The Power A Book Can Have by Annelise

The Power A Book Can Have by Annelise - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

Books have the power to open a whole new world, and change our world at the same time. Even if the plot of the book is fiction, and completely unrealistic, it can still be applied to our life. My mom is an elementary teacher, so books were a common solution to any down time. And because of that I grew a love for books from a very young age.
There are multiple books that have a special place in my heart, all fitting into different phases of my life. From the first book I ever read by myself (Biscuit and the Baby by Alyssa Satin Capucilli) to the last book I read (The Summer Of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther), each and every book has opened my eyes to something new. However, one book sticks out more than any other; We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
This book stood out to me because while reading it I felt as if I was part of the story. We Were Liars is a book about a teenage girl named Cadence Sinclair. Every summer Cadence goes to a private island in Massachusetts to live with her grandparents and cousins. Until one year there is an accident and Cadence can’t remember what happened. When she goes back to the island after a summer of staying away she is trying to figure out what happened. The plot itself pulled me in and it broke my heart when Cadence found out what really happened. However, it’s not just the plot that makes this book stand out to me, it’s the lesson I walked away with.
At the beginning of the book I wanted to live Cadence’s life. She’s part of a rich family who owns a private island. My goal was to grow up and buy a private island just like her, and start a summer tradition. But as the book went on I realized that the money and all the fancy things were the problem. All Cadence wanted was to go back and spend time with her cousins and family. That’s when I decided to look past all the fancy parts of life. After finishing the book I found myself making more plans with friends as well as spending more time with family. We Were Liars made me look at my own life and realize how lucky I was to have people that care about me, and that I need to show that love back.