I think that her response would be that she has lived a lot, although she is pretty young, and that she had to go through some issues in order for her to see the other side, which is more peaceful and happy. And if that was the answer, then a lot of the problems she has gone through would be reflected in the chapters.

PERSONAL OPINION 

I really liked the detailing of the characters; the way they think, their personality, the descriptions, their features... Which causes the reader to have a better understanding of the book as well as the fact that it gives the chance to fully immerse into it and even feel part of it. I also loved the plot of the book, I didn’t expect that so many things were going to happen, and it seemed like it was full of surprises, it was really interesting and it didn’t put me off any time. I was always eager and excited to keep reading it. I have also learnt a lot of vocabulary as well as interesting grammar structures.

REVIEW by JUNE DIEZ

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by SUE LYNN TAN

 

SYNOPSIS

Wenzhi is presented to us as the best Celestial army soldier, one of the youngest and most celebrated warriors in the Celestial Kingdom. He barely talks about his past, and since Xingyin, our story’s protagonist, is also hiding things from him, she doesn’t push any further. Throughout the story we can read Xingyin’s thoughts and feelings making us suffer or laugh with her at some points in the book. Xingyin, unlike other characters, is brave and resilient. She cries sometimes because she’s human too, but never lets that keep her from her mission or objective, which is freeing her mother from the prison she lives in; the moon. Xingyin’s emotions and personality will continue to be very important in the future. Since many people will be going through hardships, they will have to learn to be more resilient and strong, just like Xingyin.

PERSONAL OPINION

What I really liked about this book is that the protagonist’s actions made sense, and I could feel really identified with her throughout the novel. The plot is also marvellous and the book offers a variety of fantastic objects, animals and places; starting from the different types of realms and the contrasting cultures they have, and ending with the magical swords or bows which give their beholder special powers. My mind can’t comprehend how someone can create a whole book from scratch, especially a fantasy novel. I would ask how she came up with the realms, the characters or the magic powers present in the book. Because even though this novel is inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, she did a really great job with the story.

REVIEW by Adesuwa Ehimwonzee Imuetiyan

THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE by SUE TOWNSEND

 

SYNOPSIS

“The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole” written by Sue Townsend is about a boy called Adrian Mole of almost 14 years old who experiences all the typical problems of a teenager: a first love, the changes in his body, the fact that he doesn't understand his parents and adults in general and the typical insecurity at that age. Adrian tells all these problems in an almost comical way in a diary where he writes what happens to him for over a year, starting in January 1st, with the New Year's resolutions. In this book you can find out about the romance with Pandora (his classmate), the traumatic experience when his mother cheated his father with the neighbor Mr. Lucas and Adrian's first time in an operating room, when they remove his tonsils after almost ten years on the waiting list of the hospital.

PERSONAL OPINION

In my opinion, this book is quite funny, although at first it seems that Adrian is only complaining all the time and that he is very pessimistic. Actually, it is a good book to see life through the eyes of a teenager and understand that it is not so easy when you are his age. I definitely recommend you this book because it will make you smile while you are reading how he makes a drama about everything.

REVIEW by MAIER JAUREGI

A MELODY OF TRUTH by EVELYN CHRISTIE

 

SYNOPSIS

This book is about a young girl, Diana. She studies at the Medicine school, because her parents suggested it. But the reality is different: Diana loves the music. She lives in a house that shares with her brother Roger and his friend Mark, another medical student, who offered to her the opportunity of being a volunteer, teaching music to sick children in a hospital. This experience was so incredible that Diana decided to leave the Medicine school and change to the Music school, where her best friend Laura was studying. In Christmas Diana visited her parents and told them her new plans about the Music school. At first, her father wasn’t agreed but finally decided to support her daughter ´dream. At the end of the book Diana was really excited about the good news and couldn’t wait to see Laura and Mark, her boyfriend.

PERSONAL OPINION

In my opinion, the story in this book is really interesting, because the message is that you must follow your dreams to be happy, like Diana did, and not always to listen the opinion of other people. The story is short and easy to read. You should read this book, because I am sure you will enjoy it.

REVIEW by MARA ZUBELDIA

OSCAR WILDE SHORT STORIES

 

SYNOPSIS

In the first story, called Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, there’s a rich man called Arthur who is going to marry a woman named Sybil. At first, he looks like a secondary character, but he becomes main after getting his palm read by a palm reader. According to him, he is destined to murder someone but he doesn’t want to get married before killing a soul, as he knows he is a murderer. During the story I thought he wouldn't try to kill anyone as he is a rich man with a great reputation, but he acts in an unexpected way attempting to kill his cousin by pretending to give her medicine, or pushing the palm-reader to the river in order to have a clear conscience and marry his beloved. The fact that this reading will continue being relevant or important in the future is that Oscar Wilde, the main writer of these stories, will be remembered for making stories with unexpected endings to surprise the readers and also for showing how people react to different situations as the main characters in the books did. For example, the situation of the king Arthur after knowing “he will be a murderer”, Hughie after seeing a man dressed “poor” or the Young king wearing his goat-herd clothes to his coronation. This following passage from the second story, called The Model Millionaire, describes the setting of a man who is being portrayed: “When Hughie entered, he found his friend busy painting. He was putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar man. The beggar was sitting on a raised platform in a corner of the studio. He looked like a wise old man with a very wrinkled face and a sorrowful expression. An old, torn brown cape was thrown over his shoulders, and his boots had big holes in them. He held an old stick in one hand, while with the other hand he extended a hat for alms.” If I could interview the author of the reading, I would ask him why he wrote stories with unexpected endings. I really liked the closings, since I had different ideas of how the stories would develop. I might think his response would be that he wanted to surprise the book lovers to get them interested in his stories, and that would help boost reading in a world full of technology.

PERSONAL OPINION

I particularly liked the book since it is not just one story, there are three which haven’t got any connection. That makes each narrative more interesting and fun because of the different themes which are related and also for the reason the characters are non-identical. They were described and given a function to teach something about the reality of people. And last but not least, I really liked, as I mentioned before, the unexpected endings which were given due to the ideas I already had in mind of how they would end. From my point of view, I would recommend this reading to those who want to improve their English skills and comprehension.

REVIEW by ISABELA PRIALA

THE MURDERS IN RUE MORGUE by EDGAR ALLAN POE

 

SYNOPSIS

 It is a short book with three stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. This book tells short horror stories starting with The Masque of the Red Death where Edgar Allan Poe writes about a prince living in an isolated castle, during a pandemic. The second story is The Pit and the Pendulum. This story is about a man in a prison where he has many terrific visions about ghosts and beasts, and finally the French army enters into the prison to rescue him. Finally, the last story is The Murders in the Rue Morgue. This is about two killed women, who are mother and her daughter in a street called The Rue Morgue. There were many witnesses with different versions. The detective Auguste Dupin searched deeply until he discovered the real criminal.

PERSONAL OPINION

This story is very interesting because it catches your attention while you are reading. The suspense of the story makes you want to keep reading the following chapter. However, the ending of the story is so strange that nobody would have imagined it. While you are reading your mind creates a plot but it isn't the ending, so you are a little disappointed. I think this is a good book for spending some time except if you can't stand reading about blood and murders. If you enjoy this kind of book, I really recommend reading it. You will have a good time, and you'll thank me after reading it.

REVIEW by UXUNE AMENABARRO

A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER by HOLLY JACKSON

SYNOPSIS

In the book there is a character named Elliot who has behaved in an unexpected way. Elliot is the father of Cara, who is Pip’s best friend. Pip is the mean character in the book. Also, he is Pip’s history teacher in her high school. Pip hasn’t suspected Elliot’s behavior, because he has acted in a responsible and helpful way at the beginning of her investigation. This book has taught me not to trust people and that nothing and nobody is what they seem. I said that because Pip trusted strange people on the internet to get more information about Andie’s murder. Finally this person didn’t give any evidence and killed Pip’s dog. Nothing is ever as it seems because Elliot didn’t appear to be an accomplice in the murder because he behaved normally. The other thing that this book taught me is that if you want to know something, you must try hard to do so. In the book, Pip tries really hard to find Andie’s killer. One of the passages that does an effective job describing the setting of the book is Little Kilton town. “The sky was bruising purple, the sun slipping away behind the trees, casting long fingers of shadow over the quiet streets of Little Kilton”. We can see that the author describes in detail the place where Pip lives and where someone kills Andie Bell. If I had the opportunity to interview the author (Holly Jackson), I would ask her the following questions: Why did you decide to write this book? I think the answer to this question might have been that she likes reading and writing. Also, she liked investigation and mystery books. Because of that, she wrote this book about mystery. 

How did you decide the names of the characters? The answer to this question might have been that the names were Holly’s friends or her family's names. 

PERSONAL OPINION

The thing I liked the most about this book is that it is an entertainment book and you never get bored because there is always something. I liked this book because it is a mystery and investigation book and I liked this kind of book. The thing that I disliked about this book was when Pip’s dog died.

REVIEW by NAHIA MARTIN

 

 

 

ICE BREAKER by HANNAH GRACE

 

SYNOPSIS 

The characters in this reading behave in an expected way. Anastasia or Stassie, is focused on her goals. As a competitive figure skater, she is determined, so she can go to the olympics. She is very independent and she doesn't rely on others easily so she handles things on her own. From the beginning, I could see her like an empowered woman, a woman that knows what to do with her life. The only thing that took me by surprise was how sweet and romantic is with Nate, because at the beginning she is very distrustful and she doesn’t want a relationship. There are some ideas that will continue to be relevant in the future. For instance, there is the idea of balancing ambition with real life. The pressure to participate in highly competitive fields (like sports or academics) while dealing with mental health, friendships, and romance. Teamwork are also relevant and support. In the book, we can see how teamwork works, and how important it is to support. For example, Nate helps her training and he supports more than anyone. There is a passage from the reading that I really like and that I think that the author made a good job describing. "The common room of the house is warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the cold wind outside. The large windows let in the last bit of fading daylight, casting a golden glow across the room. There’s a soft hum of chatter from the people scattered around, lounging on oversized couches, blankets draped over them, sipping on mugs of something warm. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla lingers in the air, making the whole space feel cozy, like it’s meant to be a refuge from the outside world. It’s one of those moments that feels safe, like nothing bad can reach us here." This passage took place when Stassie went to the Nate's room. It was the first time. The author is describing how Nate's room is and how Stassie was feeling. What inspired you to write a romance set in the world of competitive sports, particularly figure skating and hockey? And were there any real influences for these characters?" Hannah Grace: Competitive sports create natural tension, not just on the ice but in the characters' personal lives it does. Also, the contrast between figure skating’s elegance and hockey’s aggressiveness provides chemistry between Stassie and Nate. I was inspired by real-life athletes and their relationships I have been observing during years in the world of sports.

PERSONAL OPINION

I chose this book because an influencer posted it on tiktok and I decided to give it a chance. The book is very easy to read and the topic of sport is perfect. The book is about hockey romance and it is an enemies to lovers, that is my favorite gender. The books express the feeling of athletes, the pressure we have to get high level things, what we must do to become what we want and all the things we have to get over in this sports world. Because of this book, I have learned that not everything is sport and that I have to see the world because not everything is bad, and that someone will be there to help us. Another thing that I really like is the character of Nate. He is a handsome boy and nowadays there are few boys like him. He is very pleasant and he will be there forever to help Stassie and everyone he loves.

REVIEW by ANA IZAGIRRE.

A FOREIGNER IN NEW YORK by RAMÓN YBARRA RUBIO

 

SYNOPSIS:

I think that the main character, Antonio, behaves in an expected way. He is as humble and a good person as I thought he was going to be. He is a very curious and open minded person. Just because he was brave enough to travel to a new country just to meet his old friend Jason. Some things from the reading that I believe will continue to be important in the future are the history of New York and all the events that happened there, like the catastrophe of the Twins Towers, that every New Yorker is still sad about nowadays. This one of the passages that I found from the book where Antonia and Elaine describe The Statue of Liberty. " We walked around the observation area on the pedestal and admired the views of the harbour and the statue directly above. Then, the stairs in the interior of the statue looked out and we walked up to the windows in the crown on the statue's head. We walked up the spiral staircase inside the statue. The statue is 22 floors high, so there were a lot of steps to climb! Elaine explained about the history of the statue as we walked up. "The statue was designed by a French sculptor called Frédéric- Auguste Bartholdi. He used his mother as a model for it and it took him 21 years to finish it. The interior structure that you can see as we climb was designed by Gustave Eiffel - the same man who later designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris." We finally reached the crown and looked out of the windows at the impressive view. Elaine told me to look at the book that the statue holds in her left hand. I chose this passage because The Statue of Liberty is one of the first places that I would like to go in the future if I travel to New York one day, and this passage discribes the setting very well so anyone that goes there will know exactly how it is. If I could interview the author of this reading, I would ask him which season is the best to visit New York. His response would be a difficult decision for him to make because he only went in winter and summer, but I think that he would answer in winter just because of the beautiful and unique events that are held at that time, like Thanksgiving.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I didn’t really dislike anything about the story if I am being honest and I can’t really think of any part that I disfavoured. But what I really liked about the story is that all the things that were said in the book are true and that if in the future I go to visit the City, I will have a lot of information about New York because of the book.

REVIEW by Greatine Agho Amed

GHOST STORIES by ROSEMARY BORDER

 

SYNOPSIS

In the story "The judge's house" the author is a person who focuses a lot on his studies and doesn't care about anything else. He went to a place to be able to study better and he rented the old house of a judge. Many people told him mysterious things about that house and he didn't care, something that I expected since he was a person who doesn't care much. But then he started to pay a lot of attention to a simple rat just because he looked at it a lot. It started to scare him, something that I didn't expect from him since he wasn't a person like that. But it's true, there was a reason why that rat looked him and it is that the spirit of the judge was in the rat. Also in the story "The stranger in the mist" a man named Charles Linkhworth killed his mother just because he wanted to steal her money. The police noticed and put him in jail. He never admitted that he killed her. The judge sentenced him to death. He died, but then he started to communicate with them by calling them using the prison phone. It was something strange and mysterious. Finally he told them why he called them every day and it was because he wanted to apologize and accept that he was the one who killed his mother. I didn't expect that from him since he had never accepted it in his life and now after dying, he accepeds it and also in this strange way. There isn't anything very important for the future since these stories are all about horror. But there is something in one of the stories that could be fun to play in the future. In the story "Smee" Jackson was on vacation on Christmas Eve with his friends. They wanted to play hide and seek but Jackson didn't want to because years ago a girl died when he was playing in the dark. He preferred to play the game "Smee" which was much more fun. He explained the rules which were that every player is given a sheet of paper. All the sheets except one are blank. On the last sheet of paper is written "Smee". Nobody knows who "Smee" is except "Smee" himself or herself. Turn out the lights, and "Smee" goes quietly out of the room and hides. After some time, the others go off to search for "Smee" but of course they don't know who they are looking for. When one player meets another he challenges him by saying, "Smee". The other player answers "Smee", and they continue searching. But the real "Smee" doesn't answer when someone challenges. The second player stays quietly beside him. This goes on until all the players are in the same place and the last one to find them has to pay a forfeit. It's a bit of a mystery game but it's fun to play with your friends or family in the future. In the story "Fullcircle" the author describes “a house that was into a little valley like a green cup in the hills. It was a beautiful place. There was an old stone wall, and a little wood. Then there was smooth green grass, and a tiny lake. And at the heart of it all, like a jewel in a ring, stood the house. It was very small, but everything about it was quite perfect. It was old, perhaps seventeenth century, with large windows and pale stone walls. It was built about 1660 by Lord Carteron.” I choose this passage because the way he describes the house makes me want to see it in person. In the story "Fullcircle", I would ask the author why he moved to a place that is apart from the town and lonely. He also left his house in London to be able to live in this house that his cousin built. I think his answer would be that one of the reasons he moved is because it belonged to his cousin, also because it was very well done and it was beautiful. Plus, he didn't have to pay anything just to move.

PERSONAL OPINION 

I liked the game they played in the story "Smee" the best because it was very scary. When they played, the girl who died appeared. That was the same house where she died and since everything was dark they couldn't see her and they thought she was one of their friends. I didn't like the story "Fullcircle" very much because I didn't find it scary. It's just that the man who lived in that house, who was the cousin of the owner, used to be evil and rude, but 2 years later he became the opposite, polite and educated. The owner of that house was also an educated man and that means that the spirit of him was still there. The story was boring.

REVIEW by Alisha Bano

VANITY FAIR by William Makepeace Thackeray

 

SYNOPSIS

The protagonist in this story, Becky, is a very cunning and sly lady. She is very good at pretending or acting according to the context. She’s a top tier manipulator who does everything just to live a pleasant life. Furthermore, she doesn’t really care to betray others who are close to her because she knows how to get their trust back. While I was reading this book, I thought that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t an evil person but she never ceases to amaze me by how quickly she leaves her relationships without much remorse. The story is set during the late 70s where the French Revolution started. In fact, the beginning of the book gives an insight into the life of Napoleon, whose history is well known until today, and it definitely helped me with the reading. Additionally, it refers to many traditional British clothing from the 80s so it helps not to forget their culture and make it stay relevant. - George went to see his father, but when he began to speak about Amelia, Mr Osborne became furious. “Never say that name here!” he shouted. Why not? George shouted in reply. “Amelia Sedley is the sweetest girl who ever lived! I love her. You wanted me to marry her when she was rich. I can't leave her, now that she's poor ""Leave my house!” Mr Osborne screamed. “If you marry that man's daughter, you're no son of mine!” “Then goodbye, father,” George said and he walked out of the house. The reason I mention this long passage is because it shows exactly how George and Amelia are devoted to each other. Even if Amelias’ family lost all of their money, (back then, status was crucial when it came to marriage) he still chose to run away with his loved one and decided to cut off all or most contacts with his father given that he didn’t support their relationship. (Although the ending tells otherwise…) If I were to interview the author, I would have asked him how he created Becky’s personality because I definitely think he did a marvellous job. I love stories where the protagonist isn’t really a morally good person and rather enjoy evil characters where we can see their various thoughts. However, I still disliked her for the way she treated the Colonel but especially Amelia, who did become my favourite character. Amelia was too naive and gullible (most characters too though) and Becky clearly knew that so she took advantage of the poor lady. I believe that his answer to this question would be that he searched through different personalities and came up with a complex character like her.

PERSONAL OPINION

As I mentioned before, I really liked Amelia. For me at least, it’s quite rare that such a kind-hearted person becomes my favourite character but her devotion to his late husband really moved me. But, truly, I felt bad for Dobbin. Although he also loved Amelia, he knew that she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings. Honestly, at the end of the story, I was glad when he decided to leave her because he had all reasons to but I was still glad they got married in the end. The book itself wasn’t entirely bad, but whenever everyone believed Becky I was complaining internally. Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend this book for readers who like drama (lots of drama).

REVIEW  by MAUSAMI GURUNG

BRAT FARRAR by JOSEPHINE TEY

 

SYNOPSIS

To start, there are two main characters. One is the protagonist and the other the antagonist. The protagonist’s behaviour was pretty predictable. However, the antagonist, who was first shown as a victim given the death of his twin brother, revealed his true colours slowly and steadily. Not to give just, let's just say that he had done some things regarding his brother's death. To sum it up, he has shown so many weird behaviours which led to many misunderstandings. “‘I should hate,’Said Simon's voice in its slow, lazy way, ‘to let you go without saying goodbye. I mean, I could just cut the rope and let you think, If you had time to think at all, that it had broken. But that wouldn't be any fun, would it?’ Brat could see Simon's shape against the sky. He seemed to be half-kneeling on the edge by the rope. Brat could touch him by putting out a hand. What a fool he had been! Simon had taken no chances. He hadn't even taken the chance of following Brat. He came first and waited.” Rather than a really descriptive passage, I do believe that this exact scene, which also has a picture, reveals the true intentions of Simon and the deep hatred he has for his dead brother. The Way he had already planned the cliff scene and how he was going to kill Brat (the impostor/main protagonist) was described perfectly for me. I always wanted to ask this question to certain authors. Why do they have to insert a messy love interest? By that, for instance in this book, Brat is taking the place of a supposed dead boy and the dead boy’s sister suddenly wants to get married to him by the end, although at the start she believed that he was her brother. I mean, in the end, he's not the real brother, so perhaps that could be an excuse, but the fact that later on they mention that the male lead is the family's cousin. it's just really unnecessary. In addition, the male lead expresses some love for The dead boy`s aunt and I don't know if it's platonic or real love. Honestly, I don't know how the author would respond. Perhaps for them, it's par for the course, but from my point of view, it just kind of ruins the story.

PERSONAL OPINION

I personally like the second protagonist, who was the antagonist. Although he had some bad morals and was probably a psychopath, I just liked how his character was written and developed through the story. Besides, intellectual people make the story more interesting and engaging. What I disliked most is probably the fast pace and also the missing gaps through the story. For example, I really hate the fact that they didn't tell us the status of the person who had proposed the scheme to the protagonist. Because in the end, that person was the mastermind behind all of the plan, so I would have liked a conclusion for them.

REVIEW by Mansuni Gurung

THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES by K.L WALTHER

SYNOPSIS

"The Summer of Broken Rules" by K. L. Walther is a young adult romance about Meredith Fox, who returns to Martha's Vineyard for her cousin's wedding after her sister Claire's death. To honor Claire, Meredith and her family play a water gun game called "Assassin." During the game, Meredith meets Wit, a wedding guest, and they start to like each other. Their relationship helps Meredith heal and find happiness again. The novel is about love, loss, family, and living in the moment.

PERSONAL OPINION

It is a sweet and fun book. It shows how Meredith feels sad about her sister Claire but finds happiness again. The game of "Assassin" with water guns is exciting, and the island setting is beautiful. Meredith meets a nice boy named Wit, and their romance is cute. It's a great story about family, love, and feeling better after being sad. Perfect for young readers who enjoy heartfelt and happy stories.

REVIEW by SIMONA BEUKA