Chain Letter- Why I chose this book.

      Surprise! Another book by the AMAZING Christopher Pike.

      I'm on page 89, and I got this book yesterday. When most people read this, they will be thinking- well it's Ashton, she reads a lot. It's not the books that gets you to love reading, it's the authors. You could very well so take out the author's style and craft in Thirst. The question is: what is left? Words? Yes. Sentences? Yes. A great story? No. You could twist and turn every little aspect of the story, but we all know it would never come close to something Christopher Pike could write.

    After I read the entire Thirst series, I wanted to read other things he's written (http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Christopher-Pike/1080960 for a list of books). Remember Me, which is about a girl wanting revenge that came back from the dead, was not really up my alley after reading a vampire novel. So, I took a break. This was about a year ago.

    Last week, I was standing at Meijer, making my bimonthly decision on which books I want to stock up on. I looked through the YA section about 10 times then I saw it- Chain Letter. I immediately grabbed it and flipped it over, ready for another adventure in the world of Christopher Pike that I have been long over due for. True, some of his books can get kind of graphic, but if you get past that minor flaw to the weak stomached, his books take you far and wide across the world. I'll admit this right now, everything Christopher Pike writes should have a warning label: CAUTION: THIS BOOK WILL DRAG ITSELF TO YOU, AND BE GLUED TO YOU UNTIL IT IS SATISFIED YOU HAVE READ IT FROM COVER TO COVER. GOOD LUCK. 

 

The Darkest Minds- The best (and worst) thing about my book

     Let me be straight forward.

     This book is good. Five stars good. Better than pizza.  I know I say this about every book, because I can't ever say anything mean about a book (Except Beautiful Creatures, don't get me started on that horrendous book). Basically, my job here is to tell you everything that is amazing about a novel, and why. This has been pretty easy because I love to read, and 99.95% of the book I read are AMAZING.

     This infamous book? The Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Braken.  Spoiler: It's not actually dark.

     This book is about four kids who have powers- some can conduct electricity, some are freakishly smart, some play with fire. Then there's Ruby. She's the main character, and she can control minds. All four kids- Liam, Su, Chubs and Ruby- are running from the government (I feel like in every book nowadays the kids are running from the government) and have nowhere to hide but a camp called East River. The only problem is that they actually need to find the camp, and make it there alive.

     Now that I've done my summary, I can get to the fun part. Why do I love this book?
1. It's fast paced. There's always something happening.

2. There's a love triangle! 

3. Dystopian society- I love to read these kind of books because it makes me appreciate the world we have today. But I do with I had superpowers sometimes. 

4. First person POV: it might just be me, but I love a first person point of view because I feel more like I'm with the character than watching them. 

5. Makes you think. After you finish the book, on page 500 something, you're still thinking about it. It's that good.
6. The main character, Ruby, is hilarious. She adds a great twist to the plot. 

7. You can't leave out the great Classic Rock allusions that somehow make their way into the novel.
8. Alexandra Bracken says it herself, "Black is the absence of all colors (whereas white is the presence of all colors), so it’s a largely symbolic gesture. They’re basically saying, there are no colors here except for the one we give ourselves—they’re trying to assert some independence from the system while acknowledging that they’re all equal regardless of what abilities they may have." 

    (SPOILER COMING!) After I've named all of the great things, there's nothing bad about it, right? Here's what I hate. MY FAVORITE CHARACTER DIED.
     Honestly, I'm still not over it. Sometimes I'll just stop what I'm doing, and silently mourn for that character. Yeah, I get attached to characters. Long live character-who-can't-be-named-because-I-can't-say-spoilers. They were a favorite of mine, right up there next to Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments, which happens to release the very last book in the series on May 27th!

Here's a link for you lazy people who decided to skip down to the bottom, hoping for me to summarize what I just wrote about. If you actually read all of this, I applaud you. Sorry making it so long.

     Alexandra Braken's The Darkest Minds Book Trailer:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3kRUt92i2PQ

Chain Letter- Most Important Line

      Page 154. Chapter 12. Paragraph Three. First Sentence. 19 words. Right here, in this moment, is the most important line, "If you are not certain they are dead, do what you know you shouldn't, and be certain. Your Caretaker."

     Believe me or not, we know what is true. Fran and Kipp have just gone missing. Everyone believes they are dead, but are they?

     This line is by far the most important line in possibly the entire book. But why? It was a spark. A tiny, minuscle spark that fuels the anger of the five remaining teenagers. From this spark, the teenagers are now divded and either:

                                                 A: Hunt down the Caretaker.
                                                 B: Keep following the orders and hoping if being good will give them their friends back.

      I personally liked the first one better, but that just may be me.

    As I discussed the division that occurs in my last blog, it is only growing more. Everyone is on this massive hunt to find Fran and Kipp, but at the same time are wondering if they are actually dead. However, Joan is not fueled, but rather bored. Could this be because she is the Caretaker? I don't think that Christopher Pike would make it this easy to figure out who it is because he is notorious for surprise endings, but more that he would use her as a Red Herring. Part of me thinks that it is Alison, because she was the character first introduced into the book, and it would be a good surprise to throw at us readers. Well done, Pike, well done.

Chain Letter- What Does The Work Tell Us How People Behave?

     Okay, let's face it. I've been reading Chain Letter for about three weeks, and I am still in the first couple hundred pages. Why? I can promise you it is not because Ive lost interest. I've been enjoying this book. A really good book only comes around once in a while, so while you have them, you must enjoy.  However, since this book is about teenagers being put in a hard situation, I want to explain how it shows people behave.

     There are the main characters:
         Alison: An actress who is pretty much just along for the ride.
         Brenda: Also an actress, but is shyer and wants to go to the police.
         Fran: A girl who does everything behind the scenes.
         Joan: A sassy, punk girl who doesn't even understand why she was with this group on that night.
        Tony: The average football player.
        Kipp: The smartest of the group, going to MIT with a full ride in the fall.
         Neil: Shy, and agrees with Brenda on going to the police.
   
     We have all heard of the basic flight or fight move when a person is put into a situation. The flyers flee, and well, the fighters fight. This happens quickly throughout out the book Once the letter start coming, Brenda and Neil want to go the police. In a sense, they are the flighters. Kipp and Fran are the fighters. They refuse to do their "duty" and (Spoiler alert!) end up getting kidnapped for fighting back. This really shows their personalities of how they behave in a difficult situation.

     Alison, Joan, and Tony, however, are a special case. They do everything they are told, nothing more, nothing less, or find a loophole in their duty. Being neutral in this flight or fight scenario, is it possible that one of them is the Caretaker?

     FYI- City of Heavenly Fire comes out on March 27th. Will I see you at Meijer at 5:30 in the morning?

Krista Ramsey Article- Reading Teacher Wants Students To Pass Test, Love Books

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/03/15/krista-ramsey-third-grade-reading-guarantee/6475723/

       In this article, Krista Ramsey talks about a 3rd grade teacher who wants her students to enjoy reading, not just be able to pass a test.

    The line that I think is best written is the line, "It has taken two years of legislating and countless hours of hammering out rules and time lines, but Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee is fully in place this year." The impact that this line has on the reader is that it is the lead of the article. This lead is used to draw the reader into the article, and must be well written to keep the reader actively reading. The best diction of the line is the use of the words, "legislating, and hammering," and abstract diction of "countless". This is a long sentence, but fully shows the idea of the new Ohio Third Grade Test. I like how it shows details first, then the subject followed. 

     Ramsey's writing style is strong, and to the point. She is also biased on what she writes. I know this because in the article, she states, "She also has a very good handle on something the state’s not measuring at all: not just if her students can read, but if they will read." This sentence is basic, and to the point. However, she cannot necessarily prove that she has a good handle- this is opinionated. 

       From the article, "Ramsey: For better vision, kids need time outdoors", the same writing style is found: "But before parents claw back the iPhones, experts say the problem may not lie in the technology itself, but the amount of time spent on it, the environment in which it's used and the activities it's replacing." From this sentence, the same style is used- short and to the point. 

       "Manning is a Southern-bred gentleman whose classic suits match up nicely with his classy manners." This quote is from the article, "Ramsey: Super Bowl QBs score points for great style". Again, the pattern of short and sweet continues throughout all of Ramsey's pieces. 

Questions :

1. Did you want to be a writer when you were young?
2. What makes you love your job?
3. What do you have to say to young authors? 

Thirst No5- Qualities of A Character

Alisa Perne is the main character of Thirst No5.  She is a vampire, who has lived for over five thousand years, until now. After dying and switching into the body of her closest living relative, Teri, who is about to die again. A secret government program, called the Cradle is trying to take her down, and unleash a poison that could kill everyone in the world. Alisa reacts to this by staying cool, calm, and collected.

     The best quality of Alisa is that she is an extremely hard worker. If she decides to do something, she will do anything to get it. On many occasions, Alisa has risked her life to save those who she loves. This is what makes her hard working, and brave.

     The worst quality of Alisa is that she is self conscious, and that she will sometimes have this trait make her not be able to do everything is capable of. When Alisa is deciding where to go in the after life, she is really holding down her "scale" with her foot. Because of this, she has to go back in time to see what she has done wrong, only to discover that it was herself all along.

My best quality is, like Alisa, my ability to work hard. My worst quality, however, is that I sometimes do not think, and will not think through everything before I perform this action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItUWSKXR3U is a link to a video regarding the author of Thirst, Christopher Pike. Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin Christopher McFadden. He never makes public appearances, and shares little information about his life. His characters, however, also have this trait of mysteriousness. From this, I can say that Christopher Pike gives his readers information about him through his characters. 

Uglies- What does the work tell us about how the society affects the individual?

     In the world of Uglies, at the age of 16 everyone undergoes a procedure that makes them "Pretty".  Bones are stretched or shaved, skin is made completely smooth and tan, and everything about them is made pretty- except the brain. It has been reprogrammed to not be aware about the faults in society. Tally Youngblood's best friend, Shay, decides to leave the city behind and not have her operation. Tally, the main character, is then faced by Special Circumstances to find Shay or not become pretty at all.

     The Pretties in this society are unaware of everything that is going on. Instead, they party 24/7 and joke around. Uglies have a realization of the world, but once they start questioning what is happening, they are swooped up by the operation and completely forget what they are thinking.

    I personally like to think that there are two types of people in this society- a) the ones who question the society and do not want to become a Pretty and b) most of the people in the book, who want to become pretty and never question anything.

     Shay questions everything, and then later teaches Tally to do the same. Shay then escapes to a city called the Smoke, which is full of Uglies who live together away from the government. These people make their own decisions, and are free to live a life without being restrained by the government. Like Fahrenheit 451,  the peace and quiet of nature allows them to think for themselves.

     From the article, How Does Society Affect Behavior in Teens?, (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/society-affect-behavior-teens-4728.html), people, such as teens, are highly influenced by their society and surroundings. Uglies may be a different society than ours today, but the same thing still applies. When the Uglies grow up in Uglyville, they are constantly influenced that what is going on is right. However, once Tally escapes to the Smoke and is influenced by another society, she now finds how much different everything really is.

Letter to J.K. Rowling- Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

Dear J.K. Rowling,

       First off, I am going to apologize for not reading your book sooner. As a lover of fantasy, I strongly regret not picking the book to read at a younger age. I loved the first book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Not just the book itself, but EVERYTHING about it. The events were fast paced, and made me feel as if I was at Hogwarts student myself.

      As an aspiring writer myself, I love how you have created four houses to show the different traits the characters have. I believe I would be in Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat may say differently. The way that the world was created- from dragons to spells to evil villains- has created the world that I would truly love to live in.

     The character of Harry Potter himself is entirely a story on its own. He may be the main character, but he also is the leader of the defeat of Voldemort. This shows how sometimes people unexpected, like an orphan with evil foster parents, can save the day. I want to thank you for making him such a strong character. Without him, the book would not be the same. Although he is very curious, this trait has caused him to save the lives of many, and the life of the entire school of Hogwarts. The last thing for me to share my love for is the spells. YES, the spells. They are uber creative! My favorite is incendio. Like Hermione, who doesn't need a portable water-proof fire?

    I must ask you: How did you manage to think of such a wonderful plot line with this fascinating world to accompany it?

     Everyone should read this book, not just someone who loves fantasy. What an amazing world you gave created. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!

                                                                                                                  Best wishes,

Ashton Nichols

P.S.- Write more books!

More spells: http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/spelist.shtml

Allegiant- Characterization

     Tris is the main character in the Divergent trilogy. Allegiant is the third and final book, which focuses mainly on Tris and Tobias, the two lovestruck teenagers trying to save the world.

     In the beginning of Allegiant, Tris was trying her best to stay alive, and get out of the Erudite prison. Once she escaped, she had to make the descision of saving the people of the city or herself. This is when Tris's true colors and starting to come through. 

  Tris and Tobias have a conversation on page 38 discussing leaving the city, "I know for sure, then, that I can't be her ally, and I never could have. 
     "We have to go, " Tris says, and I know shes's not taking about leaving Michigan Avenue or taking Edward to the hospital; she's talking about the city.
     "We have to go," I repeat."

     Their conversation discusses leaving the city. It is now needed to leave the city because of the curiosity of what is outside. Tris tends to do random, unseen actions, so I can predict that she will end up leaving the city with Tobias and not telling anyone they have left. 

The Eternity Cure- Book Reccomendation

     The Eternity Cure is written by Julie Kagawa, and is the second book in the Blood of Eden series.       

The main character, Allison Sekemoto, is trying to find a cure to save the lives of everyone in the world. There is a plague that has caused humans (and vampires) to become rabids, which is similar to a zombie.

      In Allison's world, vampires rule. Every human has two choices: to either become blood cattle to the vampires and give blood in exchange for food, or to not give blood and not be fed. Allison herself is a vampire, but is in love with Zeke, a human. This is forbidden, because there is always the chance that Allison will lose control and kill Zeke. Zeke's grandfather was one of the original scientists that was alive when the Red Lung Virus first emerged. He had passed down all of the information about the virus to Zeke. With Red Lung spreading again, it is probably the most dangerous disease to exist. It can kill in a matter of hours, and spread to hundreds in a day. 

     The main conflict throughout the novel was a self vs society conflict of Allison trying to find a cure for the virus. Sarren is an evil vampire who has caused the spread of the virus, and plans to use it to wipe out everything and everyone. It is up to Allison to find a cure, and keep Zeke alive and safe, before it is too late.

 

     I would give this book 7 stars, and the entire series 9 of 10. It's a great read!

     The beginning: The plot develops fast, and has an early climax through the book. The climax appears at around page 100 of 400, but this is probably because there is soooo much to cover in the falling action. 

     The middle: The middle is slower than the beginning, and new information regarding character and plot appears. The plot completely turns around page 250. 

     The end: THE END. COMPLETE CLIFF HANGER. That's all I can say without spoilers.

     I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys vampire books, love stories, or syfy. It's a great novel with a new twist and turn on every page! 

Allegiant- Reading Skills

Predictions-

      Because Evelyn told Tris and Tobias not to leave the city, I predict that they will run away. I can predict this because on page 20, the text says, "But Evelyn hasn't liberated us like she thinks-she's just made us all factionless. She's adraid of what we would choose, if we were given actual freedom. And that means that no matter what I believe about the factions, I'm relieved that someone , somewhere, is defying her." Evelyn does not want people to leave the city because she knows that when they do, she will lose power. From this knowledge, I can predict that Tobias and Tris will leave becasue they want dictatorship to end, and for everyone to be free.

     I can also predict that people will come together, and learn to get along. On page 38, Tobias states, "The symbols of our old way of life, destroyed- a man dead, others injured- and for what? For nothing. For Evelyn's empty, narrow vision: a city where factions are wrenched away from people against their will. She wanted us to have more than five choices. Now we have none." From the text I can predict that the people will soon learn to come together and take down Evelyn and great a world without dictatorship.

Questions-

• What was the original purpose of factions?
• Why are people not allowed to leave the city?
• What is beyond the city line?
• Where is Marcus?
• Where is Tris' brother?
• Is there still a division between factionless and exfactioned, or is everyone factionless?
• Will Tris and Tobias leave the city?
• What has happend to Edith Prior?

Connections- 

     Text to Text:  
     This ruined world reminds me of the world from "The Immortal Rules" and "The Eternity Cure",  both written by Julie Kagawa. In the world created by Julie Kagawa, a plague has torn down all human civilization. Vampires have climbed the government ladder, and are the dictators of the Old United States. They give the humans within the city two choices: either become blood cattle and be given food, or starve. A girl named Alison, who is a vampire herself, is trying to stop Salazar, the ruler of the city she lives in.
     This world reminds me of the world of Allegiant because both of the humans are given a choice of where to go and live, and if they will have a safe or dangerous life. Also, both goverments are corrupted and ruled by dictatorship.

Text to World: 
     Our world is relatable to the word of Allegiant because the factions appear in our society. People with different interests will always divide into groups, just like our society today. The factions also represent different groups of people.

Text to Self:
      I am a lot like Tris, and I can relate to her when she chose to leave the city. This is like me because Tris is the kind of person that will put herself before others, and make decisions that regard everyone, and not just herself. When Tris decided to leave the city, she make the choice to let people continue having dictatorship in a corrupt society, or risk her life to find out what may fix her world. Tris made the decision that helped everyone and not just herself.

Uglies- Theme and Summary

     Uglies, by Scott Westerfield, is one of those books that makes you want to read cuddled in a blanket on a snowy day, or getting a tan on the beach. It's the kind of book that makes you want to sit down, and not get back up until you finish it.

     Tally is a 15 year old girl who lives in a world where when you turn 16, you go under an intense operation to become perfect. Your bones get stretched or shrunk, you have diffrent hair, you lose or gain weight- everything about you becomes ideal. One day Tally meets a girl named Shay, and Shay isn't so sure she wants to become pretty. She likes herself just the way she is, and theres a place where Tally can go to never become pretty. When Shay runs away to this place, Tally is forced to either turn in Shay or never become a pretty.  Tally chooses to follow Shay, and when she arrives to this new land she learns some things about becoming pretty that changes her viewpoint on her world, and her friends.

The theme of this book is, "Change is good, because it can lead people to places they would of never expected to travel."

      This theme is supported by Uglies because Tally takes a chance by traveling to a new place. Her entire life she has been hidden inside her city, and has never left. When she finally leaves, she is shown what the world actually looks like, and not of how it is depicted by others.

The Eternal Cure- Analysis

    Julie Kagawa is the author of The Eternity Cure. Above is an inteview with her about Kagawa's writing and books. In the interview, Julie Kagawa discusses:

1. How the original idea of The Eternity Cure started- She liked the idea of a post-apoctalictic world, and someone suggested if she added in vampires.  
2. If any of the scenes were difficult to write- Alison is first reunited with Kanin, because the emotions were hard to write, and the very end of the book.
3. The challenges of Alison throughout the book- Julie Kagawa says the more conflict, the better the story. 
4. Anything to tell to aspiring authors- Just keep writing! 

    

Dreamland- Theme and Summary

Dreamland

"By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule-
From a wild clime that lieth, sublime,
Out of SPACE- out of TIME.

Bottomless vales and boundless floods,
And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods,
With forms that no man can discover
For the tears that drip all over;
Mountains toppling evermore
Into seas without a shore;
Seas that restlessly aspire,
Surging, unto skies of fire;
Lakes that endlessly outspread
Their lone waters- lone and dead,-
Their still waters- still and chilly
With the snows of the lolling lily.

By the lakes that thus outspread
Their lone waters, lone and dead,-
Their sad waters, sad and chilly
With the snows of the lolling lily,-
By the mountains- near the river
Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,-
By the grey woods,- by the swamp
Where the toad and the newt encamp-
By the dismal tarns and pools
Where dwell the Ghouls,-
By each spot the most unholy-
In each nook most melancholy-
There the traveller meets aghast
Sheeted Memories of the Past-
Shrouded forms that start and sigh
As they pass the wanderer by-
White-robed forms of friends long given,
In agony, to the Earth- and Heaven.

For the heart whose woes are legion
'Tis a peaceful, soothing region-
For the spirit that walks in shadow
'Tis- oh, 'tis an Eldorado!
But the traveller, travelling through it,
May not- dare not openly view it!
Never its mysteries are exposed
To the weak human eye unclosed;
So wills its King, who hath forbid
The uplifting of the fringed lid;
And thus the sad Soul that here passes
Beholds it but through darkened glasses.

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have wandered home but newly
From this ultimate dim Thule." 

- Edgar Allen Poe

     This poem was written by Edgar Allen Poe, who is one of the most famous of his time. Edgar Allen Poe is describing throughout the poem his journey through his dreamland. "Bottomless vales and boundless floods/ And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods/ With forms that no man can discover/ For the tears that drip all over; / Mountains toppling evermore/ Into seas without a shore;/ Seas that restlessly aspire/ Surging, unto skies of fire;/ Lakes that endlessly outspread/ Their lone waters- lone and dead,-/ Their still waters- still and chilly/ With the snows of the lolling lily" These lines were used to describe what Edgar was looking at and seeing. What he saw was the exact opposite of a dreamland, it was more of a world of darkness. This is a form of irony used inside the text. Edgar Allen Poe is describing that this place he is in is called a dreamland, but it is more like a nightmare. The place that he describes is certainly not dreamy at all. 

     The theme of this poem is, "Seeing through your eyes is different from seeing through the heart."

This theme is highly supported throughout the poem because the main message is that when you open up your eyes and look with your heart, you can see the good things, and not only the bad. "But the traveller, travelling through it/ May not- dare not openly view it." This quote is saying that the traveller coming through this world is only seeing the bad and is not even looking at the good. 

     The theme impacts the text because it tells the reader that on the outside, you may only see darkness, but really, there is light. The reader may not understand this the first time reading, but I can be positive they will read it a second time. They would do this to understand the meaning more, and to fully understand what the author is trying to tell them. 

The Eternity Cure- Characters

     "I turned and saw the gleaming lights of the vampire towers, looming impressively over the tops of other buildings, closer than I'd ever seen before. I half closed my eyes, and the pull was there, drawing me right toward them.
     Kanin, I'm coming. Hang on." (Page 175)

     This quote conveys true personality of Alison because it shows how she never gives up. She has traveled across the country with her brother, who she hates, just to find Kanin. Alison is so close that she can see her destination. This moment shows a little bit of triumph towards Ali reaching her goal. Her character is revealed as the kind of person that once she has a goal, she will do whatever she can to make sure she reaches it.

     Over the course of the book, Alison has definitely become a person who realizes the power inside love. She loves Kanin, becasue he is her sire, and this definitely creates the point of hope inside this novel.

   

Book Recommendations- City of Bones

     City of Bones is my favorite novel ever written, hands down. Cassandra Clare is the writer of this book, and every book she has written is a master piece. Cassandra Clare is also the author of "The Clockwork Angel", which was mentioned in my blog post "Analysis-Clockwork Angel".

      City of Bones is about an ordinary teenage girl named Clary who goes to a teen night club and sees a murder. It appears to Clary that she is the only person who saw the crime, as nothing had changed after. Her best friend, Simon, does not believe Clary and thinks that she is seeing things. The next day, Clary again sees the kids who committed the murder, and Simon still cannot see them. This worries Clary, and makes her think that she is going crazy.
      The next day, Clary's mom mysteriously gets kidnapped, and during this time Clary is attacked by a Ravener demon. She is close to dying when she is saved by one of the boys in the group of kids who killed the boy. Clary soon learns that this boys name is Jace, and he is a Shadowhunter, which is a group of people who are trained to hunt demons and rid the world from evil. Clary then learns that she is Shadowhunter too, and that is why she was able to see the killing of the demon who was disguised as a boy.
     When Valentine, the evil of the Shadowhunters, is looking for the missing Mortal Cup, havoc comes  to the Shadow world. Clary's mother is the last person to have been seen with the Mortal Cup, and because she is no where to be found, a massive panic arrises. With the Cup, Valentine plans to create an army of evil Shadowhunters to take over of the Shadowhunter world. Clary and her new group of friends, must go on an adventure that could either save the race of the Shadowhunters, or destroy the world.
   
     The theme of City of Bones is "Loss of a loved one is sometimes the greatest motivation of all."
The theme is supported throughout the book because  the main struggle throughout the book is from Clary trying to find a way to save her mother and return the Mortal Cup. Clary is motivation by the time limit of her mothers life and the destruction caused by Valentine.

     Every page is an adventure in this novel. It is packed with romance, darkness, and adventure. 11 out of 10 stars! A must read to those who enjoy fantasy as much as I do!

The Host- Analysis

     The setting plays a major role of the development of the text in the novel, "The Host", written by Stephanie Meyer. The setting is somewhere in Arizona, out in the open desert. Wanderer is with a bunch of humans who are trying to hide from Hosts. Wanderer herself is a Host, but has made a deal with the human inside her that she will not reveal where the other humans are to the rest of her species.
     If the setting was somewhere else, such as in a quiet town, the novel would be completely different. Because a desert is so vast, tension is created throughout the enviroment of the heat and lack of survival.
     This setting is important because it creates the emphasis needed to show how well hidden Melanie is from the rest of the world, because Melanie is not supposed to be alive. The picture below is the type of environment Melanie and Wanderer live in. Wanderer and Melanie live inside one of the giant rock structures, which is a hollowed out volcano, with caves surrounding the structure.
     Imagery creates suspense inside the text because it allows the reader to see the exact conditions and hardships of the main character. When a reader can identify with a setting, they can feel like they are with the characters, not watching them.

 

The Host- Reading Skills

Predictions-
      On page 148, I can predict that Jodi is someone who was once important to Kyle because Jeb says, ""If somebody found your Jodi on a raid and brought here, would you want me or Doc or a vote deciding what we did with her?"
"Jodi is dead," Kyle hissed."
I do not know who Jodi is, but using context clues I can figure out that Jodi was very important to Kyle.
     On page 98, the text says, "This is crazy, you know, I told her, throwing the car into park and twisting the keys out of the ignition. The whole thing. There can't really be anyone out here We won't find anything. And we're going to get hopelessly lost trying." This paragraph is mostly foreshadowing and irony used at the same time. I can predict that there will be someone in the desert, because throughout the book, whenever Wanderer says something will not happen, it ends up happening.

 Questions-
 Page 14- Whose point of view is this from?
Page 25- Why does this Host want to start as an adult? Did something happen?
Page 90- Why is Wanderer giving in?
Page 136- Is Jared still in love with Melanie?
Page 151- Why is Jared protecting Wanderer?

Connections-
     Text to Text-
"I ripped into the bread." (Page 140)
In the book, "The Immortal Rules" Allison Sekemoto does the same thing, when she had not eaten for weeks. This made me compare of how there is a different plot and situation, but both authors described the hunger when they explained how they "ripped" into the bread.

     Text to Self-
"You're afraid to fly?" The Seeker's voice was full of disbelief edging toward mockery. "You've traveled through deep space eight times and you're afraid to take a shuttle to Tucson, Arizona?" (Page 68)
I really appreciate the way that Stephanie Meyer wrote this. Wanderer made up a fear of flying because she is going to help Melanie find Jared, who is located in the desert. If Wanderer flew, she would of had to actually see her Comforter, and would of not been able to go see Jared. This is actually something I would of done. I like to figure out loop holes through things, just like Wanderer did here.


     Text to World-
""Jared,"she cried; through my damaged throat the sound was just a croak.
     She jerked me forward, much the same way as she had in the desert, assuming control of my frozen body. The only difference was that this time, it was by force." (Page 131)
      Melanie (and Wanderer) is in love with Jared. Melanie is forcing Wanderer to run over to Jared, because she loves him. Melanie has made Wanderer come across the country to try to find Jared, which has over time made Wanderer also fall in love with him. As love plays a big role in this book, many people in our world can also identify with love, and how they would probably trek across the world for their loved one.

The Host- Theme & Summary

The overall theme of The Host by Stephanie Meyer is "Fear of losing a loved one, especially in a violent situation, is the kind of fear that gives people the will power to keep seaching, even after they have lost." This theme is present because the main character, Melanie Stryder, lives in a world where these aliens have taken over, and she is one of the few humans left. She has been invaded by an alien race of people.who have planted another spirit living inside of her, who can access her memories and thoughts, and everything else about her. The spirits name is Wanderer. Wanderers main goal is to find out where the other humans are hiding. The problem is that Melanie is still alive and is trying to take back her body.
    Drowned in memories, Wanderer soon falls in love with Melanie's human boyfriend, Jared, and they both go across the desert in search of looking for him and her little bother, Jamie. Wanderer than makes an agreement with Melanie that if Wanderer does not tell anyone, they will go find Jared and Jamie. The theme becomes present at this part of the book becuase it shows how Melanie (and Wanderer) are doing whatever it takes to become reunited with who they love, even if it will cost them their lives. This theme was the most interesting to me because I saw it ironic on how Wanderer will go to drastic lengths to find Jared, even when Wanderer is supposed to find him and turn him and his friends/family in, not fall in love.

The Eternity Cure-Character

     Alison Sekemoto is a vampire in the book, The Eternity Cure, which is written by Julie Kagawa. Alison is having a self vs self conflict. She lives in a world where vampires rule and control the humans as blood cattle. As Alison is a vampire herself, she refuses to become the souless that she believes vampires are. She is on the search for her sire, named Kanin, who is being held captive by a psychotic vampire who has a vendetta to make sure Kanin is dead. Alison then meets her vampire brother who promises to help Alison find Kanin as long as she helps him find a cure to rabidism (closest thing possible to zombies). Alison starts out believing she can control herself, but as the book progresses, it becomes more and more evident that Alison is struggling to stay attached to her the mundane side of herself.
     She has changed as a person over the course of the book because she has learned that not every vampire is a soulless demon that kills for pleasure. Her major conflict is that she fights the natural vampire of herself to try and constantly do the right thing. Alison tries her very best to always do what she feels in right, even when she knows she is risking her life to save others. This shows that Alison actually is good and not evil. She is one of the few vampires that wants others to be saved more than herself. Selfless, you could say.