Book Recommendations

By Increscent Editors

March 2022

Demian

Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth is my current favorite novel. It was published in 1919 by German author Hermann Hesse. Hesse was a celebrated writer, having penned other well-known books, notably Steppenwolf, and having won, among other prestigious awards, a Nobel Prize in Literature. However, I won’t sing an author’s praises (especially older ones) without asking the question that really matters: is the writing any good? The answer is yes.

If we would like to play coy, Demian does what it says on the tin. Taking place in early 1900s Germany, it follows the upbringing of a 10-year-old child named Emil Sinclair, from a first-person perspective. Emil is fairly well-off, and most things are peaceful in his life. Things become much less cut-and-dry when Emil experiences his first true hardships, and when the eponymous Max Demian comes into the picture, Emil begins to feel his perception of reality crumble, as well his innocence.

I won’t lie to you, I was introduced to Demian through BTS. The way BTS’ “WINGS” era was built upon both the storyline they had established with their previous album series, and the plot of Demian, was awe-inspiring to me. Maybe I’m just a sucker for stories about loss of youth with supernatural undertones. Perhaps the stirring of pop music (something usually frowned upon despite its value in history and culture) and classical literature (something made love to passionately, while looking down one’s nose at those who dare not to do the same) strikes me as exciting.

I love most things about Demian. I love that it portrays young children as three-dimensional beings, with thoughts, fears, and a personality—something that I have been disappointed by in many books since I was Emil’s age. I love that it describes every person, event, or thought of interest with the most memorable imagery I have ever read. I love the exploration of the psyche, religion, family, sexuality, and sanity. Specifically how all of it is sacred, and how all of it must be desecrated in order to be understood. I love an adventure through life, death, and life again, if you catch my drift.

Reading Demian seriously changed the way I view the world, myself, and my childhood. There is a copy at the Beloit Public Library that has seen me through the darkest points of my life thus far, and if I haven’t beaten you to it, check it out as soon as you can.

- Nicolaj Arroyo

I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You is a novel written by Ruta Sepetys, published in 2022. Sepetys is a Lithuanian-American author who was born in 1967. She was the recipient of the Carnegie Medal in 2017 for her novel Salt to the Sea. In general, Sepetys writes novels focused on the genre of historical fiction, and I Must Betray You is not an exception to that.

Sepetys uses a blend of high action, as well as very short chapters, that really keeps you reading. At times it would feel impossible to put down because there is almost always something happening. Furthermore, every chapter seems to have its own cliffhanger that drives you to keep reading—even if you know you should stop. I found myself hooked from the very first line: “Fear arrived at five o’clock.” Sepetys only continues to impress as the novel progresses.

This particular novel is set in 1989 Romania when the state was under the tyrannical leadership of the Ceaușescu family. At this time in Romania, the state was overrun with the Securitate, a secret police force in Romania. Citizens were expected to report on their neighbors, and almost no one could be trusted.

I Must Betray You, follows 17-year-old Cristian Florescu, living under the repressive regime. Eventually, he gets blackmailed by the Securitate and is forced to become an informant. He is left with the choice to either betray the ones that he loves or risk punishment. Should he really feel guilty for being an informant? Or might there be someone who is already informing on him?

- Dalton Raykowski

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a fantasy fiction book written by V.E. Schwab. It is Schwab’s most popular stand-alone book and one of the most popular books she has come out with. She is known for her fantasy books, but takes more of a historical fiction spin on this one.

Schwab’s book follows the story of a young girl named Addie LaRue and her journey as she makes a deal with the devil. The story bounces back between two time periods: the time when she made the deal, 1500s France, and the current day in New York City. The way that Schwab bounces back between time periods is what keeps you reading. She ends in cliffhangers during some of the chapters right before she time jumps, so she hooks you.

The characters and setting in this book are what I particularly like the most. Both of the settings that were described were very appealing, almost everyone loves the idea of old-time France and current-day New York.

I like the inclusion that the author has as well. Two of the main characters were bisexual, and I don’t see that in many fantasy books. I enjoy how relatable and how flawed the characters are as well. When they saw a chance to change their life, they took it without realizing the potential consequences. It feels like reading about normal people, with a twist of magic thrown in.

- Kassidy Thomas

Heartstopper

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is a graphic novel set to have five volumes after February of 2023. It started as a web comic in 2016, with the first graphic novel published in 2018. Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator and screenwriter from England. The story is based on its main character, Charlie, who is a freshman in high school.

Charlie develops a crush on a boy named Nick, and the story takes off from there. The chapters cover important, as well as relevant, themes such as sexuality, eating disorders, mental health, and body images. I personally love this series due to all the topics it covers. It’s important to see representation in our media as teens, and it’s even

more important that we see it handled correctly.

These graphic novels provide advice that you can use in real life as well as fictional role models. I could probably talk about these characters and their struggles all day, but I would end up spoiling it, so I won’t.

The first four volumes of this series are published in paperback or you can read all the chapters that are out on an app called Webtoon or on Tumblr. A life-action Netflix series is coming out soon, but read the book series first!

- Ellie Heyerdahl