A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Genre: Classic Dystopian Thriller
Rating: 5 Soda Caps

I actually have a shirt for this one! I love the psychological depth of this book with its unique language, realistic depiction of Alex, and the almost comical way the government and it's psychologist puppets step in. The over all theme is a particular favorite of mine, being somewhere along the lines of "it's better to be a monster than to not be yourself" but with a touch of "there's no rest for the wicked".

Nadsat for some reason is one of my favorite languages. There's this humor behind almost every slang word that makes my day. A language that highlights select words like friends, mouth, face, sex, violence, etc... The repetition puts emphasis on the intricacy of the connection between the boys and the fact that it's not a full language (therfore just slang) gives it that gang quality. If Alex was actually as big as Jesus like he feels, maybe it could be a full language. Yet, alas, his power is all in his head.

That ego is another part that drew me in. Alex truly believes that he's king amongst his "drugess" like a hipster would, thinking he's leagues more intelligent and cultured them. He sees himself above them and he sees himself above the law too, leaving him as the definition of a narcissistic sociopath. Still, Alex is portrayed as a victim to a corrupt system.

The totalitarianism of the mental institution features behavioral conditioning like a small scale Brave New World. Though it is exaggerated it highlights the very real fact that our reformation institutions are flawed, as is our government. It doesn't take a genius to see that the American (and many others) government has an obscene amount of corruption.

Words Without Walls: Writers on Addiction, Violence, and Incarceration by Sheryl St. Germain and Sarah Shotland

Genre: Nonfiction/ Fiction/ Drama Compilation
Rating: 5 Soda Caps

   "Addiction, violence, and incarceration" isn't an accurate a big enough umbrella for the array of topics covered in this series of anecdotes. From real war stories to inner war excerpts, the Words Without Walls outreach program delves into some subjects that cannot thoroughly be described by my depiction only. The rawness of these writings bores into your bones fold after fold as you press-on with each account of adversity or long-lived silence of turpitude.

     Each passage has its own set of slang and jargon from a lifetime of intertwined, diverging cultures. Drug users/abusers will know a million ways to say what fix theyre trying to score, a secret code they have to muddle under their breath in alleyways to recieve their self destruction. Others hide for a significant portion of their life. Their coveted experiences are shocking to more than just religious grandmothers.

     In all honesty, some pages left me with a feeling of disgust and concern. It's difficult to read "Words Without Walls" without feeling like someone stomped on your heart. I don't think I could read this if I had children. I worry about what the next generation is coming into. At the same time, I'm relieved that social norms on gender and sexuality are seemingly dissolving one day at a time. For the most part, the next generation is allowed to disclose who they truly are without perturbation. In the small town where I grew up, some of the most indestructible humans I know are cross-dressers, pansexuals, androgynous, or transgender. Equally so, there are straight, heterosexual supporters that leave me in awe with the way they aid those who differ from conformities of the previous generations.

     The most insufferable issues for me were suicide, eating disorders, consensual/nonconsensual rape, abuse, and alcohol abuse. For someone who has seen these, dealt with these, and pushed them away, it is grueling to turn the other cheek to adversaries and enablers. As for addiction, I yearn to help all that forfeit their life over to an uncontrollable life, giving into whatever gets them by. There is numbing and euphoria on the other side, sure, but it's never enough when you give in to self destructive thoughts.

     "Words Without Walls" is all about new beginnings. It's about the past, where it
led to, and what you chose to do about it. Take it with a grain of salt, but leave it knowing what you can have in the future if you hold your head up. It is not fear, but the knowing from another's experience that makes us stronger. When I read this book. I thought of all the stories my mother told me as a kid -- ones to make me cautious about my surroundings -- and how they made me who I am today. Learning vicariously through my mother's affairs has prepared me for trials I couldn't have even fathomed. If you should read this book, I hope you can keep a similar sensitivity in mind and gain fortitude from its prose.