Go Ask Alice blog

The Characters in go ask alice seem really real and believeable. It is a true story and it seems like something that teenagers our age would go through and the book tells about other real life struggles besides the basics like sex drugs and relationships it talks about being accepted and trying to fit in with the crowd that you right think is the right crowd but in actuality it is the wrong crowd

Twisted Blog #5

I felt that Twisted fulfilled my expectations, Tyler was found innocent like I thought he would be. The police were involved. They showed up to their door and asked him some questions regarding the situation and where he was. They asked Tyler if had downloaded anything since the day of the incident. Did he go to a party that night, was he with Bethany, was he alone with her and some more questions regarding what happened. The police confescated his computer and took it into custody. They wanted to see for sure if he had downloaded anything. Tyler told the police that he had seen the pics when his sister showed him. This went on for about a month.

The police soon came back and told Tyler he was innocent and his mother was relieved and so was his father. They gave back his computer. But Tyler wanted to know who had done this to Bethany they old Tyler they couldn't say.

I was not disappointed to find he was innocent but felt bad for his father because his boss was Bethany's father. As soon as he found out about this he fired him. Tyler's father was so upset he showed him brochures to a boarding or military school. Tyler's parents were very upset so they had to take action they were tired of Tyler getting into trouble.


Heather.J

Catalyst Blog#5

I am only a few pages away from finishing My book Catalyst. I have enjoyed reading the book because the problems that the main character Kate faces are the same problems that other teenagers are facing.

In the book Kate faces problems with her friends, her boyfriend, her family, and her future. When Kate finds out that she didn't get in to the only college she applied to she is worried and doesn't know what to do. She also had to deal with her friends bugging her about it. Then her dad offers the girl, Teri, that bullied Kate all her life to move in her house while Teri's house is being rebuild.

When Teri's little brother dies, Teri goes crazy and starts to smash up her house. When I left off in the book Kate was going to help stop Teri and calm her down. With only a few pages left in the book I'm very curious to find out what Kate is going to down about everything. I wonder what she is going to do about college, how she is going to fix things with her boyfriend, and how she is going to help Teri. I can't wait to finish the book and find out what happens.

Jillian E.

That Summer blog #5

I'm done with with my book and I really enjoyed it.

It did indeed fulfill my expectations. I enjoy reading books about the typical teenage life because sometimes they actually tell your life story without you having to say a word.

They also give you examples of how to handle some situations if you ever come face to face with one that is similar to the book your reading.

It definitely makes you want to keep reading more just to find out what Haven does to overcome her obstacles and whats left for her and her family.

Will her mom actually go to Europe? Will Ashley ever come back?

What happened to Sumner? What is going on with her dad and Lorna?

Those are some questions that still linger in my head. But most of all it's knowing that there are other people out there that are dealing with the same exact problem or concern as you are and you don't know it.

So I can say is that if you want an interesting book to read...

That Summer by Sarah Dessen is the one.

That Summer blog #4

So I'm down to about 10 pages in my book. And the thing that surprised me the most was instead of just coming out and saying what was bothering her Haven decided to "run away" from home after her mother kept nagging her to tell her what was wrong. She was finally starting to come out of her shell but instead she just runs away from the truth.

Everyone is frantic because they don't know where she is.

She ends up going into the woods running as fast as possible to try to escape what she didn't want to be true.

Ashley then comes to find her because her ex boyfriend Sumner goes to the house to tell Haven's mother and Ashley that Haven had ran off into the woods. Then things start to change between Ashley and Haven's relationship. Things start to go back to the way they were which Haven didn't expect. At this point she's happy but yet shocked at the way that Ashley is treating her because before Haven decided to run out Ashley made it seem like she didn't care. And her being nice surprised me a lot considering all the bullying Haven has gone through with Ashley.

That Summer blog #3

As I'm almost nearing the end of my book That Summer by Sarah Dessen Haven is heading towards a weird kind of breakdown. With her sister Ashley's wedding down to single digits it's put a lot of stress on her. She always kind of kept to herself when Ashley would say something mean and horrible to her or about her but there was something that just made Haven kind of go off like a time bomb ready to explode in a matter of seconds.
After getting a shoe thrown at her at work from a rude customer the timer that was connected to that bomb had just ran out and Haven lost it. Chasing after the lady and throwing the shoe back at her causing her to get fired I think that the situation that shes in made her grow a little bit because in the beginning of the book she seemed like the person who just took every bodies abuse and just dealt with it instead of sticking up for herself. But now she actually speaks her mind because she is fed up with the way people treat her. Another thing is is that she was self concious about her body {height} because she was almost 6 foot and shes finally growing into her body and starting to be comfortable with it.

LUCKY

Now that i am in the middle of the book Lucky i think she is going to have to face many other problems such as going to court and trying to put him away.She is going to have to deal with people thinking she lied about it and the sex was consensual even tho there is many details that make and information that there mad did in dead rape her.There are going to be people that wont understand and there will be questions on what happened.she might even have to deal with the chance of being pregnant.she might even deal with the fact that she might see him again and he might try to kill her for going to the police.

Catalyst Blog #4

The genre of Catalyst is high school fiction. I enjoy reading this type of novel because they are stories about teens and the problems that they face in high school, which I think that I can relate to some of their situations.

Another high school fiction novel that I have read is called Prom. Both of these novels are written by Laurie Anderson. These are similar because both stories are about girls that are in there senior year of high school. In Prom, the main character is worrying about graduating and figuring out what to do with the reason of her life. Shes doesn't really consider herself smart and doesn't want to attend college. In Catalyst, Kate is very smart, but she worrying about getting into the only college that she applied to.

These two novels are similar because both of the girls are worrying about their futures and what they are going to do. I can relate to both because I sometimes worry about my future. i like to read books that i can relate to a lot of the books that I read are similar to Prom and Catalyst.

Jillian E.

Twisted Blog #4

Now that I am almost finished reading Twisted. Bethany invited Tyler to a party, during the party Bethany became drunk and tried to hook up with Tyler. But Tyler knew that she was drunk and felt if he hooked up with her that night he knew it wouldn't have been the same if she wasn't drunk. Tyler told Bethany NO and she got angry, walked out on him and didn't talk to him. During this "non-communication" between Bethany and Tyler something bad happened. Tyler's sister showed Tyler pics of Bethany on the web that weren't just your ordinary pics, they were of her drunk and half naked. Soon everyone was blaming Tyler since he was already committed to a crime and they instantly accused him of posting those pics on the web. As I read farther, I hope that Tyler will be innocent. You shouldn't accuse someone of something just because they have a past of wrong doings.


The problem or conflicts the character would face is, Bethany's parents have the police involved in some way investigating who took those pics and posted them on the web.

The qualities Tyler has is he is honest with some things and will handle it in an adult manor and not go all crazy and try to handle it himself. He will stay low out off everyone's way, by avoiding Chip (Bethany's Brother) and not trying to fight him, even though Chip has been laying it hard on him fo what Chip thinks Tyler has done to Bethany.

LUCKY

The characterization in lucky by Alice Sebold was very realistic!I felt the character Alice was so real because shwfaced a real life problem that effects many young women today!She faced the problem of being raped!She delted with the problem in way i would of dealt with it so it mad me feel like it was even more realistic.Also it was ful of drama in drama is in every young womens life.If i had to meet anyone from the book lucky i would want to meet Alice because she was so brave and didn't care what other pepole thought about her and thats how me and my friends are so I think she would fit right in with me and my friends!I liked the character Alice alot because of how brave she was and how she delted with the rape!




Ashley.c

The Allure of the West

<i>Into the Wild</i>, Jon Krakauer, pgs 144-207 (end)

<i>Death of a Salesman</i>, Arthur Miller, pgs 1-97

So, I finished <i>Into the Wild</i> and started rereading a book that I'm studying with my AP Literature class.  As I read the first act of the play I was struck by the similarity between Chris McCandless and many of the characters from <i>Death of a Salesman</i>.  The main character of this story, Willy Loman frets over a missed opportunity to accompany his older brother to Alaska to make money. Instead he is 60 and stuck in a dead end sales job.  Interestingly enough, Willy's father abandoned <i>him</i> as a child to also seek fortune in Alaska.  In a weird twist, Willy is disappointed in his son Biff because he is constantly seeking work outside of the norm of the day.  He's worked on cattle farms and other jobs that Willy does not respect.  Biff explains that he likes these jobs because he's not stuck inside at a desk and can be out in the open air.

In American culture the west has always been symbolic of the open frontier, a vast unexplored wilderness where a man could make his living outside of the realm of laws and societal constraints.  It's interesting that these two books, written 50 years apart, have such similar themes.

Does anyone else know of any characters who seek a life outside of society?  Anyone have a friend or family member who constantly wants to go out on the open road?  What do you think drives a person to feel like this?

__________________________________________________

<b>Dear Blogger:</b>  This is not a spam post.  I am mailing to publish this on all of my student's blogs in order to provide a sample and to engage in discussions.  Please call off the spambots.

Lucky

I think the characters in lucky by Alice Sebold reacted in a way i would of if i was in a similar situation!For example she did not try to fight him away because she knew if she did her chance of living wouldn't look to good!but most importantly when her dad didn't understand what she had been threw and wanted to blame her instead of fighting with him because she knew fighting with him wouldn't solve anything she took him to the side and explained it the best way she could!!!she answer all his questions he had with the best explanations.She also didn't let the rape hold her back from doing stuff she wanted to like she still went to visit her sister and picked her up with her mother and father and brought her back home!!!she knew people were talking about her but she didn't let it get to her!!!!she went on doing what she was doing and did not care what people thought about her because she knew that they hadn't been threw something like that before so they dint know what she been threw.



Ashley.C

Twisted Blog#3

The genre of Twisted is High School Fiction. This genre I am very familiar with, this is so because I have read another book of Laurie Halse Anderson's. Twisted and Catalyst both by Laurie Halse Anderson relate to each other not only in their genre's but where they take place. Both in a High School setting, and having to deal with other teens that put some sort of pressure on them. Either by bullying or making them feel like they don't exist. In both of her stories the main characters break out of their shells and become a person no one has ever seen to them before and a shock to the readers.

Twisted "breaks the mold" by having to relate too this kind of genre. In High School it is not like how they say it is in the stories or books they "over exaggerate" just a little. Yes, their is drama and the clicks, but, in Twisted clicks can only talk and hang with the people in their click. High School rarely has clicks and you can talk to whomever you want.

Tyler hangs out with Bethany who is popular, and her brother Chip gets upset about it because Tyler is not popular, he is known as a geek who gets in a big mishap at the end of his Junior year. Bethany continues to hang out with Tyler and the more Chip gets mad. Thats when the story unfolds.........


Heather.J

Catalyst Blog#3

One of the other main characters in the book is a girl that Kate goes to school with, her name is Teri. When Teri is first introduced in the novel she is talked about as a bully who always gets into fights. Kate talks about how Teri always used to pick on her and beat her up in middle school.Every one at Kate's school sees Teri as a mean person and nobody wants to be friends with her.
When Teri's house burns down Kate's dad offers Teri, her younger brother Mikey, and her mom to live with them will their house is being rebuilt. When Kate finds out she has to share her house with someone who bullied her all of her life she is mortified.
Through out the beginning of the story Kate describes Teri as a mean bully. As Kate begins living with Teri she sees that Teri is not just a bad person. Kate begins to see that Teri can be very kind especially to her younger brother Mikey and to her mom. She also sees that Teri is also very helpful in rebuilding her house. Kate also sees that Teri's life is difficult and that's why she can be mean at times. Kate learns that Teri is a lot different that what people say about her.

Jillian E.

That Summer #2 pages 1-124

Sometimes when I read a book I often find myself in the same situation as the character or feel their emotions like I was them. For instance in the book This Summer by Sarah Dessen, Haven is experiencing one of the hardest times possible in a young teens life. Her parents had gotten a divorce, a new woman is in her father's life, her sister is getting married and moving out of the house, and her mother might be going away to Europe which Haven would have the house all to herself. Haven works at Little Feet, a shoe store at the mall where she also has many encounters with her sister, Ashley's ex-boyfriend Sumner. Sumner was the only boy that was in Ashley's life that Haven liked because whenever he was around it seemed that everything in Haven's life was perfect and that nothing could go wrong.

She could remember the nights on the beach when Ashely was always nice to her unlike now when all Ashley seems to do is make fun of how tall Haven is. Everything was great between her parents but now it wasn't. Her father had met a woman named Lorna Queen at the local News Station where they worked and they later got married. And now him and his new bride, are expecting a baby and Haven doesn't know how to deal with the fact that theres going to be a new addition to the "family."

I believe that I identify with the emotions that are running through Haven because like her I'm going through a rough time with my parents and it must be hard dealing with the fact that at a young age your parents get a divorce or are separated and that in her case a new woman arrives in her father's life and is expecting a baby, her mother is a total wreck and her sister who also has a wedding a few days away from her father's isn't exactly a happy person either. Then seeing someone who sparks old memories of when your life was at it's best and you never thought anything could ruin it comes back into the picture ,all you can think about were the "good old times" of your life and realizing that nothing you can do at this point can change the fact that it won't be the same as it was back then.

Twisted Blog#2

Sometimes we identify with one or two characters in the story. We identify with them or feel sympathy for them. The character in Twisted I identify with is Bethany. She has an older brother named Chip , he looks out for her and doesn't want her to hang out with people who are bad influences on her. One of these bad influences is Tyler. Chip thinks because of Tyler's little mishap at the end of the school year he will get Bethany in trouble.
I believe I identify/relate to Bethany because my older brothers do the same for me, they just want the best for us. I think all older siblings do that. Now I see that I am doing the same with my little sister so we some how all identify with a character in a story some way or another.
Heather.J

Catalyst Blog#2

The main character in the book Catalyst is kate. The character to me seems very real and believable.She is a very smart senior in high school.The narrative,which is told by Kate, is believable that a eighteen year old could be telling the story.Although she makes a lot of references to science and chemistry.I think that it could still be a story told by a teenager.
In the book Kate talks about worrying about getting into the college that she really wants to go to.I can some what relate to Kate in this situation because sometimes I worry to much about certain things.In the book Kate talks a lot about liking science and math and she compares a lot of things that happen to her to a science problem. I also like science and math, but I don't compare things that happen to me to a science or math problem. I think that me and Kate are similar in a way but not very similar.
A lot of the other characters in the book remind me of real life people. I think that Laurie Anderson did a good job of creating characters that are very believable and realistic


Jillian E.

Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer Pages: 1-144

So, the book I'm reading is about this early twenty something kid who
is pretty alienated. It's a nonfiction book, and since I haven't
summed it up yet in a previous response, it's about a kid who is
searching for meaning in life and seeks this meaning by exploring.
At the beginning of the book we find out that he ends up dying in the
middle of Alaska to exposure.

Even though I think I'm supposed to, I'm having a really hard time
identifying with the main character, Chris McCandless. I look at
the cover and there's this picture of Emile Hirsch portraying
McCandless. He's a good looking kid, and he's kind of sitting in this
"top of the world" type dominant pose. The author seems to really
identify with the character, and spends a couple of chapters relating
his own similar experiences. And McCandless is seemingly the rugged,
individualistic antihero that Americans celebrate.

But, I can't get into him, and I think it's because I'm a parent
now. I see the way this kid abandoned his parents, went off into the
middle of nowhere, took chances, didn't write home, and espoused his
theories on the way life works to whomever would listen, and I'm
like, "dude...call your mom, dad and sister. They're worried sick."
The kid is kind of portrayed as this spiritual, deep Thoreau quoting
prophetic figure, but he just strikes me as naive and self centered.
I don't know what I'd do if I was his parent. I would be devastated
if my son took off after graduating college and just disappeared.
It's really rather sad.

(By the way, if you're wondering, this response is to the 7th bullet
under character. The total length of this response is 279 words. I
summed up the book to start because I figured you'd need that
information, but then I really tried to stick to talking about
whether or not I identified with the main character and why.)

Twisted

The name of the book I am reading is Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. Twisted is about a boy who is know as a geek and does something bad. He vandalizes school property by spray painting volger words about the principal. By the time school starts again in the fall everyone looks at him no longer know as a geek but someone that is bad but in a geekish way.
What I like about this book is how just one little mistake turns into a big deal. This mishap changed his life.


Heather J

D.Hardy

The name of the book im reading is called Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. The book is a real diary about a girl who experiences a life of drugs,sex,and peer presure.
I like this book because it may relate to a teenagers life.

D.Hardy

lucky!!!

the book i'm reading is Lucky by Alice Sebold. IT is about a young women that gets raped when comming home from a college party!
One thing i like about the book is it was about her life and her rape.
Ashley.C

That Summer

The book that I am reading is called That Summer by Sarah Dessen.
It is about a 15 year old girl named Haven who is dealing with a lot of problems in her life. She's 15 and is already 5 foot 11 and feels like the whole world is staring at her. Her parents got divorced and her dad is getting remarried which causes frustration and irritation to her mother.
Her sister is getting married not far from her father's wedding and Haven has flashbacks of the summer and how she wishes she could go back.

The thing I like so far about reading this book is that it gives you like a step by step coming of age for teenagers and the problems you might end up actually facing. Parents separating/divorcing and then getting remarried is probably the main problem in a teens life now a days.

Megan M

Intro to Catalyst

The book that I am reading is called Catalyst and it is written by Laurie Halse Anderson.This book is about a girl in her senior year of high school and she talks about preparing for college and her future.
One thing that i like about this book so far is that i can relate to all of the problems that the main character ,kate, faces. Since kate is a senior some of the problems and things that she is going through may be similar problems that other senior girls may be facing.


Jillian E.

Your 1st Post!

Today in class we will be posting to our blogs. To keep things simple, this
first post will be a kind of introductory thing. Here's what I'd like each
of you to write (make sure it is under your own display name):

1. In 2-3 sentences, give us a taste of the book. What is the title? Who
is the author? What is the "gist"? (It's about a girl who...)
2. In a separate paragraph of 2-3 sentences, finish this sentence: One
thing I like (or don't like) about the book so far is...