Jenna’s Comments (group member since May 21, 2014)

Jenna’s comments from the Reading Rams Summer I, 2014 group.

I loved the parallels to An Imperial Affliction in this novel. Part of me hoped it was an actual novel that I could follow up on!

Shanay, Rochelle-
I think Monica is your average teenager who doesn't know how to handle something like a loved one with cancer. And at that age being "in love" in general is so overwhelming on its own that many of us probably handled break-ups, cancerous or not, the wrong way or selfishly. Her actions upset me but if I'm being honest I couldn't fault her for them.

I actually picked this book up when it first hit the best seller but had to wait until classes were over and I had time to CHOOSE what I read :)
Love it. It's my first John Green and I'll be picking up others. It was reflective, raw emotionally, and witty in a smart way. I enjoyed the vocabulary although it reminds me of Dawson's Creek- unrealistic teenage verbiage. I don't know many 16 year olds that dialogue that way let alone 3 of them. The twist in the plot really threw me. I didn't see it coming at all. And I have to add that the "sex scene" for lack of a better term was extremely tastefully done. I appreciated that, especially since I was reading about children.

Ok, this book was right up my alley. I love to read and I do so as an escape from reality so when I read I like to be thrown into fiction that is so fictitious you cannot help but be transported into this whole new world and life. And that is exactly what this was.
I also found it so interesting that the author wrote this story around photographs. These depictions created characters and twisted plots to become the final product as we read it now. I will admit that some of the photos were rather creepy and I ended up scaring myself while reading late one night!
I loved the ties to the war and monsters both figuratively and literally. I cannot wait to read the second book and find out where their "time travels" take them.

I agree with you, Cynthia, about more build up before the bombing. The book dragged (in my opinion) for 14 chapters and then the climax hit so abruptly it felt somewhat empty. Not that a bombing of a church should ever feel satisfying but as the crowning moment of the novel I shouldn't have been left wanting more. The ending was more of what I expected the novel to be- more heartfelt, but it wasn't enough to make up for the first half (and more) of the book.

This book progressed extremely slowly for me. I just couldn't figure out the point or plot of it until basically the very end. I didn't hate it, but it was definitely one of those books I had to make myself read. In the front of my copy there is a list of names with the dates of their birth and death next to them. Young girls. This intrigued me right off the bat. Add to that the fact that I knew this was an African American family that at some point would take a trip to Alabama in the 1960's and all that implies. But even half way through the book the most that has happened is some school yard bullying.

I will say that the author did a great job of developing these characters. They were very real to me and I loved their quick wit (the father, Daniel), the playful teasing between the siblings, the small acts of brotherly love, Byron's more tender moments, and especially the description of Wilona trying to set Byron's hands on fire!

In the end I realize the author's tactic a little more. The story wasn't about those girls in the front dedication or even the Civil Rights Movement as a whole; it was about how those events impacted one family and one young boy in particular. No matter how far removed they felt from it all, the events of that era could still reach out and touch them. The end of this novel wasn't hard to get through and I found it very moving. However, I still can't say I was hooked from paragraph one.

Tricia- I like your comment about Zachary's bravado and the person that lay underneath it all. I was intrigued at how insightful these teenage boys were as well as caring. They could have called Zachary out on his tall tales but instead they read between the lines and worked to help him even though they were dealing with life issues of their own.

I agree with what a few of you are saying about the brother/sister dynamic. Moose spent much of the book complaining about Nat but it was apparent how he really felt. Even I began to feel very protective of Natalie. I loved how eventually they had formed this little family of misfit kids on the island and they all rallied around Natalie and supported her rather than just treat her as a breakable thing.

Yes! Someone write an alternate ending in which Winnie drinks the spring water and let me know what happens! :)

I actually really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Al Capone Does My Shirts in that it is about an adolescent boy going through some life changes. Toby seems torn at times between his small town life and wanting something more, like his mother ventured out to find. It is through meeting and eventually befriending Zachary Beaver that he appreciates his life for what it is. We see Toby go back and forth between acting like a selfish kid to standing up for what is right or doing what he knows he should. The plot was nothing extremely profound, just a boy growing up, but I enjoyed it. I grew up in city life so to me the author made Antler seem almost magical. It could have also been the era in which the book is set. Some of the more powerful parts of the book were about the war and Wayne (yes, I teared up). And of course, this book will make you think twice about judging others. All of the characters seemed to carry their own burden.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book! I can't even explain why... Maybe the characters. Natalie reminded me of a girl at our school; she's nine but extremely tall and quite developed for a girl her age. The teachers joke that they're going to ask for her birth certificate one day. The whole time I read I just pictured her. A smart girl but trapped inside herself.
And Moose was caught between still being a boy and having to grow up and take care of his "little" sister. You could see his struggle but also the love he had for Natalie.
The plot was so interesting too. Did children really live on Alcatraz?! That's something I'll be looking into. It gives an air of excitement when in reality living on the island was just like anywhere else most of the time.
I though the book ended rather abruptly. What happened with Nat and the inmate? Did she finally accept going to the boarding school? Did Moose accept it? It was an appropriate ending though. Done.

I need to start out by saying that the only copy I could get of this book (for free from the library) was a book on CD. I hated it. The pace was slow, I couldn't go back and make character connections, the narration voice wasn't the same as the one in my head... Not for me. The book itself was delightful though! Maniac was larger than life and at times took on a super hero quality (when he intervened for that bullied kid for example). The fact that he could easily live in two worlds was also something very special. The lines of fantasy and reality blur and that's a great topic of discussion with students. Maniac was an exaggeration. It was as if everyone he came in contact with projected themselves onto him but only better. This is a book I think boys could get into.

Don't be sorry, Cathy! I'm with you on that.

Rochelle- it did seem like Jesse was eternally frozen in a 17 year old frame of mind. The maturity difference in a 10 and 17 year old is still quite a gap but I think Winnie had a school girl crush and Jesse just wanted a companion.

I agree, Rochelle. The small "chapters" that this book was broken up into made will seem so much more manageable to students. Especially those who cringe at the sight of a book over 100 pages.

I wonder why the author chose to write this story in the perspective of Winnie when the Tuck's perspective would be so much more insightful. Do you think it was to give the readers a chance to think for themselves? Do you think she thought that Winnie's story and ultimate choice was the better story line? I would have loved to read more about the nomadic lifestyle of the Tucks personally.

I think I like the concept of this book more than the story itself. It felt slightly anticlimactic to me. Anyone else?
The discussion topics are endless and that alone makes this book worth reading with students. Would you want to live forever? What would you do? Do you agree with (insert any character here)'s actions? And the writing that you could do on the subject of eternal life! Mae Tuck kills to keep the secret. And why do you think Winnie didn't drink the water? Did she not believe? Did she fall in love with someone else or give up waiting on Jesse? So many open ended questions! I mean, what are the Tucks doing now in 2014?! That's what I liked about this book
It was a quick read and the pace was fast so you didn't get bored. And there is a movie which I already talked about loving to compare to the book counterpart in another post. Always a plus.

Cynthia wrote: "The One and Only Ivan is a splendidly written novel. I loved everything about it, from the concept behind the story to the way in which the author writes the story. I found it interesting how the..."

Oh wow! I want to see the collector's edition. Mine copy had a little writ up about the real Ivan but nothing extremely detailed. The story became more powerful after I read that.

What I liked the most was the fact that in reality it was all Opal. She was the one that made friends with everyone and brought everyone together but, like Rochelle said, Winn-Dixie helped her to feel more comfortable. She was a sounding board and someone she was able to take care of and be motherly toward since that was something that was missing in her own life (being mothered).

Isn't this a movie? Has anyone seen it? I always love comparing the book to the movie. It interests me to see what they add or omit.