The Sirens of Titan, written by Kurt Vonnegut, is a book that AP English 12 students are assigned to read.  The novel tells the story of Unk, a soldier who gets his memory erased.

The Sirens of Titan is a Huge Award-nominated novel, and it was published in 1959. The story revolves around Earth getting invaded by Martians. It starts off with the introduction of Malachi Constant, the richest man in America and the Rumfoords. From here, it takes off into Malachi’s journey from Earth to various planets in the solar system.

Kurt Vonnegut’s opinions about humanism, the belief that the importance in life is human matters and not divine or supernatural matters, is what made me interested in this book. The hints towards humanism throughout the book are everywhere, and Vonnegut creates a fictional religion that essentially is humanism.  Vonnegut’s writing style makes this unbelievable chain of events seem quite possible.
Compared to the other works that AP English 12 students are required to read, I would put this novel at the very top of the list. Even though the first few chapters are difficult to get past, the novel in its entirety is a worthwhile read.