I'm still currently reading the book "Love and Other four-letter words" by Carolyn Mackler. I really tried to focus on Samanthas relationship with her best friend Kitty.

    I feel that sometimes Samantha may be jealous of Kitty. For example in the book Samantha described herself as a "curvy ggirl, very insecure, and she wishes her thighs didnt splay out when she sits down or her stomach didnt look pregnant after a second helping. Or i could lose those awful,pinkish stretch marks that recently appeared on my hips." Samantha does seem to be very insecure, but comeon so is every other girl living in this world.Many girls are insecure over their weight, their hieght, anything. Samantha describes her best friend kitty as " the tall thing, the skinny thing, the blonde thing, and the guy thing. Kitty knows exactly how to shake her hips or twitter at guys' jokes, even if she's already heard them. I could never pull the giggling number off. I'd probably wind up something like a hyena with rabies." I've noticed that Samantha does compare herself to Kitty a lot of times. I think that's what triggers her insecurity most often. She even described herself as a jaguar, and Kitty as a Ford Tauras. The fact that she constantly compares herself to kitty, only makes her feel worse. In my opinion, I think Samantha should be happy with what she has. Samantha is one person, and Kitty is another. They weren't brought into this world so they could be exactly alike. I understand where Samantha is coming from, because sometimes seeing your best friend live the life you want with a perfect body, a boyfriend, and a beautiful life may be difficult.

   I've also noticed that Kitty doesn't seem to worry too much about Samantha's problems. She constantly talks about herself, and doesn't really ask whats happening in Samantha's life. Samantha is moving to New York City, and Kitty hasn't mentioned anything about that at all. Samantha had said "It was only on the drive back to my house that I realized Kitty hadnt asked me anything about the move. It had been all kitty, kitty, kitty, and jack, Jack, Jack. Which would have been okay on any other day, but on the morning I'm abondoning my entire life, I think I deserve an extra helping of airtime. Sometimes my relationship with Kitty confuses me. I feel like I slip into this "good friend" role with her. I'm always offering an ear, is if her life stories-without a doubt more action-packed-have more value than mine. " Knowing that the majority of the time your best friend doesn't really care about what goes on in your life hurts. And sometimes I don't find Kitty a good friend at all. If i was in Samantha's place, I would have a talk with Kitty and tell her exactly how I feel; because sometimes a conversation can really save a friendship.

I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship changes after Samantha's move.

          
              

  I just recently started reading the book "Love and other four-letter Words" by Carolyn Mackler.

This book talks about the life of sixteen year old Samantha Davis, and the hardships she has to face right before her sixteenth birthday party. In just one night her whole worlds flips upside down.

     The biggest issue in the book so far is divorce. The afternoon the day after Samantha’s sleepover with her best friend Kitty shatters when Samantha arrives home to horrible news. Her father had stopped her as soon as she walked straight through the front door, and he had told her right away that he and her mother are getting a trial separation. What surprised me the most is that Samantha doesn’t really stop her dad from doing so. She doesn’t speak out and doesn’t show any emotion of sadness at all. That surprised me, because most teenagers who hear that their parents are going through a divorce would most likely oppose to that idea. However, I think Samantha had a build-up of emotion, but she kept all the pain and sadness inside of her. I think that maybe she didn’t want her dad to see her upset. In the book, Samantha also points out that “I guess that’s one way to put the fact that we keep a lot to ourselves. We don’t let the entire population see every emotion we’re feeling every second that we’re feeling it. I guess that this is the reason that Samantha is keeping all of that devastation inside of her. I think she’s really strong for not blowing up, and speaking her mind but yet on the other hand if she spoke up and told her dad how she really felt, than maybe it could’ve changed something? Also the day when her dad was leaving to California, Samantha didn’t even bother saying goodbye. All she did was lock herself in her room and she blasted Cd’s. During that part, I saw a bunch of emotion coming from Samantha. I could finally see how sad she was, and how she didn’t want anyone bothering her, she kept to herself.

      Her mom had also found an apartment in New York City. So Samantha had to drop out of school, leave her best friend Kitty and all her other friends, and embark on this new adventure technically all by herself. I feel so bad for Samantha, because of the fact that her dad had left it’s tearing the whole family apart. Not only is she losing all the friends she had made for the past fifteen years, but also a best friend who she wouldn’t see for a long time. And her sixteenth birthday party is only 3 days away! I feel like her dad could’ve waited a few more days until he left, because I think she would’ve wanted him to celebrate her birthday party with her.

           Relationships are also a huge part in this book. Throughout the book, I can see that Samantha had a stronger relationship with her dad rather than the one she had with her mom. I think that this is why the fact that her dad left, had torn her apart. In the book Samantha always talks about how she and her dad were so similar, and had a stronger bond than she ever had with anyone. Samantha said how she and her mother don’t look much alike except for both being above 5 feet and having brown eyes. She also mentioned that she wished she had gotten her dads eyes, which are hazel with rusty flecks that appear almost orange if he wears a certain color shirt. She also said that she inherited her dad’s straight brown hair. In one part of the book Samantha said “I’m exactly the opposite, like dad. We’re much more even-keeled. We’d opt for our favorite pasta place rather than the Thai-Cuban-Scandinavian restaurant that just opened downtown. So, I definitely think Samantha and her dad have a very strong bond, and Samantha sees it too.

   Relationships and divorce are big issues in this book so far.

Palace of Mirrors

  I just started the book "Palace of Mirrors" by Margaret Peterson Haddix. So far this book is very interesting, because the author really pulls the reader into the lives of the characters. It's as if I'm standing right next to them experiencing everything they see. Palace of Mirrors is about Cecilia a princess who was forced to hide in a very very very small town to get away from the evil forces that killed her parents. And while she's far away from her castle living life as practically a peasant, there's another girl who trading places with her; and is now living the dangerous life inside the castle.

   Throughout the pages, I've learned that Cecilia the hidden princess is a very secretive and scared character. Her best friend Harper who knows her the most, who sticked up for her and protected her whenever she needed it, still doesn't know the truth. I understand why Cecilia is keeping to herself, because maybe Harper could spill her spot and big problems could be made out of this. But I think Cecilia is slowly giving her secret away, because of her behavior. For example: in the book when Cecilia and Harper went fishing she saw a shadow behind a tree, turns out it was just a dog lurking around in the woods. But, Cecilia still was trying to prove her point to Harper that it was a human who was trying to take her away. I understand exactly where Cecilia is coming from, and I don't think it's time yet to give out her secret to Harper, and I do agree that she should wait, but I don't think that it's necessary for her to make a big deal out of little things, because in order to protect her identity she needs to act normal.

   What I've also realized happening in the book, is that the people closest to her are acting so weird. When Cecilia was cutting fish that she caught in a river, she accidentally cut her finger and yelled out loudly "Ow! Blast the dark one's sneezes!" And less than a minute later, her nanny runs in the room holding a knife above her head. She thought it was an animal who was about to attack. But even Cecilia pointed out that her nanny held the knife as the same height of a human, and that it's impossible to hold your knife so high to fend off a wild boar. I think this is extremely weird, I have a feeling that her nanny and all her protectors are keeping a big secret from her that could change her life in many ways.

   Cecilia is becoming very suspicious of the people around her and their actions. Such as what her Nanny did, and I'm looking forward to see what happens next; and what changes occur.

Non-fiction Article

               
         I currently read an article about a 11 year old boy named Jaheem Herrera. However, after
coming home from school on April 16th, he attempted the most unthinkable thing. Suicide. Thousands of teenagers take their own lives each year due to bullying.

      On April 16th, Jaheem came back from school all happy-like. He raced up to his room, and when was called for dinner he never came down-stairs. He was found hung in his room. This story touched me so much. What concerns me, is the fact that Jaheem hid all his emotions so well. His mother talked about how "he came home much happier than when he left in the morning, smiling as he handed his mother, Masika Bermudez, a glowing report card full of A's and B's. She gave him a high-five and he went upstairs to his room as she prepared dinner". This makes me think how we never truly know what a person is going through, until we actually get to really-really know them. We judge people all the time based off their looks and their attitude, before we actually sit down and have a talk with that person. Jaheem's suicide was unexpected, nobody would've ever guessed that his happy-smiles on the 16th would soon lead to his death. Jaheem constantly complained to his mother about the bullying issues in his school. He was called "gay, and ugly". The words people called him, pushed him to an edge. "He told me, but he just got to the point where he didn't want me to get involved anymore because nothing was done," said his mother. I however feel differently. His mother also said that she complained to the school 7-8 times, but there was nothing done. I feel like his mother just stopped trying. If he was my child, I would've went to the school ever day if I had too. If his mother would've went to the school a few more times, than maybe those extra times would've saved his life. She quit too soon. My heart goes out to his family, because what they're going through is awful but the least she would've done is switched him to a different school, because no one deserves to die at such a young age. His mother also talked about Jaheem thinking how nobody wanted to help him, or stand up for him. When I read that part, I honestly felt so bad. If one person would've been a friend to him, or if just one person stood up for him or said something than maybe April 16th would just be any ordinary day.  

        After Jaheem's death, the school board expressed condolences, saying the school staff "works diligently to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students." This quote makes me sick. When some one is still alive ( for example Jaheem) and they go through outrageous amounts of bullying, the school doesn't cut right to the chase and stop the bullying. In most cases, schools don't even do anything and the bullying continues. However, right after somebody committed suicide the school goes all in and out, and tries too provide a better environment for students, and programs that help against bullying. I find this so unfair, because if Jaheem's school would've done something before his death NOT after, than he wouldn't have took his own life. Schools need to pay much more of their attention to the victims of bullying, and help out in any way possible before things go too far.

     Jaheem's story is so terrible, and nobody should go through something like that. So I definitely think that his story is a lesson to so many others. You really have to think about what you say to some one, because words really do hurt.

         Currently, I am almost finished with the 'Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, which continues to show the main character Carlie write even more letters to an anonymous friend throughout the story. Charlie who is currently in high school, writes a bunch of letters to a person who has yet to be named; and his letters technically help build the story from page to page. Most of his letters are about his experiences in high school, how he met Sam and Patrick who are now his two best friends. He also talks about his family, the troubles they had after his Aunt Helen died, and makes us believe that his entire family is nothing a like. However mainly, Charlie describes the parties he attends, where doing drugs is very common. I feel as if the anonymous person is the perspective that we are missing in the book. Throughout the book, we never got a reply back from the person or even a hint of who it is.

     Even though, Charlie hasn't given the reader a clue of who the anonymous friend might be, we still have a picture in our minds. Charlie has dedicated an entire book to this anonymous person, so clearly he/she have to be nice and helpful. Charlie just wrote an entire diary filled with his biggest secrets that not even Sam or Patrick know of. This shows me that Charlie can really trust this person, because he just practically given away the most important and  darkest moments of his high school experience. I know for a fact that if Charlie had just a few doubts about this particular anonymous person, he would never open up. So even in the smallest ways the author still shows that this person plays a really important role in Charlies life. I can tell right off the bat, that this "friend" really can understand Charlie's emotions and will take the time and read all his letters and help out in any way possible.

    To be honest, at some points in the book I thought "anonymous" was Charlie's friend Michael. You see, Michael used to be Charlie's best friend a while ago, and they did absolutely everything together. From hanging out, to going to football games, he trusted him most. Charlie and Michael had a very close bond, not only because Michael was his only friend, but because he was always there for him through thick and thin. However, Michael committed suicide and that left Charlie shattered. So, I thought Charlie created this whole diary to tell Michael how his life has been ever since he died. But than I realized why would this be dedicated to Michael? In his letters, he constantly says "when you get this" and this made me think well how will Michael ever get this letter if he died? So clearly, it has to be a living person.

    I even had some other thoughts of why Charlie and the author both decided not to tell us who anonymous was. I feel as if, maybe the author just wanted us to concentrate on Charlie's life. Because, the responses of "anonymous" might totally shift the story, and Charlie's letters, his life and himself as well will be seen differently. With no responses from anonymous, Charlie goes through changes himself. He fights through the bad experiences, and tries to shift his life into place. However, I feel like with anonymous responding back, Charlie will get help and guidance, and than there will be no point of the story anymore. So in a way, the fact that anonymous is being hidden throughout the book is a positive thing, because we see Charlie battling through high school and life himself, and not with someone to tell him in which direction to go.

   So overall, I feel that not knowing who anonymous is, does bring a positive effect to the story.