I think reading is super important, and it means a lot to me personally. It has played a big role in my life, and on several occasions I feel as if some books have changed me for the better! I believe that reading is so beneficial, not only because it is a book brain workout, but because it can increase your worldview and build empathy without even leaving your house. By walking in another person’s shoes for a while, you begin to empathize with others more and understand different perspectives! Here are some books that have built my empathy and helped me become a better person! Note: because of the nature of this post, most of these reviews contain spoilers depending on what part of the book changed me! Proceed with caution!! If you want to skip past certain explanations, the order is Paper Towns, Warcross, This Is Where It Ends, Even if We Break, The Hate U Give, Turtles All the Way Down, The Fountains of Silence, and They Both Die at the End. Happy reading!!!
Paper Towns was a book that really changed how I view other people. Nearing the end of the story, I had this big revelation about how we always have incorrect expectations of others. We expect either too much or too little, usually too much, of people and become disappointed when they aren’t who you think they are. This themes in this book kinda go hand in hand with the phrase “never meet your heroes.” That phrase really sums up how we build these expectations that are impossible to reach. Paper Towns has helped me become more aware of what my expectations are for others, and really reinforce the idea of not putting someone on a pedestal that they can’t live up to. While we should have expectations for ourselves and others, we need to make sure they are reasonable.
Warcross is one of my favorite books because the concept, the plot, and the characters are simply amazing. While upon first glance, or first read 😂, it might appear that Warcross lacks life changing themes. After a reread and some pondering, I realized that Marie Lu has embedded many subtle themes throughout the story. Warcross really described the idea that you never know what someone else is going through, and that we all have reasons behind our actions. After all, we all know that every villain has a motive, but why do we always discount it? The second we hear something wrong, we don’t care about the backstory. Warcross really helps remind me that I don’t always know the whole story. Warcross also made me question at what point is something not okay? If you are doing something good, but doing it in a bad way, is that okay?
This Is Where It Ends really gives a heartbreakingly raw perspective on gun violence. It really makes you question the world and the people in it. This really allowed me to get a perspective on this topic. Everyone must read this book.
There’s this one paragraph near the end of Even if We Break that left me completely speechless. This paragraph describes how something that was the character’s whole world, no one else knew even happened. For me, this really drove home the idea that no one knows what others are going through. It really made me think about all the things in life that I never knew about. This book has made me realize that there is so much that goes on that we are all oblivious too.
The Hate U Give allows a lot of really great insight into the oppression minorities can experience, specifically Black people. This novel is so great to help others better understand racism, and how it can affect a teen girl. The Hate U Give also really describes how we all need to have enough courage to speak our mind and stand up for what we care about. Just like Angie Thomas wrote, “What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments when you shouldn’t be?”
Turtles All the Way Down is a beautiful novel that allowed me to better understand OCD. But not only that, it describes how powerful our thoughts are. On many occasions, our thoughts are an endless pit, but Turtles All the Way Down really illustrates how important it is to break free. This novel really reminds me how powerful our minds are and how, depending on how we use them, they can help or hurt us.
The Fountains of Silence truly shows how you don’t always know the whole story, and that anyone can lie and deceive. It gave wonderful insight into how oppressive life can be in a country ruled by a dictator, and really allowed me to better understand different countries history. This novel really shows how we should take everything with a grain of salt and use our own judgement.
This novel really made me wonder: how much do we take for face value without questioning it? When people with a lot of power say something, do we just accept it and not question it? They Both Die at the End is a great reminder to question the world around you and wonder why things are the way they are. The story also really describes how important it is to use your time and how you should live like there’s no tomorrow and without regrets. It also helps show that even if your time is short, it can still be bright and happy!
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