Weaving a fairy-tale-like introduction to the book, Ryan follows a special harmonica that touches the lives of three very different children leading up to and during the Civil War.  Friedrich is a German boy whose birthmark puts him in danger as Hitler enforces the perfection of the German race.  Mike is an orphan who is trying to protect his little brother by any mean necessary.  Finally, Ivy is a Hispanic-American girl who has to battle prejudice on two fronts, after America has been drawn into the war. Each child finds the healing power of music, when they find a very special harmonica.

With two factions crumbling and the others seeped in unrest Tris Prior must deal with her grief and guilt as she continues to fight for those she loves, while being relentlessly pursued by the Erudite and the remaining Dauntless. As more secrets are revealed and war breaks out in all the factions, Tris must embrace her divergence in order to put a stop to the war. Unfortunately, the Erudite power may only be the beginning of Tris’ troubles. Again, Veronica Roth leads us on an action-packed adventure from the first page to the last.

Amy Dunne is missing.  The crime scene looks fishy. and the investigation points straight at Nick Dunne, whose undemonstrative behavior makes him appear apathetic, and turns public opinion against him. Gone Girl is divided into three parts with each chapter alternating between Nick’s and Amy’s points of view.  At first, Amy’s chapters are told through journal entries, which directly contradict the thoughts and memories floating in Nick’s mind, turning the whole book into a dark “he said/she said” mystery.

Judd Foxman’s life is falling apart. Having recently separated from his wife after walking in on her in bed with his boss, and subsequently quitting his job, Judd must travel back  to his hometown for his father’s funeral, where he finds out that his father requested the family sit shiva. Now, he must spend seven days and nights with his estranged, dysfunctional family, burying old hurts and discovering new surprising secrets. Jonathan Tropper has a humorous way at looking at difficult situations, creating laugh out loud opportunities in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances.

And the Mountains Echoed is the story of Abdullah and his sister Pari, who were separated as children when their father sold Pro to a wealthy couple in order to provide for the rest of his family. However, Khaled Hosseini guides his readers through the story of how these two siblings finally reconnect by telling the stories of others whose lives are impacted by their situation. Hosseini’s words paint poetic pictures in his readers’ imaginations, and approaches every chapter like a puzzle piece for the reader to fit into the story.