Ashley Hanlon

Ashley Hanlon
May 3, 2013
Block: B
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
Dystopian
Just Right
400

1. In the book Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld.  David doesn’t like how Tally must get brain damaged, but Tally tries to explain to him that she has to do this because she feels so guilty.  In the book Tally says that on a scale of one to ten of how guilty she feels, she feels like an eleven.  So, Tally decides to tell David the truth about why she decided to come to the smoke.  Maddy already knew the truth because Dr. Cable had told her.  But David did not already know, so when he finds out he runs off.  Tally says that David will be the one to rescue her after she had become pretty.  By now, Tally has written herself a letter explaining why she’s doing this so that when she returns she will have already given her consent to the experimental pills.  Shay is also going to the city.  She is doing this because she too feels guilty.  Shay just feels guilty because she ruined Tally’s chances of becoming pretty.  But, on the brighter side, uglies who become pretties but have a criminal record automatically become very popular and the two of them will go straight to the top of the pretty social ladder.  I’m wondering if when Tally and Shay go into town, will Tally become so brain dead and not remember anything or will the pills work and she can still be herself?

2. So far I really like this book.  I love how technologically advanced it is and its fun to read about because Tally and Shay’s world is so different from ours.  Even though we have social classes they are nothing compared how extreme the social classes in their world are.  I think that in general I like the whole plot of the book, its just so different from any other book I’ve read.  Westerfeld also writes some smaller details that keep you engaged as well.  Like, the hover boards, their special bracelets, and so much more.  In the beginning of the book, I has predicted that Tally would just be conflicted as to becoming pretty or staying ugly with Shay.  I had no idea that Scott Westerfeld would write in a whole new town of its own, The Smoke.  I would definitely recommend this book to someone else and I hope that the ending is just as great as the rest of the book.

3. In the book Uglies a very large and obvious theme would be society and class.  The characters in the story are divided up between who is pretty and who is not.  Westerfeld makes it very obvious who is where on the social ladder.  He even created towns for each of the classes-Uglyville, New Pretty Town, and Crumblyville.  In the story, the separation between classes is to the extreme.  So much, that even when Peris turned pretty he could not interact with Tally at all, simply because she is still an ugly.

4.   I would have to say that my favorite character would be Shay.  Shay is one of Tally’s on and off best friends.  I love how unpredictable she is and she is also a rebel child.  Which makes the story more interesting.  Her and Tally first meet when they run into each other when Tally is running back form New Pretty Town.  Shay informs Tally about the Smoke, David, and all the other people there.  She’s the one who got Tally interested in it.  Shay only wants to go to the Smoke because of David and also because she likes to do things differently from everyone else, and going to the Smoke makes her different.

5.  My least favorite character is David.  He was born into being a Smokie because of his parents, Maddy and Az.  The only reason he is my least favorite character is because when he runs off when he finds out the original reason Tally came to the Smoke, he didn’t even give her a chance to explain to him why.  Growing up for Tally, all she was ever told was how great it is to be pretty, and how much better life is.  Everyone she knows (with the exception of Shay) aspire to become pretty.  So for her to want that too is perfectly ok.  So when David blames her for that its really not her fault, it’s the society she lives in makes all “pretty people” seem to be the best people, and in this story they are.  She didn’t know what it was like to be a ‘Smokie’ so in her mind turning in the smokies to become pretty seems like a fair deal, after all everyone wants to be pretty.  She had made her decision before she made any friendship with anyone there, before she started dating David, and before Maddy and Az told her about the dangers of the brain lesions that come with being pretty.  So David had no right to act the way he did when he found out why Tally had come, it really wasn’t her fault.  And he will never understand that because he doesn’t know what its like to live in either Uglyville or New Pretty Town.  The only life he knows is the Smoke.

6.  My prediction for the ending of this book is that Tally and Shay will go into the city but something might go wrong.  They may not be able to turn pretty, or Dr. Cable will give them another task to complete before the procedure is done.  Because of Dr. Cable’s cold personality she will possibly use Tally and Shay to do other things.  And also use the pretty surgery to make sure they do it.  After all, being pretty is all they ever wanted.

Izzy Schwarz

Izzy Schwarz
Amazing Grace
Megan Shull
Fiction
Just Right
210

1. I am really loving this book right now! I think Amazing Grace by Megan Shull is a really fun read. Right now, Grace, or Emily O'Brien is looking for Teague, her date to the annual Medicine Hat ball. She waits for him at her house and when he doesn't show up she feels like she had been stood up. Ava then lets her use the snow mobile to try and find Teague. She goes to his house and see's a sketchy guy that she saw at a party but then he clears the air by telling her that he is Teague's brother. She finally finds Teague back at her house and they take off to the ball. At the ball they eat lots of fresh food, dance and do native ceremonies. During the ceremony, Emily meets Teague's grandfather. Emily realized that she already knew his grandfather from her therapy. He was a man that she saw there but never talked to.

2. I am really enjoying this book so far! It is so different from any other book I've read and it has so much detail. I love the way Megan Shull writes the chapters, they are short and they go by so fast which to me, makes the book feel shorter. I really hope this author has more books because she is new to me and I really like her. I think that it is so cool how each character is so different from one another and they each have a big purpose. Also, the plot is really easy to follow and there are no blank spaces in the book.

3. There are many themes to choose from but I think the most prominent one is love and sacrifice. When Grace/Emily decided that she wanted to quit being a professional tennis player and a model she was taking a BIG risk. She knew she would loose all of her endowments and everything the "famous life" ever gave her. She sacrificed this for a normal teenage life back, with family and friends and school. Sacrificing this life meant that she could be with her mom and make new friends. When Grace finds out that she has to go to Alaska for a few months she was upset at first but she knew she would still have a normal life.

4. My favorite character right now would have to be Teague. This is because when Teague saw Emily lying on the side of the road he helped her clean up and was just so nice to her from there on out. Even though Teague had no clue of who Emily/Grace was, he accepted her and was so nice to her from the very beginning. Teague also gives off a really nice vibe, he seems honest and nice and fun to be around.

5. Right now I do not have a favorite character but if I had to pick one it would be Grace's mom. This is because Grace's mom is kind of oblivious to Grace's feelings. In the beginning she totally accepted her quitting her life but she doesn't contact her at all and she doesn't realize that the whole reason Grace quit was to be with her mom who she never saw.

6. I think Grace will have to tell Teague who she really is but as soon as she does, he will accept her just like he did before, for who she is. I also think that Grace will stay in Medicine Hat but her mom will be with her. I think that Ava knows Teague from living in such a small town and being around for so long.

Sadie Hyde
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sonya Sones
Holiday
Finished

1.) The ending of What My Mother Doesn't Know I thought was really intersesting. In my opinion the ending was not the best. I thought that it was really sudden and I personally did not know what was going to happen after it ended. I was left with so many questions. This is why I was thankful that there was a sequal because it answered all my questions from the first book. The ending to this book was just how Sophie chooses to sit with her new boyfriend Robin Murphy instead of her two best friends.

2.) I really enjoyed this book because it was so unique. I thought that this book was so origonal. I liked how the pretty popular girl falls for the "gross" loser kid which is so unusual, and you never really know how it is going to work out. This story for me was so hard to put down and I could not wait to read this book then the sequal so that I knew exactly what would happen to this couple that no one thought would happen or work out. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and always wanting to know what was going to happen. I also really like how this book was formatted, it made the book so interesting.

3.) I thought that sacrafise was a major theme throughout this story. How Sophie scrafised her reputation and friends to be with the one that she loved. Sophie decided that instead of needing to be popular or cool she would much rather be happy by dating Robin. By doing so she gives up her social life. I think that the last chapter was really where sacrafise was shown the most because it is where Sophie decides she will allow everyone know that she likes Robin.

4.) My favorite charcter is Robin. Robin is really sweet and nice. He is so raeal in front of Sophie and he understands everything about her, also they have the same interests which makes him and Sophie connect even more. I love how at the end of the book when break is almost over Robin knows that Sophie most likely will act like nohting happened and tell noone because of the popularity and different people both Robin and Sophie hang out with. My favorite part is when Robin is wrong and Sophie goes to sit with him, and the smile that is across his face was amazing. I like how Robin knows he is an outcast but he doesn't let that stop him from chasing his dreams with Sophie.

5.) My least favorite character is Grace. I do not like Grace because she is all about herself and is really mean towards Sophie, not intentionally but I feel like somehow there is always a little hatred within those two. I think Grace makes everyone else feel bad about themselves like when Grace gets a new boyfriend and says all this stuff about how in love they are, and it makes Sophie and Rachel their other good friend feel bad about their relationships.

6.) In the end of this book I expected that Sophie would choose to sit with her firends at lunch the day that school got back, but what really happened was that Sophie followed her heart and sat with Robin. Even though that the ending was not at all what I had expected I really like how it happened. The ending had a really good twist to it.

Mike Jeffries

Mike Jeffries
The Last Apprentice: Slither
Joseph Delaney
Fantasy/Adventure
Just Right
179


1)  The Last Apprentice series is usually about a boy named Tom, who is a seventh son of a seventh son, and is in training to become the county's next spook. The spook is the person that rids the county of the dark. The dark usually consists of Witches, Ghosts, Ghasts, Boggarts, and other evil creatures. But in this story, the plot and narration is about another creature in another land. The creature is called a Haizda, and he goes by the name of Slither. Slither takes the shape of a tall man, but with a red face, sharp claws, and a tail. Slither, and all other Haizdas have the ability to shrink in size, and grow bigger in size, and their main diet is the blood of people and other creatures. In the beginning of the story, Slither comes across a farmer who he has known for a long time. Slither has an interest in the man because he wants to kill and suck the blood out of the farmers three children. Nessa, Susan, and Bryony. One day the farmer is trying to put his bull back into its pen, but the bull gets spooked, and charges right into the man and impales him with his horn. Slither, who lives in the forest a few miles away from the farm, smells the blood, and runs over to see what happened. He sees the farmer and knows that he only has minutes to live. The farmer, in his lasts minutes, makes a bargain with Slither. The bargain is that Slither must get the farmers youngest daughters, Susan and Bryony, to their cousins house safely and unharmed, and in return, Slither gets to keep the farmers oldest daughter, Nessa, to himself. Slither accepts the bargain, and when a Haizda makes a promise they must keep it until it is fulfilled. So far in the book, Slither and the three daughters have been on a hard journey with cold and snowy conditions to get Susan, and Bryony to their cousins house. But in order to get them there safely, Slither must take all three of them through Valkarky. Valkarky is the city of the Haizdas, and anybody  in that city who isn't a Haizda, is a slave, or the next meal. So will Slither be able to get the three daughters out of the city alive.

2) It has been really interesting reading a book in a series that has completely new characters in it, and a whole new setting in it. Delaney does a very good job of keeping you interested in a brand new plot, when you are so use to another plot that you have been reading about for ten books. His awesome use of detail and cliffhangers at the end of every chapter makes the book a gripping page-turner. After reading ten books in a series with the same author, I thought that I would get tired of reading the series, but Delaney keeps me interested and never seizes to amaze me.

3) So far in the book, I think the biggest theme is illusion of power. Throughout the book, you think that Slither is the most powerful, and whatever he says goes. But on a few occasions, Nessa has been able to manipulate Slithers actions and has been able to persuade him into doing things for the benefit of all of their lives. So far, you never really know which one has complete control over the other. I can't wait to read the rest of the book and see if this remains an important and big theme, or if a new theme comes along and turns out to be bigger and more important than the theme of illusion of power.

4) My favorite character in the book so far is Slither. In the beginning of the book, you think of him as a ruthless monster. But as the story goes along, you see him show care for the three daughters, and you see him show trust to keep up his end of the bargain with the dead father. Most importantly, you see him be brave enough to fight himself. In any moment in the book so far, he could have killed all three of the girls, and sucked the blood out of them, but he hasn't. I think we will see him become a real person, with true feelings and emotion throughout the rest of the book, and not just a blood-sucking, rampaging monster.

5) I really don't have a least favorite character in the book, but if I had to go with someone than it would be Susan. She is the middle sister, and she has whined and complained a lot throughout the journey. It is very scary to have your father die and then have some scary monster bring you on a dangerous journey and try to get you to your cousins house on the other side of the land, but look at what Tom Ward went though. I know he isn't part of this book, and I know Susan has never heard of him her whole life, but he had to the leave his family when he was 10 years old and go fight of the dark with a scary looking man who he has never seen before in his life, and face the chance of death on multiply occasions. I just think Susan should be a little bit more brave, and I think she will become more brave throughout the rest of the book.

6) I have no idea how the book is going to end, but I do hope that one of the characters of the normal plot reveals themselves to Slither, and the rest of the girls, and I have a strong feeling that either Slither, Nessa, Susan, and Bryony will have a great impact on he main plot, and I hope they will be able to somehow team up with Tom and his friends and take down the Fiend and the rest of his forces and be able to live in a world without chaos, and live in a world with peace.

Raffi Barsamian

Raffi Barsamian
Dice-K
Ian Browne
Biography
118

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese born all-star pitcher. He recently has been offered to play for the Boston Red Sox. In a 60 million 7 year contract with a no trade clause. I am currently reading about Daisuke's first season with the Red socks. He played his first game on April 5, 2007 against the Kansas City Royals, he pitched 7 straight inning giving up no runs with 16 strike-outs and 10 hits. This start was foreshadowing what looked to be a great season. Terry Franconia who was the head coach at the time exclaimed how pleased he was with Matsuzakas performance. All throughout the 2007 season Matsuzaka showed exceptional skill and ability in his pitching. His success carried the Boston Red Sox thorough the playoffs and to the world series. In game 3 of the series Matsuzaka started and led the team to a 10-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Matsuzaka claimed the title as the first Japanese pitcher to start and win a world series game. In game four the Boston came out on top and in Daisuke Matsuzaka's first major league season he won the world series.

2. So far I really am enjoying this book. Since the Red Sox are my favorite baseball team I'm learning more and more about them. Things that I would have never know about the team I now know. Like how if there is an international player that your interested in. The team has 30 days to sign the contract or else they are allowed to pull out of the deal. I also really like how informational the author is. Every small detail about Matsuzaka's life is integrated into the biography. When Matsuzazka came to the united states for the first time, he was very emotional. He had never been outside of Japan and beginning a new life in a new country was a very new. The author did such a good job of describing his emotion you could feel what he was feeling.

3. I believe the theme of this book is perseverance. When Matsuzaka was younger he couldn't find his rhythm.  He struggled with his technique. The coaches sat him for many games. He began to believe e would never be able to succeed in baseball. He couldn't figure out the reason why he wasn't able to pitch, until he changed his arm motion. all the problem was, was that is arm motion was too straight. Once he was able to turn is arm he was able to hit the strike zone almost every time. He did extremely well in high school, and never looked back. from then he went on and did great things. He eventually went on to play in the Japanese Professional League.

4. My favorite character is definitely Daisuke Matsuzaka. Since he is my favorite pitcher is Matsuzaka I am really enjoying reading more about him. I really am able to admire him and see all that he has done in Japan and in America. From the outside you cant really get a chance to admire sports players, but when you are able to see what they have been through and experience you really gain respect for them. Also there is so much more appreciation for what happens behind the scenes. From the money aspect to the game aspect there is so many things that are needed to be done. With all these things that need to happen many different people are involved.

5. My least favorite character in Matsuzakas couch at his old team in Japan. The head coach of the Seibu Lions was very unhappy when he heard when his star player decided to join the Boston Red Sox. He said very unpleasant remarks toward Matsuzaka.  I didn't like the fact that this happened to Matsuzaka because he earned this, and to have his coach put him down was very saddening.

6. My prediction for this book is that Matsuzaka will greatly succeed. He will really thrive with the Red Sox. I also think he will go on to do many great things. I think he'll break records and win awards. Matsuzaka will be the next big ting in baseball. I also predict that with Matsuzaka the Red Sox will be able to win another World Series. Matsuzaka has shown to be a very big contender in the Cy Young award, which is an award for the best pitcher in the major league, I believe Matsuzaka will be able to win the award with ease.

Elizabeth Gooch

Elizabeth Gooch
Pretty Little Liars: Flawless
Sara Shepard
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
71

1. In the book Pretty Little Liars: Flawless by Sara Shepard, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are all teenage girls being harassed by the mysterious A. Currently in the book, Emily is having conflicts with A and her neighbor Maya. Emily isn't sure of her feelings for Maya and A is threatening to expose them either way. Throughout the book, A sends text and other notes to the girls forces them to do whatever A wants or threatens to expose their secrets. Some of these secrets, their even hiding from one another.

2. I do really enjoy this book so far. The author is pulling me in as a reader by withholding much information about A and the girls. Sara Shepard keeps me guessing who A could be, with and without the information that the girls find out. I also really the characters and reading about their relationships with one another throughout the book. They all have very interesting lives that makes me want to keep reading. This is not a new author to me, I have also read the first Pretty Little Liars novel and books in her other series The Lying Game.

3. I think one main theme in this book is Empowerment. This theme seems to mostly appear in characters, especially A. A is empowered because A is able to make the girls do whatever A wants because if they don't, A will tell everyone about what happened with the Jenna Thing. And the Jenna Thing is when they girls, including Ali went to Jenna's house and put a firework in her tree house without knowing that Jenna was in there, and she was blinded. Somehow, A knows about this too even though they swore to never tell anybody. A also makes Hanna question her social status with haunting of her past self, and has Spencer's family disown her. A also breaks up Emily with her boyfriend, and threatens to out Aria about her relationship with Ezra. A has much empowerment over the girls.

4.  My favorite character in the book so far is Spencer. I like Spencer because she has one of the most interesting stories of all the girls. After Ali's body was found her parents still shunned her because she is with her sisters boyfriend, Wren. They don't seem to acknowledge that she is going through a hard time  and it is captivating to read about how Spencer copes with this, and mourns her friend death. She is an academic overachiever and continues to get very stressed out trying to live up to her family's expectations. She also can make some pretty poor decisions with A, which leaves the reader wondering how she will fix what she has broken.

5. My least favorite character in this book would have to be Melissa, Spencer's sister. Melissa is always trying to control Spencer and puts a lot of pressure on her. She also get her parents against Spencer when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her sister, even though she didn't like Wren that much. She is always cruel to everyone and doesn't consider how other people may feel. She is a very mean character who tries to make life for Spencer as hard as it can be. And I  think that sounds a lot like A's job...

6. I think A is about to release something to not only the girls, but the whole town of Rosewood. A is always pushing them and pressuring them to do things that they don't want to do and threatens them with the Jenna Thing. I think A is going to make Aria tell her parents about her relationship with Ezra, which is strictly prohibited. And if she doesn't tell them, I think A will. I think this is going to happen because A has already sent Aria a note telling her that A knows about that relationship, A even has pictures.

Ben Browne

Ben Browne
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K Rowling
Just Right
248

1. I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K Rowling. Earlier in the chapter  Filch took Harry, Hermione, and Ron to Professor Mcgonagalls office to be punished. She accuses them of concocting the whole dragon story to lure Malfoy out of bed and get him into trouble. As punishment, Mcgonagall deducts fifty points from gryffindor for each of the three wrongdoers. Harry is horrified that his house will lose 150 points. When the bad news is circulated the next morning, Harry quickly falls from his pedestal as quidditch star. He considers resigning from the quidditch team, but Wood convinces him that doing so would be useless. Harry then decides that he should not to get involved in anymore acts that could deduct more points from his team. 

2.At this point in the book I am feeling like the others. I am really enjoying the read. Throughout the year I have really enjoyed reading J.K Rowling's books. They all have great detail and great plots. I would have liked it if I had read the books in order instead of reading them all mixed around. Sometimes the plots get mixed around but since the plots are so good you can easily figure out the order of the books. Overall this book has been very good. Maybe not as good as the goblet of fire but still very good overall. 

3.A theme that I have noticed so far in this book would have to be Curiosity. Most of the characters throughout the book have shown some bits of curiosity. Harry later in chapter 15 goes off in to the woods with Malfoy. They see a mysterious creature drinking the blood of a recently killed unicorn. Malfoy and his friend run away and leave Harry in the woods. Harry is so curious that he stays and watches the being drink the blood until a sentaur comes and takes him back to Hagrid. Harry later finds out that the being was Voldemort.

4.My favorite character would have to be Harry. He is such a strong person even though he has had to come over such bad things happen in his life. He is always trying to help others and himself. He also really cares for the lonely game keeper Hagrid. Hagrid is not thought of as a person who works at Hogwarts just some guy who lives off in the woods. But Harry realizes how good of a person he is and they are instantly friends and they always look at for each other. 

5.My least favorite character would have to be Malfoy. He is so mean to everyone, including Harry. He and his friends always bully him and make him feel bad. Malfoy thinks he can do this because his dad is a very important person in the world of magic. He also is very mean to Harry, Ron and Hermoine's favorite person at Hogwarts, Hagrid. He thinks that he is just a dirty person who lives in the woods, even though he is a very nice person.

6. I think that in the next few chapters that Harry will finally confront Malfoy and give him a piece of his mind. Maybe they will fight or maybe the teachers will break it up before anything can really happen. Also I think that maybe Voldemort might appear again, seeing that he is so close to Hogwart's and the two will have a battle to the death and in the end Harry will win with the help of his friends.