Reading for a Lifetime Together

Wintergirls

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:41:14 +0000

Wintergirls was a about a girl named Lia, whose best friend was recently found dead in a motel room after excessive binging a purging. Lia not only a victim of loss, but also self-harm, in the form of cutting and anorexia. After various stints in the hospital, Lia seemed to be getting healthier. With Cassie’s death, her family become concerned that another cycle of anorxia will result. The disease not only convinces Lia that her deteriorating body in attractive, but is also huanting her with Cassie’s ghost. Throughout the novel, Lia falls deeper into her disease, breaks her sister’s heart, pushes her parents further away, and meets a mysterious boy who just wants to save her. All these heartbreaking events fall to togther and help Lia realize that she doesn’t have to be a wintergirl like Cassie chose to be. She deserves life.

Wintergirls was right up my alley. It was depressing, involved various forms of self-destruction, and contained high levels of teenage angst. I’m always attracted to these type of books for some reason. Perhaps they make me more appreciative of my life, and this novel definitely helped to do that. Having read Speak (and not being very pleased by it), I wasn’t really looking forward to reading Wintergirls. However, it was a pleasant surprise. I loved it and couldn’t put it down!

-Hannah Stinson

Swim the Fly

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:25:26 +0000

Swim the Fly reveals all the truths about teenage boys. The novel is based around a summer goal and the various failures that come in trying to achieve this goal. Each summer Cooper, Matt, and Sean set a goal to accomplish before the school year starts up again. As they’ve gotten older, the goals have become more difficult and crude. This summer they all have to see a naked girl, in the flesh. They try everything from sneaking into the girls lockeroom at the local gym, to hiding in a closet while too kids from their school hook up at a party. Matt also has a few personal goals to achieve. He must swim the butterfly and get Kelly, the hottest girl on the swim team, to notice him. Goal #1 is achieved when they see their swim coach at a nude beach. Goal #2 is achieved with the help of an insane wsim coach named Ulf. Goal #3 is unfortunately never achieved, but he does however end up datng Kelly’s adorable, French best friend.

This book was FABULOUS. The crude humor was light-hearted and far from distasteful. You couldn’t help but love the boys in the novel. The honesty was refreshing and completely satisfying. I definitely suggest it to everyone, regeardless of what type of books they like. Swim the Fly was a fun, easy read that I enjoyed picking up anytime I needed a laugh.

-Hannah Stinson

If I Stay

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:07:11 +0000

At the very begining of the story, Mia & her family decide to go out together for the day. There’s been all sorts of ice and snow, so the whole family gets in this tragic accident. Mia’s parents were both killed instantly by the crash, and Mia and her brother, Teddy, are in a coma. Initially, Mia thinks she’s perfectly fine, and then comes to realize that she is having an out of body experience while she’s in a coma. The story consists of this experience, along with various memories involving her family. This somber tale continues as her boyfriend is denied the priviledge of seeing her in the hospital, and her brother finally passes as well. Basically, this whole story was death, pain, reminiscence, loss, and the questioning of faith.

Honestly? I was not a fan of If I Stay at all! WhenI purchased it last summer, I was really excited to read it. RFL gave me the perfect excuse to read it, and now I am extremely disappointed. The story line and effect that the author was trying to achieve was admirable, but the whole time I felt as if there was something missing. Her words felt very empty. I don’t know that I would recommend this book, because a book with a missing piece is almost worse than a book that completely bombs. I’ll give it a 2 1/2 out of 5.

-Hannah Stinson

Along for the Ride

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:54:41 +0000

Along for the Ride was just lovely! This girl, Auden, goes to live with her father, extremely young step-mother, and newborn baby sister the summer before she leaves for college. She gets to spend her summer in a beach town where all the girls seem a lot girlier than her, and all the boys seem immature. Except for Eli. Eli is the mysterious one with a tough past. He used to be an excellent biker, but hasn’t put his tires in the bowl in over a year. As fellow insomniacs, they share many late-night adventures and learn to survive the summer together. They share pie in an underground coffee shop, spend endless time trying to pick out a new name for the bike shop, and become familiar faces at the local convenience store. Eventually, these late nights bring them close enough that Eli talks abouthis past, and Auden finally let’s him teach her how to ride a bike.

Personally, I loved this book! I had only read one other Sarah Dessen book before this and wasn’t sure whetheror not it would be as good. It was even better, of course. Along for the Ride was definitely a five-star novel, in my opinion. In hopes that all her novels are as good as this one, I plan on reading plenty of Dessen’s works.

-Hannah Stinson

Pride and Prejudice By: Jane Austen

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 02:04:52 +0000

Pride and Prejudice is a book about a young woman named Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is extremely smart and is filled with pride throughout the whole book, but she also is sweet and extremely passionate. Elizabeth and her family in the beginning of the book meet Mr.Dacry and the Wickhams. Elizabeth and her sister’s tales soon intertwine with the fashionably new acquaintances, and both sides discover love and happiness within each other. Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy at the beginning are on opposite ends of the playing field; while Elizabeth’s older sister fancies Mr.Wickham. Both girls go their hardship and scandal, but in the end come out on top with these two rich young gentleman.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I actually own a copy of this book, and it is resting on the bookshelf in my bedroom as I type this. This first time I read this book it took me awhile to get into the story, but soon I got a hold of it. Some people are absolutely repulsed by the old english in this book, but I love it; to me old english sounds extremely eloquent and beautiful. I truly do love this book a lot.

Samantha Ormesher

Swim The Fly By: Don Calame

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:50:17 +0000

Swim The Fly is a book about three boys, Sean, Matt, and Cooper, for their summer goal want to see a real, live naked girl. During the summer they practice with their swim team and come up with elaborate plans to see a naked girl. Kelly is a new girl on the three boy’s swim team, and all of the boys think that she is super hot. Matt tries to impress her by raising his hand and offering to do the butterfly since one of their team mates can no longer swim it. Matt has now the difficult task ahead of perfecting the butterfly stroke. When Matt tries to find another swimming pool to practice in he soon ends up taking lifeguard classes by accident. His instructor, Ulf, is very demanding of the boys in his class. Now does Matt not only have to swim the fly, he has to take classes he does not want to take.

I laughed constantly throughout the book while I was reading it because there are many parts that are just very ironic and cheesy. Matt, Sean, and Cooper reminded me of hormone filled teenagers that would do anything to see a naked girl; which is exactly what they do. I laughed until the very end; I really enjoyed reading this book.

Samantha Ormesher 4th hour

If I Stay By: Gayle Forman

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:08:43 +0000

If I Stay is a book about a girl named Mia that ends up in a car accident that kills her mother, father, and little brother; Mia is the only survivor. Mia soon finds herself flown in a helicopter to the Portland hospital. She is in intensive care, and the doctors do not believe that she is going to make it. While Mia’s body is staying in the ICU her soul is wandering the halls of the hospital listening and watching her family and friends go to and from the hospital. Mia has the choice to stay in this world or travel to the unknown; she contemplates this as she remembers the memories of her life. Mia faces a tough decision; will she stay or will she choose to end her life.

I read this book in a matter of minutes it seems like. I loved it from the beginning to the end. At first I thought I would like the book because the book just seemed depressing from back to front, but I soon found out that I like the author’s style of writing. I like how Forman went back and forth from the present to the past. The only thing I did not like of the book was that at times it seemed kind of kiddy, but I soon overcame that within the first couple of pages.

Samantha Ormesher 4th hour

Wintergirls By:Laurie Halse Anderson

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:06:13 +0000

Wintergirls is the story about a girl named Lia. Lia suffers inside a skin that she thinks that is too big for her. Lia cuts herself and sheds off pounds by not eating. Lia is anorexic. Her family does not seem to understand what she is going through in her eyes, and she does not feel like she is enough. Throughout the pages of the book Lia is reminded of Cassie, who was bulimic. Lia is having a hard time coping with Cassie’s death even though she had not talked to Cassie for a while. Soon Lia meets Elijah. Elijah wanders from place to place, and soon becomes a friend to Cassie. Towards the end of the book Lia is withering away to the point of no return; she must decide to face her biggest fears or wither away to nothing.

I loved how Anderson presented anorexia in this book. I flipped through the pages easily and effortlessly. Anderson is an amazing author and truly knows how to get inside another person’s mind. She reminded me of some of the problems that I face on an everyday basis; those problems mostly consist of the question: Am I good enough? While I read this book I learned that I can never be perfect, but I can try to be happy with who I am.

Samantha Ormesher 4th hour

Along For The Ride

sophhonors — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:29:17 +0000

While not the fastest paced book at the beginning, the story begins about the same as many of Dessan’s books: About a girl. This girl, Aden, is not the typical high school grad. Instead of looking forward to the summer parties, Auden looks to her text books for entertainment for her many sleepless nights, or so she thinks. That is, until Auden decides to go spend the summer “reconnecting” with her father, and meeting her new step-mom and baby sister, Thisbe, in an attempt to get away from her feminist mother. There, Auden learns how much she missed growing up, as well as meets many new friends, and maybe someone even more important, Eli. And throughout the book, Auden learns what it really means to be grown up.

I liked it. However, I am highly biased, as I love almost everything Sarah Dessan write. Still, I liked it, because some of Dessan’s characters don’t deal with an above average intelligence, so this was a new take on her typical love stories. The characters were still very real, and you ould connect very easily to them. The plot was good.

Overall, I give the book a 5 out of 5. I would most likely recommend it as a summer read, since it occurs in the summer time.

~Emily Adams (Class of 2013)

If I stay by Gayle Forman

sophhonors — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:48:41 +0000

Gayle Forman wrote If I Stay and the setting for this story is mainly a hospital in Portland. Mia lives with her mother, father, and little brother, but she lives for playing the cello and her boyfriend Adam. One snow day, Mia and her family decide to drive to visit some family friends. They get into a car crash on the way to the friends’ house. Her parents die instantly. Mia and her brother survive the collision and are rushed to the nearest hospital. However, Mia is having an out-of-body experience and can see everything that is going on. Mia is flown to a hospital in Portland while her brother stays behind. When Mia arrives at the hospital, she undergoes many surgeries and learns of her little brother’s death. Now Mia has to decide whether to stay alive for her boyfriend and friends or to die and be with her family.

I read If I Stay in one sitting. I just picked it up and read it cover to cover. One of my favorite things about If I Stay was how Forman showed the amount of time that had passed. The biggest problem I had with this book is that her little brother died. That made me so mad even though it would have ruined the plot of the story. If I Stay is a good book to read if you want to enjoy a quick read.

Hannah Benson 4th Hour