[SPOILER ALERT-ISH]
In the book The Enchantress by Michael Scott, the two main characters Josh and Sophie are about to make a decision that could end the world. Josh and Sophie Newman discovered that they are the twins of an ancient legend, and they learn that they can do magic. Their auras are pure silver and gold and they are naturals at elemental magic, but that makes them valuable. Sophie and Josh have lots of fallouts, and learn that trust is difficult. They learn throughout the book that they can only trust each other, or the world could end.
In the end of the book before this one, Josh joins John Dee and Virginia Dare (the bad guys) because they led him to believe that they were good. Sophie is heartbroken and wishes that Josh could see straight. When they see each other next, Josh tries to show Sophie how the side she is on is bad. While Josh is being influenced, and trying to influence Sophie, they put their trust and lives in other people. This proves to be dangerous when Dee repeatedly tries to use Josh or Sophie's auras while killing them.
Later in the book Josh and Sophie are kidnapped by their "parents", and are taken back in time. Everyone there knows them, or has heard of them, and are very dangerous. They only know what Sophie can remember, but that still isn't enough. Powerful Elders (gods) surround them, and most of them want to kill them. Josh and Sophie start to realize that they can only rely on each other after they understand the danger everyone that they have trusted gets them into. Sophie says, "I wish someone were here who could advise us what to do," and Josh responds, "We don't need anyone. We've never needed anyone else. We are going to do whatever we think is right."
Josh and Sophie always love each other, and whenever they choose sides, they are thinking of their sibling. But they have to understand and completely trust the other for their world to be saved.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Long Distance Relationships (Stretching to the Underworld and Back)
[SPOILER ALERT]
In the book The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan the two main characters, Sadie and Carter Kane, loose many people they care about. Their mother died when they were kids, then their father turned into the Egyptian God of the Dead. One of their really good godly friends had his soul taken, and each of their potential girlfriend/boyfriend got possessed by a god. These examples can show how Sadie and Carter learn to keep a difficult relationship.
Sadie and Carter's mom died closing up a portal, and ultimately preventing the end of the world for some years. In the first book, which is held years later, their dad gets possessed by the God of the Dead, then becomes his permanent host. The Kane kids then make trips to the underworld, as their quests require them to. Down there, their father is portrayed as a big blue man in egyptian clothes, and their mother is an intangible ghost. The Kanes still love their parents, but they have to focus on the task at hand. They will do anything they can for them, and their parents still look out for them. In the second book the parents try and warn them against someone dangerous, and in the third book the kids save their mom. While they are on missions, they sometimes think of their parents, and the times they had when they were alive.
In the second book, Sadie and Carter loose a bet against a god, who in return takes the soul of their friend Bes. Bes is the god of ugly, as weird as that sounds. When the god takes Bes' soul, he leaves the body intact, just leaving them like a hollow husk. In the second and third book they promise to bring his soul back. Sadie especially cares about Bes, ever since he saved her life in London. Sadie's other friend Walt likes her, and she likes him, but he is destined to die at a young age. Until Sadie's other crush, the god Anubis takes him as a host, Walt is cursed. But instead of feeling joy that she can be with the two guys she can't choose between, she is angry. She doesn't feel as if she can forgive them, until later in the book. Carter's almost-girlfriend is also hosted by a god, and not just any god, the god. The egyptian sun god, Ra. Carter doesn't know how to respond to this, because anything he does for or to the girl, he also is doing to an immortal, buff guy with a voice deeper than his.
Although these weird and sometimes disturbing things happen to the people they love, Sadie and Carter Kane still care for the people, and show how love can stretch any distance.
In the book The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan the two main characters, Sadie and Carter Kane, loose many people they care about. Their mother died when they were kids, then their father turned into the Egyptian God of the Dead. One of their really good godly friends had his soul taken, and each of their potential girlfriend/boyfriend got possessed by a god. These examples can show how Sadie and Carter learn to keep a difficult relationship.
Sadie and Carter's mom died closing up a portal, and ultimately preventing the end of the world for some years. In the first book, which is held years later, their dad gets possessed by the God of the Dead, then becomes his permanent host. The Kane kids then make trips to the underworld, as their quests require them to. Down there, their father is portrayed as a big blue man in egyptian clothes, and their mother is an intangible ghost. The Kanes still love their parents, but they have to focus on the task at hand. They will do anything they can for them, and their parents still look out for them. In the second book the parents try and warn them against someone dangerous, and in the third book the kids save their mom. While they are on missions, they sometimes think of their parents, and the times they had when they were alive.
In the second book, Sadie and Carter loose a bet against a god, who in return takes the soul of their friend Bes. Bes is the god of ugly, as weird as that sounds. When the god takes Bes' soul, he leaves the body intact, just leaving them like a hollow husk. In the second and third book they promise to bring his soul back. Sadie especially cares about Bes, ever since he saved her life in London. Sadie's other friend Walt likes her, and she likes him, but he is destined to die at a young age. Until Sadie's other crush, the god Anubis takes him as a host, Walt is cursed. But instead of feeling joy that she can be with the two guys she can't choose between, she is angry. She doesn't feel as if she can forgive them, until later in the book. Carter's almost-girlfriend is also hosted by a god, and not just any god, the god. The egyptian sun god, Ra. Carter doesn't know how to respond to this, because anything he does for or to the girl, he also is doing to an immortal, buff guy with a voice deeper than his.
Although these weird and sometimes disturbing things happen to the people they love, Sadie and Carter Kane still care for the people, and show how love can stretch any distance.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Never underestimate a girl
[SPOILER ALERT]
In the book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Frankie poses as Alpha, her boyfriend's best friend, in emails in a duel for control. Alpha and Frankie don't really like each other, and they both feel like they have to compete with each other for Matthew (Frankie's boyfriend) and control over The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Alpha is the senior 'alpha dog', hence his nickname, and Frankie is the sophomore Matthew drags around for whatever they do. Matthew genuinely likes Frankie, and Alpha don't have a very good reason to dislike Frankie. Well, until she poses as him in some emails. Frankie only does this because she is upset with Matthew for lying to her, and because Alpha kept pulling Matthew away from their dates. Frankie uses the emails to have the Bassets do her bidding, all in good nature.
When Frankie poses as Alpha she uses her own ideas for the Basset's annual prank on Halloween. She feels like she can do it because Alpha is gone for 4 days, and no one would guess that it's her. Frankie is expecting a certain reaction from Alpha when he hears about the prank, but instead he takes credit and Frankie isn't satisfied. Frankie emails Alpha at his real email, and tells everybody in The Order of the Bassets what other pranks to do through him. I believe Frankie is just trying to put a spin on something so serious. She could not become a member of the Bassets because it is a boys only group, so she tries another way. Frankie already feels lucky that Matthew is dating her, but she realizes that she will never be a part of their group. The book quotes, "Sure, they like Frankie fine, found her attractive and didn't seem to mind her hanging around; but if Matthew had dumped her, none of them would ever have given Frankie a second glance. None of them." Frankie wants to show them that she's no one to underestimate or tamper with.
I read a whole series that is about girls being underestimated. The four main characters all go to the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, which is an incognito spy school for girls. Only members of the CIA and MI6 with the right clearance know the truth of Gallagher and it's students. The main character Cammie mentions the looks that she and her best friends get when the go out as a school group, but then enjoys it when she's on a mission. Because if you see two fifteen year olds walking around town, you wouldn't think for a second that either of them could paralyze you with their bare hands. At Gallagher, the girls learn how to defend themselves in P&E (Protection and Enforcement), and are taught how to infiltrate and take information from buildings armed with top security. They are taught how to pin down a man three times their weight, and no one would suspect it. People think Gallagher Girls are helpless, spoiled rich girls. This relates to Frankie because Cammie believes that underestimation is a girls best weapon, but Frankie wants people to know what she is capable of doing.
In the book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Frankie poses as Alpha, her boyfriend's best friend, in emails in a duel for control. Alpha and Frankie don't really like each other, and they both feel like they have to compete with each other for Matthew (Frankie's boyfriend) and control over The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Alpha is the senior 'alpha dog', hence his nickname, and Frankie is the sophomore Matthew drags around for whatever they do. Matthew genuinely likes Frankie, and Alpha don't have a very good reason to dislike Frankie. Well, until she poses as him in some emails. Frankie only does this because she is upset with Matthew for lying to her, and because Alpha kept pulling Matthew away from their dates. Frankie uses the emails to have the Bassets do her bidding, all in good nature.
When Frankie poses as Alpha she uses her own ideas for the Basset's annual prank on Halloween. She feels like she can do it because Alpha is gone for 4 days, and no one would guess that it's her. Frankie is expecting a certain reaction from Alpha when he hears about the prank, but instead he takes credit and Frankie isn't satisfied. Frankie emails Alpha at his real email, and tells everybody in The Order of the Bassets what other pranks to do through him. I believe Frankie is just trying to put a spin on something so serious. She could not become a member of the Bassets because it is a boys only group, so she tries another way. Frankie already feels lucky that Matthew is dating her, but she realizes that she will never be a part of their group. The book quotes, "Sure, they like Frankie fine, found her attractive and didn't seem to mind her hanging around; but if Matthew had dumped her, none of them would ever have given Frankie a second glance. None of them." Frankie wants to show them that she's no one to underestimate or tamper with.
I read a whole series that is about girls being underestimated. The four main characters all go to the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, which is an incognito spy school for girls. Only members of the CIA and MI6 with the right clearance know the truth of Gallagher and it's students. The main character Cammie mentions the looks that she and her best friends get when the go out as a school group, but then enjoys it when she's on a mission. Because if you see two fifteen year olds walking around town, you wouldn't think for a second that either of them could paralyze you with their bare hands. At Gallagher, the girls learn how to defend themselves in P&E (Protection and Enforcement), and are taught how to infiltrate and take information from buildings armed with top security. They are taught how to pin down a man three times their weight, and no one would suspect it. People think Gallagher Girls are helpless, spoiled rich girls. This relates to Frankie because Cammie believes that underestimation is a girls best weapon, but Frankie wants people to know what she is capable of doing.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Popularity Isn't Easy
In the book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart the main character Frankie, is a seemingly normal girl in a not so normal boarding school. By not so normal I just mean a very competitive Boarding School called Alabaster. In her freshman year, Frankie is mildly geeky, someone you would look over and not think much of. She wasn't the best looking, but she still got a secure enough position in her school because of her sister Zada. But in her Sophomore year Frankie had gone through a change, and has filled out in all the right places. Frankie gets her second boyfriend, Matthew Livingston, and gets accepted into the "Alpha crew" (led by a guy called Alpha"). Although positive changes were made in Frankie's life, I think her boyfriend and his friends are negatively influencing her, almost like peer pressure. In middle school or high school most students feel like they want to fit in, and generally want to be liked.
In Frankie's sophomore year, she gets a name within Matthew and Alpha's group, and starts to become popular. But Frankie is still an outcast in the in-crowd. When Frankie first officially meets Matt's friends, they all start by saying things like, "hey look, Livingston has a girl!" or "Livingston, who's that girl?" Frankie had also met Alpha over the summer, and he had flirted with her, but acted like he had never seen her before when Matt introduced her. Frankie asked her friend about it later, and she said that Alpha was only pretending that he didn't know her because Matt so obviously liked her. Another way Matt and his friends influence her is when Frankie asks Star about her invitation to a party. Frankie was invited to a party, and before she got the invite Star asked her if she had gotten the blue envelope. After Frankie got the blue envelope and after the party, she went to Star and asked her why she asked if Frankie had gotten one. Star had said, "did I ask you about it?" and acted very confused. Frankie wrote this off as the same thing Alpha was doing. It was "intended to discomfort another person who was in some way perceived as a threat." Frankie felt like Alpha and Star weren't making an effort to like her, or even to be polite. This influenced her emotions in the way that she felt like an outcast within her boyfriend's friends.
In most stereotypical books or movies placed in High Schools there are the kids that strive to be popular, or liked. Frankie is not striving, she just gets it using wits. But once she has it, she doesn't feel very inclined to keep it, especially with Matt's friends confusing her. People in books who usually want to be liked are those people you don't see very often. The people that are there, and you don't think about it much. Reading this book I thought of the book, The Clique. In the book The Clique, the main character Claire has to fit in with a rich, fashion designer world, coming from Orlando. It's hard for Claire, and she pretends to be someone she's not to get popularity, but she ends up being friends with the girls. This reminded me of Frankie because Frankie gets accepted, but doesn't know what to do with it. Claire has it in her reach, but she has trouble finding out how to get it. Frankie is influenced and confused by Matthew's friends about her place in their group.
In Frankie's sophomore year, she gets a name within Matthew and Alpha's group, and starts to become popular. But Frankie is still an outcast in the in-crowd. When Frankie first officially meets Matt's friends, they all start by saying things like, "hey look, Livingston has a girl!" or "Livingston, who's that girl?" Frankie had also met Alpha over the summer, and he had flirted with her, but acted like he had never seen her before when Matt introduced her. Frankie asked her friend about it later, and she said that Alpha was only pretending that he didn't know her because Matt so obviously liked her. Another way Matt and his friends influence her is when Frankie asks Star about her invitation to a party. Frankie was invited to a party, and before she got the invite Star asked her if she had gotten the blue envelope. After Frankie got the blue envelope and after the party, she went to Star and asked her why she asked if Frankie had gotten one. Star had said, "did I ask you about it?" and acted very confused. Frankie wrote this off as the same thing Alpha was doing. It was "intended to discomfort another person who was in some way perceived as a threat." Frankie felt like Alpha and Star weren't making an effort to like her, or even to be polite. This influenced her emotions in the way that she felt like an outcast within her boyfriend's friends.
In most stereotypical books or movies placed in High Schools there are the kids that strive to be popular, or liked. Frankie is not striving, she just gets it using wits. But once she has it, she doesn't feel very inclined to keep it, especially with Matt's friends confusing her. People in books who usually want to be liked are those people you don't see very often. The people that are there, and you don't think about it much. Reading this book I thought of the book, The Clique. In the book The Clique, the main character Claire has to fit in with a rich, fashion designer world, coming from Orlando. It's hard for Claire, and she pretends to be someone she's not to get popularity, but she ends up being friends with the girls. This reminded me of Frankie because Frankie gets accepted, but doesn't know what to do with it. Claire has it in her reach, but she has trouble finding out how to get it. Frankie is influenced and confused by Matthew's friends about her place in their group.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Don't Abandon Love
In the book Numbers by Rachel Ward, the main character, Jem, can see when people are going to die. When she makes eye contact with someone, a number appears in the back of her mind, for example, 10102001 would appear. That means that that person will die on October 10th, 2001. That also happens to be the number that Jem saw in her mother's eyes. Ever since her mom dies Jem has been living in foster homes, and going to a school for troubled kids. Jem is smart enough to know she can't share her gift with anyone else, much less tell them their number. But Jem starts to change when she becomes friends with a boy called Spider, and the London Eye blows up. Jem and Spider go on the run when police think that they blew up the London Eye. This story is about how Jem accepts her loss of her loved ones by learning how to trust and love other people again.
Jem has to learn how to trust other people, and she starts with Spider. Spider has been wanting to get to know her better, but she hasn't let him in. But because Spider is so persistent Jem finally decides to give him a chance. Jem ends up hanging out with Spider a lot, and they become closer and closer, especially when they to run away from the police. [SPOILER ALERT] Jem and Spider eventually fall in love, erasing Jem's prior belief that she would never trust anyone ever again. Jem also starts to trust her foster mom, Karen, more near the end of the book. Jem wasn't prepared to love her foster mom, probably because she didn't want to feel the pain of loosing her mom again. It isn't clear whether Jem loved her mom or not but after her mom left she felt alone.
I have not lost anyone near to me to death, but I was adopted when I was 9 months old. I never knew my parents or possible siblings, so the yearning I feel for them is different than the ache of someone you knew well, and loved. I also have no idea whether they are still alive or not, so I don't know how to feel. They are missing from my life, but at the same time, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I never knew them. My parents told me that my 9 months (4 months with my birth parents, 5 months in the orphanage) was a really long time, but I know adopted kids who were abandoned at 13. My friend told a story about how her parents took her on a car trip when she was 13, then left her at a gas station. It's not the same idea as being adopted from birth, but it had the same abandoned feel. Sometimes I'm glad I don't know who abandoned me, but in the situation of letting myself love again, I have accepted that and moved on, similar to Jem.
Jem has to learn how to trust other people, and she starts with Spider. Spider has been wanting to get to know her better, but she hasn't let him in. But because Spider is so persistent Jem finally decides to give him a chance. Jem ends up hanging out with Spider a lot, and they become closer and closer, especially when they to run away from the police. [SPOILER ALERT] Jem and Spider eventually fall in love, erasing Jem's prior belief that she would never trust anyone ever again. Jem also starts to trust her foster mom, Karen, more near the end of the book. Jem wasn't prepared to love her foster mom, probably because she didn't want to feel the pain of loosing her mom again. It isn't clear whether Jem loved her mom or not but after her mom left she felt alone.
I have not lost anyone near to me to death, but I was adopted when I was 9 months old. I never knew my parents or possible siblings, so the yearning I feel for them is different than the ache of someone you knew well, and loved. I also have no idea whether they are still alive or not, so I don't know how to feel. They are missing from my life, but at the same time, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I never knew them. My parents told me that my 9 months (4 months with my birth parents, 5 months in the orphanage) was a really long time, but I know adopted kids who were abandoned at 13. My friend told a story about how her parents took her on a car trip when she was 13, then left her at a gas station. It's not the same idea as being adopted from birth, but it had the same abandoned feel. Sometimes I'm glad I don't know who abandoned me, but in the situation of letting myself love again, I have accepted that and moved on, similar to Jem.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Decisions, decisions
In the book Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott, 3 girls named Jamie, Ella, and Beth go through major relationship problems over the summer. Ella and Beth are both Jamie's cousins, but on different sides. Every summer they come together and hangout. They face a lot during that summer, and they conclude that they can only trust each other, and help them with whatever problems they have. They support each other with whatever choices they have to make, and support their emotions. They learn to accept what comes at them and they learn how to deal with it.
One time where they deal with a hard decision is on page 71 when Ella comforts Jamie. Ella helps Jamie get over a big decision that affected her badly. Jamie is unsure whether her reaction to this bad situation is acceptable or not, and feels guilty. Ella helps her by distracting her. She brings some stuff to do, movies, makeup, and plays games with her. Ella also tried to show her all the good outcomes of her choice. She shows her what was wrong about before, and how it's better now. She even says right out, "did you ever notice how nasty his feet are? I did."
Another excerpt in the story where they help make decisions is with Beth and her best friend George. Near the beginning of summer Beth realizes that she is in love with her best friend. This seemingly romantic situation becomes awkward when George asks Beth if she could find out if this girl Cara likes him. To Beth, Cara obviously likes him, but that's just girls' perception. And the fact that Cara asked Beth if she thought George was good looking, and if he was single. Beth felt really uncomfortable talking about this, but still gave her honest opinion. She thought of George first, and told him that she would try. Beth had very mixed feelings, but she still had George first in her mind. This decision is different than Jamie's, but both were downsides to other's decisions.
I believe that friendship is important, and there are a lot of hard decisions in a good friendship. I have a friend named Jamie, ironically, and I help her whenever she feels like she is making a bad choice. I talk to her, and comfort her. I also try and distract her, and so far my help has worked and been welcome. We feel comfortable in telling each other stuff, and trust each other. Beth had given her trust in George by not giving him a full answer. She had said, "sure, I'll see what I can pry out of her." Beth is showing her trust in George to make the right decision himself.
One time where they deal with a hard decision is on page 71 when Ella comforts Jamie. Ella helps Jamie get over a big decision that affected her badly. Jamie is unsure whether her reaction to this bad situation is acceptable or not, and feels guilty. Ella helps her by distracting her. She brings some stuff to do, movies, makeup, and plays games with her. Ella also tried to show her all the good outcomes of her choice. She shows her what was wrong about before, and how it's better now. She even says right out, "did you ever notice how nasty his feet are? I did."
Another excerpt in the story where they help make decisions is with Beth and her best friend George. Near the beginning of summer Beth realizes that she is in love with her best friend. This seemingly romantic situation becomes awkward when George asks Beth if she could find out if this girl Cara likes him. To Beth, Cara obviously likes him, but that's just girls' perception. And the fact that Cara asked Beth if she thought George was good looking, and if he was single. Beth felt really uncomfortable talking about this, but still gave her honest opinion. She thought of George first, and told him that she would try. Beth had very mixed feelings, but she still had George first in her mind. This decision is different than Jamie's, but both were downsides to other's decisions.
I believe that friendship is important, and there are a lot of hard decisions in a good friendship. I have a friend named Jamie, ironically, and I help her whenever she feels like she is making a bad choice. I talk to her, and comfort her. I also try and distract her, and so far my help has worked and been welcome. We feel comfortable in telling each other stuff, and trust each other. Beth had given her trust in George by not giving him a full answer. She had said, "sure, I'll see what I can pry out of her." Beth is showing her trust in George to make the right decision himself.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Am I Blue?
In the short story "Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville the main character, Vincent, gets beat up because he might be homosexual. Vincent meets his fairy godfather, Marvin, after being pushed into a
mud puddle and gets three wishes. He uses one on the "Gay Fantasy
#3", which exposes every gay person, turning them blue for a day. Vincent has trouble deciding and admitting whether or not he is gay, and he is afraid of the consequences. A big
concept of this story is accepting others and accepting who you are. It's also about
being able to control how you think of yourself.
One part in the story that shows control is when Melvin tells Vincent his story. Melvin called Vincent a faggot casually.When Vincent asked him about it, Marvin replied that he and his friends called each other that to "take the words away from the people who want to use them to hurt us." Melvin and his friends were stepping up and taking control of what people could call them, and how much it would hurt them. By taking the word 'faggot' and using it as a casual term they were less offended by it when people tried to hurt them with it.Another part where Vincent learns about recognition is when Marvin gives Vincent "gaydar", the ability to see gay people blue. Marvin talks to Vincent about how many gays there are, and how no one knows about them because they are afraid of getting beat up. Marvin says gays want the Gay Fantasy #3 "so all the straights would have to stop imagining that they don't know any gay people. They would find out that they have been surrounded by gays all the time, and survived the experience... The hiding would finally have to stop." This quote also shows how not only are gay people afraid of being beat up, straight people are afraid to admit that they know gay people. If they would both accept each other there would be no reason to hide. In the end of the story, the guy who had bullied Vincent also turns out to be gay. So, this story is about how everyone is afraid to show who they really are.
Two of my mom's closest friends are lesbian, and they live together. I love going over to their house and seeing them. They don't act different than anyone else I know. They are so happy together, it's sad to think of the people like Vincent and Marvin who had trouble coming out. One of my cousins on my mom's side, who is around my sister's age, also discovered she was a lesbian. We all still love her, and accepted her decision easily and quickly. She even found a girlfriend at college. If only more people were accepting and understanding, gay people like Vincent would be able to live happily and safely, with a boyfriend, maybe.
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