Summer reading is regularly the most memorable part of Summer homework, especially if the books assigned delve into deeper topics, much like two of the Summer reading books in Summer 2024. This year, one book given to E2H students included “Sarah’s Key,” an intense historical fiction novel taking place partly during the Holocaust. Additionally, AP Literature seniors were given the option to read “The Kite Runner,” a heavy story taking place throughout the recent distressing history of Afghanistan.
“Sarah’s Key” involved several violent and potentially disturbing depictions, including suicide and various graphic descriptions. An example of this that sophomore Gabby Colorado reported made her uncomfortable was a very vivid description of one of the main characters finding her brother deceased. Colorado stated,
“Yeah, when her brother died, it was a little traumatizing for me,” said Colorado.
Although some points in the reading did make her quite uncomfortable, when asked if her experience as a reader was accentuated by these descriptions, she remarks, “Yeah, I think it [the experience] improved. Because, like, it was a book about the Holocaust, so it’s not like they could really go lightly on that. So I think it was good.”
When asked if she enjoyed the story overall, Colorado stated that she did. According to this sophomore, even though “Sarah’s Key” delved into subjects that are more difficult to read about, it intensified the book in a positive way that improved the reading experience.
Another more mature book assigned for some seniors over the Summer was “The Kite Runner,” which follows the main character through his adolescence to adulthood and focuses particularly on the long-term effects of his decision not to stand up for a friend who was sexually abused. The novel also includes several vivid descriptions of abuse, violence and a suicide attempt.
Senior Allison Lui shares her experience reading this book, “I really like the perspectives and the…new lens that I was able to see. I wasn’t really aware of all the kind of injustices and suffering these characters have…although it is a fictional novel…it’s based on real-life happening in Afghanistan.”
Lui remarked that she also felt uncomfortable at numerous parts of the book particularly due to how graphic and intense some descriptions the story included were. However, she explained similarly to Colorado earlier that because this novel is based on real life, having the graphic narrations helps one to better understand the reality of historical events, in these two stories’ cases: the Holocaust from a new perspective, as well as the atrocities that are still occurring in Afghanistan.
Overall, it is clear that intense depictions of a story can greatly affect a reader’s experience of the book. Allison Lui and Gabby Colorado proved as two examples that represented how these descriptions and mature topics greatly deepened understanding of historical events, as well as the enjoyment of the books overall.
