TTYL - Lauren Myracle

I am currently reading TTYL by Lauren Myracle. Throughout the entire book and as I read I began to notice unique writing styles the author used. As well, I began analyzing the characters and noticing the characteristics they have. The book so far takes place entirely through instant messaging between three friends (Angela, Madigan, and Zoe: SnowAngel, mad maddie, and zoegirl). The book shares all of the drama that goes on in their everyday lives along with all of the juicy gossip. This is my response to the observations I have made while reading.

One thing I noticed was that the entire book is in instant messaging. It’s really interesting to see what characters in the book really are like. Also all of the characters speak in slang. For example, instead of writing the word ‘you’ they use the letter ‘u’. Because the book is written in IM, I think it will allow me to understand and analyze who the characters really are and the way they may feel and think. It also helps me to understand the traits that the characters really have, not just what people may think they are like.

While reading, I also began developing opinions on the characters in the book. Zoe is the uptight one of the bunch who always feels like she has to follow the rules even though she doesn't want to admit it. She is constantly paranoid if her friends even bring up breaking the rules. For example, when Angela invites Zoe to a party, she gets nervous about starting to drink when all the others kids will be. The fact that she is so uptight is a flaw that Zoe doesn't like about herself. Zoe is so used to doing everything the way her parents want and following the rules that it has become natural to her. Angela and Madigan even notice it. Maddie says that even she is scared of Zoe’s mother. According to Maddie, when the weather was bad and Zoe didn’t walk by herself to Starbucks where her mom told her to go, her mom got really upset. Most likely because her mom is so strict Zoe is scared of what her mom or parents might do if she broke the rules, as a result Zoe is afraid of taking risks and answering the question we all ask --- What if?

Maddie, however, seems to be turning on her friends for people she thinks are her friends. This leads me to believe that she is unappreciative of her real friends. In the book when Maddie plans a big traffic jam where all of her new “friends” with cars to go exactly at speed limit in all of the lanes just to block traffic. Jana, who was supposed to ride with her, left her to ride with Rex and Tonnie. Meanwhile, when Rex and Tonnie weren’t there Jana only used Maddie to give her a ride. As a result ,she turned on the people she could really trust. Her real friends all along were Angela and Zoe. Then, when Maddie gets drunk a party, she ditches Zoe and Angela for Jana because that is what she thinks is the choice that will make her more popular. Meanwhile, Jana leaves her at the party to fend for herself. I think that just because something is the choice that will make you more popular, it doesn’t automatically make it the right choice. Maddie has yet to realize that because of her irresponsibility, she could have put herself in a dangerous place. Then, when her real friends tell her their concerns she turns on them. Maddie is truly irresponsible and needs to understand the difference between real friends or users.

Then, in the book, Angela leads me to believe she doesn’t have a lot of self esteem because it seems like she always has to have a guy or a boyfriend just so she can be happy. Even on the first day of school Angela has a crush interest. Not to mention, when she catches Rob (the boy she’s been dating) on a date with Tonnie, her mom tells her “obviously he only cares about looks” this makes her paranoid about the way she looks and the way she dresses. Someone with high self esteem wouldn’t doubt their beauty or the chance that they have of finding love.

Some decisions that Zoe may disagree with is Maddie’s decision to actually like Jana. For example, Maddie gives Jana a ride home and leaves Angela because Jana told her to. Zoe doesn’t like his because she feels like Maddie wants to be popular so badly that she is letting Jana take advantage of her. Zoe also disagrees with Angela’s decision to call Rob over and over and continue to be okay with the fact that he cheated. She even tells Angela that she thinks she shouldn’t send an email or make an effort to get back with Rob when he obviously wasn’t making an effort himself.

Independent Reading post: Purple Heart

The book that I am currently reading is called Purple Heart. It is about a guy named Matt Duffy who is in the war and gets injured but doesn't remember how. So far in the story, Matt is trying to put together any information about what happened to him so that he can go back out to fight. If he doesn't remember enough things, he won't be able to go back out to war. Matt has trouble remembering what his friends told him about what happened and gets frustrated sometimes being that he's a solider and can't even remember what specific things are like a hammer. But the reason why he gets even more mad, is because he doesn't even know what happened. And he starts to feel guilty because all he remembers before being in the hospital was seeing a young Iraqi boy get shot, and he thinks that he has something to do with it.

Reading Response: HOLES

Holes was a book about a family that was cursed by a gypsy because of Stanley's great great great Pig stealing Grandpa. Stanley's dad is trying to make a formula that will get rid of the smell of very old worn out sneakers. Stanley's family curse is making them unsuccessful in what he trying to do. Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake because he was accused of stealing from an orphanage. He met Zero at the Camp. Zero ran away fro the camp Stanley went after him. Stanley didn't know Zero was the great great great grandson of the gypsy that put the curse on Stanley family. Stanley great great grandfather had the to carry the gypsy up the mountain and sing to her a special song. Stanley carried Zero up the mountain and sang the special song and the curse was broken. Stanley's father found out the formula and his family became very rich for that.

Sometimes reading a book you didn't chose yourself can be a good book for you to read. "Holes" was that book; a good book even though I didn't chose to read this book because it was a class project. Holes had a lot to deal with race because the white man didn't like the black man. Justice was passed throughout the whole book. Justice was taken into the hands of normal citizens as well as the government. There were many fantastical elements to this book "Holes".

Holes had a great deal of racism in it. Sam the black man in the book but the love of Kate Barlow. Sam was a very handy man that had respect for the white folk but they had no respect for him. Sam would give the white person a potion that would heal Yellow Spotted Lizard bites but that wasn't enough for them. Sam kissed a white woman, Kate. Charles Walker and his friends killed Sam for that because he loved Kate but she didn't love him. Kate Barlow went rogue and turned into a violent outlaw by the name of Kissing Kate. She would steal away from people and anyone that got in her way she killed and then kissed them on the forehead.

Justice was another great element of "Holes". Stanley and Zero were the two in the book who justice was enforced on. Zero went to camp Green Lake because he stole some sneakers that were very valuable and Stanley was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stanley was wrongly accused but it broke the curse off his family by meeting Zero or Hector Zeroni. Kate Barlow took from anyone she felt like but their was no justice enforced on her because no one could catch her.

Holes had a lot of fantastical elements inside the book. Stanley's great great grandfather stole a pig from Madam Zeroni and so the generations after his great great grandfather had a curse on them until Stanley broke the curse by carrying Hector up the mountain and singing that special song and the curse broke.

Critical thinking question #2

           Critical thinking question: How does this book help you to think about social issues you care about or causes you are committed to?

    The book that I am currently reading called Purple Heart helps me to think about and appreciate the fact that there are soldiers fighting so that I can do things other kids around the world don't get to. In this book I actually read the things that soldiers do for their country and it helps me be more appreciative about this social issue that there are people fighting for my life. Even though this book is fiction, I know that it has real feelings in it and soldiers do go through these things. Reading this book every day also makes me more committed to chasing my dreams and doing good in whatever I do because I know that I should not take it for granted. In the story, The main character Matt gets frustrated because he has a mental breakdown in his mind about how he wishes sometimes instead of looking at his loved ones in pictures, he could just be with them. And I get to see my loved ones on a regular basis while someone is fighting for me to be able to do so. And in the story Matt goes through a temporary brain disorder, but still tries to get better in order to go back out and fight. And that deserves a lot of gratefulness and respect.

Blog post critical thinking

Question number 3: How does this text make you think about justice in the world?

 I  recently read a book called The Help. It was about 3 women who fought for their justice being that they lived in a time where there was heavy racism. The three of them take a huge risk and write a tell-all story about how it was being a black house maid. This book made me think about justice in the world because in the story their fighting for rights against the racism in Mississippi. There is a law that's trying to be passed that all colored people have to use separate bathrooms than white people which isn't right. Things like that happen through this story and it makes me think about how things changed from then to now. A lot of things changed like black and white people can be together anywhere now, and there is less discrimination used in America. This makes me realize that people have changed and black people have gotten most of their justice. What I mean by that is that even though we can be around the same places as the other race; there is still a lot of discrimination used. But, it is not as common which is a big step for America. In the story, the three woman get their justice in the end because they took a risk for what they wanted. This teaches me that is there is something that I think it unfair, I should fight for my justice and for what I know is right. Justice is something that everyone deserves and should have.

Hurricane sandy article

   I recently read an article on Hurricane Sandy on huffingtonpost.com about the gas rationing system in New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy leaving a huge mess and gas and oil trucks cannot get to gas stations quickly or at all; Mayor Bloomberg announced an odd-even gas rationing system. If you license plate ends with an even number, you can only purchase gas on an even day. And if your license plate ends with an odd number; you can only purchase gas on an odd day. This caused anger for many new yorkers, but Mayor Bloomberg only did it so that it would cut down the long lines people were on for gas; reducing the wait.
             
               

               Hurricane Sandy caused significant flooding and damage to petroleum infrastructure throughout the tri-state region; causing refineries to shutdown, pumping stations to lose electricity and terminals in the region to close. Since then, the majority of the region’s pipeline and critical infrastructure has been restored and power has returned to Buckeye pipeline, a really high interstate pipeline that serves New York. The city is trying to get the port authority opened up quickly and more portals so that people can get back to work and normally live their everyday lives once again. But the problem that still remains is that people need more gas; Hurricane sandy caused too much damage for any gas to come through. 


                It is already enough for citizens of New York to have no homes, electricity, or power; but since their is no gas and the trains were all closed, not so many people could get to work. Gas trucks come in some of the time and then that's when the whole line forms. Blocks and blocks of cars fill up the road awaiting gas. Even though Mayor Bloomberg tried to setup a system to make things faster, New Yorkers are still frustrated. Some said that they needed to work on an even day and had no way to get to work or any gas. But her license plate ended with odd numbers, and the two days were both even; causing her almost to lose her job. Until ports are cleared up and the damage made by Hurricane sandy is over, this rule will continue for the New yorkers. 

Reading response 6

                                               Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging 

                 I recently finished reading a book called Angus, Thong, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. It is about a girl named Georgia Nicolson who tells all of her teenage confessions. She goes through normal teenage problems like boys, friendship, and insecurities, but reading this book helped me to deal with my teenage problems better today. For example, in the story Georgia is always insecure about her big nose and kissing boys. She faces this by not caring what people thought about her and gained confidence in herself. By doing that, she ended up getting the cutest boyfriend in her school. I used what she did because I'm insecure about my acne and I just don't worry about it and was confident; that didn't get me cutest boy in school but it got me more friends I wasn't so quiet anymore. Another example is that with Georgia's friends in 9th grade; they talked being her back and were very mean to her. She didn't notice that they made fun of her nose, and told her secrets around the school. But once she found out, she realized that there were better friends out there who actually cared for her. The same thing happened to me because I read this book and applied it to my friendships. I talked to my friends about the way the girls acted in the book and we all applied it to the way we treat each other. Just as Georgia did, I gained confidence in myself and make better and wiser choices.