Double Edged Sword - Abby Powers
Ren, a girl who appears the same as anyone else, is kept locked away in a freezing room. Her world is made up of two kinds of people: kids who pass their ability test, and can move past the training center, and those that fail, and are sent away. However, Ren seems to be the “special” case. She alone has been stuck in the training center for her whole life, and has no hope of leaving. The odd part is, she passed her ability test better than anyone ever had. Contained to her cold room, far away from normal people, Ren has only herself and her guards to keep her company.
Throughout the story I couldn’t help but wonder what had earned Ren such treatment and what it was that set her apart. The answer proved to be shocking and intriguing - an idea that could lead the story in countless directions. By the end, I was left searching for more to add onto the fabulous story. The exciting plot and relatable characters give it the immaculate potential to continue to become a longer story.
Powers did a wonderful job pulling me in and succeeded in writing a world for Ren that was both foreign and fascinating, creating new methods of science that left me thinking.
The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman skillfully creates a character who is so mentally ill, it begins to feel like a descent into madness by the end. The Yellow Wallpaper is a story in which the mere hideous color of the wall is able to tip our beloved main character into what everyone believes to be insanity.
Being a woman who is unwell, our character is moved to a rental house for some recovery time. During her stay, she mentions the vast garden and sheer size of the house she is staying in. It is an old abandoned house that gave her a bad feeling upon entering for the first time. With bars on the windows, and furniture bolted to the ground, this woman is somehow most unnerved by the yellow color of the wallpaper in her bedroom. She remarks on its foul smell and odd pattern. It isn’t until several weeks into her stay at the house that she sees the first person move behind the wallpaper. Once she spots one person, there suddenly seem to be dozens of people trying to break free from the wall. It’s only a matter of time until she is determined to free these people, and in turn, herself as well.
This story has a way of addressing many topics all in one which include mental health, but also the social status of women. It describes the means people would turn to in order to confine and ignore women who were in need of greater help. By being locked in a large mansion, but unable to reach the garden, our main character experiences the true meaning of confinement. Having experienced a mental health crisis herself, Gilman was able to address the topic through her writing; it resulted in slight changes - but changes nonetheless - to be made to society and how mental health issues were approached.
Easily writing a truly gripping story, Gilman kept me sucked in until the very last word. This story twists and turns at the most unexpected times, making insanity feel almost normal in this odd house.
Non-Zero Probabilities - N.K Jemisin
New York has become dangerous and for reasons no one knows. Adele thinks it’s all bad luck, and has quickly fallen into a superstitious routine. With her four-leaf clovers, she walks to work ready for a fight. She doesn’t take the train, because despite a low probability of crashing, it’s never zero, especially in New York. The city is willing to do anything to rid themselves of this curse, and when a city wide prayer begins, everyone jumps in. Everyone, that is, except for Adele.
Jemisin left me wondering if it was just bad luck or a curse on the city, or if it was something much more. With a good plot, she advanced the story, all the while unfolding more mystery to the situation.