Go Ask Alice - Entry 3

As the reader's workshop comes to a close, I can confidently say this book was my favorite. Although I did really enjoy Out Of My Mind, this one was without a doubt the best one I have read. The one thing I really enjoyed was how straight forward the book was. Since it was written previously as a diary, everything was written out word for word, meaning there were no deeper meanings to anything that what was written. Of course I like to challenge myself when I read, but this was a really good book to end on. The book ends with the author, still anonymous, being drugged yet again, and ending up in a hospital. She then gets transferred to a mental institution due to the amount of harm that she endured while under the influence of drugs. At the very end of the book, the publisher explains that the anonymous author died three weeks after her last entry of a possible drug overdose, which wouldn't been that hard to believe considering the author's entire diary was about drug use. In the epilogue, the publisher of the book wrote, "Was it an accidental overdose? A premeditated overdose? No one knows, and in some ways that question isn't important. What must be of concern is that she died, and that she was only one of thousands of drug deaths that year" (214). This part of the book really hit home, considering I know what it's like to know someone who has had a premeditated overdose. I understood what the family of the author must have felt, their thoughts, I could relate to everything. Aside from the very tragic ending, the book was an overall good read. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone looking for something that is contemporary, but gives a different perspective on something that happens all around us.

Go Ask Alice - Entry 2

This book is much more than what I expected. I thought it was just be a bunch of boring journal entries, but it actually has a storyline and a really exciting plot. So the main character of the book is anonymous, for reasons of which I am not sure. The entries are entered inconsistently throughout the year, being everyday at some parts, then leaning towards only two or three a month. The author of the diary explains that one night she went to a party, and her drink was laced with LSD. Instantly, she was hooked on drugs. The rest of the book continues on to explain her stories of drug use, specifying exactly which drug she used and what the effects were. She becomes so invested with drugs that they begin to take over her life, causing her to have to move to San Francisco to get away from everything. Little does she know that doing that will not stop her from experiencing drugs. She just can't get away from it. She begins to realize that drugs are not the way to live your life, shortly after the sudden death of her grandmother and grandfather. I am very interested to see if she keeps her promise of staying clean or if she gives in and starts using again. This book is really relative to my life, considering the main character is about the same age as me and is already facing these extreme situations. As I said in my last post, I hoped that this book will be one that I would not be able to put down. My wish came true; this book is one that I really can not put down because it is that good.

Go Ask Alice - Entry 1

For my fifth and final book, I am going to read Go Ask Alice, a book many of my classmates have recommended. From what I have heard, this book deals with a very mature topic: drugs. It talks about the repercussions of using drugs, and about the harm they can do even within the first use. I haven't read any books by Beatrice Sparks before, so I am hoping this will open me up to a completely new author I can rely on for a good read. From looking inside the book, I noticed that it is organized as though it's a diary, with 'chapter's converted into entries labeled by dates. One of my close friends said that she barely put the book down, finishing it within the first two days of picking it up. Hopefully I will be able to do that considering I only have two days to read it! I really hope this book becomes one that I can recommend to other readers with confidence that it will be a quick, good read.

Out Of My Mind - Entry 3

Wow. That's really all I can say. This book completely changed my perspective on not just people with disabilities, but self-confidence. As I explained in my last post, Melody struggles with communication, causing people to judge her and treat her as though she isn't 'normal'. Right when I continued reading I learned that Melody was going through with her plan to participate in the quizzing tournament. To decide who would be on the team, she had to take a test, just as the rest of the students had to. Now, unlike the other students, Melody has an aid that helps her. Her classmates, being the ignorant fifth graders they are, began complaining that Melody would use her aid to cheat, which was unfair. Of course, Melody didn't let it get to her and even told her aid to leave to prove to the rest of her class she was just as good as them. Turns out she's actually better; she was the only person to get every single question right. She joined the team, and ultimately led them to nationals. Now, this is where the book got interesting, as if it wasn't intriguing enough already. Nationals were being held in Washington, D.C, meaning that Melody and her team needed to take a plane there. So, when Melody arrived at the airport, her and her family learned that the team had left without her, leaving on an earlier flight because the flight they were originally supposed to be on was cancelled due to severe weather. As most kids would, Melody got up. She began to second guess her decision to even be on the team, feeling as though they purposely left her behind in order to look like a 'normal' team. She was down, but got right back up and went to school to confront the entire team about the mishap. She learns that her so-called friend refused to call and notify Melody of the change of plans, after repeatedly being asked by the coach to do so. This isn't even the part that caused me to walk away from this book in shock and feeling changed. In the very beginning of the book, Melody got an assignment to write an autobiography. This book was what she handed into the teacher for the assignment. It was actually quite amazing to realize that the entire book was a circle. As Draper wrote the very first words of the book, "Words. I'm surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions" (1). Then again, Draper writes the exact same sentence, followed by the exact same paragraphs at the very end of the book, "Words. I'm surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions" (294). That just blew my mind. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone. It's a quick read, one that will really change your perspective on life.

Out Of My Mind - Entry 2

Already being halfway through the book, I can honestly say this is unlike anything I have ever read. So far, we know that Melody is a girl who is physically impaired, but is smarter than most of her class combined and also possesses a photogenic memory. Although she struggles with not being able to communicate, she continues to stay optimistic, always looking at the brighter side of everything. Of course, as anyone can guess, she also faces those people who think she is a freak simply because she is different from them. This causes her to beat herself up for being the way she is, feeling as though there is no way any of this can get better. As Draper writes, "I believe in me. And my family does. And Mrs. V. It's the rest of the world I'm not so sure about" (174). This quote is from a section in the book directly after Melody has planned on participating in a quizzing tournament that the state is holding. She already aced the one in class, giving her an extra confidence boost. She studies and studies, but realizes that she is nothing like the other people who will be competing, which causes her to second guess her decision to show off her vast knowledge. I am curious to find out if she goes through with her original plan and participates. So far this book is one that I have honestly not been able to put down, and hopefully that will lead me to finish it within a very short time span.

Out Of My Mind - Entry 1

For my fourth book, I have decided to read Out Of My Mind, a book about a girl named Melody who has a photogenic memory, but is unable to communicate to the people around her. She struggles with her speech and controlling her movement, causing her to be in a wheelchair. From what I heard from the people who recommended the book to me, this is a very strong, emotional book that will leaving you looking at life through a new perspective. After being only a few pages in I am already completely invested in the book, aiming to finish it in only a few days. The overall theme of the story is one that I am not that familiar with, so I am very excited to read this in order to be introduced to a new type of book. Can't wait to start reading!

Of Mice and Men - Entry 3

Considering I have only four more days and two more books to read, I have a lot of work to do over the course of this week. I finally finished Of Mice and Men, which looking back had a lot of reoccurring symbols present. One of the most prominent ones being loneliness. Throughout the story, all of the main characters mention, even in the slightest bit, that they sometimes feel alone and in need of the love of a friend. For example, Curley's wife admits that she is unhappily married, having to deal with Curley's mean and aggressive tendencies. He has become very possessive of his wife, leading him to fight men for simply looking at his wife. For me, the most shocking point in the book was when Lennie accidentally killed Curley's wife, and as you can tell from how I described his personality earlier, he was not too pleased by that. All throughout the book, Lennie was the one always getting yelled at, always being told he's too much to deal with, always being told life would be so much easier without him. I think he was just as shocked as Curley was when he learned he had the capability to do such an extreme thing. Overall, a very good book, although it can get confusing at times. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a quick read with a lot of depth.