MP3 Independent Reading Post #1
(Title of book, author)
What are your initial reactions to your book so far? Be specific, and bring in evidence from the text to support your commentary.
Which specific issues or subtopics does your book seem to address? How do you see these issues playing out in the text? Use examples from the text to support your observations. Use correct MLA in-text citations when citing evidence from the text.
(consult the handout I gave you or the link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/)
Your response should be a minimum of two substantial paragraphs, both of which include evidence from the text. Please be aware of grammar and editing issues; make sure you proofread before you submit. We suggest that you compose in Word and then copy and paste into the blog to ensure that your response is properly edited.
Your response is due by 11:59 pm on February 6th. All posts received after this time will receive half credit. You may post early.
(Highest Duty, Chesley Sullenberger) - Nico Britton
ReplyDeleteI am currently reading Highest Duty, the autobiography of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who landed a US Airways jet in the Hudson River in 2009. I have been very impressed by the book thus far, not only being a fan of aviation in general, but also the way it has been written in which he goes through his childhood and early aviation career in the military. However, I have been really surprised how Sullenberger has been able to drift away from the usual boring life narrative, but has also infiltrated his writing with theological thinking about his life as a pilot and an airman. For example, he talks about the honor of sitting in a cockpit, a religious experience for someone who is sitting in the same seat (theoretically) that many previous airmen have held, and how a pilot is responsible for carrying on that legacy in the “serenity of the skies.” According to the Table of Contents, the actual description of the events that occurred on January 15, 2009 will not told until later in the book. He seems to use his personal experiences of his childhood and military career as a stepping-stone leading up to his final explanation of the event in which he is so famous for.
In the book, at least to where I have read up to, he is exploring the issue within aviation that accidents do in fact happen, and that not every flight has a perfect landing at the end, something that public certainly does not want to hear. For example he states, “Through the efforts of many people in the past 106 years [Since Wilbur & Orville Wright’s first flight]- their hard work, their practice, their engineering breakthroughs- aviation has quickly gone from its dangerous infancy to being so commonplace that there is little tolerance for any risk at all. We may have made it look too easy. People have forgotten what’s at stake.” [Sullenberger, Chesley B. "Chapter 3 Page 38." Highest Duty. Harpercollins, 2009. 38. Print] He then goes on by saying, “I’m not saying passengers shouldn’t feel safe, but not everyone- or everything- is perfect.” [Sullenberger, Chesley B. “Chapter 3 Page 39.” Highest Duty. Harpercollins. 2009. 38. Print.] He then shows the audience the insecurity of flying by providing multiple examples of suck circumstances that he has encountered in his own flying career. For example, he talks about a young pilot whom he was mentoring in the military who suddenly became lost in a thick fog looking for the airport and executed “Controlled Flight Into Terrain”- in which he accidentally crashed into a mountain side. This shows the audience that flying has never, and will never, be a 100% safe mode of transportation, a humbling reminder to airmen such as myself.
This book sounds really engaging. Consider detailing the events more, since some of your classmates might not be familiar with this subject (awareness of audience). For MLA-title needs to be italicized and because you are doing in-text citations, you only need the page numbers in parenthesis.
DeleteOverall, I am happy you are reading a book you are passionate about; it is wonderful to see a young individual not only dreaming about something he is passionate about, but also pursuing that dream by setting specific goals.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSema Yilmaz
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
5 February 2014
The Blue Girl
The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint is a very interesting book. The way the book is set up is sort of hard to follow in the beginning because you get to read the perspective of all the characters. Also, the book has “flashbacks”; Then and now chapters. When I first started reading The Blue Girl, It was hard to follow but once I got the hang of it, I really started to enjoy the story. So far, the main character is a teenage girl named Imogene who has moved to a new city and a new high school. She has a troubled and mysterious past that the book hasn’t really gotten into so far. I feel like the author created Imogene as the typical rebellious teenager with the whole “I don’t care” attitude; however Imogene just acts like that to get by in school. In the book it states “I was talking braver than I felt, but talking was all I had.” This shows me, as a reader, that Imogene is the typical high school student. Tough and rough on only the outside. There’s also Imogene’s’ brother, Jared. Jared is the TOTAL opposite of Imogene. The author describes him as “handsome and smart and kind” and Imogene believes he gets his laid back, chill personality from their mother and father whom happen to be the pot head, chill music, hippies. Imogene’s main concern has been to make at least one friend and not get involved into “cliques” and so, she has befriended Maxine. Maxine is the “weirdo and nerd” of the school, well so it seems. Maxine doesn’t have much say in her life due to her controlling mother who even picks out her clothes for her. The author portrays Maxine as the smart girl who is afraid to even speak back to her mother or anyone else around her.
So far, The Blue Girl is addressing issues that many teenagers’ live through in high school such as, bullying. Imogene is being bullied in her new high school by the “popular kids”; the stereo typical cheerleader clique and the jock clique. In the book, the first day of school, Imogene is confronted by the captain of the cheerleader squad, Valerie, who threatens her and tells her to “stay out of her way” but this seems to be impossible because everywhere Imogene turns, there she is! Imogene gets fed up and decides to tell “the princess” how she feels. “Keep this up and you don’t ever want to see me outside of school because I will so beat the crap out of you.” However, this doesn’t seem to help her because now she has Valerie’s boyfriend on her case; Brent Calder, the football team’s quarter back. The bullies seem to keep coming! Furthermore, I think the author is trying to make the story come to life by addressing the real life issues of bullying. This may seem stereotypical to some of us, but stuff like this really happens to some teenagers in other schools. Worst case scenario, some of those teenagers end up committing suicide or doing drugs.
This seems to be, indeed, a relatable book for many teenagers. I am interested in finding more about the different perspectives the book is related from. Also, what seems to be the author's commentary on bullying?
DeleteYou forgot the author.
Remember to provide page numbers for quotes.
(Heart's Desire, Laura Pederson)
ReplyDeleteErik Armenta
My reaction to this book so far is very interesting because my book talks about the problems of being a college sophomore, the main character in my book is a girl named Hallie Palmer who is a college sophomore who lives with her legal guardian, Benard Stockton a young man who has recently broken up with his boyfriend ,Gil, is having a hard time getting over the break up and Benard right now is thinking of committing suicide, so Benard's mom, Olivia, tells Hallie if she could convince Benard to not commit suicide, but that's not the only problem Hallie has to deal with, Hallie also has to pay her tuition bills, try not to gamble because she has temptations to do so, and she has to deal with her ex-boyfriend who wants to get back together with her, and she needs to help her sister who is coming home late, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and her sister is becoming a rebellious teen.
Right now I am up to the part in my book where Hallie is meeting up with Gil because Benard sent her to know how he's doing, after Hallie has finished talking with Gil, she finds out that Gil is engaged with a woman named Doris who used to be Gil's best friend. Benard was shocked to here that his ex-boyfriend has turn straight which makes him even more depressed. So, what I think the author, Laura Pederson, is trying to say in the book is the everyday life of a college girl and how it could be a struggle and stressful time when trying to help others with there problems when people should really deal with there own problems, but if that person really does need help then you should help he/she with there problem.
(Sweet-blood, Pete Hautman)
ReplyDeleteSweet-blood is a book about a girl who is a diabetic and thinks that diabetics were and are the only vampires. Insulin being the vampires sustenance. The book is very different then I thought it would be. I thought the book would contain actual vampires as in the blurb it talks about the main character, Lucy, going to a vampire chat room and meeting one of the so-called vampires from the chat room in real life. It says that Lucy is invited to this vampire, Draco’s, world. I assumed that Draco was actually a vampire and that she would be invited to the world of vampires. That is not the case, the book is about something different than real vampires that drink blood and react to sunlight.
What the book is really about is being a teenager, as Lucy is sixteen and still in high school, but it’s about more than being a teenager. If Sweet-blood was only about being a teenager that would be far too vague. The book is about expectations others put on you, being your own person, and changing and growing as well as some other things. In the book Lucy’s parents and school are concerned with her, because she decided to take a break from being the straight-A student she was. She decided to take a break from being “Ms. ‘Straight A’ Szabo.” (65) and as a result her grades go down hill a bit. Lucy is very different then most of the characters in the book she has an obsession with vampires, is interested in different bands then most, doesn’t have a lot of friends, as they’ve moved away or left her because she was too “weird.” Lucy also doesn’t care about sports like most people in her school and embraces more of a Goth or punk lifestyle although she doesn’t identify with either of those. In my opinion Lucy is not Goth or punk, she’s just different. Lucy is sort of stuck in a place of her own, one real friend ,Mark, she has that is dying to talk to her she pushes away, and she’s stuck socializing on the internet. She gains a real friend, Dillon, who puts her in danger by introducing her to a very dangerous person. Dillon wasn’t really her real friend, he put her in danger, and was friends with her because he was told to do so. Dillon was told to do so by a forty year-old man who was posing to be a real and young vampire who was talking to Lucy on the internet. Lucy does become friends with the forty-year-old man, Wayne, and is put in danger by him because he tries to harm her. In the end she grows and is pulled out of her slump by a conversation with a wise mentor-like friend and by the traumatic event with Wayne. Lucy talks to her mentor-like friend, Antoinette, saying that she is stuck, and she feels like people don’t like her and are scared of her. She wants to be somebody else, so she can, get rid of her problems, but her friend says that we change and are never the same person every day. “Exactly. Every morning you check the mirror to see who you are. And every morning you see somebody new. You don’t like what you see? Change. You’ve done if before. Don’t tell me you were born with that scowl. Or that hair.” (173) Lucy realizes that she has changed and learned a lesson by abandoning her fake friend, Dillon, and the man who tried to harm her, Wayne, and going back to her real friend Mark realizing he’s been there the whole time. She realizes and accepts that she is growing and changing by saying “I’m still the same twisted individual. Just different.” (180)
Kaige Barbabei
ReplyDeleteMrs. Dima
5 February 2014
Slam
My first reaction to my book, Slam, was that the main character, 17 year old Greg Harris, comes from a rough background. Greg is 6'4 and can do just about everything on the basketball court. Basketball is what he loves most, or maybe the only thing he loves aside from his family. Greg just transferred schools. I think Greg might feel a little out of place at his new school, Latimeer, a pro dominantly white school; aside from Greg's old school, Grover, a predominantly black school. I feel everywhere, but the basketball court, he has a lot to deal with; whether it's home, school, or his neighborhood.
At home he has to deal with when his parents splitting up, the safety of his nine year old brother, or when his dad starts drinking a lot. At school he has to deal with his grades and how they threaten to keep him off the basketball court. In his neighborhood he has to deal with the worries and dangers of living in the ghetto; drive by's, police/ambulance sirens and people partying who keep him up all night. On the basketball court however, Greg says " Bringing the ball down the court makes me feel like a bird that just learned to fly." I feel all these obstacles in Greg's story brings up the topic of having a kind of chaotic life and learning how to deal with it, but also having the one thing(passion) that makes everything ok.
ReplyDeleteDariel Cardona
English 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
5 February 2014
The Year of the Hangman
I am currently reading The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood. The initial reaction I had while reading was how could a teen have a card addiction? The main character Creighton, a rich British juvenile gets into trouble with the law because of his bad choices. His addicted to playing cards and every night he would escape from his house late at night to play cards. Back in the 1776 which is when the book took place Britain was very strict and had many laws. One of the strict laws was that no children where to be out in the street passed a certain time. If caught there would be consequences of course. Creighton didn’t care about any consequences. His mother would warn he many times to stop with his addiction, it would lead him to no good. He didn’t listen to her of course.
Creighton’s mother concerned about her son hired people to abduct Creighton and bring him to the colonies. His mother wanted to show him that being a juvenile is no good and she knew that in the colonies he wouldn’t have the addiction of playing cards. The book gets to the theme that why you love someone, you will do anything possible to help a loved one get through a situation. His mother only did it because she loves her son and all she wants is for him to see that being ignorant and playing cards wasn’t going to get him anywhere in life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Livingston
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 honors
Mrs.Dima
6 February 2014
Who killed Mr.Griffin by Louis Duncan
Brian Griffin is a 8th school English/literature teacher who never accepts late homework and is demanding of his students. After he gives out F's to a group of students who turn in papers late, the students get revenge by kidnapping him.
The group of friends includes Mark Kinney, the mastermind of the "prank", David Ruggles, president of the high school's senior class, Jeff Garrett, a basketball player, Betsy Cline, the head cheerleader, and Susan McConnell, the little nerdy girl who isn't usually part of the popular crowd. Mr. Griffin recognized a paper Mark plagiarized, with help from his college aged girlfriend, as being from the college at which Mr. Griffin had worked as an assistant professor. Jeff obeys Mark, despite his parents disapproval of Mark, and does things for the group like driving them around and often paying for their meals. Betsy is a spoiled and manipulative, but popular, girl, who has a crush on Mark. David is working toward a state university scholarship. The previous English teacher, Dolly Luna, gave him A's, but Mr. Griffin gives him C's. David faces further pressures, as he needs ultimately to help support his family, since his mother is in a dead-end secretarial job, his nagging and lazy grandmother lives with them, and the father is out of the picture. This is a little insight on what I am reading. I am looking forward to the rest of this book.
ReplyDeleteSam Smith
English 2 Honors
Mrs.Dima
6 February 2014
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
I have read Junot Diaz' two other books and they're written in totally different styles; they're more anecdotal and have a constant theme/story. This book is more of a biography, it is written about a boy named Oscar Wao (as you can tell from the title). At first I was unsure if I enjoyed this book as much as I did the others but of course I did. Oscar Waois a sad, overweight, nerdy, teenager who is bullied and has only two un-loyal friends, but you can't help but feel bad for Oscar, especially in the way Junot Diaz writes about him. He makes fun of Oscar but makes it comical at the same time: "Everybody noticed his lack of game and because they were Dominican everybody talked about it" (24). In Diaz' other books he is constantly saying how Dominican men are such casanovas and it's humorous to see the opposite side of the spectrum. It's as if Oscar is expected to be a ladies man no matter what he looks like.
There isn't much of a specific issue that's in the book, it's mainly just a story about Oscar Wao growing up, dealing with his weight and appearance and how people treat him (at least that's all I've read). He is picked on by people at his school, or what he calls the moronic inferno, "High school was Don Bosco Tech, and since Don Bosco Tech was an urban all-boys Catholic school packed to the strakes with a couple hundred insecure hyperactive adolescents, it was, for a fat sci-fi-reading nerd like Oscar, a source of endless anguish" (19). Like I said earlier, people at home are surprised that he isn't such a lover-boy despite his appearance like a "true Dominican man" so there are expectations of him that he cannot fulfill.
Hi, Sam,
DeleteI appreciate the fact that you are comparing a writer's work with other novels he has published and you read. It shows you enjoys his work. Did you research to look more into if this is really a biography or a memoir (maybe the preface will also give you more insight into why the author chose to delve into the topics he is addressing). You get into the depth of these topics towards the end when you mention "expectations he cannot fulfill".
I will be curious with the next assignment to look into what/why exactly you see the writer's style as being powerful.
Paola Flores
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 honors
Mrs.Dima
6 February 2014
The perks of being a wallflower~ Stephen Chbosky
Starting reading this book I thought Charlie was a lonely kid with no one in the world to call a friend. He has two other siblings but they have no real friendship between them. I think he’s lonely because his only real friend commits suicide. In the first page of the book he sounds like a confusing teenager. “And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and im still trying to figure out how that could be.” I think Charlie is really smart because he understands the world. He understands why certain things happen or why people feel a sort of type of way in a situation. Charlie finds friends named Sam and Patrick who seem to understand Charlie and accept the way he is. I enjoy the book because the author didn’t exaggerate on the characters stories. Charlie is an average teenager he isn’t famous and his life story isn’t anything super extremely sad or fascinating. Charlie has strong feelings over Sam even though he knows he shouldn’t. He loves her but like he says not the movie type love. “I am really in love with Sam, and it hurts very much.”
I think everyone in one point of life they fall for someone who won’t love them back. In the song fix you by Coldplay they sing “when you love someone, but it goes to waste” basically means you give someone your love and attention but they don’t appreciate your time and effort. But this doesn’t only go for couples but everyone in general. In some cases sons and daughters put all their effort to make their parents proud of them or love them back but the parents give no care for their children. Love and attention is something we all want without really knowing it. We all like having some sort of type attention. Charlie likes having Sam and Patrick thinking about him. I think Charlie thrives for a friendship since his only friend, Michael, dies. Michael was his only friend at one point since his family gives him no real type of attention.
This book is very interesting it’s like a slice of life book. It talks about normal teenager topics and what happens in Charlie’s life. I like how Charlie observes life and how he has opinion on things.
Hi, Paola,
DeleteI, too, read the book and was fascinated by its "realness" and sense of being "a slice of real life". You make wider connections to lyrics to beautifully reflect on how all people need and crave attention, without even realizing it.
Make sure you quote correctly (page numbers) and fully edit your response.
(Someone like you, Sarah Dessen)
ReplyDeleteI'm Reading someone like you by Sarah Dessen, so far it's a really interesting and relatable book for teens. The Main character, Halley was at this Camp called Sister Hood Camp. Halley didn’t want to be there but was forced to attend it by her mom who thought it would be a great experience for Halley. Halley later found out her best friend’s Boyfriend, Michael Sherwood died in a motorcycle accident. Halley wasn't really close with Michael but she felt the need to be home with her best friend, Scarlett, comforting her for her lost. Halley’s mom doesn't want her to leave the camp she feels like the camp would be really beneficial to Halley. Eventually Halley comes home to be with her best friend. Later on when school starts Halley meets Macon Faulkner, Michael's Best friend an as Halley starts a romance with Macon she notices that Scarlett acting a bit strange about it when she tells her about their conversations Scarlett would have a sad look on her face.
At First I thought this book was just another Love story based on the title and front cover, however now as I read furthermore on into the book, I’ve notice it’s really about two friends and how they react to each other's relationships. There was a flashback to when Scarlett started dating Michael and Halley was saying she felt left out and she talked about how Scarlett would spent more time with Michael. In chapter 3 of someone like you, “that was the first summer when it wasn’t just me and Scarlett. Michael was always there making us laugh, doing belly flops into the pool…” (Halley, 44) Halley gave her thought about how different it was with Michael. Later on when Halley started dating Macon, Scarlett wouldn't act happy for Halley. In chapter 3 of Someone Like You “I’d look up to her and see the that same sad look on her face, as if Michael Sherwood had suddenly reared up from wherever shed carefully placed him, reminding her of the beginning of summer when she was the one with all the stories to tell”. (Halley, 63) Halley is saying Scarlett looked as if she wasn’t happy for her and as if she was jealous. The issues my book is addressing are jealousy and the need for attention. At first Halley was jealous of Scarlett and wanted her attention since this summer they didn’t spent every second together like they were used to. Scarlett would rather spend time with Michael than Halley. Now that Halley is the one with the boyfriend Scarlett is the one whose jealous and wants the attention from Halley. Since Scarlett is going through a hard time she wants Halley to be there for her.
Mariana Padilla
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
6 February 2014
Angels on Sunset Boulevard, Melissa De La Cruz
Angels on Sunset Boulevard is a by far one the best books I’m currently reading. Considering the fact I’m not a huge reading fan. Just reading the first couple chapters got me hooked. My book is about nightlife in Los Angeles. The book touches on issues in teen life such as social statuses, popularity/fame, drugs, and relationships. This shows a lot in one of the main character’s life, Johnny Silver. This book in a way explains the life of a celebrity and the life of an everyday love struck teenager. I can really relate this story to so much I see going on in the world. For example, the fame that got to Johnny Silver’s head. The book talked about Johnny starting out as a break-staff DJ, one of the high school kids who ran the radio station, a simple music lover. But all that started to change when people began to recognize him for his good taste and talent in music, never less his good looks. This I can easily connect to what Justin Bieber’s life has turned into. He started off as a talented kid uploading videos on YouTube of him singing and playing instruments. Since (maybe) 2008 until now the fame has got to him as well. Just like 2 or 3 weeks ago he got arrested for drugs and draft racing twice in the same week. So much for inspiring his fans (especially kids) that look up to him to be law breaking crack heads.
My book also touches the issues in a teen’s love life. This is shown through the other main character, Taj. Taj becomes so famous off the disappearance of her soon-to-be biggest rock star “boyfriend”, Johnny Silver. But since he thinks he’s “a big shot” he treats her as if she has no importance even though that’s the girl he choose to be his girlfriend. Though, Taj can’t be considered a “victim” of being just another girl because she still loves him. My reactions and thoughts about Taj’s character are in a way are a little disappointing because as a girl she should learn to move on and higher her standards. Even she knows and thinks it herself “he was just the boy she loved who had broken her heart.” In the real world this to me is one of the biggest problems I am against. Girls falling in what they call love so easily and guys treating girls like objects that are there when they’re bored. And girls actually believe the love lies guys tell. This to me is pretty sad that girls often get their heart broken, but they should learn one way or another.
Erica snape
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 honors
Ms. Dima
6 February 2014
The Mortal Instruments: City of Lost Souls
By Cassandra Clare
The Mortal instruments is a book about the shadow hunter ( half angel, half - human warriors who fight to kill demons and protect the race of humans) Clary who goes against the right choices to save the one she loves Jace. My first reaction to this book was suspicious and questionable. I had a lot of questions such as why Jace was bonded to se bastion as described on (page 117) it states " yes what Lilith did was a sort of twinning ritual, not unlike our own parabati ceremony ...The two are now bound inextricably. Should one die so will the other." Whatever happens to sebastan ( clary's evil brother who is trying to raise demons and avenge his late father valentine).
My book addresses themes such as family and weighs the amount of strength that come out of love and lust.Clary tracks down Jace and tries to get him to be himself again not following sebastan evil ways. Jace dose not know who or where he is. In the text it says "in a possession there is often some part of the person's original consciousness left intact..." Clary is trying to free this out of Jace and have Jace control his inner and outer self as well. Looking forward in this book I am interested in finding out if this bond is broken due from the strength of his and clary's love? And what is leading sebastan intentions to have Jace hostage under his control.
Ayslinn Rafferty
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
6 February 2014
Legends, Editor Robert Silverberg
So far, out of the 11 novelettes in Legends, I have read three. The first one, "The Little Sisters of Eluria" written by Stephen King and based off of his Dark Towers series. I enjoyed this one, as it put an interesting, more terrifying twist on vampirism and morbidly parodied the healing factor many main characters in darker fantasy novels tend to have. These twists were highly led up to, but the relatively sad ending was quite predictable. One of the two main characters, Jenny, is an interesting take on a damsel in distress, even despite her existence really being more of a plot device, she is actually fleshed out and more memorable than the main character.
The second novelette is based off Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, specifically the books dealing with Granny Weatherwax. I must admit, I've had quite a soft spot for this series since I began reading them, and having a new misadventure with my favorite characters after such a long time was an amazing experience. This story follows the events of a 'witch tournament,' an annual event at which witches gather to compete. The actions taken by Granny Weatherwax to cause mischief to the new, self proclaimed 'council' of the tourney was incredible witty on Mr. Pratchett's part.
The last novelette was really unnoteworthy, as it was actually quite horrid, and an unpleasant change in pace from the other stories. It worked singularly on unnecessary plot devices, and no characters had to face the consequences of their actions. A disappointing read, with little climax, if it can even be called that, and no character development whatsoever.
(The fault In Our Stars, John Green)
ReplyDeleteI am reading The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. My initial reaction to the book is that it is very well written and extremely engrossing. Going into the assignment I knew I wanted to read this book because of the many recommendations I had received. It is about a sixteen-year old girl named Hazel who is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. At this point in her battle it isn’t about beating cancer it is about living as long as she possibly can with cancer slowly killing her. It sounds very depressing, yet it is very heartwarming because of the relationship she begins to build with a seventeen-year old boy named Augustus who beat cancer, but had to have his leg amputated in order to live. Augustus automatically falls in love with her and tells her all the time, but Hazel is always afraid to say it back because in the back of her mind she knows she is just going to end up hurting him; not because of a lack of feelings, but because she knows at some point or another cancer will take her away from him. In this passage Hazel speaks of her reaction when Augustus professes his love for her, “ It felt like everything was rising in me, like I was drowning in this weirdly painful joy, but I couldn’t say it back. I couldn’t say anything back. I just stared at him and let him look at me…” (154). Hazel knows if she says it back Augustus will never be able to function again if cancer takes its final toll on her, and she doesn’t want to put him through that. Hazel is stuck; she is unable to tell him that she is in love with him because of her fear of breaking his heart.
The major issue discussed within The Fault In Our Stars is somewhat subtle. It is about death. Accepting death. Hazel and Augustus disagree about how living an extraordinary life is the only way in which to feel okay with dying. Hazel doesn’t think she needs to change the world or do anything along the lines of amazing in order to have her life be remembered by others, whereas Augustus feels the need to do something in order to leave his mark. Hazel clearly states her opinion on their disagreement within this passage, “‘It’s really mean of you to say that the only lives that matter are the ones that are lived for something or died for something’” (169). I personally believe Hazel is constantly afraid that she didn’t do enough with her life, and that she is very afraid of death, yet at the same time she wants to go. She is sick of the pain she is putting herself and her family through; that’s why she keeps on pushing Augustus away. She considers herself a “grenade”, the more people that surround her, the more people that will end up getting hurt.
Camille Fortin
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs.Dima
6 February 2014
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The opening chapters in Divergent are captivating. They immerse you into a future world where there are five factions. Each faction thinks one virtue is best: The Dauntless the brave, Erudite the intelligent, Abnegation the selfless, Amity the peaceful, and Candor the honest. Each teen has to go through a test, which will show them which factions they would best fit into. Then the young men and women are left to decide whether to stay loyal to their faction or leave. Beatrice Prior grew up abnegation, but after her test she is told there is not one sure faction she shows strong preference for “people who get this kind of result are called…Divergent.”(22) This new label puts Beatrice in a dangerous situation. She does not know whether to leave her family and home, or seek a new life in another faction. This internal struggle is what I think the beginning of the book is trying to highlight.
Beatrice feels that she is not selfless enough to be in Abnegation. Her brother and parents are perfect examples that she cannot seem to follow. Giving up a seat on the bus should be second nature to Beatrice but it is not bread in her, she is Divergent! The test illustrated her compatibility with Erudite, Dauntless, and Abnegation. “It will require a great act of selflessness to choose Abnegation, or a great act of courage to choose Dauntless…” (37) I feel that the obvious theme is trying to decide who you are and where you belong. But I believe the underlying theme is can you be smart, selfless and brave and survive in this ‘utopian’ society.
Camille,
DeleteYour book sounds intriguing-a bit different, a bit metaphorical. I am wondering more about what you are mentioning at the end: what the author is really trying to get at by creating this Utopian society. Is it the search for perfection and absolutes that individuals today are doing too much of, not realizing such thing does not exist? I am curious to follow more on what you will say about the bigger themes or commentary this book is getting at.
(The Virgin Suicides, Jeffery Eugenides)
ReplyDeleteThe Virgin Suicides is one of those books that I know of because it’s a “modern classic” (as says the blurb on the back of the book.) Just like with other “modern classics,” I buy the book and it sits on my bookshelf until I gather up the wiliness to read it. It’s a good thing I bought it downtown at Atticus on the markdown shelf instead of online at Barnes & Noble because the chosen picture for author Jeffery Eugenides is terrifying enough to make a person shy away from the purchase. If you don’t believe me check it out yourself. It’s creepy…just like this hauntingly beautiful book. I admit I have a tendency to read books that are on the dark and slightly dismal side of the spectrum. Based on this tendency of mine, a book about five girls who mysteriously commit suicide while a group of neighborhood boys obsessively track their lives up to and beyond their deaths isn’t exactly out of the realm of my interests.
“On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide – it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese – the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope (Eugenides 1).” This is the very first sentence of The Virgin Suicides and truly sets the tone of what the remainder of the book will be like. The neighborhood boys – or as I like to call them, those-stalkers-across-the-street – narrate the story in a way that the sisters or parents or any other third party character could not. Although they spy from afar, these boys know the girls at an intimate level. From the Lisbon sisters sending their dad on tampon runs to the ins and outs of their house to the contents of youngest sister, Cecilia’s diary, the boys know every detail of the girls’ life and aspire to figure out every mystery they can. As of now, the reason behind the suicides is unknown to me and the boys. As I continue to read I feel as if I’m apart of their little group; peeking in on the lives of the girls – almost obsessively – determined to find out more about them and their hidden secrets.
Hi, Jodi,
DeleteI have a tendency, too, to "shelf" books away until there comes a time when I pick them up again and discover what they are truly about.
Your book seems really mysterious and secretive. It reminds me of Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic".
Besides the beautiful writing, what do you think the author is really trying to say about these girls? About keeping secrets? As with any book, the story line conveys the author's sentiments and ideas on bigger individual and societal issues. What do you think these are?
Danae Rivers
ReplyDeleteI am reading the Shining by Stephen King. One of the main character is a little boy named Danny he is the child of Jack Torrance and Wendy Torrance. Jack has recently taken a job at the Overlook hotel. Before he lost his teaching job due to his
temper. Jack and Wendy don't know that their son has a gift called shining which allows him to read people's minds and vision the future. Danny has an imaginary friend named Tony who is alongside him and shows him the future. Unfortunately Danny encounters a terrible vision about the Overlook hotel. He hears a hoarse voice saying " Come out! Come out you little shit! Take your medicine! He also sees a limp hand hanging over the bathroom tub which has blood trickling down a finger." ( pg. 33). This particular vision has Danny petrified and mesmerized at what might happen during his families sat at the hotel, even thought sometimes his visions come true and sometimes they don't.
As of now, I am currently reading about the Torrance's lifestyle at the hotel. ack basically maintenances the hotel during the long winter. As I mentioned before Jack lost his other job because of his temper, he has also been battling alcohol. These two topics are what factor in to make Jack's character. So far the creepiest part of the book is that no one is at the hotel with the Torrance's. All the employees and even the manger left the hotel before the winter cam ; they are due to return in the spring around the beginning of May.
Alexis Ojeda
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
6 February 2014
Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
The book I am reading is Carnival of Souls, the title speaks for its self. It’s about this city were they host a deadly competition it’s so far about these two teenagers named Aya and Kaleb, which at first it seems like they both like each one another just by the way they are acting towards each other but, you can’t let that fool you at this point. This has you thinking and makes the story much more intresting by whats going on. So far the Carnival of Souls is like a game you fight, be the best you can be, and kill your opponent. But, people actually put money on your fight which makes it much more nerve racking, but it seems like if your confident before you go on to fight somebody that will be a good look. Aya goes right in and says “I’m here to kill the Belias” gasps and barks of laughter erupted down the line as her words got spread down the rows and lines. (27) She is really confident that’s what I like about her she knows she is able to beat the Belias.
Right before the match is going to appear when people start having their doubts with woman winning. “Woman don’t rule. They are to soft” Aya fights back trying to prove woman are equal saying “tell that to the fighters I’ve defeated” (28). Its all starts from their every step gets more in intriguing.
What I found intriguing in your post is your commentary about women being "too soft".Do you think the author is trying to say something about the role of women in society today? There is a lot of debate about women being in roles of leadership positions and the way they are perceived in society today. Continue bringing in evidence about that.
DeleteAnd please-edit before posting!
Alex Rosario
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
6 February 2014
( Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles)
Perfect Chemistry By Simone Elkeles is a very intriguing book so far. Even though I've only gotten to chapter 7 the book shows me how society looks at kids who grow up in different places, whether its next to the train tracks or has a window view of Lake Michigan. Brittney Ellis grew up next to Lake Michigan, making her popular and seem perfect. Alejandro Fuentes on the other hand grew up next to the train tracks, makings him a "loser"
My book seems to address teenagers with low self esteem and how they act having to deal with it. Brittney Ellis's parents tell her that "outward appearance is everything" . So Brittney try's so hard to make her parents happy and she knows that she is not perfect but is determined to show everyone that she is as perfect as can be. Alejandro Fuentes has grew up in a poor family. Being looked down by everyone who crosses his path, so he joined the Latin blood gang to make himself look big and bad, but at home he try's to convince his brothers not to take the same path him himself took. Alejandro A.K.A Alex wants to leave the Latin blood but knows that the only way out is death.
I'm reading the book "The Daughters" by Joanna Philbin.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a very fun book to read. Specially for girls. It has to do with fashion shows, models, fame, paparazzi, etc.
Katia was a model. She has only one daughter named Lizzie. Everyone thought Katia was perfectly beautiful. Even one fashion designer had called her "walking proof of God". Lizzie jad to agree her mom was Seriously, Jaw-Droppingly, Is-that-humanly-possible Gorgeous. And no matter how few hours of sleep Katia had or how annoyed Lizzie was with her, she was never not breathtaking. From what I've read so far, I see Katia is very talented because in the book says:
"She would go from supermodel to super-mogul. Clothes, perfume, housewears — Katia would design it all. Katia Coquette — a "French-Inspired" lingerine line — was just the begining."
Also, everytime paparazzi found Katia, she liked to take pictures. She asked her daughter Lizzie to take pictures with her too. Lizzie was already used to it. But also being at those kindof things always made her tense.
But then Lizzie got older and changed from the Adorable kid to the Awkward Teenager. While her mother stayed the sexy Supermodel. Actually, awkward was putting it kindly. She was different, unusual, odd.