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/