TY Extended Essay recommendations 1

It's at this time of the year that we post short recommendations by TY pupils of books they are reading for their Extended Essays, and this is the first such post this autumn:

Caspar Schuelenberg recommends All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque:

"I cannot 'recommend' this book, because it is not a mere book. It is a Portrait. A Portrait of the most terryfing and most complex War ever fought.  It is neither a genuinely nice portrait, nor is it very artistic. It is just painfully true. The everyday life of German soldiers in the trenches, where the constant present of death and anxiety turns them into dull and forlorn entities, is authentically and downright mercilessly depicted by Remarque, who transformed his gruesome memories and experiences of the war into written words, in this haunting and highly recommendable Portrayal.

Ross Magill recommends a very different book, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins:
"I'd recommend this novel simply because it is a good mystery/thriller. The author's style of writing and sense of pace are good. The characters are well written and some are relatable.  The location is familiar (to me at least); it's set in a town north of London where the main character takes a train to London each day.  In terms of story the book is good. It leaves you wanting to read more and to know what happens next. It has a surprising twist which is always good in a mystery novel."