Blog Post #7

Sarah Dessen

I know that with testing coming up, we all need a silent reading book. I recommend any book by Sarah Dessen. But not if you are boy. Sarah Dessen books are the Chick-flicks of reading. There are two types of people when it comes to these books. There are the "Ugh, they are all the same." And there are the "I LOVE SARAH DESSEN" type of people. I am the 2nd person. If you've never read any of her books, start with one and see if you like. Then read another one and decide if you want to enter the world of drama, romance, humor and uplifting messages.

Something really cool that Sarah Dessen does is tie all of her books together. After reading them, you notice that there is always something connecting each of the books together. It is a giant web of craziness that is so awesome. How she manages to do it, I do not know. It shows you how everyone around you has this whole life, and another story that you have no idea about, because you are in your own story. But in the end, we are all connected.

The first book I read by her was Lock and Key. Although I think they are all great, my favorite has to be The Truth About Forever. I'm very excited for her new book that comes out May 5th called Saint Anything . On sarahdessen.com it says "...Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans."

Hope everyone has a good week of testing and finds a good book to read!

Blog Post #6

Book: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

During my staycation this spring break, I read The 5th wave. At first I was a tad hesitant in reading this book. I had seen it many times at the bookstore and passed it by. You'd think the "soon to be a major motion picture" would draw me in, but it didn't. But, my dad ended up getting it and reading it for himself, so when I found myself very bored over my uneventful spring break I decided to give it a go. I mean who doesn't love aliens taking over the world right? 

Turns out, the book was really good. I was wrong. It wasn't the same as every other teen fiction/sci-fi book that is out right now. It was actually very creative and well written, with a lot of twists and turns. The author used a lot of figurative language, but it was not in an annoying, overdone way. For example: "Sometimes in my tent, late at night, I think I can her the stars scraping against the sky." 

I really like the characters voice in these books. Cassie is very sarcastic and she makes very serious and scary situations somewhat funny. For example: "Run=die. Stay=die. Sort of the theme of this party." and "This place can't be heaven, it doesn't have the right vibe." Overall, all of the characters really draw you into the story, making this a really great book.

The book is set up so that it changes perspectives for different sections of the book. So one part we will be following one character for a few chapters, then a different character for the next section. At first I thought it was confusing, but then I ended up really liking it. It is cool to watch it all come together. 

I would defiantly recommend this book. It was very entertaining. Plus there is a sequel. And, they are coming out with a movie for it. Chloe Grace Moretz (who played Mia in If I Stay) will be playing the main character Cassie in The 5th Wave movie. I can't wait for it to come out. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!