Sean_Exon
San José Public Library
Sean_Exon's Completed Shelf
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Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Sep 29, 2020
Suitability
Ages 16
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Sep 23, 2020
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1984 is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian regime that takes place in a country called Oceania, outside the city of London. Here, “Big Brother” watches everyone’s every move; even a person’s most inner thoughts are monitored by the thought police. The main character, Winston Smith, is a government employee whose job is to rewrite history to put the government in a positive light rather than accurately recording the events. He hates the regime and often has thoughts of rebelling which is a thought crime. Thinking that he is entering a Brotherhood to overthrow the government, he is really being double crossed by O’Brien to reveal his hatred for the government. From that day on, Winston’s life is forever changed by the cruel situation he lives in.
Reading this book through humanistic eyes, this story has a lot of sadness. Human holds no value, no worth in the eyes of a totalitarian government. People are used or destroyed as the government sees fit. There is no humanity to speak of. Similar to Orwell’s Oceania, a lot of what happened in this story still happens in today’s oppressive regimes where Big Brother watches everyone’s every move and labor camps are still used to torture and reform citizens. There are many countries today that change historic events and school text books to suit their own needs. In a sense, the author is exposing the existence of the dark side of society in which we live. There are parts in the book that are hard to follow, but overall, I couldn’t put this book down.1984 is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian regime that takes place in a country called Oceania, outside the city of London. Here, “Big Brother” watches everyone’s every move; even a person’s most inner thoughts are monitored by the thought…
Suitability
Ages 16
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Sep 16, 2020
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The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian patriarchal society in Cambridge, Massachusetts in The Republic of Gilead formerly known as the United States. In Gilead, women were stripped of all rights. Their sole purpose was reproduction. High ranking official couples that could not have children were assigned handmaids to conceive with the husbands so that the couple could have children. This novel is about Offred, short for Property of Fred, her life as a handmaid for Commander Fred and his wife. Before she was a handmaid, she, her husband, and their young daughter were caught escaping to Canada. Her husband was captured and never heard from again. Her young daughter was taken away by another woman. Offred was forced to become a handmaid. She often recalled the freedom she enjoyed before Gilead, her best friend in college and her family. It was a stark contrast from the totalitarian government she lived now.
This is a powerful book about human rights or lack thereof under a totalitarian government. Even high ranking officials like Commander Fred and his wife who supported the government seemed to seek freedom. The commander kept a private library while books were outlawed. His wife, a gospel singer before Gilead banned music, often hummed a melody when she thought no one was listening. No one could trust a neighbor or a friend because that person could be a spy for the government. It is disheartening that totalitarian government still exists and that there are many people who still live in an oppressed society today.The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian patriarchal society in Cambridge, Massachusetts in The Republic of Gilead formerly known as the United States. In Gilead, women were stripped of all rights. Their sole purpose was…
Suitability
Ages 15
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Sep 09, 2020
Comment:
East of Eden is a fictional novel about the Hamilton and Trask families in central California in the Salinas Valley. Steinbeck used some of his family members as characters in this book. Samuel Hamilton, patriarch of the Hamilton family was a gentle, wise, and honest man. In contrast, Cyrus Trask, patriarch of the Trask family was a sinful man whose success came from deceits and his fortune was likely money he had stolen from the government. Cyrus’s son Adam married the evil Cathy Ames. On their wedding might, she drugged Adam and slept with his brother Charles. Adam and Cathy moved to Salinas and settled near the Hamilton farm. Soon after, Cathy gave birth to twin boys leaving the reader wonder if Adam or his brother was the father. Cathy had no intention of being a wife and a mother so she left to become a prostitute. From here, the story takes the reader through the lives of the twins, Caleb and Aron. Steinbeck used the biblical story of Cain and Able, the good and the bad, to compare the lives of Caleb and Aron.
This book is a masterpiece. Steinbeck was an awesome storyteller. I appreciate the theme of good vs evil. The book talks about “timshel”, meaning one’s free will to choose. In the book, Steinbeck suggested that sin is not an inherited trait. People do bad things because they chose to not because they inherited evilness. Similarly in the bible, Cain chose to kill Abel. I cannot think of one bad thing to say about this brilliantly written book.East of Eden is a fictional novel about the Hamilton and Trask families in central California in the Salinas Valley. Steinbeck used some of his family members as characters in this book. Samuel Hamilton, patriarch of the Hamilton family was a…
Suitability
Ages 14
Brave New WorldBrave New World, BookAnd, Brave New World Revisited
by Huxley, AldousBook - 2005Book, 2005
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2020
Comment:
Brave New World is a dystopian novel set in futuristic London where citizens are engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy called World State. In order to create a perfect society, human embryos are incubated in a hatchery where they are brainwashed to take their rightful places after birth as Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, or Epsilon. In this perfect society, everyone is young and productive. Natural childbirth and growing old are considered repulsive and savage. To achieve stability in the community, citizens are strictly monitored. If an individual have thoughts out of the “norm”, he takes a calming drug called soma. An Alpha named Bernard Marx invites Lenina on a trip to a savage reservation where they see a childbirth and old people. Upon their return home, they bring John and Linda back to World state with them. It is here that John realizes his vision of the perfect society isn’t as perfect as he thought it to be.
I do not like the book. It is painfully slow, hard to follow and it simply does not make much sense or good reading. I do however credit the imagination of the story taking readers outside of the box to think about what a perfect society can look like. This book questions society norms and morality. It shows fallible mistakes human can make when trying to play God. I am still trying to make sense of the ending where John kills himself. Since John represents our norm, then is Huxley saying that our normal will lose to the “perfect world”? I can’t make sense of the message the author is trying to make.Brave New World is a dystopian novel set in futuristic London where citizens are engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy called World State. In order to create a perfect society, human embryos are incubated in a hatchery where they…
Suitability
Ages 16
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Aug 04, 2020
Comment:
The Book Thief is a historical fiction that took place during WWII in Germany, narrated by Death who came to collect the souls of those who died. The story takes the reader through the plight of a teenage girl named Liesel. Through her foster parents, she learned two of the most important lessons that shaped her life, 1) learn to read and 2) show compassion toward the Jews even if it means great personal danger. Throughout the story, she stole books that the Nazis forbid. She read to neighbors to help them take their minds off the war and death that surrounded them. In further defiance of the Nazis, her foster parents hid Max, a Jewish boy, in their basement. Eventually Max was found and was led to a concentration camp. The war came to Liesel’s town and her street was destroyed. Everyone she loved perished leaving her the sole survivor.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I appreciate the story from the historical perspective to the German citizens resisting the Nazis. I find the most interesting character in this book to be the narrator, Death. A lot of people are afraid to die, but here, Death is afraid of human because he saw firsthand the evil and destruction human are capable of. I appreciate that the book shows the destruction that Nazi Germany caused and that many German citizens during WWII defied the Nazis to help the Jews. Overall, I cannot think of one bad thing to say about this book.The Book Thief is a historical fiction that took place during WWII in Germany, narrated by Death who came to collect the souls of those who died. The story takes the reader through the plight of a teenage girl named Liesel. Through her foster…
Suitability
Ages 16
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Jul 31, 2020
Comment:
Hatchet, is a fictional story of survival for 13 year old Brian Robeson. Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Brian was the sole passenger on a single engine plane flying to visit his father in Canada. The pilot suffered a heart attack and died. Brian crash landed into a lake surrounded by wilderness. He survived, but this city boy had to fend for himself in the unfamiliar backwoods. With his parents’ divorce heavy on his mind, he had to find ways to survive in his new “home”. He survived the wilderness for 54 days before being rescued. Through it all, Brian grew mentally and physically, and became independent.
I enjoyed the fast pace at the beginning of this book. The pace made the story fun as I went through the pages learning about Brian’s life and misfortunes. This book showed that in order to survive a tough situation you must be mentally and physically fit. You may make beginner’s mistakes at first, but learning from these mistakes will greatly improve your situation. That was a huge life’s lesson to take away. Somewhere by the middle of the book, the story got repetitive and boring. The story repeated itself chapter after chapter talking about Brian’s daily life of endlessly hunting, sheltering, sleeping, hunting, sheltering, sleeping. The ending of the book was abrupt and a little bit of a letdown. I was actually expecting his rescue to be a bit more dramatic, like his parents hopping off the plane to a teary reunion. Nope, that did not happen.Hatchet, is a fictional story of survival for 13 year old Brian Robeson. Shortly after his parents’ divorce, Brian was the sole passenger on a single engine plane flying to visit his father in Canada. The pilot suffered a heart attack and died.…
Suitability
Ages 10
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Jul 28, 2020
Comment:
The Alchemist is a mystic story about a shepherd boy named Santiago who followed his dream to find a buried treasure at the foot of the pyramids in Egypt. Along the journey, he encountered people and omens that helped him reach the treasure, but he also encountered unexpected distractions that could have led him off course. Eventually he met an alchemist; a man who could turn led into gold and had the elixir that could cure all illnesses. The alchemist taught Santiago about his inner strength that he could overcome great difficulties which led him to the buried treasure.
Although some parts of the book seemed a bit slow to get to the point, overall, it is an excellent, well written, well thought-out book that encourages readers to conquer their fears and reach for their dreams. Like Santiago, everyone has dreams. Through life, we too encounter people that can help us reach our goals. When faced with great difficulties, we must gather our inner strength to overcome. Santiago fell in love with a girl and almost gave up his dream to stay with her, but the alchemist convinced him that staying with her would eventually lead to a lifetime of unhappiness wondering “what if”. This is a wonderful story of adventure and inspiration.The Alchemist is a mystic story about a shepherd boy named Santiago who followed his dream to find a buried treasure at the foot of the pyramids in Egypt. Along the journey, he encountered people and omens that helped him reach the treasure, but he…
Suitability
Ages 14
The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-time IndianThe Absolutely True Diary of A Part-time Indian, Book
by Alexie, ShermanBook - 2009Book, 2009
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Jul 21, 2020
Comment:
Life on the Spokane Indian Reservation was tough for Junior, a teenage Indian boy. He lived in poverty, had alcoholic parents, bullied by his community and even his best friend was not nice to him. Mr. P, a white teacher, encouraged him to attend an all white high school, Reardon High, outside the reservation where he could get a better education. His parents were supportive of the idea. Being the only Indian student in his new high school caused a lot of tension with the other kids until he punched out the strongest, most popular kid in the school. To his surprise, the other kids accepted him after that.
I genuinely liked this book. It talks about living in poverty, how it feels being the odd one out, and it sheds light on racism. Living in poverty was tough, but the journey to try and work hard to get out of poverty proved to be even tougher for Junior. He was ashamed of being poor so he tried to hide it from his white friends. When he finally had to confess that he was poor, his true friends stood by him. That was a huge lesson he learned that true friendship is not based on whether you are rich or poor. True friendship is loyalty and a bond with the other person. As a teenager, the worst feeling is being the odd one out.
This book also touches on the subject of racism. Junior’s girlfriend was a white blonde hair girl and that her father did not approve of him simply because he was Indian. In one scenario, Junior was admiring his girlfriend playing volleyball wearing a white T-shirt with white shorts, against her light skin color and blonde hair. It seems as though the author used this scene to challenge the reader to think deeper into the issue of racism. Is her father the racist for disliking him for his darker skin color or is Junior a racist for admiring his girlfriend's lighter skin color? The only downside of this book is that it was unnecessarily sexualized. I feel the author used sexuality just to be “cool” for the teen audience. Aside from that, this book is a great read for those interested in a genuine teenage experience.Life on the Spokane Indian Reservation was tough for Junior, a teenage Indian boy. He lived in poverty, had alcoholic parents, bullied by his community and even his best friend was not nice to him. Mr. P, a white teacher, encouraged him to attend an…
Suitability
Ages 14
Sean_Exon's rating:
Added Jul 15, 2020
Comment:
Lucia Alvarez lived a sweet teenager’s life in Cuba with her parents and her brother, Frankie, before Fidel Castro’s communist revolution. She cared a great deal about boys, nail polish, American magazines, and her friends. Soon after the Communist soldiers drove through her town, her life changed drastically. She lost freedom, family members, friends, neighbors, and almost everything she valued. It was impossible for the family to move to the United States together so her parents decided to send her and Frankie to the US alone. Once they arrived in the US, the siblings realized they had to learn a new language, a new way of life, and to live with their new foster family.
Though I did not like the beginning of this book because it took too long for the story to develop, after awhile I began to appreciate the book's historical references because it stayed true to what Fidel Castro did to Cuba and its people during the Cuban revolution. This book also demonstrated the heartbreaking devastation when children are separated from their parents. We still see families being torn apart today, but under different circumstances. I admire the writing style of the author Gonzales because she made the story flow nicely so readers stayed interested and focused on the story line. I would recommend this book to teens that enjoy historical fictions. This book offers a glimpse into how life was in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution.Lucia Alvarez lived a sweet teenager’s life in Cuba with her parents and her brother, Frankie, before Fidel Castro’s communist revolution. She cared a great deal about boys, nail polish, American magazines, and her friends. Soon after the Communist…
Suitability
Ages 12
Comment: