The Appeal

Hi everyone! So today, I am reviewing a book that I finished a few weeks ago entitled: "The Appeal". It is by a rather famous author named John Grisham. He is not only, a very prominent writer, but several movies have been made based off his books. Here we go!

Characters: Wes and Mary Grace Payton: prosecuting lawyers in the Crane Chemical Case/ parents of two young children/ win $38 million in putative damages off the Crane Case
Carl Trudeau: owner of Crane Chemical Company/ responsible for the dumping of toxic materials into the water/is a multi-billionaire
Barry Reinhart: hired by Trudeau to make sure Crane wins the appeal/ specializes in getting the "right people" elected/ plans to unseat justice Shelia McCarthy
Ron Fisk: Reinhart's political pawn/ designed to be an advocate for big business/ ends up making the deciding decision on the appeal case of Crane chemical

The Plot: In a small town in Mississippi, the people know that the water is bad. Not only is it bad, but it is cancerous. Their only hope is a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jeannette Baker against Crane Chemical Company asking to receive compensation for the deaths of her husband and young son. The town hopes that if Jeannette wins, the water may be ultimately cleaned up and the town's health restored. Against all odds, Baker and her two hardened, hometown lawyers, Wes and Mary Grace Payton, win the suit and a total $41 million in damages. While this is where the story would seem to end, it is actually where the story just starts to pick up. Infuriated that these back country justices robbed him of millions, Carl Trudea, owner of Crane, decides that there can be no uncertainties during this appeal. So he decides to hedge his bets: he hires Barry Reinhart, a so-called "election specialist" to help make sure the appeal results in the "appropriate" result. Reinhart's strategy? Create the perfect justice candidate out of the virtually unknown Ron Fisk and fund him by big business and Christian interest groups and pit him against Shelia McCarthy, a more liberal appeal court justice. Then all Reinhart has to do is make sure Fisk votes with Crane during the appeal. In a furious race to keep McCarthy on the court, the Paytons and the other attorneys in Mississippi will begin to wonder: are big businesses finally meddling in the court systems of this small town?

What I liked: Before I start, I wanted to note something interesting. This is my first John Grisham novel, and right off the bat I liked it very much. But what was interesting is that when I went to Amazon.com to get a picture for the post, I was surprised to see that "The Appeal" only had two and a half stars (out of 5). I found this shocking. I am not sure if that is a reflection on the fact that this is the first Grisham novel I have read and it is not, admittedly, one of his more famous ones, or if it has to do with the fact that I often differ from the Amazon rating. Case in point, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is closer to four stars on Amazon, but I would probably give it no higher than one. So this is just my sort of disclaimer that Grisham may have written far better novels and this may not be his best work. That being said, if this isn't his best work it is still very good. I have never read a novel like this before which is rather surprising. Politics are an unpleasant fascination for me. Politicians and big business interactions can be corrupt and sometimes even disturbing (in a sense that companies have so much influence over our "freely elected" government) yet at the same time, I love learning about politics and still have genuine hope for the system. So for me, the subject matter was truly interesting. While I found the huge amounts of money and bribery to get Fisk support disturbing, it was astonishing to learn how much influence these groups have. I sort of felt the sensation you get when you look at something disgusting and want to look away but you just can't. One of the things I liked about Grisham's writing style was the general lack of fluff: it was direct, and to the point, with the characters developed enough to keep you interested. One of the things I noted when I looked through the Amazon reviews was that an astonishing number of people thought the characters were not well developed. While I understand that their complexity was not something to write home about, I feel like it wasn't so much about the characters, as the interaction of the characters together. It was about big business versus the hometown, not Trudeau versus the Paytons. They simply represented something on a much larger scale. Also, the book certainly kept me guessing: I found the ending surprising and almost a little frustrating (but in a good way). By the way, my dad said that all John Grisham novels have happy endings: readers out there can you comment on this? Because the novel I read (spoiler ahead) did not have a very happy ending.

What I didn't like: This is not an attack on Grisham: I totally understand why he wrote the character the way he was written but I am still furious. Ron Fisk was a complete idiot (sorry but that is the only word that works here). He allowed himself to be wooed by these businessmen and it never occurred to him, he had no inclination whatsoever, to question why in the world these men were funding him! He never thought about the repercussions of his actions and he never thought about what he was doing. Fisk was almost like a kid who jumps into the pool without looking, and without thought of the kid who he jumps on. He didn't seem to have any moral fiber, and when it just seemed like he would get some, he backed up again and proved yet again, what a chicken he was.

Overall: 8 out of 10. I guess I didn't give it higher because there was no "wow" factor like I was expecting out of a John Grisham novel. But I will definitely pick up another Grisham novel in the future.

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Greene

Hi everyone! So today I am reviewing a book that I read a few weeks ago called The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Greene, which was written by Joshua Braff. So without further ado, here is my review!

Characters: Jacob Greene: younger brother of Asher/ is very good at reading Hebrew/ suffers from a learning disability
Asher Greene: older brother of Asher/ an exemplary artist/ is constantly fighting with his father Abram
Abram Greene: self-absorbed father of Jacob and Asher/ married to Claire/ has serious anger management issues

The Plot: Jacob Greene is a young boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1970s in a repressive Jewish household. Forced to endure not only hours of strict Hebrew school, as soon as Jacob returns home, the worst of his day begins. Jacob's father Abram is obsessed with perfection in his children and he considers everyone in his family, in some shape or form, to be a complete failure. Belligerent, belittling, and cruel, Jacob and his older brother Asher long to escape the world they have lived in for so long. The deep divisions between the family become even more apparent as Jacob's mother Claire returns to school to get her Ph.D. and becomes even more distant from the family. Alone and confused as Asher begins to drift away from him, Jacob starts to wonder if his life will ever get better.

What I liked: I absolutely loved the relationship between Asher and Jacob. The two boys had only each other to rely on, and that reliance created a beautiful and realistic relationship. What particularly struck me about the Asher-Jacob dynamic was that it had both light and dark. There were times when Jacob and Asher fought like normal siblings, where Asher would lock Jacob out of his room, refuse to talk to him, or yell at him like an older brother. But when it mattered most, we as readers knew that Asher was going to come bursting in to save the day. For example, when Jacob is writing thank you notes to the people who sent him Bar Mitzvah gifts, Abram becomes frustrated that Jacob's notes are not perfect, and do not have flawless grammar. Abram becomes so enraged and reaches the point where he is almost physically abusing Jacob when Asher rushes into the room and starts to defend Jacob. Now, a few hours ago, Asher was completely ignoring Jacob. It was this kind of love, that no matter how irritated Asher was he was going to help Jacob, that you really connected to as a reader. It always bugs me when characters and relationships are one dimensional. Jacob and Asher had many levels to their relationship: friends, brothers, occasional partners in crime, and sometimes annoying siblings that live down the hall. But that complexity is so important when you are reading, otherwise the story just gets dull. Second, I found the character of Jacob's and Asher's father, Abram, totally and completely frightening. There are characters in stories that you love to hate, the best example for me being Professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter, but Abram just honestly gave me chills of fear. He was an awful father to his children, by not only acting verbally abusive, but acting as an insolent toddler who didn't get his McDonald's happy meal toy when something did not go his way. He spat, he shrieked, he threatened, he yelled, he cursed, but never in any of the pages did he show true love to any of his children. Jacob, Asher, and Claire's struggle to break out of his vicious hold was awful to watch, and I cheered aloud when Claire told Abram she wanted a divorce. I cheered when Asher got into Rhode Island College on scholarship, and he could finally get away from his evil father. But I was terrified for Jacob, who was now left on his own. Braff's biggest strength was his dynamic, strong characters that no matter how polarizing, always drew you in. Braff also managed to have a strong and witty sense of humor that was present in Jacob's commentary of events, which was nice to see. Otherwise, the story would have been too heavy and too dark.

What I didn't like: Okay, I thought the end scene was really weird, and slightly awkward. I don't really want to spoil the end, but it was not really my favorite scene. I thought it was strange, and kind of uncomfortable, which I guess was the point...but still I felt like it was a bizare addition to the end of the story. I also thought the whole story line with the babysitter was odd as well. These parts just seemed forced, and kind of peculiar, in comparison with what was a well-written, easy flowing story.

Overall: 7 out of 10. I liked the family dynamic, but the story was slow in some places, and there were some awkward writing moments. But overall it was a decent read.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Hi everyone! Well today I have decided to take a break from my intense Harry Potter marathon to write a quick blog. I am doing this Harry Potter marathon as a sort of lead up to the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. By the way, my Harry Potter marathon consists of reading every single Harry Potter book and then watching all of the movies. So far I have gotten through "Goblet of Fire" and am reading, for probably the thousandth time, "Order of the Phoenix" (books four and five respectively if you are not familiar with the series. If that is the case, I highly suggest you sprint to the nearest bookstore and save yourself from this serious literary and culture deprivation. I am being totally serious). Anyways, today I am going to review a book that I read while I was at the beach with my family called "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" written by Betty Smith. And away we go!

Characters: Francie Nolan: fiercely independent/ an avid reader/ desperately wants to finish high school and get into college
Cornelious "Neely" Nolan: Francie's brother/ is Mama's favorite child/ does not want to go to school unlike Francie
Katie Nolan: Francie and Neely's mother/ a hardworking woman who works two jobs to support her family/ has been married to Johnny for over a decade
Johnny Nolan: Francie and Neely's father/ works as a "singing waiter"/ relates more to Francie than Neely
*As a note, this book probably had the greatest amount of characters out of any book I have read. There are a wide variety of characters that could go here, but for simplicity sake I have just included the characters that are truly essential to the story*

The Plot: Francie Nolan has one goal in life: get as much knowledge as possible. She wants to get an education, no matter what it takes. However, that is not so easy when you live in Brooklyn, New York at the turn of the 20th century. Money is so tight in Brooklyn homes, that children are forced to leave school at an early age to support the family and get jobs. Francie's family could only afford for one child to go to school (they needed the other child to earn wages) and against the wishes of both Neely and Francie, Katie picked Neely. Francie however, still really wanted to go to school and would not take no for an answer. She enrolled in summer school and began to study at night to prepare for the college entrance exams. However, Francie begins to lose her idealistic nature as she grows up: the world deals her cruel hand after cruel hand starting with losing her hero, her father, to sickness and his own drunk habits. As her disillusionment grows, Francie begins to question the world around her not only because of how outsiders treat her, but how everyone treats each other because they are from Brooklyn.

What I liked: This was, by far, one of my favorite books that I have read. My mom, who reads my blog every time I have a new post, commented on how obvious it is that I love strong female characters. Francie is another one of those strong female characters, except for at one point which I will get to later. She was stubborn, at times fiercely independent, and had a thirst for knowledge that was very similar to my own. She loved her family and specifically her brother unconditionally, even when her mother treated her second-rate to Neely. I also loved Francie's relationship with her father. Granted, Francie's father was not the most reliable of people and he put a lot of unnecessary strain on the Nolan family but he loved Francie unconditionally. The family dynamic in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was really the sole focus of the story and I loved the interaction between all of the family members. The family dynamic between Katie and her sisters Sissy and Evy was lovely and they, along with the Nolan family, presented this sharp contrast against the seemingly fragmented families around them. Second, I don't think I have ever read a book that had such rich imagery and detail. I felt like I was actual in Brooklyn, walking the streets with Francie. It was unapologetic, and sometimes harsh, but it offered an unfiltered view of Brooklyn at that time. However, I don't want it to sound like Smith was painting this landscape of a place that was filled with desolation and despair. On the contrary - she was able to pull from the seeming chaos and poverty to create a place that in its own way had beauty too. There is a scene near the end of the book where Francie is marveling over just how much she loves Brooklyn and how she is afraid of how she will see it when she grows up. She is afraid that she will lose the ability to see the beauty in the crooked streets and chaos. This love for a city and love for a place really hit home with me. Cities have this almost magnetic draw, at least for me, and I was able to feel that same love for a place when Smith writes. Some people may think that "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is slow, and in places it is. But these lulls fit in with the story of Francie's life and it allowed the reader to get immersed in the details and immersed in this life in Brooklyn. Finally, the book had a reasonably happy ending which I liked. I was reasonably happy because it was not a "Twilight ending" (meaning that Smith did not choose to end her novel as Stephanie Meyers does with everyone getting exactly everything they ever wanted with no sacrifice and disappointment and a lot of over the top happiness to go around. Can you tell I am not a "Twihard"? I cannot believe I just used that word). Instead, Smith left us with not only a feeling of sadness but a feeling of hope for Francie and the future to come. And really, that is all we can ask for.

What I didn't like: Okay, this part actually drove me crazy. Why in the world would Francie lose her head over a guy (Lee) that she knew for only a week, who was not only leaving the country to go to war, but was also engaged. I don't have a problem with her liking him, but she acted like she was in love with him, completely losing her head. It was also for just a week. Totally out of character. Also, I didn't really understand Katie Nolan's crazy reasoning for why she liked Neely better than Francie. Katie said that she liked Neely better because Francie was "weak" (at least at first) and Neely was exactly like her husband Johnny but she could mold him to be better. She even made Neely go to high school when he did not want to go and refused to allow Francie to go to high school even though she actually wanted to attend. I did not really understand where she was coming from or where her logic was at at all.

Overall: 9 out of 10. I am not taking off points because Francie lost her head, but rather because I didn't always enjoy the Neely-Francie-Katie dynamic. But overall, I absolutely loved this book.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Hey blogosphere! I'm back! I know, you did not expect me for another month or two, but I decided to be proactive while I wait until I can eat lunch. Today, I am reviewing the last of my AP Language novels, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Away we go!

Characters: Janie Crawford: heroine of the story/ is married three times/ is looking for more out of her marriage than just security
Logan Killicks: Janie's first husband/ wants to have Janie do a lot of work around the house/ is much older than Janie
Joe Starks: Janie's second husband/ dies a decade after he married Janie/ wants to control Janie and keep her as a trophy wife
Tea Cake: Janie's last husband/ moves to the Everglades with Janie/ teaches Janie how to shoot a gun

The Plot: Janie Crawford isn't looking for just security in a relationship: she is looking for something more. But her grandmother, out of fear that Janie will end up just like her mother, marries Janie off to an old man (Logan Killicks). Janie fears her chances to find true love are lost forever. Only months after her first marriage, Janie runs off with Joe Starks in the hopes that she can create a new life, one where there will be mutual love and respect between both husband and wife. Instead, she becomes Joe's trophy wife and is belittled and mistreated by him. Over a decade later, Joe dies and Janie fears that she will never know true love and happiness. But Tea Cake, a man of almost no money and importance comes into her life and changes everything. Through all her relationships, Janie goes on the journey of self discovery until she finally reaches the point she had only dreamed of: true independence.

What I liked: I really liked this book. First, I want to talk about the format of "Their Eyes Were Watching God". (From now on I'm just going to refer to the book as "Eyes") The book is written in this sort of free-flowing dialogue with this distinctive, flavorful dialect. I believe that this dialect gives "Eyes" its heart and soul. It gives the novel a greater substance than most novels. Novels like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Eyes" have rich dialect that take the reader into a time and place quite different from their own. However, there are moments where we get into the character's minds for long passages where the dialect completely disappears and a more educated narrator tells us Janie's thoughts. For example, we learn what Janie is thinking when she is "coping" with Joe's death. I used quotes around coping because Janie isn't really too sad about it. Anyways, Janie talks about the "veil" which separates the grief she projects to the outside world from the actual relief that she feels inside. These moments give a sort of clarity to what goes on in the characters minds that can be occasionally lost through the dialect, which can be challenging at times. Also, the Janie of the story would not be able to provide this beautiful allusion; the narrator of Janie's thoughts can. I also really liked that as a woman, I can relate to this story. Not so much the married three times part, thankfully, but the self-discovery and independence that Janie yearns and searches for. I identified with Janie because she was never satisfied with an average life; she wanted extraordinary and that drive really resonated with me. With both Logan and Joe she had a "safe" position in life but that was not good enough for her. She looked to find something greater in both her relationships and life. She looked to find her voice, and her spirit. That journey was the reason why I rooted for Janie so hard; I wanted to have her find herself like every person should. I also loved the ending. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Janie ends up shooting Tea Cake when he becomes infested with rabies and tries to kill her. Tea Cake dying was kind of a blah moment for me because he was not really my favorite character, more on that in a moment, but how Janie was finally able to assert herself and no longer truly live in submission to her husband. Also, the way that she stood up in court and defended her love for Tea Cake was a beautifully written ending, in my opinion. Lastly, Mrs. Turner was a truly awful character, and I am so glad that she was included. Mrs. Turner is a black woman that likes to spend time with Janie because she is "whiter" than the other blacks. (Janie is half white and half black). It was awful to see how she put Janie up on a pedestal because she was half white and vehemently hated her own race because they were "too black". It was such an awful portion of the book but it was so essential to see the struggles that Janie and others like her go through.

What I didn't like: Tea Cake was not my favorite character. He gambled a lot, he tried to "protect" Janie, and then he ended up hitting Janie to show Mrs. Turner that Janie was still his. I was not a fan. He just did not behave in a way that made sense for Janie to idolize him like she did. It also was completely out of character for him to hit Janie. I don't believe that he would actually do that if Tea Cake and Janie were real characters. Tea Cake adored Janie. He wouldn't hit her. Ever.

Overall: 8 out of 10. It would be higher but Tea Cake hitting Janie made me mad. Overall, beautifully written book by Zora Neale Hurston.

The Scarlet Letter

Hi everyone! Well it has really been a while. In my defense, I have been busy what with homework. But that's all behind me because now it's summer!!! No more school work. Just kidding, like I could get that lucky. Apparently, the summer assignments for my classes are MASSIVE, but at least there are a lot of books on the summer lists. Better for blogging right? But as kind of a flashback, I am doing a book that I read in AP Language last year, called "The Scarlet Letter". Maybe you've heard of it (wink wink). Apparently it's an "American Classic" and let's just say I do not share that opinion. I digress! Let's start at the beginning shall we?

Characters: Hester Prynne: bearer of the "Scarlet Letter"/ mother of Pearl/ is ostracized by the Puritan society that she lives in
Arthur Dimmesdale: minister of the Puritan church/ is much loved by the community/ is the father of Pearl
Roger Chillingworth: Hester's husband/ is much older than Hester/ aims to enact his revenge on whomever is Pearl's father

The Plot: In the rigorous Puritan society of New England, Hester Prynne has committed the most serious of offenses. An adulterer, she is now forced to wear a red "A" for the rest of her days and is henceforth shunned from Puritain society. Hester is told that her punishment will be easier if she speaks the name of her conspirator, but she refuses to give up the identity of her lover. Her lover, is none other than the beloved minister Arthur Dimmesdale who has become consumed by guilt over his and Hester's actions. As Hester is ostracized, Dimmesdale seeks solace in his friend and doctor Roger Chillingworth. However, Chillingworth is no friend of Dimmesdale's: Chillingworth is really Hester's husband and he looks to enact his revenge upon Dimmesdale. In a "thrilling" tale about the true meaning of sin, Hester struggles to find her place in a world that constantly works to reduce her to nothing.

What I didn't like: I know that I usually start off with "What I liked" but honestly, I cannot exactly stomach it at this point. If you notice, I put "thrilling" in quotes when I was talking about the plot of Hawthorne's "classic". Personally, I found "The Scarlet Letter" to be one of the most awful books I've read. I honestly hated it. Now let me clarify what I am about to say here. I do not hate historical fiction. I actually love it. I do not hate Old English. I actually love it, particularly when it is written as beautifully as Shakespeare. I do not hate colonial history. I just hated "The Scarlett Letter". First, there were only three characters, and this god-awful book was about two hundred pages long. Yes, there were other side characters but the book mainly revolved around the interaction between Dimmesdale, Hester, and Chillingworth. I suppose you could consider Pearl, the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale, a "character", but I have not-for reasons I'll explain in a minute. I felt like the story was grossly stretched out and in places unnecessarily long. Every scene that Hawthorne wrote was loaded with so much symbolism and hidden meanings that I was overwhelmed and did not really see what was important. There were some constant, all encompassing themes, such as the concept of sin, but I was so sick of them because there were no other characters. There should be supporting characters and subplots in any book, like in "The Kite Runner." In "The Kite Runner", there were many other side stories beside the central struggle that Amir goes through. There was the interaction between Amir and his father, Amir's adaptation to his new life in America, and Amir's interaction with his wife. Hawthorne had no side stories, nothing to provide a break from what I thought was a dull rambling story to begin with. I also did not really understand some of the characters actions, in particular Hester. She did not strike me as a particularly strong heroine. She, granted, took her punishment well and bravely, but I felt like her interaction with Pearl was strange. She spent most of her time wondering if Pearl was a fairy. This is why I did not really count Pearl as a character. She seemed, to everyone in the story and to me as well, as sort of...off. She was used by Hawthorne to portray that the innocence of children lets them perceive the truth of matters, rather than what they are told to see. Fine. I like that, I understand that idea. But why did Pearl have to keep being portrayed as this monster or fairy by Hester? I felt like Pearl as a character was very flat. Either she was a fairy or an all-seeing child who clearly understood complex matters. I was not a fan of that idea. Also, Dimmesdale is the weakest fatherly character that Hawthorne could have possibly come up with. I was actually cheering for Chillingworth to kill him off. But that doesn't make me dislike Hawthorne as a writer, Dimmesdale served a particular literary purpose, I think to serve as a foil for Hester. They are totally opposite, as Dimmesdale is weak and afraid and Hester is strong and brave. But what I did not enjoy about "The Scarlet Letter" was the structuring of the language. Here I am not talking about complexity: I love Shakespeare and old texts like "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift. (By the way, "A Modest Proposal" is an absolutely hilarious piece about what the Irish should do to save their country. One of my favorite pieces). But to me, Hawthorne's language did not have this beauty. It was stuffy, and over worked; I felt like there was too much going on. Honestly, by the end I was just sick of the entire novel. The constant discussing about "sin" and "fate" honestly made my head hurt. I was quite ready for the book to be over.

What I liked: This will be pretty short. But in all honesty, even though the characters drove me nuts, I loved how they were very well developed. Besides Pearl, I thought the struggles that Hester and Dimmesdale went through and their own emotional spectrum was very real and believeable. I felt like these were real people, not caricatures of Puritan society.

Overall: 3 out of 10, glad the book is over with. Nathanial Hawthorne, I was sadly disappointed.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hey strangers! Well it's Spring Break here, so I figured I would write a quick blog because of all my free time. When I was trying to decide what blog to write, I figured I would just stick with my current Harry Potter trend. Let me explain: yesterday I watched the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I movie, and today I have been playing my Lego Harry Potter video game. Yes, my life is awesome. Anyways, I figured I would do a review about the book that started it all, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! And away we go.

Characters: Harry Potter aka "The Boy Who Lived"/ the son of Lily and James Potter who were murdered by Voldemort/a new arival at Hogwarts
Ron Weasley: Harry's best friend/ one of seven children/ is very gifted at wizard's chess
Hermione Granger: a muggle born first year who is also in Gryffindor/ the most talented first year in the entire school/ originally doesn't have very many friends

The Plot: Harry Potter has always wanted to be special. Orphaned by his parents, neglected by his aunt and uncle, and humiliated by his cousin Dudley, Harry hopes that one day he will leave and never come back. That day comes sooner than he thinks. When mysterious letters keep arriving addressed to him, Harry can hardly believe that this is the chance he has been waiting for. But when his aunt and uncle hide the letters, Harry is afraid that he will never get to read them. But when the half-giant Hagrid finally rescues and gives Harry his letter, he can hardly believe what he reads. He is a wizard, and he is going to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once there, Harry teams up with Hermione Granger, a brilliant student, and Ron Weasley, Harry's loyal best friend, to figure out what exactly is in the third floor corridor. As forces battle them at every turn, Harry, Ron, and Hermione will embark on a course of events that will eventually lead them to Harry's parents' killer, Lord Voldemort himself.

What I liked: I am just going to come out and say it. I love Harry Potter. It can do no wrong in my eyes. I would even go so far as to say that I have a hard time understanding why anyone could not love the book. First, it is so funny. Harry Potter is witty, clever, laugh-out-loud funny and you never know when or where the humor will get you. Ron Weasley's older twin brothers Fred and George are the most mischievous, hilarious pair in the entire novel. While their role in Sorcerer's Stone was largely limited, they become more and more prevalent as the Weasley family quickly becomes Harry's true family. Second, this book is one of those novels that anyone can pick up, read, and relate to. I feel like that is a quality that is largely undervalued in literature. Books are so set in certain categories: there are very few novels that can transcend barriers and can appeal to anyone. For example, Pride and Prejudice. I absolutely adore the book, but I cannot talk to my brother about Pride and Prejudice. He would probably ignore me. But we can talk about Harry Potter. We both love the books (even if he wouldn't admit it) and we can talk about them with each other. It even works with people who are not in my generation. My mom and my grandparents have read Harry Potter and they love the books as much as I do. Third, this is one of, if not the most creative book I have ever read. Seriously who thinks up Quidditch? (For those who don't know it's basically the wizarding world's sport where teams fly around on broomsticks trying to throw the quaffle in three gold rings while a keeper defends the hoops. Bludgers fly around trying to knock the players off their brooms, while Beaters try and hit the bludgers at the other team. Finally, the seekers try and catch the fast moving snitch which ends the game and awards your team 250 points). Now who in the world would come up with that? Sorcerer's Stone is like a labyrinth. For every layer that you go deeper into this novel there are more complex characters, places, plot lines and wizarding things that draw you in. This world has captured my heart in a way that no other book has since. Harry Potter really was a part of my childhood. I have read every book at least five or six times, and sometimes I will just take them out and read my favorite parts. The last movie will be coming out soon and with that Harry Potter is over and that makes me sadder than I should probably admit. Specifically to this book though, I absolutely love the final "levels" that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to go through in order to find the Sorcerer's Stone. It not only accentuates each of their talents but it shows the cooperation and bond they have that will span all seven of the novels.

What I didn't like: See above sentence 3 in "What I Liked"

Overall: 100000 out of 10. Gryffindor for life. This will be one of the books that I will make my children read.

The Grapes of Wrath

Wow I'm sorry to say that it has been almost a month since I last wrote on my blog! I feel bad, but hey, all that matters is that I'm here now. Part of the reason it has taken so long is because I am reviewing the books I read in AP English (because I don't have time to read anything else). But the book I am about to review is about 500 pages long. So readers be warned: this one is not for the faint of heart: it takes true dedication! So without further ado, here is my review of The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck.

The Plot: Tom Joad has just finished his prison sentence and wants to rejoin his family. Eager to put his past behind him, he hopes that he will be able to continue out his existence in peaceful relaxation. But in the two years that he has been in prison, much has changed. In the heart of the Dust Bowl, the Joad family was pushed off the family farm and is now homeless and without work. Desperate, the Joad family decides to move to California in a last ditch attempt to find a chance at prosperity. They join the millions of other migrants who have been kicked off their farms, making the journey to the promised land of California. The journey will test them more than they could have ever imagined. Stricken by poverty, causalities and sickness at every turn, the Joad family will continue to ask themselves if there is any way they will ever find a permanent home again.

Characters: Tom Joad: recently released inmate/ oldest child of the Joad family/ is the toughest of the Joad men.
Ma Joad: the true center of the household/ keeps the family together on the trip to California/ tries to keep the spirit up of the family
Al Joad: Tom's younger brother/ a very good mechanic/ is described as "tom cattin'" around
Casy: a former preacher/ likes to think about how everyone is part of the "greater soul/ in the end helps Tom to realize what he should be doing with his life

What I liked: I have to credit this first statement to my Aunt Joanne: she said that after she read Grapes of Wrath she remembers thinking that it was great literature. For me, that perfectly describes the feeling I had while reading this book. I am lucky enough to be studying about the same period in AP Us History, so I understand the context of what Steinbeck was writing. It allowed me to grasp this whole other dimension of Steinbeck's writing. The context I gained allowed me to appreciate not only the struggles of the Joad family but also the atrocities committed on a grander scale. What I really loved is that I had never read any book like this before in my life: I had never read anything about this period, with this story line, or even these concepts. That is what I enjoyed the most. I gained insight into a time of true peril. There was so much apocalyptic imagery in this novel. Filled with riots, floods, fires, and death, this book seemed like it was telling us the story of the end of the world. I can only imagine the pain of the people who actually lived through that time. This book was also divided up very differently. Steinbeck actually had two stories, of a sort, going on at one time. He had the story of the Joad family one chapter, and then the next chapter would show the story of the Joads in a greater context. In these chapters, you heard nothing about the Joads: rather it expanded upon the scenarios which had just befallen the Joads and showed how this was not an isolated incident. Rather, it was a part of the collective whole. On the actual story of the Joads, I thought that this poor family had to deal with the worst of circumstances. SPOILER ALERT: 3 + people die, 2 people leave, some are abandoned, some get sick, and some come out of this experience with a very different view of the world. My favorite characters were Tom and Casy. I liked Ma and Pa as well because each wanted to keep the family together no matter what, which I thought was important.

What I didn't like: Rosasharn is the worst character ever. I hated her. She was so whiny, had such a distorted outlook on the situation, and just complained the entire time. I also found her "transformation" at the end a bit unsettling. Also, I didn't like the ending. I found it to be rather anti-climatic. I understand it was symbolic and what not, but the book had been full of symbols for 400 pages. I think we as readers should get a bit of a reward for sticking with the novel so far. And by reward I mean an ending which actually leaves the reader feeling a sense of closure, good or bad. This just felt like there was a chapter missing.

Overall: 9.5 out of 10. The ending I just cannot get over no matter how much I work around it.