Review by Luca I. One of the most influential novels of its time, the release of The Hunger Games not only affected the literature community but also many fields of entertainment. The story’s setting is a heavily-regulated form of America, Panem, where citizens have little freedom and their success is limited. Once a year twenty-four citizens from the ages of 12-18 are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised show of survival. Specifically two people from districts 1-12 are chosen, and on a basis of age and wealth. The book explores how prejudice affects the residents of Panem. …

Review by Luca I. One could describe Panic as being similar to the novel The Hunger Games; both their protagonists and plots share key aspects. Panic is written in a manner which follows two specific characters’ experiences; a girl named Heather and Dodge, a boy. The two, along with fellow pupils, participate in a high-stakes and locally-organized competition where the ultimate winner would receive $67,000. The competition consists of fear-inducing events, however commonly places the participating players in risk of extreme physical harm. The story concludes with Heather, Dodge, and their friends in a far happier place mentally, as they …

Review by Luca I. Where the Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya, female marsh-dweller, and her struggles with the concepts of sex, love, and isolation. At one point the text reads, “She knew the years of isolation had altered her behavior until she was different from others, but it wasn’t her fault she’d been alone.” She loses both of her parents by the age of ten, and is forced to survive on her own in a desolate cabin. She solely provides for herself through harvesting and selling sea creatures, and develops her skills in cooking through trial and error. …