Everyone faces conflicts in their lives, and the best way to overcome them is to read a book about a character who faces similar problems. These characters can help you understand your own challenges better, and make you feel less alone in the world. Over time, stories change, books change, characters change, but the main conflicts in the book are all relatable ones that many people may experience. This is evident in the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, a book written literally over two hundred years ago. It tells the story of people struggling to overcome misconceptions and vanity that keeps them from being happy. The characters must find a way to get past preconceived notions and biased ideas about the other people around them. In modern times, many people choose to act like the way people want them to, and they often keep to themselves. They do this to get respect and seem more superior than the people around them. Others might not understand their behavior, and think of them as proud. The character Mr. Darcy is a perfect example of this. Born into a wealthy family, he is intent on maintaining his social status at any cost. His cold, reserved behavior intimidates people, and it makes him very antisocial and awkward when connecting to new people. Even though Mr. Darcy is a character in another time period, people living in modern times can connect to his way of thinking. Some people make themselves appear cool and classy thinking it gives them a good reputation, but this can deprive them of a good social life, especially since true relationships are built on being open and honest. I see examples of this almost every day. At school, some of my classmates try to appear as impressive as possible, and they look down on the other kids who might not be as fashionable as them. Most of the other kids assume that they are just too proud and vain to be friendly to people they consider beneath them. Their social circle is slowly being reduced to just the kids who act like them, and I don’t think they are very happy. They would learn something from Mr. Darcy’s change of behavior in the book, and Pride and Prejudice has also helped me to understand why people act this way. Even though this book is about two hundred years old, and was written primarily for adults, its lesson can be valuable to people of all different ages and time periods. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Penguin, 1813. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
The Gone Series, Reviewed by Sita, 12
The Gone series by Michael Grant was a very gripping, fun, and entertaining read, and despite it not being for the faint of heart, I would recommend it to just about anyone—which is why I find it so odd that the protagonists are not the characters that make it so riveting, but rather the villainous antihero, Diana Ladris. First off, the premise of the first book in the series, titled Gone: Sam Temple’s world is altered forever when everyone over the age of fifteen in his town, Perdido Beach, disappears. Soon, though, things start getting very weird: some animals in Perdido Beach are adapting unexpectedly: snakes have wings, coyotes are intelligent, etc., and some, although not most, of the kids inside Perdido Beach are changing, too, getting powers only seen in comic books. The protagonists (the good guys) are Sam Temple, his crush, Astrid Ellison, Sam’s best friend Quinn, and a boy named Edilio, who Sam quickly makes friends with in this strange, strange world. And as the book progresses, the bad guys, or at least the guys that make a few of the good guys suspicious, come to light: Caine Soren and his schoolmate, Diana Ladris. Throughout the series, the good guys are portrayed very clearly as good people, nearly flawless, while the bad guys are horrible people, with few redeeming qualities. One of the greatest changes that the children of Perdido Beach face are the rising tensions between those who have powers, called the “freaks,” and those who do not, called the “normals,” and because of this conflict, it seems to carry a certain similarity to the X-Men, especially since the good guys, like Professor X, believe in peace between freaks and normals, while the bad guys, like Magneto, believe that freaks are superior. And so the Gone series can be explained as like the X-Men, but with a more clear line between good and evil, right and wrong. While you can be sympathetic towards Magneto, it is nearly impossible to be sympathetic towards Caine, and while some of Professor X’s actions, and many of Wolverine’s, can be questionable, the way in which the Gone series is written makes it very clear that Sam and Astrid are unquestionably moral and good. A unique exception to this rule is Diana Ladris, who works with Caine as a “bad guy.” But as the series develops, it becomes clear that she struggles with the moral implications of some of her more questionable actions, and that although she acts evil, she would very much like to be good, if only she could be. She feels guilty for her actions, and makes sure Caine doesn’t go too far out of line with his agenda. This makes her an incredibly interesting character, and, at least for me, is one of the best things about reading Gone, as she mixes evil actions with good intentions, or instead a very ‘do what needs to be done’ mindset. Diana Ladris is Gone’s strongest link and one of the most enjoyable characters, full of sarcasm, wit, and an incredibly ambiguous moral compass. Fans of the X-Men, Stephen King, and/or the book Lord Of The Flies will love the Gone series, but most of all, they will love Diana. Gone by Michael Grant. Katherine Tegen Books, 2014. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Gorilla Dawn, Reviewed by Anushka, 10
I remember picking up “Gorilla Dawn” from the Scholastic Book Fair in our school just over two years ago. I was drawn to the cover image of the baby gorilla clutching the girl with vibrant eyes and a scar across her face. I just loved the way the girl was holding the baby gorilla. At age 8, however, I found the words difficult to understand and the plot confusing. So, I put the book back on my bookshelf, where it lay untouched for two years. Tired of reading the same books over again during COVID-19 pandemic, I gave “Gorilla Dawn” another chance because the cover image, beautiful illustrations, and the excerpt intrigued me. I am so glad I did! Only a few books have touched me the way this book has. It is one the most heartwarming, inspiring, thought-provoking, and informative books I have ever read! Deep inside the Congo forests, a baby gorilla has been taken away from his family to the The Black Mamba rebel camp where he meets Imara, a girl who was stolen from her family too. The baby gorilla and Imara share an inner pain, love, and hope. Imara doesn’t know how to care for the baby gorilla, so she turns to a boy named Bobo, who was also taken from his family. When Imara and Bobo learned that the baby gorilla was going to be sold to a mysterious white woman, they are determined to save it. The main character, Imara, has convinced the rebel leader that she is a “spirit child” who has magical powers that will protect the rebel group. Imara feels like she has a demon inside of her making her do things. The demon says agonizing words to her like “You are mine Imara” or “You are the devil’s child,” but when she holds the baby gorilla, the demon seems to go away. I could feel Imara’s suffering, loneliness, and fear through these inner conversations with her subconscious mind. Bobo, the other character in the book, is a curious and determined boy. Bobo was captured and taken to a rebel camp where he met Imara and the baby gorilla who was later named Kitwana after Imara’s brother. Together they fought back the rebels and saved Kitwana. Lastly, Kitwana is a playful gorilla who is always ready for fun. Once when Kitwana fell down from the trees and the rebels captured him. He met Imara in the rebel camp, who held him in his arms just like his mother did. Kitwana trusted Imara more than anyone else. Instead of traditional chapters, the book is organized around the story and perspective of each of these characters (Imara, Kitwana, and Bobo). I think this is a great method to understand the characters and portray their feelings in deep, detailed, and sensitive way. The story takes place in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a place not many have visited or know about. Congo had a violent and horrifying civil war. Rebels, called the M23, fought against the government. Children were stolen from their families and forced to fight with the rebels and work in mines. Gill Lewis tells us the truth about the war, violence, and destruction of the gorilla habitats through mining and poaching just as it is. The rare metals that we use in our electronic devices, like coltan and cobalt come from Congo. The story showed me how the environment, poverty, and greed are related to each other and how we are connected to the people and animals of Congo even though we might not see them or hear about them. Another illuminating and unique aspect of the book is how it explains human behavior through the eyes of an animal. In the book, Kitwana reflects on the rebels, who he calls “killer apes.” “…..Angry, scared, and wary. They had no mothers to protect them or reprimand them. They didn’t let each other close. Each one had a boundary that another couldn’t cross. The only thing that bound them together was their fear.” Animals can understand us, maybe better than we do ourselves. They can feel the same feelings. They can love as we do. This book can inspire children and adults to work to conserve our environment and stop its mindless destruction. It brings awareness of about the lives of people who are far away and how we are all connected. It is a book about hope, bravery, and trust and it will touch your heart. It shows the true meaning of love. I would recommend it for anyone 10 years and older and I am looking forward to reading more Gill Lewis books. Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis, illustrated by Susan Meyer. Simon and Schuster, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
