When reading the title “The One Book That Changed Everything” I get overwhelmed a little because there are three different books that I feel changed everything for me at different periods of my life. There was an amazing book when I was just 7, a book that changed my view on literacy when I was 16, and a book that re-invigorated my love of reading when I was 27. It might seem like cheating but given that I do not believe I could narrow it down to “one”, I am going to discuss all three.
             As a kid, I was an avid novel reader. I greatly enjoyed tracking what books I was reading and what books I wanted to read (a practice that would eventually evolve into my use of the Good Reads app) and while I was a huge fan of the Lemony Snicket novel series and Cornelia Funke’s Thief Lord and Dragon Rider books, the book that hooked me into reading was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling. I had two older brothers who had both been reading this series and I began to feel a little left out at the breakfast table, so I sought out a copy from my school’s library and began! I distinctly recall reading this in grade 2 and given my reading abilities at the time, it took me over a month to finish it, but I was dedicated. I love the way the book spoke to me as a kid and how it built an overall world of whimsy and magic. I remember this being the very first time I ever realized how long-form novels can grip you. It might go without saying, but before the end of grade 2, I had also read all of Chamber of Secrets (and Grade 3 would be my Prisoner of Azkaban year)
Then, once I got into middle and high school and began shifting my focus onto chasing girls and hanging out with my friends, I dropped off from reading. I read only when completely necessary, and never for fun at this point. That was until a friend of mine introduced me to the literary works of Stephen King. The first of his books I read was The Shining and I was amazed. I couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns were so incredible and the way the book was able to create horrifying suspense kept me completely hooked. This kept me reading for my high school years, delving into more Stephen King and a few of the classics like Frankenstein, Casino Royale, The Great Gatsby, and 1984.
Fast forward now to a few years later. After attending college and getting a working-class job, I felt that I had been completely exhausted and no longer had the emotional energy to commit to reading. This would go on until the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, I wanted to find new ways to entertain myself. In the first couple of months of isolation, I had pretty much exhausted my interest in playing video games and watching Netflix, so I decided this was the ideal time to get back into reading. It was here that I decided to start with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A classic written from a variety of perspectives, masterfully crafting a narrative from multiple viewpoints and creating meaningful characters all around, all while the evil of Count Dracula loomed overheard. The character building here was fantastic and I enjoyed reading about how the characters were able to maneuver their emotional reactions all while vehemently hunting a vampire.
So, again I reiterate, I don’t think that there is “one” book that changed it all. If you asked me what the most important book I’ve ever read was, I think my answer would differ from moment to moment. I recall reading Flowers for Algernon and realizing how books can make you feel emotions, I remember reading Jurassic Park and realizing how a book can frighten and shock me as a reader, I remember reading Slaughterhouse-Five and having to consider the themes for a long time before concluding. So for me, there could never be just one.