Many students love to read, whether it be a tale of two star-crossed lovers or of fantastical creatures going on a mythical adventure. What if there was a class for those readers in which the primary goal is to read and understand literature? There is, and it is called Advanced Placement Literature.

Taught by literature enthusiast Ms. Puentes, the class is geared toward increasing the student’s ability to comprehend different types of literary genres. “I try to focus on world literature, both classical and contemporary, through prose and poetry,” said Ms. Puentes. “Students read plenty of short stories and poems to help build their understanding of those genres.”

As with every AP class, at the end of the year, the students are required to take an AP exam. The AP Literature exam consists of one 60 minute multiple choice test followed by three essays that students have 120 minutes to complete. The three essays are based on a prose piece, a poetry piece, and an open-ended question which the student may answer using novels or plays that they have previously read.

The AP Lit class involves a lot of reading. This year students have read 4 Shakespeare plays and three fictional novels, and the year is not even over! Ms. Puentes said, “I always focus on writers like Shakespeare and the novels Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka due to the compelling characters and the complexity of the stories.” Students have also read many short stories to prepare for the exam.

The class may seem tough, but most students seem to really enjoy it. Senior Angel Castro said, “We are able to decipher the meaning the author intends the reader to find, creating an everlasting enjoyment for the work of literature.”

Senior Malena Pendola enjoys the variety of the subject matter of the class. She likes the discussions they get to have on particular novels and the fact that the lessons are different every day. “It never gets boring!” she said.

Some students may be apprehensive to join the class because they believe it is going to be too difficult. If you are willing to work, you can handle it. Senior Brandon Munoz said, “The class is not too difficult if you keep up with things like work and outside reading notes. As long as you stay proactive, it is not as bad as you think.”

Senior Camila Montiel said, “AP Literature is only difficult if you make it difficult. Just be consistent and work hard.”

Some students enjoy the class so much that they would even recommend it to a friend. Manny Garcia, the only junior in the class, said, “It will help in the long run, and it’s good to learn about these different novels that you might see in college.”

Senior Melissa Carcamo said, “It makes you think outside the normal parameters of the human mind. It transforms the way you look at literature.”