I’ll admit, it’s been very difficult to make time to read during my senior year. Between college application season, my AP classes, and my extracurricular tasks (I’m looking at you, theatre), I’ve been drowning in endless to-do lists, so I’ve only managed to read five books—and, yes, three of them have been for school (one of which is technically a play), and the other two were for book club. Either way, out of my meager 2024-2025 round-up, these are the books I believe you should and shouldn’t read. Hopefully you’ll find something that catches your eye along the way!

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

Mystery & Thriller Novel

★★☆☆☆

Though it was entertaining at times, I didn’t like this book very much. It follows Natalie Collins, an unremarkable corporate manager, six months after her sister disappears to an off-the-grid self-improvement camp off the coast of Maine. When she receives an ominous email from Wisewood threatening to reveal her greatest secret to her sister, Natalie resolves to journey to Wisewood and tell Kit first—but, as she explores the island, she finds that Kit has been ensnared by something much more sinister than she initially imagined.

Every review on the front and back of this book calls it dark or hypnotic or unsettling, and, from the Goodreads synopsis alone, that might seem accurate. While reading, though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the book was merely projecting a facade; for a cult story, it lacks substance, so it reads instead like a superficial young-adult book wearing the meticulously crafted disguise of a psychological thriller. The concept of Madame Fearless feels forced—her lovability feels like an insincere plot device, and many of her acts are far less spectacular than they are made out to be—which makes her an uncompelling character and an even less persuasive villain.

One of my biggest complaints, though, is that the novel’s writing is incredibly uninteresting. Despite the fact that the narration alternates between the perspectives of three distinctly different women, Wrobel writes their individual narrative voices in nearly identical manners, leaving nothing to set their psychology apart. Additionally, I found that most of the description and dialogue fell flat, which prohibited the story’s world and characters from feeling real or genuine.

There were, of course, some merits to the novel. Of its three major plot twists, two were somewhat disappointing, but the third was perfect for the story in spite of its poor execution and development (and, yes, I realize how backhanded this compliment is). Rebecca’s childhood is fascinating—especially the point system, which she seems unable to escape, even in her adult life—and paints a crystal-clear image of how she came to be who she is.

After reading, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a gateway story into the world of disturbing psychological thrillers. It is most certainly not the endgame, but it can serve as a great stepping stone.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Mystery & Romance Novel

★★★½☆

Though it wasn’t necessarily a masterpiece, this book definitely held my attention. Written by Red, White & Royal Blue’s Casey McQuiston, it follows high school senior Chloe Green, who is dead set on surpassing her rival, Shara Wheeler, in order to win valedictorian. However, when Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes one month before graduation, Chloe is forced to form an unlikely alliance with Rory and Smith—Chloe’s neighbor and boyfriend, respectively, each of whom she also kissed before vanishing—to follow a cryptic trail of notes and puzzles so that she can find Shara, bring her home, and beat her fair and square.

Though the book is not perfect, it’s extremely entertaining. Shara’s mystery is captivating even if it isn’t always realistic; the pieces weave together well, but McQuiston still keeps readers guessing until the last moment. The novel is also a great source of queer representation and does a great job conveying the tension between queer identity and the disapproval of conservative Alabama.

My biggest qualm (spoiler warning!) is that, despite Shara’s status as the titular character, rival, and principal love interest of the novel, we don’t actually get to know her until the final third of the book. When Chloe finds her, it’s supposed to be a critical turning point—but the moment falls flat, because, once we’re there, we have to ask ourselves, who is this girl? We know the literal answer, but we can’t truly understand why Chloe obsesses over her or why we should care that she’s been found, because we’ve only been fed microscopically short descriptions of some of her worst behavior. This issue could have easily been avoided by replacing the “burn pile” excerpts between chapters with flashbacks, which would still provide readers with necessary context about the cast of principal characters, but could also help us better get to know Shara and understand Chloe’s connection to her through a sort of “Shara and Chloe highlight reel.”

Additionally, the final third of the book (spoiler warning again!) is so drastically different from the prior section that it feels comparatively uninteresting. I couldn’t help but be disappointed when the mystery had concluded—our book club advisor actually stopped reading at this point—and it took me some time to reinvest myself in the story’s conclusion. Still, I did enjoy its ending, which I found very fitting for the story.

If you’re looking for a good queer romance or high school mystery—or if you enjoy reading cross-genre novels—this book is probably for you!

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Tragedy & Southern Gothic Play

★★★★☆

Yes, I know that A Streetcar Named Desire isn’t a book, but it’s still something I read this year! A classic play by Tennessee Williams, it tells the tragic tale of aging Southern belle Blanche DuBois as she is slowly destroyed by her controlling and violent brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.

Though it is a play, not a novel, Williams’ writing is not limited by medium. The description in the stage directions is beautifully written and paints a vivid picture of the events that follow. The play is also rich with symbolism, with every microscopic detail further illustrating Stanely’s animalistic behavior or Blanche’s obsessive reliance on illusion and deception to maintain her beauty and status.

Unfortunately, because Streetcar was written in the 1940s, it does suffer from some of the racism that was customary of the time period. Simultaneously, though, Williams critiques xenophobia, classism, and misogyny through Blanche and Stanley’s dehumanizing judgements of one another. Still, critics remain divided over whether Williams’ portrayal of these characters also perpetuates certain patriarchal structures.

If you enjoy classics or tragic melodrama, Streetcar is a great play to read through. It is very heavy, though, and deals with abuse and assault, so make sure that that is something you are okay with confronting.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Horror & Gothic Fiction Novel

★★★★★

Frankenstein is a classic tale that has been adapted and even distorted countless times in the world of pop culture, but it all began with Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, which presents the tragic story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with the notion of defying death itself, he constructs a creature out of corpses, but learns to regret his decision when the creature grows spiteful of his fear and neglect.

Overall, I loved this book. The vivid descriptions are incredibly beautiful—though sometimes tedious, I will admit—and beautifully convey the tension between 19th century Romanticism and Enlightenment obsession with scientific discovery. Its exploration of isolation, loneliness, and loss is also extremely poignant and, despite the fantastical elements of the story, very relevant to everyday life. Shelley’s stellar characterization also guides readers to empathize with each central character, calling into question who the “true” monster really is. Ultimately, aside from its relatively flat female characters, the novel concretely establishes itself as an incredibly timeless tale.

What makes the story even more interesting is that Shelley tells it through a fascinating multi-layer frame narrative, beginning with letters written by young explorer Robert Walton to his sister. Within those letters, he describes meeting Victor Frankenstein and recounts the doctor’s story as it was recounted to him. Within that story, Victor describes a particular meeting with his creature, which prompts a detailed account of the creature’s own journey. Though these layers seem confusing at first, they are ingenious because they create empathy for all parties and measure the success of Victor’s cautionary tale through Walton’s decisions, furthering Shelley’s critique of blind scientific enterprise and what critic Mark Asquith refers to as “isolated male ambition.”

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys classic literature, Gothic fiction, or horror novels. It also poses a number of ethical questions that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a more intellectual or philosophical read.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Historical Fiction & Magical Realism Novel

★★★★★

This book is stunning and raw and painful and incredible. Inspired by the story of Margaret Garner, Toni Morrison weaves the tragic tale of runaway slave Sethe, who, eighteen years after escaping, is still deeply haunted by the memory of the plantation she worked on. She and her younger daughter, Denver, live in a home haunted by the spirit of her deceased older daughter, whose tombstone is engraved with one word: Beloved.

I have never read a book so rich with symbolism in my life. Every detail is incredibly powerful, every sentence carefully crafted, and everything weaves together perfectly into a mesmerizing critique of slavery. Beloved’s spirit is, in essence, the physical manifestation of a past that Sethe cannot escape, and she weakens Sethe—feeds off her, even—in the same way that those painful memories do. 

Morrison’s writing is, without a doubt, the most beautiful prose that I have ever read. She weaves seamlessly between the past and present—a narrative representation of Sethe’s inability to live in the present—and paints an incredibly vivid picture of each character’s relationship to identity, community, and memory. At times, the narration even breaks down into poetry or sentence fragments, serving as a fascinating exploration of the relationship between Sethe and her two daughters. Although minor details are sometimes lost in the ornate and often nonliteral prose that they are packaged in, dedicating time to unraveling these pages is a very rewarding process—after all, Beloved is a heavy read that requires a lot of thinking, but it is well worth the effort.

Beloved will be most appreciated by those who enjoy history or literary classics. Still, though, I believe that everyone should read it; it is a harrowing exploration of slavery’s impact on the psyche that has been celebrated—for good reason—by critics around the world.

Currently reading:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab