Everything Matters

This book was heartbreaking. I felt so sorry for the characters. Junior didn't know how to feel. It seemed that no matter what path he chose in life, it was the wrong one. I think this book raises some important questions, such as determining the meaning of life, determining what is important and what isn't, and finding out who you are and learning how to make every moment count. Many do not like stories that don't have happy endings, but I don't mind them at all. I feel that those stories are more true to life. I feel like this story's ending was as happy as it could have been, considering the world was coming to an end. The whole family had each other, and they had accepted their fate. Like Junior, I couldn't imagine living my whole life knowing that the exact date and time and circumstance in which the world was coming to an end. I believe that it is a blessing that we don't know these things. If we did, we would live in a constant state of fear, there would be no order in the world, and the world would be a very different place - one in which we wouldn't want to exist in the first place. Some would take on the attitude that nothing mattered at all anymore, while others would find, like Junior did, that everything matters. Everything in life that happens to us makes us who we are. It's like the author stated, even something as simple as stepping on a bee during one's childhood makes a difference in shaping not only who the individual is, but also what impact that bee might have had on the rest of the world. However small the event, however minuscule, he found that it did matter. It took his whole life to figure it out. Even though this book was heartwrenching throughout, I felt that this was the message (and a good one, in fact) that the author was trying to portray. Don't take anything for granted. Appreciate the trials and hardships that you experience - they make you who you are.

Everything Matters

What can I say about this book? First, the author's descriptive writing is amazing. Not only could I visualize the characters, their settings and the time period but I had a strange deja vu feeling at times. The setting was during my real teenage years i.e. shake 'n bake chicken, Oklahoma bombing, Reagan, Challenger, etc. So, a lot of feelings from that time came back to me. However, I thought the book jumped around a lot. It seemed he was a pretty smart guy by the time it jumped to Junior being in a prison cell for predicting the end of the world, but there was no build up to his all of a sudden being smart and figuring out a cure for his father. There also seemed to be a little too much substance abuse throughout the book. I know, he was living with the end of the world in his mind at all times and his mother and uncle were substance abusers, but I really wanted to see him clean up at some point. I liked the idea of getting a second chance and finally realizing what really matters. And, his characterization of his father brought tears to my eyes as I compared him to my own father, who is now in the early stages of alzheimers. I wondered, when I realized the book was dedicated to his father who had passed away, if he was characterizing his own father. It is interesting the sense of duty to work and provide for their families that the fathers from this time period possessed. I saw this with my own father. I also thought it was sad to see so many characters flawed by horrific incidents or situations from their childhoods. Amy and her crazy abusive mother and the camp counselor, Rodney and his cocaine habit from lack of parental attention, Debbie and her mean alcoholic father who almost drowned her, and John's mean father and his guilt from Vietnam. How much an abusive past can cause continued suffering in people. I think I was looking for more redemption for these characters but in real life, that doesn't always happen. However, I did put a book down on my "to read" list Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos. It is Gantos' true story of surviving drug abuse, possession, distribution and prison. He was able to turn his life around and he advocates not giving up on anyone. I guess the redemption in this book would be in the end when Junior finally realizes that everything that matters is in the bed with him when the world ends. I think I was looking for a little more help from the author in getting to this point.

Everything Matters!

I was not impressed by this book at all! I found myself struggling to read the last few chapters and was disappointed when I finally finished. A first the book seemed like it was going to be a good and interesting coming of age story but then the story just went out into left field somewhere. One good thing I can say about the book is it was really well written and the author did a good job bringing the characters to life. It was easy to see and imagine each one in there daily lives. The readability of this book is terrible because of how the book keeps jumping characters, time periods, and places. It was confusing most of the time trying to figure out how many years had passed between each chapter and where the chapter's character was at. And what was the deal with the numbers in certain chapters that I found had absolutely no purpose? The chapters were long, written in small font, and many served little purpose to the story. The plot was very twisted and almost seemed to be twisted just for the sake of being twisted. A guy blew up a Social Security building and after that it was not mentioned again. The main character somehow ended up in a post-Soviet rule prison in Bulgaria, but Why? I don't know. Honestly I would NEVER recommend this book to a young adult reader mainly because of the intense drug use and criminal activity. And it would be a far stretch for me to recommend this book to anyone. This is all just my opinion but I would be hard pressed to find the right person who would enjoy this book.

Everything Matters!

This was definitely not a book I would have read on my own.  It is one I probably would have read some of it, then skipped to the end to see what happens.  I did do that, then went back and read it all the way through.  The plot kept me going, though in some spots it was difficult, due to the dark nature of the story.  However, even though the story was dark and sad, I have to say the writing was good.  I liked the way the writer describes what is going on, and developed the characters.  I really felt like I knew who they were and what was going on in their heads.  I like time travel stories, and was glad that Junior had a second chance at life, BUT, I don't know why he didn't try to help his father, the second time through.  I sort of understand that he thinks things will go badly again if he tells anyone about "the voices", but I don't know, I think I would still do something.  The last part of the book really moved fast, and that worked only because we already knew the characters well enough.  The irony in the first part was overwhelming sometimes, the dad gets better, then dies in a car crash.  Maybe Junior didn't do anything the second time around because he felt fate would intervene again.  Amy decides to leave with Junior, then dies while in line to sign up to go.  I will say Junior's second life was happier than the first one, in my opinion, even with his father's illness and death.  He was with Amy, for longer this time,had a child, even with his ambiguous feelings about that, and generally enjoyed his last days.  He made a difference in the world, even though he didn't save the world's population this time, like he did the first time around.  He helped others, his daughter helped others, and he felt good about himself.  He wasn't a drug addict or alcoholic this time, which made me happy, and he tried to live a good life.  He seemed to know himself better this time around. 

Everything Matters!

When I started to read this book I was a little skeptical that I would enjoy it, but I have to say, although extremely depressing, I throughly enjoyed it. I got very caught up in the characters and the purpose of their existence. I like the way Currie introduced the characters in each part of the book. He also changed the point of view throughout the novel based on what character was talking. My favorite character was Rodney. Currie really twisted his character up. He went from being a coke-addicted 12 year old to a famous baseball player that had a disability. I loved each part of the story when it was Rodney's point of view. I felt a mixed array of emotions from anger to pity for him. The other characters were awesome too. Currie did a great job at painting a picture of them in my head. Each of the characters had such depth and gave so much to the story. Of course Junior was the main focus of the novel, but he could not have carried it without the help of Amy, his parents, Ralph, or even Sawyer.
The plot to this novel was very twisited. Since this story was about the end of the world I thought that it may be a drab plot of people preparing for the day without any interesting happenings, but boy was I wrong. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It went from happy to sad in just a paragraph or two over and over again. Once Currie made me smile and breathe a sigh of relief, he switched it and made me gasp as I read the next sentence. All of the character's lives twisted time after time as the plot progressed. Just when I thought the story was coming to an end and the characters had met their destiny, they switched to an alternate universe and the plot changed.
I think this novel would be well liked among YAs. It has all of the characterics of a novel that would attract and interest teenagers.

Everything Matters

I haven't finished the book yet but I'm almost there.
At the beginning of the book I wasn't so sure if I would like it or not. Turns out I did like the book. I think Junior wastes a lot of time when he tries to self-destriction. But what can I say he was broken hearted not only from being dumped by his high school sweetheart but he knew without a doubt that the world would be ending in 36 years from his birth.

This book is about how life's challenges continue even though the world is ending.
What I got from the book is that it doesn't matter if you have one day or a thousand years to live. Everything we do does matter!!

Everything Matters

Yes, everything matters in life, esp, family, love, friends etc., I get it. But what a depressing book! I must say I had a hard time getting through this one.

The plot was very dark and weird to me. I personally don't like reading about the world coming to an end, but what really got to me were the strange turn of events. Death, drugs, alcoholism and sex, were in every page turned in the book. Even when something good happened, something even worse happened. Why?? Could Jr. really not get a break? That's what made the last part of the book better when he chose to go back and re-live his same life and undo some of his mistakes. But what really got to me was Amy. Why oh why would you even consider killing your child? That just floored me!

The changing perspectives did help see the different views but did get hard to follow as I worked through the book. The characters were interesting to say the least. Like I said earlier, I didn't understand Amy at all. All of the characters had a personal demon to battle in themselves, drugs, alcohol, abuse, etc.

There are students who are very dark like these characters and I'm sure they would enjoy reading this book. I understand its place in the library. It's not just my taste.

Everything Ends and Everything Matters

No kidding. I get that everything matters. Really. I get it. I wanted to scream this at not one, but every character in the book. Everything ends. The book does a good job at ending everything. Not once, but twice. In multiple unviverses. Really?

This is quite possibly the most depressing book I've ever read. Just when things look up, someone dies, blows up a federal building, loses a finger, contemplates killing their child, and ruins the moment. What a long and painful journey for the characters, one that ultimately changes their essential being. I mostly understand the characters, except for Amy. She baffles me throughout the book. In both universes. Why would you skip a one way ticket to life? Why would you even CONSIDER killing your child? What is this Shakespeare? She was confusing, but believeable because she comes around. The character I had a hard time believing was Rodney. A child coke addict turned professional semi-retarded baseball player. While I liked his characer, he was the least believable.

The plot was a rollercoaster to say the least. It took you down to the depths of despair with not one, but three addicts (one who has battled addiction enough times to film an entire season of Intervention), and to the heights of wedded bliss and parenthood (which is tainted with a child who does not respond to her father, and only changes after his near death experience). Each Part of the novel was it's own ride and I was glad when it was over, so I knew it did not start again.

The most redeeming part of this book is that through the absurdity, we care for the characters and their well being. We want the best for them and are grateful for Junior's numerous second chances. Also, Currie is talented at describing a place to perfection and injecting tidbits of humor throughout the mostly dark novel.

While this was not my favorite book, I can see how it would earn a place on my library's shelves. It may not suit my needs, but could certainly fill anothers.

Everything Matters

What a strange book. I think that Junior is the darkest character I have ever read about. I can’t even imagine the things that happen to him and what he thinks about. I can see that teenagers might be inclined to think darker than me at times and may relate to Junior better. Sometimes in life things do seem pointless, even when they are very important to others such as parents etc. This book gives a solid purpose to the seemingly pointless things in Junior’s life.
The characters actions did have realistic consequences. I was disturbed by some of the things that went on in the story, but the consequences that came from the actions were appropriate I thought. Nothing was glamorized. Life can be kind of cold and harsh, and this book was as well. I did think that the end of the book helped bring some hope into it, but still not too much. Very strong characters throughout but I still had a hard time trying to complete it.
As I was rereading to find some of my quotes I noticed a great deal of foreshadowing. I missed most of it while I was reading, but enjoyed rereading and putting some of the pieces together.
I do not think this is a Young Adult book, but tend to think of it as for an adult audience. The content seemed to be more for mature readers. I think I do remember this being an adult book and then converted into a YA book.

Everything Matters!

I have to say this novel was a very interesting read! I have never read a book quite like this one. However, I do think that some teens would really enjoy reading this type of book. This novel shows the importance of joy, love and family. Also, to enjoy the opportunities in life and live life to the fulliest.
The plot of this story, I felt was a little slow throughout the book. The characters in this story were very well developed. Junior, the main character of the story, starts hearing voices in his mother's womb. He eventually finds out the earth will end in 36 years. The voices guide him throughout his life. However, Junior slips into a pattern of substance abuse. Junior is then left with the question to ask "Does Anything Matter?" Throughout his life Junior is constantly reminded of this question. Junior could have chosen any life to go back to but he chose to change himself. He chose to change his actions. At the end of the story, his brother, mother, daughter, wife, and Junior are in bed together waiting on the end to happen. This story allows the reader to examine his or her own life. We must enjoy the opportunities in life and to remember that life is important!

Rebecca Wilson

Everything Matters! (I get it)

Finally, I finished the book! This definitely not being one of my favorites; I found it to be slow reading with a predictable plot and downright depressing. The mood is set early on and you just know already by page 4 about choices and consequences likely being grave and realize this is not going to have a happy plot. A little hope in all the tragedies would’ve been nice. Also, the switching of characters narrating to the story was a bit confusing and only complicated the nature of what the book was all about. I did like the true love between Junior and Amy and his love for his family. I get it everything does matter but I believe the author could’ve easily proved that point in a less doom and gloom way to be more appealing to the reader. I will admit it was a bit amusing to reminisce back to the 80’s and will give the author literature merit of including historical events and creating vivid characters; none of which had led a content life. Yes, it’s important to realize reality and not sugar coat life but even the reviews on the back didn’t lend way to happy moments in the book. Despair and doom everywhere and even when given a chance to go back in time, no really happy endings there as well; to the extreme on trying to create a realistic world. While “Going Bovine” gets voted best book for most profanity, this book will win the prize to be a censor’s worst nightmare. After reading chapter 12 in the Donelson’s and Nielson’s textbook, it led me to conclude that this book entails basically every challenge for a banned book all in this one novel. His characters’ words and actions would not only discriminate against women, African Americans, gays, and the mentally challenged but in many other ways as well. It’s as if “God is Dead” wasn’t controversial enough so he wrote this book. I understand the First Amendment with people’s right to read and be exposed to controversial thoughts and language but this book is on overload. I am not saying to ban it but I would not recommend it; especially for one’s reading pleasure. Doom and gloom on my summer with characters who you think their lives couldn’t get worse, is not my favorite genre to bask myself in to read.

Everything Matters

I am trying to be positive about this post, but give my personal opinion on this book as well. So here goes. I personally disliked this book! Once I was finished I reading the book, I read the back cover. Someone makes the comment, " he makes you dread turning each page at the same time you can't help turning each page." That was so me the entire time I read.

The readability was very frustrating for me. I guess the point of view if third person...not sure, but it definitely wasn't first person. I think that is what made it difficult for me. I didn't like how the chapters were broken up by the characters. I was constantly getting confused because of this and had to remind myself what character had the first point of view for each chapter.

Another part that made it hard to read, was I just didn't understand the story line. I get that he's trying to make a statement that everything matters in life...but the story line just kept jumping around. I really didn't get the whole number count down thing either until read someone else's blog. I guess this type of genre is a little over my head! Everything was too far fetched for me. I like stories that could actually happen and sound more real!

The parts that I did like of course were reading about Amy and Junior. I kept wanting them to get together. And that did finally happen at the end when he chose to go back to being sixteen again.

I guess the author is mainly trying to get across to readers that everything does matter and we need to be careful in all of the choices that we make in life. All of choices lead to something else..whether it is good or bad.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

This book was by far the hardest one to get through so far. I was hesitant to start it and once I did, I wasn't interested at all. It was a very hard book to get into. The plot of the story was extremely slow. Even though Emma and Charles met early in the book, the author seemed to drag out the connection they had, thus the purpose of this book. I think this part of the book will turn YAs away from this book. In my opinion, this book did not meet the criteria of a YA book. I am not a fan of biographies and this negative attitude might make me more biased against this book, but in general I do not think teenagers will be drawn to this book. This book seems to me to peak more of an interest in adults.
I was familiar with Charles Darwin before I began the book, but did learn alot more about him through this book. I can't imagine having to go through what he and Emma had to go through in their lives. They both had to be head over heels in love with each other to be able to overcome such differences. The parts of the book when their children died showed their love the most. I couldn't imagine being married to a man who didn't think that my child would go to heaven and still love him! WOW! That Emma was a stong woman.
I think this book could be considered controversial to some people. I like how the author wrote about a different part of the scientist, Charles Darwin's life. It shows a different side to him that most people had no clue about.

Charles and Emma

I really did not want to read this book. I was afraid that all it would talk about was evolution and the importance of Darwin's research. But I wrong. This book turned out to be a pretty good read. Charles was a likable person even though he did not believe God had anything do with creation (to me that was not a smart move on his part) but anyway. It was a good thing he convinenced himself to marry Emma. To me Emma was part of the reason Charles was able to be so successful. She was the one who took care of everyone and made Charles rethink his theory's and to be conscious of how people would receive his scientific ideas. Even thought Charles was a sickly man I believe him and Emma had a very good life together.

This would be a good book for middle schoolers to read when they are learning about Charles Darwin's envolution theory.

Charles and Emma

I did enjoy reading this book, but it took me awhile to get through it.  I didn't know what to expect when I started it, except that it would be more about Darwin's personal life.  I think the author did a good job of showing us how Charles and Emma felt, how they lived and what they thought about each other's views.  The way she mixed the personal details in with what was happening with Darwin's work was very interesting.  It made the story come to life for me, and I hadn't really ever given the whole thing much thought.  It was interesting to see the thought process that Darwin went through, and how hesitant he was to put his theories out there.  He was a real person, with real fears and insecurities, and we don't always think of historical figures that way.  I liked the quotes at the start of each chapters, and made a point to read them, as I tend to skip that sometimes.  The plot moved pretty well, for me, even though there were some parts that I had to read twice to understand what was happening, mainly due to the Victorian way of speaking.  I enjoyed reading about their family life, and the book gave insight into how Victorian England worked, and how people lived.  I liked the book overall, I don't know if the average teen would be as interested, or would stick with the whole book.  I could see them skipping around, which I did, some, to see how things ended up.  This is the kind of history I like, when there is a personal story that goes deeper than just the facts, that tells more about the people and what really went on.

Charles and Emma

I was completely unaware that Charles Darwin even gave Creationism a second thought. I knew nothing about his personal life other than his theory on natural selection. I learned a great deal about this in high school, and as an undergraduate obtaining my licensure to teach science to middle school students. However, they failed to mention that Charles was brought up in a Christian home, and that his wife was very religious, and that he spent the majority of his life going back and forth between what everyone believed to be true about the Bible and his theory. I was also surprised to learn that Charles and his family were so sickly their whole lives. Because of this, and the family's terrible loss (of children and other family members) throughout the years, this story just struck me as very depressing. While Charles made many accomplishments and contributions to the scientific community, it was not without cost to his health. She suffered severe anxiety and worry over his projects. He was often physically ill and weak because of this anxiety. His children were "subjects" to be studied, rather than just his children. He was a man who could become completely lost in his thoughts, and this often took a toll on not only his personal relationships with his family, but also on his overall health. I was disappointed to learn that toward the end of the story, Emma's convictions regarding her faith weren't as strong as they were in the beginning. I loved the fact that even though she was a very religious person, she was able to keep an open mind and listen to Charles' theories and offer her support with editing and revisions on his work.

Personally, I don't believe that the Bible is meant to be interpreted literally. I, like Charles, believe it to be allegorical. However, I do believe that there is a supreme Being simply because of the cosmological argument (design implies a designer) and I feel that Charles didn't give this argument enough thought. I don't understand why he was so dismissive of a supreme power. Sure, maybe only the strongest of a species survive and evolve, but wouldn't a higher power have to be involved in that original design, not only of species of animals and plants, but also in the design of the entire universe?

EVERYTHING MATTERS! a novel by Ron Currie, Jr.

What an interesting read. While the plot was good at the beginning and the end, the middle lagged a bit. I liked the numbered segments counting down to Doomsday. When I finished it, I went immediately and scooped up my daughter, Dalyn, and just hugged and kissed on her and told her repeatedly how much I loved her. This novel is a powerful thought provoker, and will definitely give readers some things to ponder.

In this novel, Ron Currie, Jr. explores the theme that we face an infinite number of choices in life and those choices become connected with others. Those choices have consequences - good or bad - that make a real difference. The novel is about discovering the importance of love, making the most of opportunities, and discovering the joys of life. We all know we are going to die. It does not matter if when know exactly when. What matters is that for life to be fulfilling, we must find our own path towards life's meaning.

The story is told through shifting narrators: John "Junior" Thibodeau, his family, his girlfriend Amy, and the Voices Junior has been hearing since in utero and throughout his life. The different narrators give the reader a well-rounded perspective on Junior and the events of the story. The reader sees Junior coming of age, his struggle with alcoholism and heartbreak, and generally trying to make meaning of his life, "Does Anything I Do Matter?"

Currie, Jr. does a good job in developing the characters. The story begins with Junior in utero and the Voices giving him information about his situation in the womb as well as information about his family. At birth, Junior is informed about the end of Earth in about 36 years. This knowledge shapes his life. He slips into an already established family pattern of substance abuse, which is made worse by his question, "Does anything matter?" The Voices continue to give Junior information about people around him and give him guidance throughout his life. The Voices even tell him it is a bad idea to bomb the federal building and tell him the missing ingredient in the cure for his father's cancer. Junior's brother, Rodney, is recovering from teenage cocaine addiction. While his addiction has left him simple-minded, he is a baseball prodigy. Junior's mother, Debbie, is an alcoholic and Junior's father, John Sr., is a workaholic. Amy is Junior's high school sweetheart, who is a victim of abuse at the hands of her own mother.

There were two twists in the story that I'm not happy with. The first is when Junior's dad's cancer is cured but then he dies in a carwreck. The other is when Amy decides she will go with Junior to planet Gliese 689 d, and when she is at the Emigration Registry, she gets blown up by a bomber. Ugh! Just when there was hope, it was quickly snuffed out. But this led to Junior being given a second chance at his life. The end retells the story in a hopeful light.

It was very interesting that Junior could have chosen any "life" to go back and do over, but he chose only to change himself. All events stayed the same, he only changed his actions. It was very touching when his dad had gotten cancer, that Junior let nature take its course. Junior helped to take care of his father and it was difficult for him to see his dad wither away. And in the end, Junior, his daughter Ruby, his wife Amy, his mother and his brother were all together in bed, huddled together, waiting for the end. It's at this moment that Junior concludes even in the loss of everything, everything matters.

Charles and Emma

When I first heard that I had to read this book, my initial thought that it was all going to be about evolution. I was completely not excited about reading it. But then I heard that it was how him and his wife fell in love, and that his wife was a devout Christian, I became intrigued. My group even picked this book to read for our Book Trailer. It was a little difficult to read at times because of the Victorian language, but it was definitely an interesting book. I like that the book was a true story. I enjoy reading historical style of books. The language was difficult at times, but I am glad the author put the actual quotes from the letters. That made the book even more special.

As for the age level, my entire group agreed that this book maybe should not be considered adult literature. I really think that this book would be great to use to help teachers teach with and for students to appreciate Charles Darwin. Although I do not believe in his theory, he did make other studies towards things that help us today.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

This book provides a different way of learning about history and the life of Charles Darwin. The book would be an asset in a history or science class. However, I feel that today's teens would have a hard time staying focused and relating to the events in this book. The pace of this book moves slowly and that made me have a hard time reading the book.

The characters of the book were interesting. I found it surprising that Charles debated marriage with his list. And that he constantly struggled with this idea of faith vs science. The way he never gave up with his studies does provide a good motto for teens. (Never give up on your beliefs and dreams) Emma was a delightful and very religious person. I believed that they were really great together. The reader could feel their suffering through the illness and the death of their children.

Even though this was not my favorite book, I can see the importance in the text and can see why it won awards.

Charles and Emma

Charles and Emma The Darwins’ Leap of Faith was a very interesting book that gave lots of factual information about Charles Darwin and the time period in which they lived. I liked the way that Deborah Heiligman was able to weave so much historical information into the story while building on the love story of the book. The book is a chronological retelling of two lives, but I think it is far from simple and keeps the reader entertained. The characters are developed fully so that readers are able to understand the dilemmas of the time and feel for the characters even though the issues dealt with are not typical experiences of a teen reader of today. The book is very personal and I think that makes it easier for a teen to read the book and gain knowledge about history rather than reading a history book. Especially since in some areas of the country evolution is such a touchy subject, this book helps explain the theory better without trying to persuade the reader. Some of the language in the book is confusing and I had to read it a couple of times to really understand, but the true language of the time furthers the readers understanding of the time period.
I personally do not feel that a lot of teen readers would pick up this book and read it for fun. I do think that it is a great book to use in schools to get teens interested in reading historical books and to build lessons upon. High school students would enjoy this much better than any text book available.

Charles and Emma

I have to say that I was really shocked that I enjoyed reading this book! Probably like most young adults, I really don't enjoy reading nonfiction that much. However, I learned so much about Charles Darwin from this novel. The list that he made as to why marry or why to not marry really was humorous. In this novel, Darwin is described in great detail! The novel depicts how he struggled with his work until finally it was published. Emma though in the story is described by being very religious. Charles and Emma had to compromise in the area of religion. I feel this is a sign of commitment and true love! Especially, overcoming many trials and obstacles such as the death of three children. This novel brings out a true love story that young adults will really enjoy reading about! We also get to see the Victorian English brought to life in this novel. While some young adults may find this hard to read; other young adults may find it interesting and easy to understand.
This story moves at a steady pace and would be a great reference for young adults! The reader will find many details that may not be seen in other nonfiction books about Darwin. This novel will also bring out another perspective or side about Charles Darwin that we do not commonly see or read about. This is a great nonfiction book that I would highly recommend young adults to read!

Rebecca Wilson

Charles and Emma

I loved this non-fiction book dealing with the romance and struggles of Charles and Emma Darwin; this is my 2nd favorite of the books we have read so far; especially since biographies are my favorite in the non-fiction section. I will have to be honest that I was skeptical at first when Phillip suggested this book to make our movie trailer; I was thinking, “Oh great, a book on theories.” Was I ever astounded after reading the book about the story I never knew about Charles Darwin. I knew of Darwin and his theory of evolution but never realized he was even married, as busy as he must’ve been with all the work studies he did in his lifetime; let alone believe he was the devoted father of 10 children and a loving husband. We put in our trailer, “….entangled in their love and science, just as much, heart, and spirit are entangled in each one of us.” In spite of everything, love did conquer all between the struggles between the science and religion of Charles and Emma. They were such a devoted couple who faced so much tragedy and heartache in their lifetime and as I read I really empathized with all their struggles. Charles was so funny from the time he wrote in one of his many journals, “To marry or not to marry?” I never imagined a guy would be as worried as he was about what people thought and found humor in that he had a journal for every different type of emotion, feeling, or his work. He thought way too much and it was a wonder he wasn’t eat up entirely with ulcers. I found it humorous he even had a journal marked, “N” for his sexual desire thoughts and love. The couple was a true and inspiring story of how opposites attracted and it worked as they differed in their opinion in science and religion but were respectful of each’s viewpoint and supported one another. I loved his quotes like, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” He really appreciated life and lived it to the fullest and what pain he had to face as he lost his 3 children; I can’t imagine. He loved Emma so much and was as dependent on her as he said, ”Without you when sick I feel most desolate… I do long to be with you and under your protection for then I feel safe. God bless you.” How ironic in his quotes to Emma he always mentioned for God to bless her many times since he did not believe in God as Emma had but it did say she did not believe in the Trinity. Another quote from Charles to Emma I liked was, “ I wish you knew how I value you; and what an inexpressible blessing it is to have one whom one can always trust, one always the same, always ready to give comfort, sympathy and the best advice. God bless you my dear, you are too good for me.” Francis Darwin said, “In her presence he found his happiness, and through her, his life.” Would his books be as they are today had it not been for Emma; he always asked her opinion and advice to proofread his work. She even said that, “Everything that concerns you concerns me.” The author did a fabulous job in her research; almost too good because it was so much factual information and names to even comprehend in one book but it was a wonderful read. The two accepted each other for who they were and loved each other until death; wow! It was sad that she never did give up hope for his belief in God and then when he died and she lived several years more, one can only imagine her thoughts. When he dies he writes, “Remember what a good wife you have been to me.” What a leap of faith for Charles and Emma and what a remarkable story I never would’ve imagined but glad to know now.

Charles and Emma

I really enjoyed this book! It is a wonderful example of how non-fiction titles can be written in a "novel" kind of way. The author's depictions of Charles and Emma Darwin makes one believe they are reading a Victorian romance novel and not an actual true story. Many people have thoughts that Charles was a miserly scientist that wanted to prove that God had no role in creation. This book really brings to light his gentle nature and his struggles with his work. Most people do not know that Charles Darwin was a theologian before he was a scientist which caused him great grief while trying to publish his works on natural selection. I like that the book focuses on the love between Charles and Emma and leaves a lot of the science out, making it a tale of love and loss. The way the author wrote the book makes it easy to read though some parts are a little difficult because of the Victorian English used in some of the letters. I feel when you finish reading this book you have a better understanding of why and how Darwin felt about his work and that you will see him in a different light. You will also learn many facts about the Darwin family that most texts books would leave out, which would make this a great reference book for a YA reader doing a report on Charles Darwin.

Charles & Emma

I was surprised to find how much I actually enjoyed this book. I learned so much about the background of Charles Darwin and the long hard road to publishing his theories. I liked how the introduction set up the storyline of their life. I was intrigued by the list Darwin made to decide whether or not to marry. So that before we even meet Emma, we know his idea of marriage and fears for a partner. Darwin's character is described in such detail with his inner struggle with religion and his many theories that we can understand why it took so many years to publish his thoughts and notes. Emma's character as Darwin's opposite was also integral to her husband's. Emma's religion played a huge part in their marriage and partnership, but they were able to compromise and meet in the middle. Their love and commitment to each other was able to overcome their differences and ultimate loss with the death of their three children. While this was a non-fiction book, there was still a storyline that kept a pace. I enjoyed learning the background of their story as well as the author's since she faced a similar situation among her own marriage.

Paper Towns

Wow! I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than any of the others we have read thus far. I could hardly put the book down because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. The characters were easy to imagine and related closely to many of the friends I had in high school. I really liked the fact that the main male characters were intelligent and proud of it. They may have not been the most popular guys in school but they were not upset about it. This made the characters much more believable, to me. The main girl characters were easy to believe as well because it showed they were flawed individuals even though they were the most popular in the school.

This book will be a great read for any person in high school, male and female. The language is not over the top but is what you would typically her in a high school. The book is fast paced and keeps ones attention throughout the story. I feel the story itself appeals to the high school age group because of the road trip, proms, and party's with alcohol. And in each instance the author makes each situation believable and not blowing it out of proportion in an attempt to appeal to younger generation.

The plot was strong and enveloping which makes one want to continue reading and hard to put down. The book is well written and written in a way that will help YA readers keep up with characters and many sub plots. I cannot wait to recommend this book to one of our teenage readers at the library and I hope it will be a male. I would really like to get some feedback from an teenage male reading this book. I think this book, by far, would be the most appealing to teenage boys out of all we have read so far. Two thumbs up!

Paper Towns

This was one of my favorite books that we have read so far! Any book that makes me laugh out loud is a keeper. I liked Green's sense of humor that developed alongside the characters. Q's character was stable and quirky, and I loved how his confidence grew throughout the book. Margo was a dynamic, robust character and I appreciated her ingenuity, but questioned what this girl had that would inspire a school to follow her every move. The supporting characters were also well developed and accented the best part of the book (the road trip) beautifully.

I think the plot moved along at a brisk pace. I liked how it started quick with Margo's vengeance attacks. The second part of deciphering the clues were slow action wise, but essential to break down Margo's character into the real Margo and everyone else's version of Margo. The road trip was the best section with it's quick pace and perfect sense of irony. After I started section three, I couldn't stop. Needless to say, I was reading well into the night and laughing out loud.

Green's humor perfectly complimented his novel of misadventures with well developed characters and emotions to match his YA audience. After reading this book, I can see why he has won so many awards at such a young age.

Paper Towns

I really enjoyed this book. I found the sections of the book a great way to keep the reader interested. Section one really introduced you to the characters of Quentin Jacobson and Margo Roth Spiegleman. It really brought me back to my own childhood. I pictured a neighborhood a lot like mine with lots of houses and kids to play with. It reminded me that the friends I played with in my elementary days were not my close friends when I got to high school. I loved the fact the he was a smart kid that didn't really fit in, and from a good home, with involved parents. His friends Radar and Ben were great additional roles during the story. Quentin and his friends reminded me of people I knew in high school, that never really fit in. Margo loved adventure and wasnt really what she seemed. Section two Q really realized how Margo was frustrating trying to figure out the clues she had left. The idea of no one is really who they seem is a good lesson for . The idea of a paper town was a new concept for me, but I found it extremely fitting in this story. The humor in this story was great. I laughed with the graduation gift of a new car, and it being a van. The after prom scene was great as he had to pick up his intoxicated friends. That situation is so true because all prom after parties I went to involved a massive party and Im sure it still happens today. Section three gave the journey to find Margo and the adventure the the road trip to NY. The time aspect of hours gave you the idea that they might not make it in time. I must say I wanted Margo and Quentin to get together and they go back together. But when they didnt I was a little disappointed. I guess I always want a happily ever after fantasy but knowing it truly doesn't happen. I really liked this story and just might read some of John Greens other work.

Charles and Emma

The reading of this book tied in nicely with the Chapter we had to read from Darwin's Origin of the Species for the educational foundations class I am taking. Creationism versus evolution has been an issue of huge conflict since and before Darwin's book. I think the book showed through Emma and Charles relationship, that a balance can be achieved. I enjoyed getting to know Darwin as a person and how he struggled tremendously with what people would think of his work. I was amazed at the amount of research and thought he put into his theories and how he wanted his works to be easy to read and understood by all, and not just intellectuals. And after having read a chapter from his Origin of the Species I have to concur, that it is very nice read. I especially appreciated the relationship of Charles and Emma. Emma, a devout Christian, who had to hold onto her belief in God and heaven, so that she would be able to see her sister Fanny and the children she lost, once again and Charles, who accepted many of the moral principles in the Bible but didn't think you should take the Bible literally. What a fascinating scientific life Charles led. Being able to document species from all over during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. What an opportunity during this time period. And to have such a wonderful partnership with his wife and an extreme love for her and his children. All this made him seem so real, and a genuinely caring and thorough individual, not the heretic he was often made out to be. And, his research makes sense. Natural selection and the struggle for existence can be proven. The idea that destruction or extinction occurs in order to maintain a balance, can be seen throughout history. These ideas could be expanded in the classroom in a discussion, for example, on the BP oil spill and what it is and will do to this balance. And, the relationship between Charles and Emma would be a great starting point for a discussion on tolerance for the religious and spiritual beliefs of others. I am realizing, after reading 2 nonfiction books, that I really like young adult nonfiction and that it has an amazing potential for use in the classroom.

Paper Towns

First, I was so taken with the idea of Paper Towns as fake towns created by mapmakers to protect their work. How cool that the author tied this in with Margo's idea of Orlando as a paper town, i.e. touristy and fake and Margo's own issues as girl too caught up in materialism, a paper doll. The coming of age novel is starting to resonate with me now as I watch my own teenagers try to figure it all out. This book goes into some pretty heavy stuff but provides some lighthearted characters to break it up, Ben and Radar. I thought, oh they are just another bunch of stereotypes themselves but when I discussed this book with my husband, who also read it, he described having high school friends similar to both Ben and Radar and some even more extreme in their craziness. My favorite line from Radar "...you know your problem, Quentin? You keep expecting people not to be themselves. I mean, I could hate you for being massively unpunctual and for never being interested in anything other then Margo Roth Speigelman, and for, like never asking me about how its going with my girlfriend--but I don't give a shit, man because you're you. My parents have a shit ton of black Santas, but that's okay, They're them..." What a comment on tolerance for others. I had to remember that the author is male and so is the main protagonist. I kept thinking that some of the things Q did were a little over the top. His night with Margo, riding around looking at pseudovisions, exploring an empty shopping center and the road trip to Agloe. So, again, I discussed this with my husband and he had so many road trip stories, some with arrests involved (never him), that it made me realize, I had a relatively tame high school life. In high school, the world is yours for the taking, but sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you want to take. High school is also a time of worrying about where you fit in and making assumptions about people based on outward appearances without really knowing the person. This book did a wonderful job of looking at the perception we have of others versus who each person really is. Q gets to know the real Margo, Ben gets to know the real Lacey and Radar teaches us that we need to accept people for who they are, in spite of their shortcomings. I noticed throughout the book Q always refers to Margo as "Margo Roth Spiegelman." It reminded me of several of my early crushes from afar in middle and high school and how I remember the full name of each crush but never knew the person. Q struggles with who Margo Roth Speigelman really is throughout the book. A good thinking person's book!

Paper Towns

This has been the best book we've read in this class so far. It is actually one of my new personal favorites as well. The characters in this book seemed more real than any of the other fiction stories we've read. I laughed out loud several times. For example, I loved the part where Q's parents bought him the new "car" for graduation, and his hopes were so high, just to find out when he went outside to the driveway, that it was a minivan. His reaction was priceless! In my opinion, that's exactly how a teenager thinks, and that's exactly how clueless parents can be. I think because the author was fairly young himself, and not too far removed from the teenage years, it allowed for more realistic characters. Margo struck me as extremely selfish, and that was my least favorite character of all. She seemed to be the most immature of them all, even though that's the opposite of what she thought of herself. That is a typical teenage attitude, though. I loved the ironic moments in the story as well, and the humor that the author inserted in various parts. One of the best parts was the rebel flag shirt that read, "Heritage, not Hate" that Q bought for Radar at the BP station, followed by the pink "World's Best Grandma" t-shirt. I think the author did a great job of developing all the characters in the story. You were able to understand the personalitites of each character -- Radar was the band geek/brainiac/computer nerd, Ben was the self-absorbed, girl-crazy band geek, and Lacy was the kind-hearted, beautiful, popular girl. Quentin was a great character to get to know as well. He was the most introspective of them all, I think. He too was somewhat nerdy, incredibly smart, somewhat attractive, and cared nothing really about all the things that normal teenagers cared about, save his education (which seems to be a recurring theme in these young adolescent lit books). The teens care mainly about their relationships, but education is also priority as well. It sends a good message to the readers.

Paper Towns

Paper Towns was a pretty good read. It seemed like it was a little slow to get started within the plot. I kept waiting for the purpose of the book to happen. Once I got past the first several chapters, it moved a little faster. Once the adventure started with Margo and Quentin it began to move faster. Green did a good job to keep the reader interested on what would happen next. Paper Towns was a funny, adventurous, coming-to-age book. Quentin and his freinds were hilarious in the book. I am glad Green mixed humor with the seriousness of the book. It broke up the depressing undertone of the story. I liked the way Green introduced the characters in relation to Quinton. Quinton was the straight laced teenager that rarely did anything wrong except be late for school and say the occasional curse word. Green described him very carefully and thoroughly. He was a different teenage protaginist than any of the other books we have read. He was relitively close to his parents and talked to them effectionately and them to him as well. Quentin had his life planned and worked hard to succeed. Green did a good job throughout the plot to transform Quentin into a more adventerous teenager, unlike his personality before the Margo road trip. Each day Quentin got a little more out of his "norm". Radar and Ben were the typical sidekicks to the protaginist. Radar the smart , stable one and Ben funny one were right there with Quentin through his trials and tribulations. Many teeneage boys would be able to relate to these characters. I was intrigued with Margo from the beginning of the book when Green introduced her. She was the neighboor girl just out of Quentin's reach, like his fantasy. I was totally surprised when Margo chose Quentin to help he pull her final pranks before she left. Green did a good job at hiding the true Margo and how deep she was throughout the book and let us find out the clues right along with Quentin. Margo had alot of issues in her life that teenage girls could relate to. I also liked the way that Green intertwined poetry throughout the book. Poetry is such a hard language to read, and Quentin learned how it can be interpreted in different ways. My favorite poetry line from the book was when Margo told Quentin, "Forever is made of nows," from an Emily Dickenson. I believe that line really told Quentin who Margo really was. As Quentin was looking for Margo he learned how to live, love, and let go throughout the journey.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

I just finished reading this novel and let me say, "Wow!" What a wonderful book. I enjoyed this book tremendously. I teach high school science, and in the Biology SCOS, Darwin and the Theory of Evolution is a strand. Reading this book gives me a new perspective on Darwin and his work, one that I can share with the students. This topic always presents "problems" in the classroom when we get to it, so I now feel that I have more information to enhance our class discussions.

I felt as if I was a part of the story. Heiligman did a good job with her research and putting it together for the reader. The story gives us great insight into the life and times of the Darwins, their triumphs and their heartaches. I cried when their children died, especially Annie. It reminds us that medicine has come a long way. The reader sees how strong Emma is in her faith and that she never gives up on Charles believing in God. Throughout the story we see Charles referring to God but he doesn't fully believe. The love that Charles and Emma share is awesome. Despite their difference in belief, they were perfect for each other. They both loved and adored each other to the end. They had an open and honest relationship, no matter the issue. I am so glad that Charles did not follow his father's advice and conceal his doubts. Their ability to communicate was a strong foundation for them. Not only did they communicate verbally, but they wrote each other letters, and each held the letters close to their heart. Emma and Charles loved their children and family very much (and that he used his children as specimens - very funny). How interesting that "back then" it was okay for first cousins to marry (and keep the money in the family) and have children, while today that is taboo. It also struck me that Charles recognized that there might be health issues in children to parents who were so closely related - even though genetics and heredity were not known until almost 100 years later.

What I found most interesting is that Charles is a religious person initially and I think continued to be to a certain degree. His issue was that he could not believe that God had created everything - that he may have created the "starter" animals and plants, but that there were changes that had occurred to those "starters" to give us variation over time. And if anyone noticed, his first publication On the Origin of the Species, there was nothing about man developing from monkey; it was the "society" that had put that out there to stir the pot. Darwin knew his ideas would turn the world upside-down, and he did not want to create chaos, but he knew he had to share what he had found out. Not only did he study the specimens he had collected on his five year voyage on the HMS Beagle, but he also studied barnacles, orchids, and worms among other things.

This novel has not converted me from my beliefs in creation, but it certainly gives me lots of things to think about and consider. I think someone can believe in God and then see how things can evolve - or change - over time. I don't think that is hypocrisy, do you? I am not really sure, but I will try to read more and give consideration to what I read.

Paper Towns

This book was okay---it wasn't my favorite type of book, but I can certainly see why teens/young adults might like this type of genre. Quentin is a teenager that is strictly by the books. He seems to care about his parents, school, and friends. Through Quentin's dialog he seems like a "down to earth teenager"; his friends also seem very "down to earth." The dialog or language that Quentin and his friends use is dialog that teenagers use today. It is very real and believable. Margo on the other hand is a very fascinating character! Margo has two sides to this story. She is a very different person on the inside compared to what she is on the outside. All of the characters in this story seem very believable and what you may see in a high school today.

The plot of this story moved very fast! This is one reason why teenagers may like this particular story! Quentin and Margo's adventure moved really fast at the beginning of the story. I think teenagers would like to read about their adventure. They would probably find their adventure funny and interesting! However, the whole novel is an adventure. Teenagers like to read about adventures! It's the unknown part of an adventure story that teenagers enjoy reading about.

This is a great book for teenagers! I think that they would enjoy reading this story due to all the drama, suspense, and adventure that this book has to offer!

Rebecca Wilson

PaperTown

Papertown was an ok book. Its not one that I would have chosen for myself. Q and Margo are the main characters and it starts out that they are friends when they are younger but by middle school they no longer talk to each other. Until one night in ther Senior year Margo goes over to Q's house and talks him into going out to help her get revenge on her so called friends. After that Margo disappears but she leaves clues for Q to find. She said that she didn't mean for Q to find her in New York but if she didn't why did she leave the map that she had use to plot possible escapes at the minimall. She must have wanted someone to find her. Any way at the end I'm not sure they stay together but its an ok story with real life situations that teens can relate to.

Shiver

This is a great book. At the beginning when I read that Grace had been attacked by wolves and that the one with the yellow eyes saved her. I thought she's going to turn into a werewolf and her and the yellow eyed wolf was going to live happily ever after. But it didn't turn out like that at all. It turns out to be a good romance story between a girl, wolf, and a boy. This book is easy to read and it pulls you in before you know it.

Paper Towns

I guess I like this book, it's just not my genre.  I am not into the teen angst and coming of age and all that, kind of book.  It took me a few days to get through it, though I was interested in how it was going to turn out, which I guess says something for the characters.  I like Quentin, he seems like a real kid, trying to do the right thing, he cares about school and he seems to like his parents, even though he can see through their psychological talk.  He seemed like a real person to me, and so did his friends, Ben and Radar.  The way they talked to each other is exactly how I have heard some of my students talk to each other, and how boys talked to each other when I was in high school.  Margo, on the other hand, had some believable characteristics, but she was way over the top most of the time.  That made her interesting, of course, to someone like Quentin, who was so by the book.  He saw what he wanted to see, her bigger than life personality, etc, but didn't see the real girl inside, who was really like she was because she didn't fit in anymore than anyone else did.  She was truly a "paper girl", one way to the world, on the outside, and a totally different person on the inside.  I don't know how much I believe the change in Lacey, to where she suddenly decided that dating Ben was "OK" in the terms of high school life, that was a nice twist, but not that believable, to me, at least.  Radar's parents and the black Santas were hilarious, and his parents seemed decent, too. They were a nice subplot.  I liked the characterization overall, the characters seemed believable for who they were. 
The plot took moved quickly, especially when Margo and Quentin were taking their revenge out on their overnight adventure, and it moved after that for awhile, however it slowed down, for me, with all the subdivision talk, the going out to the different places, all the clues. The descriptions of the building was interesting, I did like that, I think teens would like the idea of exploring that old building, the unknown element, the thrill of maybe being caught.  The saving grace during those parts was the humor between Ben and Radar, and what was going on at school during the day.  I do think it was a little unbelievable that the kids would ditch graduation, and that their parents would let them!  My mom would have flipped!  And then she would kill me.  But that element makes it more interesting to teens, too, probably, because most of them would NEVER be allowed to do something like that, if any of them.  That's a fantasy element, in my opinion, even though there is no magic involved.  I managed to keep up with it, but did get a little lost in the middle.  I liked it, overall, but not sure if a teen would stick with it.  They might, if like me, they wanted to find out what happened to the characters.  This is not the type of book I would have read as a teen.

Paper Towns

What a great book! I got yesterday morning and started reading this book and before I knew it and was finished by midnight! It was very easy to read and to get interested into right away. I am glad the story started out so quickly with the all night raid to get her so called friends back. I always like to see how the beginning of books ties to the entire story and how it wraps everything up at the end. The author was pretty descriptive with the characters, but maybe not as much as some of the other books that we've read. The settings were very descriptive in my mind though. I can still visualize the abandoned building and Q traveling to all of the "paper towns" to look for her, and then finally finding her in Agloe. I think several different themes could brought up about this book. One is how teens like to impress others and become someone different during their HS years. I think you could talk to teens about just being yourself and finding out your own true identity. I like how Q pretty much knew who he was. He wasn't the most confident at things, but he had his group of friends that he was proud of. They had their own things that they liked to do together. I think Q learned a lot of about himself during the journey as well. Another theme that kept coming up was the topic of death. They found the dead man in the beginning, then Q thought that Margo had killed herself.

I also liked how the author used a lot of humor through out the book. Probably my favorite line that made me laugh out loud was when Radar had to wear a confederate flag t-shirt over his graduation gown. I think it is important to have laughter throughout books, especially if young adults will be reading them!

Another thing that I thought I was interesting was just the whole paper towns aspect. I had never heard of maps putting fake places on there for copyright reasons.

Paper Towns by John Green

A very good book. The plot was so well written - I didn't want to stop reading. It took me about 2 days to read. While there wasn't a lot of detail about the characters - except Margo - I was still able to "see" them. Q, Ben, and Radar are absolutely hilarious with their bantering. While initially they are not the popular guys at school, a twist of fate makes them popular guys. Q has been in love with Margo since they were kids. Margo is seen as the rebel and is very popular. She hates Orlando and has called it a paper town because she feels that everything is fake and flimsy. When she finds out that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend, all the strings inside her break. She sought revenge on her "circle of friends" - with Q's help. She left the next day without saying a word. While Margo's parents are washing their hands of Margo, Q feels that Margo wants him to find her, so he starts his own investigation and follows clues to find her. When he has figured out where she is, he decides to not attend high school graduation so he can get to her. Radar, Ben, and Lacey do not let him go it alone, so they skip graduation also and set out on a road trip to Agloe, New York. Agloe is a fictitious village inserted into tourist maps as a copyright trap, or paper town (p. 235). When the gang finds Margo, she is mad at them for finding her because she didn't want to be found. Q asked her why she chose Agloe and she said,

"A paper town for a paper girl. ...The truth is that whenever I went up to the top of the SunTrust Building, I didn't really look down and think about how everything was made of paper. I looked down and thought about how I was made of paper. I was the flimsy-foldable person, not everyone else. ...it's kind of great, being an idea that everybody likes. But I could never be the idea to myself, not all the way. ...it seemed like a way to tell that paper girl who cared about popularity and clothes and everything else: 'You are going to the paper towns. And you are never coming back.' " (p. 293-294)

What a story about "coming of age." During the journey, Q came to realize that while we know people, we truly don't know people. We accept them for who they are and we like them anyway. I think both boys and girls would like this book. It moves at a good pace while the characters and the story are believable. I think the readers would be able to identify with one or more of the characters. While no one advocates running away as a solution, maybe someone reading this novel would see the ramifications of running away and its effect on family and friends and choose another option for solving the problem.

Shiver

I love original stories and books, and this book was seemingly a little too close to Twilight. Like Twilight, it is also a trilogy. It was a romantic story, with Grace and Sam as the protagonists. While Twilight has Bella and Edward. This story was about werewolves, while Twilight is about vampires. It seems like the author was trying to ride on Stephanie Meyer's coat tail here. While it's a great book for young adults, I suppose (teenage girls, especially), I found it very difficult to stay interested. While the plot was very intricate and the characters well developed, Grace and Sam's relationship seemed so romanticized that it was completely unbelievable. In my 30 years on this planet, I've yet to meet a guy like Sam, nor would I want to really. He was borderline obsessed with Grace. I like to read about characters with real problems. I guess I'm mostly partial to nonfiction or realistic fiction. I usually don't like happy endings either, because that's not how life usually turns out, but this ending was great. I was glad to see that Sam was able to come back to Grace. I think that the author has offers some good things to the readers in this book, like the way they value their education, or the way they portray sex as something special rather than something one just rushes into. The author also stresses the importance of good friends and family to offer support in times of need. I just feel like it sets teen girls up for an expectation of a relationship that doesn't exist.

Shiver

There was a quote in our in Chapter 4 of our text from Sharon Creech "I love the way that each book--any book--is its own journey. You open the book, and off you go. You don't know who you're going to meet along the way, nor where you will go, and when you finish a book, you feel as if you've been on a journey. " I thought about this quote after finishing Shiver. I had already read the entire Twilight series and loved the romance and the dark, mysterious and protective nature of Edward. Twilight made me remember my first love and all the anticipation and new feelings that went with it. When I read Shiver, I experienced these same emotions. Although it was a quick read, I really missed the main characters when I finished. For a short time, I was in their world and felt a part of it. It was the same experience when my husband and I watched the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer series. We felt like we were part of the cast. I could see my young self in Grace. I remembered back to my first love and all the magical moments and all the firsts. I can easily see young tween and teen girls enjoying this book. However, I still can't imagine my 15 year old son even being interested in it. He already thinks the whole Twilight series is "gay." I am curious to see where the sequel, Linger, will take us. I think the idea of having a boyfriend who has something extra, i.e werewolf, vampire, or superpowers, appeals to any female. The kind of rescuer theme. But I liked how in Shiver, not only did Sam get to save Grace but Grace in turn, got to save Sam. Female tweens and teens and their mothers love romance but I think it is important that the female protagonist is a strong, independent and capable role model.

Paper Towns

While it took me just a ½ day to read “Shiver” on Thursday, I then decided to jump into “Paper Towns” on Friday. I wish I had read this before “Shiver” because my attention span to this book required 3 days of reading to finish it; not to say it wasn’t a good book but just not as fast-paced as “Shiver”. I will admit the characters were very stereotypical of the high school kids I remember growing up with, yes, back in the “80’s. Really, kids back then are not that much different than they are today. The author really didn’t have to go into details with the description of the characters, although he did more so with Margo with the way he described her look but left a mystery as to who she really was. From the author’s descriptions alone though, one cannot really put a face to the character but the personality traits of each character given, I just imagined the faces of the people I went to school with or from one of those high school movies I watched and gave the face to the characters in the book. That was very clever of the author in that he did not have to go into as much detail as the other books I have read; we had to think on our own and visualize what the characters looked like. Sure, you have Quentin the timid, Margo the rebel, Radar/Marcus the brain of the gang, Ben who is the perverted nerd gone wild but really has a good heart and shallow Lacey, who later is open-minded to let Ben in her life, and Jase the typical I’m better than thou jock, Chuck the jerky big jock, and Becca the “B” and so forth. It was a vivid bunch of characters, so typical of high school students today. Being around teenagers, all the time myself, I could see bits of these book characters in the teens I know, even down to their disgusting colloquial language and their humor. The games Arctic Fury and Resurrection were big in the book. Although, somewhat crude at times, the humor of the Ben the Libido kid with his constant peeing and infatuation with penises, his “big” balls and his honey bunnies only goes to show that yes these are the thoughts and the language from teens today but then you had his sensitive side with the comical prom shoe shopping discussion with “Q”; hilarious. Although the language and conversations were over the top sometimes, I enjoyed the humor of the conversations between these young teen boys. The plot is somewhat drawn out and I pretty well imagined how it would end; although I like the comparisons they did throughout the book with poetry and life. You felt sorry for Margo who was such a troubled teen that nobody ever really knew or understood who Margo was and she too didn’t really find herself until she left or did she? She said, “Your will go to the Paper Towns and you will never come back.” It was the story of her trying to find herself, a scared, confused teen and yes a bit selfish at times, not taking into consideration her family and friends who did love her even though she thought they didn’t care. You felt though as if her family had finally given up on her, especially when they changed the locks but I think they just knew Margo and realized there was no changing her and she had to finds things out on her own. She also says, “Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will” and that is so true and sometimes you just have to face up to the facts that it’s not a perfect world and people aren’t always who you think they are. I liked Quentin’s quote when he said,”The town was paper but the memories were not”. Sometimes, we need to go on this perpetual journey to find ourselves and find out who we really are. Not that we have to do something drastic and go that far but find out what things mean but we never really get all the answers and that keeps us motivated to persevering and going on with life. The book leaves you hanging by do we ever find out who Margo really is and does she ever really find herself. The kiss was a nice touch but we end the book just feeling that they won’t see each other again; too many broken strings.

Shiver me timbers

Shiver is a great YA book that deserves the attention it is getting by movie producers. If you liked the Twilight series then the Shiver series will be for you. Maggie Stiefvater really took Stephanie Meyers' character ideas and ran with it to call her own. It is the perfect next book to read by tween girls who cannot get over the Meyers vampire and werewolves book empire. One must admit there is an uncanny similarity between Sam and Jacob and Grace and Bella. The book was very well written though the plot is a little to close to that of Twilight. The characters used in Shiver were easy to imagine and could easily be related to by tween girls everywhere and the struggles of high school. When the movie comes out it will be hard to keep this book on the shelf and I am going to suggest we purchase more copies for the library system. I am going to donate my copy. The next book in the series Linger, I think, will hopefully pull away from the Twilightish plot line that the media has bombarded us with. Will a YA boy like this book? No, because it is a romance from the beginning even with Sam telling his side of the story. I enjoyed reading this book because it was a quick read that only takes maybe two evenings to read and that adds to its ability to keep YA readers entertained. I will be suggesting this series to many of the YA girls who are looking for this kind "paranormal romance" especially with the new Twilight movie opening this weekend. This genre will exploded with readers as it did with the last Twilight movie.

Claudette Colvin

Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person; a 15 year girl by the name of Claudette Colvin did it first. It had to take a lot of courage for Claudette to do such a thing and at first she was considered a hero. But not long after standing up for her rights and the rights of others she was shunned by her classmates along with the leaders of the African American community. This non-fiction book is very interesting. You met a girl that no one knew existed until Phillip Hoose stumbled across her name while doing research for another project and decided to track her down and write her story. Claudette's story is about courage and standing up for what is right. And it just makes you stop and think how cruel a dominate race can be to minority race.

Going Bovine

I liked this book. At first it was kind of slow going but as I got into it, I realized it wasn't so bad. At first I thought Cameron was just a self center teenager but as I continued to read I realized that he wasn't; he just used that I don't care additude so that no one could see how he really felt. To me Cameron was a misplaced teenager that gets Mad Cow disease. He takes a journey to save the world and to find Mr X but ends up discovering the importants of friends and life itself. There is a lot of adventure in this book that will have you laughing at times and crying at others. Even though I was a little heartbroken as to how the book ends. It was a good read and I would recommend anyone to give this book a try. Thanks for putting it on the list.

Shiver

This book was awesome!! Stiefvater developed the plot and the characters beautifully. The plot kept building and building, and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen - I didn't want to put it down - so I finished it in a day. The plot was easy to follow and I liked that Stiefvater narrated the story from both Grace and Sam's points of view. Adding the temperature at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch - it helped to build the suspense. As I was reading, I felt as though I was a part of the story. I even got teary-eyed when Sam turned into a wolf, never to be human again. Even though I knew from the story that "the end" would come for Sam, I was pulling for Grace and Sam, that it wouldn't happen. And how fitting that Sam saved Grace to have Grace save him six years later. Very cool. And the romance was wonderful. They had loved each other for so long and Grace found a way for them to be together in the end. I love it!!! And I liked that Grace was somewhat wolf, although in denial, and Sam brought that side of her out, and finally she felt comfortable with it. No wonder she had such a strong desire to be with the wolves since her near-death experience with them. This story reiterates the saying, "True love conquers all." Also that no matter what obstacles lie ahead of you, if you truly love each other and it is meant to be, it will be.

Shiver

This book did not disappoint! I really liked how Maggie Stiefvater took the "it" topic and transformed it into an original story with beautifully developed characters. I am a HUGE fan of the "paranormal romance" series like Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampire Academy and the Black Dagger Brotherhood, so I had high expectations. It's not fair to compare Shiver to any of these because the audience in mind is completely different. The others are plot and romance driven for the adult readers (yes even Twilight which is classified YA) with a fast pace. Shiver was more of a "slow burn" in that she took time to build the plot and chapters to build the characters. By the end we knew how Grace and Sam would act before she wrote it because we knew their personalities without a doubt. I love how the narrator would switch between the two to give us a fuller understanding. I appreciate a book and the characters in it much more when they are written from multiple points of view.

I also like how this book was not action driven; we knew the problem going into the book almost immediately and could feel it building and anticipate the change to come. It was a fluid piece of work without any outside distractions. I loved this book as an adult and I'm eager to hear what a young adult has to say about it.

Shiver

WOW!! What a great book to read! Like most girls/women, I'm a huge fan of love stories! The plot of this story just keeps you interested and wondering, what would happen next! Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Sam and Grace are what most people call the "Perfect Couple." Sam's character is so sincere and honest. I think his character reflected the way he was brought up, since he was bitten at such an early age and Beck raised him as his own child. Grace's character showed how determined and strong willed she really is. Teens could easily relate to Sam and Grace. Each character has obstacles in their life that they have to overcome. One issue that Sam and Grace dealt with is their parents. Grace longed to be seen by her parents and Sam's parents tried to end his life at such an early age. I think it's ironic how at the beginning of the story Sam saved Grace's life and then at the end of the story Grace saved Sam's life. Throughout this book the unity between Sam and Grace is shown. There is even a unity between Sam and Beck in the story. Ultimately, Beck and Sam resolve their little spat and Beck calls Sam to where Grace is, so Grace can try to save Sam's life. Beck then turns into a wolf forever.
I loved how the author of this book switched between Sam's story and then Grace's story. The book just flowed so easily because of the division! Plus, the reader is getting both perspectives! Also, having the temperature at the top of each chapter sets the setting for the book. The reader can almost feel the temperature drop, which sets the mood of the story too! This is a great book for teens and even adults! I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Rebecca Wilson

Shiver-----Absolutely Loved it!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book. I started it this afternoon and had to finish it in the same day, which I finished about 10:00. I couldn't put the book down except to fix supper and check on the kids. My daughter had already read it and said she liked it better than the Twilight series and as much as I love the vampire/Dracula stories I admit the writing in this book about the werewolves was superb and more intriguing to me than most books I have read. The characters simply came to life on the pages and you could really empathize with them. I loved the romance in it and how it lured you into the plot and how you kept hoping that Sam wouldn't change. Being fast-paced helped me keep my attention on finishing the book in the same day, which is not usually the case for me. The characters had a lot of similarity to Bella and Edward and similar storyline but I felt that there was much more depth in the story and felt more realistic, even though there are no such things as werewolves but there are wolves. I loved how the author incorporated poetry in the story that Sam liked to share with Grace and that really showed his sensitive side. The characters would be appealing to both teenage boys and girls. You have Sam, who is not perfect and has had to overcome a lot in his life and you have Grace, who longs to have her parents notice her more and teens can relate to that; just normal everyday people, except Sam is a wolf part of the time. I loved how the author switched back and forth with Grace telling her story and then Sam telling his; it's good to have both point of views and their perspectives. Just having the temperature at the beginning of the chapter would get me on edge as to whether or not he was going to change; I loved the suspense! You have amongst the other characters, friendships developing and problem solving at every turn that the characters must make. You have the strong female protagonist who hopes and will stop at nothing to help Sam. Sam is longing, regardless of anything to be human after building the friendship he has with Grace and as he learns of true love. We see how Sam saved Grace early on and then Grace saves him and he builds that trust with her and then Grace is the hero once again in the end. The characters are modern and are relative to our teens problems today and throw in a little fantasy of real werewolves as if you could almost believe it could be true. It's a journey that teens could follow and relate to some of the issues they deal with at home and at school themselves. I loved the simple line that Sam said in chapter 42, "A life is measured by moments like these." It makes one think to never take things for granted and to enjoy the moment. I really loved this book and can't wait to read the next of the series!!

Shiver

I loved this book. The characters of Sam and Grace drew me in from the start. I really liked the way the author switched perspectives while telling this story. I tried not to, but found myself comparing this story with the Twilight series. I found that Grace and Bella are similar in with their family situations. They both have sense of understanding the risks involved with their relationships with their non-human boyfriends. Sam is a lot like Edward in the way that neither chose their life for them-self. Beck chose Sam's life after his cruel parents and Carlisle chose Edwards life to save him from dying. Also, both Sam and Edward relationships with the opposite sex were treasured and things moved slowly. Both stories had a race against time. I got very upset with Sam's character when he left the SUV after Grace had hit ice. I knew he just couldn't leave her alone; he was to drawn to her. I must say I loved the last page of the novel when Grace discovered that he was alive. The plot moved quickly and that's a major key in YA literature. This story is a definite great book on the YALSA reluctant reader list. Since I was a reluctant reader in HS this story would have probably pulled me back into reading.
I am looking forward to the sequal of Linger, and I got impatience. I found the first chapter on Amazon and read it! JULY 20th is not coming fast enough for me.

Shiver

OMG! I loved this book! Everyone said that I would, since I'm a huge fan of love stories. But this one wasn't the mushy gushy type of love story. It kept you on pins and needles the whole time...like Sam said...his life was like a roller coaster. And isn't Sam the best boyfriend ever! His character was so sweet to Grace. I think mostly because was an intellectual type person and he knew he did not have very long before he was going to be changed into a wolf forever. I felt sorry for Sam as things started to get colder and colder for him. I felt bad that he was sortive dragged into being a werewolf. And then there were his parents who tried to kill him. I also liked Grace's character in this book. As I kept getting closer to the end, I was feeling sorry for her. I even shedded a tear for her because I really didn't think she was going to have Sam back as a human. When I read that last page I jumped up from the couch and shouted, "He's alive!" I was so afraid that the book would end with him dying, but I'm glad the author waited till the very last page to keep me on my toes. I thought the book was very easy to read. I like the idea of putting the temperature on each chapter. The temperature is what played a huge role in this book. I also found it interesting that Olivia wanted to actually be a werewolf and live that kind of life. I thought that was nice twist at the end as well. I so can't wait till the sequel comes out!

Shiver

I kind of had a hard time starting this book, and really wanted to not like it, because I have been such a "Twilight" fan.  That may sound weird, but I don't read many other vampire or werewolf books.  I have to say I did end up liking it a lot.  I found Grace to be an interesting character, but I found the first chapter uncomfortable and disturbing, I guess because it was so realistic, as far as the implied violence.  I did not understand her obsession with the wolves until I got into the story, and understood how the wolves' bites affected people, and how they apparently affected her.  After that, her obsession at the start of the story made much more sense to me, I understood her.  Sam is such a tortured soul, I liked him, his fight to be a human, even though he is an animal part of the year.  He does not enjoy this way of life that has been forced upon him, and it becomes even more painful when we find out how he became a werewolf, that Beck chose him to be what he is, and thus set in motion the horrific events that followed with his biological parents.  Sam's pain and anguish is very palpable, I felt the most for him in the story, even when it was Grace's turn, I still felt for him.  Grace is such a contrast to her parents, and their relationship is a curious one, they are more like the kids, and her the parent, which is very much like Bella and her mother, in Twilight, though Grace's relationship with her parents is more distant, and less loving, it seems.  She really wants them to pay attention to her, and to love her, but they don't seem to get it, and Sam does, he loves her, and she loves him and the attention he gives her.  She handles everything with a great deal of maturity, and I found her to be a strong, independent female protagonist.  The characters were described in such detail in this book, and were developed very artistically, I thought.  The switching back and forth between Grace and Sam was a nice way to see both sides, and doing it in first person, that made it very personal.  The connection between Sam and Grace, due to the wolf attack, made sense, their attraction is almost instinctual, and it worked.  I think the plot was developed nicely, there was plenty of suspense, and I enjoyed the way the author led us through the storyline.  I should have seen the wreck coming, everything was going well, and something always happens when things are going well.   I think that teens will enjoy this book, and that it was well written.  I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Shiver gave me shivers!

Wow! What can I say! I absolutely loved this book. When I went online to find this book, whether it was at the library or bookstore, it was always checked-out or on hold. That told me automatically that this was an awesome book. I had some preconcieved ideas about this book before I read it. The Twilight series went through my mind when I started it. It seemed to be a little similar to the infamous series, which I loved. My neice, Courtney, is my teenager that I asked to read this book with me. She was all excited because she had bought Shiver at the bookfair but hadn't read it yet. I talked to her about what we were going to do and what was expected of her. We decided to discuss the book on Facebook.
The characters in this book were created superbly. I loved the way Steifvater wrote each chapter in the perspective of Grace or Sam. It helped me to understand what each of them were thinking. The temperature stated at the beginning of each chapter kept me guessing of what was to come. As Steifvater described Grace and her family, I could see them come to life in my head. Mom, an artsy human, that flitted around, always seeming to let Grace be the typical "mom" role in the house. She reminds me of a "free spirit" that doesn't want to be tied down with the responsibility of a teenager. Dad is so career oriented that he spends little time with Grace. Grace, the typical teenage girl protaginist is the responsible one of the house and seems to run the house as well. Steifvater does a good job describing Grace. I loved the way that she seemed connected to the wolves and how Steifvater made me feel like I was there watching Grace watch the wolves from her backyard. One thing that I didn't get from the story that I was hoping to get was a mental picture of the wolves. Steifvater described the change over from human to wolf and how the skin stretched and the bones popped, but I still couldn't "see " what these wolves looked like in animal form. Using my background knowledge of werewolves, I could infer what they might look like, but it seems like she could have given a better description. Sam was an intriguing character. His description wasn't as clear as Graces'. His life is more of a mystery. I cringed at the picture Steifvater painted when his parents had him in the bathtub trying to releive him of his curse. This was such a sad part to read. I can just imagine the scars that Sam has to live with, physcially and mentally.
The plot of this book had me guessing. Like I said earlier, it helped to have each chapter labeled with which character is speaking. I liked it having shorter chapters which made it easier to read. Steifvater did a great job with the plot of Shiver. It was fast paced enough for teenagers to stay interested but slow enough for them to understand it.
I cannot wait until Linger comes out. This is going to be the next huge series success.

Everything Matters

As others from class have mentioned, this book was extremely depressing to me and, honestly, I had a great deal of trouble making myself read it. With respect to plot, I understand that all families are troubled to some extent. I know that my own was and is. But I found the continual horrificness (yes, I made that up) a bit over the top. Instead of reading with interest to see what would happen next, I found the plot cumbersome and a burden. It was one sad episode after another. When I think of this book as compared to Going Bovine, I am startled by the fact that they are both about impending, unavoidable demise and each end as such. But at least with Bovine, there were a lot of laughs along the way.

Admittedly, I was repulsed by the first few pages of the book. I'm not sure why the author felt compelled to include fetal memories at all. But since he did, why on earth must there be included the sexual encounter between the parents? If it's supposed to represent the fact that all of us eventually come to terms with the "facts of life," then it's a pretty poor stretch.

I also found the retro approach to the past several decades interesting, but I was annoyed that there was a cable box in the 70s based on Junior's age. Cable boxes didn't come along until the 80's, so that was off-putting for me.

While the switch in narrators gave better insight into the characters, I also found myself having to do a lot of page flipping to recall who the narrator was at times. And although I felt like I understood the characters better, I also found that there really weren't any of them who I could let myself care about because there were just so few redeeming moments in the story or redeeming qualities in the characters.

Everything Matters!

Like the rest of my classmates have mentioned, I found this book to be a difficult read. After reading the blurb on the book jacket, my expectations were clarified.

I am not opposed to books that have a difficult ending and don't involve the words "and they lived happily ever after." But the twists and turns the book's plot takes essentially negate all chances for hope in the story. Junior finds the cure for his father's cancer but then he dies in a car crash. His brother overcomes his drug addiction but suffers serious brain damage as a result. His girlfriend agrees to join him on the ship leaving the planet, but is killed in the bombing of a building. Most of the action in the novel is really trying to hit home the point that just when life starts to look up, you get hit by a Mack truck. I can see the appeal this would have to teens, who feel as if everything is the end of the world, whether its a fight with a best friend over shoes or a zit before the prom.

Because this is an adult novel that young adults have found and enjoy, we learn a lot more about Junior's parents in this story. I think this is important for young adults to read and understand. Adults do bad things, just like children do. Adults are not perfect and make mistakes; they are fallible creatures who react in ways that we as children can't always understand. Through the mysterious voice, Junior learns more about the people around him then he might normally learn on his own. The second person narrative is also helpful for us as the reader to get more of an understanding of all the characters in the book, so we can better understand Junior's world and how he lives in it. Teens are self-absorbed people so this is a nice subtle nod for them to look outside their bubble and see the world around them.

In trying to save the world, Junior damaged the people around him in one way or another. In his second chance, he lived his life. In the end, he had a happier world because of it, even though the world ends. His actions in both chances remind of a cancer patient, or anyone with a serious illness. They begin by fighting, trying to overcome impossible odds and survive. Some do, some don't. Those who survive always remember and treasure their life more than they ever did before. Those who cannot beat it, are perhaps the most courageous of all, who keep a brave face and a positive outlook even though their own life has been stamped with an expiration date. Ultimately that is what I would like to take away from the book - Live each day to the fullest, because it might be your last.