Blog Reflection

Ailee Henderson
Blog Reflection
Bell 1
       My writing has improved over the course of the trimester in many factors. By comparing the first and second posts the more recent post goes into much greater detail when explaining my points and describing the aspects of theme and characterization within the text. My writing is also more analytical of the questions that are asked by the rubric. In my first post when explaining the reasoning behind the stars in my recommendation, I just gave short, one-sentence explanations like; "I took away a star though because I felt that sometimes with quick changing events, the story sometimes became a little hard to follow." Whereas later within the trimester I analyzed the questions asked and gave sound answers with solid evidence to back up my points. When talking about the characterization of different characters in the book I Am Number Four the quotes I used were supportive of my views and added more meaning to the point I was trying to make. An example of this is from one of my later characterization blog posts; "This is a perfect example of how the people you spend time with can affect your actions and your personality. When Sarah was spending time with Mark and the bad crowd she saw herself becoming a worse person, but when she goes to Colorado and rediscovers the better things in life, she realizes the kind of person she was and makes the changes to fix it."
        One thing I struggled with when blogging over the past couple weeks, was finding  different topics to write about each week. I overcame this struggle by looking for different topics within my books for different parts that authors incorporated into the stories by reblogging the same topics but writing my new posts with more detail of the subject. One strength I had with my blogging this trimester was my ability to understand my books more by breaking them down and looking at different aspects of the authors writing. I also used my goodreads account to help me find different books to read and see books that I could possibly want to read in the future. Although i did not meet my reading goal of 25 books I felt that I improved as a reader by reading more books that were longer and more challenging than the ones i was reading before. I also improved by trying a new genre, science fiction novels. This trimester I read I Am Number Four and Divergent which gave me a different perspective than the more realistic fiction type novels I was reading before.

Analysis

Analysis
     I read the book I Am Number Four and throught the book different aspects lead me to believe that John is the most important of the children who escaped from Lorian. When the chram was placed on the kids, it had the effect that they could only be killed in number order as long as they stayed separated on Earth; John is number four. I think he is the most important because he is the next one to be hunted but, he is now developing his legacies (powers) that will give him a better chance of fighting back and defeating the Mogadorians. As the book goes on it shows John getting stronger and become more prepared to fight for the ones he loves.
      Then when they show up and he realizes that his time is finally here, it is time to fight the Mogadorians. As he teams up with the newly found number Six it is finally time to show what they have been training for all this time. If they had were able to attack him earlier in his life or had found him earlier he would not have been nearly as effective as he was now. He was clearly the most important child because John was the one who lead the attack and was able to defeat them.
                                            

Book Recommendation

Book Recommendation
 
       I have been reading the book I Am Number Four over the past couple weeks and this is a very great book. It's about a teenage boy who is secretly an alien who came to earth to escape a race of aliens called the Mogadorians. They have come to kill him after he escaped the invasion of his home planet. As the book progresses it shows his relationship progress with his new girlfriend Sarah and friend Sam. But when the Mogadorians unexpectedly show up John is in for the fight of his life. You might enjoy this book if you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat and are packed full with exciting adventures. It also appeals to people who want a little romance in their books. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because of the way i always want to keep on reading to the next chapter. I took away half a star because towards the end of the book it begins to get slightly predictable . But read this book if you want to find out if John survives this whirlwind adventure of love, protection, and revenge for the people he loves and the Mogadorians have hurt.

Theme

Theme
       There are many themes in the book I Am Number Four but one of the most prevelant is, a true friend will do anythng to take care of you. You see this in the book many times but it really becomes clear when Henri goes missing.The text says "Henri. The panic returns. I clench my hands into fists. I need to get out of here. I need to find him." This example really shows how worried he is about Henri and how much it shows he really loves him. As the text continues you see that since Heri and John left Lorien, Henri has become more than a friend to John, he has taken on the role of a father figure. He wa the one to take care of John and raise him, he taught him how to use his powers and he was the one to always protect John from any danger that came near, these are all actions that a parent would take when raising a child proving the theme that someone you love would do anything to take care of you and proving that Henri and John are more than friends, they are family.

Characterization

Complex Characters
      Throughout the book I Am Number Four you see John develop as a charcter and a person. When you meet him you can already see that he is very mature for his age. But what else can you expect? He has had to move at least 15 to 20 times since he has lived on earth in order to stay hidden from the Mogadorians. When John and Henri moved to Ohio you start to see a different side of John, a more carefree, wild side that you would normally see in teenageers.
      This is an example of how complex characters develop over a course of text and interact with other characters because if John had never met Sarah then we, as readers, might not have been able to see this side of his personality. As they get to know one another better you start to see a different side of both of their personalityies come out. From the text on page 109 Sarah talks about her relationship with mark. "They [Sarah and Mark] dated for two years, but the longer they were together, the more she drifted from her parents and friends. She knew she had started to change, to adopt some of his attitudes towards people: being mean and judgemental, thinking she was better than them. She had also started drinking and her grades slipped. At the end of school last year, her parents sent her to live with her aunt in Colorado for the summer. When she got there, she started taking long hikesin the mountains, taking pictures of the scenery with her aunt's camera. She fell in love with photography and had the best summer, realizing there was far more to life than being a cheerleader and dating the quarterback of the football team.  When she got home she broke up with Mark and quit cheerleading, making a vow to be good and kind to everyone."  This is a perfect example of how the people you send time with can affect your actions and your personality. When Sarah was spending time with Mark and the bad crowd she see herself become a worse person, but when she goes to Colorado and rediscovers the better things of life she relizes the kind of person she was and makes the changes to fix it.
       You see this happening with John too. He becomes more open and more carefree when he is around Sarah. You see this in the book when the text says '"Of course. I'm with the prettiest girl at the party. How couldthings be better?'" Before John was dating Sarah he wouldn't have ever gone to a party or hung out with people because he was afarid, but now he has a social life and friends. Because of this I beieve that when certain people interact with each other it can change who they are and how a character develops over a time.
      

Book Recommendation

       Although I haven't been reading this book for very long I Am Number Four is very good. As i explained in previous blog posts, it is about a boy who traveled to Earth as his planet, Lorian, was being attacked. When he arrives he must learn to use his powers to hopefully someday fight and defeat the Mogadorians. Along with the pressures of being an alien that has to stay out of sight and flee from the Mogadorians, John must also tackle the hardships of being a teenage boy in high school.
        When he meets Sarah, a sweet girl that loves photography, John's life gets turned upside down. He soon realizes that she is the girl of his dreams, but winning her over will not be that easy. John soon finds out the she is the ex-girlfriend of star football quarterback, Mark.
         You would like this book if you enjoy reading adventure novels with just a twist of romance to keep it interesting. I gave this book four and a half stars out of five because I really like how the author was able to make this book relatable to most high school age kids even though it was about a boy sent to Earth to save his alien race. I took away a half star because i wished that he would have gone more into detail about how the Mogadorians were able to take over the Lorian planet so easily. Read this book find out if John really gets the girl and saves the world.

Predictions

Predictions
             
       I just started reading the book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. This book is about nine people who were sent to Earth as children to escape the Mogadorians, and hopefully save their race. As they arrive they scatter to all parts of the world to enact a charm that was place upon them before they left, because of this charm they can only be killed in number order. They were soon found after they arrived and the first three have already been killed. He is number four. Although i haven't been reading this book for very long i can make a couple of predictions about my future reading.
       First, early in the book the newly named 'John' meets Sarah Hart. I an prediction that John and Sarah will fall in love later on in the book. This could be a text to text connection because I have read many other books, such as The Last Song, The Lucky One, and Divergent, where one of the main characters falls in love with the new kid. Although the author never comes outright and says they like each other the reader can infer this from the following evidence. "She mixes the batter and strands of hair fall in her face while she works. I desperately want to reach over and tuck the loose strands behind her ear, but I don't" page 71. This evidence shows that even through he is not really allowed to, John wants to become closer to Sarah, and evidence later on in the book shows that Sarah was to get to know John better too. "She looks behind her again and quickly reaches into the front pocket of her bag. She pulls out my phone and hands it to me. 'How did you get this?' She shrugs. 'Does Mark know?' 'Nope. So are you still going to be a tough guy?' she asks. 'I guess not'" page 73.
       Second, I think that later in the book the Mogadorains are going to find John. Earlier in the book it says that they have ways to find them but some are easier to track then others, this is why Henri and John are constantly moving and living in very small, low key towns. As John learns to use his new found Legacies  I believe that eventually in the book he is going to have to put them to the test, and defend himself and others with these special powers. An example that led me to this prediction was when the text said "I like the alien war and space games the best. I pretend I am back on Lorien, fighting Mogadorians, cutting them down, turning them to ash."  Again I consider this a text to text connection because usually when a character is given some sort of special power in the book they end up using to defend the ones they love, examples of this are The Incredibles, Spiderman, and Batman. These are my predictions for the book I Am Number Four.

Characterization

Characterization of "Four"
        I just started reading the book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. This is about a kid who traveled with nine other kids to Earth to save the Lorien race. They scattered to all parts of the world in hope of staying hidden, and to keep a spell that means they can only be killed in the order of their number. Soon after they arrive they have been tracked again by the Mogadorians who's entire goal is to kill those nine children. As each child has been found and killed Four is the next one in line.
         Although i haven't gotten very far into this book there are a couple traits that stand out about him. First, he is very sarcastic and likes to joke around, you see this many times when he is talking to Henri. An example of this is when the author writes "Three wooden stairs lead to a small porch covered  with rickety chairs. The yard itself is long and shaggy. It has been a very long time since the grass was last mowed. 'It looks like paradise,' I say." page 20.
        Another trait that could be used to describe Four is adaptive. You can tell this because to hid from the Mogadoraians they have had to move many times. Throughout his time on Earth he has lived in many small towns and attended many small schools, where he has had to start from scratch every time. In the following quote this is described "Another new identity, another new school. I've lost track of how many there have been over the years. Fifteen? Twenty? Always a small town, always a small school, always the same routine." page 23. This is the characterization of Four from the book I Am Number Four

Book Recommendation

Recomendation
        I just finished reading the book Divergent by Veronica Roth. Throughout this book it tells a story of a young girl named Tris. Where she lives there are five factions, Dauntless, Erudite, Abnegation, Amity, and Candor. Every year the incoming group of sixteen year olds take a test to see which faction would be best for him/her to live, to help them decide at the Chooseing Ceremony, but something goes wrong with Tris' test, she is eligable for three. Tris is Divergent. She knows that she is dangerous,but she doesnt know why. "' Wait," I interupt her. "So you have no idea what my aptitude is?" "Yes and no. My conclusion," she explains, "is that you desplay equal aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. People who get this kind of result are..." She looks over her shoulder like she expects someone to appear behind her. "...are called... Divergent." She says the last word so quietly that I asmost dont hear it, and her tense, worried look returns." (page 22)
        She ends up choosing Dauntless, the faction that values bravery. As she enters initiation she realizes the life she left behind at Abnegation but begins to realize the new one she has started. With the help of her new friends they make it through the hardest part of the initiation, the second round, where mental toughness is key. Along the way Tris meets an interesting boy named Four, where a connection begins to grow. But as tensions rise between factions Tris learns of a war that Erudite is planning.  "And then something occurs to me, something that hits me in the gut and gnaws at my insides. Erudite doesn't have weapons, and they don't know how to fight- but the Dauntless do." (page376) She isnt quite sure how they will plan it out but she ends up having to make the ultimate decision, faction or family. Read this book to find out what decision Tris makes and what it truely means to be Divergent.
        I  would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction novels and likes the post apocolypse world. You would also like this book if you liked the Hunger Games series. I gave this book four out of five stars because I really enjoyed how the author left each chapter at a cliffhanger, leaving the reader wanting more. I also like how she gave insight into how emotional and meatally tough Dauntless initiation was. I took away a star though because I felt that sometime with the quick changing events, the story sometimes became a little hard to follow. All in all I thought this book was very well written and a great read.
Below is the trailer of the upcoming movie that is due to be released in 2014.

Theme

        There are many themes in the book Divergent by Veronica Roth, but one of the most prevalent is, bravery can come to the most unlikely people, and throughout the text Tris proves this theme in multiple situations. To start off the book Tris decides to change factions after she had learned that she had the ability to be placed in to a number of different factions, or that she was divergent. Switching from Abnegation, the faction that values selflessness, to Dauntless, the faction that values bravery, was the first adventurous thing she did.

       As initiation continues Tris begins to prove herself to the doubting instructors of her new faction by being the first initiate to jump into the pit, beating Molly in the combat portion of training, and being the leader of the winning capture the flag team, each day showing more and more that she has what it take to be dauntless. An example of this is when Tris has the creative idea to climb the Ferris wheel, and  leads her team to victory in capture the flag. “See that?” I say, pointing… “it’s coming from the park at the end by the pier,” he says. “Figures. It’s surrounded by open space, but the trees provide camouflage. Obviously not enough.” This quote demonstrates the theme because coming from the Choosing Ceremony to now Tris would have never thought that she could have found the bravery that it takes to be a Dauntless member, but not only did she join but she was succeeding as an initiate.

       This theme is shaped by specific details because throughout the book each little thing that Tris accomplishes adds up to what her new character is becoming. Each time she finds the bravery to conquer a task she turns more and more into the Dauntless member that she wants to become an even though she had more to overcome leading into the initiation process she still found the bravery to become a candidate. These are the ways that theme shows in the book Divergent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characterization

       The characters in the book Divergent by Veronica Roth, develop over the course of the text due to their previous actions. The protagonist in this book is Tris, she developed the most because she came from the faction that values selflessness and the people there tend to be quiet and reserved. Then, she moves to the Dauntless faction that is filled with loud and rowdy people. As she become one of the Dauntless members, to can see Tris' personality change as she beings to learn to speak her mind and be brave. With her friends, the adventure of becoming a Dauntless was just beginning. 

         But Tris was always destined to be different, she is divergent. Not quite knowing what that means she takes on the journey of being different. Her true talents are put to the talent when she finds out that the Erudite are planning a war on her old faction, Abnegation. Not only is this happening, but the Erudite can not find a war on their own and are planning to brainwash the Dauntless to fight for them. Torn between the choice to save her friends or family Tris ventures into the Erudite headquarters and tries to destroy the program that is conducting this horrible attack.
    
       As you see at then end of the book, Tris' character takes a 180, she goes from being the shy, timid girl at the end of the street to showing ultimate bravery to protect the ones that she loves, sacrificing the things she loves to do that.  Below is a link that takes you to Goodreads where you can look at reviews of this book and see what other people thought of it.

Divergent Review

Complex Characters

       Complex characters that develop over a course of text  help develop the plot in the book The Blind Side by showing how someone can change when they become comfortable with people they have gotten used to. In this book when Michael Oher first arrived he would not talk to anyone and he wouldn't share his feelings at all. Then, as the book progresses on you see him start to open up. First, her would just talk to Leigh Anne, then it moved to the whole Tuohy family, and finally towards the end of the book Michael became comfortable talking to large groups of people at press conferences or interviews when he was getting ready to commit to a school.
    

       This developed the plot because most of the time Leigh Anne and the reader both found out about Michael's past by him occasionally talking about his childhood. If his character didn't do this then you wouldn't be able to see how a lot of his character traits and personality had to the with the fact that he had a troubled childhood, therefor the reader would not have been able to have such a deep connection with Michael Oher's character. This also helped develop the plot because some of the opportunities Michael had were because of his ability to contact and talk to some university coaches. As you saw in one of the very first chapters Lemmings was ready to rule Michael out because of his odd interview and poor social skills. With Lemming's research and history with other players, that was usually one of the signs that something might go wrong with the players ability to play at such a high level of sports and still manage the stresses of college on top of that. But, when the Tuohys went back to him and explained Michael's situation Lemmings gave Michael another interview and named him one of the nations to prospects.

The Blind Side Article
This article is giving a short review of The Blind Side and then it gives an excerpt from the book. It also has a section on where Michael Oher is today and what his is doing with his career.