Book Synopses

By: Harshini Patil

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde:

This 19th century classical novel is based on the abstract themes of beauty and youth, the language of art, and the nature of society. The plot revolves around an innocent and becoming man, Dorian Grey, who is journeying into his newly begun adult life as an individual fitting into society. As his thoughts and beliefs are challenged by the nobleman Lord Henry Watton, Dorian Grey proceeds to drown in a life of crime and corruption that haunts him for the rest of his years. Instead of showing his crime on his young and beautiful face, his evil doings are reflected onto his self-portrait that grows ugly day by day. The writing style of the book is fairly slow and includes many metaphorical meanings that can be analyzed at a deeper level.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

The Inheritance Games is a four-book series that is written around the themes of the value of family, money, and loyalty. This fictional mystery is written from the point of view of the main character Avery Kylie Grambs, who unexpectedly receives all the inheritance of the multimillionaire Tobias Hawthorne. Following the will, Avery is forced to live in his mansion with his four grandsons without knowing why she was receiving the money from the stranger. While solving the real-life puzzle Tobias left for his grandchildren and Avery, they come across many near-death encounters through greedy enemies, or false news from the media. Written in a fast-paced writing style, any reader who enjoys the thrill of mystery puzzles and family drama will leave everyone turning the page over “A very risky gamble”.

The Hobbit is a prequel to the main series The Lord of The Rings. J.R. Tolkien wrote this introductory book to describe the dystopian world of Gondor, which consists of small, human-like creatures called Hobbits. Bilbo Baggins, who is a Hobbit, joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on a quest to take back the dwarves’ home and their treasure from Smaug the dragon. As a dystopian novel that is written in third person, the story is formed similarly to a fairy tale, with many problems arising as the tale progresses down its path. While on the quest, the dwarves and hobbit encounter many dangers and come upon a ring that makes one invisible. Through the importance of the rings, the next books in the series “The Lord of the Rings” is based upon the destruction of the rings. The main character, Bilbo, represents the theme of bravery as he continues with his quest in an attempt to display his courage and become a hero.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. Mcmanus:

This high school murder mystery is not only a popular bookstore purchase, but also famous on many online platforms such as “Book Tok”, and Instagram. Written by Karen M. Mcmanus, this novel revolves around four high school kids who become prime suspects for the murder of Simon Keheller. As each of the four highschoolers have secrets of their own, they try to determine who the killer is between the four of them without spilling any mysteries of their own. The writing style of the book is very fast paced, as it transitions from each of the characters’ point of view. The themes of suspense, mystery, and the impact of gossip or rumors are present in the book as the author translates a regular high school setting into a thrilling book plot.