By: Dana Trumpower
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson- So far, this book has been restricted to an adult audience with no adequate reason. Its intense plot will capture the attention of any teenager. The story focuses on Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who is watching his career fall to pieces around him. That is, until an offer comes from a Swedish recluse to investigate a disappearance that happened almost forty years ago. Blomkvist cannot do this without the help of Lisbeth Salander, a misanthrope with a disregard for authority whose own past is as horrifying as the story which they investigate. The first sixty pages are frankly bland, but if you can get past that, you won’t be able to put the book down.
The Dinner by Herman Koch- Apparently northern Europeans have a taste for the distasteful aspects of humanity, as this Dutch novel follows in the frightening footsteps of the Scandinavian novel, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. At first, this novel seems innocent enough as two couples find themselves at dinner together. However, secrets begin to unravel as the characters argue and a mysterious crime emerges concerning each of their fifteen-year-old sons. Politeness disintegrates as the parents show how far they are willing to put the other child at risk and protect their own from the eyes of the authorities.
And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians) by Agatha Christie- Yes, this novel is a little older (1939), but Christie remains one of the best thriller/mystery writers to date. In perhaps her best novel, ten strangers are called to a mysterious island by an unknown millionaire, who upon arrival, the visitors are unable to find. It turns out that each of them has a secret and a dark one at that. Then, over the course of the weekend, each guest is marked for death as one by one, they die.
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis- This book stands out for its dark, satirical humor. At age 26, Patrick Bateman seems to be doing extraordinarily well as an investment banker. Underlying this, there is commentary on the violence in society that lies with Bateman’s secret hobbies. By night, this ordinary yuppie turns into a serial killer of epic proportions whose methods of torture are so gruesome, that an advisory should be put out to readers on the disturbing contents of this book.
Carrie by Stephen King- King’s 1974 debut remains a terrifying classic. It may seem like an ordinary coming of age novel, but Carrie White has a special power: telekinesis. But the real question is: should this power belong to someone who lives as tortured a life as she does? In addition to being the daughter of a religious fanatic, Carrie has always been the social misfit of her school. However, all of this torment and rejection results in the most thrilling senior prom thus far.
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