Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
John Grisham’s The Testament (1999) is part legal suspense thriller, part adventure story. It begins with the suicide of an elderly billionaire, Troy Phelan. After he leaves his inheritance to an unknown daughter, Rachel, a missionary somewhere in Brazil’s wetlands, his remaining children and their greedy lawyers wage a battle over his inheritance. Meanwhile, Nate O’Riley, a jaded litigator with an alcohol addiction, is sent to track down Rachel, almost losing his life but ultimately... Read The Testament Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Military / War, Climate Change, Relationships, Futurism, Fantasy, Romance
Published in 2013,The Testing is the first in a dystopian young adult trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau; it is Charbonneau’s first venture into YA fiction. The Testing is often compared to Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games due to its dystopian setting and the similarity of the brutal, life-or-death situations to which each series’ teen protagonists are subjected. The Testing received the Anthony Award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel in 2014 and was nominated for several other... Read The Testing Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: World, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mythology
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, German Literature, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Italian Literature
The Thief Lord is a middle-grade fantasy novel originally written and published in German by Cornelia Funke in 2000. Its English translation by Oliver Latsch was reprinted in 2002. The story won many national and international awards, including the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Outstanding Translated Book, the Zurich Children’s Book Award, the Swiss Youth Literature Award, and the Book Award from the Vienna House of Literature. It’s also a New York Times Notable Book... Read The Thief Lord Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class
Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
The Thirty-Nine Steps, an early spy thriller, was published by Scottish author John Buchan in 1915. It was the first of five books to feature protagonist Richard Hannay. Alfred Hitchcock adapted the story to film in 1935, emphasizing the thriller elements and changing most of the secondary characters. A theatrical version, which drew from Hitchcock’s movie but restored the comedic tone of Buchan’s novel, ran in London’s West End for 10 years. Buchan’s story of... Read The Thirty Nine Steps Summary
Publication year 1844
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, History: European, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, History: World
The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology
Publication year 1895
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Class
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
The Time Machine is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells published in 1895. The book’s protagonist, who is never named and called only the Time Traveller, is a brilliant Victorian inventor who travels 800,000 years into the future. He finds that humans have evolved into two distinct species, called the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are peace-loving and childlike simpletons who are farmed and eaten by the brutal Morlocks, who live underground... Read The Time Machine Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Relationships, Arts / Culture, Military / War, American Literature, Children's Literature
The Titan’s Curse (2007) is the third installment in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, following The Lightning Thief (2005) and The Sea of Monsters (2006) and preceding The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008) and The Last Olympian (2009). The series centers around the adventures of Percy Jackson, a boy who is the son of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally Jackson. Percy learns that he... Read The Titan's Curse Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Tombs of Atuan is the second novel in American author Ursula K. Le Guin’s fantasy series The Earthsea Cycle, originally published in 1970. Each novel in the series has a primarily stand-alone plot, with connections and recurring characters between novels. The Tombs of Atuan’s protagonist, Tenar, is a young girl living in the Kargish Empire. Tenar is taken from her family as a child to become the high priestess of the Nameless Ones, the... Read The Tombs of Atuan Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Magical Realism, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, LGBTQ
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature
The Transall Saga is a 1998 fantasy/sci-fi novel by author Gary Paulsen, who is best known for his wilderness survival books, such as Hatchet. The plot revolves around young protagonist Mark Harrison, who goes on a weeklong hiking trip and is transported to what appears to be another world—Transall. He must learn to survive among strange vegetation, animals, and people—all in the midst of war—as he tries to find a way home.Other works by this... Read The Transall Saga Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Published in 1990, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by children’s book writer Avi, tells the story of a teenage girl who travels from England to America aboard a sailing ship filled with intrigue, mutiny, and murder; she learns to be a sailor, withstands a hurricane, and thwarts the captain’s attempts to kill her. Written for middle-grade readers, the book won several awards, including the Newbery in 1991. Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, at school in... Read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1954
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: War, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Two Towers (1954) is the second book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Two Towers is a work of fantasy fiction set in the world of Middle-earth, the setting that Tolkien also used in his earlier 1937 novel, The Hobbit. It continues the quest of Frodo and his companions to destroy the One Ring that they set out on in The Fellowship of the Ring, interweaving the... Read The Two Towers Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals, Science / Nature, Children's Literature