The Inkling Volume 2

By Mrs Carson
EX Libris
From the shelves of her own personal library, Mrs Carson details her most treasured
reads.
1. ‘The Knife of Never Letting Go’ – Patrick Ness
Dystopian fiction is my favourite genre, so I was very keen to read this book when it
first came out. It was brought to my attention because it was on the Carnegie Award
shortlist – as an English teacher, this award is usually pretty good at picking some
excellent young-adult texts. When I started reading it I was in awe of its bizarre,
refreshing narration; Ness writes from the perspective of Todd, a young boy
growing up in a world without women. However, due to a lack of education, Todd’s
thought process is very ‘free flowing’, which is reflected in the phonetic
pronunciation of many words throughout narrative. Throwing another spanner in
the works is the fact that the thoughts of every living creature, both men and wildlife
alike, are broadcast for all to hear (and in some cases, almost, see). However, one
day Todd notices something different – a silence seems to have made itself present.
The silence grates at him, calling him to investigate. So off he goes with his trusty
dog, Manchee… and what he finds changes his life forever.
2. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ – Margaret Atwood
Another dystopian tale, although arguably one for a more mature reader, this book
is a Canadian classic. Margaret Atwood is required reading growing up in Canada –
she’s likely the greatest author we’ve ever produced, so we like to make sure all
Canadians are well versed in her works. The book deals with issues around control,
feminism, religion and politics (to name a few) as it follows the life of narrator
Offred, a woman who is forced to breed with the rich, due to a worldwide decline in
fertility rates. Obviously, this isn’t a great existence for Offred – the fact that her
name literally means that she is the woman ‘of Fred’ hints at how controlled women
are in the novel. So it’s no surprise that she tries to find a way to escape her terrible
existence. The novel follows her struggle for freedom from oppression.
3. ‘Great Expectations’ – Charles Dickens
Not everyone likes reading Dickens; he tends to ramble on a bit, which some find
tedious. Personally, I’ve always liked his style of writing. I find something whimsical
and fun in it, especially when he’s poking fun at society (which he often is). The