Shooting Kabul:Final Thoughts

Shooting Kabul had quite the ending. I really thought it would take the (admittedly unrealistic) route of Fadi winning the photo contest and the tickets to India. Either way, it had to end with him finding his sister right? Well at least I was right on that front. Who would have guessed that a complete stranger would take a picture of her, and that Fadi would see that very same picture and be able to trace her whereabouts. Honestly, I did find that a little far fetched. At the very least, it was a huge coincidence.
When I chose this novel I didn't expect it to be so focused on Fadi and his guilt, rather than his sister. Only in the last chapter was she found and returned to her family, much later than I had expected. The novel really was about overcoming challenges and sticking with it, even if all seems hopeless. Each of the family members blame themselves, and each do their best to help find Fadi's missing sister, even though so much time had passed. Overall, the novel surprised me. It turned out to be a much different story than I was expecting. I'll admit, I enjoyed the beginning more than the farfetched end of the book, though that was mainly due to the fact that the readers were given a brief history course to help us understand life in Afghanistan, something I found very interesting. Nonetheless, the novel had a decent plot line and a solid meaning. Who could complain?

Shooting Kabul: Second Thoughts

Shooting Kabul started off awfully sad... And I hate to say it.... It's not getting any happier. A little boy like Fadi shouldn't have to live with this kind of stress. He struggles everyday with the guilt of losing his sister as the rest of his family deals with the same emotional toll. Honestly it's a little heartbreaking. How he tries to get into the airport to fly back to Afghanistan. Of course he doesn't get away with it. He spends the next few days trying desperately trying to get into photography club so he could win tickets to India, a neighboring country to Afghanistan. Now, all he needs is the perfect photo to win the trip.
This book is so relevant to today's political issues. I can't imagine what those families are doing now, under the threat of deportation. Whole communities in the book are immigrants from the middle east and are dealing with racism and 911. While that may have died down  little since 2001, there is definitely still a huge stigma around immigrant and the middle eastern citizens of America.
While the book is heartbreaking, the novel sends an important message to the readers. Determination and hard work can get you anywhere. Or at least, If Fadi gets to Afghanistan again, that'll be the message. Here's hoping.

Shooting Kabul

I chose Shooting Kabul for the plotline described on the back cover. Fadi loses his grip on his little sister's hand as they escape from Afghanistan and returns years later to search for her. Well... I've read chapters 1-7 and haven't gotten to the searching part yet. Honestly, the book is really sad. That was to be expected, given the back cover. What I find most interesting though is learning about the Taliban. Learning something other than Taliban=Bad. It was really interesting to learn a sort of backstory into Afghanistan and the Taliban. It's cool to see another perspective, I find that most of the time the news is biased in some way, and of course the book is as well, but it's a different bias, and that's always interesting.
I think what I'll like most in this book will be set in the future, when Fadi is an adult. I love the idea of going back and searching, rediscovering the past. I'm not sure I've ever read a book like this before and I'm ready to read more already.

Secrets of the Universe: A love Story?

Was that a cute ending or what? I'm just gonna get my AWWWWWWWW out now because there are actually a lot of deeper issues here. (pretty sure this is that guy from Ferris Bueller's Day Off which is why I'm using it, even if he does look a bit sarcastic)

Okay. Now that that's out of the way, let me just say, this book was not what I expected... At all really.
I kind of expected a straight up love story. Maybe with a few problems of social acceptance or bullying, but this novel actually got a lot deeper. I wasn't expecting Ari's brother to play such a big role in the novel. He's not even introduced really, and yet Ari spends half the book wondering about him. Most of that time I was wishing for Ari to move on. I didn't fully understand why he couldn't go visit him or even just try to forget about him entirely.  Of course it all comes together in the end. Given how his brother was sent to prison, Ari's feelings of misplacement and emptiness make sense. His own brother committed a crime against someone who was gay. Like him. Maybe he knew it all along that he was gay, who knows really. To me though, it makes a lot of sense.
Another issue which becomes clear in the novel is the awkwardness between Ari and his father. To be honest I feel like it was resolved a little too cleanly to be realistic. Nonetheless, I didn't expect him to open up that much, if at all really. I think that's what I enjoyed most about the book. It surprised me. I was surprised that Ari and Dante weren't immediately dating, and that it took till the last page to get Ari to admit he was gay. Moreover, the genre surprised me. This wasn't really a romance novel at all, but more of a coming of age story. And I'm actually okay with that.

Secrets of the Universe: Not So Secret Anymore

What I find most interesting about this novel is the self-exploration. It isn't something I tend to think about a lot, as I'm straight and never had to worry about being socially accepted. Dnnte's journey of realizing he's gay was surprising to me. I guess I hear more of "I've always known" stories than I do of exploration around puberty. This isn't to say that either is better than the other or that either is false, but I wonder; which is more common? How many teenagers struggle to realize who they are vs the struggle to how others who they know they are? Does that make sense?

What I mean to say is this. Dante has discovered that he is gay. He doesn't seem to have known it prior to meeting Ari or even shortly afterwards. Ari on the other hand is lost. He wants to know what happened to his brother and who he is. He shut out from his father and is left with no male presence in his life to guide him at all. This is probably why he's so lost. Dante has a father who is open with his love and kisses on the cheek, he's accepting and Dante trusts him. He is free to experiment and find himself knowing that his parents will love him anyways. Ari is only 16, he's just starting to wonder about kissing and girls. I don't think it has occurred to him to think about boys. He's fallen in love without realizing it, probably because he was raised to keep his feelings in like his own father has.
I like that it's realistic. I love that I can feel what Ari feels through the writing. It's agnsty and confusing and pretty much exactly what being a teenager is. It does what it's meant to and I love it.

Dante and Aristotle Discover the Secrets of The Universe

Having reading the article assigned to us before starting the novel, I have to say I was a little irritated. Maybe I'm being a little too sensitive and maybe the author made the choice for a completely different reason, but either way I was a little mad.  I read the back of the book before starting and it didn't sound to me as if it was a romance novel. Now, I don't have a problem with this in general but I really, really, really hope it wasn't because it's supposed to be hidden. I know it's sort of implied, I just... I don't know. I want it to not be afraid to slap me in the face with it. I wan't it to say that this book is about a gay couple. I WANNA SEE THE RAINBOW FLAG FLY!
I mean, all things aside, once I started reading, I understood a bit more. What Dante and Ari have is a very subtle sort of love and it goes along with the summary. I just don't want anyone to ever have to hide that. Not in a movie, not on social media, or a book. .....Yeah I'm definitely overthinking this.
Whatever the back of the book says, I'm enjoying it so far. God knows what happens after page 107, frankly I'm not thrilled that we had to stop there. I might have finished the book last night if I could have.  I like that the two characters learn from one another. That they each feel distant from the world. It's the perfect blend of teenage angst and awkward romance. I'm already excited to read more.

American Born Chinese: wwwhhhhhhAAAAATTTTTT?

Okay so.... Would anyone care to explain that ending to me?! No? okay...

Man, I don't know. I'm not saying I didn't like it, and maybe I've been reading books that are more realistic for too long, but that was crazy. I definitely didn't see it coming. I didn't expect to see the author tie it together so much that some of the characters were actually in each others stories. That being said though, it was a fun read. Kind of a week off in a way you know? I felt less stressed about homework so that was a major plus. It made me want to try out a few more graphic novels sometime. 

The issue of fitting in is present throughout the book and it's definitely possible to tie it in with the other books we've read this year, even though it's a graphic novel, and much more fantastical. It made me wonder at points whether everything has a deeper or symbolic meaning. If anything I read in the past I might have missed or not understood. 

Overall, I really loved the meaning of it. On the base level it was a real situation that many people must face at some point in their lives. I loved that it was both real and fantastical, like anyone at any age could read it , enjoy it, and learn from it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, even if it did get a little weird there for awhile....

American Born Chinese

It's safe to say, this book isn't what I was expecting. I've read few graphic novels myself, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. The illustration, while simple, is light and fun, adding comedy to what could be a much more depressing story. The time flew by as I read and I found myself wanting to continue past the first 130 pages.
My favorite part of the novel so far is that it follows three separate stories. This serves quite a few purposes. Firstly it ensures interest. My favorite of the three is the one about Mr. "I'm not a monkey". Even if I'm not loving reading the other two, at least I have my monkey pal to fall back on. Luckily though I am enjoying all of the stories so far.
The connection between them all I find most fascinating though. Each story is different but they all relate to each other and the underlying issue of race and discrimination throughout the novel. It's almost a study to see how different characters react to racism and bullying in their own ways. Though I personally can't relate to any of the characters, they seem to be realistic portrayals of what could go on in school or life in general. I'm really enjoying the creative directions and illustrations and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

Brown Girl Dreaming: Final Thoughts

More than anything, this novel makes me realize how important the activists in the  generations before us were in changing this country. While the novel has a stronger focus on Jacqueline herself, we see her grow into a young girl who longs to make change the world or herself and those around her. She idolizes activists she see's on t.v and claims to be willing to give her life up for the cause. She never speaks of the darker issues though.
From this novel we see examples of segregation and racism in many forms. What she doesn't see are the killings. The lynchings. The KKK. The true, life threatening danger that could face her if she's in the wrong place at the wrong time. It demonstrates her naivety as a young girl and how sheltered she is. Of course, if the novel did touch on these more serious subjects, it would be a very different book.

 It would seem that Jacqueline found her way of fighting for her rights in words rather than protests.  I think we are meant to learn from that. Each of us can change the world in our own ways, whether we be writers or artists or the men and women who struggle on the streets to bring change. Even in today's times we see fights for basic rights. This book isn't only about the past but our present and our future as well.What we must acknowledge though are those who die fighting for things we see as rights, because they weren't always given so freely. What we must acknowledge is that though you or I may not ever experience prejudice or racism, so so many have. This is a lesson, take from it what you will.
We may never HAVE to act out against our government. We may never have our lives or well-being threatened. This is a call to act on the injustices we see. To join a movement even though you may never see the problem first hand. To get up off the couch and face the world in any way you know how.

Diving Into Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson has so far been an interesting change. It seems deeper than the other books we've read thus far in the semester. Maybe it's the way it's written in a type of poetry, though I think it's more serious in the issues it's tackling. It's deep from the start. We get perspective from a baby to a child and several depictions of racism were given already. There's a sense of  danger for the character and her family, especially after moving down south. They seem happy with their grandparents and safe enough, but by page 138, it's clear the children are worried about leaving their home.
We are protected from now by the age barrier between us and the narrator. While the writing isn't unsophisticated, it is minimalist and simple. The child doesn't fully understand why the things around her are happening, but in an insight far ahead of her years, grasps on some level that she isn't safe. That a change is coming.
The form of writing, while slightly offputing at first, fits the narrator well and gives her a sort of unique voice. Though I have never been in a situation such as her, or faced discrimination on this level before, investment is the character is needed to keep me reading. I found this interest both in the diction and in the content. The idea of writing from the point of a baby is something new to me and grabbed me from day one. I'm curious to see what struggles she may face in the future.

Yaqui Delgado is Done Kicking Ass... Or is She?

Though the conclusion of the novel ended, for the most part, in Piddy's favor, we as readers are left to wonder, what becomes of Yaqui? While I do think Piddy made the right decision, Yaqui's reign of terror will probably continue, despite the school's efforts. This is concerning on many levels. Here's why.
This book took a deeper look at bullying. It was serious and real.  We aren't talking about Mean Girls here. The thing is, we see the bullying in a very intense way. Piddy is threatened to the point where she could be killed. This isn't a rumor that she's pregnant, it's not whispers in the hallways that you can ignore. It's assault. It's violent and animalistic. It's wrong.
 All we can hope for is that it ends on its own because what could Piddy do? She made a choice to leave which was really her only safe option. She ran, leaving Yaqui to terrorize someone else. It's horrible but true. Yaqui needs therapy. She needs authority. She'll probably only find one of those in her lifetime and it'll come with a prison cell.
Unfortunately I think the book is a fairly realistic representation of bullying.We see how bullying is handled in schools, in households and by peers. It's deeper than most book or movie depictions and shows us just how intense it can be.  Most of all though it teaches us a lesson. Sometimes, there isn't a way to fix everything. Sometimes you have to run.
I mean. Either that or you go full on Heathers on her ass.

The Youth Lens and Feed

While I don't always agree with YL, I do understand that there are many stereotypes in which teenagers fall under.  We see this in Feed through the behaviors of  Titus and his friends. Titus himself represents the jock, or the dumb jock really. He's popular and he just goes along with what his friends want, even though he's not always having fun and is a little lost. He also represents a well known stereotype about teenagers. He has  a problem with thinking things through, which he demonstrates with how he treats Violet towards the end of her life. If things get deep in any way, count him out. I think many of us can think of stereotypical teenage boys who have the same problem.

Violet displays another stereotype, the lovesick teenage girl. Yes, she has a lot to deal with,  but she is the most emotional character by far. She's the rebel, no doubt about it. Somewhere though, she changes. She starts clinging to Titus and becomes more of a clingy girlfriend type of character.
This book is filled with characters we've all seen before by other names in books or on television. Perhaps that's why I didn't enjoy the book. There wasn't much originality. Just how teenagers are probably supposed to act based on their stereotypes.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass: Part 1

So far, I've read pages 1-88 of  Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. I have to say, I'm already loving this book a lot more than Feed.
What stands out to me the most in the novel so far is the bullying. This led me to look into it a little. The first fact I found was a staggering one.
Bullying affects nearly one in three American schoolchildren in grades six through 10. I wonder if that's in cases as extreme as Piddy's case. Honestly, this book isn't really centered around her, the main subject is bullying itself. It has ruled her life. Especially after her elephant necklace was stolen from her.
Gosh. This book is depressing. Sure her home life isn't near as bad as Eleanor's from Eleanor & Park, but her school is worse. Yes, Eleanor was bullied too, but she was so focused on Park, that it almost didn't matter. Besides, Park protected her. She had someone to rely on. Piddy doesn't really have that. She has a friend or two but the only boy who has shown real interest seems to only want to get in her pants. Or maybe he just doesn't know any better. Who knows. He saddens me really.

Aside from the very very depressing aspects of her life, I'm enjoying the reality of the book. Piddy has very real problems. She's dealing with what I would imagine, millions of  high school students deal with. I pity her a little, and I'm a little defensive of her. As I read I'm thinking of giving Yaqui a piece of my mind. Can we all just agree that if your boyfriend is looking at another girl, you kick his ass and not hers!? Thanks. What a jerk. As if Piddy doesn't have enough problems to deal with.
Even if this story doesn't lighten up right away we can be sure that, excuse my french, s*** is about to go down.

Make America Great.... Again?

Whether you fall on the left or right side of the political spectrum, or perhaps you consider yourself not on it at all, I'd like to take your attention for a moment, not to discuss trump, but rather, his campaign slogan.
Make America Great Again.
I get that its made for people who look back fondly on their childhoods and want things to be like that again. I understand.
My main question is this; what time period exactly are you referring to? I'm sure there are pros and cons to each period in American history, but why move backwards? You see, in my view, we should be moving forward. I, for one, am not willing to relive the mistakes of those before me. I have no desire to live in a country in which some are separate but not equal. Nor will I allow my children to grow up in a place where we don't have basic civil rights for everyone. This is why I made my subversive ad.

I chose this image for a few reasons. Firstly because it represents one of the darkest periods in America's history. I'm sure even Donald Trump wouldn't site the great depression as his goal for this country... hopefully. Nonetheless, it makes my point. There were sadder pictures available but this struck me as the most famous image from the time. Hopefully it puts my message across more clearly.
My original idea came from this video. Which I encourage everyone to watch.

Feed: Thank God It's Over

YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!
I finished Feed! If it weren't for this class and I'd been reading it on my own I would've stopped long, long ago. However, it's over now. Time to move on. (hopefully to better books)
So unless you've been paying about as much attention as a dying squirrel to this blog, you know I've hated this book. I mean. It's not hard to tell....
My biggest complaint after reading it is still, I have to say, the slang. I just can't. Sorry. That knocks my score down by a good four points. If I can't read a book without cringing every ten seconds, I won't read it. Period. Am I being unreasonable?
The second, and most relevant to the end of the book, point I'd like to make, is about our main character. Ahhh Titus. Titus, Titus, Titus. Honey, you're an asshole. Yeah, yeah, yeah. he's a teenager, he can't handle grief, boy's will be bo-

 NO WAY, JOSE. I don't care who you are. I don't wanna hear it. Titus is horrible. If he was even half decent he would've broken up with Violet when he lost feelings for her. And hey, then maybe she could've died next to someone who deserved her! I can't talk about it anymore. I'm so irritated with the whole thing. All I know is, I doubt it could've been a worse ending. I thought Eleanor & Park was irritating, at least Park wasn't the biggest !@#%$!&*#, ( ^#%^!#, or @^&$*&$^* around. Ending message? We're all gonna die, but get our hearts broken as insult to injury anyways.

Feed: A Poor Man's John Green Novel

So yeah. I'm not enjoying this book. I am, sadly, getting used to the horrible slang, not enough to keep it from being annoying though. It pulls me out of the novel frequently, and unpleasantly.  Often I struggle to appreciate the setting or the details in the atmosphere because I'm o limited by Titus's view of the world, by his limited use of language. If I were to rate it I'd give it a 3. Maybe.
To be completely honest with you part of my annoyance is with how similar this book is to current affairs. I won't get into politics too much but let's just say I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that this book's dark setting is maybe not as far away as we'd like. That's not to say it's a bad thing, book quality wise, but geez I could use something uplifiting right about now, rather than more dark, depressing, end of the world talk.

Another point I'd like to make concerns the lesions frequently mentioned in Feed. Two words: grrrrrrrrr ooooooooosssssssss. ugh. No. The detail in which they describe Quendy and her new fake lesions made me want to throw up. Sadly though, similar to the political likeness of the novel to our time, I don't think the similarities to teens and peer pressure are far off either. Yes, lesions sound extreme now, but we've all been there. We've all wanted to be cool. My concern is whether Quendy will be able to ever be normal again once the fad ends.
In this segment of the novel things have definitely gotten worse. I mean, we all kind of knew it would, right? Frankly I'm hoping it all ends just so i can stop reading this book. Call me a critic but I'm just done. I've had enough of the political doom in real life, thanks.

Feed: Can Bad First Impressions Be Wrong?

So. Let's take a moment to talk .about Feed, by M.T Anderson. It's meg big big unit.... oh. wait. Are you a normal person who doesn't speak whatever language that was? yeah me too.
I'm not very happy with this book. It took me three days to get through 150 pages when it should've taken me a few hours. I just couldn't make myself read it half the time. Honestly, I get what the author is going for. I really do. I get that the future talk is supposed to sell that the novel is set in the future, but my god it is so hard to read.
Don't get me wrong, I understood the slang by page 150, I could figure out what they were saying. It was just annoying. Like spending time with 14 year-olds who think they're cool. I just wanted to scream at them. THAT WAS NOT A SENTENCE!
Language aside, I can't relate...Not to any of it. Parties? Nope. Drug use? Definitely not.The weird internet like thing that runs through them all? Uhhh. I guess? Disturbingly, I don't think this book is leaping too far from the actual future. Filet mignon farms? I'll give it to the author. That bit made me chuckle.  Back to The Future 2 or what?
I will say, I appreciate the message behind it. The whole "feed companies" run the world thing seems a little close to home to me. It's going to go in a "defy the man" kinda direction and I'm alright with that. I can be cool with rebellion.  
I don't know, guys. I'm hoping this book makes a comeback. I really do. I don't know how it can change though, enough to make me enjoy it anyways. Nonetheless, It's quite a trip. Give it a shot.
Buy it here  Or you know. Go to a library. They're still cool right?


More on this book later,
                                              M

Eleanor & Park: Addicted

I am writing this now, only seconds after reading the last page. I'm not entirely sure how to put what I feel into words. I dropped the book and stomped my feet on my dorm room floor like a toddler. I held in a scream and pulled my own hair like a mentally unstable woman who's run out of medicine.
How dare she? How dare anyone leave a book like that? I'm struggling not to swear and it occurs to me now that I may be a little to angry to write coherently at the moment.




I have read so many books. I have finished nearly a thousand last pages and even more beginnings. Yet, I don't know that I have ever felt such a strong reaction to the end of a novel before. No cliffhanger has ever hurt quite this much... So I asked myself; why? Why does this hurt even more than the death of one of my favorite literary characters? SPOILER ALERT.  Why did I have this strong of a reaction to a  YA book, of all books?





It would be wrong of me not to say I relate to Eleanor. I do. SO. MUCH. Honestly, I think that's why the author doesn't give too much information about her size. Because i don't have a number to compare or say "Oh she shouldn't complain!" Or worse, pity her for being larger than me. Every self'-conscious moment, every time she makes a comment about being big, I understand. Even past her size, everything she describes with Park I have felt before. Wanting a boy to touch you but waiting for him to cringe at you for looking the way you do. Everything a teenage girl feels for the first time.

Brace yourself. It's going to get a little personal.

I'm luckier than Eleanor. I've never had to worry about distance or family or anything interfering with my first love, because I was 18 when I first felt the way she did. Everything she says and feels is raw because it's new to me too, even though I'm barely a teenager anymore. It's personal, and I want more than anything for them to make it. I'm mentally screaming in anguish every time she doesn't say "I love you". I'm begging her to write back, to call, ANYTHING. I needed some kind of closure to this first love, even if it's tragedy. Even if she gets hit by a bus, even if the world ends in an apocalypse, even if Park falls out of love with her. In some messed up way I bought in to this story. I was sold that this was real. This is how first loves end. I finished this book dying to know the answer because my own story hasn't ended yet. In this crazy, hectic messed up world, I don't know what will happen. To me, to him, to us. I needed this to be some kind of ending. I'm desperately hoping that her words were the words I take for granted everyday. Dear God, please let her have finally said "I love you".

Eleanor & Park: Second Looks

As I continued to read Eleanor & Park (114-219), the most prevalent  issue, to me anyways, is the abuse that Eleanor and her family face in day to day life.
Eleanor is fairly helpless in this situation, her mother is potentially the only person in the household who has any real affect on Richie. So why does she stay?
 Why does anyone stay in an abusive relationship?
Many people feel rightfully scared and think they can't get out, even if they tried. It's clear that Eleanor's mother thinks so both in her actions and in her comments to Eleanor.
"I have to think of myself. In a few years, you'll be out on your own, but Richie is my husband." Rowell, 187
 Obviously her mother isn't in the best state of mind and feels like she's tied to him. This explains why she works so hard to make Richie happy. In her mind, her kids will all grow up and be able to leave him, but she will be stuck with him forever.
Through my own research on the subject, I have found that abuse in relationships happens far more often than one would think.
94% of women age 16-19 have experienced abuse. 
94%. Almost all of us.
On a more personal note, while I haven't been abused, I've known many others who come from similar situations as Eleanor.   A friend of mine was in a relationship for two years before his fiance became abusive. Another would have to hold his sister from running into the kitchen every night to save her mother from their stepfathers fists.
So why stay? Sometimes you love the other person, Still, through everything. Sometimes the abusive person hates themselves and begs you to stay because they need you. Everyone's story is different. Some who grow up in an environment like Eleanor's think it's normal. They follow the path of their parents and can end up in abusive relationships of their own.
Whatever the case, one thing is clear. Things in Eleanor's life are coming to a peak. Things are changing, and she's helpless.

Eleanor & Park: First Impressions

If you haven't read Eleanor & Park click Here for a description. I'll try to keep it relatively spoiler free.

I'll be honest. I wasn't sure about this. It'd been awhile since I read a young adult book... Or anything that wasn't from a $400 text book. So sitting down with a book like Eleanor & Park was both odd and comforting. It felt nostalgic and peaceful, and then I opened the book.
I didn't have an immediate reaction. The writing was good and kept me reading but it took me a minute or two to settle into the story. She gets on the bus, he sees her, and it's perfect. It's not love at first sight. He doesn't immediately notice how beautiful she is, because she isn't to him yet. And she just thinks he's a weird kid on the bus.
. 
As I read and things begin to change between them, I remember. I remember exactly what it feels like to live for the moments you get to see him. I can feel the first time they touch. I spent much of the 114 pages reveling at how real this feels. At how amazing it was that I got to live this again, through them.
The writing was so beautiful at times. I highlighted throughout my copy, struggling not to fill the whole book with a yellow tint.
At first, the descriptive language caught my eye.
"All her bones seemed more purposeful than other people's. Like they weren't just there to hold her up; they were there to make a point." Rowell, 18.
See what I mean? Rowell takes different pathways with words. I love that. The language, the emotions that are written in make you feel like you're in love again, for the first time.

Part of what makes this book seems so real are the circumstances. It's definitely not a prince and princess love story. It's honest. Both characters have their problems, ESPECIALLY Eleanor. You relate to her. You understand.
 Perhaps one of my favorite things about her is that she isn't perfect. She's bigger than most girls. THANK GOD. How refreshing is it to read about a girl that's not absolutely stunning? She's just Eleanor. Which is maybe the best part of this book. PI feel connected to her. I was fortunate enough not to grow up under her circumstances, but it doesn't stop me from relating to her.

And Park?  Well Park seems a little weird. That's okay though. Aren't we all? He's a nerd, and we're all nerdy about certain things.
The truth is, the book really isn't about any of them. The book was written for us: the readers. It let's you live (or relive) your first love. It's about the feeling, not the characters. We are meant to relate to them, to live through them. That's why the book works... Or the first 114 pages anyways.


More later,
M