Book Commentary || Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

 

Book Review || Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

 

Number of pages: 127

Published year: 1970

Genre: Motivational, Self-help, Novella, Inspirational.

 

The plot is very simple yet it has a deep motivation in it. Richard Bach, an American writer who is known for his philosophical work, has presented this book full of metaphorical context.

The hero of our story, Jonathan Livingston, a tenacious young seagull has always tried to do things that other gulls don’t even think about it.

Here’s how the author plotted the story. One fine morning, when most seagulls were looking for food near the shore as they don’t have any interest in learning or experimenting with different flights, our Hero Jonathan Seagull, stretched his wings and practiced many flying techniques. Other gulls are satisfied with just getting food from shore and back again. It is not flying that matters but eating matters a lot for them. But for Jonathan, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. He loved to fly. He keeps on practicing his flying techniques. The whole gull community including his family members are unhappy with his activity as they thought that he was doing everything against the seagull’s nature. Despite repeated warnings by his community leader, he never gave up his love of flying techniques. So, they expelled him from their place.

What happened next is all about the fable. Whether he succeeded in learning the new flying techniques which other seagulls are unable to do or he turned out to be normal gull-like other.

Richard Bach has written this book for a real Jonathan seagull who lives within us all. Every word penned by him motivates us to follow our passion. Throughout the story, the gull never bothered about the result. He has failed several times. But the one thing which stood out while reading was, he kept on working on what he loved.

Even if everything turned against you, stand with you and follow your passion, which only gives you fulfilment and purpose in your life.

 

Cheers.

Thanks.

Book Commentary || One of Us is Lying - Karen M. McManus

 

Title: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus - A Riveting and Twist-Filled Thriller

 

A heart-pounding and exciting  thriller, "One of Us Is Lying" by Karen M. McManus, keeps readers on the edge of their seats the entire time. The story kicks off with five students going to detention. But out of five, only four come out alive. So the remaining four became the primary suspects because the teacher leaves the room before the victim dies.

 So coming to the plot, it’s a typical American high school story with

 ➢      Bronwyn Rojas, an overachiever focused on her future 

➢      Cooper Clay, a basketball jock

➢      Addy Prentiss, prom queen and cheer leader

➢      Nate Macauley, bad boy and drug dealer who is on probation

➢      Simon Keller, creator of a notorious gossip app called "About that"

 These five are sent to detention by Mr. Avery, who is a technophobe. The strange thing about that is all get caught with mobile phones in their backpacks, which is not even them to begin with. When Simon pours and drinks the water, he suffers a severe allergic reaction and the EpiPen is the nurse’s also got missing which resulted in the death of Simon. It seems that Simon planned to post their deepest secret in the app, but he dies 24 hours before that. So, investigators and all the national media branded them as the primary suspects.

 Everyone has secrets. But how far will one go to protect their secret?

strength

The narrative unfolds with the alternative perspectives which show every emotion, inner guilt, and inner strengths of each character. As the investigation proceeds, the book explores the negative or dark sides of social media and how it affects teenagers and makes them to take rash decisions.

 The plot skillfully navigates and makes us suspect every one of them at some point. Just when we think that we have found out the truth, the author reveals another plot and mystery and keeps us hooked up throughout the book. Even if some things are somewhat predictable, some other revelations are very unexpected and thrilling.

 The strength of  “One of Us Is Lying” is the development of characters throughout the ending. It was explained beautifully how each of them overcame their guilt, self-doubts, and insecurity.

 If there is any criticism, it would be that a few minor plot threads could have been explored in greater depth and some plot twists are predictable. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the novel.

 Conclusion  

"One of Us is Lying" is a wonderful Young Adult thriller with its engaging characters, cleverly written plots mystery, and relevant theme. For anyone looking for a gripping and immersive whodunnit, this novel is a must-read. Prepare to be enthralled by the secrets, lies, and betrayals in this thrilling tale of high school drama and murder.

Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks 👍