TGIF #7

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at GReads!  In this weekly feature, Ginger poses a question to her followers and then asks everyone to link up at the end of the post, sharing their responses.

This Friday's Question:

Making a Difference: Which book(s) would you put in the hands of today's teenagers in hopes of making a difference in their lives? 

Honestly, it would have to be one of those books they "forced" us to read in high school, like Fahrenheit 451 and 1984.  I enjoyed each of these books immensely as a teen and found that they had a lesson that went far beyond what I was expecting to take away from the books.  Namely, question everything.  Never let others tell you that this is simply the way things are.  Instead, decide for yourself how things should be, how you want them to be.  And then start changing the world.

I can't fathom a world where rather than acting as our saviors, firefighters BURN books without question, which is exactly what Guy Montag does in Fahrenheit 451.  But the premise of 1984 is no less scary:  the government is watching your every move and any infraction will result in swift punishment.  These books are not only classics, but they incite powerful thoughts and invite debate about how much control is too much.  They also suggest that when one person decides to stand up against standard beliefs and practices, they can make a difference.  And it's worth it, everytime.

Also, if you haven't guessed, these books ignited my love for dystopian/post-apocalyptic reads.  I don't think there's another genre out there that could make me feel as strongly about changing the world for the better.