1984 by George Orwell: My first read was for a college class, and I appreciated it more as a full adult than I did in 2002 when I was forced to read it. I still like Animal Farm more shhh…should re-read that one (I read it in 2012 or 2013 I think…I was in Madrid.)
I love "Animal Farm" the best, too.
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan. I read a lot of Lois Duncan in middle and high school, and I was curious to see if they held up. The book I found had gone through a 2010 “update” to include technology and stuff, but it somehow made it seem more dated than if it had been the original 1970s, and it really made me not to want to re-read any. See the film instead unless you have a copy of the original text.
That's just wrong. Part of what makes the original story work is the 1970's setting. I freaking loved Lois Duncan when I was a kid. It was through her I discovered my love for morally gray characters and stories. I re-read "I Know What You Did Last Summer" several years ago (it was the original version, I still had the book from childhood). I had forgotten a good bit of it and, as an adult with decades of story twists and turns under my belt now, it was obvious who the person tormenting them was but I think it would still be great for young readers to tackle this one. I'll always be salty that the movie turned the story into silly slasher nonsense. (Look, I like a good slasher but the emphasis is on GOOD. 😂)
