Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Last Blog Post of the Year!

            The main protagonist in this book is Oskar Schell. Throughout the book, I have realized that Oskar is a really complicated child. Not only is he complicated, but he is ambitious and driven to do things like finding out the truth about the key. Sometimes I wonder what it is like to be Oskar. He's got everything bundled up and bottled up inside of him. That's unhealthy. I have realized that throughout the book, Oskar goes through many obstacles that even many grown ups haven't gone through. Throughout the book, I have noticed lots of close connections and family ties.

            Oskar has made me thankful for having a fatherly figure in my life. I mean, sure, Oskar has Ron. Ron is his mother's new boyfriend, but Oskar absolutely hates his guts! Having a complete stranger just pop up in your life is not the best case scenario for a child who is 9 and misses his father. Oskar absolutely despises him. I can't exactly connect because this has never happened to me, but this is exactly like hating a girl because she is ridiculously full of herself and snobby. Well, maybe not, but you get what I'm getting at. I feel for him because since Oskar knows about the messages that his father sent on the day of 9/11, he feels that his mom shouldn't be meeting new people. He doesn't want his mother to move on. As a child, I can see how he thinks his mom is trying to forget about his father. He feels as if his mom is trying to replace his dad with another guy.  

            Oskar and his mom have a confusing relationship. I mean sure, they have a normal son and mother relationship, but it is so much more complicated than that. I feel that there's tension every time they talk. For example on page 171, Oskar and his mother have a heart to heart. It gets real intense and personal too. It's about being happy and Dad. Oskar at one point says "I'm not trying to find ways to be happy, and I won't." This line upsets me. I agree that mom shouldn't forget about dad, but as a child, your kind of obligated to grow up. I already know that Oskar is an intelligent child, but some times I wish he saw the brighter sides to things. He gets this thing called "heavy boots," which I think is just a way for him to describe the feeling of being depressed or upset. This death impacts him so much that it causes tension between him and his mom. Soon later on page 173, Oskar writes a reflection that says the following:

                        "... to feel sorry for me (because she should realize how hard things are for me), and to feel terrible (because at least some of it is her fault) and to promise me that she won't die and leave me alone. But she didn't say anything."

At the end of the day, Oskar just wants his mom to remember his father and what he's done. He doesn't want his mom to forget about his dad because he means so much to him. As a child, Oskar has gone through so many things and him reflecting on this makes me realize that Oskar must feel really lonely without his dad.

            I admire Oskar. If I was a nine year old, I wouldn't have a clue to how to react. He's so strong and ambitious for a nine year old. He's so smart to the point that you can't baby him or he'll know that you're babying him. The way Jonathan Safran Foer has created Oskar makes him relatable to people of all ages. Whether you're old or young, everyone goes through tough times especially when you lose someone that means the world to you. This coming of age novel has been complex to understand at times, but I enjoyed reading it so much. It may be unrealistic at times, but all in all, this was a wonderful coming of age book.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: Coming of Age

          Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathan Safran Foer portrays a nine year old boy named Oskar going through life finding out where his father is. Oskar and his father, Thomas Schell, use to to play these games (i.g. Reconnaissance Expedition, which Thomas gives inklings to Oskar and Oskar has to try to find the thing his father is looking for.) One day, all that happiness is taken away from Oskar when he finds out that his dad died from the attack on 9/11. As a nine year old boy, I can only imagine how hard this is for Oskar to handle and deal with. He's just a kid; these things shouldn't happen.
            Oskar as a child has a lot to learn and adapt to. He does realize that his father died from the 9/11 accident, but he still feels like his father is alive. For example he finds a key inside this vase in his Dad's closet and he believes that finding the lock to the key will lead him to his dad. Oskar goes crazy and has this whole analogy about locks and how he needs to find this special lock. I want to scream at Oskar and just say "STOP." In reality, Thomas is already dead. I know it might not come across as a simple thing to Oskar, but his father is dead and there is simply no way that Oskar can make his dad alive again. Those are the things that you just can't control. Oskar thinks that if he keeps looking for the special lock that he will find his father. It makes me cringe a little. When little Oskar finds out that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, I can already predict that his heart will shatter into pieces cause he won't see his dad at the end of the tunnel.
          Another thing that makes Oskar grow is when he goes on this adventure to all these houses. Why is he traveling to all these houses you say? Well, this special key that he found was placed in an envelope with the word "Black" on the envelope flap. Oskar jumps to the conclusion that his father knew someone with the last name Black. So from these, Oskar goes the distance to find every person with the last name Black. I think this adventure of finding all these people with the last name Black really does change Oskar. It might not be a noticeable change, but he's putting himself out there and as he goes through this process, he hears many stories from these people. He learns and develops as a character and as a child. 
             I can only hope that Oskar finds what he is looking for and when he does, I hope he's happy. I sound like such a debbie-downer, but he is so fragile for his age and children like him get hurt easily.

It Ain't About the Record: Essay

"It Ain't About the Record"
By John Branch
April 14, 2012
"It Ain't About the Record" Article


Essay question: What was the purpose of this article and why was it important?


            The article, "It Ain't About the Record" by John Branch is important because it talks about a troubled girls basketball team of survivors. When reading the article, you see all the troubles that these teenagers go through and how rough their lives are. The main goal that Judge Larry Logan of Carroll County Juvenile Court tries to get through to them is "if you get knocked down, get back up."
            There are many problems with the nine girls on the Lady Jaguars. Many of them don't live with both of their parent's and there is also a huge drug use problem. One of the players even smokes marijuana with their mother and father. Some of the players have even lived in houses with no water, heat, or electricity and only a few of their parents have steady jobs. Some of the girls even have disorders like ADD, bipolar, and/or depression. Many of these troubles have caused these teenagers to be reckless and carefree about their actions.
            With the bad influence of their parent's, their actions affect their children a lot. One example of bad influence from one of the player's family, Destiny, is that her mother "recently gave birth to her fourth child from the three men she had married, at least one whom beat Destiny." This example of bad parenting is why Judge Larry Logan wants to make the nine basketball players survivors. He wants them to thrive in life and not have this influence rub off on the teenagers. These bad influences lead to wrong choices in life; many choices that they will soon regret when they grow up.
            From this article I learned that sometimes the biggest obstacles in the road are what make you stronger as a human being. These tricky situations that knock you down allow you to get back up and try harder. Like many of the players, Destiny has gone through many troubles and she has come out a survivor from the things she experienced. The troubled basketball girls are able to build themselves up and prepare themselves for more troubles to come so that they can survive through the difficulties in life. 

Yikes. Don't Plagiarize!

What did the student do wrong? What could he/she have done to include the source correctly?
            The student plagiarized and used somebody's piece of work as their work. All they did was copy and pasted the work of the author without having any acknowledgement that it was somebody's work. The student literally copied the work word for word, which is how you know that they copy and pasted their work. They could have included the source correctly by doing the block quotation thing or just putting the text in quotations. They also could have just paraphrased the text in their own words.
Write a sentence sing the original source correctly; use a quotation or paraphrase. Also, make sure to cite correctly.
"There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of our own warm childhood years filled with imagination of what exists in the night and dark starry skies. The center point of the town is the tall steeple of the church, reigning largely over the smaller buildings. This steeple casts down a sense of stability onto the town, and also creates a sense of size and seclusion.To the left of the painting there is a massive dark structure that develops an even greater sense of size and isolation." (A Breif Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings, unknown author). If the student cited the source like this, they would've gotten full credit.
What are at least three ways to avoid plagiarizing?
1. Paraphrasing the information in your own words.
2. Putting the text away so that you aren't tempted to copy the text word for word.
3. Including quotations and correct citation when you are going to copy something word for word.

Two Student Blog Entries

            Two of the blog entries that I enjoyed reading were Joyce's blog post on The Hunger Games and Eliza's blog entry on Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Both entries captured a good jist of what both books were about. Joyce and Eliza both allowed themselves to connect with their readers and the books as well. All in all, both entries were very well written and easy to comprehend.
            Two of the things that I liked about Joyce's post is how she provides her inner thoughts and how she feels about two of the main characters in the book. Joyce also did a great job on keeping things concise and understandable. Since I've read The Hunger Games myself, I found it fairly easy to connect to her thoughts on Peeta and Gale. I like how her descriptions on both Gale and Peeta are so simple, but the simplicity isn't boring. If anything, the simplicity of her thoughts allows her readers to understand her thoughts. All in all, she did a great job elaborating on her thoughts and keeping things concise.
            On the other hand, Eliza has done many things that I liked as well. She has made her blog post easy to connect with and the format of her response was well organized. Her post was easy to connect with because in her concluding paragraph she added in questions like "But what do you say, reader? Do you think it is possible to weigh misfortune?" This makes the readers think. Her introduction was written in a way where it made you think as well. The formatting of Eliza's response is well organized because she does a great job on having four strong body paragraphs. The thing that I liked most about her body paragraphs is how she did this whole compare and contrast thing between Ron and Harry Potter. It reminds me of a venn diagram, which is some what relevant.
            Joyce and Eliza have both inspired me to change up the way I write. Their responses have allowed me to see what I can improve on to become a better book blogger. One thing that I will try to improve on is having concise paragraphs. Sometimes I feel like I have the urge to write more even when it is unnecessary, so that is one of the many things that I can improve on. Another thing that I can improve on is having my responses be more connectable to my audience. Sometimes I don't express my thoughts and it feels like my response to lacking an interesting factor.

Their posts can be found here:
Eliza's reading response
Joyce's reading response

Much Ado About Nothing Review

Dear Friend,
            This week I went to see Much Ado About Nothing, the play. This play was very interesting and very enjoyable. The props, actors/actresses, and etc. were all very appropriate. This play was nothing that I expected it to be.
            The thing that was most interesting for me was the setting. The stage that the actors and actresses performed on was circular. It wasn't the typical stage that we're all use to seeing. It was a different vibe for me. Everything was seen a lot more clearly that way. The props were also very simple. The tables were the main prop, but the actors and actresses were very interactive with the tables. For example Beatrice would hide under the table when Hero and her friends were talking about how Benedict was in love with Beatrice. The same with Benedict, but he hid behind a piano and was interactive with the audience.
          The actors in this play were all very enthusiastic. Whenever one of them said their lives, there was a lot of emotion and feelings. The actors all did a great job emoting how they felt with gestures and not one of them was boring. Whenever the spotlight was on one actor, all the other actors would interact with each other. Not one of them stopped what they were doing. All of the actors stayed in character, which was also another good feature.
            I enjoyed seeing this production and it was very enjoyable to watch. My favorite part was the shadowing part of what happened in Hero's room. It was very original and unlike many plays I've seen. If I saw this production again, I would understand a lot more and I would enjoy it a lot more as well.

The Hunger Games

            I admit it! I gave into reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. At first, I didn't understand the whole hype about The Hunger Games, but now I see why this book is a favorite of many people.The Districts that are in the book are very similar to a dystopia society, where the society you live in is characterized.  Although I haven't finished the book, the characters in this book are very unique and different. I have grown to like many of them.
            My first impression of Katniss Everdeen was that she was a very independent young mature teenager. Katniss still lives up to this impression. All the aspects of Katniss makes her seem so realistic and real. The fact that Katniss doesn't have a father to guide her and gently push her along the way is one of the reasons why she is so independent. I admire her a lot. Her strength and thrive to keep her family alive is what I admire most. "You can't clock out and leave Prim on her own. There's no me now to keep you both alive. It doesn't matter what happens (35)." Katniss gives her mom a pep talk about how her mother has to support herself and Prim.  This part really made me wonder about how Prim and her mom would do on their own. Without Katniss, I think they would have a hard time coping with the things that Katniss did like hunting.
            The second character I got the chance of meeting was Gale. Let me just say, Gale is genuinely a kind boy. He's almost like Katniss's safety blanket because they both have a hunting friendly relationship together. I do feel like there is something more than a friendly relationship, but for now I can only assume that. Gale is the male figure in Katniss's life, even though Gale is slightly older than Katniss. Their friendship is so valuable and real. Gale seems very humble and adventurous. I can't really say much, but when Katniss is saying her goodbyes with Gale at the Justice Building, I can see that Gale really cares about her.
          Lastly, there is Peeta Mellark. From what I've seen so far, Peeta is the kindest boy I've ever met. Although him and Katniss have to "fake" a friendship, I believe that they both care about each other secretly. Since Katniss is some what poor, Peeta once helped Katniss out. "In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black (30)." Peeta was willing to give Katniss bread when she was at the lowest point in her life. It was also mentioned in the book that Peeta was hit for doing such an act because his mother didn't like it when people picked through their trash for food. I find Peeta an amazing guy so far.
          I'm afraid that if I read the book too quickly that I would miss all the details. I truly do love this book so far. Its got me on my toes! I can already sense some kind of love triangle going on later on in the book/series. Ahhh let the games begin!

Letter About Romeo and Juliet

Dear beloved friend,
            I have recently just started reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This is such a well known book and I'm really enjoying the first 20 or so pages that I've read! The puns and word play included in the book are humorous and makes the book even more enjoyable to read.
            I've noticed so far that the Montagues and the Capulets don't enjoy each others company very much. It confuses me because I don't know why they are holding grudges/are mad at each other. The two families keep fighting and Shakespeare leaves you hanging until you find out why they are really fighting. The quarrel between the two families, to me, is completely ridiculous and silly. Why aren't they able to solve their problems with each other? Anyway, Sampson, a servingman for the Capulets, grosses me out a little. I mean come on now. This just makes me wonder if they ever got punished for thinking these nasty thoughts, but then again, men are men.
            The text itself is a little harder to understand. There is a lot of old time English incorporated in the text which makes it harder to understand, but it makes you think. I'm so happy that there are translations on the left side of the page because it makes reading the book a lot more helpful and its easier to understand. If there weren't translations, I would be flipping through the dictionary every few seconds or so.
            This book is already so interesting, but Shakespeare leaves me more engaged on what is going to happen next! I still have many questions like why do the Montagues and Capulets hate each other? How did Romeo and Juliet start their romantic and hard suffering love journey together? These questions shall be answered as I read further into the book!

                                         Until next time,
                                              Michelle Wong :)

The Seeker (My Sonnet)

I look upon the world with open eyes,

Days past and for time seems so far yet close.

An erudite maiden sends her goodbyes.

They say I’ve got it, enough for a dose.

I adore this sphere, as do I love her.

The children lose their open want for air.

The time is ticking; it all turns to blur.

A tender promise shown with little care.

The seeking of thou is lost and hiding.

I want to see it all before I go.

A gift that values the sight of seeing,

Oh she blooms and learns, I watch as she grows.

To the world I’ll never leave, I thank you.

Spiritually I gaze from this calm view.

Sonnet 75 (Response to Poem)

So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
Or as sweet-season'd showers are to the ground;
And for the peace of you I hold such strife
As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found;
Now proud as an enjoyer and anon
Doubting the filching age will steal his treasure,
Now counting best to be with you alone, 
Then better'd that the world may see my pleasure;
Sometime all full with feasting on your sight
And by and by clean starved for a look;
Possessing or pursuing no delight, 
Save what is had or must from you be took.
Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day, 
Or gluttoning on all, or all away.


            Sonnet 75 written by William Shakespeare is very different. The comparison of want and food is compatible. The narrator has this urgent need to see this girl that he wants. The way he compares it to food is unique because in order for us humans to live, we rely on food  because we need it. Without food, we'll die. As I read this sonnet, I didn't have a hard time understanding it because it was very simple and easy to comprehend.
            "Sometime all full with feasting on your sight (line 9)" shows the comparison to food. The narrator talks about how they are full from the sight of whoever they want. The following line talks about how they long for a look or a glance from the person they want. The way both of these lines are phrased shows the desperate need and attention that the narrator is seeking. Throughout the sonnet, the sign of desperation keeps reoccurring. 
            The narrator of this sonnet makes me chuckle and laugh. They seem very indecisive about what they want. For example, "Now counting best to be with you alone,/Then bettered that the world may see my pleasure," shows how the narrator is very indecisive. They say how one moment it is best to be alone with who they want, but then another moment it is best for the world to see the pleasure that the narrator is having. It is almost like the narrator wants the world to see the beauty of this person, but then they also want this person to themselves. 
          This sonnet was really enjoyable to read. Most of William Shakespeare's sonnet are love based, but what made this one special was the comparison to food, which is something we as consumers depend on. The narrator's indecisiveness made a drive for this sonnet. The desperation shown shows how the narrator would "die" without the person they want. All in all, this sonnet was very unique and one of the best that I've read this year. 

3 Poems

1. What is poetry...?

Poetry is the flow
of words running rampantly.
The rhythm taps along
with a
constant
beat.
The words express their feelings.

2. What happens to...?

What happens to those
who lose who they love?
The emptiness haunts them
like a non stop nightmare.
The absence of them is
still, quiet, and
lonely.

The old flashbacks
leads to us trying to seek solace.
But often it isn't there.
Flashbacks repair themselves
and create a pavement.

3. Artwork Poem
*** Can be found in  'Still Life With Black Clock by Paul Cézanne' post.

Still Life With Black Clock by Paul Cézanne

Still Life With Black Clock (1870)

            Paul Cézanne was born in the year 1839. As a child, his father was a strict hardened business man who treated him unfairly and strictly. Although that might not seem like the best relationship, Cézanne got along well with his mother and his sister. He went to law school in Aix. Soon enough, he also went to an informal art school called Atlelier Suisse and he began to doubt his ability to paint. After 5 months, he finally gave up and returned to working in his father's bank. Even though he gave up, he started trying to improve his skills by drawing delicated colors. He disliked it when spectators watched him as he painted. Most of the time Cézanne appeared to be shy, awkward, moody, and rude. You can kind of see this through his paintings too. Many think his paintings are violent and nightmarish. His paintings are mostly painted with dark colors. I think something that has led to this dark painting phase is because of his parent's passing. His mother's passing affected him alot too. In the 1890s time period, Cézanne began painting many portraits of family and friends, which I find interesting. It almost seems to me that he is trying to save the memories of these people onto canvas or a sheet of paper before they leave him too. Along with making beautiful artwork, Cézanne admired some well known artists like Rubens and Michelangelo. 

            The piece of artwork that captured my eye was the one above called Still Life With a Black Clock. One of the many things that I've noticed about this picture is that the clock doesn't have hands. This makes me wonder if it was done on purpose since the title of this piece is Still Life With a Black Clock . The clock not having hands could lead to time stopping or pausing for something. Or it could also possibly show how slow life is. I like how there are other objects in this painting. Even though it has been told that Cézanne's paintings are violentish, this piece of artwork is rather quite quiet and calm to me. I like that the background colors don't overpower the painting too much. The object that I like the most from the painting is the shell. I think it brings a lot of color to the room. It some what lights up the room. The detailing on the shell makes it look rough and bumpy. This is a weird observation, but the shell reminds me the sound of the ocean and the clock reminds me of a constant, steady tick. When you combine those two together, the sound that those two objects make together seems like it sounds very halcyon and tranquil. The interpretation that I have for this picture is that maybe Cézanne made this art work when he was in a quiet and calm state. Whenever I look at this picture, it reminds me of him sitting down painting to soothing quiet music. 

            This piece of artwork reminds me of memories. I know it's strange. All this thinking that I've been doing is strange, but the shell is what I've been focused on. The shell is so fragile and sometimes it's overlooked by us. The beauty inside it is magnificent and beautiful. The song of the sea is captured in a shell, big or small. Every shell has the sound of the sea within them. This reminds me of memories because all of our memories are collected and gathered together to compose all these bitter-sweet moments together. They migh be forgotten for awhile, but the fact is that these memories that we create never leave us. The sound of the sea will never be lost, simply because it stays within the shell. This is where the whole "calming" thing comes in too.  This also pops the question: why do some of us try to create memories that were never there? These memories become fake memories. They are almost like fantasy memories. They are unrealistic and are composed of all these thoughts and ideas that have never happened. 

The Nonexistent Memory 

Captured in a shell, is the sound of the ocean.

Like a memory.

What if it held something different?

Like a fake memory.

What if we could remember things

that we’ve never experienced?

Fiction.

If you remember something,

something that didn’t happen,

a fake memory,

then wouldn’t it be a dream?

Dreams and fantasies only go so far.

But what if fiction becomes

reality?

            

I've Gone Bovine

            Since the last time I read this book, I've done a lot of thinking. The fact that death is placed upon us at a certain time doesn't scare as much, but the reality of it happening any time soon scares me. Otherwise, I've started reading right where I left off. The book has a few reoccurring scenes. I hadn't exactly realized how important the setting was until I realized that this one particular scene kept repeating itself. It was rather quite redundant.
            Cameron keeps having these flashbacks to when he was 5. His very first flashback starts right when the book starts (2). To be honest, I think Libba Bray is just trying to show how important this scene is. Cameron goes on about the Small World ride at Disney and how everything was so surreal. Soon (3), Cameron realizes how fake this ride is. I couldn't agree more. He realizes that all the dolls get along fairly too well and that the ride is unrealistic. The topic of death gazes his 5 year old mind and that is when he started panicking and getting scared. He then falls into the water of the ride and half heartedly drowns because he doesn't know how to swim. I think this whole setting makes the plot so connectable. The reason why I think many of us can make this connection is because we have all grown up knowing that "Disney is the happiest place on Earth!" These expectations of Disney being such a fantasied, problem free world makes all of us happy. 
            Having that I've gone to Disney World before, I know that the Small World ride is very popular. I even remember when I embarrassingly begged my mother, father, and brother to wait in line with me to go on this ride. (I was 11 then, but obviously the young child inside of me came out.) The line was extremely long. When I had finally gotten seated into the ride, seeing all these dolls from around the world seemed magical. Although it was magical, it freaked me out a little too. These dolls seemed nightmarish to me. As you can see, I'm kind of crazy and I get paranoid about really stupid things. Dolls soon officially became something that gave me the heebie jeebies.
            One hundred sixty-four pages later, the same Disney World flashback happens again. This triggers the thought that maybe there is a hint in that scene that helps Cameron help him recover from this mad cow disease. Or maybe there is a clue in that scene that helps him find Dr. X who can heal him. If this scene wasn't so important, I don't think Bray would be this repetitive and include it in the book a handful times.

The Artist's Wife Asleep (Visual Art Assignment)

Here is the picture that I chose: http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3ADE%3AI%3A3%7CG%3AHI%3AE%3A1&page_number=750&template_id=1&sort_order=4
Observations:

• The drawing seems very soft and settled down.
• Not much going on 
• Very simple, but then simplicity can lead to many different story plots for this lady
• The head is the most focused and detailed part of the body; the arm that's in the picture doesn't seem as important, nor does the bed sheet.
• The setting isn't very specific. Its just there.
• Everything around is soft, but towards the ends of the hair it becomes more harsh, or maybe the artist just pushed his pencil harder.
• Shadowing

Inferences:

• Before reading the title of the drawing, I thought it was a woman who passed. He could be trying to save this memory so that it isn't forever gone.
• The artist could possibly trying to capture this quiet, but beautiful moment with his wife.
• Maybe the artist doesn't have much time with his wife, maybe he's just simply trying to capture this picture of his wife before she possibly leaves him.

Interpretation: Looking at this drawing, I think the message that the artist is very simple. To me, I feel like he's trying to express the beauty of his wife when she's asleep. When people are asleep, that is before the world asks or has expectations for her. Every time I look at this picture I hear a silent hum in the back. I don't know why. Its like the picture itself is very relaxing and it isn't demanding at all.

Escaping my Liam Cocoon

This body is not meant for me.
I don't like it.
It fights who I am.
I don't deserve to be trapped
like a black dove.

I want Regan's body.
I want to be Regan.
I want all the parts that Regan has.
I want to be a girl.

No one accepts me.
Not for who I really am.
This isn't some alter ego
that some five year-old has.
It really isn't.
I long to be Luna.
I am Luna.

Liam doesn't reflect me,
he's not who I am.
I don't want to be trapped in this body.
It's like I'm constantly gasping for air.
It's like I don't belong.

All this hiding,
it's not worth it anymore.
I am Luna.

            Just about a few days ago, I finished re-reading Luna by Julie Anne Peters. This book has grown to be a favorite of mine. Peters cleverly writes this book from the perspective of Regan, who is Liam/Luna's younger sister. As the younger sister, she strives to supports Luna's spirit and pride. I can't simply imagine how hard it must be on her part to help Liam go through this gender transition. Liam, the well respected and extremely smart boy, is the boy that everyone wants, but this isn't the boy that Liam wants to be. Liam wants to be Luna. The create less confusion, Liam is Luna, but Luna is just the girl form of Liam. THAT is who Liam wants to be.
            Liam encounters so many problems, which is why I like him so much as a character. From a young age, Liam liked playing the mommy role when playing dress up (4,5). Regan noticed that too from a young age, but never seemed to fast to judge Liam. She understood and was along there by his side every second. Growing up, Liam's dad had always pushed him to play sports. His father pressured him into trying out for the baseball team and finally, Liam gave in, trying to make his father proud. But what's the truth behind it all? Liam was born into the wrong body. This "boy" body that he "belonged" to wasn't fit for him. He doesn't want to play sports or work at the Jiffy Lube shop like his dad asks him to. These are all just expectations. What good are expectations when you can't overachieve them? What good are they if tried constantly and still can't achieve them? All you're left with is that feeling of failure and not ever being good enough. And that, is what Liam feels constantly.
            Luna, the real inner girl inside of Liam, is a completely different person. She wants to change so badly to become an actual girl, which means Regan has a transsexual brother. Often times, you'll find Luna in Regan's room hiding behind the shadow of Liam, the caricature that Luna made. She tries on Regan's dresses, different make up looks, clothes, and so on. In the poem above, I write how Luna longs to have Regan's body. Liam was born into the wrong body; the body betrayed who he was. The body didn't reflect his inner image. Internal or external, Liam/Luna were both great people that I have grown to love.
            When I read the pages towards the end of the book, I broke down. I started crying. I couldn't help it. The fact that Luna couldn't be accepted for who she was disappointed me a lot. There was that nasty aching feeling in my stomach when I read the letter that Luna left for Regan before she left to live a new life. In the poem, I wrote "all this hiding, it's not worth it anymore," because honestly, this hiding wasn't worth it. It caused more unneeded pain on both Liam/Luna. I disliked how his parent's were not supportive at all. I understand that it might be hard to accept the fact that your son is transsexual, but even after he straight up told you, wouldn't it be smart to put into consideration on how you should help him? Leaving Liam alone on this gender transition alone is horrible. I think that having no guardian support doesn't help the situation what so ever. I think it makes it worse. This makes the child question him/her whether they should really go through this transition. Next thing you know, this might even lead to suicide or depression or doubt.
            This inspired me to write a poem about Luna's emotions. I think I've done a good job capturing her feelings within a poem. It shows her wants in this world. I like the fact that I said "this isn't some alter ego" because it isn't. This isn't a joke to Luna. She really does want to be a girl. I feel that she feels that she isn't fully "complete" until she under goes this whole process of transformation into fully becoming a girl. To me, I don't think she's asking for too much. At the end of the day, Luna just wants to be accepted and loved. That's harder on her part since she doesn't have that comfort blanket over her.
            All in all, this book is wonderfully written. Knowing who you are and not doubting it makes Luna ten times as confident and it strengths her thoughts. After all, Luna is "a girl who can only be seen in the moonlight."

       

In Which I'm Stuck in a Hospital Bed With Creutzfelt-Jakob *BIG SPOILER ALERT. BE AWARE*

            Libba Bray's book, Going Bovine, is based on a some what troubled kid named Cameron Smith. Cameron encounters a bunch of predicaments in his average social misfit life. He's the kid that is scraping by to pass his classes, not interested in college, and suffers from family expectations constantly. His parent's are both professors. I guess the whole C+ student and underachieving thing makes sense now huh? Anyway, even though Cameron is suffering through these expectations that are placed down on him; he is also suffering from a mad cow disease for humans and lack of communication with his father.
            Cameron starts off in the book with a really bland and boring life. To be honest with you, he was a loser with an extremely popular sister. Cameron was diagnosed with a mad cow disease in a form that was for human beings. It's called Creutzfelt-Jakob, which is a neurological disease that affects your brain. These prions, which are infectious proteins, are making bad copies and destroying Cameron's brain overtime. He was told that there would be no cure for him and that he would die. Through the perspective of Cameron's eyes, you see a dramatic change in the mood. Before he even found out about this disease, Cameron was very humble and lived an average life. Throughout the book, Cameron sees a punk angel and starts thinking he's crazy, but it turns out that she was just a messenger for Dr.X. Dr. X, who has not be revealed who he exactly is, has the power and capability to help Cameron and keep him alive. He has the cure. I thought this was an extremely great hook to force Cameron on this mission.
            Like I said before, Cameron fears death. Just like him, I fear death more than anything in the world. Just kidding. I fear the dark, but honestly I do fear death. The fact that Cameron has this fantasized disease makes me wonder about those who have suffered from actual real life threatening conditions like cancer. The thought of death scares me. It makes me wonder how I would die later on in my life, but it also makes me wonder why we die. Why must we die? This thought is constantly something that I wonder. We all die in a point in our lives and that's just how life is. Or that is how we told life is. Why do we die? I can only imagine how it is even more frightening for children to think or hear about death.
          Frankly, I have plenty more pages to read from this book, which is wonderful because it keeps me on my feet. I'm afraid that I read too fast I will surpass the important random details to finishing Cameron's mission. Something that questions me now is whether or not Cameron will actually stay alive after this whole journey. Was Dulcie, the punk angel, just lying to him to get him to accomplish and finish this mission? This dark energy that possesses him seems so powerful and unrealistic, but realistic at the same time.