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.