When your dad is a drunk and everyone else in your family pretends nothing is wrong, what choice do you have but pretend right along with them. For Samantha, this makes life really difficult. She starts writing to an anonymous person just to get advice. But as things go along, Samantha's dad gets worse. Natasha Friend's Lush drags the reader into a thirteen year old's hidden world.
To begin with, the characters that Friend creates are realistic. Samantha tugs at your heart the whole way through the book. She struggles throughout the book and is so strong. She made me proud, and she is just a character. Her dad made me mad at all the right times in the book. I wanted to hate him right along with Samantha. The characters really made the book stand out.
Also, the plot of the book was really interesting. A girl has to hide a large part of her life from everyone. Her dad is a drunk. But she cannot do that once her dad starts to get abusive. A girl has to draw the line somewhere, right? Samantha does not want to be like the rest of the family and act blind. She needs help, so she starts writing to an anonymous person in the library for advice. This book was interesting because of the plot.
Lastly, this book reminded me of others I have read. Perfect by Natasha Friend was one of them. They were both about problems that teenagers had to face. They were realistic and very intriguing. Books by Ellen Hopkins are similar. Lush is a type of book that I like.
Lush is a good book. One that shows how tough life can be for teenagers. This book kept me interested and made me realize what we think about people may not always be correct. This book is a good read.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Book Review On Crank
With one trip to her dad's house, Kristina loses her innocence, her sobriety, her sense of reality, and much more. Going to visit her dad changed Kristina's life completely. Because of a hidden dark side, called Bree, and a little help from her dad and a neighbor, Kristina plunges into a world of drugs. Ellen Hopkins' Crank pulls the reader into Kristina's plunging life.
First of all, the theme of the book is great. The book teaches the reader how even the best of us can make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are major and life changing. Crank also gives the reader hope. This book is exciting and touching.
Also, the style of the book made the story flow. The style of the book is fairly poetic. That style helps to break the story into parts and keep the reader interested. I enjoyed reading Crank because of the style of writing.
Lastly, the plot made Crank a great read. Reading about how a girl's life can plunge so dramatically, so quickly, was intriguing. I wanted to reach out to Kristina. I was into the book the whole way through. I couldn't imagine what could happen next and regularly found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Crank is a book that grabs the reader from the beginning and holds on until the end. Once you pick up this book, you won't want to put it down until you're finished. This was a fantastic book.
First of all, the theme of the book is great. The book teaches the reader how even the best of us can make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are major and life changing. Crank also gives the reader hope. This book is exciting and touching.
Also, the style of the book made the story flow. The style of the book is fairly poetic. That style helps to break the story into parts and keep the reader interested. I enjoyed reading Crank because of the style of writing.
Lastly, the plot made Crank a great read. Reading about how a girl's life can plunge so dramatically, so quickly, was intriguing. I wanted to reach out to Kristina. I was into the book the whole way through. I couldn't imagine what could happen next and regularly found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Crank is a book that grabs the reader from the beginning and holds on until the end. Once you pick up this book, you won't want to put it down until you're finished. This was a fantastic book.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Book Review On The Crucible
Dancing in the woods, calling upon spirits, witchcraft, adultery, trials, spectral evidence. This book has an array of events. When there are unexplainable events in Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s, people automatically assume witchcraft has to be the cause. Abigail Williams starts pointing blame in other directions to keep the spot light off of her. Arthur Miller's The Crucible, draws the reader back in time to the trying times of the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
To begin with, the impressions given off by the characters in this book invoke strong emotions. First of all, Abigail Williams makes the reader want to hate her, even in the beginning of the book. Her lack of regard for the value of other's lives is appalling. John, however, makes the reader sympathize with his situation. The reader can tell that John is remorseful for what he did.
Also, the setting in the book interested me. I was always intrigued by the Salem Witchcraft Trials. The setting really made the story real. Only in that time could persecution and execution of that degree be possible. The way Miller portrayed Salem back in 1692 was very realistic.
Lastly, this book was one that grabbed my interest because I have always had a fascination with the Salem Witchcraft Trials. This book gave an idea of what life was like back then and what people went through during the trials. Also, the book made the occurrence seem more plausible and real for readers. The occurrence, because of the book, became realistic to readers.
The Crucible was a read that had a lot of hidden interests within. Arthur Miller did a good job capturing the life of Salem in 1692. This book is a classic for a reason. The movie is a good work too.
To begin with, the impressions given off by the characters in this book invoke strong emotions. First of all, Abigail Williams makes the reader want to hate her, even in the beginning of the book. Her lack of regard for the value of other's lives is appalling. John, however, makes the reader sympathize with his situation. The reader can tell that John is remorseful for what he did.
Also, the setting in the book interested me. I was always intrigued by the Salem Witchcraft Trials. The setting really made the story real. Only in that time could persecution and execution of that degree be possible. The way Miller portrayed Salem back in 1692 was very realistic.
Lastly, this book was one that grabbed my interest because I have always had a fascination with the Salem Witchcraft Trials. This book gave an idea of what life was like back then and what people went through during the trials. Also, the book made the occurrence seem more plausible and real for readers. The occurrence, because of the book, became realistic to readers.
The Crucible was a read that had a lot of hidden interests within. Arthur Miller did a good job capturing the life of Salem in 1692. This book is a classic for a reason. The movie is a good work too.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I Am
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I wonder how you could love me.
I hear the silent sobs echo inside of me.
I see the pink fairies dancing in the sky.
I want to be set free.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I pretend to be a real princess.
I feel an ocean of tears around me.
I touch the outstretched hand of an angel.
I worry about where my path leads.
I cry for all the scarred souls.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I understand I am not like them.
I say everything will eventually be alright.
I dream about being truly understood.
I try to hide from myself.
I hope I will one day be heard.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I wonder how you could love me.
I hear the silent sobs echo inside of me.
I see the pink fairies dancing in the sky.
I want to be set free.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I pretend to be a real princess.
I feel an ocean of tears around me.
I touch the outstretched hand of an angel.
I worry about where my path leads.
I cry for all the scarred souls.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
I understand I am not like them.
I say everything will eventually be alright.
I dream about being truly understood.
I try to hide from myself.
I hope I will one day be heard.
I am forever curious and argumentative.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Bullying
When people get bullied, it really affects them. Think about a time when someone said something negative about you. You were probably upset at some degree. Well, other people are affected by negative comments. It is really sad when someone is picked on all through school and no one really realizes that when they join in on that, they are adding to that persons hate for themselves.
When people hear constant criticism from the people around them, they start to believe the negative comments. This leads to a low self esteem and eventually a self loathing. This is very destructive to an individual and is devastating. This person's self image is completely damaged and they will never get over the ridicule.
Just think if someone was bullied long enough that his or her self image was so corrupted, they decided to kill themselves. What if they waited for one day, a test. A test to see if one person would be kind to them. What if no one, not even you did anything to show a little kindness, not even a smile or a "hey"?
This is why we must think about what we say or do before we do them. Our actions have an impact on the people around us, and I for one don't want to cause anyone pain like that. I want my impact on people to be a good one.
When people hear constant criticism from the people around them, they start to believe the negative comments. This leads to a low self esteem and eventually a self loathing. This is very destructive to an individual and is devastating. This person's self image is completely damaged and they will never get over the ridicule.
Just think if someone was bullied long enough that his or her self image was so corrupted, they decided to kill themselves. What if they waited for one day, a test. A test to see if one person would be kind to them. What if no one, not even you did anything to show a little kindness, not even a smile or a "hey"?
This is why we must think about what we say or do before we do them. Our actions have an impact on the people around us, and I for one don't want to cause anyone pain like that. I want my impact on people to be a good one.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Speak Book Review
In tragic times, sometimes it feels like we are alone. In Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda feels like she is all alone. She hides in many ways, silently begging for help. When no one seems to care, Melinda gets more and more distant from the real world, and even herself. Laurie Halse Anderson's book Speak forces the reader to acknowledge bad things do happen in the real world, but there is still hope, if we speak out.
To begin with, Melinda is the protagonist in this novel. The way that Anderson wrote about Melinda made my heart ache for her. I could feel her pain along with her. I connected to Melinda in a very personal way. I felt like I knew her, and I wanted to be the one that helped her. Also, Melinda was the type of character that was misunderstood, and that appealed to me too. Lastly, Melinda was very tough, she kept herself together even though she had so much pain inside her. She made me want to strive to be tougher, too.
Along with the characters, the plot of Speak really drew me into the book. Melinda went through something no one should have to go through. She was raped at a party over the summer. Everyone at school hates her though, because she called the cops at the party. No one knows what really happened, and they don't figure out. Melinda struggles throughout the book to find peace within herself and others. She uses art as a type of escape, but her assigned topic is a tree. She just can't figure out how to make a tree into art. Throughout the book, I saw how Melinda struggled, and I wanted to help her.
Lastly, I could really connect with Melinda. I can understand what it feels like to hide something from everyone, and need someone to notice the struggling going on. Also, this book reminds me of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. They both have devastating stories of misunderstood and neglected girls. And I was drawn to them both. I love books that make me feel.
For anyone who likes emotional books, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a must read. This book not only made me feel what Melinda felt, but made me reexamine my life and think. I was just waiting to see what would happen with the high school drama, and I could imagine what it was like. This book was one that I could read multiple times... I already have.
To begin with, Melinda is the protagonist in this novel. The way that Anderson wrote about Melinda made my heart ache for her. I could feel her pain along with her. I connected to Melinda in a very personal way. I felt like I knew her, and I wanted to be the one that helped her. Also, Melinda was the type of character that was misunderstood, and that appealed to me too. Lastly, Melinda was very tough, she kept herself together even though she had so much pain inside her. She made me want to strive to be tougher, too.
Along with the characters, the plot of Speak really drew me into the book. Melinda went through something no one should have to go through. She was raped at a party over the summer. Everyone at school hates her though, because she called the cops at the party. No one knows what really happened, and they don't figure out. Melinda struggles throughout the book to find peace within herself and others. She uses art as a type of escape, but her assigned topic is a tree. She just can't figure out how to make a tree into art. Throughout the book, I saw how Melinda struggled, and I wanted to help her.
Lastly, I could really connect with Melinda. I can understand what it feels like to hide something from everyone, and need someone to notice the struggling going on. Also, this book reminds me of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. They both have devastating stories of misunderstood and neglected girls. And I was drawn to them both. I love books that make me feel.
For anyone who likes emotional books, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a must read. This book not only made me feel what Melinda felt, but made me reexamine my life and think. I was just waiting to see what would happen with the high school drama, and I could imagine what it was like. This book was one that I could read multiple times... I already have.
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