The Christopher Killer by Carson

The Christopher Killer by Carson - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

By far, the best book I've ever read for school would have to be The Christopher Killer, by Alane Ferguson. In my eighth grade English Class we would have these certain groups called "Lit Circles" where we'd meet with the other students in the class who had the same book and discuss it. Unlike most kids in my class I enjoyed reading, and I especially didn't mind the Lit Circles because our teacher would give us a list of books with a description, ranging from fiction to fantasy and mystery, and everything in-between. Not only were the genres of the books refreshing, when compared to the novels we were later forced to read in high school, but out of the options listed we could choose any book we wanted!
But this is beside the point, the point is, that out of all the books I chose the Christopher Killer. A book about a young teenage girl named Cameron who has an interest in exploring forensics and autopsies etc. Luckily for her, her father just so happened to be the town coroner, and Cameron was able to pursue forensics with her father as her mentor. 
I found this book to be absolutely fascinating and can remember that the first night I had to read it I chose to sit outside and get halfway through the book before dinner was even ready. The reason why I chose this book as my favorite is because I actually wanted to read it. At the time I didn't realize how much I should've been appreciating it, as I was going onto high school the next year. I was never able to get into any of the "classics" we read for school, such as Catcher in the Rye, Romeo and Juliet, and The Scarlet Letter. Like my Mom I always had more fascination with fiction as opposed to non fiction, Harry Potter opposed to the Great Gatsby. I never pretended to get into any of the classics, for whilst reading them I would crave a more fantastical place to escape to than Gatsby's manor. Four years later and I still haven't forgotten the Christopher Killer, and to this day I still have a fascination with forensics, who knows, maybe next year I'll pursue a career in forensics just like the heroine Cameron. And isn't that what books read in school should be all about? Affecting someone for more than just the essay grade, but for later in life, changing the way they see things.