This month I’m recommending a smorgasbord of my favorite books that span three genres – mystery, fantasy, and dystopian! These also happen to be three of my favorite kinds of books to read. After school, I find myself reaching for a mystery to keep my brain going. After a particularly tough day, I turn to a fantasy book as an escape from reality. A good dystopian novel is great for days where I have nothing to do and can let the entire dystopian world unfold in my mind.
A good book will transport the reader into the author’s world. With “The Naturals” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the reader is thrust into a secret program cracking cold cases. From the first page turn of “Light Lark” by Alex Aster, readers are competing in the Centennial in order to break the curses of their realm. In “Divergent” by Veronica Roth, readers see what it’s like to be forced to choose a faction they want to be in for the rest of their lives.
“The Naturals”
“The Naturals” is the first in a five-part mystery series. Cassie Hobbes, the protagonist of this story, has always been able to read people, almost like an elevated version of people-watching. She can tell how old someone is, where they are going, and what they are feeling just by getting one look at them. The only other person she had ever known with this ability was her mother, who went missing when Cassie was little.
One day, a strange young man comes to the diner where she works, leaving his business card on the table when he goes. A few days later, Cassie gets up the nerve to call the number. On the other line is an F.B.I. agent persuading Cassie what he calls the Naturals, a group of teens, all with special abilities like Cassie, who work to solve cold cases and enhance their abilities.
Once Cassie settles in at the headquarters, a new case begins to arise – that of a serial killer, working at a concerningly rapid place. Despite adults pleading with her to stay out of it, she enlists the help of the other Naturals to try to crack this case. All signs point to this killer having something to do with Cassie’s mom’s disappearance. As the case escalates, the killer seems to have a new target in mind: Cassie.
“Light Lark”
The second recommendation, “Lightlark,” is one of my personal favorite fantasy books. It is the first in a three part series, so if you like it, there is plenty more to read. In the world of Lightlark, there are six realms: Sunlings, Skylings, Moonlings, Starlings, Wildlings, and Nightshades. Each realm has a curse assigned to it. Sunlings can never be in direct sunlight, contrary to their name. Skylings can’t fly, and Starlings can never live past 25 years old. In the Moonling realm, the sea becomes deadly during every full moon. Wildlings are forced to kill and eat the hearts of everyone they love, and Nightshades can never be in direct moonlight. Every century, an island called Lightlark appears, and the rulers of each realm are forced to compete in a 100-day competition called the Centennial.
Isla Crown, the ruler of the Wildlings, is set to compete in the Centennial for the first time after training for it since birth, all while hiding her biggest secret: She has no special power. She can’t eat hearts without immediately vomiting, and she certainly cannot seduce anyone she chooses, another Wildling power. Despite this, she has to compete in the Centennial after she turns 19. Once she reaches Lightlark, she is informed of this year’s Centennial contestants: an insufferable Nightshade named Grim, a powerful Sunling king named Oro, the mysterious leader of the Skylings, Azul, and a cruel Moonling queen named Cleo. The one bright spot in the entire competition is Celeste, her best friend. As the competition goes on, tension and romance start to bloom between contestants, and Isla doubts she will make it out alive.
“Divergent”
My third and final recommendation this month is “Divergent,” the first book in a trilogy. As always, if you like the first book you will have two more to read.
Beatrice Prior has grown up in a dystopian world where everyone is divided by their factions: Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, Candor, and Abnegation. Erudites pride themselves on knowledge. Amities, peace; Dauntlesses, bravery; Candors, truth, and Abnegations, selflessness. Beatrice grew up in Abnegation, a faction selfless to the point of discomfort, but had always felt she didn't belong, that she wasn't selfless enough and was too arrogant for the faction. At age 16, Beatrice is required to take the faction test, where it is revealed what factions she most belongs to. The results are shocking: She’s not part of any of the factions, but is instead Divergent, a mix of Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite.
Beatrice is not permitted to tell anyone about her divergence, and on the day of faction choosing, she makes the decision to switch factions from Abnegation to Dauntless. She has to undergo Dauntless initiation, a dreaded ritual that all initiates are subjected to. As Beatrice makes her way through initiation, she struggles to hide her divergence, collecting friends and enemies as she does so. Even a boy named Four, whom she starts to feel attracted to, feels like an obstacle. Everything seems uncertain. Will she get into Dauntless, or risk becoming factionless? What does her divergence mean? And will she ever find out why she is so different?
Many of these books were recommended to me by friends and family members, and they became some of my personal favorites. I hope they become some of your favorites as well.
If you have any book recommendations for the next column, you can email me at [email protected]. Happy reading!