Summer reading (post four)

Out of all the books that we could have read for summer reading I chose, Looking for Alaska. I chose this book because the cover and title were very intriguing. I kept wondering why they were looking for Alaska and if it was talking about the place or a person. I also noticed smoke on the cover and I wanted to know why it was so important that it had to be on the cover. In the novel they kept talking about how they always want to know what will happen when they do something or when they are making a decision. I can connect to this because sometimes I wonder if I am making the right decision and I want to know what will happen in the long run once I make the decision. I loved this book, and if I were to rate it I would give it five stars. It kept giving a ton of detail and I could really put myself in their spot and think how I would feel if the things that happened to them actually happened to me. I would recommend this book to any teenage girl because it is an emotional book that talks about a girl, Alaska, and situations that she and other characters in the book had to go through that a teenage girl might be able to understand. 

Summer reading (post three)

“If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can’t know better until knowing better is useless. And as I walked back to give Takumi’s note to the Colonel, I saw that I would never know.”  This quote was from page 218 of Looking for Alaska. I chose this quote because I think that if someone were to read this quote they would want to read the rest of the book. This quote leaves the reader wondering who Takumi and the Colonel are and who is narrating the quote. It also leaves the cliff hanger of what the note was about. This quote is talking about how Takumi, Pudge, and the Colonel, they are neighbors, have done many things they regret. They just wish they knew what would have happened before the consequence hit. The note referred to above, that Takumi wrote, was about their actions and their consequences. No one can ever or would ever know why the things that happened actually happened. The best that anyone can do is guess why things happened, but no one would ever be positive. I don’t want to give away anymore of the book than this though, the book Looking for Alaska is too good to spoil.

Summer reading (post two)

There are many goals and desires for the main characters in the book Looking for Alaska.  Pudge, for example, wants to date his neighbor, Alaska, but she has a boyfriend whose name is Jake. Alaska always tells the Colonel and Pudge how much she loves Jake and that she always wants to be with him (she never wants to cheat on him). Alaska’s desire is to pull the biggest prank that she can on the president of Culver Creek, the Eagle. The Colonel, Takumi, Pudge, and Alaska all love to break the rules and they always want to get to the bottom of different situations. The only major desire that Lara has is that she just wants to fit in. The theme that is appearing in the book is that you shouldn’t take anything you do for granted.  No matter what happens, keep moving forward. Who knows when something bad will happen, and you can’t prepare for it.  All you can do in that moment is not blame yourself or try to think of what could have been done differently to stop a tragic event from happening. Pudge is the narrator for the entire book and the structure of the book has lots of dialogue between all of the characters. The book also contains lots of descriptions so that you can visualize the book in your head. 

Summer reading (post one)

I am reading the book, Looking for Alaska, by John Green. Culver Creek Preparatory School is the setting of this book, this boarding school okay, not a perfect boarding school but, not terrible.  It has a huge campus, but doesn’t have air conditioning (except for in the classrooms), there are lots of people to become friends with but, the showers are really bad (almost no water comes out of them). The students sleep in cabins fit for two people, and the only way the students can talk to their parents is with a pay phone. In this book, there are many main characters, such as, Miles Halter, Alaska Young, Chip Martin, Takumi, and Lara. Miles Halter got a nickname the first day that he went to boarding school from Chip Martin; Chip Martin is Miles roommate at Culver Creek. The nickname that Chip gave Miles was “Pudge”.  This nickname was ironic since Miles was very skinny. Chip Martin also has a nickname, “The Colonel”. Chip got this nickname the first years he went to boarding school. Alaska is Pudge’s and the Colonel’s neighbor, and Alaska is also the Colonel’s best friend. Lara is one of Alaska’s many friends on campus.  Alaska ends up setting Pudge up with her. Takumi is also one of the Colonel’s and Pudge’s neighbors and he has known the Colonel since he started going to Culver Creek. Pudge is very nervous about going to a boarding school, instead of his school down in Florida, because he doesn’t know if he will make any friends. I predict that later on in the book he will meet his new best friend at Culver Creek. I think that his best friends will end up being Alaska and the Colonel because they all live near each other. I can make a text to self-connection because when I went to camp a few summers ago, we stayed in cabins with no air conditioning just like everyone in Culver Creek.

(3rd tri)The Fault In Our Stars (9)

I just made trailer for the book I am reading The Fault In Our Stars because it is a really good book and I don't know the ending, so I won't give it away in the trailer on accident. If you haven't read this book you need too because it shows that no matter how bad your life is, if you have good people with you then you can get through it. No matter what happens with Hazel and her cancer she always has Augustus right by her side to help her get through it and keep a positive mind. 

 

This quote was said by Augustus and I think that it really shows something about Gus. It shows that he know people will hurt you and it doesn't matter because you can choose if they are people worth being hurt by.

The Fault In Our Stars

(3rd tri) The Fault In Our Stars(8)

I think that John Green is a very good author so I wanted to know what lead him to being such a great author. I found out that John Green graduated from Kenyon College in 2000. He graduated with a major in English and Religious Studies. He was also bullied all the time as a kid and they made his life miserable. He was inspired to write The Fault In Our Stars because after he graduated in 2000, he was working as a student for 5 months in children's hospital. All the working he did in children’s hospital made him realize all the really bad and the life-threatening illnesses that some people have. The kids at the hospital are what caused him to write The Fault In Our Stars, they inspired him because of the lives they had.