Despite what we may perceive as a more open-minded world today, book bans have unfortunately been on the rise in recent years. In fact, “during the 2023-2024 school year, PEN America recorded 10,046 instances of book bans”. While these bans are often passed off as being deemed “inappropriate” for schools and public libraries with the claims that the bans are meant to ‘protect’ children, they often suppress the histories and stories concerning LGBTQ+ people and people of colour which causes many to question the true intent of these bans. When looking through the list of books banned in the U.S. (which you can find on the PEN America website), we were shocked to see several books that we have read or are very popular being banned in certain areas for reasons that we do not agree with. For this reason, we decided to review books of this nature and call attention to the alarming censorship of literature.
Our rating system:
1/5: It’s so bad I wanna give you a 0, but I can’t so I’ll give you a 1
2/5: Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy
3/5: I plead the fifth
4/5: Snap girl, I think you dropped something… my JAW
5/5: I would sell all of my organs for this book
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Aristotle, a fifteen-year-old boy, can’t swim. Despite that, going to the pool is one of the few options to keep his boredom at bay during an endless summer. But one day, Ari’s path crosses with Dante’s while at the pool, who offers to teach him how to swim and as a result, an unlikely friendship blooms. Ari and Dante are different in many ways, yet the two spend the whole summer together, discovering the secrets of the universe.
Truthfully, this novel doesn’t have much of a plot. However, it is a powerful exploration of what ordinary life is like: beautiful in a simplistic yet complex way. Aristotle and Dante is written in short, lyrical chapters that are easy to read. Ari is often uncertain and is not great at communicating, unsurprising with a father who is quiet and drawn back after fighting in the Vietnam War and a brother who is in prison. His friendship with Dante develops throughout the novel, pushing each other to be vulnerable and living through what it is like to grow up together. Even though, as I said, not much happens, I enjoyed reading this book very much because of the complexity of the characters. The novel also examines the hardships of being a Mexican American homosexual teenager during the 1980s, which is unfortunately still present in modern day. It allows the reader to learn about different experiences they may not have considered before. This novel has been banned in certain school districts in Kentucky, Iowa, and Florida for having “a queer romance in addition to mentions of race, drugs, sex, and homosexuality”. Obviously, there are some mature themes in Aristotle and Dante. However, as someone who read this book in Year 10, I think that it is perfectly suitable for a high school audience. I do not believe restricting access to books that present very contemporary and relatable, albeit heavy topics, achieves anything other than highlighting censorship in our everyday lives. I definitely recommend Aristotle and Dante, as it is a meaningful story that has stuck with me since I read it, and I found the sequel to be just as good.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
In a dystopian future where a religious group shot up Congress and took control of what used to be known as the US and which is now known as Gilead, there are few places for women in the new society. Offred is a handmaid who is meant to be an incubator for the family she was assigned to. She has one role only, and that is to birth her Commander a Son. She did not choose this life but was forced into it. But when a chance for freedom is given to her through a resistance movement, she takes it. Is the risk of your own life worth freedom?
When I first read this book, it was right after the overturning of Roe vs Wade, which was a very interesting time to pick it up due to the relevance of its themes and what is happening in the world today. This book isn’t timeless because of its complex characters and enthralling plotline–both of which it has– it is timeless because of the power it holds. It makes you think about your own life and all the lives around you. It causes you to question politics and democracy, and if you look into this book and relate to it, it causes the kind of fear that makes you want to push for change in society. Margaret Atwood is a literacy genius. With each little choice she embedded in the world, she created being intentional and meant to target a specific issue that plagues our world today. The characters were all very complex, and to truly understand them, you have to look deeper than what was just presented on the surface. Through the characters, the reader can gain an understanding of why humans can be cruel to each other and oppress those who are similar to them, which gives the reader a deeper understanding of who we perceive as ‘villains’ in today’s society and gives us deeper empathy for the ‘victims’. The plot line is also very engaging, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you never know what sick surprise the next page will bring as we learn more about Offred’s life. The best part of the book, however, is that as terrifying as it is, it does end in hope. It shows that there is a better time at the end of all the awful things in our society.
Several school districts across the country have banned the book because of the sexual and violent themes, which is understandable to an extent. Young readers wouldn’t be able to appreciate and understand the book as a whole and could be very disturbed. However, it is banned in high schools despite being perfectly appropriate for that age range, and another reason it is banned is because of how it depicts Christians in a negative life, specifically American evangelicals. This, of course causes us to question the extent in the US that we have the freedom to choose our own religion and express our thoughts on others. Margaret Atwood made a powerful statement by making a metal version of her book that cannot be burned. Showing that no matter how hard the government can try, you cannot permanently silence her voice.
