Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Pavan | Marlboro High School, Grade 11

Rating: ****

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian classic that truly is a page-turner! Set in the distant future, Fahrenheit 451 follows Guy Montag around the daily happenings of life as a fireman. Except he doesn’t put out fires - he starts them. In the future, books have been banned by the government, and firemen must burn any and all books. But Montag’s life is thrown upside down when he meets a young girl who changes his perspective on life. From that moment onwards, Guy Montag grapples with decisions between good and bad, right and wrong, and life and death.

Fahrenheit 451 is not only an interesting story, but a meaningful one. It shows us what can happen if we do not exercise our right to participate in government, and to educate ourselves. On top of that, it serves as a warning about government censorship and individuals’ rights. Especially in today’s time, with almost every child and teenager having access to phones, computers, and the Internet, it is important that we understand what can happen if we get lost in our devices. Ray Bradbury is not only an author from before his time, but one who understands the future, and what’s at stake - our freedom.

Amanda | Howell High School, Grade 11

Rating: ****

The book, Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury is about a character named Guy Montag who is living in a dystopian society. This character is a fireman who believes that he should be putting the fires out, not starting them. The firemen burn books because reading is not allowed. After meeting a girl named Clarisse, he acknowledges how vacant his life is of happiness. People in this dystopian society are lifeless and depressing. Guy Montag wants to read books without being penalized for it.

I really enjoyed this novel because I have never read a book that has characters living in a dystopian society. It was really interesting being able to see how books written in this context of suffering differ from books written in a normal state. The characters seemed really well thought out and portrayed the author's motive of showing one man against everyone else.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants something unlike what they’ve ever read before. It was definitely one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read!

Marissa | Holmdel High School, Grade 10

Rating: ****

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the sci-fi novel takes place in a dystopian setting where books are banned and censored from society, and any found books are burned by firemen. One of the firemen, Guy Montag, becomes dissociated from their society’s ideals and questions why books are so harmful. He ends up secretly going against his job’s purpose, educating himself on literature and realizing he has been fed lies.

I highly recommend this young adult novel, as it is super engaging and leaves readers pondering by the end. The ending is quite vague and leaves it up to the reader’s imagination, which I found was very aligned with the novel’s overall tone and messaging. This book deals with relevant topics like censorship and individuality, making the novel very moving. The novel forces readers to reflect and analyze their own behavior, making it a perfect book for discussion as it leaves readers comparing Guy’s society to our current one.

Digraj | Manalapan High School, Grade 9

Rating: ***

The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury depicts a futuristic society where books are outlawed and burned. The population is controlled by censorship and mass media by the government. The setting of the novel is an undisclosed city in an undisclosed time in the future and firemen are people that burn novels instead of extinguishing flames. The riveting story describes a desolate society and the realization the main character, Guy Montag, has of the bleak surroundings he is in. Montag, a fireman himself, meets a 17 year old girl, Clarisse, and through their conversation he questions the integrity of his society. In his role in censoring literature, Montag quickly realizes his faults and quits his jobs and puts his energy towards preserving and saving knowledge. He believes it is the only way to pull his society out of the dark plunges of despondency and woe.

Overall, the novel does create some similarities between today’s society and the society in the novel. It creates a sense of realization and worry that our surroundings could eventually become like the one in the book. Strong themes of censorship are centered in the plot however some characters are extremely shallow making them hard to connect with. This could prove to be tough for some people as many traits of characters are not fully developed making them lack charisma. As a result, Ray Bradbury masterfully warms readers of a society where technology and censorship could cause a divide between reality and happiness through the overexpansion of technology.

Jack | Biotechnology High School, Grade 10

Rating: ***

Living into the far off future, Guy Montag is a fireman charged with the burning of books the government deems dangerous, which just so happens to be all of them. All of that changes when he suddenly meets Clarisse McClellan, a strange young girl that lives in the apartment near him. She makes him question life as he knows it, the purpose of his job, the meaningless monotony of society, even his loveless marriage. When Clarisse mysteriously goes missing, Montag must use his newfound curiosity to find a way to save humanity before they end up burning themselves to the ground.

A sci-fi novel through and through, Fahrenheit 451 questions the fundamentals of society and makes the reader think about how much power the government is allowed to have. The winding twists and turns leave the reader on the edge of their seat and wanting to keep reading for more. Although confusing at times, the book is entertaining and has an ending no one could expect.