Looking for Alaska/The Help

Looking for Alaska/The Help

     This week I finished the novel I was previously reading, The Help. I would say it was quite an amazing book, and I liked it even more than the movie. It was really interesting to be able to read about such cruel conditions back then. There were several slave revolts throughout the book, as it was during the time period of apartheid. in the end, quite a few black slaves ended up rebelling against their masters, and although several had received severe punishments, they had gained their well-deserved freedom.
     I also decided to pick up the well-known novel, Looking for Alaska by John Green. I was actually quite concerned when I picked up the book, as Green is notorious for killing off important characters in his books. I have my tissue-box ready anyways, just in case. The book looks quite interesting (I apologize for judging the book by its cover) and from what I've heard, it's a great read!

     In the beginning of this novel, I was introduced to the character Miles Halter, a junior in Culver Creek High School. I was also introduced to Chip, who is nicknamed The Colonel. The Colonel is a natural leader who is very confident and intelligent. The Colonel starts to take a character named Pudge somewhere, and I look forward to reading on and seeing where he decides to take Pudge. All of the characters are very unique and interesting and I can't wait to read on! :)

A quote found in Looking For Alaska that truly impacted my thinking of the novel.

The Help

The Help Book Review

         This week I began the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This novel was based on a true story, therefore it is nonfiction. I have just begun the book and I am already quite interested. This novel occurred in the year 1960, therefore it took place in the past and several slaves could be found in almost every household. In the first and second chapter, several characters were introduced. First is a woman named Aibleen. She is a black slave who cares for the child of her master, Elizabeth Leefolt. Mae is the name of the young daughter who Aibleen is the main caretaker of. I believe that Aibleen is extremely hard working, as well as caring. I believe that she is a good person and truly cares for and loves Mae. However, she is treated horribly by Elizabeth, as she is a slave.
           One thing I did not like about the first few chapters i have read so far is the segregation. It is sad to see that men and women were treated so horribly just because of their race. In Ms. Leefolt's home, there were separate bathrooms for blacks and whites. This is how it was during the era of slavery and it is very unfortunate. They were considered to be animals. However, it was well-written and realistic.
              Something I like about the novel so far is how realistic it is. It portrays the way the society worked very well and it was really interesting. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. So far, I enjoy the book and I definitely plan on reading on. The author is able to recreate the scenes in a very impressive way. As I have seen the film, it is easy for me to remember what happened and compare it to the novel. The novel is much more vivid and detailed however and I would recommend it.

image of slavery

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner Summary

Sanjana Nath

        This week I finished the book I was reading. In general, I thought The Maze Runner was an intriguing book. It left me very suspicious of certain characters and kept me interested throughout the book. I rarely ever found myself bored with the book and I always wanted to read more. I won't give out any spoilers because I hate them myself, but as a whole, I really enjoyed the book :)

       One thing I didn't really like about the book was how suddenly it ended. It was like the rest of the book- left me wanting to read more. However, I didn't like how the book ended like that. It didn't give very much closure at all. Although that was a very minor thing. For the most part, the book was amazing.

       I plan on reading the next book of the series next because I really want to know what happens to Thomas and his friends! Throughout the book, the author made me feel as if I was there with the characters, experiencing the same adventures they were. It was very well-written. There was so much suspense, as I have said several times before, and the way The Glades is portrayed is very unique.

Above you can see an image of Thomas, the main character of the novel. This is how he portrayed in the film. I actually really appreciated the actor choice (Dylan O'Brien) because I believe that he is a talented actor and would be able to play Thomas well.