4/13

I think the title explains the book very well. There were 13 tapes to why Hannah killed herself. Each person that did something to Hannah, whether they knew it or not, received the tapes in the mail. The title is self-explanatory. In a way I think Hannah is sick and twisted but in other ways she’s a genius. I’ve never heard of somebody recording themselves before they die explaining events and telling people what they did to her. It’s a good way of letting people know why you killed yourself instead of just doing it, but its sick because you’re about to kill yourself and you thought it all out. She seemed to be a little off. I think the book is very interesting and it keeps me on my toes. Stephanie this is the 2^nd book you have recommended to me that I liked!

            Review: The book “Thirteen Reasons Why” is a must read! It takes suicide notes to a whole different level! It’s a well thought out book and a well thought out plan to single people out that once hurt you in life. It makes you want to treat everybody right because things like this can be a result of hurting somebody. I would not change anything in the book! If you are reading this review…GO BUY IT A.S.A.P!!! The book will keep you on your toes. How she singled each person out and told exactly what happened in the situation will have your mind blown! It’s a must read.

3/23/11

Reading “Liar” has changed the way I feel about reading books. I sometimes find myself reading wherever I go. I read it at school and at home most times. To start me off reading my mom and cousin bought me Pokémon books. I never could finish one because they had pictures. I found the pictures more interesting than the words. That’s the major difference between reading then and now. In Liar there were no pictures, so I had to look deeper into the context to understand what was going on. I can say that my reading comprehension has gotten a lot better. It was a struggle for me to stay interested in the book after she says that she was a werewolf. I lost interest and that’s when I was reading without thinking. But Liar has helped me out with my reading comprehension. I don’t use my fingers to help me read anymore. I can read with my eyes wondering off to another sentence. The only time I use my finger is when I am sleepy. Other than that, I can read without them. Depending on my mood and what time it is determines how fast I read. If it’s at night, I try to rush through it and read fast. If it’s in the afternoon I take my time and really try to understand what is going on in the story. The hardest thing about reading to me is just time. I don’t like spending a lot of time reading.

I would definitely recommend this book to be read. To tell a story through a character’s eyes is a tough job. Micah’s character is very exquisite. She’s a compulsive liar. But re-telling the story, she’s been telling the truth. The way she is starting to come out of her shell is surprising. She is starting to open up to Tayshawn and Sarah. Even though she’s still lying, they still see the truth in her. She is a very different character. In the kissing scene, it didn’t surprise me that Micah kissed back. In reality, girls that look like Micah tend to like girls. Not all girls but its a large number of them. What surprised me is when she kissed Tayshawn.

Tayshawn is the “hot guy” of the school. He’s a much laid back guy. You can tell that he was a true best friend to Zach because he never told his secret about Micah until after he died. He surprised me with the kissing scene at the end of the 1^st half of the book. I can say he’s a loyal person.

Sarah is a very emotional girl. She’s cried throughout the whole book, which is very understandable. She had to share a boyfriend with another girl. Any girl would cry after she finds out her boyfriend cheated on her. She didn’t seem like the girl to come at another girl in the beginning of the book. She also surprised me with the kissing scene not only because she kissed another girl and her dead boyfriend’s best friend, but because she started it.

2-16-11

The book “Liar” has really become interesting to me. From the first page, I knew I was going to be interested. The way the book is written is unique. Instead of the standard chapter 1 chapter 2 way, it uses something new as in before, after, and history. That’s something else that caught my eye.

The book really gets on the issue of lying. Even though it is in 1^st person, it still points out what lies can do and why you shouldn’t lie. It shows that with 1 lie you have to lie again to cover up the 1^st lie. Micah is a good example of why lying is bad. She has been lying her whole life. Every time she opens her mouth she lies. The book shows what type of trouble liars get themselves into.

I like the text because of the story line. I like how the author has Micah telling us the story. Most stories are in 2^nd or 3^rd person and that is what makes Liar stand out. I like how she has Micah promise the readers that she will not lie while telling us her life story. The author really put a lot of realness in the book, especially in the characters. It seems as if the author had been through this herself.

With Liar being the 1^st book I have read, I really like it so far. I actually pictured the scenes in my head as I was reading them. The book caught my attention as soon as I started to read it.

The title “The Outsiders” to means that the group of brothers and their gang is different from any other family and any other gang.

                They lost their parents due to an accident. Ponyboy and Sodapop rely on their brother Darrell to take care of them. Darrell and Sodapop were the ones that worked to take care of Ponyboy. Ponyboy was the soft-hearted kid that was in the gang. That set him aside from everybody else.

                Everybody in the Greasers was calm and cool. The Socs was the hard core type. Whatever they wanted they went to go get it. Their attitude is what separates the two.

                Darrell was a hard working brother. Pony boy and Sodapop needed a “father figure” while they were growing up. Darrell played that part very well. He was the family’s backbone. He brought all the money in and still helped out around the house. He was worth praise. He took on the responsibility of being their father and making sure his little brothers were ok.

Sodapop was a younger version of Darrell. He didn’t have all the responsibilities that Darrell had but he did have some. When he wasn’t working, he was watching over Ponyboy. He had to be the “father figure” for him when Darrell isn’t around. He deserves praise. He also stepped up and took on responsibilities after their parents died.

Ponyboy had no worries. He was the soft child out of the three brothers. He was the one that would try to settle an argument so that there is no violence. He enjoyed things like reading books and writing. He deserves praise.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is a good book. It’s about three boys Pony Boy, Sodapop, and Darrell, which were in a gang. There were two main gangs, the Greasers and Socs. The Socs were considered the ‘bad guys’.

A big issue that the book tackled to me was the violence issue that we have in our times. We have so many gangs in Peoria and the world. We have people that die every day because of gang violence. We need some more people like Pony Boy that is willing to stand up to other gangs and try to have peace.

I liked the book because it kept me interested while I was listening to people read it. It shows that there is no difference in gang violence from then and now. It was a lot of action, action that came out of nowhere and that was unexpected. Nothing could have made the book any better.

Problems that occurred when I attempted to read were the distractions of other students, or thoughts and feelings I had on my own. I have a short attention span and if the smallest thing comes across my way I tend to find it more interesting then reading a book. In high school I didn’t have to read a book, It was always optional. Not being forced to read at school or at home made it hard for me to try to read a book and get interested in it.

I’m a shy quiet person in my everyday life style and I see that I don’t like to read aloud.

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im aaron..and according to my teacher i love to be here :)