Reader Response:Speak Revised

  In the book Speak the main character Melinda just gets into high school and is already hated. How did this all happen? When she walks down the halls everyone stares at her like she is an animal. Some people even punch her and call her names. She's in misery she is depressed and moody all the time, she is desperate for friends and none of her old friends will talk to her because she called the cops at a wild senior party... but if they only knew why.

   Melinda in the beginning of the book is terrified for her first day of high school. Why though? In our world high school is supposed to be exciting. Some people even go as far to say that it is the best time of their lives! Well the year before she and her friend Rachel went to a senior party and everything was good until Melinda started to dance with a dangerous senior named Andy Beast. She says "He started to unzip his jeans before I could process what was happening, my lips tired to say no but I couldn't he was like a boulder on me, as soon as I find my voice it was too late. I rushed to the phone to call the cops but Rachel shot me a look that made me feel awful but I had too." Melinda was hurt and was trying to protect herself because she is still very young, she was only in 8^th grade and she isn’t perhaps used to these parties, but everybody sees it as she is just busting the party for one reason or another. This happens often, were people only see one side, they don’t know what is really happening they just go with what they see or what they think they see, or what people tell them and this can make the person look bad but in reality the person might just trying to do the right thing or doing that action for their good or some else’s good.

    Through the book she is constantly being tortured, people punch and slap and throw things at her all the time. Her teacher don't understand. Her parents just yell at her. Her best friend is goingthrough strange phases and won't talk to her. On the first day her best friend Rachel mouths to her "I hate you". Through the book Andy keeps popping up , constantly reminding Melinda the one day Melinda wants to forget the most. Rachel starts to go out with Andy Melinda tries to warn her about the real side of Andy. When her and Rachel finally talk and Melinda tells her what really happened at the party. Rachel dosen't believe her and thinks she is just jealous that she is dating a senior. Melinda is very loyal because Rachel hasn’t done anything for Melinda, in fact Rachel has just done the opposite of helping Melinda. But that   dosen’t stop Melinda from trying to warn Rachel. She has been knocked down the whole book and even in the end she is trying to do the right thing even though she didn't do anything in the first, and when even trying to do the right and look out for the people that hurt her and didn't even try to figure out what really happened, the people still turn around and leave her.

    Melinda life is pretty difficult and complicated right now. Also she  isn’t doing much about it.  Maybe it’s because she dosen’t think it’s going to get better, or whatever the reason she dosen’t do much about it. This reminds me of a book called The Letter Q. The Letter Q is about older gays writing to their younger selves telling them how things get better and they should stand up for themselves. This makes me think what if Melinda told people about her problem sooner? What would she write to herself? Would she tell herself to tell to tell people earlier?  Would she confront Andy? Not go to the party? There are a million solutions or things she could write to herself. But she must have been aware that she could have said something earlier and people might understand. Or maybe she thought people would just think she is lying. But at the end of the book everyone seemed to understand  the situation , maybe the people needed time to adjust. But the point is when you are older you get to look at all your past experiences and think about what you could have done different or what you think what have been better to do but what if these characters and people had these thoughts earlier maybe situations would have gone differently, people would have maybe made better decisions, helped themselves and others.

  So in this book Melinda has been through a lot of things mostly bad but she pulls through. And she really didn't treatment. She should have been comforted not shunned she should have been loved not yelled at. But it shows how strong she was and how she was breaking though, you could see by the end of the book she was in pieces she couldn't take much more of any of it. She was slowly breaking apart , little by little , with each comment, name , punch and memory. She is alone and has nobody to help her. Nobody, not her parents, not even a friend. The people who were supposed to be there, helping her.

 

Reading Response #5 - "The Mark of Athena"

   In this book "The Mark of Athena" seven demigods go out on a quest to save ancient Rome and basically their world and the mortal world. They have all been brought together by an ancient prophecy  that tells; seven demigods shall go forth and try to save Rome. But the trick is the Roman and Greek camps must unite and well they have never been able to do that. Romans and Greeks have never gotten along. Each person in the book has there own personal thoughts and ways they see the story. One girl in particular, Annabeth, is very troubled. She is a daughter of Athena and legend tells all children of Athena that have tried to find this sacred item have failed and usually go mad or die. When Annabeth finally starts to put the pieces together she discovers she is the key piece to fix the relationship between greeks and Romans. But what she must find is very difficult and is guarded by the thing Athena's children fear most. Will the demigods be able to make it to Rome and save ancient Rome and their world? Will Annabeth face the Mark of Athena?
   In this book Annabeth, one of the seven demigods on the quest, is sent on the journey to reclaim what the Romans stole from the Greeks long ago. Athena has been searching and sending her children to go find the missing item. When Annabeth first receives the quest from her mother, her mother is in her Roman form, Minerva, Athena hates this form and Romans. Annabeth calls Athena Minerva and Athena snaps "Don't call me that!" Annabeth tries to calm her down and says "It's me Annabeth your daughter." Athena responds and says "Yes, my children will avenge me. They must destroy those dishonorable copycat Romans. Follow the Mark of Athena, avenge me." At first Annabeth tries to throw away the coin or the Mark. She believes her mother should be wise like her Greek form is but Minerva is clouded by revenge and anger, she is not thinking straight. Annabeth is brought awful nightmares. But one line of the prophecy haunts Annabeth more than anything else, "Wisdoms daughter walks alone." This line is like a person putting you down or giving you doubt, people try to tell you to shake it off but you really can't, it nags you. This line sums up Annabeth's journey and the worst thing is if your on a journey and you must do it alone, your on your own.
    In the middle of the story Annabeth starts to put the pieces together. She discovers that if she finds this missing item she could make peace between Greeks and Romans and if Greeks and Romans are united they can save Rome from an evil goddess that threatens to kill both sides. But the more Annabeth thinks about the lines of the prophecy the more scared she gets. She must face her worst fear alone, no help at all. The oracle says to Annabeth  "Wisdom's daughter walks alone, The Mark of Athena burns through Rome." Which means as soon as Annabeth gets to rome she is basically all on her own, she has six other people with her and she can't get help for a single one of them, even her boyfriend Percy. That must be awful to have to face a challenge and get no help at all even by the people you love most. But Annabeth is determined she want the rival to end between the Greeks and the Romans. She wants to save Rome, even if she must go on a journey she doesn't want to go on and she doesn't get any help. People can feel so alone even when they are surrounded by so many people, this is because you know certain things you must do alone, there are just certain things only you can help yourself with.
     In the book "The Mark of Athena" seven demigods are sent on what seems like impossible quest. Meanwhile it seems other people have their very own quest on top of that. Annabeth has been chosen to follow the Mark of Athena. A quest she did not want , but her mother gave it to her in her enraged Roman form. Then on top of Annabeth's difficult , unwanted quest she must do it alone. No one can help her and she must face what all of Athena's children fear most. Imagine trying to face what you fear most but wait there's more, you have to do it alone. You can't ask anyone for help even the people you love most and even if you did ask for help they actually really couldn't help you, you are all on your own. This is what Annabeth is going through, she is sent on this side quest to do on her own. She can't back down she is now determined.

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh Reader Response

  In the story of "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"Joby, the main charcater is a 14 year old drummer boy for the Union Army in the Civil War. he is not very confident also he has many fears about the war. The general comes and talks to Joby. Joby starts to have more and more confidence as he keeps talking to the general. By the end of the convosation Joby is feeling better about being the drummer boy.
  Joby feels useless, scared and anxious about the war in the beginning. Joby begins to cry soon the general come over. Joby describes him as a father figure. But at the same time he is a general so he tells Joby about the dangers of war. He says "It's gonna be a carzy time, counting both sides about a thousand men. Sometime this week more innocents will be shot later this week out of pure Cherokee enthusian." This shows the general knows the risks of war and knows how bad war can be. Sometimes people know things are wrong but they just go along with it , because they can't do anything or because they don't have the courage to do anything.
  Toward the end of the generals and Joby's convosation, the general explains to Joby how important he is to the army. The general says to Joby "You, boy are the heart of the army." This makes me think of the human body. Joby is the heart that keeps the beat and the general maybe the brain and all the soliders are the bones and muscles.
   So Joby is just an ordinary boy. Well at least maybe back then. Joby isn't anything special though. The general didn't need to talk to him. He didn't do anything spectacular. But the general gives Joby a new perspective of his role in the war. The general tells him he is heart of the army, he builds Joby's confidence with just one compliment. Sometimes perople don't do that though. if they perhaps see themselves as higher or more important they moght try to bring you down not up. The general the hightest and maybe the most important person in the armydidn't need to say anything to Joby but he did.