Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Published by NAL in 1945
Genre(s): Classics, Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Politics
Format: Kindle
Pages: 122
Goodreads

As ferociously fresh as it was more than a half century ago, this remarkable allegory of a downtrodden society of overworked, mistreated animals, and their quest to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality is one of the most scathing satires ever published. As we witness the rise and bloody fall of the revolutionary animals, we begin to recognize the seeds of totalitarianism in the most idealistic organization; and in our most charismatic leaders, the souls of our cruelest oppressors.

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Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Published by Faber and Faber in 2005
Genre(s): Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 272
Goodreads

From the acclaimed author of The Remains of the Day and When We Were Orphans, a moving new novel that subtly reimagines our world and time in a haunting story of friendship and love.

As a child, Kathy – now thirty-one years old – lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.

And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed–even comforted–by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood–and about their lives now.

A tale of deceptive simplicity, Never Let Me Go slowly reveals an extraordinary emotional depth and resonance–and takes its place among Kazuo Ishiguro’s finest work.

I originally picked up this book because it had good reviews on Amazon and it was a cheap Kindle edition book at the time. I though that it was interesting, but overall, it just wasn't really my style of writing/storytelling. The topic was good and the plot was well done, but I just couldn't really get into it.

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The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 26, 1993
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Goodreads

This haunting story centers on Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he's given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.

Of course, like most people, I read this book in middle school. In light of the upcoming release of the film adaptation, I wanted to refresh my memory (no pun intended). It was just as good as the first time around; however, I realize now why it is read in sixth grade and not eleventh. It's very much a book for a young yet exploratory mind.

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