Uglies (summary and book review)

I just finished the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it! I still have some questions but I'm sure they will be answered in the rest of the books in this series. Through more mistakes and adventures, Tally ends up accidentally betraying the Smoke. She is forced to travel across rough terrain in order to rescue her friends. She learns about the history of the fallen civilization, the "Rusties", and what caused their destruction. Tally, David, Maddy (David's Mom) and Croy work together to make a new home in the rubble of the Smoke. Special Circumstances ensures that Shay falls victim to the operation and its mind-altering effects. Maddy, a former doctor for the city and passionate about her work, works to find a cure. The ending of the book is very suspenseful and very abrupt. Tally demonstrates massive amount of courage in order to protect her friends. 

I noticed a significant character change in Tally throughout the book, making her a dynamic character. She went from a lonely Ugly, counting down the days until she could call herself a care-free Pretty, to a rebel, plotting against the morals of the operation and leading a new generation of Uglies to the Smoke. Staying true to my prediction, Tally's beliefs and values shifted by the end of the book. Tally's character change is similar to the change Cassia undergoes in Matched. Both characters go from feeling pride towards their society to feeling rebellious and experiencing the need to escape.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about futuristic dystopian societies and suspenseful books. As a warning, the poor decisions made by some characters, specifically Tally, will annoy you throughout the book. There are so many points where I wished she would've acted or spoken differently. But without mistakes and conflict, the book wouldn't contain the same incredible amount of suspense within the plot. I cannot wait to read Pretties, the sequel to Uglies and the second book in this series. I have many predictions and questions that I hope will be answered!

This is a link from to Good Reads with some of the best and most popular quotes from Uglies:

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2895388-uglies

Uglies (plot and connections)

This book has significantly developed in the past week I've been reading it. Tally runs into trouble when she must decide whether to betray her friend in order to become Pretty or give up her future and keep her promise to Shay. She uses Shay's coded directions to embark on a journey to the Smoke, a secret civilization far away from the city and one with a very different lifestyle and set of values. But Shay doesn't know Tally's true intentions for fleeing the city. As Tally meets new people in the Smoke, like David and his family, she notices how different they are compared to most Pretties she'd ever known. Along the way, Tally makes some poor choices regarding her friendships and the safety of everyone she just met. With many secrets kept, feelings hurt and promises broken, Tally realizes she may have made some mistakes. The following quote shows her attitude towards the Smoke and how her hopes for her future have changed,

"Still, she wouldn't have traded anything for this moment, standing there and looking down at the plains spread out below. Tally had spent the last four years staring at the skyline of New Pretty Town, thinking it was the most beautiful sight in the world, but she didn't think so anymore" (Westerfeld 209).

One prominent text-to-text connection I've made is the similarity of this book to Matched by Ally Condie. Both books are set in futuristic dystopian societies where authoritative control and scientific advancement are major elements. The protagonists in each book explore the outside world after realizing the home they've known for so long isn't as perfect as they thought. In Uglies, the authorities use the operation to alter the way people view each other, physically and mentally. In Matched, the government uses tablets to manipulate the minds of its citizens and their views on society as well.

I only have about 140 more pages in this book but I cannot wait to find out what happens next. I still have many unanswered questions. Will Tally fight for Shay and stick with her in the Smoke? Or will she break her newly developed trust and countless more promises? Will Shay forgive Tally for what happened with David? Will "Special Circumstances" find out about the Smoke? Will Tally ever see Peris, an old friend who turned Pretty a few months prior to Tally's departure, again? Even though I haven't finished this book yet, I can already say that I would definitely recommend it!

The following picture and links relate to my connection between Uglies and Matched.



Uglies GoodReads Link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24770.Uglies?from_search=true

Matched GoodReads Link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7735333-matched?from_search=true

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I recently started reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Although I'm only on page 110, the plot has developed significantly. The protagonist, Tally Youngblood, is a 15 year old girl who lives in a society that prioritizes "biological correctness". According to authorities and most members of society, people are born ugly and must undergo an operation at the age of 16 in order to appeal to the natural human sense of beauty. Tally has been waiting her whole life to finally become "Pretty", to experience the lifelong joy of partying and being surrounded by beautiful people. The following quote from the book demonstrates Tally's longing to leave 'Uglyville' and begin her new life as a Pretty:

"She'd spent the last four years looking out at New Pretty Town, wanting nothing more than to cross the river and not coming back. That's probably what had tempted her through the window so many times, learning every trick she could to sneak closer to the new pretties, to spy on the life she would eventually have" (Westerfeld 85).

The setting of this book is very intriguing, a futuristic society that hides information about the past and the outside world, and tricks its members into thinking that a good life comes from external beauty. But as Tally begins to explore beyond the river and as she gains information from her new friend, Shay, she slowly starts to question the principles of the world she's known and admired her whole life. 

I've really enjoyed this book so far. The rising action has begun to build up, with some major events taking place. For example, without giving too much away, Shay tells Tally about her bold, unexpected plan and Tally is brought to the "Special Circumstances" organization and given important information, right before she is about to have her Pretty operation. I predict that by the end of the series, if not the book, Tally will have a change of mind about the concept of Pretties and Uglies. I believe that she will become a dynamic character and will eventually rebel against society. I'm excited to continue reading this book and I can't wait to find out what happens to Tally and Shay.

This link contains book reviews, Q&A, discussion questions and more information about the book, Uglies:

http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies/

Looking for Alaska (summary and book review)

I just finished reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. As mentioned in my last post, this book contained a lot of suspense. Many of the questions I encountered as I read the book were answered in some way. However, the author left the resolution open-ended in order to satisfy the reader's need for answers and leave some room for interpretation. The characterization increased throughout the book, with numerous additions to emotional, social, intellectual and physical descriptions to many of the characters. The book explored more of Alaska's past, Pudge's thoughts and beliefs, and Colonel's determination. I really enjoyed the deep analysis and various perspectives in the last half of the book, mainly the climax and falling action.

One of the underlying topics in the book is 'the labyrinth of suffering' in relation to religion and philosophy. In the beginning of the book, Alaska posed a question to Pudge about Simón Bolívar's last words and about 'escaping the labyrinth', 

"'That's the mystery, isn't it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape - the world or the end of it?'" (Green 19). 

Throughout the book, Pudge reflects on these questions, relating them to his own experiences. Pudge writes,

"[We] had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth" (Green 218).

"We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations...But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail" (Green 220). 

I would give Looking for Alaska 4.5 out of 5 stars. The conflict, emotion, suspense and characterization in this book were sensational! Once the rising action began building, the book was very exciting. It got off to a slow start but John Green did a great job making sure the reader was engaged and curious as to where the story was headed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys emotional romance books that really make you think. This book has many strong themes and messages and I definitely enjoyed it!

This is a link from John Green's website about his book, Looking for Alaska:

http://johngreenbooks.com/looking-for-alaska/

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I'm about halfway through this book, and it's been very intriguing so far. Miles Halter, nicknamed "Pudge" by one of his new friends, Alaska, has recently embarked on a journey to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama. He left his home in Florida on a mission to find a better life. Pudge's obsession with reading biographies and collecting people's famous last words led him to his desire for another beginning, "He was this poet. And his last words were 'I go to seek a Great Perhaps.' That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps'" (Green 5). So far, the book has consisted of Pudge learning who his enemies are, enjoying Religion class and socializing with his roommate, Chip 'Colonel' Martin, Alaska Young and some of their friends. Within the campus, as Pudge soon learns, there are two distinct groups of students, the Weekday Warriors and the regular boarding school students. He finds himself following the path of making not-so rule abiding choices, as seems the standard for most students at this school. 

Along with the interesting connections between the characters, John Green has created a lot of suspense in his book. I have many questions about what will happen. Will Pudge and Alaska become more than friends? What will come of the pranks between the Weekday Warriors and the regular boarders? And what is the mysterious climax that the whole book seems to revolve around? Looking for Alaska isn't set up with chapters, but rather with a new heading for each new day. For example, "one-hundred thirty-six days before" on page one and counting down with every day. After page 133, the heading shifts to "after". This makes me wonder how important an event must be in order for the narrator, Pudge, to focus all of his writing around one day. 

The above quote represents very well not only the great imagery in the book, but the symbolism too. I think that rain is an accurate portrayal of Alaska's personality, sometimes positive and beneficial, sometimes a hinderance, fluctuating but necessary, and not afraid to be bold. Rain could also be a great symbol for Pudge, following the footsteps of others but still having his own thoughts and opinions. Rain doesn't choose where to fall, the clouds do, but the rain chooses how to fall, right? Will it snow? Will it pour? How will Pudge react?

I'm really looking forward to continuing to read this book. It seems like it has many surprises in store, and lots of suspense! The following link is to quotes from the book on goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/919292-looking-for-alaska

John Green

I've just started reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. I decided to write about the author and his other works and accomplishments as I read further into the book. John Green was born on August 24, 1977 and, at only 37 years old, he is already a New York Times Bestselling author and a successful YouTuber and blogger. He was born in Indianapolis, IN and raised in Orlando, FL. He attended Indian Springs boarding school, which is the foundation for the setting in Looking for Alaska. I'm interested to see how his personal experience with the setting influences the story! John Green has written numerous books in addition to Looking for Alaska, including The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines. 

Green's various literary works have won many awards, including the following:

-2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the ALA (Looking for Alaska)
-2007 Michael L. Printz Honor Award Book (An Abundance of Katherines)
-2009 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel (Paper Towns)
-2010 Corine Literature Prize (Paper Towns)

John Green also shares a YouTube channel with his brother, Hank. The channel started out as a fun idea for the two siblings to communicate with each other only through these videos. Their channel, vlogbrothers, became a wild success, now with over 200 million total views, and served as additional publicity for John Green with the release of his first two books. John and Hank have resumed textual communication since the start of the channel but continue to upload videos for their many "Nerdfighter" fans to enjoy.

John Green also helped initiate the Foundation to Decrease World Suck and its main charity event, Project for Awesome. The organization utilizes YouTube to promote and raise money for countless charities around the world. More information is provided in the link below:

http://www.projectforawesome.com/about

Also, here is a link to John and Hank's YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers/featured

Websites Used (MLA Format):

"Fault in Our Stars (Green) - Author Bio." The Fault in Our Stars. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/15-young-adult-fiction/8711-fault-in-our-stars-green?start=1>.

"John Green’s Biography." John Green RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://johngreenbooks.com/bio-contact/>.

One Thousand Gifts (summary and book review)

I just finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The second half of the book further explored the idea of unlimited graces and thanksgiving. Ann talked about her initial struggle with the practice of eucharisteo and how being grateful for everything, whether miniscule or cosmic, has allowed her to live a fuller life. In one chapter, she describes her journey with being a blessing. A trip she took as a chaperone for a youth group provided her with a very moving experience and showed her that being a blessing for others, serving, is a blessing in itself, a great gift. 

She also described how thanksgiving must be a conscious action. In the midst of her chaotic life, six kids, endless laundry, dishes and work to be done on the farm, Ann must work to replace her fear, stress and complaining with trust and gratefulness to God. The following quotes from the book express the main points from a few chapters,

"The real problem of life is never a lack of time. The real problem of life - in my life - is lack of thanksgiving" (Voskamp 72).

"Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows fell over a life?" (Voskamp 90).

Overall, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's filled with inspiration and definitely makes you think. The theme, thanksgiving providing life rich with joy, is one that can be appreciated by anybody. No matter what age or life experience, we all have moments where our stresses and complaints cause unhappiness. This book will inspire you to truly appreciate each moment. You don't have to agree with everything the author says to enjoy One Thousand Gifts. I would definitely recommend this book!

The following link is to a book summary/review about One Thousand Gifts.

http://www.upliftingwordsonline.com/2012/08/06/one-thousand-gifts-what-happens-when-you-count-gifts/