The Last Five Books I Have Read and Why You Should Read Them Too
- The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a partial retelling of the famous Iliad, an ancient Greek epic poem by Homer. The story is told through the narration of Patroclus, Achille’s beloved companion and lover. Patroclus is a young prince who was exiled from his homeland after an act of violence and is taken in by the legendary king Peleus. He meets Achilles in his new kingdom and before long they form an inseparable bond. This story focuses more on the events leading up to everything that happens in the Iliad, but it does include those events as well as a few from after.
This book is perfect for fans of Greek mythology, the Percy Jackson series, or anyone who enjoys a well-written book. This book changed pace several times but the majority of the story was pretty fast, so I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast-paced books. I would also recommend this book to anyone who loves beautifully written stories as this book is full of heartbreaking yet bewitchingly beautiful sentences. The Song of Achilles has many content warnings that should be read and considered before reading the book.
- Realm Breaker
Realm Breaker is the first installment of a new series by bestselling author Victoria Averyard. This book is told through multiple points of view and tells the story of a group of five unlikely heroes on their journey to save their realm, which is being threatened with destruction by a devoted man determined to burn all kingdoms to ash in spite.
This book is great for anyone who loves fantasy and adventure without a forced love story in-between. This book is very long and on the slower-paced side of things, so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to read. Aveyard makes the perfect mix of seriousness with a bit of comedy and a shocking twist to tie it all together.
- The Maidens
The Maidens is the second novel by author Alex Michaelides. This story follows the journey of recently widowed Mariana Andros on a journey to uncover the truth behind a series of murders at her niece’s college, which just so happens to be her alma mater. Mariana is determined to prove a professor at this college guilty of the murders, even going so far as to risk her life for it. This book has a shocking plot twist that can only be discovered and anticipated if you pay close attention.
This book was pretty drawn out and slow-paced, so it is for those who enjoy a wait. This book is also for fans of campus thrillers, Greek mythology, or murder mysteries with shocking twists. Although this book was pretty good, I do have to admit that several of the main characters’ actions were overdramatized and exaggerated, so do not read if you do not enjoy dramatic characters.
- The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena
The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena is the third book in the second series by bestselling Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan. This book cannot be read as a stand-alone, but the whole series can. However, I do recommend reading the first Percy Jackson series first. This book continues telling the story of a journey between a mixed group of Roman and Greek demigods trying to save the world and hopefully fix the bond between the two different kinds of demigods. This story is narrated by four of the demigods, and the series’ books rotate between telling each demigod’s point of view.
This book is great for fans of Greek mythology and especially recommended for anyone who has read the first Percy Jackson series. These books are relatively big and are medium to slow-placed.
- The Wilder Girls
The Wilder Girls is a story about a group of three girls, Hetty, Byatt, and Reese, living in quarantine at an island boarding school. The reason for their quarantine is that an epidemic, called the Tox, has spread throughout the island, infecting the students and their teachers, almost killing all of them. The Tox has made those who survived bodies strange and foreign in unimaginable ways. Even stranger, the Tox doesn’t just affect humans, but the woods and world outside their heavy-duty fence built out of fear for survival. When Byatt goes missing, though, Hetty will do anything to find her, including going outside the fence and braving what waits on the other side. On her mission to save her best friend, Hetty uncovers some shocking truths about the Tox and the quarantine they’ve been put under.
This book is perfect for those who enjoy weird, horror, mystery stories with a side of queer romance. This book has also been compared to the popular book “Lord of the Flies” in a feminist sense. Towards the first half of this book, it is slow-paced and filled with an uneasy sense of mystery, whereas the second half is relatively fast and has more of a thriller feel.
Imiyah is a Freshman and this is her first year in media. She is excited about learning more about photography. Imiyah wanted to try something new and...