In this last May issue, four staff members of the Californian wrote about their favorite summer reads. Here are two extra Noises:

Adam Jackson

When school goes out, most people go on exciting adventures to random places around the world. I do the same, but my way is different: I prefer leeching off of the escapades of grandiose heroes, living their lives as they defeat larger-than-life villains and save the entire universe.

Put simply, I’m a bookworm.

But one of my favorite books to read during the summer is “Gone,” by Michael Grant. The novel is an invigorating look at what the “Lord of the Flies” would be like in a modern-day sci-fi setting.

The book centers on a small beach town. In an instant, everyone over 14 disappears, never to be seen again. If that’s not bad enough, a force field forms around the town and it’s surrounding area, blocking everyone in. Several sides form, with some kids having some hidden talents.

That’s right; a select few of the remaining children have mutant powers.

The parallels to LotF are heavy. The hero, Sam, takes the place of Ralph, with the power to send burning light from his hands. Caine takes the place of Jack, with his telekinetic prowess allowing him to gain tyrannic power over the town. Roger’s incarnation is known as Drake “the Whiphand,” due to his arm growing into a long snakelike tentacle used for a whip. Piggy gets a genderswap as Astrid, a genius with a mentally unstable- yet extremely overpowered- younger brother that bears resemblance to Simon.

Of course, the book wouldn’t be complete without the Beast, known as the Darkness or the Gaiaphage. The Darkness infects the kids’ minds and turns them into slaves.

The book has it all: romance, mystery, betrayal, torture, battle, political struggles, and lots of emotional deaths. I would sincerely suggest reading this series over the summer. It will emotionally transform you forever.

Saatvika

There are many fine pieces of literature that deserve the title of “best summer read”, but none more so than John Greek’s runaway bestseller, “The Faults in Our Star.”

TFIOS chronicles the story of a stranded scuba diver, Hazelnut Grace Lannister, who is trapped in a church with an emo teeny-bopper. Everything changes, however, with the arrival of August Whatareyoudoinghere.

“It’s a metaphor,” are August’s first words to Hazelnut; and with those five syllables, a generation of whiny white girls were swept off their feet.

After several painfully awkward “dates” (read: Augustus trying not to stare at Hazelnut’s “oxygen tank” and failing), Hazelnut introduces Augustus to her favorite novel: the Communist Manifesto.

What follows is an affair so racy, so torrid, that the Newspaper teacher didn’t allow us to print the details. All we can say is that Doritos are shoved in places they should never be shoved.