Can we ever fully trust our senses, or are they too unreliable to perceive the world as it is? In this collection, we gather texts that explore the idea of appearance versus reality, from classics such as Aristotle's On the Soul to contemporary bestsellers like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Animals, Arts / Culture, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure
Boy of the Painted Cave is a 1996 middle-grade historical fiction novel by Justin Denzel set 18,000 years ago in prehistoric France. The novel is told in the limited third-person point of view and follows Tao, a 14-year-old boy with a disability, who longs to be a cave painter for his clan. Tao has difficulty walking with his right foot, and he compensates for this by using a spear as a crutch. The crutch allows... Read Boy of the Painted Cave Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Climate Change, Natural Disaster, Education, Technology, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Irish Literature
Broken Harbour (2012), a literary thriller by Tana French, is the fourth installment in her Dublin Murder Squad series. The novel won numerous awards, including the Irish Crime Fiction Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. French has been praised for her blend of literary characterization, setting, and use of language alongside propulsive plots. Broken Harbour is told from the first-person point of view of Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy. The plot involves... Read Broken Harbour Summary
Publication year 1901
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, German Literature, History: World, Classical Period
Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family was first published in 1901 and came to be recognized as a monumental work in the canon of modern literature. Thomas Mann (1875–1955) was a German novelist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929 for his novels, Buddenbrooks and The Magic Mountain. Mann draws on his own family history to craft Buddenbrooks’ narrative, demonstrating profound understanding of societal and familial dynamics in the... Read Buddenbrooks Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Animals
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1991
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Education, Education, History: World, Biography
Celia, A Slave is Melton A. McLaurin’s book-length analysis of the trial and execution of Celia, a slave in Callaway County, Missouri who kills her master and burns his body in her fireplace. McLaurin, a historian, argues that Celia’s case offers us important insights into how together, gender and racial oppression render enslaved women completely powerless to protect themselves from sexual exploitation, and how the moral ambiguity caused by slavery is often reconciled in the... Read Celia, A Slave Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1987
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Animals, Health / Medicine, Technology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1948
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Humor, Post-War Era, Parenting, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
American author Shirley Jackson’s short story “Charles” (1948) was first published in Mademoiselle, then in Jackson’s 1949 collection as well as in her 1953 novel Life Among the Savages. Though “Charles” is not in the horror genre, Jackson is a renowned horror writer and has influenced modern writers like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The story does, however, have an element of mystery—another genre for which the author is famous. This study guide cites the... Read Charles Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Romance, Action / Adventure, Class, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007) is the first in the Mortal Instruments series of young adult urban fantasy novels, followed by City of Ashes. The book follows a seemingly ordinary 15-year-old girl as she learns she is descended from an ancient race of demon hunters. City of Bones is a New York Times bestseller and inspired several media adaptations, including a graphic novel of the same name (3rd World... Read City of Bones Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Isabel Allende’s novel City of the Beasts tells the story of Alex Cold, a fifteen-year-old boy from California who accompanies his journalist grandmother on a life-altering journey through the Amazon. Allende is also known for the novels The House of the Spirits (1982), Of Love and Shadows (1984), and A Long Petal of the Sea (2019).The narrative opens with Alex at home in California, angry and frightened over the illness of his mother, who is undergoing cancer... Read City of the Beasts Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ