SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIEN AGENDA: a review.

I recently happened to read this random book by Becky Albertalli that amazon app on my phone suggested. Little did I know that this random book will turn into one of my beloved reads of all time!

‘Simon vs. the Homosapien Agenda’ is a book about a closeted gay teen Simon who has a hidden email relationship with another teen in his school, named Blue(not his real name though). However, the emails are accessed by another petty classmate of Simon to intimidate him into doing what he wants.

Simon, being the narrator of the story, is such a relatable character for us teens. All the awkward moments, the pressure of academics, family dramas and of course his entertaining group of friends are portrayed so realistically, it almost reminds me of my own life. He is sweet, funny and makes mistakes like all of us but tries to live up to them as much as he can.

The secret identity of the boys exchanging emails was the most interesting part of the plot. It made me as a reader continuously wrap my heads around the fact that who could actually be Blue! Towards the end, the author finally revealed Blue’s identity and at that moment I squealed with joy! It made me so happy for Simon, truly delightful.

The novel also talked about the fact that coming out should not just be for gays but also for straight people as well, so it’s not awkward just for the people in the closet but for everyone in general. This would make life so much easy, I actually want this to happen.

The themes of friendship, growing up and coming to terms with who you are and what you stand for is something shown very amazingly. Simon’s story has truly left a mark on me, and it is one I will treasure.Lastly, the novel is remarkably funny, relatable, realistic, also has suspense and all in all, a very exciting book to read. With Simon’s cute relationship with Blue, the funny conversations of him and his friends and his three sisters always trying to keep him on his toes, this book managed to keep me glued to it, even at 1 am. I give this book a 4 out 5. (extra points for Simon though)

THE ALCHEMIST: a review.

I noticed a lot of people on social media were talking about this great new book written by a Spanish author named Paolo Coelho that was a must-read. Being an enthusiast reader, I started researching this book and why did people think it was one of the true gifts to the world of literature. A few days later, I got to know that it’s the reader in our literature classes in school. Coincidence? I think not! This book has taught me so much about life in general. While I finished reading, I wanted to restart.

This book is about a young shepherd boy named, Santiago who goes on a journey to Egypt to find a hidden treasure. Even though as simple as this plot may seem, this book is about following your heart and your passion and it will lead you to your destiny.

The novel is solemn, truly insightful, delighting, funny, cloaked with anticipation, a story of true love, self-discovery, the connectedness of nature and a spiritual eye-opener.

Paolo gives his readers the true essence of life and makes them realize the genuine purpose behind our presence on Earth. Through the use of biblical allusions and the didactic tone, the alchemist has given me so many learnings about life, which I will truly cherish forever. Not only did it teach me why should we find our true passion and go behind it but also that there will be obstacles in between, obstacles like love, friendship, fear and abandonment, but no matter what, we should always go behind what we truly seek and everything else will fall into place.

Here are some of the most heart touching quotes that I found in the book:

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
“We are travellers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”

All in all, this book has been something that not only was insightful but delighting to the heart. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

MENTAL HEALTH IN TEENAGERS.

In today’s society, teenagers have an adequate amount of social pressure encompassing them. Being high-grade at their academics, doing admirably good in co-curricular activities, being raised on social charts at school and keeping up with their parent’s expectations are just a few things that add up to the tremendous measure of stress on their mental health.

Mental health is an individual’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. It composes of how we act, feel, respond and the kind of thoughts we have. The predicaments we have in our thoughts affect the way we interact with others, handle stress, make choices and almost every other aspect of our lives.

Teenagers going through any difficulties in life such as academics pressures, family dilemmas, the recent death of a dear one, a victim of bullying or cyber violation may end up damaging their mental well-being. They may end up having disorders such as depression and anxiety and once they are in these conditions, it’s very challenging to get them out of it.

Now comes the real question, ‘how do we recognise teenagers with mental disturbances and help them?’

Here are a few symptoms of depression and anxiety in teens:

Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
Sleeping too much or too little
Reduced appetite
weight loss
Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed
Restlessness or irritability
Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
Thoughts of suicide or death

Now, how do we help them:

Usually, people suffering from such disorders do not ask for help from themselves. This may be out of shame or mostly thinking that nobody cares about their feelings. To make sure they do not feel this way, what we can do is:

Talk to them and let them know they aren’t alone. Make them feel that you are there for them, whatever happens, you won’t leave them broken and helpless.
Identify why they are feeling this way and find a proper solution.
Of course, we aren’t professionally trained to handle people with mental difficulties and so teens with mental disorders will need external help from a therapist. Even one or two sessions with a professional will help them get their hope back and start to heal them.
We can be a little more accepting of the people who go through such difficulties every day. They have lost the meaning for life and what we need to do is help them find one back. We can include them in social gatherings, get their interest back in the things they used to enjoy and be a little more helpful. Let’s be kind and help our friends,family and even acquaintances because life is difficult for all of us and the only choice we have is go through this difficult journey together.

home/hell

they search for a long lost paradise,

hoping it would be a place of their dreams,

but the reality is,

that beneath all searching and exploring,

they are running from the evil they created.

there is no reward for living this life,

for they didn’t choose to live it

nor to end it too.

the heaven that lies in their head,

Is because they are looking for a land to call home

forgetting the one that nurtured them

through these years when they struggled to bloom.

irony is that we created hell,

not just in our head but in our actions too.

in our actual home,

the paradise that was made for me and you.

they seek for answers beyond comprehension,

making a simple little thing as complicated as it can be.

why would they do it? look for something that’s not even there?

maybe it’s just the curiosity

or maybe they are escaping hell,

once called home.

WHAT LOVE REALLY IS