At Teenreads, we love hearing what teens are reading, devouring, loving, not being able to put down even when they're walking to school or in the back of the classroom...you get the picture. While we mostly hear from teens in the United States, it's extra special to hear from teens around the world! In this blog post, 12-year-old Pragya B. from Kolkata, India, tells us what's hot in her community.
1.Percy Jackson & The Olympians series --- We all love the way Percy fends off demons and is forever protecting the world with his team. Leo's humor always manages to make us smile, even in the most dangerous of situations, and Jason's steady nature shows us the thin ray of hope even when we are squirming in our seats with anxiety. Additionally, the hardcore girlfriends with nerves like steel are always making us follow their them into their amazing adventures. All of us are really enthusiastic about Rick Riordan's last book in the series, THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS, which comes out in early October.
2. Divergent series --- By following Tris in her adventures, we come to understand the importance of all our human emotions. We grieved with her when she lost her mother and felt betrayed by her brother's actions. Her own rebellious actions left us biting our nails. The way she never backed down and faced her fears left us inspired. The journey of Tris with her lover and mentor, Four, kept us glued to the book, and the risks they took were hair-risingly exciting. When the book came to an end, a part of us died but we also took pride in the way Four faced his fear of height in the name of love. We were also left wanting more.
3. Vampire Academy series --- Rose's journey from being a talented young dhampir to an experienced guardian was something we can't really describe in words. The way she sacrificed her own decisions and choices for her best friend, Lissa, left us awed. She was so much like a normal teenager and yet so different. She protected Lissa, who was the last royal left in her family, from her uncle, who wanted to use her uncanny spirit ability for himself. She always had to keep her feelings at bay for the greater good. Through all the obstacles she faced, Rose kept her relationship with her mentor, Dimitri secret and even managed to escape prison and set off to help Lissa when she was wrongly suspected of killing the Moroi queen. The love, the adventures, the heartbreaks , the sarcasm and the jokes that Richelle Mead wove this story with kept us glued to the last page of each book.
4. The Hunger Games triology --- Katniss Everdeen, by volunteering to go the Games in her sister's place, paved a new path for her future. She enjoyed the luxury at the Capitol for only a few days at the cost of risking her life. Her fake relationship with fellow contestant Peeta took on a new turn with time. When they returned victorious and went on their victory lap, the situation of the other districts added to her hatred against the Capitol. When again her life was put at risk along with Peeta's, she started the much-wanted rebellion. As time goes on, we find out how the rebellion turns out and whether she emerges still shining bright or drowned by all the pain, suffering and death around her. We journey along with her through all the ups and downs and understand how much our freedom is really worth.
