Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (review by Elizabeth S. '16)

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cat's Eye details the life of stream-of-consciousness narrator Elaine as she reflects as an aged artist on her years growing up in the time after World War II in Toronto. Elaine has recently returned to Toronto in order to manage a retrospective gallery of her own critically acclaimed work. She reconnects with specters from her past, like the phantom Cordelia who tormented her as a child, whom she now sees and hears everywhere she goes even though she is long gone. Atwood captures Elaine's apathetic, passerby-like thoughts and describes her world in the most visceral way, making her writing a true joy to behold as it brings the story to life. Atwood also uses Elaine as a lens through which she can explore her own judgments and thoughts about growing up as a girl through elementary, middle, high school, and university, finding love, hate, strength, and weakness in all of these events that seem so cataclysmic when undergone for the first time. Cat's Eye is a true masterpiece, recommended to anyone for a more adult spin on a coming of age story.

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Wodehouse: A Life by Robert McCrum (review by Andrew R. '17)

Wodehouse: A Life by Robert McCrum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

20th-century humorist P. G. Wodehouse may have lived a life in which, by his own admission, “nothing really interesting happened, just meals and taking the dog for a walk,” but he still managed to leave behind countless thousands of pages of letters, articles, interviews, and fiction when he passed away in the 1970s—and it’s clear that dedicated biographer Robert McCrum has sifted through almost this entire mountain of material. Wodehouse: A Life is a tough read, not least because its quintessentially British subject gives rise to many quintessentially British references (Dickens; Eton; Lord Haw-Haw) that American readers would be hard-pressed to understand. Still, given the difficulty of studying a man whose ninety-four-year life was characterized mainly by dull monotony, McCrum has done a commendable job critiquing Wodehouse’s work and analyzing his thought processes in this nuanced look at the humorist’s history. I would recommend this biography not to hardened fans of Jeeves and Wooster, but to readers who are only beginning to delve into Wodehouse’s body of work; Wodehousian apprentices will likely be able to better interpret McCrum’s literary critiques as recommendations for their next humorous read. - Andrew R. '17

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver (review by Catherine H. '17)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When love, or amor deliria nervosa, is seen as a disease, scientists develop a cure. However, the cure can only be administered when the patient is eighteen, otherwise it is unsafe. Lena Haloway, now Lena Tiddle, is eager to be cured so that she can't become like her mother and sister, both previously infected. She's worried about her friend Hana, who is beautiful and has recently begun riding the edge between loyal citizen and sympathizer. She forgets about this when her evaluations go horribly wrong and she meets a Cured named Alex. She falls in love and finally wakes up to reality, that love is not a disease, and that she must escape. Delirium had an interesting idea, and some nice romance, but I felt that the plot didn't move smoothly throughout the book. - Catherine H. '17

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The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare (review by Catherine H. '17)

The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Shadowhunter's Codex has no particular plot, but is similar to something such as Harry Potter's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The book explains the various tidbits of Nephilim culture among other things, with amusing notes from the characters of The Mortal Instruments series. A slow, but interesting read, one can learn about the weapons and types of Shadowhunters, as well as how to survive when dealing with Downworlders. I only recommend this book to avid fans of The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices who have already finished the series. - Catherine H. '17

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Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (review by Maya V. '17)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The last book in its trilogy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a warming, heart wrenching, and fulfilling finale. After years of the chimaera and seraphim warring brutally against each other, the two races are devastated. The few chimaera monsters left are being resurrected regularly after losing battles. The seraphim race has split into two armies: one led by the new king, Jael, who plans to invade Earth, and another called the Misbegotten. In this sequel, Karou of the chimaera, the main character of this trilogy, and her love interest Akiva of the Misbegotten unite their races to defeat Jael. With their shared dream of uniting their people forever, they fight to bring harmony to the land of Eretz. This novel completes the epic trilogy with no questions unanswered. Every detail of the characters’ lives, the history behind the land of Eretz, and the mystery of the seraphim’s magical powers are explained magnificently. The interesting look into the side characters’ personalities makes the novel even richer with side stories and backgrounds. However, to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this novel, it is vital to read the preceding two books. This title is a must-read for young adults! - Maya V. '17

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