This is where we will post our commentaries and responses for the Independent Reading Requirement.
(Remember commentaries need to be at least 300 words, and responses at least 150 words.)
B3/4 Book Discussion
This is where we will post our commentaries and responses for the Independent Reading Requirement.
(Remember commentaries need to be at least 300 words, and responses at least 150 words.)
Ms. Sorensen's English Class 
Here’s my book review for this term! The book was incredible; I hope you guys all read it at some point. I’m looking forward to hearing what you read!
In reading this book I was at once frightened– scared, even– but also amazed by beauty. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is at once quiet and subtle, but stunningly powerful and disturbing. You can see this when the main character describes the garden of her Commander’s wife, filled with beautiful flowers in bloom, like the “irises, rising beautiful and cool on their stalks, like blown glass, like pastel water momentarily frozen in a splash, light blue, light mauve, and the darker ones, velvet and purple, black cat’s ears in the sun, indigo shadow . .” but even the quiet and subtle things are not all quiet and subtle: “There is something subversive about this garden of Serena’s, a sense of buried things bursting upwards, wordlessly, into the light, as if to point, to say: Whatever is silenced will clamor to be heard, though silently” (153).
It is filled with passages that describe the beauty of nature, however, this is a stark contrast to the dark and frightening things happening around the main character, Offred. Along with others like her–you could almost say “friends”– Ofglen, Ofwarren (are you sensing a pattern here? Took me a while to figure out that the women are named after their Commanders, just with the word “Of” in front). Women like Offred are a part of a society that subjects women under the pretense of bearing children. They live in a world where declining births are presenting a threat to society, so under the guise of religion women like Offred “must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant . . . [She] and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable” (book summary).
Probably the reason I found this so frightening was how thoroughly the society controls the women– they aren’t allowed to even read– something that I find absolutely horrific– can you imagine?! They can’t go anywhere by themselves, they can’t dress how they want, they can’t eat what they want, and any trace of their former lives– their names, careers, family– are gone. It was the flashbacks that Offred has of her family and her daughter that they took from her that were some of the most powerful moments in the book for me. I can’t imagine someone taking away my children– or how I would live if they did. And yet, Offred’s story offers some hope. She joins an underground resistance, called “Mayday”, and fights– in quiet and subtle ways– against those in charge. One powerful and hopeful moment for me was when she describes how this happens: “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of the print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.”
May we ever find our way from the blank white spaces and the gaps between– to true freedom.
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I read the Tigers Curse series by Colleen Houck.
This book will put you at whits end. Its the best mash up of adventure and the worst love triangle in history. You get to see multiple views of different religions as this trio tries to break a curse on two Indian brothers from the early kingdom days in India. You get a mix of modern technology but very old knowledge, through out the whole series. For the girls you get the mushy kissy scenes, and for the boys you get the blood and fighting part, so in the end everyone is happy.
This book will build your heart up and then shatter it for no reason, but those are the best books right? Its not the usual fairy tale that ends in a happy ever after, for the soft hearted you will cry and you will slam the books and walk away. i had a hard time finishing the series because of all the heart break i had gone through in the previous books.
10/10 would recommend this series,in the end you learn more things about different cultures and religions, and you get an action packed book that never stops and is really hard to put down. The books are good individually but all together it’s amazing and you get to open your mind wider to more possibilities and you do end up seeing the world differently.
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I have to say, thanks for recommending this book. It sounds really interesting and I love how it gives you a heartbreak but than repairs your heartbreak ! I love books that are filled with adventure and mystery and that sounds like a book that would be a good read for anyone ! The biggest party of reading a book is that you feel yourself becoming one of the characters, and it feels kkke you’re part of the book. It’s really hard to keep reading a book when you get hurt from it because it makes you feel like you don’t want to ready any further . I have read lots of books that have done that. I feel like this book related to me somehow because of all the things that occurs in it. I can’t wait to read it and find out what happens in them! Thank you for recommending this book!
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I read The Sorceress Of Atunluck by Aaron Dean Hall. Overall I really enjoyed this book, the characters were very well thought out, had nice dynamics, and the plot moved quickly enough that it wasn’t boring without never felt rushed. It’s a truly unique read, and if you’re into fantasy then I would highly recommend giving this book a shot.
When reading a book I always look for two key things, first do I relate with the characters or at least feel emotion towards them, because if you don’t care what happens to them then what’s the point, and secondly am I being roped into the book. One of the best parts of reading is when you get so invested into a book that you forget whats going on around you and become part of the story, and I feel like The Sorceress of Atunluck really did that. I felt as if I was part of Zeffa’s adventure (the main character) and really felt her hardships and emotions right along side her. This was one of those books that just keeps you wanting more, and that can be very difficult to accomplish.
You can tell a lot of time went into the creation of this story. There were no details left unthought of, even lttle things like the time were given new names to help add to the authenticity of the story. Words like a “moon cycle” were used to describe how much time had passed, and it really helped me believe the story. I enjoy when authors pay attention to these details because it makes the book much more enjoyable and believable.
The Sorceress of Atunluck is exelent read that anyone can enjoy. It’s versatile enough that I think people of all ages could enjoy it, and i’m glad that was able to follow Zeffa in her journey of becoming a powerful sorceress and hero.
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Caylee,
I must say that this sounds like a very interesting read, and I am very glad that you recommended it. It is something that I will have to look into, given a love for adventurous and fantastical books, but do not like the snail-like pacing that many of them have. I am also one to analyze how relatable the characters are, and I can agree that it is really hard to get into a book with a main, or even secondary character, that you really just do not like. I have never read this book, but everything you mentioned does remind me of a series of books that I had started, but have not yet finished. They series is called the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, who created the world and story by playing Dungeons and Dragons. I would highly recommend them to you. I will also look into Sorceress of Atunluk and will let you know what I think!
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Caylee! So glad you reviewed this book! Sounds like a great read! I love watching characters grow up over a long period of time as well! Seems like my kind of book!
I totally agree with you when you talk about the things you look for in a book. You talked about finding a book that matches your personal life regarding characters and their emotions. I would commonly find it hard to relate to a book because I would just pick up any old book and just read it for the heck of it. But often times I wouldn’t end up finishing the book. When I finally started to find books that I related to, they were Finally getting finished!
Anyways thanks for sharing and I plan on reading this book in the near future
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Caylee,
This surely does seem like an interesting read! You did a fantastic job of analyzing this book. I’m very glad you recommended it! I can fully relate to the two key things you look for in a book. Relating to the characters is a huge part of reading for me too! If I can’t seem to relate to a character then how am I supposed to be interested! If you cant relate or understand the characters in the book then you most likely won’t be very interested in the book either which is what you named as your second key thing you look for in a book. That feeling of never wanting to put a book down and feeling like you’re living in the story is so crucial in reading. The Sorceress of Atunluck sure does seem like a great book that I will have to look further into!
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I read Mark Twain In Hawaii. This book was interesting because it is more of a personal journal or documentary, rather than a book. This is Twain’s own adventures and feelings of Hawaii back in the 1860’s. This book is well written, in easy writing (besides the occasional Hawaiian name or place that is impossible to say) , which makes this and enjoyable book.
There are no real memorable characters/people in this, besides twain himself, and the occasional merchant who tries to swindle Twain. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the story because the example Twain writes about concerns buying horses, which reads: “If you make trouble, he will get out by saying it was not himself who made the bargain with you, but his brother, ‘who went out in the country this morning.’ They have always got a brother to shift the responsibility on. A victim said to one of these fellows one day: ‘But I know I hired the horse of you, because I noticed that scar on your cheek.’ The reply was not bad: ‘Oh, yes-yes- my brother all the same-we twins!'”
This form of writing makes Twain feel much more personal, and relatable. When I read books, I sometimes get in my head that the authors are much more literate, and profound in everything they do, creating elaborate stories to share a moral or idea. This book made me realize more that their just human, same as us. My favorite parts in the book had to be his stories of horseback riding through the islands, and his long treks into old ruins of towns and temples; but by far, the best part in the book had to be when they hike into a volcano at night. This was amazing because, duh, its a volcano! What made this so interesting to me, was how Twain invited you into the story more, while creating this sense of being with them as they explore, as well as getting lost in the dark, with no flashlight, and trying to get out safely, without plunging into an unstable area of magma, and dying. Although you know that Twain will get out alive, you cant but help to worry about the others with him, as they carefully retrace their steps to safety.
I’m over 300 words, but I’d just like to share one last quote from Mark Twain, which I think sums up this book pretty well:
“No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking, through half a lifetime, as that one has done. Other things leave me, but it abides; other things change, but it remains the same. For me the balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surfbeat is in my ear, I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud wrack; I can feel the spirit of its woodland solitudes, I can hear the splash of its brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.”
This was a great short book to read, and I would definitely recommend checking it out at least once, to see how Hawaii was over 150 years ago, and to have a little fun reading as well.
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Isn’t Twain great?! I love his travelogues. Especially since he writes with such humor! He’s also immensely perceptive when it comes to people in general. Put those two things together and you’ve got a great mix. It’s interesting that you mention Twain as pretty much the only character. Even though this is nonfiction, it seems that Twain is enough of a character himself– one that would be difficult to make up, even– in this case maybe reality is better than a story!
Thanks for sharing.
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Honestly, this book sounds very intriguing! First, I love Hawaii. I used to live in Hawaii and reading books about Hawaii in any way makes me feel like I am at home and it gives a good feeling inside. Second, I love writing in journals or personal diaries. It takes my mind off stress and other irrelevant things. It is time for me.
The real perks of this book is that it is short. I love short books but not too short.
I have read some of Twains books and like Mrs. Sorenson said he has a great sense of humor in his writing. I like books like that. They keep you interested and captured on reading more! I want to read this book now. Thanks for sharing!
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Hunter, let me start off by how good this book sounds. It sounds like a book that would be right up my alley because i love exploring stuff and reading stories about adventure. Most books would struggle if there is only one character but the way that you described it makes this book seem as if it works perfectly. The quote that you used at the end seems to sum up the book and it has definitely gotten me interested in reading this book. I like all of the descriptive words that twain uses to convey these images of hawaii long ago.
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I read Symptoms Of Being Human by Jeff Garvin. It was amazing, and of all of the LGBT books I’ve read over the years this is now tied for my favourite.
The book follows Riley, a genderfluid teen, and their experience navigating a new high school in a binary world they just don’t fit in. Their story isn’t easy, if anything it’s painful to read at times, but it’s eye opening and hopeful. I think the author’s choice to write the book in first person but include blog posts by the main character was well done. For most of the book you get in Riley’s mind and their real world where they are closeted and struggling, but their blog posts show their online alterego and Riley’s thoughts when they feel free and open and powerful. It’s really refreshing and shows a lighter side of a more heavy novel.
One of my favourite quotes is from Riley’s first blog posts, and I relate to it way too much.
“Am I a boy or a girl?… It’s the first thing everyone wants to know, even when I’m standing right in front of them… At best, it’s invasive curiosity; at worst, open condemnation. Either way they want an answer: Girl. Or. Boy. Anyway, t’s not that simple. The world isn’t binary. Everything isn’t black or white, yes or no… “Okay,” people say, “but you were born one way or the other. Like, biologically. Anatomically.” As if they have the right to know! As if, since I’ve so rudely failed to make it obvious, I ought to wear a sign. Well, it’s none of their damn business.” I really like what Riley points out- nothing in this society, our world even, is black and white so why do we make gender so? Why have we as humans created a set of strict boxes to put minute old babies in?
This is taking all of the courage I have, but my input and reason for reading the book will only make sense if I explain such. All of you have known me for seven months now, many longer, but I think it’s time to reintroduce myself.
Hi. My name is Izzy Fielder. Like Riley, I use they/them pronouns. And I’m nonbinary. For me, it means I don’t fit into binary gender, neither female nor male. I’m only recently out to myself and close friends, but I think I need to take this step to be out at school. I might get crap for this, but screw it. I’d rather be out and proud and me than spend any more time in a damn closet.
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This might be a bit understated, I’m sure, but really, wow— to take such an immense step and be true to yourself! That’s something that so many people can’t bring themselves to do that their WHOLE LIVES. I thought it was interesting how you talked about Riley not fitting into a binary gendered world, but the way the book was written– from first person perspective and then from blogposts from the same character but showing a different perspective– is itself somewhat binary. While this might be ironic, to me it seems to say that a person can overcome that binary opposition and define themselves how they want to, despite living in that either/or world. And, isn’t it amazing how literature and books can allow us to think about and express things not just about the world around us, but about the world inside of us?
I’m glad you found something valuable in what you read; I have heard a lot of other good things about this book and author.
Once again, an understatement, but– thanks for sharing.
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First of all Izzy, the last paragraph is 10/10 and I hecking support you and your amazing courage to put your foot forward and come out. I wish I was brave but I’m not.
Anyway, as for the book I definitely will check it out, from what you are saying about it, I think I’d find it interesting. Though I myself don’t identify as a binary or a non-binary individual, a lot of my friends do. One of them being you! I have always been a curious person and with so many different types of gender identities among my friends more and more I find myself wanting to learn about what they are. So, I think this book would really intrigue me in sense of my curiosity.
In the quote that you provided from one of Riley’s blog posts a large portion of what they said geared toward some of my moral beliefs as well. When they addressed that people nowadays want to know so much about you when it’s honestly none of their business I totally agree. It seems like right off the bat people always ask your gender, where you’re from, and what you identify as right when you meet. At least in my case. It’s just invasive and annoying, it shouldn’t matter that much, why can;t people just accept people for their personalitie(s) no matter their physical appearance
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Kara i just appreciate that you said hecking
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Dear Izzy Fielder,
What Riley had to go through is exactly what I see almost every day. My father is an intolerant and ignorant person when it comes to sexual orientation and identity so I often find myself having to explain that it is definitely more complicated than just male and female. All characteristics of a person are unique and there can be no man made imaginary boundaries that put a restriction on how unique they can be. I’m so happy that after reading an obviously very touching and maybe triggering book about the negativity that can come out by someone opening up, that instead of the read scaring you, you were motivated to do the same thing and open up yourself. You’re respectable for that. I believe that the matter of accepting that there is more than just male and female is just that. A matter of accepting. If all of these people who try to use science to prove the idea erroneous decided to just accept that it’s true. Guess what?! Even after their studies in biology and anatomy, it will become true. This is because regardless of how much attackers might want to throw in these “facts,” it really only comes down to opinion. You will benefit greatly for not allowing these opinions to bring you down. This is definitely a book I’d be interested in reading. And I just might do so.
Sincerely,
Michael Jackson Ware
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Izzy,
First of all, I would like to say “wow!” to how you took a really big step and came out. I admire your bravery and wish that I could be that fearless.
This book definitely sounds like an excellent and refreshing read for me. I totally, 100% support everyone in the LGBT community and those who may identify themselves as nonbinary. This book reminds me a little bit of the book that I read for term one. It really opens your eyes about the challenges and difficulties that people all over the world face. It’s really all about self-appreciation and accepting others, as well.
I really liked the quote you chose to put in your review because the world really isn’t just ‘black or white.’ It’s every color of the flippin’ spectrum! Everyone should have the freedom and option in deciding who they want/or don’t want to be. I will definitely give this book a shot!
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This sounds like one Hell of a read. I don’t usually read books like that, but this is totally something I have to check out. I can see it asks some very serious questions that I myself have often asked, like why is it people are so stuck in the way of gender norms? It never made sense to me that people care so much about how others live their lives, why can’t we just let people do what makes them happy? These are questions I have never been able to answer, and probably never will, but for the time being I have chosen to surround myself with other loving and accepting members of the LGBTQ+ community. I’m so glad you were able to find the courage to come out to everyone, and if you ever need anything I can be like your fun gay older sister. (Also like dont tell my fam I’m gay please XD)
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Izzy this book sounds really good. I’m glad you liked that book. You and the character Riley do relate to eachother. This book does seem to have a strong meaning to it. I do like how it tells people what binary means and how people use it. I do agree with you that some people are quick to say or are you a girl or boy when they don’t really know you. But once they know you people should not just assume if your a girl or a boy. This was very well explained.
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For this term I chose to read Wicked: The Life and Trials of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, though I am not completely finished with it. I picked this book mostly because of my love for the musical. I knew that it was going to be different, but I was surprised at the amount of thought and detail that went into the magical world that was absent from the stage adaption. The book itself is really interesting, albeit really slow, and I really enjoy the characters. I would definitely recommend it to people who would like to take a fresh new look at the world of Oz.
One of the most interesting things that I found about this book so far was the emphasis in politics and religion, and how well these topics were thought out. Important political issues in the book are reflective of those we have in real life, and actually play a key role in the plot. The characters are also extremely well thought out. Each one has unique personalities, opinions, and political views. The relationships that the characters share are complex, like true friendships should feel. This, to me at least, made the characters seem more relatable and altogether more real. I truly wanted to know more about them.
As I mentioned before, the author has a writing style that generally moves along pretty slowly, with major bits of action here and there. However, he also includes many techniques that seems to make you want to continue, despite the pacing. He uses foreshadowing and the dramatic irony of Elphaba’s fate to his advantage, constantly hinting at her transformation into the Witch and trying to gain empathy from the reader about the reason why.
Overall, I am really enjoying reading this book. I am loving following Elphaba on her journey and dealing with her inner turmoil, and I hope others will as well.
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Kaitlyn, this book sounds interesting. I always like when there are adaptations of original stories, showing the point of views of other characters who don’t get a lot of development. It creates a lot of new things that you can write about, whether being a brand new story of adventure, or even just the life that they have to live with. I haven’t read this, but I like the idea of foreshadowing and such, being a part of the story. I think this makes us, the readers, more excited because we can discover what is happening even before the character does. It reminds me of a quote that talks about even if a world is made up, the real trick behind it is to make the world seem as real as possible. In other words, the author has to make a lie seem so real to the readers depicting this world, that they can believe that it can actually exist somewhere.
Your book seems cool, and has a good twist on the original story, and I will have to definitely check it out in the future.
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Dear Kaitlyn,
I love the way took the book into a deeper perspective. You took the book and verified the affect instead of explaining the story-line making the book sound very interesting! I appreciate your honesty about it being different from the musical and how slow the book is. I think that it was awesome to compare what other kinds of books are similar to the type of book you are reading so we have some sort of idea on what kind of book we were getting into. The review you gave inspired me to want to read the book and notice details from a political and religious standpoint to understand what you were talking about better! I think it is super cool that an entertaining musical could transform into an educated written story. I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures are inside this book! It seems pretty lit!
Sincerely,
Emma Hailstone
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The book I read was ‘The Help,’ written by Kathryn Stockett. It takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s and presents the many issues of racism and segregation which is told from the point of view of three women; Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter, who team up and write a book about what life is really like being a black maid.
Other than the three main characters, the character that stood out the most to me was Celia Foote. Unlike the other women you meet in the book, she wasn’t born into a high class society and grew up poor. She is new to Jackson and tries her hardest to fit in with the Junior League, but is constantly being rejected by them because she is the antagonist’s ex-husband’s wife. Celia was my favorite character because when you first meet her, she gives off the vibe that she is just another high-class and snobby socialite. But as the book progresses, I learned that deep down, she just wants to fit in and feel loved, especially by her husband. What made me super depressed about her character was that while the Junior League women were all having children, she was the only woman who could not deliver a child, due to multiple miscarriages, even though she deserved one the most. But what I loved the most about her was how she saw everyone she met as an equal and it didn’t matter what color they were or how rich or poor they were.
My absolute favorite quote from the book (and all-time favorite), was “You is kind, you is smart, you is important,” addressed to a young child that Aibileen (a main character) takes care of. The quote means that no matter what, you are worthy, loveable, and meaningful to life. Aibileen is the caretaker to a sweet young girl named Mae Mobley, who is constantly being ignored and shut out by her own mother. Aibileen constantly reminds Mae Mobley that she will always be cherished and loved, no matter what. I think that almost everyone can relate to this quote, or Mae Mobley’s situation because there will be times when we feel unloved or ignored, but if we constantly remind ourselves that things are going to be alright, then maybe it will be. (Kinda cheesy, but you get the point!) Always remember to love yourself, because it’s okay if you need to take care of yourself first.
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Kathryn,
i have never read The Help but it sound like a really cool book! The quote you shared from the book was so awesome too! There also seems like there are good lessons to learn from this book! One lesson you talked about was fitting in. I believe that anyone can fit in like this girl in the book. Also having people being born in a low class society and growing up there is a good lesson for all of us. We need to consider our self’s lucky for what we have!
great book!
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Dear Kathryn,
I’m so glad you read The Help. It’s such amazing story about the equal rights movement. I don’t know about you, but I think my favourite part was the one with Minnie’s Chocolate pie XD
I think your insight to Celia’s character is really interesting but true- I hated her initially. Absolutely hated her. But she’s human, and she’s flawed, and that’s what I think makes you like her as the book go on. As you said, you realize that she just wants to fit in with League because she grew up poor and is unable to have kids. I think this is why she’s so accepting and sees everyone equally. Unlike the rest of the League, she’s had to work to get where she is and therefor knows what it’s like to be in a position where everything isn’t handed to her on a silver plate.
The quote you used is also one of my favourite quotes. I think about it, and generally this book, on bad days. It reminds me how lucky we are to live in this day and age, and how we are always loved more than we think. Honestly, I just want to sit down and talk to the characters. Is that possible? Probably not. They’re amazing women and I think they’d be amazed by what life for women is like nowadays.
Yours,
Izzy
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I read a book called Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. Is a book in the star wars franchise that was made from unaired episodes of an old star wars tv show that i used to watch every friday night with my friends. This tv show ran for six seasons before it was cancelled, the show was intended to have 2 more seasons with at least 20 episodes each. While most of these unaired episode scripts are still unused a few of the episodes have been turned into books (eight of which were in this book), comics, and some have even been partially animated.
I dont have the book with me so i can not quote it, but i do remember some very important turning points for the story. When jedi master vos first used the dark side the entire tone of his character changed. He was a very funny and overall happy person but after this moment he was very solemn, and angry at the death of his fallen jedi master. He was later engulfed by the darkside and betrayed the jedi. He joined the likes of Count Dooku, the leader of the confederacy of independant systems. Vos then tried to betray Dooku so that he could replace him at the sith lord Darth Sidious’s side. Another twist was at the end of the book when ventress is killed by Dooku who was in fact her former master. In the end of the story Vos is allowed back in the jedi order.
This book was much better than any of the tv episodes that go along it, and i can only imagine how good it would have been if it had been completed the way it was originally intended. The only complaint that i have about this book is that Vos was allowed back so quickly, otherwise i loved this book.
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Dear Sumner, this sounds like a must read for any star wars fan who has not read it yet so I am definitely gonna look into reading this book. I like how the creators made a follow up book after the unaired episodes instead of just leaving their fans in the dark, so good on their part. Also correct me if I am wrong but weren’t Dooku and Ventress both Jedi but ended up turning to the dark side at some point? This might be false since I stopped keeping up with star wars a while ago, but this book might just get me back into enjoying it again. Well if the claim is true kind of sounds like the same thing is happened to Vos, just found that interesting and ironic that those three share that in common. Well thank you for letting us know about this book.
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I read the book A Child Called It written by Dave Pelzer. I really enjoyed reading this book. I hope that everyone will receive the opportunity to read this book to not only get an understanding of abuse, but also feel the type of emotions running through the mind of the victim. I related to this book on a personal level. I know exactly what it is like to be hurt by someone you love and care for. You gain trust. You have an unbreakable bond and memories that are supposed to last forever, but addiction can easily get in the way of that. No matter how scared you are, you hide the issue. You start to believe that it was entirely your fault. Unfortunately, all the pain sticks with you and can cause you to change completely. You become someone you aren’t. You start to do things that you would normally never do. You are numb to life and you feel like you are going insane. The reason why I like this book so much is because it showed me that I wasn’t alone. It helped me understand that I wasn’t crazy for wanting the best for the person who hurt me. It showed me that some of the mental illnesses were normal for a trauma patient. One of my favorite quotes he said was, “I tried to understand her puzzle, but my mind was too cloudy.” This quote stood out to me because it helped explain the mindset of an addict. They view abuse as a game. They have the motive to get exactly what they want and will destroy anything that gets in the way of their path. Including the people closest to them. The story had a well observational view on what kind of effects addiction has on families and the characteristics of a person. I believe this book would be great for anyone to read. Just to get a better understanding of the kind of life some people live.
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I must say that from reading your response, it does sound really interesting. It’s is really good how you explained the process and different emotions that the victim is feeling because that can help us the readers into getting a sense of the character and understand their perspective on their life. I like how this summary explains some of the things that are happening with people in today’s society. I think its interesting how you said that the book made you feel like you weren’t alone because it shows a good connection that you felt when you read it. I think that I will definitely be putting this book on my list!
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Dearest Emma,
Thank you so much for sharing. This book really does seem to be interesting and I’m putting it on my to-read-list. The best way to make characters likable is to make them relatable, especially on an emotional level. It seems like this book achieved that with you. And even though it isn’t something people would want to relate to, we do need books like that in our lives to, just like you said, not feel alone. So that we can quietly fall asleep at night knowing we’re not “crazy”. I myself would probably not relate to this exact topic, but I think it’d be interesting to get to know a mindset entirely different from mine and to, just like you suggested, “get a better understanding of the kind of life some people live.” Thank you so much for sharing something this personal. Stay strong!
All the love,
Paula Frecot
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holy moly Emma,
i really like the way you talked about this book and how you kind of gave us a warning of what we would see if we read this book. i think i would have a hard time reading it because it sounds really interesting but it also sounds really depressing, and reading a depressing book can make you really depressed as well. I really love the quote that you gave us it fits in with society today very well. i will but it on my investigation list of books i should read.
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I read The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury and I’m over the moon about it. It was written in the 1950’s and if you know anything about history that’s not long after World War Two so with that context in mind this book is deeply emotional and clever in very subtle ways. It’s a collection of short stories that don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other other than they’re affiliated with The Illustrated Man to which the book got it’s title. Though not directly related to each other, each of these stories share a common futuristic vibe with ties to the past cleverly inserted; and all of them give me a sort of melancholy vibe, perhaps that’s just my interpretation but either way this book did make me cry more than once. It lets us look into the past and see what society was like back then and the thoughts they had in a futuristic setting and it also gives us insight on how people in the 50’s interpreted the future and how different it really is. This book makes me think a lot about how much times have changed and also how much they haven’t. The characters range from children to old men and women, robots and even floating balls of “soul matter” and each and though not every character plays the most important role, the range of personalities makes the experience seem more real. Which is another aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoy, though the stories are far fetched and futuristic, the characters and emotions of them seem as though they could be someone I’d easily meet on the street which makes it so much easier to relate to this characters. My favorite short story is the shortest of them all. It’s called The Last Night of the World. It’s about a couple discussing the end of the world because everyone in the world had a dream about it the night before and they knew the end was coming the coming evening. They were not scared, nobody in the world was because, as the husband says, “you don’t scream about the real thing”. That line definitely made me think because it made it real for me suddenly. That’s a new concept to me for people to be content with dying but it was presented in such a way that it makes sense. The couple casually say goodbye to each other and and they do the dishes before bed and then the story ends with them telling each other goodnight and I cried for far too long because it was so sweet and not surreal. They weren’t surrounded by rockets or aliens in this one. It was just a loving couple saying goodbye forever. Easily relatable to the real world. Anyway, enough said, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone because it’s got a little bit of everything in it and I’m sure anyone could fall as in love with it as I did.
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I read the book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. The story of this book goes all the way back to the fifth century B.C, Sun Tzu talks about the important factors when planning a military action. The five factors are 1. The Moral Law 2. Heaven 3. Earth 4. The commander 5. Method and discipline. The five factors should be known to any general of that time because these factors would lead them to victory. The Moral Law meant that the people would follow the commands of their ruler, Heaven portrays day and night, rain, snow, heat, or seasons. Earth is terrain. The commander will always put his men first, and when times of battle he will show no mercy on the enemy. As a leader the commander must inspire respect and trust to his followers and they must follow, he must be strict but yet fair. This book has influenced many figures in history, especially to Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi was an emperor in of china, I read that he considered the Art of War to be the strategies to have ended the Warring states and the text was also considered to be part of the unification of China. The book became such an important factor that soon people began to honor it. Many of the generals that we have heard of in our history classes used Sun Tzu’s book. This text gave generals many advantages when facing the enemy they read about the use of spies, attack by fire, terrain, the enemy on the march, etc.
When I first saw the text The Art of War I took the time to make a little research on it and I found out that when King Wu was going to hire Sun Tzu to work for him, he gave him a test. The test was the Sun Tzu had to teach a group of women the simple commands to military. Tzu then took two of the king’s favorite fighters and he made them fight against each other. When Tzu gave the women orders they both giggled, he then said that giggling was not acceptable in the commands of military so he said that they must be punished and ordered for their execution. The king tried to tell him he can’t do that, but Sun Tzu had every right because he was following the five factors and when following the book, the rules must be followed and not broken even if its by a king. I thought this was a very interesting fact that I read when I was doing research.
Sun Tzu teaches the best strategies of war in this book, he outlines the most important roles for both victory and success. He taught that war is sometime inevitable, and you must attack from a place of superiority. It shows how a general must have respect for his troops and show discipline. Overall I recommend this book it, it is a great way of learning all the strategies on how Sun Tzu taught his ways. It is also a great book to read if you are into history because it really goes into depth on China and other things.
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Hi, Alyssa! I have not personally read “The Art of War” but it sounds like a great read! Its cool to have a history of ancient organized warfare and what their morals and beliefs were on it! It’s amazing how disciplinary warfare was back in the 5th century B.C. was and how obedient warriors were. I also enjoy that you include that the book includes some Asian history as context and that how the emperor considered, “the Art of War to be the strategies to have ended the Warring states” and that, “the text was also considered to be part of the unification of China.” I also like how the book actually inspired other militaries, quite cool. It’s amazing how huge obedience and discipline were in this time, I like how you say, “the rules must be followed and not broken even if its by a king.” And that, “giggling was not acceptable in the commands of military so he said that they must be punished and ordered for their execution.” Overall, great job with the review! I definitely think I will check this book out soon!
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After having procrastinated for so long I decided to FINALLY read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I mean, how can you not? Everyone has to know about Harry Potter. I have seen all of the movies, so of course I already knew the plot, but that didn’t make the reading any less enjoyable. I started with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone” (duh!) or “Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen.”, as I read it in German. Since we all know about it, it’s almost unnecessary to say how amazing this book is. This series (or at least the first book) truly lives up to its hype. It takes you far away into a world full of magic and on an adventure with young Harry, as he tries to figure out how this whole magic thing works. One of the reasons I decided to read the series even though I am already familiar with the story is simply because “the book is always better than the movie”. In this case though the movie is one of the closest book adaptations I’ve seen, with just a few minor changes here and there. I don’t really understand why the director chose to leave out the part where Hermione solves the potions riddle. It is a great example of her superior intelligence. But that’s about it. My next book (of course) is the sequel “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, in English this time. I got to admit that it’s a little bit of a challenge for me to read a novel in English, especially since some parts had been “Germanized” in the German version, like “Hermine” instead of “Hermione”. Doesn’t seem to be make much of a difference, but, believe me, it does. Anyways, I’m really excited for this and I can’t wait to see what I have been missing out on by just watching the movies.
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PAULA I’m so excited you’re reading the Harry Potter series because I love that storyline more than most of the people that I know. I’ve read the series four times ( all in English of course, not all of us can be all cool and bilingual) just because I’m so painfully obsessed with the series. I feel like every time I read the books over again I discover something new that I swear wasn’t there before. Harry potter, the movies and the books honestly raised me to be the person I am today. I grew up on Harry Potter, I used to know more about British culture than American. I can’t tell you what it meant to me as a kid to read these books and be swept away into a fantastic land filled with magic and creatures I’ve never heard of and Harry Potter of course because I mean come on, isn’t he dreamy? But anyway back on topic it was such an inspiration for me to read because I realized that if all books were like this then hell, how would I ever be able to put a book down? I love putting myself in these worlds I could never visit in real life and Harry Potter was my very first taste of that. The characters mean so much to me, good and bad and all of the emotions these books gave me were enough to want to read them over and over and I can’t wait to discuss your feelings about Harry Potter in the near future. LOVE YOU PAULA!!!!
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Dear Paula,
I have not personally read the Harry Potter series but I also love the movies. I love reading books that I get so involved in I cannot put down and from your commentary I am guessing you felt similar while you were reading it. I also liked how you compared the reading to the German version you read. I will definitely give the series a chance. Whenever I have tried to read a book after I watched the movie I usually end up bored because I feel like I already know what is going on but after you mentioned how it was not any less enjoyable reading it after the movie I will try it. Thanks for your commentary on this!
-Aimee Klein
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I have really enjoyed reading your little splurge on the Harry Potter series and the book you have read. I am so glad you got to enjoy it. I love the Harry Potter book just as much. I would have to agree with you! The book is way better than the movie 😁
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My book was The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. My book captured me. It made me feel like I was going through the trials that they were going through. The details that Joseph Conrad used in the book was a huge help to understanding more. His detail helped me to imagine what was going on. Honestly, the book was good but I did not like it. It is very intriguing but not my style of books. Joseph did a great job in using variety of culture. There were many cultures involved in this book. Black, white, and native people were involved and at times it confused me but I like that he used the cultures. It shows me that he is very diverse. Some authors lack diversity which makes many books somewhat dull or boring. Diversity does not only apply to culture. It applies to many different topics as well.
In the first section of Part 2 it says, “It was unearthly, and the men were-No, they were not inhuman. . . the suspicion of their not being inhuman. . . They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity.” This quote talks about when Marlow heads up the river to the Inner Station and hears and sees the Native tribes. He speaks of them as if they are creatures and not people. I think this goes along with a possible theme. Being open to new and different things. Native culture is much different than normal American life. It is different. I am Tongan Tahitian and my culture is much different than what is considered “normal”. I understand what it is like to be different from the crowd like the Native Americans in the book. Many people hear about my culture and our traditions and look at me like I am weird (sometimes). But as we learn to accept each other and learn more about people’s culture than we gain knowledge and a deeper appreciation.
(This was taken from my essay)
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The city of bones by Cassandra claire would definitely be a must read on my list. If you are into action and drama the way I am then this book is a must!
You find yourself immersed in a world where demons roam the night, vampires occupy abandoned hotels, warlocks cast spells and the law is upheld by Shadowhunters, a race of humans blessed by the angel Raziel. Even the setting, NYC, was so surreal; it Was like there was another character to this story. I thought the Shadowhunter world was funny, sleek, dark, and hopeful. More importantly, the characters came so alive for me that they jumped off the pages. I felt as though I were in the story with them as opposed to just following along in their journey.
As I talked about before in my comment, finding a good book is almost just as hard as anything. What makes a good book a good book? I believe it is the way the characters come to life and really force you to feel emotions towards them. That is why finding this book was my best decision by far (reading wise). Regardless of the types of books you prefer to read, I think we all read to for some type of enjoyment, and this book does not disappoint!
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Dear reader,
I read The House On Mango Street and I really enjoyed it. It is a short novel but was hard to get into it at first. The author of The House On Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros, has a very unique way of writing. When I first started reading the novel, I read it like any other novel, chapter by chapter, but this is not how Cisneros wrote hers. After I read the first couple of “chapters” I realized I had no idea what was truly going on in the novel, it did not flow. So I reread the parts of the book I had already gone over but instead of reading it like a chapter book that has a consistent story line and plot, I read it as though each chapter was its own story. When I started to read it this way I liked the novel a lot more. Each section in the novel is its own piece in the main character’s life, Esperanza. This novel includes many different themes throughout the stories such as personal identity, self-perception, and the lack of feminism in society.
Everyone has an identity. Identity is a major theme throughout this novel. In The House On Mango Street, their names say a lot about their own identities. Names are usually given to you by your parents and usually symbolize a special meaning or person in their lives. Esperanza herself shows a lot of struggle towards her own self-perception. In this beginning of the novel Esperanza says “I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees” (Cisneros). She wants to change her name so she can define herself on her own terms, even though she is really unsure of who she really is. Names say a lot about a person. They can be a part of a family history, a symbol in a parent’s life, or a special meaning to the family. Esperanza would rather rename herself rather than accepting a name that expresses her family heritage. She wants to separate herself from other women in her community and her family. Other women in her community are so influenced by men. Many of the women in this novel moved from their home countries to the United States to live with their husbands but lose parts of their culture. Women have a responsibility to one another whether they realize it or not. Many of the women in this novel are isolated from society and feel powerless but that is when they need other women in their community to stand up for them. The men in this novel have a common characteristic of being violent, selfish, and or absent in the lives of their wives and children. Esperanza throughout the novel realizes this responsibility. She first cares for her younger sister, Nenny, but this responsibility grows when she makes friends with Sally. This is a very important lesson that even in today’s society people can learn.
Aimee Klein
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The book Speak is my favorite book in the world it is about Melinda Sordino, a ninth grader at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York. In the summer before her freshman year, Melinda and her friends attend a party. While at the party, Melinda meets Andy Evans, a senior, Andy begins dancing with and kissing Melinda then he takes her and rapes her Melinda dials 911 and the police arrive at the party, but Melinda finds herself unable to tell anyone what happened. When the entire school discovers that Melinda broke up the party and got some students arrested, her friends stop speaking to her. No one knows that she was raped. And she is hated throughout the year until andy tries to rape her again and people find out save her and realize what had previously happened and her life gets much better and her popularity skyrockets.
“It’s easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, SPEAK
To me this is one of the most significant things Melinda said, you could feel how much pain she was in, it truly captures what is going on in her head, she had so many feelings during the book, anger, fear, depression, loneliness the need for help and self hatred.
In conclusion the book is great and I highly recommend it to everyone for a few reasons, one Melinda turns to art for help and security I think everyone should strive to have a passion, hobby or activity that can take them away from the cruel outside world and put them in there happy place, mine is music.
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For this terms independent reading requirement I have chosen the book “A Wrinkle in Time” By Madeleine L’Engle. I chose this book due to the intriguing title, cover and synopsis. I had a great time reading this book and had no problem staying completely engaged! The language and information provided is way ahead of its time and this was one of the main reasons it was such an easy read.
The book opens with an understandable and relatable conflict when the main character Meg Murry is introduced and she is troubled by her concern for her father; Mr. Murry has been missing for a little over a year. One night, after a long day of hurricane warnings, Meg was kept awake by strong gusts of wind. Meg then goes to the kitchen to find Charles Wallace making her hot cocoa, shortly after their mother joins them. They are then visited by a strange woman named “Mrs. Whatsit” whom sheds a light of hope by speaking to Mrs. Murry and reassuring her about tesseracts. This is when Meg, Charles Wallace and Meg’s school acquaintance, Calvin, are then guided through the universe by the mysterious Ms. Whatsit by the means of interdimensional and time travel.
This was an extremely enjoyable and easy read. L’Engle uses great diction and includes various complex terms, theories and details that give the book a feeling that’s way ahead of its time. Any complex terms or details are taken into detail and elaborated on very well which provides the reader with good insight and gives great background when advancing through the book. L’Engle also uses illustrations and diagrams to show her explanations and provide a stronger background. The overarching theme of traveling outside of our galaxy and exploring the universe by the means of complicated interdimensional and time travel has no problem keeping the reader intrigued, engaged and always wanting more. The climax of the book is presented just after L’Engle introduces, defines and shows theories of time travel and tesseracts, which couldn’t have been presented any better than it was.
The climax of the book was the heat of the action. Meg, Charles, and Calvin after being whisked away by tesseract across the universe, find the planet Camazotz, on which Mr. Murry is held captive. An Overarching force controls the land: a gigantic black portion of space that is evil, dubbed, “The Black Thing”. Mr. Murry is held captive and Charles Wallace loses his consciousness to the supreme hive mind “IT”. After Charles Wallace is consumed by “IT”, Meg, Calvin and Mr. Murry book it off of Camazotz because Mr. Murry is capable of tessering through time and space, but they end up leaving brainwashed Charles Wallace behind. They are again guided back to Camazotz by another mysterious woman called Mrs. Which. Meg knew that she had something that “IT” hadn’t, the large brain was incapable of processing the emotion love. She stood in front of Charles stating “I love you. Charles Wallace!” Once back home everyone is reunited and everything is right again, Mr. Murry is back, Meg, Charles and Calvin are back and enveloped in a family group hug.
The end journey of the book was a great conclusion to all of the conflict that took place earlier on, it tied things together well while still keeping the strong tension of the conflict, but the ending itself was a little cliché for me. The whole “Power of Love” thing has been used many times over, and I really wasn’t expecting L’Engle to take that route when ending this book. The whole family is reunited by the power of love in one giant group hug, after who knows how long half of the family has been missing, traveling through the universe by tesseract.
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Dear Class,
For this term I decided to read the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I am not quite done reading the book but so far I can say this book is pretty good. The book is about Amir and his good friend Hassan from Afghanistan, and they were great at flying Kites. They were good enough to where they could compete against others in little tournaments. Amir was not so great in other sport activities such as soccer, but was amazing at kite flying. He wanted to make his father proud by exceling in this art since he was so good at it.
Then later on in Afghanistan it becomes a war country and becomes a dangerous place to stay. Amir and his father have to head out and move to America forcing to make sacrifices and betrayals when moving. This book has a lot of twist and turns, it had me in strange emotions yet had me very interested at the same time. When I started the book I was not very excited about it but the more I read, the more I got into this book. This might not apply to everybody but it surely applied to me.
Even though this book is fiction it gave me another perspective of Afghan life, which I believe having more than one perspective when looking at anything is important. I would recommend this book to everybody especially if you enjoy powerful and entertaining books.
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For this terms independent reading assignment I chose to read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I chose this book because I was so intrigued by the first two books in this trilogy that I felt like I should finally read the last one. I also wanted to see why there were such harsh conflicts on people’s opinions of the book. After reading it, I could finally understand why people have such different opinions about this book. While it captured many feelings and showed the heartbreaking results of the rebellion and the effects it had on society, it also didn’t end how I personally think it should’ve and didn’t meet many people expectations. It captured the essence of warfare and the effects it can have on a society. It showed great power and the devastation brought on by the rebellion. I personally think there were goods and bads to this book. It was very different from the other two books, which seemed to have a very similar storyline.
Even though my favorite character (Finnick) and the main source of this trilogy (Prim) died, I think it was a good edition adding emotion and heartbreak. So many emotions are put into this book which I think is a good thing because then you can truly relate to the characters. It was very interesting as well, once I started reading it I just couldn’t put it down. Even though things I wanted to happen didn’t happen, it was good to have that feeling of shock and confusion, this book is the epitome of “expect the unexpected. I think that Collins’ depicts the characters very well. She gives a thorough understanding of each character and makes you feel like you know each of them on a personal level.
Overall I thought Mockingjay was pretty decent and interesting even though some parts of it did frustrate me. I would recommend it to others but make sure they know what they’re getting into.
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For this term, the book I was reading was called, The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart. This book is mainly about the finding of Gary’s father who was supposedly the Zodiac Killer. As for those of you who do not know who the Zodiac Killer is; he was a notorious serial killer in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he killed approximately 7 people according to confirmed evidence from murders in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and in San Francisco, although from one of his letters claims he killed 37 people. Though the true identity of the Zodiac Killer remains unknown, Gary recently met with his biological mother for the first time and became curious as to who his dad was. From all the evidence given from police reports, his mother, and people involved with the Zodiac Killer’s case what Gary has come up with has all pointed toward Earl Van Best one of the convicted suspects of being the Killer.
Anyway, at 39 Gary L. Stewart’s adopted parents Leona and Lloyd Stewart received a call from Gary supposed birth mother. Later when Leona and Lloyd told Gary of the call they had gotten Gary set out to find his mother. When reuniting with his mother, she told him a lot of the things that happened when he was born and before he was born. But more and more throughout the time, he spent with his mother he kept wanting to ask about his father and why he had abandoned him at an apartment building in Baton Rouge when he was just a baby. But his mom didn’t have much information to give so he set out on a quest to find out who his biological dad was. The further he dug into his father’s past he eventually came to the conclusion that his father may have been the Zodiac Killer, Dun, dun, dun!
The reason why I just found this book to be so interesting though was because I’m a really big murder investigation fan and I know that sounds kind of bad but it is just something that intrigues, ok. Forensic sciences, law enforcement have always just been really interesting in my opinion and that’s why I chose to read this book. In the end, I do believe that Gary’s father may have been Van but then again one of the other suspects behind the killings was Arthur Leigh Allen which personally I believe is the real Zodiac Killer but this book’s still was very 10/10 and I would definitely recommend. If your a person who is interested in crime, mystery, biogafical, or realistic fiction kind of books then you should totally check this book out! I will say though that it’s definitely very intense and not all people may like it, but it does have a lot of cool connecting the dots kind of suspense and it’s really awesome. : )
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FROM HANNAH:
Dear Reader,
For my independent reading book I read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This book is an easier read compared to some of the other books I have read. The main story of this book is centered on a china bunny named Edward. In the story, he gets passed around to different families over time. The book shares all the stories of his experiences with these different families. At first the story is a bit hard to follow with all the different families being mentioned. But after reading it a second time, it was a great book to read.
A passage that really made this book turn into one of my favorites was this, “At night, they slept on the ground, under the stars… Lucy…even rested her muzzle on his china stomach…to his surprise, he began to fell a deep tenderness for the dog.” I love this passage because in the book, Edward, always makes a connection somehow to his different owners. It could be this dog, or a rich woman from England. Either way, he found the good in people.
The other reason why I love this I book is the author, Kate Dicamillo! She is a fantastic author. She has written many books that have won many awards. Also her style of writing is plain and simple but complex at the same time. She puts elements and characters together I never would have pictured to be together.
In the end, I would really recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting book. Dicamillo puts elements together that are really cool to read. And I would defiantly recommend reading some more books like this. This is probably my favorite genre and I have really enjoyed reading such a book.
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I chose to read the book Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin because I’ve watched most of the series and I really enjoyed it but I’ve heard that reading It is a lot better as it is more detailed. This writer is remarkable, his style, character development, and themes so far are very impressive. I know that this writers takes years at a time to carefully articulate each book before releasing it to the public. His style as a writer is above and beyond, the ways he incorporates a new history and specific details to weave a world that he has created in his mind leave me speechless. For example his passage, “At the center of the grove an ancient weirwood brooded over a small pool where the waters were black and cold. “The heart tree,” Ned called it. The weirwood’s bark was white as bone, its leaves dark red, like a thousand bloodstained hands. A face carved in the trunk of the great tree, its features long and melancholy, the deep-cut eyes with dried sap were strangely watchful. They were old, those eyes; older than Winterfell itself. They had seen Brandon the Builder set the first stone, if the tales were true; they had watched the castle’s granite walls rise around them. It was said that the children of the forest had carved the faces in the trees during the dawn centuries before the coming of the First Men across the narrow sea.” Game of Thrones is quite literally a game of thrones where there is struggle for power and control. Characters are so well developed that they become very easy to get attached to which is really very disappointing to the reader as it is learned that George R. R. Martin is notorious for killing off all of his characters, no spoilers intended. I am really enjoying this series so far and I hope I will be able to read the rest of it.
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Hey everyone!🤗
For our independent readings book I read The Lost Hero. I have strongly enjoyed this book. It’s a follow up series from the Percy Jackson series. I find The Heroes of Olympus. To be a very enjoyable series. I highly recommend if you enjoy mythology, mixed with modern times. The Lost Hero is the second book with in the series. I am a sucker for a little romance.😅 What can I say ha. At the beginning Jason end up at the school for Delinquents. Finding out he has a girlfriend, a best friend who is really weird, and is a demigod. His memory got whipped away. The last reason I’ve liked reading this book is because it got me hooked so quickly.
Thank you for your time
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The book that i read is called Speak. The book is about this girl who goes to a party with a couple of friends one night and something terrible happens. She meets this boy at the party and they go and hang out by his car for a little bit. One thing led to another, (the boy was drunk) and he raped her. She didn’t want to tell anyone because she feels like no one will listen to her. You’ll have to read the book to find out what really happens in the end. If she tells on the boy or not. A lot of events occur and it’s really hard for Melinda to tell someone about what happened at the party. The reason why i choose to do this book is because it relates to a lot of us today. Melinda was going through a lot and felt like no one was listening to her. Today, a lot of people feel that way. We all need to be aware that not everyone is okay and sometimes all that person needs is a listening ear. When I read the book, I wanted to go into the book and help Melinda out because i felt like i knew what she was going through. Something that made me really like this book is the leaves. The falling leaves represented Melinda in a lot of ways. I don’t want to explain the full book because that would give away a lot of information. I would rate this book a 10/10 because it’s such a good read. It would leave you hanging on from your seats because you want to get to the end of it and find out what happens to Melinda.
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the book I just finished reading is called paper towns, and its about a boy named Quentin and a girl named margo, who grew up apart from eachother considering that they are neighbors. one night margo shows up in quentins window with black paint on her face. she asks Quentin to help her that night with eleven missions to get revenge on people that have hurt her through her high school years.
after her eleven things are completed Quentin is glad that he is back to being friends with Margo. the next day, Margo never shows up to school or the next three days, because Margo had already run away from home, but she left a poster of woody Guthrie taped to her bedroom shades. the next day Quentin and his friends skip school and drive to the address Margo left. Quentin spends a stretch of time looking for more clues with no success. after they arrive in agloe, new York, they find Margo living in a barn. Margo is shocked to see them since the clues she left weren’t intended to find her. Quentin then learns that his vision of Margo was fake, because she wasted his time.
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