The Feed

I enjoyed reading this text especially for its language style. I thought it was very engaging the way the author wrote it was as if I was speaking directly with one of my friends with all the “likes” he threw in there and all the simplistic vulgarity. It made the text have a more realistic feel or connection to my youth and even though this book was written some time ago I feel like that is still how young adults talk to one another. I also liked how this book positioned young adults. By challenging them to evaluate the control that technology is having over their lives. I feel like it is really applicable now-a-days as well because how often do you see someone without their cellphone, never. If you look around you while you are walking to school or to the coffee stand you will see almost everyone especially if they are by themselves glued to their cell phones. It makes me question, could society live one day without advanced technology or would we completely lose our minds. Are we going to become eaten alive just like the lesions that are invading the bodies of the characters in the story? I also think that incorporating a love story into it helps as well. Because it shows the growth that love can have on someone and how it can cause a person to see things in a different light and grow as a human. Overall I would rate this book an A. If I grade my students papers anything like I grade these books I will be giving out a lot of A’s. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I am going to start this blog different than all of my other blogs and rate it on the grading scale first and then give my reasoning’s behind the grade. I am giving this book, like many other books, an A (I love mostly all books). I am giving it an A because even though it was talking about the culture differences between white kids and Indian kids I felt that it was very polite about it and respectful. I was not once offended while reading this book. In fact I enjoyed how he gave both sides of the story showing that the kids from Reardan had problems of their own. They may not have been life threatening like drunken parents or going hungry but they did have their own problems to deal with. Like fathers who ignored them, and girls who puke to feel in control of their life; and by setting the story in a somewhat humorous manner I did not feel uncomfortable reading the story and was able to have a greater appreciation for the severity of what was going on because I was not guilt tripped into it or made to believe that it was my fault. But rather I was made more culturally aware that it was happening and that people were suffering from it. Through-out the novel Arnold or Junior which ever you prefer developed into becoming my friend, I wanted to be his friend, and so listening to his complaints about life did not bother me. I do not feel like it leaves anyone out gender or culture wise because the author does such a nice job of not having a bias that you can just appreciate the story. This text appeals to young adults because it shows the struggle of identity and discovering who you are and what your purpose is in life. But it puts it in a perspective that is enlightening. It shows how the process of discovering yourself is a positive and can be joyous and it is not as depressed or horrible as everyone wants you to believe it is. Because even after the many struggles Arnold went through like losing three members of his family he was still able to find happiness in life and strive for his goals. That is why I gave this book a perfect score.

Looking for Alaska

The novel looking for Alaska by John Green is a story about a group of teenagers living at a boarding school where they are considered the social outcasts by themselves and by the “weekday warriors” the wealthy student population. I admire the language style that was used in this text. It depicted exactly how I would imagine awkwardly smart and devious teenagers would speak. Making the first half of the book very enjoyable and humorous to read, even after the transition from the “before” section of the book to the “after” section (after the death of one of the main characters, Alaska) the language did change from awkwardly smart and humorous to awkwardly smart and dark. However I found it fitting because he still keeps within the dialogue style through-out the characters. Suffering from the pain of the loss of one of their dearest friends the humor from them was replaced with a deep dark depression. However I found it fitting because well for one they just lost their friend and two they are teenagers who are still trying to deal with their everyday emotions so dealing with a death I can assume would change their attitudes. I really enjoyed the fact that there was a whole section of the book dedicated to “before” the event. It really allowed the read to connect with the characters and learn who they were, so when reading the “after” I could understand why they were behaving in such a manner or they thought process. And it was a nice transition instead of just throwing it at the reader hey this girl is dead. By having the before and after you are prepared for a change. I also enjoyed the use of symbols that were presented through-out the novel. Although they were pretty mild once you figured out what they were and what they stood for it made a lot of sense. For example the use of the white flowers that were found with Alaska at the scene of the accident given to her by her boyfriend is a symbol for purity. Which is very ironic because nothing about Alaska screams pure or innocence but yet at the same time she still is. She had to endure something that most children never have to, witnessing your mother die in your own arms. Carrying around that guilt from her past makes her act out and rebel. So how is she innocent? Because she still cares. I am unsure of how this text is supposed to position adolescents but if I had to take a guess I would assume that it is meant to encourage young adults to live. To experience life and have fun, but at the same time be ready to suffer the consequences so make smart decisions. This text appeals to the young adult population because of its vulgarity and humorous dialogue. It tells the story of rebellion which is something all youth fantasize. My own personal grading of this text is an A. I thought it was very well written with a nice transition from making choices to suffering consequences.