Harper’s Reviews > How We Ricochet: A Fearless YA Contemporary Story of One Girl's Life After a Mass Shooting > Status Update

One literary element I found was "Her eyes filled, but did not rain." This is effective because it showed the abundance of emotion that was being withdrawn.

"Dad says he wishes he could be here with us...protect us, but he knows he can't. It's so disappointing to hear him admit that." This is a pathos appeal and it is effective because the main character, Betty, experienced something unimaginable and her father wishes he could have helped her.

How will the mom impact her family after speaking out after the mall shooting? Will they deal with consequences and backlash?

The best part of reading today was that I got to learn more about Betty and how she handles complex emotions and relationships. She is a very friendly person who feels comfort in taking the blame for things that are not her fault but her sister's. She also enjoys talking and getting to know people as if they were never strangers from the start.

What surprised me the most today was that after betty woke up, she called her boss to let her know she wouldn't be there, but her boss was already prepping for extra security. There were people that stayed up late after the shooting to make sure their employees and customers felt safe in their environment.

The word that unfamiliar to me was "bootleg" which means an item that is made, distributed, or sold illegally.