Reading Response #2: Before I Fall

    Before I Fall is such a great book so far! It is so intense and a book I can't even put down. It is already so different from books I have read because of the way the sequence is written. It starts off with the main event and then goes back in time to tell an incredible story seven different ways in seven of the same days. I promise I'll explain later because you probably just got really confused! Even the author of Thirteen Reasons Why agrees by saying "You'll have no choice but to tear through this book!(cover)" in part of his review.

     This book is about a girl named Samantha and her three best friends. They are really popular and are having the time of their lives in high school and couldn't be more pleased with their high school experience. One night after a wild party filled with booze and good times they piled into a car and started to drive back home. Of course the driver was drunk and she wasn't paying attention and crashed, killing all four of them. Samantha wakes up the morning of the car accident which she thinks was just a dream but when she wakes up six more times after the crash happens again and again she then realizes she was given some odd chance to beat death. The story is supposed to unfold why she was given a such a chance.
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"Then all of a sudden there was a flash of white in front of the car. Lindsay yelled something-words I couldn't make out, something like sit or shit or sight- and suddenly the car was flipping off the road and into the black mouth of the woods, I heard a horrible screeching sound- metal on metal, glass shattering, a car folding in two- and smelled fire.(page 6)"
   

     I am really enjoying this book and can't wait to write further reading responses about it without spoiling anything of course. I love the bond between these best friends. It shows how close they really are, even in the first several pages. In the prologue it reads "...when Lindsay, Elody, Ally, and I got drunk and tried to make snow angels in May, leaving person-sized imprints in Ally's lawn; my sweet-sixteen party, when we set out a hundred tea lights and danced on the table in the backyard...(page 3)" Also in the book the author shows how great of friends they are by writing "There are only two days of the year Lindsay, Ally, Elody, and I deliberately dress the same: Pajama Day during Spirit Week, because we all bought cute matching sets at Victoria's Secret last Christmas, and Cupid Day.(page 11)"
   

     From what I can gather so far this book is really not something a boy would enjoy reading...unless your just into that stuff. I also think that so far this a perfect representation of high school. A lot of books written about high school are pretty cliche and don't match the standards at all but this one pretty much nails it. I think that just makes this book even more enjoyable to read because you can relate. I can't wait to finish up this book and I'm crossing my fingers for a brilliant ending!!


p.s So far it seems as my reading responses contain tragic events. Believe me I don't have some weird thing for car accidents.

Reading Response #1: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

   

     I was ciphering through all the books at Parkview's library wondering which one to get. I was standing next to Michelle and she pointed out this book and said it was amazing. I decided to check it out without even reading the description because she is a book person and would know a good book. After checking it out at least five people told me on my way back to the classroom that it was an excellent read so I was pretty pumped to start the book. I thought the title and the book cover made it pretty obvious what this book is about but to throw it out there I'll tell you! This book is about a girl named Amy who's father recently passed away. Since then her brother went to rehab in North Carolina and her mom moved to Connecticut because she had a new job and bought a house down there. Amy decided to finish up her junior year at her high school in California while their old house was on the market. Amy's mother calls her after school ends and tells her that the cost of air fare to get her to Connecticut plus the amount it would cost to get the car there, since Amy no longer drives, would be too much and she couldn't do both. Her mom decides to have her brother's old friend, Roger, drive her there and she had a perfectly planned out route. As you probably already know from the title of the book they take a detour, one epic detour.

     There is so much adventure and sadness to this book. Amy can barely speak about her father without having a meltdown and always seems to run into altercations where she has to talk about him. One incident occurred on the first stop of the trip, Yosemite. After they had been leaving she ran into an old friend that her, her dad, and brother used to run into every time they went to Yosemite.  Amy had a mental breakdown after the old friend said "Your dad was always such fun to have at dinner! How's he doing? He's well?.(66)" Roger being the nice gentleman he is stepped in and spoke for her after she ran off. This is one of the first signs you tell Roger cares about Amy. Another sign towards the end of the book is when he comforts Amy about her fathers car accident by saying "I don't lie. I promise you, it wasn't your fault (314)" and Amy believes him.This book is also filled with lots of sad flashbacks of Amy's memories of her father. The most heart breaking one is the one where the car accident happened. With a short detailed heart wrenching description that goes like "But my father had stopped moving and my forehead felt like it was burning, and someone was screaming and they wouldn't stop. (311)" This to me, even though it is short, is the saddest text in this entire book.

      I overall think this book was fantastic! A lot of people who recommended this book to me didn't like the ending but I thought it was really good and bittersweet. It isn't some fairy tale ending which makes this book better and more realistic. If you like romantic books I think you would very much enjoy this. It isn't a cheesy romantic book its almost an unexpected romance that you expected the whole time. The only downside to this book is it seemed to have quite a few typos and I'm pretty sure someone told me this as well. On a more positive note it received an outstanding review from the New York Times that said "This is an incredible book- heartbreakingly funny and utterly un-put-down-able. (cover)" If you can look past the typos then you will see an amazing love story with tons of adventure and witty characters! Plus the author of the book actually took a reverse road trip (Connecticut to Califorina) which inspired this book but halfway through writing she decided to take the road trip in the book so it felt genuine. Morgan Matson you're a genius!

30 Facts About Mwah, Me, Makenzie

1. I hate school. I mean a lot. I hated school ever since Kindergarten I even cried on the first day....true story.

2. I hate burping. The struggle is real when someone burps around me. It is serious like if you burp right by me I make a mental note to hate you for the rest of my life so just don't do it.

3. I hate children. Although I am in Child Development I and II that doesn't stop me from hating children. They are so oblivious and annoying and to be honest babies are pretty hideous.

4. I hate disease. Rather it's the common cold or terminal cancer I hate it all. Sickness should never exist and everyone should be healthy.


5. I hate failure. It is my fear in life to fail and some people just don't care and I just don't understand it. Success or nothing.


6. I hate fake people. Too bad they are everywhere and the hardest part is you can't tell if someone is fake because they act FAKE.

7. I hate watermelon. Contrary to popular belief I actually don't like the disgusting watery fruit. It makes me nauseous and I'm not bout it.

8. I hate cats. They are weird and moody and I have enough of that in my life so it's a no from me. Carofine99 would disapprove.

9. I hate Facebook. People put their life stories on there and are really ignorant. It is beyond irritating so I just don't get on plus every family member I know has a Facebook now. -_- TWITTER RULES

10. I hate exercising. My least favorite thing in the world next to children. "You want me to do what to my body so I can sweat?"

11. I hate playing sports. This honestly relates to my exercise problem. Sports=Exercising and Exercising=Not for me

12. I hate Mexican Villa. I think its a sham of a Mexican restaurant. Honestly even Taco Bell makes better Mexican food then they do. C'mon Mexican Villa! Get it together!

13. I hate public restrooms. To be honest I think everyone does and if you don't then.......YOU GOT PROBLEMS. Enough said.

14. I hate over emotional people. Especially girls who cry like everyday at school. It's annoying and shows weakness. Toughen up already and don't get me started on emotional guys...

15. I hate waiting in lines. I have a high patience tolerance when it comes to some things but waiting in lines makes me want to pull your hair. The only lines I slightly enjoy and will tolerate are Black Friday lines. It is probably just the thrill of everyone being out so late!

16. I hate people who hate the holidays. Like seriously perk up! This is the one time of year everyone is supposed to be happy!! Just take a few breaths and at least pretend for the sake of the children!

17. I hate winter. If winter was nice and warm then I would love it but it's not so I don't. It is freezing and it snows which is horrible to walk around in and it just is not for me!

18. I hate tea. This honestly makes me so sad. I want to love tea so badly but it just taste so bad! I feel like I am missing out on a whole world by not being a tea drinker. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

19. I hate Missouri. Like so so so much. Everyday I suffer by living here. I would die before I spend the rest of my life here. I've got big city dreams and all this place does is hold me back!!

20. I hate when people give up. Whether it is on themselves or on life. No matter what people should never stop trying to fight for what they want even if it is just to be happy. "Even the darkest hour only has 60 minutes."

21. I hate old people. Like really really old people. The type of old people that are stuck in 1920's when racism was still thick as oatmeal. They aren't very friendly and they smell weird too!

22. I hate math. I think a ton of people can relate. It is long, boring, and pointless unless you want to be a math teacher, accountant, or engineer. I think it is ridiculous that so much math is required because you will forget it by next month anyway.

23. I hate when people don't match. The only excuse you have for not matching is if you are colorblind, then you my friend get a free pass, but if your not GET IT TOGETHER. "Excuse me but your blacks don't match..."

24. I hate feet. People who have serious foot fetishes need to have a conversation with me because I just understand like at all. Like out of all the parts on a body you could be obsessed with you chose feet!? Don't worry the mental hospital isn't that far away.

25. I hate being forced to do things. That is probably one of the many reasons why I dislike school so much. I don't know about you but the feeling of having to do something or there will be consequences kinda irks my nerve. But I have a lot more of years of school left so I better suck it up.

26. I hate country music. The twang lyrics and the string instruments make me want to pull my eyelashes out for-real! I never liked it and I still don't like it and I never will like it. If you lock me in a room and blast country music my head would literally explode so don't do that.

27. I hate seeing people suffer. Whether it is a starving homeless person or a guy missing a leg I just hate it. I feel sorry for a lot of helpless people and I want to save everyone but not everyone can be saved.

28. I hate discussing religion and politics. It is such a touchy topic and people can lose friends over it. I still don't understand why people blurt out their opinions and have no respect for others. If you discuss either one then I'm out! Unless we agree about something then you know it's kinda okay.

29. I hate people who speak without thinking. We have all done it but I'm talking about people who never stop doing it. I want to kindly punch them in the face and ask them if their mother ever told them to think before they think like geez where are your manners....NOT HERE

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30. I love thinking about my future. If I am having a bad day and hate my life I just think of what the future could hold if I keep my head high and keep moving forward. Never look to the past is is unhealthy because when you look at the past you are usually looking back on negative times in your life. "Don't look back you're not going that way."