From the Notebook --- The Fault in our Stars

What's up, guys?

Anyway, I'm in the holly jolly writing mood (or holiday mood?), so let's get a'cracking. I've read 27 books so far this school year, so I'll take some time to introduce a few of the covers I've perused and enjoyed so far.

I'm going to be very mainstream and introduce a book that I'm sure you all have heard of before: John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

 (Credits to Amazon)

(Credits to Teen Lit Rocks)

This touching book recounts the struggles and life of 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, a girl with thyroid cancer with metastasis growing in her lungs since she was 13. She is very bright, having already finished high school and is in the process of completing a college education. Forced to sign up for a cancer support group, Hazel meets a boy named Augustus Waters, also known as Gus, whose right leg is now a prostheses because of osteosarcoma, and is currently in remission. He is a former star basketball player, and is a very bright teenager as well. They begin to form a friendship over novels when Hazel and Augustus promise to trade favorite books ("An Imperial Affliction" for Hazel Grace and a video game novel for Gus). Through texting and phone calls, the two become very close friends, often having philosophical discussions late at night.

Hazel idolizes the reclusive and alcoholic author of "An Imperial Affliction", Peter van Houten, for the writing of the book, so Augustus writes a letter to van Houten in hopes that he would reply for Hazel. From the reply of van Houten's secretary, she also decides to write a letter to him. Because of these events, she learns that Augustus has not used his "Wish" from The Genies (a spin-off of the Make a Wish Foundation), and that he wants to use it to visit van Houten in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Although Hazel Grace begins to form romantic notions with Augustus, she doesn't want to have a relationship with him in fear of hurting him in potential death after learning of Augustus's previous girlfriend's loss to cancer. However, after admittance to the hospital for serious pneumonia, she realizes that she loves Augustus, and the two decide to confirm their trip to Holland.

As time goes on, Hazel Grace finds herself falling deeper and deeper in love with Augustus...  But she finds that time is running out as Augustus reveals his new diagnosis: his cancer has come back...

-Eri

11/15/13

From the Notebook --- I am the Messenger

Hey guys,

So I decided that I'm going to start a new series of articles called "From the Notebook", and I'm basically going to be talking about stuff I write about in my notebook. This is going to be mainly a collection of book reviews and book recommendations of stuff I've read recently.

First up from the notebook --- I am the Messenger.

I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak (who wrote The Book Thief), details the adventures of an average 19-year-old man named Ed Kennedy, who is a very average person. He works as an underage cabby driver, therefore having access to a car for most of the day. One day, he receives a playing card in the mail --- the Ace of Diamonds --- on which three addresses are written. He visits these addresses to investigate and realizes that at these three locations, he must do something to help correct the damage and problems at each residence. For example, one residence holds an old lady whose husband had passed away years ago, so Kennedy stepped in and pretended to be her husband from time to time, allowing her to feel less lonely. Another residence had a man who raped her wife every night, so Kennedy received a gun in his mailbox, with which he shot the man. He finishes these tasks and thinks he's free, but little did he know that his adventure with the Aces was far from over...

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Synopsis:

Protect the diamonds. Survive the clubs. Dig deep through the spades. Feel the
hearts

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?

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In my opinion, this book holds a very potent message. Some of the themes and concepts introduced in this book may not be very appropriate for anyone under the age of thirteen, but Zusak uses these themes only for the purpose of educating the reader about what the world is like. By the third Ace, the sequence may get a little bit repetitive, but being able to peek into every single person's life is actually pretty cool in itself. It gets a bit interesting when he arrives upon the last Ace, however... Because sometimes, you have to change who you are yourself before you can change others.

The way Zusak illustrates Kennedy is very plain; I know this sounds weird, but this is something I really appreciate. Zusak portrays Kennedy in a way that we can relate to; he's just like you or me. Most books have heroic figures that seem a little too nice and forgiving for my taste, but Kennedy? He's selfish when he wants to be, but he can be very caring at certain times. This realistic portrayal allows me to connect on many different levels with him. I honestly think it's pretty cool.

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I hope you enjoyed this new series of articles! (: Hopefully, I'll be posting more and more often as time goes on ^^

-Eri 10/7/13