Month: September 2022

The Fault In Our Stars

On By OLIVE TEPFERIn Book Review, Highly Recommended, NovelsLeave a comment

The book The fault In Our Stars follows the story of a teenager hazel who is living with cancer. Hazel doesn’t see her cancer as a battle to Hazel cancer is reality. The fault In our stars is a love story between too teenagers who have the constant reminder of death and loss always with them.

Gus and Hazel’s relationship (the two main characters) is so unique and special and it shows in the story. The book not only focusing on their love story but it focuses on bigger ideas and questions. On their journey they experience Loss, hopelessness, and illness while the story also questions everything. The word that Hazel would use to describe their time together would be simply “honest”. Honest is truly the perfect way to describe their lives. Even though these characters are fiction the story it follows is completely honest. Gus and hazel both know what it’s like to live with cancer but even though it is their story we also see how cancer has impacted the people around them.

I recommend this book. It was a really easy book to get into. It was entertaining and inspiring.

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

On By EDUARDO F. / EDIn Book Update, NovelsLeave a comment

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow is a story about a girl named Rowan Roth and it’s her last day of senior year and during the three years of high school she has tried to win against her other classmate Neil McNair after losing against him in freshman year for a school wide contest.

After three years she has finally finished senior year and while she thinks everything is going good for she gets into a car accident with her ex-boyfriend and in the process spills coffee on her dress that she wore for the the announcements for valedictorian which while on stage she doesn’t end up getting valedictorian sadly. Overall this a very good book so far and I feel actually bad for Rowan hopefully things look up for her but anyways this book is definitely worthwhile, see you next time my little lovelies xoxo

Monster

On By Nolan MIn Book Review, Book Update, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Monster : by Walter Dean Myers

The main character, Steve Harmon is put on trial for murder after robbing a drugstore in Harlem and killing the store`s owner. The book is in the format of a screenplay, because Harmon wants to make his own movie and follows the events of the trial, where the jury decides whether he is guilty or not. When he is in his cell, he writes on pieces of paper and jots down his thoughts in his notebook. The trial brings in many perspectives to the case, such as a witness, a detective, and a rat. Will Harmon be a free man or will he serve 25 years to life in prison?

Six of Crows Book Review

On By MAX KIn Book Update, NovelsLeave a comment

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a fantasy novel about greed, redemption, and trauma. The story hooks you from the start with its intricate setting and complicated characters. The story is about six teenagers who all have troubled pasts that are working together on a heist in order to get enough money to turn their lives around. They each have a unique background and set of skills to their advantage, and the novel leaves you wanting to know what happens next in this action packed yet thoughtful novel. However what really makes this novel so great is how it switches points of view each chapter and offers us a glimpse into each of their minds and past lives. Once you start reading it, it is hard to stop so I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

Ready Player One

On By NOAH GEORGEIn Book Update1 Comment

Ready Player One is a fantastic futuristic dystopian book written by Ernest Cline. Cline introduces the story by describing this new event that takes place in the story then describes the main character in this new world that is barren, poor, low energy, and homeless. This book both figuratively and literally creates a new and interesting world to explore. This book makes me want to keep reading because there are always unanswered questions to find the answers to.

The Loop (update)

On By Meredith C.In Book Update3 Comments

The Loop By Ben Oliver is a dystopian novel set in a future where the world is united under one government. The main character, Luka Kane, is an inmate in an AI-run solitary confinement prison called the Loop. Each and every day is the same as the last, and Luka has been there for years.

A change finally comes when the government mandated rain fails to fall, which starts a chain of events that causes the end of Luka’s monotony.

The action comes fairly quickly in this book, and hooks the reader from the very start. Definitely worth a read.

UPDATE: I have since finished the book! After getting to see the end, I once again recommend reading The Loop. The closer I got to the conclusion, the more on the edge of my seat I felt, and I was not disappointed. A thrilling end to an excellent book.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

On By nyah tIn Book Update, Highly Recommended, Novels4 Comments

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han centers around the main character, Belly. Belly is completely obsessed with summer, so when her mom’s friend, Susannah, invites Belly and her family to their beach house each year, she is ecstatic. Belly is accompanied by her mom, brother (Steven), Susannah, and Susannah’s children, Jeremiah and Conrad. Isabel (Belly) Concklin has loved Conrad since she was a little kid, and although Conrad, Jere, and Steven treat her like a sister, she loves each one of them in a different way.

From the beginning, readers are hooked. The descriptive setting of their shared beach house makes readers want to be there with the 4 “siblings.” The apparent love triangle between Belly, Jere, and Conrad always leaves you wanting to know what happens next between the three of them.

The new world presented in the book is called “Cousins.” This is where the beach house that the two families reside in for the summer is located. The author makes you want to be able to visit Cousins as it’s portrayed as a beautiful stretch of land with beaches, whales, boardwalks, and so much other stuff to do! Overall the book has been really interesting and fun to read so far.

Reading Update: The Hate U Give

On By Hannah JIn Book Update3 Comments

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas hooks the reader in the beginning by instead of introducing characters and backstories right there and then, it starts in the middle of the main character’s life. The first couple of sentences start off by saying ” I shouldn’t have come to this party. I’m not even sure i belong at this party. That’s not on some bougie sh*t either. There are just some places where it’s not enough to be me. Either version of me.” This start of the book can hook a reader to keep reading in the state of curiosity. Where do they belong? Why don’t they feel like they belong? What are the different “versions” of them? Hooking a reader can mean getting them to wonder just at the beginning of the book. I do not think the reader needs patience for the plot to thicken or rising action to start because you can feel a sense of regret in the main character’s first couple of sentences. It made me feel as if I started the book in the middle of a “rising action” or a “conflict” so i did not need to await for anything interesting to occur.

Book review: All american boys

On By ADRIEN MASONIn Course StuffLeave a comment

All american boys is a book about racism in america especially in small neighborhoods

The story is amazing and keeps you reading no matter what there is no boring part of the book

The suspense isn’t very well intercepted into the story but it doesn’t degrade it at all since it doesnt really need it all it needs is its point and story.

if i rated it out of 10 it would be a 9-10

reading update :we kill monsters

On By NOAH DIn Course Stuff3 Comments

im reading the book called we kill monsters currently i am on page 64. this book hooks me from the start because there is already action going on in this book and it is very eye grabbing into this book and really makes me want to read more. this takes me into a new world because it has so many monsters at the beginning It has already started the plot and has took me into a new world and has made me really want to read more

Internment by Samira Ahmed

On By Andy K.In Highly Recommended2 Comments

Internment by Samira Ahmed is a beautifully written book that is intended to both educate and scare the reader. Not in the sense that it is terribly violent (though it does have its scenes), but it is a projection of the future based off of America’s history.

The main character is Layla Amin, a seventeen-year-old Muslim American. Her family is forced into an internment camp with other Muslims, forcing Layla to leave her life behind, and the conditions there are very bad. Due to this, Layla and a few of her new friends decide that they want to fight back against the Director.

I highly recommend reading this book, it was eye opening and inspiring, and the characters are well developed with incredible motivations and personalities. It only took me a few days to read because of how well it hooks the reader. It is 275 pages long.

Reading Update/Review #1

On By Bernie H.In Book Review, Book Update, Course Stuff, Highly RecommendedLeave a comment 
*Remember, avoid spoilers as much as possible, since your thoughts might inspire others to pick up the book.

The must-haves: create a post about your independent reading. See below for posting options. Also, make two comments on your classmates’ posts. Comments can be brief but they need to have substance, not just saying you like it (there’s actually a button for that).

If you have not completed your book during the past two weeks, post a reading update of at least one paragraph based on the reading focus for this week, which is Beginnings. Answer the following questions, explaining your answers:

  • How does the book hook you from the beginning? Or does the reader need a little patience? Why?
  • How does the book immerse you in a new world? What are some details of that world?

or

If you completed a book, post a book review of at least one paragraph, which will include answers to some the following (these questions avoid questions of plot, which will help you avoid spoilers):

  • How does the book hook you from the beginning? Or does the reader need a little patience? Why?
  • How does the book immerse you in a new world? What are some details of that world?
  • What is the most complex character or characters in the book? What makes them round and dynamic?
  • What are the compelling internal and external conflicts in the book? How does the book build tension?
  • Would you recommend this book to any reader? Would you recommend it to particular readers? Why?

Pocahontas’s Stereotypical Presentation of Native American Culture

On By Andy K.In Course Stuff, DisneyLeave a comment

The Disney movie Pocahontas displays Native Americans in an extremely stereotypical manner, such as their conflict with white Europeans. It depicts Native Americans as uncultured people with strange religions. It also displays their housing in a very historically inaccurate manner.

Stereotypes in The Little Mermaid

On By Daniel R.In Course StuffLeave a comment

I slightly agree with the argument that Ariel would give up her voice to be with the man she wanted to be with but I think that is because Ursula was urging her into making that decision and she was under pressure. I think that the stereotypes dont come into play too much here but it is more the pressure of the situation.

The Lion King

On By SEAN C.In Disney, Film1 Comment

In the 1994 film The Lion King, there are many scenes that reinforce many dominant narratives and stereotypes of the creatures and environments of Africa. The movie contains a wild and primitive land with no human life. Showing stereotypical environments, like wide open savanna landscapes, and stereotypical animal roles, which include lions being the king of the jungle. During the beginning of the movie, the viewer is shown stereotypes about Africa’s landscapes and terrain. Showing the viewer a wide savanna landscape with the sun rising in the background, which is often used in the media when talking about Africa. Reinforcing those single stories about Africa to the current and younger generations

The Little Mermaid’s Thesis

On By COLE STEWARTIn Course Stuff1 Comment

I agree with the group when they said “It also supports the dominant narrative because by the end of the story, she changes for a man.” Throughout the entire movie her whole mission is to end up with him and she does whatever it takes to be with him even if it means losing her voice. This whole idea that she needs to change her body for a man can negatively impact its younger audience.

Why The Little Mermaid Presentation was Correct

On By OLAF A.In Course StuffLeave a comment

I agree with “The Little Mermaid” presentation that the Little Mermaid film does feed into a dominant narrative about how women should act and behave, but also how like many other Disney movies made at the time, still shows parts where the dominant narrative is broken to create unique and human characters, such as on Aladdin when Jasmine run’s away to claim independence over her life, or when Pocahontas stands up against John Smith calling her people Savages.

Mulan

On By LIAM MIn Course StuffLeave a comment

In the movie, Mulan, the dominant narrative is that men are better in battle than women. the whole movie is about Mulan pretending to be a boy to fight for her father so that he won’t have to go to war. Mulan has to pretend to be a boy because women are not allowed to fight. Mulan ends up being the hero of the movie.

The Little Mermaid

On By KATHRYN BIn Course StuffLeave a comment

THESIS- The Little Mermaid, (the 1989 film), promotes a dominant narrative that women should sacrifice themselves and anything about them to adapt to a man’s needs. While Ariel is a confident female lead that sets herself apart from the rest by departing on adventures despite her obligations and restrictions as a mermaid, she still represents the dominant narrative when the prince comes into play. After falling for the powerful male character, she immediately focuses on doing anything possible to be with him, including giving up her own assets and life altogether.

I agree with the cultural analysis of Pochahontas and how they found that it incorrectly portrays Native Americans and what happened when Europeans first came to America. Using examples from the conversation between her and John Smith was a really good point because the relationship is a main storyline to the movie.

Mulan Thesis

On By Clara LIn Course StuffLeave a comment

The film, Mulan (1998), resists the dominant narrative that women are less capable than men. Additionally, it defies the dominant narrative of what a socially acceptable woman should be like. The film does so by showcasing Mulan, the protagonist, as a hero. In 01:17:00 – 1:18:27, Mulan receives honor from the Chinese Emperor as a gratitude for saving China. He gifts her a medal of honor, Shan Yu’s sword (the enemy Mulan defeated), and offers her a position in his council. This demonstrates that the Emperor admires Mulan and how she is viewed as a savior, which defies these dominant narratives by displaying how a woman does not need to be the one being saved. She not only does not need to be saved by the men surrounding her, she saves them instead.