Farewell to Manzanar, a memoir by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, is a compelling and insightful look into the past. In 1941, approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were evacuated into ten internment camps. The author, one of the people placed in the camps, tells of the times of hardship and discrimination during World War II. Grappling with issues ranging from loyalty between countries to food and housing to family separation, this book will give you a look into how a large family facing hard times perseveres through it and gets back to where they once were before they were knocked down. When people think of World War II, most think of the Holocaust and the discrimination and oppression of Jews. They think of how Germany’s cruel leader tortured innocent people. But most people won’t think of the hatred Americans felt towards the Japanese after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. And not only the hatred they felt towards Japanese people living in Japan, but hatred towards Japanese Americans, too. Because of the bombing, the United States government considered every Japanese resident of the United States suspicious. The government moved their very own Japanese citizens, people contributing to their country, into camps out of fear that these Japanese Americans were working with Japan. The amount of discrimination the Japanese Americans faced before and after evacuating was astronomical. Most people never think about this. But after reading Houston’s book, everyone will see, buried in history, the injustice that Japanese Americans faced throughout this era. This book made me see the harsh reality of the world. Even years after the camps were shut down, people still looked down on the Japanese. They thought they were strange and kept their children away from them. It was hard for Jeanne to make friends in high school and hard for her to embrace her culture. For me, as someone who is of a different culture than most of the United States population, it angers me to see these actions of hatred towards the Japanese. This book should forever serve as a reminder to the nation to never do this again, to never lock someone up or suspect someone solely based on their race. Through seeing how this rash action driven by fear affected so many children and families in a bad way, everyone should learn to never judge a book by its cover. Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1973. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
Heartless, Reviewed by April, 13
If you have read Alice in Wonderland before, the Queen of Hearts is most likely your least favorite character. She is temperamental—“Off with your head!”—and does several perplexing things, such as forcing her subjects to paint white roses red. But have you ever wondered how the Queen of Hearts’ foul personality came to be? In Heartless, author Marissa Meyer suggests that the queen was once a bright and lively girl named Catherine Pinkerton. In Meyer’s story, Catherine is the wealthy daughter of a marquess, and the King of Hearts wants to marry her—but, Catherine dreams of other things. She dreams of opening a bakery with her maid Mary Ann; she dreams of the support of her strict parents; she dreams of being able to make money without a husband. But, it’s the cold, hard truth that it’s nearly impossible for Catherine to open a bakery with financial or emotional support. No one would ever approve of her dreams, especially her parents. But everything changes when Jest, the court joker, makes his way into Catherine’s life. As she falls for the charming and witty commoner, Catherine begins to doubt the lavish life her parents have planned out for her even more. Is she really to marry the silly, bumbling King of Hearts, or can she find a way to open her bakery and end up with Jest? Can Catherine have her cake and eat it too? This book gave me all the giggles, thrills, and fever dreams of Lewis Carroll’s original novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and I feel that Marissa Meyer has truly done the 1865 novel justice! Everything is described beautifully and accurately. If Heartless were an official prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I would not doubt it. Meyer develops the story so that Catherine is sweet and hopeful in the beginning, yet eventually ends up as the cruel Queen of Hearts because of a series of significant events. Far from hating Catherine, I felt that her motives were absolutely understandable and sympathized with her. The book offers an entirely new perspective concerning the queen’s temperament. Not to mention, this book is a food lover’s paradise—from luscious lemon tarts to macarons that are “sweet and delicate and smooth, with just a tiny crunch from the meringue, and a subtle floral moment from the distilled rose water,” you won’t be disappointed by the descriptions of dessert! The only thing I would note is the unnatural start of Catherine and Jest’s relationship. After just one encounter with Jest, Catherine begins to fall in love, which seems very rushed. Aside from that, though, the chemistry and dialogue between the two characters are just right. (Oops, wrong fairy tale!) The secondary characters are irresistible as well. The Cheshire Cat is hands down my favorite; while Catherine thinks him to be gossipy and unpredictable, the magical cat proves he is loyal, companionable, and surprisingly wise in multiple instances. Additionally, Hatta, who is the Mad Hatter in the original story, is interesting because he seems very confident and mysterious, yet there is anxiety and fear beneath his words. These secondary characters are written well enough to be brilliant on their own, but not so idiosyncratic that they take away from the main characters, Catherine and Jest. All in all, Heartless contains everything its readers wish for: romance, enigma, sass, suspense, and magic. This book will fill you up just as much as one of Catherine’s delicious treats. Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, 2016. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, Reviewed by Ismini, 12
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a masterpiece. It is one of the most striking and memorable novels I have ever read, and the book has an ethereal quality that captures every bit of your attention. V. E. Schwab’s novel tells the story of Adeline (Addie) LaRue, a young French girl born in the late 1600s who made a deal with a manifestation of the god of darkness to escape a life of marriage and captivity. Addie is given freedom and immortality and in return must one day choose to surrender her soul to the dark god, Luc. This novel is a “be careful what you wish for” story, and Addie’s freedom comes at a terrible price. No one can remember her beyond their current conversation, she cannot speak her name, and she cannot leave a mark on the world. Anything she creates disappears. She can take things but never make them. And she is always forgotten by people, no matter what, until the year 2014 when she meets a boy who remembers her name. The concept of this book is so stunning and unique; this story always seemed to have something new to say. Never was there a dull moment or a slow-moving place, and I managed to speed through it in only a day. The writing itself was also exquisite. The use of metaphor and the English language was captivating and masterful. By the end of the book, I found myself believing that Addie LaRue really exists. I especially love how V. E. Schwab started each part of her novel by introducing a piece of real art and then wove that piece of art into Addie’s life story. V. E. Schwab’s characters aren’t two-dimensional or shallow. Every character has faults and hobbies and feelings and does more than simply exist to drive the plot forward. Adeline felt like a real human being. She was timeless and relatable while being totally individualistic. I could go on and on about all the incredible parts of this novel and drone on for hours about all the thoughtful and insightful surprises hidden within its pages. I know this book will linger in my thoughts for months. My teachers will surely catch me daydreaming about it. I greatly admire V. E. Schwab for her ability to write a young adult book and make it accessible to younger children as well. Anyone and everyone should read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It is thought-provoking, elegant, and astute, and it really made me think deeply about life and the world while still being light, fun, and easy to read. I have been changed because of this book in the most positive way possible. Five stars are certainly in order. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab. Tor Books, 2020. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
