M.E.A.T. Blog

Warning: Spoilers! All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, is a fictional book set in France and Germany during World War 2. The chapters of the novel jump back and forth in time, creating a jumbled narrative that is sometimes difficult to follow. The perspective switches among a number of major and minor characters, but the book primarily focuses on Werner and Marie-Laure, whose stories finally come together at the end of the book. All the Light We Cannot See is a poignant piece about the experiences of these two children who grow into young adults by the end of the war. I would give All the Light We Cannot See a 4 out of 5. I enjoyed reading the majority of the book, despite a few minor flaws, but the conclusion was extremely depressing. Had the book had a more satisfying ending, I would have given it a 4.5.  One of the main characters, Marie-Laure, is an inquisitive blind girl whose father works as a locksmith for a large museum in Paris. Though...

T he book The Death of Ivan Ilyich, written in 1886 by author Leo Tolstoy tells the story of a normal businessman slowly and steadily spiraling down into self-isolation and total existentialism. Through the complications of having a family, and the introduction of a child, Ivan Ilych becomes intolerant of his personal life, and spends too much time focusing on his work. This, being something all too common in today's society, is something we all can reflect on to realize what is important. Something special about The Death of Ivan Ilyich is that it is told almost in reverse order, similar to Purple Hibiscus . The book starts with the unfortunate death of Ivan Ilyich, then rewinds to Ilyich's early life to show what led up to his final moments. This book is also similar to Purple Hibiscus in the matter previously mentioned, as in a family man that is publicly respected but has a negative private life, however, Purple Hibiscus is a much more stark example of this theme. A...

The year is 1978. Art Spiegelman, with the goal of writing a comic documenting his father Vladek’s past, returns to his father’s home for a long conversation revealing the many stories from Vladek’s dark and complicated experiences in the midst of Nazi invasion. His voice brings them both back to 1939, where he articulates a detailed memoir of his life as a Jew in Poland, and when it all fell apart. Maus is very unique story for many reasons, but what presents itself most clearly to the reader right away is that it’s not a standard novel; it’s a comic book. Each page is filled to the brim with cartoonish drawings full of anthropomorphic people rather than eloquent paragraphs. It doesn’t rely on complicated vocabulary to get its messages across, with images and dialogue giving more than enough of a clear picture of the story. Even with this seemingly basic medium, it presents its characters and story in a way that manages to feel mature and dark, fitting of the horrifying events of ...

          Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is the coming-of-age story exploring a first love between two high school misfits named Eleanor and Park, as the title suggests. One morning, Park takes reluctant pity on the new girl, an overweight, oddly-dressed redhead. He lets her take the empty spot on the bus seat next to him when she has nowhere to sit.           At first, there is an uncomfortably gaping six-inch gap between the two on the bus, but slowly, as the two begin to share comics and music, and their accidental friendship develops into a furious, passionate relationship.           Rainbow Rowell skillfully explores the forceful nature of young, inexperienced love. The relationship Eleanor and Park share is not soft or gentle. It is an intense, overwhelming wave of emotions. Their bond brings them together and heals the sore, secret scars both have long harbored -- pains that refused to be alleviated,...