Final Blog Post

The growth within my writing on blogger throughout the trimester has evidently improved. For instance, in my first posts, I was not very successful in trying to connect with my audience, and therefore it made my posts kind of boring. An example of this is how in my older post, I simply ended the post at the end of a thought, without drawing a conclusion or making any kind of connection. Throughout the trimester I attempted to work on making my posts more interesting, so that people would enjoy reading them. In my second post, I ended with a connection to another novel, The Hunger Games, which is a novel that most people in this class have probably read. This would allow a reader to connect to my post more easily. Also, my vocabulary has improved throughout the trimester. In my first post, my vocabulary was kind of dull, and when describing characters I did not use very many effective descriptive words,       I only counted a total of two. In my second post, I highlighted the many examples of where I attempted to use more descriptive words, and tried to really go in depth about my impression of each character. Lastly, I believe that my transitions have improved. In my first post, I hardly used transition words, and went straight from one topic to the next. In my second post I used transition words such as so far, also, therefore, for example, etc. Overall I just believe that the general quality of my writing has improved.

            One thing that I struggled with through the blogging experience was incorporating technology, as well as keeping up on my reading well enough to publish as effective of posts as I could have. The reading was due to a busy schedule, but I did my best to find books that I enjoyed reading so that I would find myself reading during my free time. To incorporate technology I did my best to be on the look-out for external articles, media, and pictures that related to something I was reading so that I could incorporate it in my post and give the reader something to read or watch that may help them better understand the post. One strength I had while blogging was the content of my blogs. I felt that I was successful as far as meeting all of the rubric requirements which included characterization, analyses, book summary, etc. I believe that I found effective ways to connect with an audience while still reflecting these important elements of reading throughout my blogging experience. I am sad to say that I did not even come close to my reading goal, as high school presented far more time commitment than I had originally expected. I ended up 18 books off of my reading goal, which is something I would like to work on next trimester when I hopefully have more time. I updated Goodreads throughout the trimester by saying which books I had finished, liking quotes, and marking books that I wished to read. I have improved as a reader throughout the trimester overall by just beginning to enjoy and look forward to independent reading, and really working on finding novels that I was passionate about.

My plan for this trimester

I am only about a little half way through Divergent, and I am already looking for another book to read. I am considering reading 2 books at once in order to finish 3 by the end of the trimester. I am thinking about a lot of different books, so if you have read any of these, please tell me if you enjoyed them. I just watched the movie The Great Gatsby this weekend, and I really, really, enjoyed it. Possibly one of the best produced movies I have seen in a while. I am aware that this story was originally a 1920s novel, and I was wondering if anyone has read it and if it was any good, especially compared to the incredible movie. I was also considering The Notebook, because I picked it up the last time I was at the bookstore but have not read it yet. I'm not sure if I'm really into reading a Nicholas Sparks novel right now, unless it is extremely good. If I finish Divergent in time, I might just try to finish the series or start the next book. Lastly, The Fault In Our Stars has come up a lot recently, and I have kind of been wanting to read it as well. Also, if you know of any good Christmas time novels, please tell me, because I'm kind of already in the Christmas spirit:).

Divergent: Book Review/ Thoughts

I am only about half way through this book, but I really like it so far. I think that the plot line is really intriguing, and the way each chapter ends would make anyone want to read more. It is really sci-fi, which a lot of people don't like, but I think that this is one of those rare cases where a sci-fi novel can appeal to all, or most people. I think this novel appeals to people in a way similar to the sensation of the Hunger Games. The overall theme and message really tugs at you and makes you feel for the main character. I also know that this book is going be a movie coming out this Spring, and I've found myself really looking forward to being able to see this book produced on the big screen. It will be a different experience for me than the Hunger Games, because I saw the movie first in that series, so I am excited to get a different outlook on a big sci-fi production. I would definitely recommend reading this novel to anyone and everyone, and remember, don't judge a book by its cover. You will never know if you like it until you read!

Here's a sneak peak of the trailer for the movie, because my post kind of turned into my excitement towards it :).

Romeo and Juliet: Modern Versions

In class, we have been reading Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the unit, I have discovered how many modern remakes of this plot line there have been. The play by Shakespeare was one of the greater works in history, and it is still being recreated today. I figured that I could add something a little more interesting to my blog by making a list of some of these modern remakes and discussing them. All of these remakes show the legacy and impact of Shakespeare's great love story.Who knows, maybe watching one of these remakes will help you get a better understanding of the play!

1. Romeo and Juliet(1968 film)- directed by Franco Zeffirelli- This film version of Romeo and Juliet sticks to the initial script and setting. It takes place in the original time period and is a director's take on the film.

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2.William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet(1996 film)- This film version of Romeo and Juliet sticks to the original script, but takes place in a modern setting of Verona Beach, and the characters are much more modern. This creates a contrast between the way the characters talk and the setting.

 

3. West Side Story- Believe it or not, West Side Story was actually inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Although the plot and the characters are not entirely the same, the general storyline is close enough to see the similarities. It is an American musical set in the early 50s in New York City

 

4.Gnomeo and Juliet- This is an animated film version of Romeo and Juliet. It is a modern and quirky take on the plot, and is meant to be a comedy version with the characters being garden gnomes.

 

 

5.Romeo and Juliet(2013 film)- This film version is the most recent and modern. It uses the original setting of Elizabethan Verona similar to Zeffirelli's adaptation, but does not stick to the original script.



 



 

 

6. Love Story by Taylor Swift- This final adaptation of Shakespeare's famous love story is a modern song by pop-country artist Taylor Swift. It is most definitely influenced by Shakespeare's play and shows the legacy of the story.





Divergenet: Questions/Predictions

I just recently finished Chapter 15 in Divergent. One thing that I have noticed about this novel is that the end of each chapter definitely leaves you hanging. After finishing chapter 15, many questions and predictions formed in my head. Chapter 15 is about the visiting day when Beatrice gets to see her parents. Only her mother comes, and her mothers reasoning of why her father didn't is that he had to "work". However, her mother acts very strangely toward the end of the chapter. She seems to know quite a bit about Dauntless, being an Abnegation. At the end of the chapter, Beatrice realizes that her mother was once Dauntless, before she chose to be an Abnegation at 16. Beatrice's mother also somehow knows that she is Divergent, and knows how dangerous it is. I believe that Tris's mother was also told she was Divergent at the aptitude tests. She seems to know more than anyone should unless they were Divergent themselves. A questions has also formed after reading this chapter and that is why has Four been acting so strange lately? He was particularly rude to Beatrice's mother when he met her, and has just been acting weird lately. That is the only updates I have for today! Once again though, this book is getting extremely exciting and I would recommend checking it out!

Romeo and Juliet: Comparison to Film Versions

As you most likely know, recently in class we have been reading and analyzing the famous Shakespearean play "Romeo and Juliet". After reading each scene, we have been watching two different film versions of the scene, which include a film version that is true to the Elizabethan Era in which the play was originally intended to be set, as well as a different film version which includes a more modern take on the play's setting, which affects great deal of the play, however, but sticks to the original script. In viewing all three versions of the play, I have noticed many differences. However, each take on the original script allows for a better understanding of the play. For instance, after reading only the script, some of the details about setting, as well as the characters actions can be somewhat foggy, because the script includes only their words. After viewing the film versions, I was also able to pick up the tone in which certain words were meant to be said, which I hadn't been able to do after just reading the script. For instance, I believed Lord Capulet to be a light-hearted, calm man when just reading the story, but after viewing the films, I realized that he was not calmly scolding Tybalt, but completely yelling at him. Therefore, the film takes also impacts characterization. Despite the differences between all three versions, they all have the same theme and true impact and meaning behind each scene, and viewing the films has greatly impacted my understanding of the story of "Romeo and Juliet." Therefore, I highly recommend watching each of the film versions if you plan on reading the play. Below, I have included the trailer for each.
Romeo and Juliet (1968 film version)

Romeo and Juliet Trailer(1996 film version)

Divergent: So Far/ Characters

After getting off to a slow start with Divergent, I'm actually pretty far into it. I've been able to get a sense of characterization so far, and I also have some questions and predictions. Starting with characters, I would like to first discuss the main character, Beatrice, or "Tris", the new nickname she gives herself when she joins Dauntless. For most of the characters in the novel, the faction which they choose reflects their character. For example, dauntless would be fearless, Abnegation would be selfless, Amity would be cheerful and happy, Erudite would be smart and witty, and Candor would be honest. However, Beatrice is slightly more complicated than this. This is shown towards the beginning of the novel, when she finds out during the faction placement tests that she is divergent, which is said to be very dangerous and means she has the traits of the factions Dauntless, Abnegation, and Erudite. Tris is unlike all of the other characters in this way. She is fearless, but responsible, selfless, but also thinks of herself at times, and witty but not overly book smart. I can predict that she will be a dynamic character, as she will likely discover who she truly is throughout the novelAnother two characters whom I would like to discuss are Four and Eric, who are the leaders of Tris's initiation into Dauntless. Eric is pure Dauntless, which isn't necessarily a good thing. He will probably also be a static character, since he does not seem very susceptible to change. He is fearless but also ruthless and violent, unlike Four, who is also fearless but is responsible, reserved, and composed. He knows the difference between doing something fearless, and doing something insane. There are a lot of different interesting characters in this book, and it really makes the novel more interesting and suspenseful.

I would also like to state a couple of questions and predictions I have in the novel so far. First of all, I am curious to why Divergent is made such a big deal in the book. So far, Beatrice's divergence hasn't really impacted the plot a whole lot in the novel. I predict that this will play a more important role to the plot as the novel progresses, because such an importance is placed on the idea. Also, I am curious as to why Four seems to like Beatrice so much and feel so much sympathy toward her. He seems to show some favoritism toward her, and gives her advice on fighting, as well as the decisions she makes. I predict he almost has some kind of romantic interest in her. That is all I have so far for today, other than that I would definitely recommend reading Divergent to anyone! I think that it is going to be really big, almost comparable to The Hunger Games and it is going to be made into a movie this Spring!

New Book: Divergent

As of Sunday, I started a new book, Divergent. I've heard some really great things about this book, and it was recommended by a lot of people. I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but I did enjoy reading Matched by Allie Condie, and heard it was similar to this. I know I recently mentioned that I would have liked to read another Nicholas Sparks novel, and I picked up The Notebook this weekend, but after reading the first couple of pages, I just wasn't feeling another Nicholas Sparks novel right now, after just finishing one. I plan to read The Notebook as soon as I finish Divergent, however.

Moving on from my current situation, I just started Divergent, and so far, it seems to be a fairly interesting novel. I am not far at all, but I have a general idea of what it is going to be about. I can tell that it is going to follow some of the general themes of the majority of the science fiction novels that I have read(The Hunger Games, Matched, The Giver,and The Uglies). For instance, in all of these novels, including Divergent, there is a society that controls everything people do. In all of the novels I have read so far, the main character has been part of some sort of uprising or rebellion against the society. I predict that this will happen in Divergent as well, because I can already sense that the main character is not content with the way she lives in the Society. The thing that is different about this book, is the way that the Society is divided. There are five factions; The Erudites, The Dauntless, The Abnegations, The Candors, and The Amities. What makes this book different, is that the factions are not divided by what people are good and skilled at, but what quality they feel is most important to honor in life. For example, the main character belongs to the Abnegations. The Abnegations believe that being selfless is the most important quality to have. The Dauntless believe that being fearless is the most important quality. Each of them have  their own special quality which they honor. Each child is born into a faction, but when they become adults, they are allowed to choose which faction they wish to be a part of, but if they chose to leave their faction, they must leave their family behind.  I found the whole idea of  the factions to be something  kind of interesting and different . Overall so far. I have a feeling that this is going to be a good book, but  I will keep you posted!
Amazon book reviews

I Need Book Reccomendations!

As you probaly know, I recently finished my novel Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. It was only about two days ago, and I am currently searching for a new book. I really enjoyed reading Safe Haven, and I found it to be something that I could actually enjoy reading. For my next book, I want to read something similar, becuase I'm kind of into that genre right now. I was thinking that I would preferably like to read another Nicholas Sparks book, such as The Lucky One or The Notebook, and I have already read his novels The Last Song and A Walk To Remember. However, I am also always open to any good novel. I know some other authors like Jodi Piccoult and Sarah Dessen have novels like this as well. I also enjoy most other genres, including science fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, mysteries, and classics. If you have read a good novel recently, please let me know by commenting on this post! It would be very much appreciated:) I plan to begin a new novel by my next post, and begin to review it.

Safe Haven: Theme/ Summary

I recently finished my novel, Safe Haven. It was an all-together very great and well-written book, and it has a great theme and meaning behind it. However, before I provide my analysis of the theme in the story, I believe it is important to give a brief but complete plot summary first. This novel starts off with the very mysterious and reserved character, Katie, starting up her new life in Southport, North Carolina. She spends most of her time working at her job at a local restaurant, mostly because she needs the money but also to give her something to keep her busy because she doesn't know anyone in Southport. As the story progresses, Katie is slowly forced to creep out of the shell she has built for herself. She makes friends in her next-door neighbor, Jo, and the young girl whose father owns the convenience store, Kristen. Following Kristen, Katie becomes good friends with her father, Alex. Alex and Jo gradually become people that Katie comes to trust, and eventually ends up revealing her past to them, in bits and pieces. Katie reveals the fact that she ran away from her abusive husband, Kevin Tierney and that she has stolen her current identity from people that she trusts. She also reveals that she is in danger. As Katie and Alex's relationship becomes more serious, a number of things begin to jeopardize it, but it remains strong through it all. Katie and Alex both learn many valuable lessons throughout the course of this novel, and you will have to read the novel for yourself to find out just how strong this relationship is.

There are multiple themes present throughout this novel, and two of the largest ones I have noticed are as follows:

• One should never take the people they love the most for granted, because they can be yanked away from you in a second.
• One should always keep going no matter how hard things get, because you never know what happiness is waiting for you just up ahead.

The first theme is very present in many places in the novel, it seems to occur in different ways very often. Some of the major times in which I noticed it throughout the story include first when Josh falls off the deck when he is fishing towards the beginning of the novel. We don't really know Alex all that well and he is trying his best to be a good father, but we see that in one second his son comes very close to being taken from him. Another place in the novel where we see this theme is when Alex loses his wife, and he often thinks about all the time he wishes he could have had with her. Also, when Katie runs away from Kevin, we see how much Kevin regrets hitting her and wishes that he had been a better husband because now his wife is gone forever. I saw this theme twice more in some major spots. One is at the end when Kevin attacks Katie and Alex, and lights Alex's house on fire. Katie and Alex both come extremely close to losing each other, and have regrets about not telling each other how they felt before. After this happens, Alex gives Katie the letter from his wife, and this is another place where I see the theme present. Katie discovers while reading Carly's letter that her next door neighbor Jo, was only a figment of her imagination, and since she has figured this out, that she will never see Jo again and immediately begins to miss her and all the times she spent with her.

The second theme I believe to be present in less places throughout the novel, but is equally as important. We see this theme with both Katie and Alex throughout the entire novel. Katie was coming from a rough place, with a violent husband that abused her and threatened her life. She found a way to pull herself up and move on, and although she was tentative about having other relationships at first, she reluctantly accepted and it turned out to be perfect for her. She kept going and pulled herself out of a bad place into a good one. A similar thing happened with Alex. Alex was getting over losing his wife, and he wasn't really ready to move on yet. But when he pulled himself up and kept going, he met Katie and it turned out to be a great thing. This story reflects two people's extreme courage and shows how this can bring them together.

Safe Haven: Update/ Anaylisis

 I am beginning to become aware of the recent redundancy of my blogs. I have been reading Safe Haven for a while now, I do admit, and if someone logged onto my blog and didn't like the book Safe Haven or have any interest in it, I guess they would kind of be out of luck. This has occurred to me and I have been trying to read at a quicker pace, but in all honesty as much as I love to read and have tried to make time for it, when I face the facts I'm just a slow reader and lead a busy life style, and when I combine those two the amount of pages I read just isn't as great as I would like it to be. However, the good news is, I am almost finished with Safe Haven(finally). I plan to finish the book by my next blog and provide a great analysis, review, summary, etc.

 I have about 50 pages left and nothing has really struck me since the last blog I had that I need to blog about. I've decided to analyze author's style today, and include some good examples from the text since I feel like that is something my recent posts have been lacking. A pattern has become present over the last chapters that I've read. After I discovered Katie's story and about her husband, Kevin Tearney, I noticed that every other chapter was told to focus on Katie and Kevin. The two different chapters have a completely different mood to them as well.

Kevin's chapters:
Kevin Tearney(Katie's husband which she ran away from due to domestic violence) has a very depressed, run-down kind of mood about him. When the chapters are told to focus on him, you can clearly see how he spends his life drunk, and is always desperate and lonely. Not to mention the setting of his chapters is in Boston, which seems to be a kind of cold and gloomy place. Here are some textual examples to reflect what I am talking about:

• "Kevin Tearney didn't go to Provincetown on the weekend he'd told Coffey and Ramirez that he would. Instead, he stayed home with the curtains closed, brooding over how close he'd come to finding her in Philadelphia."(Sparks, page 193)
• "These were the questions that tormented him, and sometimes it was so confusing he couldn't stop crying because he missed her and wanted her to come home and he hated to be alone. But other times, the thought that she had left him made him dwell on how selfish she was and all he wanted to do was kill her." (Sparks, page 211)
• "He drank a third and fourth glass of vodka. It was all so confusing. The house was a wreck. There was an empty pizza box on the floor of the living room and the casing around the bathroom door was splintered and cracked. The door would no longer close all the way. He'd kicked it in after she'd locked it, trying to get away from him... He could no longer remember what they'd been fighting about."

Katie's Chapters:
In contrast, the chapters where Katie is the main focus provide a much more light-hearted, joyful mood for the reader. They are often about the many care-free summer days that she spends with Alex and his children, and the chapters are much more enjoyable to read. Below are some textual examples to reflect this:

• "Wanting to do something unusual. Alex took Katie and the ids to see the rodeo monkeys in Wilmington. Much to Katie's disbelief, it turned out to be exactly what it sounded like: monkeys, dressed in cowboy outfits, rode dogs and herded rams for almost an hour before a show of fireworks that rivaled the fourth of July."(Sparks, page 233)
• "The third week of June was a series of glorious high summer days. The temperature crept up over the course of the afternoon, bringing with it humidity heavy enough to thicken the air and blur the horizon."(Sparks, page 202)
• "That night, Alex took her to dinner in Wilmington. Afterward, they'd walked the downtown streets holding hands and browsing the shops. Every now and then, she saw Alex regarding her with amusement."(Sparks, page 219)

To wrap all of this up, I would like to make a prediction based on the evident pattern that Sparks has used for the past few chapters. I believe that this pattern is foreshadowing that Kevin and Katie will eventually somehow cross paths again because if they would not, there would be no point in the author including the chapters to focus on Kevin's perspective and what is going on with him at the same time as Katie.

Again, for my next blog  post I plan to be finished with Safe Haven and to start a new book soon!

Safe Haven: Book To movie compare and contrast

As I am nearing the end of Safe Haven, it has occurred to me that a lot of people might be interested in hearing some of the differences and similarities to the novel and the movie. I'm not entirely finished with the novel, but I only have a couple of chapters left, so I think I have enough info to do this. I also just re-watched the movie last night for the third time, and after reading the book I realized how much was different for the first time.*SPOILER ALERT*(If you plan on watching the movie or reading the novel, I recommend stopping here) I'd like to start out with some of the differences I noticed in the book and the movie:

• First off, I noticed that Alex's daughter's name is different in the movie. In the novel her name is Kristen and in the movie her name is Lexi. Although this minor difference didn't have much of an impact on the plot, it was enough to leave that wondering in my head of why the producer felt the need to change her name.
• Also, in the novel Katie goes from being blonde to brunette when she runs away and in the movie it is switched. This once again had no real impact on the plot but just left me wondering.
• This difference I actually do feel impacted the plot. I remember my first time watching the movie, and you don't know why this police officer is chasing her and what she did until the very end, when you find out that he is her husband and she ran away from an abusive relationship. This is teased throughout the movie, and it adds a sense of suspense. In the book you find this information out in the very beginning yet you don't begin to see Kevin's point of view until towards the very end. I personally like the way the movie teases this, because I felt it built more suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat, giving me the need to finish the movie to find out what happened
• In the movie I found Josh to be more tentative to Katie's involvement with Alex, while in the book he seemed to welcome her with open arms. I feel like once again this was a good call by the producer because I feel like it reflects just how hard it's been for the family to get over the loss of their mother.
• In the movie, Jo turns out to be Alex's deceased wife in the end, and she has been almost a ghost following Katie around the entire time. In the book, however, I'm not sure if this is going to be the case, even though I'm not entirely finished with it, because already, Alex's wife has a different name(Carly) and the idea that Jo knows Alex and his family from being their grief therapist has already been brought up. I like the way this unwinds in the book just a little better because it keeps the book realistic but the movie plot twist does add an element of surprise

These are only a few of the major differences I noticed between the book and the movie!
Some similarities include

• Katie's initial tentativeness at the thought of welcoming someone new into her life
• Kristen's(Lexi's) particular fondness toward "Miss Katie".
• The way that Katie used a fake identity to hide from her husband and that her old name used to be Erin Tearney.
• Kevin's insanity and obsessive drinking of vodka is reflected in both the book and the movie, and I definitely feel this is an extremely important part of the plot

Personally, I have liked the book better so far because there is just so much more information and you get to hear what Katie and Alex are thinking, and get tiny details that are unable to be reflected in the movie. However, the movie is also fantastic and I would actually recommend seeing the movie before you read the book if you would like to do both because the elements of surprise in the movie could be ruined by reading the book.

Below is a link to a cast  interview for the movie which reflects their thoughts on the movie versus the book!
Cast Interview

Safe Haven: Book Review

 Over the course of the past 2 days, I have continued to enjoy my novel, Safe Haven. I haven't gotten a lot of reading done in the past two days, but I have gotten enough done to give an accurate book review/recommendation. I would definitely recommend this book to females, simply because of the romance in the novel. If you are a young adult female who enjoys a romance full of mystery, cliff hangers at the end of every chapter, and a heart-melting romance with its own struggles that make it that much more appealing, this novel is definitely for you. I would rate this book a 5/5 stars and I have many reasons for it:

• First of all, I have always been a fan of Nicholas Spark's novels. I love his style of writing, and this book is actually different in a way than in his previous novels. It expresses all of his best aspects and brings a newer, more current topic into one of his typical romances
• Also, the characterization in the book is fantastic. It's very clear-cut, giving the reader a great sense of what every character, even the small, unimportant ones, is all about. Character development also plays a huge role in this novel. The way in which Katie develops from chapter to chapter is extremely present in this novel, making her easily identified as a dynamic, as well as a round character. I love this about the novel because I find myself able to connect to her and her personality, even though our lives are so different in so many ways.
• The setting descriptions in this novel are also spot on. I have personally been to around this part of North Carolina during the summer season, and the way the author describes it is so great, it really brings me back to the time I spent there, I can really feel as if I am in the setting, and more specifically, in the novel.

 Overall, I've just found myself really looking forward to reading during this novel, and it has been great to pick up and read when I'm bored. But, even a five star novel has it's flaws. There are also some things I don't like about this novel, but not many:

• I don't particularly like the very beginning of the novel, because it has a fairly slow start. This is an important part of the plot and characterization though, so it is not entirely bad. It is just simply slow because Katie is in the state of mind of her against the world, and there is not a lot of interaction between her and other characters, but this changes throughout the novel when Katie begins to break out of her shell
• Also the vocabulary in this novel is not particularly difficult to understand and comprehend, so this book hasn't exactly built my vocabulary by a great amount, but the diction and tone is more simple, and I think that adds something to the novel, and creates a particular mood, so there is definitely reason behind this.

Below I have included a link to some book reviews on Amazon, so you can get a feel for what others, and not just myself think about this book!(just scroll down a little to get to the actual reviews)
Safe Haven Amazon Reviews

Safe Haven: Questions, Predictions, Connections

This week, I have continued to read the novel Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. While reading, I discovered that this novel, as well as most Nicholas Sparks novels, cause the reader to ask a lot of questions as well as make a lot of predictions. The author uses a lot of flash backs and foreshadowing in this novel. In order to understand some of these questions and predictions, you may need some pre knowledge of the book, in which you can refer to my previous blog which includes a brief summary. Below is a list of questions that have arisen in me throughout the course of this book:

• Why did Katie move to Southport to begin with? She claims that she wants to start fresh, but there has to be a deeper reason behind this.
• How does Katie's neighbor, Jo, know Alex so well? She seems to know him a lot better than she is letting on, and almost seems to be hiding something from Katie
• What is Katie afraid of? Katie always seems very jumpy and on edge, and if she lets her guard down for a while, she seems to regret it later.
• Are Katie's only two friends in Southport, Jo and Alex, connected in some way?

To answer some of the questions, I've also made quite a few predictions:

• I think that Katie Jo and Alex are definitely connected in some way. They are both major characters in the story, and Katie's two best friends, and them being connected would put together a lot of unsolved puzzle pieces.
• I believe that Katie's past, whatever it may be, will play a huge role in the novel because of the way the author has incorporated it into the plot, and built suspense with it. I think it will affect her relationships with Jo and Alex in some way, because both of them seem very curious about why she moved here, and her past seems to be a major part of the novel.
• I believe that Katie's past has something to do with a husband, considering Alex's unspoken prediction from his past experiences in CID with the habits of women in abusive marriages.

Although this book may be hard to connect to for a younger reader, considering the main characters are adults, you can still connect to certain aspects of the book and the way the characters feel. There is a line in the novel about Alex that many younger people could connect to, "He was surprised, though, by the almost teenage-like enthusiasm that he felt at the prospect of seeing her again." Most teenagers can relate to this feeling of excitement in the beginnings of a first relationship or crush. Also, I feel that many people would be able to relate to Katie's feelings of just wanting to start fresh. We've all gone through tough things in our lives and have been tempted just to start all over and put the past behind us at times. Lastly, many younger people would be able to connect Katie's isolation at the beginning of the novel.

Overall, this novel has really got me thinking, and I would definitely recommend reading it if your looking for a suspenseful romance!

 Below is a link to the movie trailer that does a great job of reflecting the suspense in the novel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQEdUwv0ew

 

 

         I have recently been reading the novel Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. It has been really great so far and I would definitely recommend picking it up if you’re looking for something to read! Although I’m only about half way through the novel, I have been able to really get a great sense of characterization. The main character Katie just restarted her new life in the small town of Southport, North Carolina. It’s a town of only a few thousand people and she lives alone in a cabin in the woods, with a friendly next door neighbor Jo to keep her company. Katie is not looking for a relationship of any sorts, but when she meets Alex and his children, Kristen and Josh, she becomes very close to all of them.

Katie is most definitely a round and dynamic character. In the beginning of the book Katie is very independent, yet very fragile. She doesn’t talk to people and spends most of her day working in her house or at her job. However, when she meets Alex, things about her begin to change. She becomes more open to not only Alex but everyone. She lets her guard down and lets herself come through. I can tell that there is more positive change to come from Katie.

Alex is another major character in the story. He owns a convenience store in Southport, North Carolina. He has two children, Josh and Kristen, who mean everything to him. Alex is a single dad, and raising his kids has been difficult to juggle along with the convenience store recently, but he would do anything for them. His wife passed away recently, and he is still getting over it. He, like Katie, doesn’t want a relationship right now, but can’t help himself when he meets Katie. Katie and Alex bring out the better in each other throughout their relationship, and each of them grow throughout the novel.

 

This summer, I read the novel My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I believe that the main theme or central idea of this text is the fine line between right and wrong. Throughout the text, it is shaped and defined by specific details that involve the entire Fitzgerald family, but primarily Anna and her leukemic sister, Kate. Throughout the entire novel, Anna struggles with a life changing decision she has to make. She can either put her own interests first and stop worrying about being a donor for Kate, or she can fulfill her duty as a loving sister and put Kate's needs before her own. No one knows what the right choice for Anna is, and she does not even know herself. Ultimately, the entire lot is a struggle from the characters to separate what is truly right and  wrong.

There is a specific chapter towards the end of the novel that really defines the theme. It is the chapter in which Campell Alexander, Anna's lawyer, states his closing argument. He states how ultimately, the decision should be up to Anna. The judge also makes a final ruling in this chapter, and both sum up the theme very nicely in these closing arguments. In his statement Campell says, "We know that the Fitzgeralds were asked to do the impossible--make informed health-care decisions for two of their children, who had opposing medical interests. And if we--like the Fitzgeralds-- don't know what the right decision is, then the person who has to have the final say is the person whose body it is... even if that's a thirteen-year-old. And ultimately, that too is what this case is about: the moment when perhaps a child knows better than her parents." In the judge's closing srgument, he states, "The answer is that there is no good answer. So as parents, doctors, as judges, and as a society, we fumble through and make decisions that allow us to sleep at night--because morals are more important than ethics, and love is more important than the law."

I found the following article by Jodi Picoult which includes a short summary of the novel and some reflective questions about the theme of the novel etc. answered by Jodi Picoult herself. The video beneath includes the climax of the movie version of My Sister's Keeper. It reflects the theme very nicely, and is a very emotional scene, but if you haven't read the book or scene the movie I suggest skipping the video because it might spoil it for you!!

My Sister's Keeper article

My Sister's Keeper video