Hurricane by Terry Trueman

What first interested me about this book is it's sharp contrast to Tricks, which I just finished reading.  Toward the end of Tricks, many of the characters come to realize that there are good people in the world who are willing to help out someone in need.  One character in particular, Eden, is continually aided by kind people along her journey at the end of the book.  In Hurricane, there is a more uplifting feeling to the book, in spite of the hurricane that rips through Jose's small town.  Also, the presence of characters who are willing to help out others in the community is stronger and more evident throughout the whole novel.  Jose's neighbors are all forced to gather at his house to recover from the hurricane's wake, as a giant mudslide has destroyed almost all of the other houses in town.  This strength in the face of adversity really appealed to me and caused me to rarely put the book down.  I was so interested to find out what happens to Jose and the remaining members of his town, as well as discover whether his father, brother, and sister ever come home after being away during the hurricane's arrival. 

Considering I would have been about 11 years old when Hurricane Martin hit Honduras, I do not remember the hurricane or the destruction that it left in that country.  However, it was interesting to read about how a natural disaster can completely change the lives of everyone affected by it.  One day you have a house and a family in a perfectly normal neighborhood, and the next day everything is gone while you fight to find food and clean water to survive.  It's really scary to think about.  Trueman even includes an Addendum at the end of the book that mentions Hurricane Katrina and how similar devastation was experienced in our country when that disaster occurred.  To read a story that describes in such detail all of the emotions and situations caused by hurricanes and other disasters is really poignant.  Aside from watching films like Twister, I have relatively little firsthand experience with the effects that natural disasters have on people's lives.  This book is really enlightening and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in hurricanes, humans overcoming diversity, and/or Terry Trueman's writing.


Also, as a side note, the ending to this book is not horribly depressing as one would expect a book about a hurricane would be.  So to those who hate when books leave you feeling down, don't worry about that with this book.  I was very pleased with the resolution at the end.  

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

I'm about halfway through Tricks and am really impressed by the way Ellen Hopkins weaves together the stories of five teens' lives.  From the very beginning of the book, I really enjoyed the way that the reader can relate to each teen's emotions and/or situations.  I think every reader could identify with at least one of the characters, to some extent.  The only issue is that, at this point in the book, all of the character's lives are going downhill.  While this is a really interesting and well-written novel, it can be slightly depressing to realize that each character is making choices that may not benefit him or her in the future.  I hope that at least a few of the characters are able to get their lives back on track, but, having read other books by this author, I am not holding my breath.  I am interested to find out how the book ends for each of the characters, though. 

Monster

After reading Monster by Walter Dean Myers, I remain in awe as to how I had not read or heard of this book previously.  This novel reminds me a lot of Native Son by Richard Wright, in that they both deal with young men who have committed a crime and are dealing with the justice system.  However, Monster deals almost exclusively with Steve Harmon's trial and takes place more recently than Native Son.  In this way, Monster is able to address the social issues that are still relevant to our culture today.   

Monster is about the trial of Steve Harmon, a sixteen year old who was allegedly involved in a robbery that resulted in a murder.  The whole novel is written in the form of a movie script, even going so far as to describe the type of camera shots used for each scene.  As the reader continues through the novel, it is revealed that one of Steve's favorite hobbies is the school film club.  Suddenly, it makes perfect sense as to why Steve is telling the story of his trial in the form of a movie script; he is a filmmaker.  Not only does the script format add to the novel's look and appeal, it also makes for more interesting and engaging reading.  As I read Monster, I was able to envision how the scenes would look if they were actually part of a real movie.

During my senior year of high school, I took a Law and Justice course in which we learned about the criminal justice system, to an extent.  I think reading Monster would have greatly aided in students' understanding of the justice system and how much the outcome of the case really depends on the lawyers and the jury, rather than the actual truth of what happened.  What I find interesting is that Steve never actually admits to doing anything wrong, but we can infer by his reflections on his conversations with James King that he was most likely involved.  In spite of this fact, I found myself wanting Steve to win the trial and to be released from prison as soon as I began reading the novel.  Something about him made me sympathize with him, and he definitely seems to be a more genuine and kind person than the other men who were (allegedly) involved in the robbery.  Reading this novel in high school would help students to understand how every action has a consequence and that the actions that end up taking place could be different from what was intended.  For example, the men who committed the robbery did not necessarily intend to kill anyone that day.  However, certain events that occurred during the robbery led to a man's murder.  Now, instead of merely being charged for robbery, Steve and James King are on trial for murder as well.  This novel offers the perfect opportunity to teach students that life sometimes does not happen as planned and that one bad decision can result in prison, or even death.

In addition to providing teachable moments, this novel also deals with the ways that incarceration not only affects the prisoner, but also the prisoner's family and friends.  I like that Myers includes scenes with Steve's mother, father, and brother, to further demonstrate that Steve is a person, just like anyone else, and that he is loved by his family.  The fact that his parents did not seem to realize the type of friends Steve has and what he is capable of doing allows the audience to see how easy it is for a young person to get caught up in a potentially life-changing and damaging situation.  With parents and a brother like those that Steve has, I felt myself continually asking "Why?" throughout the novel.  I wanted a reason; I wanted to know why Steve is on trial and why he was (allegedly) involved in the robbery.  Was it so that he could appear tough in front of his friends?  Was he bored?  What interested me the most throughout the novel is that Steve seems to be dealing with this issue as well.  He does not understand what led him to this trial, just as we, the audience, do not understand.  How did his life get this bad?  He has a loving family and he seems to believe that he should not be sent to prison.  Therefore, I continue to wonder what led Steve to become involved with the other characters and what will happen to him after the novel ends.  Will this experience serve as a wake-up call that will inspire Steve to actually create a movie based on his trial?  Will Steve ever determine who he is, in "one true image"?  I guess I'll never know (unless Myers writes a sequel).

I Am Nujood

After reading I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, I remain amazed at the courage displayed by a ten-year-old girl.  I was also struck by the amount of fear and frustration that she must have felt, and how this led her to become desperate enough to seek a divorce.  As I read this novel, I was continually led to compare divorces in the United States with those of Yemen.  While divorces in this country are sometimes still challenging and difficult to go through, it seems that divorces in the United States pale in comparison to those in other cultures. The fact that familial honor plays such a large role and that women have virtually no role in determining who they marry is very disconcerting to me.  Throughout the novel, I kept thinking how lucky I am to live in a society that would allow me to choose who I marry and would also grant me a divorce without making me feel as though I was doing something wrong.  I also feel thankful that I was allowed to have a childhood without fear of being married at such a young age.  In spite of my comparisons and my national pride, I do not believe that Nujood intends for her audience to pity her or to criticize her culture.  By writing this novel, it seems that Nujood simply wants her voice to be heard and to spark some reform in her country.  The fact that she returns home to her family and to the very person who caused her to be married so young (her father) after her divorce is granted, proves that she still has a very strong bond with her family.  It surprised me that Nujood was able to forgive her father (to some extent) and to return home to live with him and the rest of her family.  However, whenever she speaks of her younger sister and her desire to protect her from going through what Nujood went through, it is clear that Nujood feels that her purpose is to take care of her family, especially the women of her family, in order to ensure that they have a chance to have an education and some autonomy.  Taken as a whole, I believe that Nujood's story speaks to the bravery of a little girl who was able to stand up for her own rights, in spite of the beliefs of her family and her society.

Welcome to My Blog!

While this is not my first blog, I am very excited to begin posting to this blog.  Over the winter break, I began reading a few YA books, and am currently in the process of reading a few more.  I look forward to working through my thoughts about this literature as I continue reading.  I hope that this blog is able to convey my current thoughts and ideas to anyone who reads it, as well as help me to further clarify how I interpret and relate to each work.