A Peculiar New Book

Good Morning Bloggers!

I hope everybody is having a wonderful start to their winter break. Today is my first real day of break, unless you call a 15 hour car ride an activity that you are willing to do on a day off (Not that I hate car rides or anything). But, since I had 15 hours to just sit there, I read quite a bit. Although it didn't go as I planned because my book that I have been trying to find time to finish decided that it wanted to go back to the library. So right when I got to the most exciting part of the ending, my Nook screen lit up and said, "The lending time for this book is over" and there went Incarceron, sent back to the library.

I came prepared though and I started reading this new book called, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. It is a very different kind of book, but I figured I needed to broaden my selections of reading. Another thing about this book is that it looks really creepy. I don't tend to like creepy books, but I figured I shouldn't judge it by its cover. That's not saying I was wrong though.

In fact, this book is a mystery, combing old photographs and text to tell a story. It is very creepy, maybe even beyond creepy. To give you a little more information, this book is about Jacob, a 15 year old who loved his grandfather very much. His grandfather would always tell him stories about his childhood and his adventures in his children's home. He told Jacob that the children came to the home because they were escaping these giant creatures that were trying to kill them and that all the children in the home had extraordinary powers. He even had pictures to prove it.

The Levitating Girl

 

The Boy with Superhuman Strength

 

The Invisible Boy

Though Jacob is too old to believe these silly fantasies, a part of him still believes they are real. One day, when Jacob gets a frantic call from his grandfather, he automatically assumes the worst. And finding his grandfather soaked in blood in the woods makes Jacob wonder if the monsters are real. Using his grandfather's last words, he ventures to the children's home searching for answers.

The photography really enhances the tone of the story, because seeing the photos put the reader on the edge of their seats and makes them wonder about these peculiar children. some of the photos really creep me out, but they really help the reader to imagine themselves in Jacob's shoes. I think this is going to be a peculiar book.

A Need For Freedom

Claudia and Finn are the two main characters in my book (Incarceron). Though they are in two completely different places, they are connected. Finn is a prisoner in the vast prison, Incarceron, whom everybody from The Realm believes in a perfect society. But in reality, Finn lives in horrible conditions and is treated not like a human being, but like an animal. Claudia, on the other hand, lives in The Realm and is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. She is treated like royalty, and though she has been given only the finest things in life, she feels trapped inside her life. She wants nothing more than to be free.

PAUSE: Now that you have some background information, I just want to make it clear- no, not just clear- CRYSTAL clear- that I am completely in love with these two characters!!! They aren't perfect, because let's face it, if they were perfect, imagining ourselves in their shoes and relating to these characters would be nearly impossible. Now that I think about it, it would make ourselves feel really bad about us as individuals. So that is why I love these characters, and I promise I will try not to get mad or argue about it with you whenever possible. Everybody has their own opinions (whether they are right or wrong), they matter. Alright, back to what I was saying:

What makes them similar is not just that Claudia's father is the Warden of the prison that Finn is living inside, but that Finn and Claudia what nothing else more in the world than freedom. They want to be free from everything that has been holding them back. What I like that the author did was that she made these characters have a common goal, which is freedom, but they are both looking for different types of freedom. Claudia is looking for emotional freedom, so that she can live her life without knowing that she has to rule over The Realm and marry some jerk, Caspar, who she absolutely hates and doesn't even know very well.

PAUSE: About Caspar, to be honest...well, um, yeah he's a jerk. He has the nerve to tell Claudia that as soon as they have the thrown, he basically is going to ignore her the rest of his life...which is probably okay considering Claudia just hates Caspar. I'm trying to find something nice to say about Caspar, but it really isn't working. Let's see...Nope. I just sat here for 5 minutes searching my brain and the book for something nice about Caspar. Do you know what I found? Nothing! I guess the only good thing about him is that he provides more reason for Claudia to want freedom. That's all.

Finn, on the other hand is looking for freedom from something tangible, Incarceron. He doesn't know for sure if there is even a way out, but he wants freedom so badly, that he would jump through hoops to get something that may not even be possible. Incorporating this emotion into the character turns his 'want' of freedom in a need for freedom. I really like the way that Catherine Fisher did this because it isn't forced or awkward (like when I try to develop my characters in my own writing), but it is subtle and flowing.

PAUSE: Catherine Fisher. WOW. I applaud you, though it probably means nothing because I am a freshman in high school, and this is a blog for my English class. I can't believe she does this so well. I promise you, this book is written with a style that is so unique, I can't put the book down. I can;t find the right words to describe it. I will edit later and put in words that sound really good.

All in all, Claudia and Finn are really cool characters. Yes, I know, such a lame adjective. I mean, who ever uses the word cool anymore? So, readers of my blog, I pose you one question that you should answer in the comments. Have you ever seen characters in a book that are similar to Claudia and Finn? If so, I need to know that book, because I'm going to need more reading material for winter break.

Thanks for reading!

Author's Voice

Hello everybody!!! I'm really excited because it is a snow day! The first one in forever (or at least that's what it seems like).

Okay, so like I said in my earlier post, I've reading this book called Incarceron, which is about two characters that are on two separate plot lines, but have a connection. This connection involves a prison that is alive. Incarceron. I don't know about you, but just saying the name of this prison just creeps me out. In my earlier post, I talked about how I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions that the author gave of the setting. The settings (especially Incarceron) sent chills down my back. I hope that one day I will be able to give so much detail in a piece of writing that it makes a person feel chills or different emotions.

Sorry, I'm getting way off track. Where was I?? Oh, yeah, now I remember. The vivid descriptions are not the only thing that I love about this book. I also like the author's voice. By definition, authors voice is "the individual writing style of an author, a combination of...usage of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works)"(Wikipedia). I also think that author's voice is unique to the individual, and I think that authors should take full advantage of each of these techniques listed to make them stand out from other authors.

I find that I enjoy writing that is unique to the individual more than writing that is formal and structured. Sure, being formal and structured is good for staying focused and professional, but I don't see anything wrong with using blogger to be more casual when writing about books. We write a lot of formal, structured, and organized pieces in school, and I think it is nice to, for once, be casual and informative at the same time. It's like magic.

So, Catherine Fisher, the author if this book, decides to use a variety of structure, syntax, and diction to create an unique style that I absolutely adore. Her style is similar to Ray Bradbury because she uses syntax to convey a feeling (mood, tone). This enhances the text and involves the reader with the story. Here's an example of what I mean by author's voice, "Cautiously, taking infinite pains to keep the rustle of the leaf-litter down, he tugged the Key from his pocket. It was cold, frosted with cold. His fingers left smeared imprints on it...No lights moved in it. He dared not speak louder...The storm raged. It whined in his teeth and nerves. He closed his eyes and felt despair, that he had imagined all of it, that the girl did not exist..." (Fisher, 117). The short sentences create a tense and anxious feeling, but the longer sentences add detail, and keep the reader aware of what is happening. Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451 also uses syntax to influence his readers, "Montag shook his head. He looked at a blank wall. The girl's face was there, really quite beautiful in memory: astonishing, in fact. She had a very thin face like the dial of a small clock seen faintly in a dark room in the middle of a night when you waken to see the time and see the clock telling you the hour and the minute and the second, with a white silence and a glowing, all certainty and knowing  what it has to tell of the night passing swiftly on toward further darknesses, but moving also towards a new sun." (Bradbury, 8). Bradbury uses the long sentence and metaphor to describe and emphasize the girl's face. He also uses one long (really long) sentence to avoid breaking up the metaphor and the visualization of this metaphor.

I have found that the use of author's voice really helps me stay interested in text. That's probably why some authors are better than others. Authors that are really exceptional tend to have an individual style and a true passion for writing. Think about it, if somebody were to argue a point that they didn't believe, nobody would listen because that said person doesn't have a true belief in that side of the argument. In other words, the lack passion and the voice to make people want to listen.

Another long post, and some of you still don't read all of it. That's okay, I was told that I tend to keep talking unless somebody starts talking over me or stops me from saying another word. But, I still have interest in hearing your opinion on author's voice. I know that I have a very strong opinion about the topic, and I want to figure out if anybody else shares the same opinion.

Have an awesome weekend!

A Title for a Post that I'm not sure how to Name

Good morning everybody! I have completely adjusted to the new schedule (FINALLY!!!) and I hope everybody is enjoying this class (I certainly am).

While I was reading this week, I noticed that my book (in case you don't know or forgot, it is called Incarceron) gives me a lot of information that I have to infer off of to understand how society is set up and how the book is structured. It's fairly similar to the way Ray Bradbury presents a lot of information at one time in Fahrenheit 451. I had to keep rereading passages in both books to make sure that I fully understood what was going on in the book, and I had to pay close attention to the set up for the next event in the book.

Not only did the author of Incarceron include a lot of information in the beginning pages of the book, but she also places quotes at the beginning of each new chapter. These quotes are from books within the book, or the books that the characters in the book have read. These book quotes are not from real books, but made up books that give the story more structure and backgroud information. This is a little confusing-but trust me, it makes total sense if you were to see the layout of the book. For example, this quote begins chapter 14, which is when Claudia learns more details about the prison and the way life is in The Realm (where she lives), "We forbid the growth and therefore decay. Ambition, and therefore despair. Because each is only the warped reflection of the other. Above all, Time is forbidden. From now on nothing will change. -King Endor's Decree" (Fisher, 112). What I think is especially interesting is the fact that Time is capitalized, though it is mid sentence. This happens with other words like escape. It's as if, in the prison and society, the words are not concepts but rather things or names.

And another thing that I really like is that from each chapter there is always one quote that sticks out. This isn't the same as the book quote that begins and sets up each chapter, but it is one or two lines found within the text of the story that burn into your memory and continue to stay there until it is brought up again in a different way. One quote that really stuck in my mind was when Claudia is talking to her future husband, who she absolutely hates, " 'Caspar, listen to yourself! Have you ever thought about what sort of life we'll have together, in that marble mausoleum you call a palace? Living a lie, a pretense, keeping false smiles on our faces, wearing clothes from a time that never existed, posing and preening and aping manners that should only be in books? Have you ever thought about that...Have you never wanted to be free, Caspar? To be able to ride out alone one spring morning  and set off to see the world? To find adventure and someone you can love?' " (Fisher, 113).

I'm not sure if the quote stayed in my mind. Was it because of the character, Claudia, who I absolutely adore? Or was it because of the morals of the statement that are so close to my own? Or is it because it's ironic that she lives outside of a prison, yet she feels just as trapped as a prisoner? I really like this quote and I think the author could be foreshadowing to something Claudia may do to escape her own life. It also has an underlying message about freedom that I'm sure will play a large role in the theme of the book.

Okay, so that sums up this week (WOW I wrote A LOT), and I'm pretty sure some of you gave up and just skipped to the part where I ask a question and you respond in the comments. But for everybody who read the whole post, I give you a pat on the back and a high five. Congratulations! So my question for you is why do you think that Fahrenheit 451 and Incarceron are so similar in the way they are structured? And why and how does an author do this effectively? I think I know the answers to these questions, and hopefully I gave some of my ideas (no matter how faint they may seem) above in my post! Thanks for reading and have a good week!

Claudia's Character

Have you ever read one of those books where you absolutely fall in love with a character? Where a character seems so realistic that they could just walk out of the book and have a conversation with you? Or one of those characters that is totally like you, holding the same beliefs or traditions as you do?

I HAVE FOUND THAT CHARACTER.

Her name is Claudia, and she is from the same book I have been reading, Incarceron. Claudia has a fairytale life in a futuristic world. She lives outside of the prison in a place called the Realm, but her house is described as something out of a futuristic fairytale. What I enjoy most about the setting is that it takes too completely different ideas and twists them into one epic setting. Okay, this may seem confusing to some, because I understand that not everybody enjoys this. However, this is perfect for me, considering that I love fairytales but also like reading science fiction. Since these genres are on different sides of the spectrum, its nice to read something that is a combination of both. FINALLY!!!

"She could see the courtyard. Three horses were saddled; her father was standing by one, both gloved hands resting on the reins, and with a suppressed whoop of relief she saw that his secretary, the dark watchful man called Medlicote, was climbing onto the gray mare. Behind, Lord Evian was being heaved into the saddle by two sweating stable hands. Claudia wondered how much of his comic awkwardness was an act and whether he had been prepared for real horses rather than cybersteeds." (Fisher, 52). In this quote, Claudia refers to cybersteeds, which must be like robot horses. That would be so cool. Anyways, we can see how the author takes sci-fi elements and combines them effortlessly into a fantasy setting. I think this really adds amusement to the story.

So, like I said before, Claudia lives a futuristic fairytale, where she is being forced to marry into the royal family (even though Claudia lives in the future, it seems that the author wanted to make it seem that in Claudia's world, it was going backwards that made the society futuristic). However, she would rather do anything than get married to somebody she doesn't love, and she would rather be climbing a tree than attending afternoon tea. Let's face it, she has a free spirit and she is very independent. She is also very casual and relaxed, but still attempts to please others (even though she hates following strict rules and being proper). These qualities are very popular in characters in modern literature, as most go on to defy the government, society, or order. I think Claudia, in a way, defies her father, by acting like a tomboy and trying to be herself when he wants her to be somebody else.

"To hide from it he jumped down and took off the elaborate dress. Underneath she was wearing a dark jumpsuit. For a moment she glanced at herself in the mirror. Clothes changed you...Now Claudia felt lithe and free. Dangerous, even...Her father paused and glance towards Jared's tower. She smiled secretly. She knew what he could see. He could see her." (Fisher, 52). I feel like this quote represents how Claudia really wants to be herself and isn't afraid to show that she wants to be herself. I have also noticed that Claudia likes to test the boundaries and shows pleasure in taking risks. This shows her defiant attitude and spirit. She is also a very curious character, as she questions the rules of society and her structured lifestyle.

With that, have a spectacular Thanksgiving break!!

Incarceron

"Who can chart the vastness of Incarceron?
Its halls and viaducts, its chasms?
Only the man who has known freedom
can define his prison.
                        -Songs of Sapphique"
(Fisher, 10).                        


Hey everybody! So I just started this new book called Incarceron, and to be honest, I'm not really sure what to think of it yet. I definitely like it, but I'm going to have to read more for sure. So something that makes this book really interesting is the setting. There are two different settings of the book, which are a prison and a small town. They seem to be set in two different time periods, but subtle hints from the author show that both of the stories occuring in this setting happen at the same time. Yes, this can get a little confusing, but the author separates the stories by telling them through alternating chapters. This helps the reader to keep the stories serparate without forgetting the other story. So there are basically two different plot lines and settings, but I have a feeling the author will add a twist somewhere along the way to make the plots intertwine and come together.

What I enjoy the most about this book (so far) are the vivid descriptions that are used to paint a picture of the setting. The author, Catherine Fisher, does a beautiful job transporting you into the world of Incarceron, a prison that is alive. From what I know so far, I can distinguish different groups that live within the prison, who all have a common goal:to survive any obsticle that Incarceron may create. "He was gasping with relief, but the trucks still came on. Surely the Civicry could see him. They must be able to see him! The flashlight was a star in the immense rumbling darkness of the hall, and in that moment, through all its stairs and galleries and thousands of labyrinthine chambers he knew Incarceron had sensed his peril, and the crah of the trucks was its harsh amusement, that the Prison watched him and would not interfere" (Fisher, 11). In this short description, we learn a lot of information about Incarceron. We know that Incarceron is a living prison, as well as is able to feel emotion, such as amusement, and that Incarceron is very vast. We also learn that there are different groups of people that live within the walls of Incarceron, such as the Civicry and other groups mentioned later in the book (Starseers and Comitatus).

The other story in the book has a setting that is very different from the prison. "From this height she could see the while estate; the kitchen garden, glasshouses, and organery, the gnarled apple trees in the orchard, the barns where the dances were held in the winter" (Fisher, 16). Right away, we notice that the setting is in complete contrast with the prison. It is much more calm and relaxing, unlike the tense and nervous feeling of the other story. I have a feeling that Catherine Fisher will use this contrast to twist the plots together to make the book more interesting.

I'm so excited to read more!!! Here is the author's website for information about herself, Incarceron, and other books:

Catherine Fisher Website

Blog Reflections

         Throughout the trimester, we have used Blogger to blog about the books we were reading and the specific elements of the book that enhanced the story. I believe that by blogging about books helped me to improve my writing as well as my reading skills. In the beginning of the trimester, I wrote a post about Hazel, the main character in the book A Fault In Our Stars. In the post I wrote, “In the beginning of the book, Hazel is very quiet, and would rather be reading or watching TV than hanging out with friends. She feels like she doesn't fit in with them, and that she shouldn't waste her time trying to.” My writing is very stiff and formal, and instead of my own voice being heard through the writing, it sounds more like sentences out of a textbook. Later in the trimester, we were encouraged to write as if we were talking to somebody about the book. In my later blog from the trimester, I wrote about a character, Jane, from the book, Formerly Shark Girl. “Jane must learn to overcome everybody else's expectations and be truly herself. Peer pressure of others has put a weight on her shoulders that she must carry around each day combined with stress of high school and life. She must let herself define who she is and who she wants to be. She has to pick up the paddle and choose a direction. This is only part of Jane's struggle. And that's just the beginning.” In this part of my blog, I feel like my voice is presented more and the quality of my writing has improved. Instead of just telling about the character, I gave some better descriptions about the character’s life.

            Through this experience, I have learned a lot about my writing style, as well as elements that make a book good to read. I struggled a little bit with the rubric and using Blogger. The rubric was very specific and focused on basic concepts that I didn’t always want to write about. But, as others felt the same way, we modified the requirements of the rubric and assignment as a class. This made the blogging more flexible and fun, and opened up more writing opportunities for my classmates and I. Blogger gave me some problems with formatting posts. As we used the blogs more, it became easier to format posts as well as add more exciting media to my blog, such as videos, links, and displays. One strength I had with blogging was the ability to add my voice to the posts, as well as make them casual. An example of more casual writing is, “Letting you know, yes, she lost her right arm. Was it easy to go back to regular life? Not at all. On top of the struggles of everyday life, and being talked about, numerous stories about the attack and her life began to appear in the news and the paper. This gave her the nickname Sharkgirl. Yes, Sharkgirl. First off, I think that is completely rude, considering she is probably scarred for life due to the attack. But, the name calling still happened. Even in her senior year, Jane is still followed by the press and the dreadful nickname, and worst of all, it began to define her.” I enjoyed writing in a casual way, as I felt that this style helped me to communicate the message, as well as make the blog easier to read.

My goal was to read 12 books during the school year, making my goal 4 books in a trimester. I ended up making my goal of four books, reading a total of seven books this trimester. I used goodreads.com to help me track my reading, find new books to read, and recommend books to others. I have improved as a reader during this trimester because I have read a variety of new genres of books, and learned more about my reading and writing through my blog. I feel that this helped me to grow a lot as a reader, and I hope to continue to blog and read new types of books in the future.

Wonder

August isn't much different than most kids. He plays outside, jumps in rain puddles, and has an obbsession with Star Wars. But most people don't see August as the fun kid. They see him as a zombie. August was born with a rare condition causing the features on his face to be deformed. He doesn't look like other kids and most people try to avoid him completely. August was homeschooled all of his life until this year, which is his 5th grade year.

As you can imagine, it was probably incredibly difficult for August to go to a real school, considering he doesn't get much of a break out of school. The principal of August's new school invited August to take a tour of the school with some other students. These students were to act mature and kind to August. But like most people, they can't avoid looking at him, even if it is by no means rude.

August meets Jack on this tour of the school. Instantly, Jack and August become friends. "Fourthly, now that I know him, I would say I actually do want to be friends with August. At first, I admit it, I was only friendly to him because Mr. Tushman asked me to be especially nice and all that. But now I would choose to hang out with him. He laughs at all my jokes. And I kind of feel like I can tell August anything. Like he's a good friend. Like, if all the guys in the fifth grade were lined up against the wall and I got to choose anyone I wanted to hang out with, I would choose August." (Palacio, 147). This quote shows how one student, Jack, was able to overcome August's appearance and see the real August.

Jack helps August feel comfortable and confident at school, which makes August feel like he is on top of the entire world. It also makes him feel like he is just another normal kid going to school. Jack was one of the first people to see August for who he truly was, a fun, happy kid who just wants to fit in. I know this is a real issue in society because everybody is different, some just appear more different than others. I think this is what builds barriers between people-they get so caught up in silly things like image and forget about the important qualities, like character.

I hope that everybody reads this book at some time in their life. In fact, I was talking to my sister at the dinner table yesterday about this book and it just so happens that she read it in English class last year. I think it is great that a teacher is having students read the book as a class because it is an important topic and it teaches great morals and character.

Formerly Shark Girl Theme

"For so long I've been stuck, confused.
I've been waiting for a sign.
I was 'spared' for a reason, some say.
I have a 'purpose,' some say.

I've been waiting, I guess,
for that reason
and that purpose
to be made clear to me.
I've been drifting. Floating.

Now I see that I have a paddle.
Myself. I'm my own paddle.
I don't have to drift.

Defining who I am
and what I want
and how I'll get there?
It will involve parting
from the current.

It will mean choosing a direction

and beginning
to

paddle."

(Bingham, 215)

Formerly Shark Girl has many important themes. Each theme is greatly supported by the text, through Jane's thoughts and actions. One of the most important themes is only you can truly define yourself. This is supported throughout the book, as well as by the quote above. This theme is crucial to the main character, Jane, because she was attacked by a shark right before the start of junior year. People were always staring at her and whispering about her. Letting you know, yes, she lost her right arm. Was it easy to go back to regular life? Not at all. On top of the struggles of everyday life, and being talked about, numerous stories about the attack and her life began to appear in the news and the paper. This gave her the nickname Sharkgirl. Yes, Sharkgirl. First off, I think that is completely rude, considering she is probably scarred for life due to the attack. But, the name calling still happened. Even in her senior year, Jane is still followed by the press and the dreadful nickname, and worst of all, it began to define her.

She was being defined by everybody else based on name calling, the press, and letters written to her from people all throughout the country. Letters began to arrive at Jane's house saying that she was meant to do something or that she was saved for a reason or how she was such an inspiration and role model. Over time, Jane would just throw all of the letters away, not even looking to see who the letter was from or the purpose of the sender for writing the letter to begin with. Jane was asked to do an interview for a newspaper and refused because she didn't like all the questions. Somehow, the paper figured out that Jane was regularly helping at a local hospital. Immediately, letters came flowing in, explaining how Jane would be a wonderful nurse and have a fantastic future.

Jane must learn to overcome everybody else's expectations and be truly herself. Peer pressure of others has put a weight on her shoulders that she must carry around each day combined with stress of high school and life. She must let herself define who she is and who she wants to be. She has to pick up the paddle and choose a direction.

This is only part of Jane's struggle. And that's just the beginning.

Meant to Be Foil Characters

I'm so happy! For those who don't know, I had to stop reading Meant to Be because it returned itself to the online library. But it came back in and I'm reading it again. Yay! Anyways, as I was reading, I noticed that Julia and Jason were a perfect example of something we talked about in class. Foil characters. These characters are almost complete opposites and they balance each other out. But in order for them to be foil characters, they have to be related in some way. Some examples of foil characters are Romeo and Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Haymitch and Effie (The Hunger Games), and Harry and Malfoy (The Harry Potter Series).

Julia is the typical nerd, maintaining a perfect GPA, staying organized, and always with her nose in a book. Though Julia has been excited for this trip her whole life (or at least since 6th grade), only one thing stands in the way of her fun experience. Jason. The rude, annoying, childish, class clown. Not only is Julia forced to work with him, but she practically has to spend every minute outside the hotel with him. But Jason isn't enough to stop Julia from being...well, Julia. She continues to flag passages in guidebooks with post-it notes, carefully think about situations, and carry around her bag containing notebooks, pencils, and her emergency phone. Julia also likes to follow the rules and prides herself on being a good student as well as being knowledgable. This is shown throughout the book, "'We're supposed to use that time fore independent tours so we can write our reflection papers,' I say, trying to mask my exasperation." (Morrill, 100). This shows how Julia always likes to follow the rules.

Jason, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Jason enjoys acting like a five year old and destroying everything in his path. He is the typical class clown. Jason is not only a trouble maker, but he also has the talent of slacking off. He makes Julia do his reflection papers and insists that they always do something fun instead of going on tours or going to a place with a single bit of knowledge or learning associated with it. This is shown when Jason talks to Julia about cultural hours, "'I think the sentence structure you're looking for is 'so I can write our reflection papers,'' Jason says. He bends down to tie his left sneaker, the lace of which is fraying and dirty. 'Besides, half the class is using that time to hit pubs and go shopping. We're actually going somewhere that Mrs. T would call culturally relevant.' " (Morrill, 100). This represents Jason's love of slacking off and breaking the rules.

Julia and Jason don't agree about a lot of topics and issues, but the biggest dispute by far, is about love and MTB. MTB is what Julia and her best friend, Phoebe, say to represent something being meant to be. Julia interprets MTB as being a fairytale and a perfect world, "I clear my throat a couple of times and try to sound casual. 'Yeah,' I reply. 'I mean, we might say, 'So-and-so are totally MTB,' as in, that couple is totally meant to be. Or 'That guy is totally my MTB,' meaning that we're totally meant to be together.'" (Morrill, 108). Jason on the other hand believes that MTB is stupid, "'What a load of crap.'...'You can't actually believe that. I mean, you're smart. You know stuff. So you've gotta know that it's all a big fairy tale. A marketing tool. Chick flicks and Hallmark cards and Valentine's Day and diamond rings.'" (Morrill, 108). This is a battle that is constantly revisited during the book. Not only do Julia and Jason competely disagree, but they ALWAYS disagree. ALWAYS. This only goes to show not just the differences of character, but the way they balance each other out.

Meant to Be in London

I have some bad news. My ebook returned intself to the library last night. This makes me sad because I couldn't continue to read it or use quotes for my blog. And somebody already checked it out. However, I still really want to post about what I read, specifically the setting of the book. As many of you know, Meant to Be is set on a class trip to London, where Julia is forced to spend free time with her enemy, Jason. So far the have seen many of the main attractions in London, against Jason's wishes. Some of these sights include Big Ben, the Tower of London, the Tate Museum and the Globe Theater. Both of which Julia could practically write a book about. Julia has wanted to visit London since she was in sixth grade, and now being in high school, she has practically researched and read everything about London. This is a major connection to my life because I went to London with my family when I was 7 years old, and I remember experiencing events very similar to the events that Julia is experiencing.


For example, when Julia visits the Globe Theater, she asks one of the employees working there if he could tell her about the plays and if somebody she was looking for had been there. Felix, the employee, replied no, it would be impossible to find out if somebody had been there. According to Felix, it was always a full house and there were always school kids visiting on local class trips. When my family and I visited the Globe Theater to see Shakespeare's Macbeth, which is one of Shakespeare's darkest tragedies, there were so many people in the theater that there was barely space to walk- or breathe for that matter. The theater is old, but was rebuilt 3 times with the newest one on the opposite side of the Thames River. Plays preformed at this theater are done without lights, special effects, or crazy stage backdrops. Instead, they are preformed so that you can focus on the power of the words that the characters say, and it is always completely silent in the theater because the actors never have any type of microphone (it is all projecting their voice).

Not only has Julia visited the Globe Theater, but she has also seen Big Ben. Big Ben is the large clock tower that stands in London. When Big Ben was first being built, there were many difficulties including lighting and accuracy for time. However, the clocktower was fixed and is known as one of the most accurate clocks. The name Big Ben comes from the name of the hour bell, which was cast by the Warners. Soon, the name applied to not just the bell, but the clock and the clocktower as well. Julia and her class were only able to drive past it and so far were not able to stop and visit. But from the looks of the group, most of them were more interested in shopping or watching sports. My family and I were able to stand right next to the side of Big Ben and it was gigantic. I felt so small standing next to such amazing architecture.

So as you can see, the experiences that Julia is having are very similar to my past experiences. The class will also be able to relate a lot to these experiences because we are reading Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare's tragedies. We also had to learn a lot of background information on the time period, language, and the Globe Theater. Hopefully, I will be able to get this book back from the online library so I can read it some more.

Meant to Be Predictions

So this book called Meant to Be was recommended to me on Goodreads, and I must say that I never would picture myself going to the library or store, grabbing this book off the shelf, and taking it home with me. Honestly, I looked at the book recommendation and thought, "Wow. I would never read that." This was going to be a romance, and I personally like adventure or science fiction. The cover made the book look just like a romance novel. The title wasn't helping the book either. But after finishing Speak, I had nothing else to read. And it just so happened that Meant to Be was available for check out on the online library. And I thought that this book was going to be one of those perfect romance novels that just seemed too good to be true. In short, I was wrong.

Meant to Be, so far, has depicted a girl named Julia on a school trip to London. Julia was always reading Shakespeare, organizing, or studying to maintain her perfect 4.0 GPA. Sadly, none of Julia's friends were going to London with her, only the popular kids that made fun of her. The teacher has planned for everybody to have a buddy, who they must spend free time with, to make sure nobody gets lost on the trip. Which Julia was okay with until she was paired with Jason, who was the most annoying jerk that Julia knows. Then all of the sudden, Julia starts getting text messages from a mysterious boy, Chris, who claims to have met Julia in London. The only problem is Julia doesn't remember who Chris is! Now correct me if I am wrong, but this doesn't seem like a "perfect romance novel". To me, it sounds awkward and quirky, and it is definitely more adventurous than romantic.

Based on the few chapters I have read, I have come up with some predictions:

• Meant to Be is not going to be a typical romance novel because Julia does not seem like an average person. This is because she would rather study and read than hang out with her friends.

• Julia is going to change from her strict, studying, 4.0 GPA ways to a more loose, happy, free character because she is in London, and she says that everybody is telling her to find adventure and fun in this new place.

• I believe that this book will connect a lot with English class. Recently, we started the Romeo and Juliet unit, a play written by Shakespeare. Julia enjoys reading Shakespeare in her free time and has always wanted to visit the Globe Theater since she was in sixth grade and read Romeo and Juliet. She was able to answer every question that Jason asked her concerning the theater.

Hopefully, some of my predictions will be correct. Thanks for reading!

Speak Character Analysis

In the book, Speak, Melinda is the main character. She enters high school as a self-proclaimed 'outcast', with no group to sit with or friends to say hello to. Melinda believes that the only way she is going to get through high school is by staying silent and hoping that nobody will notice her. And maybe they would leave her alone, after all nobody really wanted to hear what she wanted to tell them. "It is 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." (Anderson, 9). This quote shows how Melinda didn't expect much of herself, and that she was another person just trying to get by in life. She never had confidence in herself, and always questioned her actions, thoughts, and feelings. She wasn't sure what she felt, and wasn't sure if it was 'right' or not.

As the story continues, we see Melinda's character change. The plot advances, leading Melinda to an art class, with Mr. Freeman as a teacher. Mr. Freeman assigns Melinda a project, where she gets a subject and has to express different emotions through the subject using different mediums of art. Melinda started to break free of her old self, but was stopped, not by others, but by herself. She thought the project was going to be so fun, but soon had a difficult time expressing emotion. "Me: 'All right, but you said we had to put emotion into our art. I don't know what that means. I don't know what I' supposed to feel.' My fingers fly up and cover my mouth. What am I doing?" (Anderson, 122). This quote shows how Melinda was starting to share her feelings, but she stopped, thinking that she shouldn't be doing that. She still had an issue with her feelings, and didn't want to accept them. She did this by pushing them away into the back of her head, where she couldn't share or express them.


Melinda and Mr. Freeman from the
movie version of Speak.

Towards the end of Speak, Melinda begins to discover her feelings through her art. She comes to a realization that art helped her to relax and relieve stress. By drawing, painting, and sculpting, Melinda was able to free herself from herself, resolving her internal conflict (man vs. self). "I'm waiting for the clock to and the daily torture-by-algebra session when WHAMMO!-a thought slams into my head: I don't want to hang in my little hidy-hole anymore. I look behind me, half expecting to see a sniggering back-row guy  who beaned me with an eraser. Nope-the back row is struggling to stay awake." (Anderson, 192). Melinda realized that she enjoyed talking and expressing herself to others, and decided that she didn't want to hide away from the world anymore. But, she still hadn't fully expressed herself to others.

The last major character change occurs at the very end of the book, where Melinda actually reaches out to Mr. Freeman, who helped her express herself to begin with. She decided to sit down with him and talk about it. "The tears dissolve the last block of ice in my throat. I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor. Words float up." Though she seemed to struggle with talking to Mr. Freeman, she still did it, and ultimately felt better. This interaction with Mr. Freeman advances the plot to the resolution.

These major changes in character and emotion proved that Melinda is a dynamic character, because she changed her attitude about her emotions and sharing them.

Speak Analysis

Cubism Tree

Speak is about a teenage girl named Melinda, who is an outcast at her school. It wasn't always that way, Melinda used to have friends to hang out with. But now, on her first day of high school, Melinda finds herself sitting alone in the auditorium. Her old friends have found new groups-the Jocks, the Nerds, the Artists, the Cheerleaders-leaving Melinda no where to go.  Melinda feels scared and hides behind her hair, not letting a word escape her lips. She believes silence is the only way to get through life without people judging you. As Melinda goes through her freshman year, she meets Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, who assigns her a project to randomly pick a subject out of a globe, and explore the emotion of the subject through different media, such as pastels, painting, and sculpture. Melinda picks her subject, and gets 'tree'.  "I plunge my hand into the bottom of the globe and fish out my paper. 'Tree.' Tree? It's too easy. I learned how to draw a tree in second grade. I reach in for another piece of paper. Mr. Freeman shakes his head. 'Ah-ah-ah,' he says. 'You just chose your destiny, you can't change that.'" (Anderson, 12). This introduces the symbol of the tree for the first time in the book.

Pastel Tree

I believe that the tree is a symbol in the book because it appears not only in art class, but Melinda is constantly thinking about how to create art involving the tree. She struggles with the idea of bringing it to life and giving it emotion. After all, it is a tree, so it shouldn't be able to feel anything, right? Wrong. The tree acts as a symbol in the book. It symbolizes Melinda's struggles and recovery. At first she thinks of the tree as just a project, but after changing the way she creates the tree in art, she thinks about the different ways. At the beginning of the book, Melinda was quiet and felt small. She felt like an outcast that would never be able to fit in. But as the book progressed, she began to grow and change, becoming a completely different person. Much like how a tree grows, Melinda grew.


Without the symbol of the tree in the book, the story may not have showed Melinda's character change in the same way. I felt that it was easier to understand how Melinda changed when she was compared to a tree. A tree starts as a seed, and slowly grows from being small and fragile, to tall and strong. In this way, Melinda's character progressed throughout the text.

Checkpoint #3: Book Recommendation

Thirteen Reasons Why is an exceptional novel written by Jay Asher. As most of you know from my previous posts, this book follows a box of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, explaining why she killed herself. It not only explains why she killed herself, but how her feelings and the impact of others effected her. The book is set up like a conversation between Hannah's voice on the cassette tapes and Clay, who is listening to the tapes. Right away, it lets the reader be able to see not just the impact of actions of other characters on Hannah, but also the impact of Hannah's reasons and story on Clay. It really helped me to understand the message of the book, which was to focus on making a good impact on others. Hannah explained this meassage through stories that she told about herself, which allowed Clay to respond to these stories and also learn this lesson.

"You can't go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All you really have...is now."
(Asher, 124).

I think that this book is an amazing book. It contains suspense and is, in a way, a sort of mystery. Thirteen Reasons Why is based on a very serious topic, that even some characters in the book can't even bare to mention, which is suicide. Yes, this book brought me out of my comfort zone. I had never even thought about reading a book like this simply because of the topic. However, I am glad that I read this book. Not because of the topic, but because of the lesson. I learned a lot- not just about people in general- but my personal impact on others. Thirteen Reasons Why really pushed me to think about my actions and the way I could impact others. This book is also very relatable for most teenagers because many experience emotions that make them sad, umcomfortable, or angry. I recommend this book to everybody, because I feel that everybody should learn this lesson, and face the harsh reality of our society today.

Soul Alone Analysis

Hannah Baker, the main character in Thirteen Reasons Why, tells the story of her life and why she decided to end it in a series of cassette tapes, which she mailed out to people who she felt needed to hear it. On one of the cassette tapes, Hannah reveals that she loved to write poetry and that it helped her to get her angry emotions out and create something powerful with those emotions. In the text is says, "That's what I love about poetry. The more abstract, the better. The stuff where you're not sure what the poet's talking about. You may have an idea, but you can't be sure. Not a hundred percent. Each word, specifically chosen, could have a million different meanings. Is it  stand-in, a symbol, for another idea? Does it fit into a larger, more hidden, metaphor?" (Asher, 109).  I believe that this method let Hannah learn more about herself and how she felt about certain topics or issues. The poem below is called Soul Alone and it was a poem Hannah wrote to describe her feelings about herself.
 

 

"I meet your eyes

you don't even see me

You hardly respond

when I whisper

hello

Could be my soul mate

two kindred spirits

Maybe we're not

I guess we'll never

know

My own mother

you carried me in you

Now you see nothing

but what I wear

People ask you

how I am doing

You smile and nod

don't let it end

there

Put me

underneath God's sky and

know me

don't just see me with your eyes

Take away

this mask of flesh and bone and

see me

for my soul

alone."

(Asher, 117)

This poem shows the deeper side of Hannah, explaining her fears of others. Hannah uses examples such as a boy and her mother to symbolize her internal struggle with herself. "The poem wasn't about my mom, you said. Or a boy. It was about me. I was writing a letter to myself...hidden in a poem. I flinched when you told me that. I got defensive, even angry. But you were right. And I felt scared, and sad, by my own words. You told me I wrote that poem because I was afraid of dealing with myself." (Asher, 116).  Hannah just wanted somebody to be there for her, and she wanted them to talk to her in a normal conversation. I think that Hannah uses a mask to symbolize a disguise, like she has to hide from others, and just wants people to accept her for herself, the way she is. The use of her words through her poetry helped her to express this need that she had.

Thirteen Reasons Why Predictions

"Hello, boys and girls. Hannah Baker here. Live and in stereo...I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why it ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why....I'm not saying which tape brings you into the story. But fear not, if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up...I promise....The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Rule number two: You pass it on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you." (Asher, 19).

I just started reading a book titled Thirteen Reasons Why, written by Jay Asher. This book follows a box of cassette tapes that were left behind by Hannah Baker, explaining the thirteen reasons why she killed herself. This book isn't the ordinary book, for a couple of reasons. One, being that is about a very sad and uncomfortable topic, which most people can't stand to read about.  However, I have noticed that so far, the book isn't entirely sad. Second, the book is set up as a conversation between Hannah's voice on the cassette tape and Clay's thoughts as he is listening to the tapes. It is an unusual format, but it makes it easy to read and understand. Lastly, it is a wake-up call to reality. It shows that nobody is perfect and the effect that you could have on other people.

Since I just started reading this book, I don't really have enough information to start analyzing the text. However, I have a couple predictions based on what I already have read. 

My first prediction is that Clay will learn a lot about the effect he has on other people, and most importantly, learn his effect that he had on Hannah. Since Clay has gotten the cassette tapes, Hannah had him as a reason why she killed herself. Right now, even Clay isn't sure what he did wrong, especially because everybody calls him the nicest kid in town. "What did I do to you, Hannah?" (Asher, 55) is the phrase that keeps coming back to clay as he listens to what Hannah is saying to him.

My second prediction is that Hannah will reveal some secrets about herself and other people she knew during her life. She will tell Clay some surprising information, and it will most likely be hard for Clay to listen to these revealed secrets, and maybe even difficult for him to look at people the same way again. Clay has recieved the tapes from somebody else who sent them, and Clay thinks about what is happening to these other people involved with the tapes, "I can't imagine what it was like for him to mail out these tapes. To know that he was sending his secret into the world." (Asher, 56). This quote shows that Clay knows that it is tough for people to let their secrets be revealed for them.

My last prediction is that Clay will not tell anybody about the cassette tapes that Hannah sent to him. I think that Clay will not show anybody else, fearing that they may learn something about him or that all of the secrets will be revealed to everybody. I can make this prediction based on Clay's thoughts, "As the stories go by, one by one, I find myself relieved when my name isn't mentioned. Followed by a fear of what she hasn't yet said, of what she's going to say, when my turn comes. Because my turn is coming. I know that. and I want it to be over with. What did I do to you, Hannah?" (Asher, 55). This is constantly coming back to Clay, because he doesn't understand what he did wrong, and he is anxious to know what he did to harm Hannah and cause her to do such a horrible thing.

I know that since this book is about suicide, many teenagers can relate to this book. I'm not sure if I can specifically relate to that topic, but I can relate to the way Hannah felt when she was making the tapes. Clay noticed that Hannah's voice was trembling, and that she must have been sad, or felt angry or alone because of what these people did to her. I know I have been sad before, and I'm sure that everybody in their life has encountered a bully who said mean things to them, so not only I can relate to this book, but I feel that most teenagers can.

I am looking forward to reading the book and getting some of my questions answered.
What did Clay do to Hannah? Why did Hannah make the tapes, other than to share secrets? What made Hannah decide to take her own life?

Beautiful Creatures Review

I recommend the book Beautiful Creatures to any girl who likes adventure, supernatural, and romance.  The author of Beautiful Creatures did an amazing job of incorporating these three genres into one fantasy book. Though many have seen the movie, I promise that the book is so much better.  This book had amazing imagery that freely let me imagine the setting, characters, and emotion is the book. We also see a lot of symbolism in the book, such as the crescent moon, which is Lena's birthmark, the marking on the Ravenwood's door, and the shape on The Book of Moons. But most of all, I enjoyed the plot line, which takes you through the many ups and downs, that not just tells you, but shows you the lesson and theme.  Beautiful Creatures shattered my idea of fantasy, and replaced it with a more unique and creative perspective of the genre. In short, I enjoyed everything about this book, and I know that you will too.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The theme of Beautiful Creatures is made apparent through character's thoughts, actions, and dialogue. The theme of the book is to take control of yourself, and to be the leader of your own life. Ethan and Lena are struggling with the idea that Lena and her Caster powers are going to be claimed either for the light or for the dark. Lena feels like she has no control over this decision and is afraid she will be claimed for the dark and not for the light. 

However, they keep running into signs that give Lena advice about what to do. For example, they find a message in Ethan's father's study, which they had to decode. "I looked at Lena, and held out the paper...It was as clear as if my mom was standing in the study, telling us with her own words, with her own voice. CLAIM YOURSELF...it was a message for Lena." (Garcia, 307). This message told Lena to take charge of her fate, and to be what she wanted to be. The theme was communicated through the character's actions because the message was an action taken by Ethan's mother.

Another example of this theme was located in Ethan's thoughts. In the text it says, "Whether it was up to us or the stars, I couldn't just sit around and wait to find out." (Garcia, 301). This quote shows that theme can be demostrated through a character's thoughts. The theme is clearly stated in the thoughts of the character, explaining that Ethan wasn't going to let Lena sit around and wait for her to be claimed, rather he wanted her to have her own choice.

Even though the story is about Casters (mythical people with extrordinary powers), and it is a story about Lena being claimed, it can also reflect real life issues of today. A real life issue that this could reflect is people (specifically teenagers) figuring out what they want to do in life, and who they are going to be. The story can also reflect the pressure from society about an individual's choices. The author believes that people should take control of their fate, which is the overall theme of Beautiful Creatures. 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The setting of Beautiful Creatures is Gatlin, South Carolina, where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens.  Gatlin is a simple, small town where everybody knows each other and practically everything about each other.  Lena, a very unordinary character, moves to the town and everything changes.  The people of the town insist that she be removed because she is not like everybody else.  They view Lena as an outcast and believe she is dangerous.  This setting is an archetypical setting because it is expected that everybody in a small town knows each other, and these people do not accept outsiders, or those that are different.  It is also expected that a protagonist moves to town and challenges the so-called 'rules' about what is normal and who is accepted into society.  A quote to support this statement is, "Gatlin wasn't a complicated place; Gatlin was Gatlin.  The neighbors kept watch from their porches in the unbearable heat, sweltering in plain sight.  But there was no point.  Nothing ever changed...There were no surprises in Gatlin County...Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong." (Garcia, 6-7).  This quote shows how Gatlin is small and has no surprises ever.  But it also sets up the plot, foreshadowing that something new and different was about to happen.

 

 

Below is a trailer for Beautiful Creatures.  In the beginning of the trailer, it has scenes showing some of the people in Gatlin talking about Lena and how she is different.  Based on what they say in the trailer, we can infer that the citizens of Gatlin are not very accepting of outsiders, making the setting an archetypical setting.

 



 

 

 

 



The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

There were many themes presented throughout The Fault In Our Stars. These themes developed throughout the story, and were communicated by character's thoughts, actions, and feelings, as well as the plot line. One important theme from the book was to not worry about what others may say or do to hurt you, but to be confident in being yourself. A quote that supports this theme is, "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices." (Green, 210).  This quote supports the theme because it says that you have a choice if what others say about you will hurt you.  The quote also explains that life will hurt you, and there is no way to escape it.  But, it also states that people shouldn't stress about what others say to bring them down.  Instead, you should build yourself up by not worrying about others trying to tear you down.  Hazel learned this lesson throughout the plot line by meeting new people, and doing what she wanted to, though she felt pressure from others.

The author of The Fault In Our Stars, John Green, talks about his book in this interview.

 

 

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

In The Fault In Our Stars, the main character, Hazel, is a complex character.  In the beginning of the book, Hazel is very quiet, and would rather be reading or watching TV than hanging out with friends.  She feels like she doesn't fit in with them, and that she shouldn't waste her time trying to.  In the text it says, "And I liked Kaitlyn, too. I really did.  But three years removed from proper full-time schoolic exposure to my peers, I felt a certain unbridgeable distance between us.  I think my school friends wanted to help me through my cancer, but they eventually found out that they couldn't.  For one thing, there was no through...In truth, it always hurt." (Green, 39). This quote shows that she believes her cancer is getting in the way of her life, and that because she has cancer, life wouldn't give her a chance anyways.

Though I have not finished the book yet, I have definitely noticed changes in Hazel's character. This means that complex characters change throughout the book, not just towards the end of a book.  Hazel is now accepting life, and is realizing that she may not have so much time left, but that shouldn't stop her from living.  She is also learning to make friends, like Augustus and Isaac.  Hazel has even made the decision to go on a trip to Amsterdam when Augustus offered to take her. "The day before we left for Amsterdam, I went back to Support Group for the first time since meeting Augustus." (Green, 91).  This shows that Hazel is feeling like she can be social, and travel without feeling trapped by her illness.  I predict that Hazel will keep feeling this way and learn to live her life to the fullest.

Hazel is battling cancer in her lungs.  She is required to have oxygen given to her from a tube connected to an oxygen tank, and breathe using a machine at night.  Here is an website to give you more information about her illness:



Lung Cancer Website

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

In The Book of Lost Things, David, a complex character, changes over the course of the text.  In the beginning of the book, David is very shy and quiet.  After his mother dies, David becomes angry and frustrated, and doesn't know how to handle and deal with his feelings.  As the plot moves forward, David meets many other characters that give him advice on how to handle his feelings.  David moves the plot forward by listening and trying to do what the characters say he should do.  He interacts with other characters through dialogue and actions, which also advances the plot. David develops through the actions of his character and others, and changed as a whole throughout the book.  In the text, a supporting character says to David, " 'When you came here, you were consumed by anger and grief.  You would have given in to the blandishments of the Crooked Man, and then all would have been lost...Instead, while others aided you along the way, it was your own strength and courage that brought you at last to an understanding of your place in this world and your own.  You were a child when I first found you, but now you are becoming a man.' "(Connolly 328).  This explains the change of David's character, and shows he became a strong individual, who grew up a little on his journey.  

The theme is a result of the plot advancing.  Though there were many themes that came from the book, one theme that I liked the most was even though there are many evils in the world, one must remain strong and battle to get through to a happier time.  A quote to support this is, "But as time progressed, David discovered that about one thing at least the Crooked Man had not lied: his life was filled with great grief as well as great happiness, with suffering and regret as well as triumphs and contentment." (Connolly 335).  This theme developed through David, because it was the overall lesson that he learned.  Without a relatable complex character in the text, the theme would not develop and would not be useful in the word today.  The Book of Lost Things had a strong theme because David is a teenager looking for his place in the world, which is relatable for most teenagers.

Here is an article that goes into greater detail about the style that John Connolly writes in.  Though parts of the review may seem confusing, the book is really about how you interpret it, rather than the author directly telling you the theme and purpose of the book, and I believe I interpreted the book in the same way as the author of the review did.

The Book of Lost Things Review


Here is a brief summary of The Book of Lost Things: