Blog Post Reflection 2015

                 
         In my blog post, "Continuing with 'Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger", I went to the extreme in decomposing my independent reading novel. This is because I started off by explaining how funny and irresponsible Holden Caulfield really is. An example I provide is when I tell the readers how Holden was the helper for the fencing team, but on their way to the competition, Holden forgets to grab the equipment as they get off the subway they took there, giving the team last place because they couldn't even compete! But of course, Holden didn't let that incident put him down, because not only is he irresponsible, but he is also careless and independent, which are both good and bad things. Along with explaining his relationship with classmates, I also decompose the relationship he had with his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, and how they are still close, even though the teacher actually flunked him in history. This scene is extremely ironic and brings a good vibe to the book as a whole. I believe that analyzing the theme and importance of a novel is also very important and that is exactly what I did for my last paragraph, which included my thoughts before reading the book, and how those thoughts were twisted as I neared the conclusion of it, and what I knew the author wanted me to take away from it.


        I have many goals for my future writing in sophomore year. But my main goal is to be able to analyze a character based on the first couple of chapters of diction and action. I want this achieved because I believe the protagonist is the delivery man for the author's theme, which is mainly why the novel is written in the first place. If the theme isn't understood, then the reader has wasted a chunk of their life being confused. I would also love to improve on identifying author's voice through what the main character has to say. This is also important in identifying the message or take-away because if you can hear the author through a character, you can also identify their bias in the matter and what they are trying to achieve by writing the novel. With regards to reading, I would like to read very high level and challenging books that are hard to decompose and understand so that I am prepared for future books later in high-school and college. Some of these books include "Pride and Prejudice", "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "The Scarlet Letter". These books have been mentioned throughout my lifetime and I cannot wait to breath in their wonderful messages!

Link: http://lexiesreadinglog.blogspot.com/2015/04/continuing-with-catcher-in-rye-by-jd.html

Relationships with "Catcher and the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

                 With regards to the director of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, John Hughes, I do think, took many ideas from "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. In addition to this, I also think that in the end, these two popular phenomenons will end with the same or similar messages; sometimes you just need to relax and be a teenager. I know that this is an extremely far-fetched claim, but I have a multitude of evidence. To start off, Ferris Bueller's Day Off came out in 1986, while "The Catcher in the Rye" came out in 1951. This shows how John Hughes brought an old classic into the late 1980's to become popular in that era as well as in the 1950 era. I also know that there have been many other sources targeting both of these topics. For instance, the song "We didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel, mentions the novel and that just displays the importance it had in 1989, which was only three years away from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Luckily all three of these timeless memories are still here and appreciated today. 

                 Going along with Ferris and Holden, I almost feel like they are the exact same person! They both absolutely hate going to school, and are both extremely opinionated and hilarious. I find myself laughing super hard every time they think or say something. I predict that Holden will eventually learn his lesson that school is extremely important to your future, just as Ferris learned. If I could change one thing about Holden throughout the book though, I would change his inner thoughts, and make some of them outer so I could experience some of the other character's reactions to the his dialogue. You definitely see a lot of this in the film production, because thoughts aren't usually translated in movies towards an audience. 

               To conclude this blog post, I would like to make a few predictions to the future of the book. Because I have viewed the movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I can conclude that Holden will learn a very important lesson in the end that he avoided in the beginning of the book. That his history teacher, Mr. Stradlater, was right. He needs to start applying and learning instead of just being a rebel at every single school he attends. Sure there is a time and place for being crazy and being a teenager, but he must learn to act like an adult at sometime, and that should be now rather than later in life. As a High-School student, I know that it is easy to slack off and wait until the last minute, but I usually make sure it gets done, and hopefully Holden will too!

                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KFVLWX7eEY

                                          (Opening Monologue from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) 

    

Continuing with "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

              I am really starting to enjoy and giggle at this classic and extremely popular novel written by the legendary J.D. Salinger! I am seriously amazed at how well this guy knows the teenage boy's brain, who is the main character, in this book. The main character's name is Holden Caulfield, and man is he a troublemaker! Where do I even begin to explain what I know so far about this guy? Well, for starters, he has gotten kicked out of apparently every school he has been to (he is sixteen by the way!). I do not even comprehend how he got kicked out of every school, does he even try to improve? Not to mention he is extremely careless and irresponsible! An example if this is when he and the fencing team (a team that he assists quite often) were off to an extremely important competition, but guess what? Holden left all of the equipment on the subway that they were taking to the destination (go figure). Although there are so many negatives about this kid, there are lots of positive attributes as well.


            So going back to those positives, I do believe that Holden is a good kid at heart. This is because he had a history teacher named Mr. Spencer, that he dearly loved and enjoyed to spend time with, but the catch is that this specific teacher gave him a flunking grade for his class! Pretty ironic, isn't it? The part I find so funny is that when Holden goes to visit Mr. and Mrs. Spencer while he is deadly sick, Holden runs all of these hilarious (and extremely mean) comments through his head as they are having an annoying and unneeded conversation. An example of this is when Holden explains why he knows he deserved a flunking grade; "Well, you could see he really felt pretty lousy about flunking me. So I shot the bull for a while. I told him I was a real moron,and all that stuff. I told him how I would've done exactly the same thing if I'd been in his place, and how most people didn't appreciate how tough it is being a teacher. That kind of stuff. The old bull." As you can probably tell by this vivid example, Holden most likely has a few grudges towards this teacher, even if he doesn't want to openly admit it to everyone (meaning the readers).




            To be honest, I absolutely love this book! It is so funny and so true at the exact same time. I don't think I have ever read a book that accomplished both of those tasks. I was truthfully expecting this novel to be super boring and metaphorical, but it is the exact opposite of all of my prior predictions! I now understand why it is such a big book, in the late 1980's to now, it never loses it's truth, because human nature is displayed in this individual's actions and choices, and it shows our limits along with our freedoms. I have not seen too much of these aspects currently, but I can definitely feel them coming soon to add to the many hidden metaphors in this novel already. I am very excited to read further and learn more about Holden Caulfield!

[This is a picture of Holden Caulfield, strongly expressing his beliefs]

Starting Fresh with "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

              As I just begin to turn the pages of this classic novel, I already see an extremely amazing character build-up taking place. This obvious teenager has an elaborate past to explain in this book, and I already know from just two pages in that he is very unique and out-going, which could end up being a good or bad thing based upon where this book is headed. The first thing that really caught my eye was the title, because it is most likely an underlying message of the theme, like the "Lord of the Flies", because that book isn't actually about a fly lord! The definition of rye is a "widely cultivated cereal grain" (dictionary.com). This could mean that the boy catches the grain or plant as soon as it sprouts instead of catching it later on in life. So basically, he (or she) is fixing their problems first-hand instead of waiting because that never works out well. This is just an assumption of the theme, but I have a feeling that I am becoming closer and closer to realizing the true message. 

           While researching on this book, I decided to ask my mother if she had read it before and what she thought of it. She said that she did read it before and she thought that it was very unusual and weird because the whole book took place in one day. I was very surprised at this statement because this is a pretty long book, so how could it possibly fill only one 24 hour time period? I then asked what it was about and she had no idea. So you can probably guess that I am extremely excited to read this book because if my own mom was confused and baffled by it, then it must be pretty challenging. And I sure do love a good mental challenge!

          To conclude this blog post, I want to make a few predictions for the set-up, climax, and resolution. I first want to start by saying that I am sure that the beginning will be an extensive explanation of this teens previous life, and how it was changed by this one moment. The climax will most likely be full of twists and turns in his/her future that defines them for the conclusion. I do hope that I am close to being correct on those assumptions because I love a great plot twist. "Catcher in the "Rye" seems like such an old classic, that I couldn't help but give it another glance as it sat on my mom's dusty old book case. But I am sure glad that I did because I can already feel it sucking me into the fun mystery yet to come!

 

Example/ Analyzing of Satire

Satire is a way to laugh or make fun of literature, cartoons, or even parodies in videos or pictures. In these two examples of satire, it is quite obvious that Hitler is the victim of the giggles. In this first cartoon, Hitler is portrayed as an ugly beast who wants everything to be about himself, as he displays by saying "...Because apparently they approve of mine!" when responding to the 'Tea Party' proposal, most likely in World War II. A hyperbole is crucial to this cartoon, because although Hitler did want everything in his control during the  European war, it is much more humorous to exaggerate it to the extreme when remembering how much he wanted to hurt others. In the second cartoon, made by Dr. Seuss, who helped make American propaganda during World War II, distorts Hitler's image even more, and puts the United States in an even higher status. In the background of the picture, you can see that some of the trees are labeled 'Greece', 'Norway', 'Poland', and 'France', with the bird (as Hitler) currently chopping down England. Dr. Seuss then shows the United States as an even bigger more powerful bird that Hitler hasn't touched. This shows more of a farce type of satire because of the exaggeration and horseplay shown by Hitler's need for power, and how it didn't effect America. Although the first cartoon displayed a burlesque type of satire, and the second showed a farce kind, they are both equally funny and appeal to human knowledge of humor and World War II's past.

Full Reflection of Three Columns by Krista Ramsey

I chose this article at first because I am one to ignore jail problems and the prisoners in them, but after reading this wonderful article, I now see that there are real people in there with real feelings. If just a few brave people step up to volunteer and talk to the people in jail, they might actually change their actions, for the better of our community, they just need a little love.



http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/10/19/jail-program-needs-volunteers-willing-listen/17531835/


"Standing in front of that first prison, all I could think of was the word fail."

EXPLANATION: I chose this specific line over all of the other lines because it has a very strong hidden meaning. What I mean when I say this is that the reader gets to decide how to decipher this sentence. I think that it is saying something about any individual in the jail cell, that one bad move that cost them five years, to a life sentence shows that they definitely screwed up, and failed to do anything meaningful in their lives. But we all mess up sometimes, don't we? The prisoners just happened to be caught doing the messed up things. And I am definitely sure that you love to chatter with your friends about the latest gossip, but what if instead you took that chatter to the prison and talked to somebody who doesn't usually communicate with outdoor people? I definitely think that it's worth a shot! The diction in this sentence is also worth mentioning. 'Fail' is such a strong, powerful word, that strikes you right in the gut when you hear it, wether it's on a test or a life mission, failing really stinks. Although it is a heart wrenching word, it works perfectly in this sentence because you are obviously in prison for something that you failed to accomplish, like a robbery or murder. The syntax in this passage is very evenly spaced out and helps the message flow very easily. All of these points are why I chose this structured sentence as the one that completely overrules the rest.



SUMMARY OF KRISTA RAMSEY'S WRITING: While reading each of Krista Ramsey's columns I noticed so much detail and structure that they completely overwhelmed me with the exquisite technique! Each of the articles that I have read are very unique and important in their own personal way. Take the column: For better vision, kids need time outdoors as an example. This article stresses the importance of getting children off of their cell phones to being more active outside. An example in this article is when Ramsey states; "You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist's office, sauntering to his car- continually hunched over his smartphone or iPad." This introductory statement sets the stage perfectly so that readers can connect to the passage about to be read, instead of just reading it because they have to. Another article stressed the point of dress attire for certain occasions, and how people have lost respect in their clothing. It was called Super Bowl QBs score points for greater style. An example of Ramsey's voice reaching out through her diction is when she says: "And life itself regains the punctuation that says every day isn't the same as every other, that we are all part of a collective experience and that we honor each other and ourselves when we care about how we're groomed and dressed." This strength in just a few sentences reveals how careful Krista is when she says something in her column, because she wants it to sound like everyday people! My final example is in the article called: Jail program needs volunteers willing to listen. This is one of the more emotional columns because Ramsey gives up her emotions for the well-being of the piece. An example of this is when she states; "For most of my life I have averted my eyes when driving by a prison. It was a world I didn't want to think about, of harm done to innocent victims and of human beings locked away from light, freedom, their families to pay for their crimes." This statement makes me want to second guess criminals, are they really the monsters we think, or just real people with real feelings? This question causes me to ponder because as a child, I was terrified of those people in jail, and now that I read this and Krista Ramsey's perspective, I see that there are different ways to judge people. Thanks to all three articles, I have been able to get in touch on these ideas in my own brain! I hope to read more of Krista Ramsey's columns because they are truly inspiring!

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you find it easy to pay attention to detail, or do you find it hard to come up with topics for your columns because you must be specific about the true meaning?
2. Do you get your ideas from your brain, or everyday experience, or just as you go through life? 
3. If someone just gave you a random topic and you had to create a column about it, would you be able to? Or do you get your topics from a moment that connected to you? 

Nearing the Middle of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

         I am completely and utterly entranced by this novel in so many unexplainable ways! This is because it is so true and so heart breaking to hear the Holocaust story from the narrator talking about a little girl named Liesel Meminer. She is such an unfortunate child because her brother has just passed away, and now her parents are shipping her off to a foster home in the hands of her foster father named Hans Hubermann. I can see this story gradually gaining speed when Liesel picks up a fallen book from one of the gravediggers burying her dead brother, and is suddenly interested. This is probably the introduction, or beginning of her travels and troubles with book thievery during the Holocaust. I am definitely anticipating what happens next with Liesel because she is refusing to get out of the car to go into her new foster home, but I personally don't blame her, I would be pretty stubborn if all that had happened to me too!

      Although this book has definitely peaked my interest, there are a few things that I don't understand, or could use some revision. I am not very clear on the point of view of this book, because it is not from the point of view of Liesel, or any of her relatives. But if I were in Markus Zusak's shoes, I would base it on Liesel's reference. This is because it would be very interesting to find out how children related to the Holocaust and how they coped with all the harsh treatment based on race. I also wish that the author would emphasize Liesel's family a bit more because there has to be a huge reason why they are giving up their last child to a foster family. This underlying reason would also help the development of Liesel and her past. Other than these small changes, I am completely loving the structure of The Book Thief. 

      To finalize this blog post, I would love to discuss the movie based upon this book. I would love to see the visual of this mature topic and how the director sees the characters interacting. A few things that I definitely want present in the film are a corrupted society that definitely displays the ideals of the Holocaust and the importance of knowing how to change the future. Another aspect is a very shy, and reserved character to represent Liesel. And then later in the movie, a burst of her true curious self sparkles through her soul. Although I am not allowing myself to see the movie until I complete the book, I am still looking forward to how the author and director share common ideas!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816442/

A Brief Beginning/ Overview of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

            I have just begun the wonderful historical novel of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and I am extremely intrigued by the main character. I was reading the prologue, and I came across an interesting line that reads "Personally, I like a chocolate-colored sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me. I do, however try to enjoy every color I see-the whole spectrum. A billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me relax" (Zusak, 4). This quote hits me really hard in the chest because of the underlying truth that it displays. Colors are what humans really react to, a sad color like blue, or a spunky color like pink, and apparently a dark and mysterious color like chocolate. I love the immediate development of the main character and I hope that more of this specific detail of this character is yet to come.


           Although I have just started this book, I skimmed through before fully reading and saw that the chapters, or segments, are extremely short. I found this very compelling because my previous novels had very long extensive chapters. My prediction is that it is to give little snippets of information, and suspense, so that the reader wants to keep reading, even when the idea of the chapter has been dismissed. I am very excited for this type of writing because I know it will keep me interested for longer periods of time and it will definitely be efficient when I need to get ahead in the book. The only aspect that I am worried about at the moment is that those chapters will be too short and not give enough information to keep the suspense rolling. If this does happen, I will try to move past the mistake, and look more into the awesome characterization.


           To conclude this blog post about my new book, I would like to make a few predictions for the future, as I always do. I think that the overall message of this book will be to let your own actions define your character, because it is about a girl steals books from the Nazi book burnings, and since it is in the Holocaust time period, it is illegal the read as a Jew. These acts of defiance will define her as a rebel, and maybe even a hero. I am not very familiar with the rebels of the Holocaust, so I am very curious to find out how they found out the truth in such a hidden world. Another prediction is that the main character will have more family that supports her in this act, and that they will all eventually pay for it with possible death. I am anticipating the end so much that I can't wait to start reading again, and I hope that the suspense never stops rollin'!






















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_Thief

Nearing the End of If I Stay by Gayle Forman

              At times within this book, as I turn the long and exhausting pages over and over again, I realize that most information that is given through the author's tone is very meaningless to the main character, Mia. This may sound a bit on the mean side, but I am really starting to get extremely bored with the plot line of this novel! It is so confusing when Gayle Forman jumps back and forth with the decision- making process of Mia, and her past life. As I near the ending, I extremely hope for some sort of twist to keep me interested just a little bit longer. The story line really upsets me because I know that it has so much more potential than what Gayle Forman is giving it.


              Although the plot line messes with my head, I really adore the love that Adam has for Mia. With the actions that he displays, such as choosing her over everyone else and loving her for the similarities they have together, not the differences that slit them apart. One night, when Adam takes them out to one of his concerts, Mia doesn't act like herself, with her Halloween costume on and her fake attitude, but Adam looks beyond that and still sees that shy girl in the Orchestra room, and loves her for it. All these aspects of him lead up to the emotion that the reader feels when he finds out that Mia may be dead forever. This part of the novel was probably the most effective for me because it showed that Adam would literally do anything to see her, even if it involved cursing in front of the nurses and collapsing under his own weight. The aspect of their love that really upsets me though is that Mia does not seem to love him the same, and just takes their relationship day by day, until the accident. This part of the story line shows that Mia really does need Adam, or she is just a body floating into oblivion.


             With the conclusion to this blog post, I want to contemplate on some improvements to the novel. In the next few pages of the book, I want to notice a love for Adam that Mia has never felt before, to the point where she is screaming for him from the deepest corners of her soul. I would also love to see Adam become forever changed, seeing Mia's body plugged into all of the machines to keep her breathing. And my final request is that I start to see a change to the plot structure, to make it more understandable and interesting to read. If these changes were made, if they aren't already, then it would make the book so much more fun to read and actually drag the readers with the emotions of the characters, and put them in the same situation.







http://www.pagetopremiere.com/category/if-i-stay/

Nearing the Middle of If I Stay by Gayle Forman

              In my continuation of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, I notice that the author literally sounds like a love-struck teenage girl who is oblivious to everything except her one true love, which in this case is Adam. In some cases, Forman sends this message very smoothly, and in other places, it comes off as very irrelevant to the situation. For example, Mia explains her love life by stating "After that, whenever I started to doubt Adam's feelings, I'd think about my wig, gathering dust in my closet, and it would bring back the memory of that night. And then I wouldn't feel insecure. I'd just feel lucky" (Forman, 101). In this quote, I notice that Gayle Forman isn't going into too much depth to describe Mia and Adam's relationship. This clue may be hinting towards a break or crack in their relationship, which may be concluded near the ending. 

            Another important aspect that I have learned so far is that young love will stay with you forever and take over your thoughts. Mia is so engulfed in Adam that she has not fully grasped the idea of being virtually dead to the world. Which is why the reader feels so much emotion when she finally realizes that she may never be the same again. An example of when I felt a lot of emotion towards Mia is when she says "How am I supposed to decide this? How can I possibly stay without Mom and Dad? How can I leave without Teddy? Or Adam? This is too much. I don't even understand how it all works, why I'm here in the state that I'm in or how to get out of it if I wanted to. If I were to stay, I want to wake up, would I wake up right now? I already tried snapping my heels to find Teddy and trying to beam myself to Hawaii, and that didn't work. This seems a whole lot more complicated" (Forman, 88). I believe this section to be one of the most emotional and thematic section in the entirety of the novel, and although I haven't had any real clues to the conclusion, I believe that these thoughts will lead to her final choice.

           In conclusion to this blog post, I want to make a prediction to the ending of this novel. With all of the current evidence and quotes that I have provided previously, I believe that she will stay. All of her dreams and passions are here on Earth, and because she doesn't seem to be religious, she has absolutely nothing to look forward to if she chooses to let go. Which is why I believe that she will hold on for her remaining family, and especially for Adam. Without knowledge of the future, I can understand that Mia is scared, and I also notice that she feels that she was given a second chance for a very special reason. And I were in Mia's position, then I would stay as well because I was given a second chance at life.

http://www.hypable.com/2014/04/15/if-i-stay-trailer-chloe-grace-moretz/

If I Stay by Gayle Forman Update

                    If I Stay is starting to catch up with my interests, FINALLY. When I first started it, I was contemplating if I should abandon it because it literally had no plot development, but now it is finally becoming interesting. This is because the author, Gayle Forman, is skipping around through the scenes, which include the past and the present. It is a bit confusing using this kind of plot structure, but I think it is actually pretty unique, because I get to witness the car crash at first, then I get to see what happened to Mia and her entire family during the car wreck, and the aftermath. I also get to see snapshots of Mia's relationship with Adam, and the dates and times that they spent together. These circumstances make Mia so overwhelmed when she realizes that she has taken the form of a spirit because all it took was one mistake, to lose everything that she ever loved.


                   I believe that teenagers are so drawn to this book for one reason, and one reason only: IT IS SO REALISTIC. Even though anyone could read this novel and be content with the message, the reason that only teens are perked by this idea is because it can relate to them on so many levels that it is endless! One mistake can either break you or build you, and as humans we always want to build from our mistakes, not shatter and cry about it behind closed doors, but at times, the only logical thing to do is cry for yourself. I have made so many mistakes in my life so far, and what I have found, is that trying to change that mistake into something good, is a mistake in itself, because things that happen in your life were meant to happen, and not just for you to feel sorry, but for you to learn from it and build your life on bigger philosophies than you ever had before. This is why it is good to live with no regrets, because you can't say anything bad about the incident  until it never improves.


                    If I had to change one thing so far about the novel, it would be a more dynamic character for either Adam or Mia that sparks a unique love, not a cliche one. I feel like Adam must be weird, or Mia must be shockingly  outgoing so that the car accident means more than just plain "death." It means loss and sorrow and confusion, but it almost seems like Mia was expecting this to happen as soon as she looked around at the aftermath. I certainly hope that the details about Mia's human body are rationally displayed at a steady tempo because if it is too rushed or too slow, it will definitely become boring. Gayle Forman should very much continue her journey as an author because her way of writing mixed up plot scenes, could definitely intrigue other authors to change up our top reads, and sell way easier to teens and other love story lovers.

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/stay-movie-review-article-1.1910768 

The First Impression of If I Stay by Gayle Forman

                I have currently started the novel If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and as of right now, I am nowhere near as impressed as I thought I would be. I get a pang in my chest for saying it, but so far, the author has developed absolutely no plot and no back round on any of the characters except to explain that it is a snow day for the protagonist or main character Mia, and her brother Teddy. And right after the family is introduced, the car wreck comes immediately afterwards, which ends her parents' lives, and leaves chances for Teddy to live very slim. But Mia is in the form of a spirit when she awakens and sees her family laying dead in the perfectly white snow. This was when I got desperately confused because I know almost nothing about the family, and now they are all dead from the very beginning of the book. I dearly hope that the author maneuvers around this confusion because I believe that this will be very hard to read without the proper information prior to the accident.

               Although I believe that there could be many improvements to the start of this novel, I truly believe that the characters sound very interesting and more complex than the plot itself! Mia seems to be an ordinary girl when you take a first glance, but when you look even closer than that, you see that she plays the cello, and that music and her boyfriend Adam, may be the only two things that make her happy anymore. I do not know much more about Mia or Adam, but I can tell that their relationship may be the only hope and suspense that builds the story attached to the car crash. My favorite part of the novel so far seems to be the car wreck scene because the author is so detailed and descriptive about the death of the family and what the paramedics do to attempt to save the two children. "I edge closer and now I know that it's not Teddy lying there. It's me. The blood from my chest has seeped through my shirt, skirt, and sweater, and is now pooling like paint drops on the virgin snow. One of my legs is askew, the skin and muscle peeled away so that I can see white streaks of bone. My eyes are closed, and my dark brown hair is wet and rusty with blood" (Forman, 17-18). This quote shows how detailed the author was to really help the reader visualize one of the most important scenes in the book.
              I would like to take a moment to talk about this new popular author named Gayle Forman. So far I can see that she is a very unique author, because she mixes up the order of events in If I Stay so that the reader is temporarily confused. I am not so sure that I like this kind of writing, but it does intrigue me to find out how she will incorporate this kind of writing into such a complex set of characters in an unusual plot. I have never read another book by her before, but I have a feeling that she will be publishing more novels soon, based on all the publicity she has for just a two book series. I hope that I can trust her to move the story along with ease and to keep me on my toes, because I am determined to finish this series with a smile on my face and suspense in my mind.

http://www.amazon.com/If-I-Stay-Gayle-Forman/dp/014241543X

The Final Post for Paper Towns by John Green

                  As I near the end of the mystery, the plot is building more and more with the search for Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has been extremely focused on being the first one to find Margo, that he completely hides useful information from his friends, until he figures it out himself first, which I find quite selfish and conceded. But I do understand his struggle to find a lost friend, even though he knows that what he thought was true about Margo, is completely incorrect and confusing. What I find so crazy near the end of the book, is that Quentin was willing to skip his graduation to go find Margo in his brand new minivan all the way in some un-existing town in New York! If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't leave my graduation to go find someone that I barely know, but Quentin did put so much effort into finding her, that I understand why he didn't want it to go to waste.


                  Although this seems to be a very well thought out novel, I find some of the components very confusing involving the clues and how Quentin feels. At the start of the novel, I felt that the clues were very interesting and fun to learn, but now it seems that the clues have absolutely no meaning because Margo isn't making them, but Quentin still manages to find the clues he needs. So to me, I feel that if Quentin were not as dedicated or brave as John Green makes him, the story would have no plot or meaning to it. I desperately hope that the very conclusion ends bitter sweet because that is how the entire novel was, and Margo and Quentin's relationship.

                I would like to take some time to explain the picture that I chose for this SPECIFIC blog. The picture reads "You will go to the paper towns and you will never come back." This quote is a deep representation of what Margo says at the beginning of the novel, when her and Quentin go on their rebellious exploration to get revenge on their former friends. She says this to explain Florida and how much she hates it. Then later on in the novel, she leaves this clue behind for Quentin in the mini mall where she was hiding for so long. This leads Quentin to believe that she is in New York because all she wanted was to run away from the horrible paper town and find herself in a sensation of escape. This is one of the most important lines in the book, and I hope that the very near ending of the book relates to this concept physically and emotionally. 

                       




http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/192/3/f/paper_towns_by_harpymarx-d56wmv9.jpg

On and on with Paper Towns By John Green

               Can you believe that they are coming out with another John Green movie, in addition to The Fault in Our Stars! I am so excited because they did some amazing things with one two- hundred page book, and I cannot imagine the magic they will do with an additional teenage story. I really hope that they include John Green in the making of this film because if he can make thousands of teenagers cry around the world with one book, imagine what he can do at every movie theater in America! He has definitely inspired me, and I have only read apart of his teenage dreams. In the movie, I hope that they understand the authors and the characters hopes for the plot, and if they do, then the movie should be a huge success.

               For the movie, it is crucial to have the perfect Margo. Not just any actress who walks in with darting eyes and a shaky voice, but the teenager that walks in saying "What's my line again?" Or the actress who walks in and as soon as you hand her the script, she smiles and yells "PERFECT!" She must be very adventurous, emotional, and indifferent about life, and not care what anybody else thinks of her. If the teenager acts this way all the time, then it should be easy for them to get behind a camera an do it the same exact way.

              Another crucial component to the movie must be the character of Quentin Jacobsen. This actor must walk in with a sly smile and a feeling of accomplishment. In the book, Quentin seems like a normal teenager, but when you give him an extra long glance, you notice that he seems more insecure than his looks. Quentin is almost nothing without the disappearance of Margo keeping him busy. I have very high hopes for the acting and characters in this movie and hope that the director meets my expectations.


 Nat Wolff attempting for the role of Quentin Jacobsen!

http://www.justjaredjr.com/2014/03/26/nat-wolff-to-star-in-john-greens-paper-towns-movie-adaption/

Nearing the End of Paper Towns by John Green

             As a teenager, Quentin Jacobsen is experiencing a lot. Margo Roth Spiegelman's disappearance, finding clues to discover her again, while secretly lying to his trusting parents, and saving his friends from being drunk at crazy parties. If it weren't for the stress of High-School, then Quentin could have found Margo by now. But I believe that Margo wanted it to be hard to find her, because she has many philosophy's for life, and she makes it quite clear that she wants life to have a struggle, so when you accomplish something that you felt defeated about, then it will seem even better when you complete or accomplish it. I think that the further I get to the conclusion of this novel, I will see the philosophy that she see views as love between Quentin and her.

             As I go through the motions of Paper Towns by John Green, I always find myself wondering what Margo is doing while Quentin runs around frantically looking for scraps of her. Is she relaxing in the Caribbean trusting that Quentin has enough time and money to get a plane there? Or is she hiding from a demon within her that she needs help from Quentin to get rid of? Whatever it is, It is majorly effecting Quentin's teenage life. I think that being a teenager is important to develop important life lessons and goals for the future, and if Quentin is always looking for her, he will be underdeveloped for future life, whether that's with Margo, or another person. But if it does work out, I think this lost relationship will make them become closer, even if Margo may be so far away.

           Another thing that I always ask myself as I read this book, is how Quentin will react when, or if, he finds Margo. Will he be angry that she made him search the world for her? Or will he be grateful that she wanted him to find her, and that she obviously likes him? If I were in Quentin's shoes, I would be a mixture of both. This is because it would ruin my home life and my relationships with my actual friends, along with college and school. I would also be happy to see someone I loved after they left for such a long time. I feel the similar emotions that Quentin does, and I feel sorry and happy for him at the same time.











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Refresher on Paper Towns by John Green

              As I read Paper Towns more and more, John Green keeps putting me on the edge of my seat! The suspense in this novel never stops accelerating at very high speeds, and never disappoints me anytime I pick it up. I believe that every book, especially mystery romances, should always be speeding up the suspense, because suspense is what keeps the reader interested and visualizing what is going on around and within the characters. I really enjoy how John Green balances the ideals of mystery and love in Paper Towns. He does this by showing how desperate Quentin Jacobsen is about finding more clues, because he loves this rebellious side of Margo, which shows both Quentin's hunger for adventure, and his lust for Margo Roth Spiegelman. If there weren't a balance between these two main ideas, then one characteristic would overwhelm the reader in believing that one topic is more important than the other, when the author wanted the ideas to be equal.

             In my life, I have realized that hope and faith are the two most important qualities you can have to be successful. Likewise in Paper Towns, John Green makes it quite evident that hope and faith are helping Quentin have the determination to find Margo. If it were me that had to go find a reckless, rebellious person that I barely knew, I wouldn't even listen to the clues or try to find them at all, but since Quentin feels a connection with her, he is more encouraged to find her, because she is obviously not the Margo he thought she was. Quentin's friends, Ben and Radar, may be the opposing conflicts in finding Margo throughout the novel because they always seem to be the people who tell him to give up or to stop because the clues are too confusing and don't lead anywhere. But deep down, Quentin knows what Margo wants from him; she wants to be found by him, and him alone. Quentin also knows that he must move fast because time is running out more quickly than he can control.

             As Quentin nears prom day, he despises his friends for thinking that it is more important than finding Margo, so as they get ready for a never- ending night on the dance floor, Quentin searches all around Florida for clues of Margo and what she wants him to know. As he goes back to the mini mall, where he found an address on the hinges of his door left from Margo, he searches inside for something to cling to and give him hope. That's when he finds Margo's nail polish bottle on an old desk with a calendar that has the date June 1986 on it. Quentin gets very excited about this because it proves that Margo was here, and that he is in the right place in the on-going exploration. As I turn each page of this book, I start to see how better off Quentin is when he is independently looking for clues, instead of having two people who drag him down as he searches. I believe that Margo wanted it this way, which is why Quentin is having so much success when he puts all of his trust in Margo to lead him into an eternity with her.    

                             http://www.embowman.com/2011/reading-paper-towns-by-john-green/

   BEING MADE INTO A MOVIE SOON!