In the state of Oceania lives thirty-nine year old Winston Smith, a worker for the Ministry of Truth, the archive and distributor of news, entertainment, and literature. Winston narrates his days under the tyranny of Big Brother, an unseen ruler who dictates speech, thought and opinion. Winston, however, is a dissenter, and as he investigates more into the depths of the party, the more he thinks to take action.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell is known to be one of the most bleak and poignant works of literary fiction in the past century, and is regarded as the birthplace of dystopian fiction. Although the book starts off slow, it quickly picks up pace as Winston digs deeper into the secrets around him, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat. This truly is one of the most disturbing novels I have read thus far, and I totally recommend for everyone to read it at least once in their lives. Whether it be as a teen, or an adult, this truly is a wonderful work of fiction that causes the reader to think.

The reason my rating doesn’t match what I have written about this book is because I found this really difficult to get into and to keep reading enthusiastically. It was only at about the middle of the book that I found myself becoming invested and wanting to keep reading, but once that block is passed, it's all worth it.