Paper Towns (Final)

Paper Towns- John Green

This book was one of the books that I was sad about it being over. After what felt like such a short journey in Margo and Quentin's life, I want to keep following and know how their life goes on after the story ends. But, I can't, so I guess I'll just be imagining the perfect scenario for the ending for the two in my head. 

**SPOILER ALERT

Well, like in typical fiction, the prince found the princess and they fell in love and lived happily ever after. Sort of. Thanks to Margo's comment on the Paper Town forum, Q recognized that she was in a Paper Town. So he skipped his high school graduation (after spending the better part of the day before complaining about it being his last day) and him, Lacey, Radar and Ben all went off to come and rescue Margo. After driving over twenty hours straight driving, I can't believe they are all still getting along with each other, but then again Margo is their unifying force. If I drove that long with someone in the car, it would probably not end up well for either one of us. But I'm glad they stuck with it, because they found Margo in the Paper town, and Q's relationship and love for Margo grew in a matter of a couple days to something that It wasn't before. 

I was so pleased with the book. While I knew that they were going to end up together in the end, deep down that I knew that nothing Q could say would change Margo's mind and bring her home, but it didn't stop her brilliant lies. I was happy that they sort of were together at the end, but it wasn't definitive. The scavenger hunt to find her was good though, but many of the clues were confusing and I didn't even know where to begin with most of them. But that's mystery and suspense, what John Green was going for here.

Like I mentioned earlier, this is the first book that I've ever read by John Green. I kind of touched on this earlier in another blog post. but I love love love the way he writes. I think that it has the power to enable readers to connect on a personal level with the text, instead of just having a character simply because every story needs one. He adds a little humor to it, and reading it never felt like a chore. 

as a Tribute to all The Characters in the Book, and Especially margo, i'll Write my last Couple sentences the Way in Which she would Write it. for Any John Green fans or Not John Green fans, i would Definitely recommend This book to Anyone. it was Exciting, a well Written and Articulated book. personally, i Liked the Style the book Was written in, the Quirkiness that mr. Green Showed in His writing and It was very Enjoyable to read. highly recommend To all! maybe i'll Read another book Of his, The Fault in our Stars later when i Get a chance. goodbye Blog!

Paper Towns (Midway)

Paper Towns- John Green

Okay, I am seriously in love with this book. It's exciting, and it has me consistently wanting to read  more. I was a little wary going into it because someone told me that this book was by far "the most boring book of all the books that he's written." Well, if its the most boring book he's ever written, I want to read more of his stuff! I mean I do regardless, but I like the way he writes.

The reader is first introduced to Quentin Jacobsen, a shy boy who spends his time complaining about senior prom or playing Resurrection. Then the reader meets Margo Roth Spiegelman, an adventurous girl with a habit of sneaking out and running away. One night, as Margo needed some revenge on her friends after discovering her boyfriend cheating, she enlists the help of goody two shoes, perfect attendence schoolboy Q to driver her getaway car. The two head out on a task filled night (or should I say morning) and discover the fun times they used to have together. Seriously though, some of the stuff they do for revenge is a mix between terrible and awesome. Putting a fish to rot in someone's car (genius) unless its you car (totally not fun at all). And then Margo owns it, spraying an M on the places where shes made her mark.

There's something about this book, something that I can't pin my finger on, and that's what makes it so interesting to read. Maybe it's the way that John Green writes, the way in which he is so easily able to connect his point to teenagers (which I'm assuming is his target audience from the way he writes..?) 

I really like the whole idea of instead of just a mystery plot that the characters are trying to solve, it is not a plot the reader wants to know about, but more the character that was the underlying factor for the plot. Every move Margo makes impacts the plot, even if the reader doesn't know whats going on with Margo and why she keeps doing what she doing. The element of mystery and suspense works well for John Green's book, because you truly have no idea what might happen next. (Though I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that Quentin is going to end up finding her, bringing her back and taking her to prom. While it's predictable, it is a fiction book, and that's the fairy tale ending to go right along with it.)

But the real question I'm anxious to find out: Where's Margo and why did she leave?

Paper Towns (Intro)

Paper Towns- John Green

I've never read anything from John Green before. But many people rave about his books, including The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and An Abundance of Katherines. I don't really know much about the book itself, besides the fact that its about a boy named Quentin (Q for short) and a girl named Margo. From researching it online and reading reviews, it seems like a good book so hopefully I'll enjoy it. I'm unsure of what to expect in terms of what the book is about, because the title does not give away much. Maybe it has to do something with adventure or traveling. The little blurb on the back of the book describes Margo giving Quentin clues...but for what? Well I'll find out hopefully as soon as I start reading!

The Storyteller (Final)

The Storyteller- Jodi Picoult

***SPOILERS

Alright, this book turned itself around and in typical Jodi Picoult fashion, there was an unexpected plot twist at the end. I can't say that I knew how it was going to end, because the closer I got to the last couple of pages, I still had absolutely no clue whether or not Sage was going to choose to kill Josef Weber. But at the end, I got my answer as well as a shocking revelation that I totally did not see coming. 

In terms of the whole plot-line of Nana and Josef's Auschwitz tales, they were so fascinating to read. It was obvious that Jodi Picoult did her research here and looking into the stories of the Holocaust, because she gave many details. It was fake (obviously), but a lot of time was spent in developing these flashbacks to make it as real as possible. Personally, my favorite parts of the book were these parts because yes, although the reality of them was hard to grip, these parts of the book were the parts that especially made you feel like you were standing right next to Nana and Darija in the camp.

Towards the end of the book, right after the camp that Nana was in gets freed and she finishes telling her story of what she went through during World War II, she stated, "You will ask me, after this, why I didn't tell you this before. It is because I know how powerful a story can be. It can change the course of history" (357). This was significant throughout the whole book because everyone was trying to figure out each other's stories. Sage wanted to know her grandmothers hidden past, but she ended up learning Josef's dark past. The idea of a story was really prevalent through the book. I even learned that the vampire story did have significance, that it was symbolic of a Jew in a concentration camp.

Overall, in the end, I would have to say that the book got better, but it still isn't one of my favorite books by her. It was a slow start, and I honestly had no idea where she was going with the book, and at the end, I'm still not completely sure. It stunned me that Josef turned out to be Franz instead of Reiner but I finished the book thinking something was missing. Actually, there were a lot of things I wish that Picoult gave more of in the book. For example, she focused more on the love story between Leo and Sage, instead of talking about the back story of both Nana and Josef. To me, those parts of the book were so much more interesting to read than the parts where they were plotting to capture Josef. But in the end, he just died anyway and so did Nana so that whole plan foiled. The thing that Sage intended to do throughout the whole book ended up not being done. That was kind of a disappointment. After learning of his life as a Nazi, I secretly wanted him to rot away in jail somewhere.

I can't say I would recommend  this book to someone. It turned out to be a decent read, but there are other books by her that are so much better. Considering it was about the Holocaust, it wasn't light subject matter, and reading the story made me hurt for all the innocent victims of the Holocaust. If you're a fan of Jodi Picoult, I would recommend this book. But its not a fantastic book I would go around telling everyone to read.

The Storyteller (Midway)

And yet again, I find myself reading another story about the Holocaust. Except this one is different from Sarah's Key, because that focused more on a specific French event, whereas this book takes place recalls events from Germany. And also similar to Sarah's Key, this book is told in various perspectives and stories where paths cross and lives become intertwined.

One of the things I particularly like about Jodi Picoult as an author is the questions that she makes you think about, and how you would respond in the main character's situation if you faced the same dillema. For example, in this book how Sage must choose between helping or not helping 'Josef Weber' die. And while it seems like a simple yes or no question, the book poses many more obstacles and complexities that get in the way of Sage choosing. Honestly, if I were in Sage's position, I don't know what I would do. To let him live would be keeping your hands clean, and seeing him suffer his existence. But, to let him die would taint your hands, grant him his wish to be put out of his misery, but also your satisfaction in killing someone who once killed your own. Yeah, its a problem. Good luck to Sage, I have no clue what I would pick.

If I had to pick one line to portray the book thus far, it would be Sage's thoughts when she thinks, "If my grandmother could reinvent herself, why couldn't Josef Weber?" (67). Two of the reoccurring ideas in this novel were forgiveness and having a 'story to your scar.' In changing his life around, Josef seeks forgiveness by molding into a lovable grandfatherly figure well admired in the community. He seeks forgiveness in his part in WWII, and confessing his story behind his scar to Sage helps him to accomplish righting his wrongs. But in his mind, forgiveness only comes with death, as that is what he did to need forgiveness in the first place. As for the stories behind their scars, Nana has a hard time revealing her life in Auschwitz and her past as a survivor. Their pasts and stories are hidden, and both Josef and Nana wished to reinvent themselves, not letting the Holocaust define who they are now.

Overall, so far this isn't one of my favorite books that she has written. From the way this book was written, you can defintely tell that Picoult has done the necessary research surrounding her topic, but its been presented in a boring way. Not much has been revealed about the characters, except Sage likes to bake, Josef is a Nazi and yup, that's about it. The entire book thus far has consisted of Sage baking, Josef confiding his story, or Sage baking some more. Oh, and grief group. But there hasn't been much else.

And the whole vampire story serves absolutely no purpose in the book. Josek references this as a "political statement," but it was completely unintentional to her and I don't think Picoult did a great job introducing that aspect of the story to begin with, so it just left me confused. (About the same level of confusion you are most likely experiencing trying to comprehend this.)

I hope something unexpected will happen, because so far the book has just consisted of Josef trying to justify his Nazi actions and Leo and Sage just trying to convict him for it. After reading the back cover, it basically gave away the whole plot line thus far. With a couple hundred pages to go, this book needs to get a move on. And typically her books start to pick up at the end, or have an unexpected conclusion, so hopefully this one pulls through.

The Storyteller (Intro)

The Storyteller- Jodi Picoult

 

For those of you who know that I love Jodi Picoult books, it's not a surprise that I'm reading another one. But honestly, it wouldn't be reader's workshop without one so I had to include one in there. Anyway, I typically do research on books before I read them and search for reviews, but I didn't with this book for two reasons: 1) Jenna recommended it to me and 2) It's Jodi Picoult, it doesn't need a review for me to read it. This book is about a Nazi's relationship with the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and an odd favor being requested. So, obviously there's a major conflict regarding their histories, but it's only deepened by the request the Nazi makes (I'm not going to give it away, but you can look it up if you want..) It's kind of funny how this worked out for me though, all of my books have had some tie in to history. This one has to do with a Nazi in WWII, the first one I read had to do with a Jewish roundup, and my non-fiction has to do with the middle east. Okay, I know this is short but I really don't know what else to say about this book besides I'm excited to start reading it!

Little Women (Final)

Little Women- Louisa May Alcott

****Don't read for spoilers!

After finishing this book, I must admit that I'm quite dissapointed in the way that everything turned out for the March family. First of all, it ended up being Amy who married Laurie (seriously? he was in love (and probably still is) with her sister and he decides to just settle for another sister??? That's not how fiction works!) Second of all, they made Beth die. C'mon that's 0/2 in happy endings here. And Meg ends up getting married to John, so that was a good thing, but it was expected earlier in the book. Then, just to top things off, Jo went and married Prof. Bhaer (still no clue how to say his class name...) It was kind of nice that the author made a change and decided not to have the two main characters fall in love and live happily ever after, but my real disappointment came from expecting that to happen the whole book. Ugh. I'm still bitter.

As a side note to other plot related things, the poem that Jo wrote about Beth right before she was dying was so cute. I'll admit it, I got a little teary eyed...but imagine if you were dying and your sister wrote you a poem expressing all your wonderful qualities. It's adorable.

On another side note, I finally figured out what Alcott meant when she titled the book, "Little Women." From the beginning of the book to the end, it was a span of nine years in which the reader watched the March sisters go from adolescents to "little women." Each sister takes a different path, and each learns something from their respective journey. For example, Meg learns to share her mother's belief that love can triumph over poverty, Jo learns about the struggles of being a female writer in the real world and Amy learns the wealth acquired from traveling. The title is a reference to how the girls morph into adults in the story, and how the reader watches it unfold. (Kind of sad I didn't put that together earlier, but oh well)

Continuing along the same thing of money not bringing you happiness, Alcott did a nice job of saying this when Meg said, "Wealth is certainly a most desirable thing, but poverty has its sunny side, and one of the sweet uses of adversity is the genuine satisfaction which comes from hearty work of head or hand.." (264). I like this line, for they are saying to find satisfaction in the things that one does have, and while it is okay to want something else, you should still appreciate the situation in which you're in.

But on the contrary, Amy presents a rebellious side to this message when she explains her reasoning for settling for Fred saying, "One of us must marry well; Meg didn't, Jo won't, Beth can't yet, so I shall, and make everything cozy all around" (311). Despite her saying this, and not having the purest intentions, it's kind of funny how she ended up marrying Laurie for good intentions, and he just happened to be wealthy too. Basically, Alcott's message to her reader was saying to be content with everything that one has.

I would most definitely recommend this book to girls who like classics and would enjoy a well-written story. It took a little bit of time to get into, but the author made it so the characters were relatable and as the reader, I found myself getting really upset at certain things.Despite it being a good book and a fantastic plot, there were a lot of parts where I found myself going back and re-reading a page because I didn't understand what the author said the first time. However, I understood after the second time. Considering that, I will probably end up reading this book again and it will be interesting to see what things I pick up on the second time that I completely missed the first. But as for right now, I'm moving on to another book!

Little Women (Midway)

Little Women- Louis May Alcott

So far, I'm actually really enjoying this book!  Considering it was a classic and I don't typically  reading these types of books to begin with, I was a little skeptical about me liking it at first, but not anymore.

The book begins with the March sisters complaining about their poverty, because of their inability to get Christmas presents. They end up pooling their money and getting presents for Marmee, and serving their breakfast to a family who is worse off than they are. This starts a string of lessons that they are taught through the course of a year. (Midway point leaves off a year later, on Christmas) The sisters, despite being plagued with their seemingly important problems, learn about how love should be valued over money, as well as how to deal with the problems they face throughout the year.

One of my favorite parts of the books is the dialogue and how the characters speak.Yes, I know it was written in the 1800's and they had a completely different (and more formal) way of speaking then we do now, but it's still fun to see the differences. For example, these commonly used phrases which would never be heard today:

"Dear me, how romantic" (61).

"Mercy on us, what has happened?" (114).

"I was sorry about Meg, and begged pardon like a man"  (207)

Okay, so they might be heard, but definitely not in a teenager's everyday vocabulary.

Besides the dialogue, my other favorite part of the books is the personality traits of the March sisters and how they all vary. When the reader enters the world the March sisters live in, these differing personalities make it easy for the reader to connect with at least one of the sisters.

But one of my favorite quotes, thus far was when Marmee said, "Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another" (44). It held true in the 1800's when this book was written and it still holds true now. So far, a lot of Marmee's little life lessons that she teaches the girls (and the readers through the girls) is how wealth does not correlate with happiness. The sisters all think that they will be content with wealth, when in reality that is not true. The books shows that happiness comes from love and family instead of something materialistic like dresses and money.

Right now, I'm anxious to see if Beth gets better, because she never fully recovered from her Scarlet fever. And Mr. March, we can't forget about him. I want to see the romance between Meg and John. Also, I really hope Laurie and Jo end up together because lets face it, that's how every story like this ends.  But the dumb people who think the March family is only using the Laurences for money need to be quiet. They don't know the situation between Laurie and the sisters and can't judge. I can't eait to keep reading and see what happens next!

Little Women (Intro)

Little Women- Louisa May Alcott

Okay, so basically everyone knows what Little Women is, and so do I, but I've never read it. I honestly have no idea what to expect from this book. I don't know of anything else Alcott has written besides this book. Also, my extent of knowledge about this book is a) Its about four very different March sisters, b) the book club in my one of my favorite books as a kid, "The Mother-Daughter Book Club" read it, c) two of the sisters are Jo and Amy. And yeah, that's about it. But, its a classic for a reason, so there must be something about it that everyone likes. Like non-fiction, I don't typically read classic books, but the few that I have read I have seemed to enjoy. As with all the books I have read thus far, I have high hopes for this book to be intriguing and a good read for me. So to sum this up, I have high expectations for a book in a genre I don't typically read, of which I know nothing about, and its not a small book. Fingers crossed as I start it!

Sorry this isn't a longer blog post, I just have no idea what to say. I basically picked this book because I have heard it referenced so many times even though I only know like two people who have read it (and I also asked Mr. Perlman and he recommended it, so it has to be good, right?)

Princess (Final)

Princess- Jean Sasson

Wow this book was absolutely amazing. From not knowing anything about traditional Saudi lifestyle and reading a memoir, I can now say that I am horrified reading about this thinking that its actually non-fiction, and it is a true story of what happened to one girl. And that it happens to girls all over the world. I mean, that was the author's main goal in writing this and accomplishing to story that she told- to show people about how women's rights need to get better in some countries. I mean, yeah, Saudi Arabia is one of the more worse off countries in terms of women's rights, but still all the oppressed women need to be heard and something needs to be changed about it.

Probably my favorite part of the book was Princess Sultana's  because of who she was as a person and her actions. She's not some strong, brave made up character. She's a strong, defiant, brave and amazing girl that refuses to let the male dominance continue. It's obvious how women are treated terribly, and Sultana had the guts to say no to people, to challenge the authority of her brother. She tricked her brother and revealed his stash of alcohol and Playboy magazines (both forbidden in Saudi Arabia) and gave the ultimate insult by raising the bottoms of her feet to her future mother in law. (Her mother in law was not too happy, and decided to get revenge on her later, when Sultana outsmarted her yet again).

It's still really sad to me that this occurs in other countries in the world. The author says in a special chapter titled, "After September 11, 2001" that"Soon after the tragedy of 9/11, I spoke with Princess Sultana and was not surprised when I learned that she, too, was hoping that great change for women in Afghanistan would magically sweep the world. Sadly, that was not to be. She, as I, was disheartened when she saw that the time had not yet come when every government will do the responsible thing and proclaim that freedom is just as important for women, as it is for men" (234). From the way that this is presented, it seems like not much has changed, and this lifestyle is the way it will continue on forever.

At many times throughout the story, there were parts that were disturbing and truly awful to read. A lot to do with the fact that some of the things that happen to the women, for example, a 13 year old marrying a 62 year old, is not socially acceptable in our country and is hard to imagine, and the other part is just plain sad and sort of graphic at some points. If you're really interested in the lifestyle of a Saudi Arabian Princess, it was a good read, but for people who don't tolerate sad stuff happening to other people, I wouldn't recommend it. After all, its nonfiction, and once the books over, you cannot pretend all of that stuff never happened to Princess Sultana. But anyway, if you can tolerate reading it, I would definitely recommend it. See you in my next blog!

Princess (Midway)

Princess- Jean Sasson

I don’t know where to start with this book. It’s so crazy that this is a nonfiction book and it is honestly such a culture shock. I know this sounds cliché and everything, but it really opened up my eyes to how much we take for granted and how many freedoms that I, as a women, have in America. From the first few pages, I was able to see the oppression against Princess Sultana, her mother and her sisters.

Some of the stories and memories that Sultana shares, through author Jean Sasson because Sultana is not allowed to write a book, are absolutely appalling. For example when she talks about her father and how bad she treats her mothers, or women not being able to pray in the mosque, but must do so inside of their house. They are not allowed to drive, and they must veil after certain points in their lives.

A typical veil worn by Saudi women, they vary in different thickness but it is hard to see out of regardless.

 

WARNING: SKIP THIS IF YOU ARE EASILY DISTURBED BY HORRIBLE WOMEN’S RIGHT ISSUES. These quotes are just some of the brutal thing that a women faces in a the Saudi Arabian royal family.

“Sara’s new husband was sadistic. He had subjected my sister to sickening sexual brutality until she felt her only escape was death”  (41).

“The authority of a Saudi male is unlimited; his wife and children survive only if he desires” (6).

“The history of our women is buried behind the black veil of secrecy. Neither our births nor our deaths are made official in any public record. Although births of male children are documented in family or tribal records, none are maintained anywhere for females. The common emotion expressed at birth of a female is either sorrow or shame” (7).

Though their life is really horrible, they do have immense wealths that were another shocking hin to get over. For example, Sultana’s family has three jets, waiting to take her anywhere at a moment’s notice. Granted, she must obtain a travel signature from the man in control of her (whether it be a husband or father). But the interesting thing about this is how they found a way to trick the system. A Saudi women will obtain necessary documents to travel and then cancel at the last minute and give her documents to someone else. Because of the veil and the secrecy, no travel official will question a women’s identity, given it is disrespectful to see any part of her body.

In the reviews when reading this book, I was cautioned against thinking all Saudi’s are like this. Obviously there are always exceptions but it makes me curious to see how Saudi’s that are not in the royal family live their lives. I would definitely read another nonfiction book written with a similar story or a person who has had better life than Princess Sultana. Something else that I would like to read is an outsider’s version of what happens in the daily life of a Saudi. My mom’s friend is married to a guy who’s from Saudi Arabia (raised in America, doesn’t believe in living the lifestyle that many Saudi’s do..) so it would be fun to talk to her and see her experiences on visiting her husband’s relatives in Saudi Arabia..

 

Princess (Intro)

Princess- Jean Sasson

Not going to lie, I barely ever read non-fiction. I like to use books as an escape from reality, choosing to live in world full of fictional characters where everything just magically turns out happily ever in the end instead of something that forces me to see the harsh world we live in. It was a bit of a struggle to actually find a good book that was going to be interesting to me and would not be some random book that was such a drag to read. I went online and spent more time than I’m willing to admit searching for books that would interest me. I ended up in a section of memoirs of women living in the Middle East. I ended up choosing “Princess” for its connection to history.  I’m excited to see what the story is like because honestly, I am ignorant about the Middle East. That being said, I’m not one of those people that think all Muslims are terrorists, but I don’t know a lot about their culture or the way they live their life, so it should be interesting to get a glimpse inside of it.  However, I was cautioned when reading the reviews of the book that not all Muslims are like this, and this is not how all females are treated. But this book is specifically about a member of the royal family, as she is a direct descendant of the king (I think…I’m not entirely sure..) It should be interesting to read. See you in the next blog post!

Sarah's Key (Final)

Sarah's Key- Tatiana de Rosnay

I would completely 100% recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book. It is full of twists and turns, makes you laugh, cry, feel sympathetic, basically everything. And I know its sounds cliché, but this book is that good!

*The rest of this post definitely contains spoilers; don’t read if you plan on reading this book!

First off, I totally did not see Bertrand’s dad’s revelation about finding Michel dead in the cupboard after Sarah came back to get him. That was completely unexpected for me. Well, actually not completely. I kind of guessed it when Bertrand’s mom told Julia about them buying the apartment, and Sarah’s story left off before she found out what had happened to her brother (because it was revealed in Julia’s story). But still, I never expected it to go down like that and Julia to uncover a dark family secret that was never even told to Bertrand’s own children (yeah, imagine their surprise and confusion..) Either way, it was still exciting to finally figure out what happened to Sarah’ and how her life turned out after her escape. 

As exciting as it was though, I wish it wouldn’t have stopped right with Julia and William. I wish something could have continued, or we got a glance into their future (c’mon, write a three or four page epilogue!!!) I guess the way they glanced at each other at the end should have said it all, but I’m still bitter.

While I’m talking about the plot, I’m going to contradict my previous post and change the shapes of their stories. Where I last left off, Sarah’s life was in pretty bad condition. She was a Jewish girl living in Europe during the time of the Nazis whose life was turned upside down by the roundup. However, she miraculously escapes from the camp she was in and doesn’t get caught, her life took a turn for the better. But after finding Michel dead, it has gone down and up and down and up. The author goes on to reveal to the reader about how the impact of one event shaped the rest of her life. Her story is interesting, she had all these ups and downs, but she seemed to struggle internally, and not let her family know of what was truly going on in her life and how her life was forever changed by the Vel d’Hiv. Her ups seemed to be presented opposite-more externally, as displayed by her son’s ignorance of her past in France. Now I would think that Sarah’s story arc is “Man in Hole.”

In this section, I would definitely say that Julia is also “Man in Hole” The reader saw a lot more of the struggles and challenges that she was facing as opposed to just Sarah’s story. Her pregnancy was obviously an up to her, but it came with a complementary down in the form of divorcing Bertrand.  She did end up moving back to America, but her conflicts did not resolve once she left France.

One thing that really sticks out to me when reading this book is not forgetting the past, and choosing to reminisce about something rather than pretending it never happened. Not only is Julia discovering a part of French history by writing an article about it, but also the reader (if they’re anything like myself) is learning about specific events that occurred and were unaware of. I obviously know what the Holocaust is, but I didn’t know that French soldiers executed Nazi orders against their own citizens. This book serves as a tribute to the past (a specific event in this case) but also how the past has affected the present and how it will continue to affect the future.

Now onto my non-fiction book...

 

Sarah's Key (Midway)

Sarah's Key- Tatiana De Rosnay

* Just an FYI, this post may contain spoilers, read at you own risk!

It’s hard to sit down and do a half-way blog post when the book is so well written and interesting that you just want to keep on reading.  That’s basically what Sarah’s Key is in a nutshell. So far, this book has lived up to its expectations. There are different plot twists that you completely don’t even expect. And not only that, but I’m learning so much more about the Vel d’Hiv and what actually occurred to that group of Jewish people who were affected by the monstrosities of the event.

The point of view and the way the author chooses to tell the story is very crucial to the plot and the way in which the story unfolds. The reader follows two characters, Sarah Starsynski and Julia Jarmond. The book portrays two characters who lead different lives in different time periods, but somehow their lives are connected (I think, so far there hasn’t been that connecting link, but I have a hunch that it has something to do with her brother..)

In term’s of Sarah’s story, and Kurt Vonnegut’s shapes of stories, I would have to say that Sarah is “From Bad to Worse” She started off in a bad (as the name suggests) vulnerable situation, mostly because she did not know the whole truth about what was really happening in the outside world and about the Holocaust. After the roundup, her life takes a toll for the worst and her departure to a camp isn’t helping her dire situation. She does escape, but there are still no guarantees that she is safe.

I’m having a harder time with distinguishing what Julia’s storyline would be considered. She faces her ups and downs, like “Man in Hole” but at the same time, she feeds off of Sarah’s story. As the reader learns about what happened to Sarah, Julia discovers information that the reader knew from a previous chapter and the chapter is uneventful or doesn't reveal anything new or significant. This would lead me to also classify her in the “Which Way is Up?” story shape because there were a couple times her character flatlined during the book (Then again, that's my opinion, feel free to disagree!)

Overall, this book is a fantastic read all around. The two alternating plot lines add suspense and an element of mystery to the novel because you get partial information from each person that helps you put things together. I want to keep reading so badly because I want to see what the author chooses to do that link’s Sarah and Julia’s story together, besides Julia’s research on the Vel d’Hiv. Now that I’ve started reading and my expectations have gotten higher, this book better not let me down!!!

Some quotes I've liked so far:

"She wanted to thank him, for his help, for the money, she wanted to hold her hand out to him, but Rachel grabbed her by the arm and took off, they ran as fast as they could through the high golden wheat, straight ahead, legs bursting, legs and arms helter-skelter, far away from the camp, as far away as possible" (92).

A common idea so far seems to be escape, but with this escape also something comes with return. Both Sarah and Julia seem to run away from their problems. Though Sarah's escape is the difference between life and death for her, Julia's escape from her pregnancy and her failing marriage (or rather avoidance) has the same effect. They both want to forget their problems and move forward with their life, completely forgetting the past.

"We finally found it on the boulevard de Grenelle, just around the corner. A smallish sign. Rather humble. I wondered if anyone ever glanced at it. It read: 'On July 16 and 17, 1942, ...'" (60).

Hand in hand with escaping, part of that seems to be having to forget all of the horrible things that happened in the past. But at the same time, you can't forget the past. The whole point of the book was rediscovering what happened in the Vel d'Hiv and how no one ever remembers it until its the anniversary, then everyone has to learn about what happened. I found it interesting how their was one character who wanted so badly to forget the past, and the contradicting character who wanted so badly to dig into it.

Sarah's Key (Intro)

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

After getting this assignment, I was so excited to finally be able to read the books that I wanted for school. Jenna actually recommended this book to me, and I remember hearing good things and wanting to read it a while ago, though I don't know why I didn't read it then. I have never even heard of this author before, and I'm not familiar with any of her other work (if she even has any, I'm not sure..) but this particular book got so many good reviews, I'm excited to read it.

I think one of the main reasons that this book is so interesting to me is because when someone thinks about the Holocaust, and the persecution against Jewish families in the 1940's, it all comes back to Nazi Germany. However, this book focuses on a certain event which persecuted Jewish peoples in France, and it was carried out by French Police on Nazi orders. Before this book, I had never even heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup before. There's constantly so many pieces of history that are not well known and I think this book will bring awareness to the events that so little knew about (or if they did know it, choose to ignore it). Hopefully this book will live up to all of the praise it received!