Weekly Blog for 12/15/14 The Death Cure

º Do any of the characters feeling change as you’ve read? Explain why or why

not.

º Describe your least favorite character and explain why. Describe your most

favorite character and explain why.

º Describe the major conflict. What side are you on?

     
     In the book Thomas's feelings change drastically because of his feelings towards WICKED and Teresa. Thomas discovered that Gally, WICKED's puppet (not actually a puppet but like they were controlling his mind and body), didn't actually want to kill Chuck he was forced to by WICKED with some micro chip that was inside of his head. Thomas is very anger, enraged even at WICKED and his thoughts to bring WICKED down increase. He becomes angry and sad towards Teresa because after Brenda, Newt, Minho, and Jorge escape the type prison they where in the discover that Teresa had fled WICKED on a berg with group A and B without them. 

     My least favorite character would be Rat Nose because he is the one that gives them horrible information and watches them inside the trials. He also gets very mad if they try to escape and sometimes orders guards to drag them away (that is very mean and I guess it would hurt). My favorite character would have to be Thomas because he is the main character but also because he has been a great person to every one in The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure. He is friendly and yet he protects all of the Gladers like they were his family. He helped them escape the maze, he helped them escape from the Scorch, and he helped all the Gladers figure out more about whats going on and what WICKED is. 

       

       In the book, the major conflict would be that there is a disease that has been infecting all of the earth that is called "The Flare". WICKED, a group of scientists that have been obsessed with getting the cure for "The Flare" gather kids that are immune and not immune to the disease and put them into trials like a maze with monsters that eat you alive or a city where everyone was infected and had gone beyond crazy, also trying to eat you. WICKED has put them here and many have died because of them causing a burning hatred between the Gladers (the test subjects) towards WICKED. I would chose to side with the Gladers because the amount of pain and suffering WICKED has done to each Glader is horrible. I would also chose to side with the Gladers because WICKED is just sick. The way they think they are doing good is just terrifying. They erase your memories, they leave you in very scary places, and they wouldn't care if you died or not because they think that with the surviving group that remains, they will make the cure to The Flare off of their brain blue prints or reactions. They are even, happy that kids have died and that to me is just sick. 

Blue picture is Thomas's quote.

Pale-ish picture is Minho's quote. 

      

Weekly Blog 12/8/14 The Death Cure

º Would you recommend this book to friends? Why or why not?
 ºIn few paragraphs, summarize what you read today.

     I would recommend this book to my friends because I think this book is filled with excitement and action from the main characters. Also how the author wrote the book with more detail than necessary makes it a really good book to read any time. I also just in my opinion would recommend the book because of how the author lets the characters react, I think its exciting to know what Thomas, Brenda, Newt, Minho, or Teresa are going to do especially since they don't trust Teresa that much in the beginning. 

     In what I have read so far, Wicked had put Thomas in isolation for about four weeks. He has been let out giving fresh new clothes and has had to get the chance to meet the other Gladers again. The scientist that has been telling them information since the beginning of the Scorch trial, tells them that the tests are over. He also tells them that they can have their memories back (They all had their memories removed temporally because of the trials, in the first book). The Gladers start to group up and some disagree with getting their memories back and some are totally up for it. Of course Teresa over there immediate says yes by saying "WICKED is good".

     Newt, Thomas, and Minho are the only ones that choose not to get their memories back. Brenda runs up to Thomas and tells him a message to only trust her and another person who has not shown up in the book as of yet. Newt, Thomas, and Minho are taken into a small type apartment where they are to be kept until they are summoned for the tests which take place the next day. The "rat man" or (the scientist that has been telling them information since the beginning of the Scorch trial) Wakes them up telling them they have to get their memories back like it or not. Thats about all I've read so far and I think I left myself on a cliff hanger which its terrible because this will eat at me all day until I read again tomorrow. 

 

Weekly Blog 12/1/14 The Scorch Trials

• Analyze how your feelings change as you read this story and why.

• Discuss why you like or dislike what you are reading.

      My emotions have been changing quite a lot in these 1-214 pages that I have been reading in The Scorch Trials. I was really sad for the main character Thomas and in all honesty almost started crying at how heartbreaking the part in the book was. It was about this girl named Teresa (which if you haven't read the first book The Maze Runner then this may be a bit confusing, little back ground information: Teresa came into Glade *the place that the glader's lived* as the last and only person to enter. Keep in mind, no girls had ever been into glade so this caused craziness. Long story short, Thomas feels a connection to her and they start to form a relation ship.) They stuck together, got out of the maze and they where put into a camp but they separated Teresa from the boys. She disappears and they can't find her. Yet when Thomas goes into the room type of thing when there in the desert after escaping the camp she's there and they hug and kiss *again I had said before, a relationship* but then Thomas had to leave her behind and run but not without saying "Teresa I'll find you."

     It also made me very happy however that she was still alive and that maybe she would be through out the book trying to reach Thomas. It made me feel very nervous when they were inside of the camp and the creepy scientist told them they had gotten the disease called the "Flare" that had wiped out almost all of the world's population and left crazy psycho people called "cranks" that once the disease got to far inside the brain it made them crazy until they lost everything basically their humanity. I felt excited as well when they went to search the room Teresa was kept in the found a boy named Aris that had the same relationship to another girl but she was killed. I got excited because I found out that Aris could take telepathically as well (Thomas and Teresa could talk telepathically just like Aris and his best friend Rachel, so in some way Thomas and Aris could talk to each other?) 

     I like what I'm reading because it gives so much emotion and I love the way that I'm worried for the main characters so much like I will literally scream in my head and start biting my nails when they take a wrong turn or put them selves in danger. I like what I'm reading because I like to read these types of books, the ones that make you go to the edge of your seat making you just want to read quicker to get to the good part. The Maze Runner Series has been such good books even if I have only read 1 and currently reading number 2. I have a friend that has been telling me how good book number 3 is and I can't wait to start it. 

Weekly Blog 11/17/14 The Maze Runner

• Do you like what you’re reading? Why or why not?

     In the book The Maze Runner so far I have enjoyed it/reading it because of the detail that the author puts in it. Like for example the boy or Thomas explains what he sees when he first arrives and is out of the elevator, "The floor of the courtyard looked like it was made of huge stone blocks, many of them cracked and filled with long grass and weeds." Further on "A large grove of trees filled the final corner; the closest one looked crippled and close to dying. I like that the author uses detail because it helps me think of what this place could look like. This also helps me think of what the emotions or feelings could have of the place that their in like negative or positive the way the author or the character describes it.

     I also like what I have been reading because I like the way that the author choose the word choice for the guys. Secondly I also like how he scatters similes all around the book, "I told ya, shuck-face, a shrill voice responded. He's a klunk, so he'll be a slopper no doubt about it." Its a bit confusing how they talk but I think further more in the book they will explain. "A few trees surrounded it, their roots like gnarled hands digging into the rock floor for food." I really enjoy reading these similes because it also gives me a mental picture of what they could be saying. 

     Finally, I also enjoy what I'm reading because mainly the main idea of this book. That a mysterious person brings guys to this isolated place where there are doors that lead to a ginormous maze. To me it sounded very interesting and many people said that the movie was great so I thought this was the next best thing (I haven't seen it). This was also the first time I have read any other book other than from the author Laurie Halse Anderson so that was also very exciting to me as well. 

Weekly Blog 11/10/14 Catalyst

     The author uses specific word choice that involves science. The author specifically states in the back of the book that "Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the periodic table." She (Laurie Halse Anderson) makes the main character 'Kate' say instead of just saying that when you die you go to heaven she would be you are being split of from your atoms and those atoms will go on into oblivion. She talks a lot like this. Its a bit difficult to understand but I personally have read two other books from her so I can understand what she means. I think that this affects the mood and tone because it makes her more smart and sophisticated when she talks like this and all of her friends are not so smart but they keep up with her. This also changes the tone because she never talks its more always in her head so we the readers can here what shes saying but the people inside the book like her father, have no clue. Which makes her a type of shy and quite girl. 

     Her mothers death changed Kate a lot. It made her shy and reserved, and she never wants to talk about it. "Is this what it was like when mom died?" Toby asks (Toby is her little brother). I open the freezer slowly. "Don't you remember?" "No". A bit later in the book " I open the freezer door and talk to the skim milk. "Because I wasn't there, okay? You want to know what I remember? I remember running out if the church. I was wearing black patent leather shoes and I ran down the road and I got blisters and I kept running ..." also a bit further... "By the time they found me, Mommy was burred in the ground. I didn't see it happen, I don't remember okay?" This affected her life and gave us more information about her because it shows that she is closed off. She doesn't like talking and I'm guessing expresses her feelings some other way. This made me sad and I can't imagine the pain that her and her dad would be feeling. 
  
     MIT the college she applied to (the only one) rejects her. This reveals information about her because it shows her shes scared, afraid and anxious that her only school rejects her which they later do. In the book it states "I open it badly. A jagged opening. The letter is brief, murder bu stiletto, a thin, sharp blade: "We regret to inform you ... thousands of qualified candidates ... not a reflection on your abilities ... many opportunities elsewhere ... Sincerely ..." The need to vomit vanishes. Dead girls don't puke. My father picks up the letter and envelope from the floor. He says something I can't hear. When I don't answer, he looks in the envelope. Maybe the real letter, the acceptance letter, is hidden in there, written in invisible ink on invisible, space age paper. Or it's a Cheshire cat letter and it will materialize any second now. Somewhere deep in that envelope are my registration instructions, my financial aid package, and a handwritten note from the cross country coach." A bit further ... "I wish I were three feet tall and he could pick me up and he still had a beard and he wore cotton sweaters that felt soft on my cheek and I could cry it all away and I would wipe my tears on his shoulder and I could suck my thumb and suck the end of my ponytail and he wouldn't tell me only babies did that and he would rock me on the front porch with the wind coming clean from the north and he would sing nursery rhymes with made up words like Mom used to and he could teach me the alphabet again and how to walk and how to run and maybe I would do better this time." This means she was very scared that they could reject her and they did. 

     Teri's son, Mickey's death. This revealed information about Kate because after Mickey's death Kate feels sorry for her and tries to spend time with her, she also gets to know her better and they become some what friends. In the book it says that "Here." I hand it to her. "I want you to have this. It fits you better. But I'm keeping the necklace." "You should sell it, get some cash." "I might." "Thanks." Later on... "You can't slack if you're going to work with me." I wont. I promise." This shows us that they both are being kind to each other and that she wants to be friends with Teri who was her nemesis. 

Reflections On Poe

     Poe's life had many tragedies. Hes real mother, brother and foster mother and his wife in later days all died from tuberculosis. He was robbed during the night by his own family (cousin). His father sent him to college without enough money and had to gamble to pay. He even burned his own furniture as a last resort to stay warm. His foster father got remarried and never told him. He left Poe out of his will when he passed away. Rumors has spread that Poe was in a relationship with another married women and all the people kicked him out of the city. He had suffered through a lot, and I feel really bad for him.

     I think that all of his life and his tragedies effected him life because if he didn't have such a hard life maybe his writing could have been more cheerful. Maybe all those events triggered something in him that just made him write such dark things. It could have been a way for him to release all that sadness he doesn't show but puts it into writing instead. With all that had happened to him, I would write about sad and horror like things to. I think we all would in someway release our sadness kind of like how he did. 

        There are many similarities of living in the 19th century vs. the 21st century. One could be that we all live in our own separate homes. Another could be that we all go to school and get an education. Also our basic life style was similar like how we talk dress, where we eat, (of course there a bit different because the 21st century is more advanced). Also, the times are similar because we back then and now had the same type or style of our economy and our government. 

      There are also many differences of living in the 19th century vs. the 21st century. One could be that we have better technology then them, (like the Mac book Airs or Touch screen TVs for example). Also we have more advanced clothing, (before women wore dresses and men suits of such, and now women can wear skinny jeans etc. and men can wear shorts, v necks etc.) Also we have the same concept of our government but it has advanced a lot, (like the first African American president and now also that women are trying for president). The 1800s and the 21st century are both great times and we should appreciate that humanity has made it this far.

Weekly Blog 11/3/14 Catalyst

• Are the characters realistic (do they seem like they could be real people)? Why or why not?

• Summarize what has happened in the book so far.

     

      In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson many things have happened so far in the book. Kate the main character has recently been rejected from the school she wanted to go into, MIT. Her friends have been worried about her since she doesn't talk to anyone, not after everyone gives her pity stares and they all say to just accept a safety school from your list. The thing is Kate only applied to MIT. Even after she is still in denial and more then anything wishes that MIT would admit they rejected her by mistake. On top of that she has to share her house with the person she dislikes, Teri, the schools bad girl. Teri is making her life miserable. Also in the story you find out that Kate has an addiction for running and now its becoming a bad thing. She sneaks out at nights stays up late because of her insomnia (Its a disease where you can't go to sleep). Thats about how far I've read into the book. 

      I think that the main character 'Kate' from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson would be considered realistic. I think this because she is just like any other girl frustrated that she did not get accepted into the college that she wanted to go into. She also does not get along with a girl from her school which is very realistic because we have all had that one person we never liked. I think that she is very realistic because it is possible for kids to lose their parents at young age just like she did, she lost her mom when she was only just a kid. She has a group of friends like any kid would have, she also is in a relationship which at the end of high school, most people should have.

      I think that the second main character 'Teri' from Speak also would be very realistic. I think this because some people can be like Teri, the bad one. The one who doesn't care and smokes. Someone who most people would stay away from because people would be afraid. In the book she starts warming up to Kate which should be normal because they do tend to spend a lot of time together now that the Litche's family (Teri's last name) have been living in Kate's house because there house was burned down in a fire and is being rebuilt. Like I said Teri's life could be like someones else out there (not the exact same but you get what I mean).