Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Josh Sales
I tried choosing just one — but then the other one got mad at me for leaving it out. Both of these novels have impacted me so heavily in such different ways. They really are a must read for anybody that is a teenager, or has been a teenager before. As unoriginal as these choices seem, paired together they serve as the two separate voices in a lot of teens heads. The battle between being annoyed with everybody, nobody understanding you, classic egocentricism, and the complete and utter selflessness of Charlie in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Both Holden and Charlie are unhealthy in their extremes, but toned down, readers can find the positive characteristics of them and hopefully emulate.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Brenna Kelly
I have had the pleasure of reading a few great books—The Catcher in the Rye and Jane Eyre among them. However, there is one book (or rather, several short stories) that I enjoy in a way I will never enjoy anything else.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is a collection of four novels and fifty-six short stories. While each short story has the same premise, the plot is always unique and carefully calculated.
Sherlock Holmes is a character you become deeply attached to—from The Study in Scarlet to “The Final Problem,” you grow to love his sarcastic and brusque personality. The Holmes and Watson duo is rivaled by none.
Because the book is mostly comprised of short stories, The Complete Sherlock Holmes is an ideal read for people with busy schedules. In some cases, a story can even be read over lunch or between classes. However you read it, Sherlock Holmes is a fantastic book that has been entertaining readers for 127 years.
Mistress – James Patterson
Brandon Casper
Any book that instantly begins with a jaw-dropping moment, is a book that I want to read. In Mistress, the journey of Ben as he tries to uncover the mystery of what seems to be the suicidal death of a woman that he thought to be extremely driven, beautiful, and successful. A book full of twists and turns, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to keep them up night after night, unable to put it down for even a second.
1984 by George Orwell
Skyler Higley
Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell, is commonly known as a wildly influential critic of society. His most popular novel, describes a dystopian civilization in the distant future: the year 1984. Although this novel highlights the issues and realities of Orwell’s time, you can easily see the parallels it holds to our society today. I think all teenagers should be forced to read it (although being forced to read certain material might be the opposite of the novel’s idea).
