Speak- Movie vs. Book

                               My decision to read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson came from my recent compelling to watch the movie that was made based on the book. Yes, I watched the movie before reading the book. The movie “Speak” came out in 2004, with the leading role Kristen Stewart as Melinda Sordino. Currently I am only about 60 pages into the book but I defiantly feel that watching the movie first is helping me understand the book more. Overall I really enjoyed the movie.
            This movie is basically about a high school freshman that is struggling to forget memories from the past summer. At a summer party she called 9-1-1 after a senior raped her. Other teens there were busted for underage drinking and all the others blamed it on Melinda even though no one else knew what had happened to her. I believe that this movie and story is very powerful. It can be relatable in some ways to other teens and creates a very powerful message about how it is very important to speak up.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

            I have recently picked up the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Originally I wasn’t planning on going down the Realistic Fiction route again but something about this book just caught my eye. The back of the book talks about the first day of school and different social classes, this gave me a sense that the book could be very relatable. Just by that little piece of the book I wanted to find out what happened next so I decided to start reading.“It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache.”This starting paragraph was quite interesting as well and defiantly captivates the reader’s attention and curiosity. 

            So far in the book Melinda (the main character) went off to her first day of high school in the morning and nothing has been going smoothly.Jocks, Eurotrash, Future Facists of America, Big Hair Chix. the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths and Shredders. But can’t seem to fit herself into ANY available social groups. Last year her group of friends all split up and one moved to Nevada so Melinda basically walked in to school without any friends. She meets a girl named Heather, she has recently moved from Ohio. Melinda and Heather eat lunch together and sit next to each other for the 9^th grade welcoming assembly.

For more information about Speak click here

Author Review: Laurie Halse Anderson

 
            I have recently began the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. So far I am really enjoying the book but I would like to get to know a little more about her before I move on.            Laurie Halse Anderson was born on October 23, 1961 in the Northern area of New York. As a student she showed early interest in writing. Despite her struggle in math, she hoped to one day be a doctor. During Anderson’s senior year, she at the age of sixteen, she moved out of her parent’s house and lived as an exchange student for thirteen months on a pig farm in Denmark. She then moved back home and began working at a clothing store making minimum wage; this pushed her into going to college. Laurie attended Onondaga Community College. 
           Laurie Halse Anderson married Greg Anderson, and in 1985, they had their first child, Stephanie Holcomb. Two years later, they had their second child, Meredith Lauren. The couple later divorced.Years later, Anderson moved back to Mexico, New York and eventually became married to her childhood sweetheart; Scot Larrabee.
            In the early years of her career, Laurie Halse Anderson was a freelance journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also started writing children’s and young adult novels around this time. In 1996 Anderson released her first children’s novel Ndito Runs. In 1999 Laurie published what is known as her most popular novel to date; Speak. This is the book that I am currently reading. In 2004, Speak was later made into a film starring Kristen Stewart as the main character Melinda Sordino. Anderson has also published other young adult novels including; Fever in 2002, Catalyst in 2002, Prom in 2005, Twisted in 2007 and her most recent publication is Wintergirls in 2009. Laurie Halse Anderson has won many awards and honors, most awards went to her novel Speak.

                                    Book Suggestions?

                I have recently decided to stop reading An Abundance of Katherines. After being a couple chapters into the book I have realized that I am not finding much interest in it. I love the author John Green and his other book The Fault in Out Stars that I had previously read but I am not finding much of a connection in this particular one. I am by no means saying that this is a bad book, I know many people that have read it and loved it. I just want to move on to a book that sparks more interest- one that I can connect to more.

            I am interested in reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I have heard many good things about it from friends and it just has good reviews online in general. This book is about a murder that takes place in a museum in Paris, France. The body is left with symbols and artwork that are said to be from ideas of the illuminati. I want to switch my focus of books from more typical love stories to adventurous, mysterious novels. If you have any other suggestions or have read The Da Vinci Code, please leave a comment below!

                                     Click Here to see more about The Da Vinci Code.

Krista Ramsey

Krista Ramsey Column 

      In the post "See the hit, save the brain gameplan at cautious UC" Krista talks about the concussion rates taken throughout the past couple of years. It also talks about the 'gameplan' in UC that dramatically dropped concussion rates by training players to see their 'blindside'.
   
                                                            (Best Written Line) 
  " As they smack flashing buttons, the Bearcats are improving eye-hand coordination, timing, anticipation, depth perception and peripheral vision. It's fun. It's also potentially brain-saving."
       I think that this is the best written line because of the diction and syntax that is used. The diction that is used includes a variety of informal and elevated words. When she explains how the Bearcats are improving by saying "...improving eye-hand coordination, timing, anticipation, depth perception and peripheral vision."  you get a much more sophisticated, knowledgeable vibe compared to "It's fun. It's also potentially brain-saving." This line shows the readers that the article is quite casual by getting a clear point across using informal diction.
     Syntax used in this sentence also varies. Krista first uses a long and involved sentence separated by many commas. The next sentence is very short, only two words; "It's fun." This defiantly changes the tone/ mood of the paragraph.  
      I believe that Ramsey's writing style is informative but comical/ laid-back at the same time.                                                
                                                                     Examples:
- "But before parents claw back the iPhones, experts say the problem may not lie in the technology itself, but the amount of time spent on it, the environment in which it's used and the activities it's replacing." (For better vision, kids need time outdoors)
- "Manning is a Southern-bred gentleman whose classic suits match up nicely with his classy manners." (Super Bowl QBs score points for great style)
- " As they smack flashing buttons, the Bearcats are improving eye-hand coordination, timing, anticipation, depth perception and peripheral vision. It's fun. It's also potentially brain-saving." (See the hit, save the brain gameplan at cautious UC)

Questions:

1.) Have you always loved writing and suspected it to be a future job or hobby throughout middle/high school?

2.) What did you major in college and what was your first job coming out of college?

3.) Where does your 'voice/style' of writing come from? Was it influenced by any family members growing up?

            Prompt I am responding to: Describe a conversation that you would like to have with a character from your book. What would this conversation sound like?

                If I could have a conversation with someone from An Abundance of Katherine’s, I would want to talk to the main character Colin. I would want to have a conversation with him because there are many things about him that confuse me. One of these things being why he feels like he needs to have a girlfriend at all times to feel complete. Clearly the relationships that he has been continuing to have, haven’t been working out. I would also like to question his parents on how they feel about their son and his many different relationships.

                Another question I would ask to Colin is why he only dates girls named Katherine. I know that everyone has preferences while dating, whether its height, hair color or interests but only dating someone because of their name is ridiculous. At the moment in the book, Colin has dated and been dumped by 19 different girls named Katherine. Therefore, I would really like to know what it is about girls named Katherine that draws him into liking them.


                 Click Here for Questions Answered by John Green about An Abundance of Katherines

               

An Abundance of Katherines- Setting

                                

                                            An Abundance of Katherines- Setting

                 Current Summary:   

                

                An Abundance of Katherines is about a boy named Colin with some serious relationship problems. Many people have preferences while dating and Colin's is dating girls named Katherine. He has dated, and been dumped by 19 different girls named Katherine. He recently was dumped by the 19th Katherine. His best friend Hassan decides that now would be a good time for a road trip to get Colin's mind off of his recent break-up. They drive from where they live; Chicago, to an area in Tennessee that they end up in to stop for dinner. Apparently this area has the resting place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand which is ironic because Colin was recently thinking about Franz Ferdinand and his significance.  

                Setting:

           

               The original setting takes place in Chicago where Colin and Hassan live. Although they decide to take a road-trip to Gutshot, Tennessee; an old town that thrives off the money made at their factory. The most crucial part of the setting, however, is not the factory but a tourist attraction called The Last Resting Place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This grave attracted Colin and Hassan into the town in the first place. 

" ...that finally brought him to Gunshot, Tennessee- POPULATION 864, as the roadside sign read." Page 29

" On each side of the Hearse, fields of squat, luminously green plants stretched out into a gray forever, broken up only by the occasional horse pasture, barn, or strand of trees." Page 29

" On the side of the building, a hand- painted sign read THE KINGDOM OF GUNSHOT--- ETERNAL RESTING PLACE OF THE ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND / ICE-COLD BEER / SODA / BAIT."

For More Information on Franz Ferdinand Click Here

Blog Reflection

Blog Reflection

Throughout this trimester, I have grown as both a reader and writer. My first blog post was titled The Fault in Our Stars by JohnGreen. This blog post was very short and straight to the point. One example from my first post is “When times get tough they stick together and their love for each other only gets stronger.” As you can tell, this sentence is very bland, does not have much description, and doesn’t sound like overall high school writing. In my most recent posts, I have really worked to improve that area of technique in my writing. An example is from my recent post-named Thirteen Reasons Why- Suspense Factor; “This first seen creates an immense amount of suspense. You, as the reader, want to know what these tapes are about and how this story links back to this first scene.” I believe that this quote supports that I have grown as a writer because the quote contains much more structure as well as an overall sophisticated sound.

This trimester I have finished about two books (almost done with the 2^nd). I read Thirteen Reasons Why and An Abundance of Katherine’s I do not believe that I meant the goal that I was striving to achieve. Although with the given time that I have had track and loads of homework, I am pleased to have been getting all my blog posts in as well as finishing two books. For the incoming future trimester, I plan on reading 3 books.,

The only struggle that I had while blogging/ reading were getting able to leave time to read and finish each blog. It was hard for me to complete blogs in class on the computer because I didn’t feel like I was giving my best work and I could concentrate a lot better at my house. Because of this reason, in class on blogging days I improved other blogs as well as the design of my blog. In able to achieve reading goal on a daily basis, I made a note in my planner reminding myself to leave time for reading around my busy schedule.

While trying to find a new book, I often turned to friends for suggestions on what to read next.  My best friend Haley Redwine said that she really enjoyed the book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and recommended that I read it. She lent me her copy and I ended up loving the book and recommending it to others. I also used Goodreads to see what other classmates read and rated high. This is how I ended up reading An Abundance of Katherine’s by John Green.

John Green

Author: John Green

      Out of all the books I’ve read from all the different authors I have to say that John Green along with Max Lucado are my absolute favorites. The way that John Green writes really impacts the way I “see” the scene in my head. Green was born in Indianapolis to his dad Mike and mom Sydney Green. Three weeks after he was born, his family moved to Orlando, Florida. In 2000 he graduated from Kenyon College with a double major in English and Religious Studies. After college he spent five months working as a student chaplain in a children’s hospital. He intended to become an Episcopal priest, but after working in the hospital with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses inspired him to become an author, and this later inspired the book The Fault in Our Stars.

           Green lived in Chicago where he worked for the book review journal Booklist as a publishing assistant and production editor while writing Looking for Alaska. He critiqued hundreds of books including books for The New York Times Book Review. Green later lived in New York where his wife Sarah attended graduate school. Sarah and John have two children; Henry and Alice as well as a puppy. Green has stated that he is a Christian.

            As of today, John Green has written a total of 4 books; Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns. He has also accompanied David Levithan in writing Will Grayson, Will Grayson. All of his books have gotten a rating in-between 4 and 5 stars which is outstanding. Many of his books have also received multiple awards. An example would be The Fault in Our Stars, it gained the #1 spot on various bestsellers lists. As of January 2013, there are nearly 1 million copies of the novel sold.

An Abundance of Katherines

                         

          I recently finished the book Thirteen Reasons Why and decided to pick up a new book. I looked through many, many books and came to An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. I chose this book because I’ve heard many good things about it from friends and I also love the author John Green and the previous books I have read by him. I seem to understand his writing better than other authors and books that I have read. Some of the books I’ve read by John Green include The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.

            I am very excited to start reading this book. So far what I know about An Abundance of Katherines is that the main character Colin is interested in girls named Katherine because they are ‘his type’. Colin has been dumped 19 times by 19 different Katherines. He is on a mission to prove that someday another girl named Katherine will fall in love with him eternally. When I first read this I thought that it was another typical ‘search for love’ book but when I started reading I realized that it is not cliché storyline.

Claire Elise Murray

Honors English

Ashley Bowman

1/28/14                                                    

                                                                  Calamity Day

            I have just finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and am now searching for a new book to read. The book ended with Hannah’s outreach to her counselor, he didn’t give her much advice and rather avoided the serious topic or suicide. It was at that moment that Hannah made up her mind on what she was going to do when she got home later that day. The tapes end with Hannah’s final words “thank you.” Then the book goes on to briefly describe how Clay feels going into school the next day and the suspicion of who has all heard the tapes Hannah left behind.

            So far in Romeo and Juliet I am enjoying the romantic factor that was recently discovered between Romeo and Juliet. I am also enjoying the risk that is being taken between the two because they know the consequences of their love.  Although, I am currently concerned about the harsh rivalry between the Capulets and Montagues and what will happen when they find out that Romeo and Juliet are in love. 

Claire Elise Murray

Ashley Bowman

Honors English

1/14/14                                 Thirteen Reasons Why- Suspense Factor

                 “Everything...affects everything” - Thirteen Reasons Why

              Throughout this book, I felt that the way Jay Asher built up the suspense was superb. The begging of the story starts with Clay Jenson, the main character, sending the box of tapes he received from Hannah Baker the girl who recently committed suicide to the next name on the list that she created. At this point as a reader, you are very confused. You have no prior knowledge about the tapes, what they said or even why there was a list of names. This first seen creates an immense amount of suspense. You want to know what these tapes are about and how this story links back to this first scene.

            Once Clay ships the tapes, that story starts with when Clay first received the tapes. The story also explains about how Clay received the tapes and what he knew about what previously happened to Hannah. After we know a little about what happened, Clay secretly steals a Walkman from his friend so he could listen to the tapes. The first cassette plays and Hannah introduces herself along with all of Clay’s thoughts and actions while listening. Then she gets into names of thirteen people that influenced her decision to end her life, and since Clay received them, he was on the list as well.

         

   Clay is known by friends and schoolmates to be a very nice, intelligent person. The level of suspense builds every different cassette that Clay changes because for most people including me, I am assuming want to know where Clay fits into this story. I feel like that was the main area of suspense throughout Thirteen Reasons Why. Another large area of suspension comes when Hannah is describing the stories of experiences that she had with other people. For me while reading these situations would be very hard to put the book down because it really pulled me in and made me want to keep reading.