Weekly Blog Post: The Problem With Paradise

The Problem With Paradise by Lesley Dahl 


          This book is so amazing and I absolutely love it. For one, it can actually relate. And for two, it's a dream land that you can crawl into when you want to escape the real world. This book tells a story of responsibility, appreciation, and making new friendships. These themes are so simple and versatile, but it actually makes our life what it is. That's why I love this book so much.

          Responsibility is such a big problem in this book and it makes up the book. I like this because responsibility is a part or problem of our lives too. Whether it's doing the chores, doing homework, not being late to class, responsibility practically control ourselves. It controls this book too. Casey (the girl that is supposedly in Paradise) has a lot of responsibilities like taking care of her two little brothers to protecting them and her friends in a hurricane. I love this about Casey because I can really see me as her and probably so can all of the world's teenage population. Responsibility is important and I've learned that in so many ways from the book. Casey has so much jobs that she has to do that it makes me think of myself in this world. Do I have to tag around my two younger siblings? Do I have to protect a bunch of kids in a big storm during an emergency? That makes me think about how although having a lot of responsibilities is unfair since some people have less responsibilities than others. Another theme actually comes from that and it's that life is life and there will be ups and downs.

          Responsibility then leads to appreciation. You see, if I was sent to a tropical island in the Bahamas for the whole summer, I would love it. But Casey doesn't even like it. That makes me think of Casey as a bratty and selfish person. It's not even her not wanting to go that makes me think she's acting like a brat, it's the reason. And what's this fantastic reason? She doesn't want her brothers to be bothering her and she doesn't want them to tag around her. Is it just me or does that seem really selfish? She's spending her vacation in the tropics and she's complaining. Her parents have to fish out money to buy plane tickets for all 3 kids. I just wish Casey could think more about her family than herself in that that kind of situation. I really think that Casey is rude when she says her ''civilized life'' will end in Paradise. I feel as though Casey is really distant from her family and the ones she loves the most, but hey, family will be family.

          Friendship is a theme in this book as well. It's mainly about how friends should help friends. I love that theme because well, most friend's do not help friends. I like how Casey actually makes friends in Paradise, but there's some problems as well. One problem is judging people and finding the right friends. Casey finds some bad friends and some good friends, but I like that too. It's like seeing who your true friends and not just keeping the bad friends. Casey helps so much of her friends in this book and I just wonder what I would do in that kind of situation. It also makes me think about how friends are the ones that we live by and they are always there for us, so we should be there for them too. This theme is just so beautiful.

          This book has so much simplicity in it, but it makes a huge impact to me and probably every reader out there. Don't forget to bring along your sunblock when you're reading this book!

Blog Review: Liza's Blog

The amazing blog post by Liza.

          Liza's blog post is on The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I have yet to read the book, but just reading her blog post makes me feel like I've read it already. The book seems to connect in so many ways to not only a few people, but everyone because everyone has a story to share. And whether the story's on love or break-up, it is completely relevant. This is what I love about book. I agree with Liza on how everyone has to have made one big mistake and how everyone has been forgiven. I mean who hasn't made a mistake once in their life? But I do disagree a little on how everyone is forgiven in some sort of way. Some people don't forgive huge mistakes and they just learn how to live with it. This in fact, made me really excited to read this book because I'm like that. Sometimes I can't even say "It's okay." and I guess some people take it the wrong way. I myself have experienced the troubles that Brett (the main character who can't help but to cheat on multiple guys) had experienced (not in the same way). It feels good to read about a book with a person inside it who makes a lot of mistakes because then you could relate to the character and it would be way more realistic since you know she wouldn't be perfect and "normal" like us all, because to be honest, nobody on earth is normal. We are unique and different in our own ways and I liked how Liza touched on that with Brett's problems (which seem to be very weird).


          The problems that Brett are going through are very touching and emotional in my opinion. I guess most people throughout their lifetime have a hard time choosing just one thing or answer. It's kind of like saying "maybe". It's one word, but it really means two things. I think that's what Brett is facing. She just can't stop herself from picking more than one thing or guy. It's uncontrollable for people. But sometimes it does get out of hand like for Brett and no matter how hard you try, you can't stop it and it suddenly becomes a problem. I really like how Liza carefully slips her opinion among these problems and that's why I like the way she writes her blog post. And although her opinions don't exactly match mine, I can see how it works out for Brett. Liza thinks that "there’s bound to be something positive that comes from something very negative". I think that sometimes something very negative happening can cause something even more negative. For example, Brett has many affairs so she'll never find a man who will find her trustworthy. But what Liza said made me think about how Brett finally decides what's right for herself and that made think from both perspectives. That's why this blog post stood out very much.


          Liza's blog post was very engaging and mainly because of her own re-tell of the story and her opinions both combined. To me, it seems that when she puts her own opinions, it's like she's putting a theme to the book itself. That got me thinking about the theme of the book and how Brett's problems were actually the theme. She even put a quote into her post. I am not sure whether it's actually from the book or just a quote that relates to the book, but either way, it was brilliant. I loved when she did that and I am definitely trying that on my blog posts. The quote was relevant and it pushed down deeper in my thoughts of the book about how when one thing goes away, another starts and just begins. That made me have thoughts about how Brett keeps on making love affairs. But the part of telling what's going around Brett was very good too. That made me think about what I would do if I were in Brett's shoes and how I would face the problems. By the way, here's the quote:
          
          “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever…the sun also riseth and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose…the wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits…all the rivers run into seas; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”-Ecclesiastes


          I have not read any of Liza's other blog posts, but it stood out from everyone else's blog posts because of the theme of this book and the problems in the book. This book and blog post has a connection to the world and specifically, to me. This post stood out because it got me thinking deeper and deeper until I was on the bottom of the the blog post. 

Weekly Blog Post: Kissing Kate

Kissing Kate  by Lauren Myracle

          This book is a beautiful book and I wished I read this book earlier. It not only touches my heart, but I know it touches other teenager's hearts too. This book has only one problem: being gay. But just one problem can cause so many things like loss of friendship and rejection. The problems that Lissa (the main character) are facing can connect to so much people.

          First of all, being gay. Lissa's problem is being gay and because I'm not gay, that kind of puts me in her own shoes. What would it be like if I was a closet gay? What would I do if all my friends left because of it? This book makes me think about how everyone is different and unique and how you can't fight against that even if you are different. If I were Lissa, I would just get over about how I think I'm gay. I mean, Lissa had one small kiss with her bestfriend, Kate. What's the big deal? I honestly think that Lissa is overreacting. She goes on about Kate and missing her because Kate had left, but Lissa didn't do anything about it; just like how she didn't do anything about being a closet gay. Lots of people are like that, but that really makes me think. Maybe the reason she didn't do anything about that was because she was scared, just like how scared people are when they see their crushes. It's our natural instincts, but even though I'm like that, I hate it. Reading this book made me hate myself and Lissa for not just doing something and getting it done. There are so much "cows" in this world. We're all scared of getting slaughtered or actually getting hurt by the ones we love (or like) that we refuse to do anything about it.

          But this book relates to so much people, especially people who are confused about their sexuality. I feel that this book gives you a ride on a life that many people are experiencing or have experienced. This book can actually connect to people and that's what makes it so beautiful.

Weekly Blog Post: Prom

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson


Spoiler Alert!
          This book, Prom is a really nice book that brings you into the eyes of a troubled teenager. You're going to see how her problems are small little things, but these little problems could create a lot of trouble. That made me think about how the smallest things in life are actually the biggest and they matter the most. Anyway, Ashley (the main character) has to deal with these problems which are family, friends, and going your own way. I see family and friends as the small problems in the book, but they lead to the big problem: going your own way. For me, that's the case too. I want to be my own person, following my own road and not what my family or friends want me to do.

          Ashley's family and friends basically decide her future in this book. She's not going to college, she's moving in with her boyfriend, and she's going to get a crummy job. Her family decides that they'll support her and Ashley will live in the basement. I love how in the end, Ashley chooses something very different from her starting point. You can actually see that she wants to choose her own choices along the way just like most of us. For example, probably most of our parents want to get into a good school/college then get a very, very, high-paying job. I hate that and I can see Ashley hates that too. I don't want to stick with one plan for the rest of my life; I want to choose for myself. I still wonder why some people stick with one plan... What would you do? I mean, I want to have a really unrealistic job, but I'm still following my own road no matter what anyone says.

          Going your own way helps Ashley solve her problems. At first, she hated the prom, she kind of wanted to move in with her boyfriend. In the end, she went to college, she moved in with her best friend, Natalia. I like how in this book, it actually shows a teenager going through changes all the time. Because most of our parents expect us to stay the same and follow their goals, but it's what they want, not want we want. It's about how we're supposed to make the choices, not our family or friends. It's our life, so do you want to have your own choices?

          I truly love this book because of it's theme and colors.

Weekly Blog Post: Something, Maybe

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott


          This book is a really sweet book and it's a great book for teenagers and adults. It explains the problems of a really messed up teenager's life while reaching into deeper problems, like family. But in this  book, what makes it so unique is that some of these problems are weird. It's twisted in a way and it makes you think about how you would feel if you were in Hannah's, the main character, shoes. Hannah doesn't only deal with family like most of us do, but love also. Love basically circulates her mind and probably every mind of every living teenager on the planet. It teaches an important lesson that love might not be what you want it to be, and it'll do anything it can to steer you in its' direction.

          First off, family. Hannah's family is very different. Her mom is practically a stripper who used to be a famous person's, um, toy. That famous person is Hannah's dad. A lot of families are embarrassing, yes, but hers' is so far apart from them. That makes me think about how unique every person and every family is, but also about how every family has their own ups and downs. But listening to Hannah drag on about how her life and family sucks, I do think she is a bit selfish. At least she has a parent and a dad that wants to care for her. What would you do if you were Hannah? At least her dad isn't dead (although her stepdad is...). But she's actually lucky to have shelter, food, and a loving mom. If I were her, I would learn to appreciate more. What's so wrong with her life? I think she doesn't appreciate for what her mom has actually done. Her mom needs to wear lingerie and have "chats" with strangers. But she does it for money, for Hannah. Hannah doesn't seem to care about that though and that's what I honestly hate about her.

          Love seems to be a big part of Hannah's life. Hannah does seem to blind when it comes to love. She pretends that she has a soulmate, Josh while in real life, she has a boy who has a huge crush on her. This makes her life really hectic actually. But this also makes me think of how many people are like that. Hannah should just be happy she actually has a guy friend. Although this book is really sweet, I also think that the book is so blind, just like Hannah. This book expresses feelings of a person who's dealing with a lot of problems.

Weekly Blogpost: Just Listen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.

          Just Listen is a book that reflects on problems that most teenagers have probably been through and what teenagers will go through. This book takes you on a journey through heartbreak, friends, and family. It's the entire package and although that's a good thing, it can be sometimes overwhelming. This book really makes you think about your life and how everything can from perfectly fine to disrupting in a second. You feel as if you go through Annabel's (the main character) experience.

          Heartbreak is not necessarily Annabel's problem although she is caught up in her ex-best friend's heartbreak though. This makes me wonder if that could happen between me and my best friend. But not only is Annabel caught up in the problem, she gets blamed for cheating on her friend's boyfriend when she really didn't do anything at all. Accusations are made a lot in this book. Accusations happens around me a lot too. Teachers, family, even friends. It makes me feel how Annabel must have felt when she got accused. It's really unfair when someone accuses you of something you didn't do; like when it happened to Annabel.

          Friends is a big problem for Annabel and most of the kids on the world. Everyone needs a friend, not necessarily a lot because just one friend can get you through the day. Although Annabel does have a friend, Owen, she has lost a lot too. Sophie, her ex-best friend, Emily, and even Clarke. Without Owen, Annabel was a loner. Being alone feels horrible. I have been through that because I never had any close friends; just a big group of friends. "You can't trust anybody these days." is my favorite line from the book. I once had really close friends before and then I realized that I couldn't trust them. Annabel kind of had the same problem except she was the person that people couldn't trust. In Annabel's world, very much like our world, there are rumor mills. Rumors ruin friendships. I remember in 6th grade when I spread a fake rumor about this guy and within an hour, everyone in my class knew about it. But some rumors are even more drastic, ruining friendships like it ruined Annabel's with Sophie.

           Family is the biggest problem of all for Annabel and for many teenagers too. But our usual "family drama" is probably getting grounded, lectured, or not wanting to go to family gathering. For Annabel, it's way different. Her family drama consists of her sister not eating, but it's not only that. Her sister, Whitney has had an eating disorder before so she basically puts down everyone. I've never really thought about having a sister with a eating disorder, but this book made me think about my family.  I feel lucky that my family drama isn't so...so weird. I do know that there are families like that though and I feel bad for them. Annabel looks like she has it all: a modeling career, a cool guy friend, and she's become a role model. But she's so much more different in the inside and that made me think about how looks can be seriously deceiving.

          This book made me think about my life and how some people's lives were so much more different. Just Listen makes you really want to listen.

Weekly Blog Post: The Dead and The Gone

The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

          The Dead and The Gone reflects on problems that aren't very realistic. One big problem is a apocalyptic situation and that problem is actually the root of all other problems like violence, starvation, and death. It makes us think "Wow. What would I do if these were to happen to me?". It makes you wonder about how life is a precious thing and any destruction would disrupt it. Alex, a teenage boy trapped in this situation is the main character and you get to see how his problems can't be solved and how he suffers from them. This apcocalyptic situation gets most of his family dead and forces him to think the unthinkable.

          Violence is a major problem and that involves killing poeple, even babies just to get your necesities like food and money. Violence is what drives Alex though and I always asked myself," Is it really worth it just to get food and money?" I often thought about other people's perspectives during reading the book because they suffered, too. But then again, Alex is only trying to survive with his sisters, Bri and Julie. He even has to go "body shopping" for valuable items like shoes and jewelry. Alex didn't even save a baby from being trampled from a angry mob and he cracked an old man's hand. It makes us think about justice in this world and how when you're out there trying to survive, you care about no one except yourself and your family.

          Violence then leads to starvation. Alex has to save up his food so he wouldn't run out and this made me think about how unfair that was to him. Some of us in the world gets more than 3 meals a day while some has to starve and savor food like Alex. It also made me feel bad and I definitely tried to resist during those parts. I felt guilty. Alex even starts to rely on school lunch while some of us don't even stop to think about school lunch. He relies on the government for food, too for a bag of food per person each week. We don't even have to do that.

          Violence, lastly leads to one more thing: death. Dozens of people die each day and "drop like flies". Most of the citizens have guns and they're not afraid to kill for food and money. That reminds me of savages because they're killing one another just for necesities. It again, makes me think about justice in the world. Is it fair that you get killed just so someone else can feed off of you? Of course not and that is because you have a life too that you need to protect. Not only violence leads to death, but so does the apocalyptic situation. There's volcanoes blowing up everywhere leaving ash in the air, tsunamis making cities flood and shrink and kill hundreds of people. Alex's parents were actually killed because of that. That's a really unthinkable situation, but still, this book makes you think about how your life would be in this type of setting.