George Orwell

Trying to find a single thing an author loves to incorporate in each of their books is hard to pinpoint. For John Green we may agree realistic endings or strange but moving characters. But George Orwell really likes the word comrade. No idea why.

I recently read Animal Farm by this author. Though I really loved the point he was making about humanity and how it repeats itself, it was hard to get past the hilarity of it all. A farmer running away terrified of his own animals that had decided to make a republic where all animals were equal. And the pigs learning to read and speak and my favorite to picture, write. Just one pig holding a pencil betwixt his wee hooves. Within the first three pages you saw comrade was a commonly used title, but one day during PARRC I forgot the book and began to read 1984, in which he uses comrade once again. I love when authors have a special word they really like. For instance you may have noticed my strange incorporation of the word betwixt. I really enjoy to use that word and others like that from "old" English, like thus or hitherto. I guess you could say it is part of a authors craft.

While reading Animal Farm you really can see the parallels to our society even though it was published around WWII, the issues they had with humanity are ever so present and it is vital we understand the consequences it can cause. At the very end the, my favorite line went something like this, we looked around at all the faces and couldn't tell the difference between. Even though he was talking about pigs and humans they were acting the same and dressing the same and fighting in the same petty manner.

We can try to change who we are but unless you remember the past, like the animals couldn't you can be taken control of, like the pigs did.

Man of the Streets, in Three Suites By: Steve Lopez

This article is the story of a man who chooses to live on the streets. Lopez wants you to feel the hesitancy of Nathaniel, the music prodigy, in moving on with his life. He obviously has been on the streets a long time, and is completely comfortable in that lifestyle. It is relatable to have to change your life dramatically, and it is shown though the tone of Lopez's tone.

Lopez wants you to take away from this article the idea that just because you see someone living life in a way you deem unfit for a human, it doesn't mean they are incapable of living life regularly or are inferior to you. They may just prefer it. Like Nathaniel, others have mental illnesses and may not see how you believe the way they are living is "wrong".

The purpose of this column is to inform and educate others on the different situations others face, and the different blockades have or may have put up themselves. I know some people just have to low of self-esteem and cannot even except the possibility of doing something right. In Nathaniel's case it seems to be some sort of schizophrenia.a lot of people view others with disorders as this as intolerable or unacceptable. the author wants you to see that just because some has a disorder they still can have purpose or talent such as Nathaniel.

Lopez uses diction in the first paragraph to describe the way Nathaniel hears the city, it helps us understand his natural talent and how he views the city, he says that "the city is a an orchestra, a labyrinth of musical references and inspiration.". This is my favorite line in the whole column, just the way he states it is just really... GOOD! Syntax is also relevant in this column, Lopez separates the whole thing into three sections he calls them "Suites" just like a musical piece. It is an extra little addition just to symbolize the separate parts of Nathaniel's life.

Everyone see's the homeless in the cities in the urban towns, but now we have started to get those who have money out there to earn an easy buck. What kind of person betrays others trust to just sit on the side of a road, dressed up and doing a bit of acting. Some people have potential to get a job, but what about those who have disorders or are to old, they cannot support themselves. When you think of homeless people you thing raggity old men with a beard and a cardboard sign. But in Las Vegas you saw 19-20 year old woman and men siting there with something humorous on their sign to get people to put money in Their cup instead of the one two feet down. I read almost all of them one said, "Ninjas stole my girlfriend need money to take karate lessons to get her back." another said "Wife left with my brother and took my daughter and my money need money to buy a gun to...", one of my favorites was one with a hole in it and it said around it "Try to hit me". This article has every relevance in today's society because even if you don't see it everyday others do. you need to support yourself and support others who cannot truly, and help them find a way to do what they are good at for a living

Hybrid Chronicles By Kat Zhang

This is the final book in the series, Hybrid Chronicles. I have already the second book briefly in a prior blog post. These three books, What's Left of Me, Once We Were, and Echos of Us are all about a society in a different time line occurring at the same time as ours. This could be debatable but Zhang mentions the "Great Wars" and all these other historical allusions, but they are all somewhat altered to form her society.

 Two souls in one body, hybrid, that's what Addie has been deemed, her recessive soul Eva who should have dissipated around 7 years old didn't can no longer control their body but is still a voice in Addie's head. But when Devin and Hally approach her giving Addie an opportunity, Eva urges to participate, they have a drug that can let Eva take control. But almost as Eva is gaining enough power they take Addie Devin and Hally to a experimental camp where they are trying to extract one soul to "Solve" the Hybrid problem.

Zhang has an issue with keeping the rising action interesting, some parts it drags on and on. But the action or the climax in the last Book is really interesting. I found the last book the most intense and it also kept the plot moving but it also was a lot like The Hobbit By: J.R.R. Tolkin. They just kept losing each other and finding each other then losing each other then finding each other. Although I felt the ending was rushed it also concluded the series naturally not pushed. It was a dramatic ending and was not really believable.

Becca Fitzpatrick's Black Ice

An coincidental time to read a boy based in the snowy mountains coming right out of winter and all but Black Ice was fantastic. When Britt and her friend get trapped on a snowed in mountain road on their way to a family cabin for a spring break getaway, they have to take cover. They find a cabin off the road quite a ways and when the two men are in need to get off the mountain quickly they take Britt hostage to lead them to the nearest highway by foot.

I can't say too much about this book without giving anything away because of the twists and turns in store. But Becca Fitzpatrick does it again, after her ultimately successful debut series Hush, Hush, she really is off to a great carrier.

Hush, Hush is a book about a girl named Nora falling for the wrong guy at the wrong time who ends up being a fallen angel uhoh...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a WWII based novel transformed into a 2008 drama. Written originally by John Boyne, this masterpiece takes the innocence of a child's mind and shows you how they believe things are. Played by Asa Butterfield, Bruno, a wide eyed skeptic moves into a new house places across from a concentration camp. Boyne uses an awesome technique of sadistic puns, he spells the hard to pronounce words like Auschwitz and Führer and spells them as though a nine year old would say them, out-with and fury. The reason these are sadistic puns is because out-with is stating out with the Jewish population the Nazis goal, and fury is showing that the Führer uses fury as a technique of control (Führer is the German word for leader, aka Hitler).

While the movie leaves out these small important pieces it still manages to capture Boyne's purpose for the book. The main idea, I believe, is that prejudice is created not an idea you are born with. This is not one of the cases of read the book first, it can be but I does not matter. We were watching the movie in Social Studies and I read the book while (not at the exact same time just within the three day period) were watching the movie and managed to finish the book before the movie. Both show something unique to the story through facial expressions or the diction used, and both truly give you another mind set of looking at the holocaust. If you have read or might read this book your really should read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak it is truly another wonder WWII novel. Another movie to watch is War Horse, this is one of the coolest movies I've seen it follows the horse not the human through WWI and gives you a new perspective on that.

Here are the links to all the trailers below:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Book Thief

War Horse

Dover Beach Post

     Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles stood quickly and fled the depressing scene. As they walked down the dark street towards there houses Mrs. Phelps began to cry again.
     "Dear Clara please tell me whats wrong." Mrs. Bowles tried to comfort the distraught Mrs. Phelps.
     "That poem just brought back a feeling inside me I haven't felt in a very long time." She gasped as she tried to settle her ever flowing tears. "The feeling that my happiness is a lie." Mrs. Phelps covered her eyes and knelt to the ground. She looked defeated.
     "The nerve of Montag to bring up a subject that makes up so unhappy, to bring up my marriages and to read a love poem. No one should have to listen to the jibberish that we have banned for a reason. Dear Clara should we turn the traitor in?" Mrs. Bowles shook with anger. "Should we Clara, to the firemen tell them he is reading books and makes others unhappy?" And with that Mrs. Phelps shook her head vehemently.
     "To turn Montag in when he showed us such beauty in words. The description of the lovers brought me a feeling I haven't felt before. As I said previously, that my happiness was a lie, that i could get more out of life, that I have never felt true love and that it is precious and feeble and tender and can change at any time. That we need to find it while we can and latch a hold of it as if it will fly away, and it will fly away. Can't you see dear Mrs. Bowles that you let your love go?" Looking deep into Mrs. Bowles eyes all she saw was the deepest effects of sadness and loneliness.
     "Can't you see I  did not let my love go it left me. My first husband was happier with another, my second ripped from my grasp, my third took himself away from me not wanting to live another second. Can't you see!" Mrs. Bowles shoved Mrs. Phelps out of her way, stomping off into the night, only to kill herself from the grief that had overcome her will to live in sadness.

Waterfall By: Lauren Kate

    This book by the author of the Fallen series is quite the let down. Waterfall is about a girl named Eureka that lost her mom in the most interesting part of the book the first chapter, her mother died in a car "accident" when a typhoon wave shoved there car off the bridge they just so happened to be the only ones on... And this guy, Ander, who was part of this plot to kill them both ended up saving her. But she apparently creates a typhoon whenever she cries and that's why they wanted to kill her but they only made one remark to it.
    I know I have to keep reading it because what if it gets better I'll never know because I know myself I never come back to books that I abandon. Is it me or do you think in the first 60 pages there should be something interesting besides the hook because sometimes you take the bait and the rest of the worm is plastic? I might just be too picky but I've read books the whole way through where the most well written part was the first page. Why can't they keep up the same quality throughout the book?

    It doesn't help the cover looks cool another deceiving plan of publishers and authors.