Harsh Reality

Peter Nguyen

A Farewell to Arms

By Ernest Hemingway

When we think of war novels, we think of heroes who die fighting for a good cause and a generic moral lesson to go with it. Instead, Hemingway writes about soldiers dying and sustaining injuries trying to get macaroni. A Farewell to Arms is a love tragedy that takes place on the Italian front during World War 2. An American ambulance in the Italian Army named Henry and an English nurse named Catherine both fall in love with each other in a time of suffering. Through the horrors of war, both reignite their ability to love. After Henry is injured from a mortar, he is hospitalized for a period of time and Catherine transfers to his hospital to be with him. In this period of time, both grow deeper in love with each other and find out that Catherine is pregnant. Once Henry escapes the war, the pair move to Switzerland to fulfill their dream of living a happy and peaceful life together. After months of labor, Catherine’s baby comes out as a stillborn and she dies later from hemorrhaging. Henry is at her side when she dies but for some reason, he feels no sadness and had no words for her. He leaves the hospital and goes back to his hotel as if nothing had happened, leaving a dark and gloomy closing to the novel.

I enjoyed A Farewell to Arms because it was written in a slightly unconventional method. He uses informal diction and simple sentences such as “I don’t give a damn.” (Hemingway 174) and “Jesus Christ, ain’t this a goddam war?”(Hemingway 35). I felt that these phrases provided a nice cadence that accurately portrayed the life that Henry lived. In addition to the short phrases, Hemingway also includes beautiful and lengthy descriptions of different scenery such as the mountains. At times, I even felt that his descriptions were a bit excessive despite the vivid imagery they provided. The unique writing style of the novel also portrays raw emotion such as love and guilt, as seen with dialogue between Henry and Catherine and the subtle details that Hemingway incorporated in between. Hemingway himself lived through the events and did the same things that Henry does which makes the text feel much more genuine.

Throughout the novel, almost every chapter has hints of alcohol with scenes at the bar with Henry and the officers. In this case, alcohol is used as a means to escape. The soldiers drank their hearts out to drown out and escape the horrors of war. However, this was just a temporary buffer and soldiers drank to gain some sense of control during a war they had no control over. In addition, Henry’s drinking was detrimental to his relationship with Catherine. After forgetting his date with her, he states “I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly, I had gotten somewhat drunk and had nearly forgotten to come but when I could not see her there I was feeling lonely and hollow.”(Hemingway 89) The theme of drinking throughout the novel can bring comedic relief but also emphasize the heartbreak and tragedy the characters experienced.

What I also noticed that Hemingway accurately portrays masculinity with ‘manly’ characters such as Rinaldi, an officer that acts as Henry’s wingman. We see that the men in the novel ooze masculinity with men drinking at a bar and soldiers fighting hard. Even their dialogue is masculine. For instance, Henry states, "My legs are full of trench-mortar fragments, old screws and bedsprings and things." (Hemingway 100) Cleary, he implies that he is strong with the mention of shrapnel in legs but also includes sexual undertones with ‘old screws’ and ‘bed springs.’ Hemingway also shows the other side with the portrayal of male weaknesses. While alone vulnerable, Henry thinks to himself, “Lying on the floor of the flat-car with the guns beside me under the canvas, I was wet, cold, and very hungry.” (Hemingway 155), which shows us that men have limits and weaknesses too.

What stood out to me the most was how much of the book reflected Ernest Hemingway’s life. He was an ambulance driver in World War 2, experiences the hardships of war, and also falls in love with a nurse while enlisted. Henry endures tragedy after tragedy, which also reflects Hemingway’s life. When he talks about the soldiers not knowing what was going on during the war and the awful emotions associated with war, he speaks from the heart. This is most likely why the text was written so informally and casually. Another parallel with his life was alcohol. Hemingway was known as a raging alcoholic and almost every page of the novel breathes alcohol and depression. Readers can truly get a feel of Hemingway's emotions through his inclusion of alcohol and drinking problems in A Farewell to Arms. The ending, where Henry leaves Catherine behind without any feelings of sadness or anything at all shows Hemingway’s depression and feelings of emptiness. The ending leaves readers feeling empty and discontent, much like how Hemingway was feeling.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that doesn’t mind a relaxed and more casual style of writing. Hemingway captures so many feelings that people can relate to. For instance, he captures of the irony of war with people dying over macaroni and he portrays the emptiness of words such as honor and courage. Laying down harsh realities, this text really makes people think. The ending leaves an open end that can leave readers angry at how harsh the real world is. This book is great for anyone that seeks to be compelled and question certain aspects of life.

The call that shook Pasadena

The Call that shook Pasadena

Sonia Ourfalian

Pasadena

By: Sherri L. Smith

Have you ever received a call that shifted your life forever? Have you ever lost someone so close to you? Whether it be a family member or a friend, we all want answers. Why? How? Ongoing questions begin to ponder when you have lost someone so suddenly and you don't even know how it happened. In the case of this book, Jude receives a call that alters her life forever. She hears words that seem to be unimaginable; her best friend Maggie has tragically passed away and no one knows how. Her friends think it’s suicide and her parents think it’s an “accident”, however Jude calls it what it is, murder. Jude states that this is “what happens when people die. Time freezes around them. If you stand too close, you get caught, like a fly trapped in amber. It takes a certain amount of strength to pull away and leave it behind.” (90) Maggie was Jude’s everything and when she passed away all her focus was on her, it had seemed as though the clock had just stopped ticking. All Jude is looking for is answers. To her, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. For the person who knew Maggie like the back of her palm, she is determined to find the truth by reconstructing her last few days and pulling every piece of her life together.

In the portion of the book that I have read so far, I can't seem to put the book down. It has kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat since the moment I started it. Through the use of suspense and mystery, Smith does an astonishing job of grabbing the reader's attention. Throughout the book every little detail is connected to another and as it unfolds, I've come to the realization that every character is not to be trusted. This book is not something I personally connect with but it has captivated my attention and truly intrigued me. Death, unfortunately happens in our world today and although investigators are the ones digging for the answers, it is still worth finding out. Everyone has someone that means the world to them and if they are somehow taken from this earth, they will do every effort to find out how it happened, even though the truth is never easy. Everyday people come across hardships that make life difficult but we learn to move forward and making the best of it. In this book, Smith explores the reality of friendships and losses. As tragic as it may be, many go through the pain of suffering through it and really have no choice. Just like Jude, as difficult as it may be, she is determined to find out the answers because she needs to face the reality and eventually move forward with her own life.

For those of you who seek suspenseful, mysterious, tragic, and realistic books, this book is the way to go. It has the perfect combination of sad yet hopeful and openhearted yet mysterious. I highly recommend it, because it definitely keeps you on your toes and yearning for more. It is a book that engaged me and hope will engage you as well!

It's Different Alone

Aaron Lam

The Enemy

By Charlie Higson

Have you ever thought about being completely alone at only the age of 6? Children under the age of 10 usually are dependent on those around them in order to grow and survive. But what would happen if there was no one to lean on? The Enemy revolves around a small group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world set in modern-day London. This group is not an average post apocalyptic group, as it mostly consists of children under the age of 10. The protagonists or the leaders of the group are much older, ranging between 14-15. A deadly virus had broken out around the world, causing people over the age of 16 to become feral zombies.  This book creates a scenario on how children who are unsuited in a drastic change of environment react and adapt. The group of children so far had departed from their home in an abandoned Waitrose market to find a safer place.

The book uses graphic details, such as zombified chimpanzees had bashed the head of a 6 year old in. I find that this book has a different appeal to it compared to other young adult novels.  The Waitrose leader, Arran, show qualities of a leader and provides motivation for the group to survive. “These boys were survivors. The will to live was stronger than any other feelings.” (31). The use of children as the protagonists in an post-apocalyptic world is not a subject that is expanded upon. “There’s just us kids. And we can do what we like” (20). This is a fresh perspective in the genre where most stories typically revolve around adults who are armed with firearms. The children of Waitrose, however, only have makeshift gear such as slingshots or clubs. It effectively creates the feeling of futility in some parts, where Arran asked “‘how long can we go on like this? Eating dogs?’” (50). Despite having a strong sense of surviving, the characters are just children and still have doubts about the world. The book mixes interesting characters with a unique setting to create a story. The gear doesn’t always prove effective which increases the chance that something tragic can happen.

I would recommend this book to people who would only enjoy post apocalyptic stories. The Enemy is more of a fun read than a book that brings anything beneficial to your life. This book is not a great book to develop meaning for, but it is a perfect example of something that is fun and thrilling. This book has a very niche quality where it emphasizes that there are children that are struggling alone in a post apocalyptic world. People who enjoy stories that are more fictional and tragic would love it. This book builds up suspense which would lead to something horrible happening.

It's in the rain

It’s in the Rain

Loren Salguero

H2O

By Virginia Bergin

What would happen to the world if a terrible disease were to affect the atmosphere of our Earth? What if we were forced to fear our own nature? This science fiction novel, H20 by Virginia Bergin focuses around the life of a young  girl named Ruby Morris. Ruby is a normal teenage girl going to school, going to parties, drinking, and crushing on boys. One day, the rain appears to carry a deadly disease. “It’s in the rain”(20).  The whole town hides in fear, even from loved ones who are affected. Radio stations and NEWS on TV “Now urging people not to panic”(47). Little did they know everything would fall from there.

Although I did not finish this book, I did enjoy what I read so far. The author gave Ruby a realistic teenage personality by expressing her “hatred” toward her step father, love for her crush, and the typical anxiety-filled moments. I would recommend this book if you are into funny science fiction books but it is not for everybody. The author is kind of boring sometimes because it feels like the story is just a straight line at times. What really drew me in was the science-y concepts in it. She also uses the harmful rain as certain metaphors which are really interesting to find, break down, and think about. Once again, I did not get to finish this book so who knows, maybe I won’t like the whole thing. For now, I still recommend it for anybody who enjoys a simple science/drama type of book.

Just trying to fit in

Iraklis Pagounes

Money Boy

By: Paul Yee

Do you ever have that feeling where you want to block out everything and just worry about yourself? Ray Liu, the 18 year old protagonist feels the same way. Ray moved away from China to live in Canada 4 years before the book starts. Before him and his family immigrated, his parents got divorced. His father remarries and his mother eventually travels back to China to find a job. Ray doesn't like living with his Chinese army veteran father because he likes to be lazy and wants him to do better in school.

On top of this all, Ray has to deal with his own problems of being gay. Though know one in the family knows this, Ray's dad has become suspicious after looking in his search history. To his surprise he finds gay culture websites and is immediately filled with anger to the brim. “those sites, did you visit them?”(27). Ray is thrown out of the house and must learn to live on the streets of Toronto. Along the way he meets other gay men and wonders about becoming a money boy, a Chinese slang term which means a man who sells his body on the streets, in order to make a living for himself.

All in all, I liked this book but I didn't love it. The book felt rushed, which isn't too surprising because the book itself is less than 200 pages. If it was given more length I think it would have been a much better read. What I also found interesting is this book accurately depicts the incredible tension between highly traditional parents who are used to having a dictatorial role in their children's lives and the kids who are being raised surrounded by a completely different culture and are struggling to break free.

This book connected with me because growing up with immigrant parents, they hold high standards that aren't always easy to attain, just like how we see in Rays situation. “He needs foreigner friends”(23). Another theme that I thought was relevant to today's world is sexuality as a whole. Millions of people in today's world are trying to figure out who they are and just like Ray, his parents are not very supportive in his choices. A lot of people struggle with their parents not being 100% on board with them being gay and this can lead to other negatives things.“Go home and go back to school”(161).

This is a good read for teenagers and would appeal to you if you like short stories that are relevant in today's world. For people older than 18, I would not recommend this because it is a bit to basic and would not fit your liking. An author that is similar to Paul Yee is James Patterson. Their writing styles are similar and kids that read these books are in the same age ball park.

A Dream Come True

October 31, 2017

A Dream Come True

Sevag Aboyan

The Batboy

Mike Lupica

Have you ever had a dream job and be able to have the opportunity as a young kid to get that job? In this sports fiction book, The Batboy By Mike Lupica, the main protagonist Brian Dudley has the opportunity to have his dream job; becoming the batboy of this favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. When his father played in the pros his lifelong dream was either to be in the same shoes as his father or at least work in the pros. Brian has always loved baseball, “[He] felt as if baseball was close enough for him to reach out and touch (pg 1)”.  Dudley has always loved the Tigers ever since he was little, he watched every single game, and cheered for his favorite player Hank Bishop. When Brian 1st applied for the job of becoming a batboy he was rejected because he was to young, but he never gave up. 2 years later he reapplied for the job and this time he was successful he got the job.

After reading about 6 chapters, . Lupica writes in a way that he allows the reader to relate and think about themselves. On page 9 Lupica writes “ Now that he’d been doing this for a week, Brian realized he’d never really understood as a fan what the job meant (9)”. As a young kid myself at the age of 18 we as young adults never realize what we are up for until we experience it. Just like Brian he never really knew how the job would go until he experienced working after a week. If I were to recommend this book to anyone I would recommend it to either a baseball fan or a sports fan in general. It it a perfect book for a child from the ages 12-15, because Brian is about 10 years old and gets a job, but in today's world to get a job it is about 15 years old.  

From reading this book and now in chapter 6, Mike Lupica has a message to convey through the act of sports and baseball. He emphasizes the point of not to give up in something you love to do, and always do your best work at all times. Both those things Brian has done, he never gave up to get this job and once he did he has worked hard ever since. I was able to connect with the main character Brian in many ways, from the sports aspect to the working aspect. When I was younger I got my 1st job and though it was going to be easier than it really was. Also when I was little i always loved David Ortiz and always wanted to work at Fenway Park. Just like Brian, when i was younger I played little league baseball and always thought I was the best player. My parents would come and never wanted to sit through the whole thing. For them it was the same as Liz Dudley “ had no use for baseball”... “ baseball to his mom was like a foreign language (28)”  for my mother it was the same she understood nothing, but still cheered me in when I did good or bad.

Overall I would rate this book so far a 7 out of 10. Lupica does a very well job to sustain your attention and keep you wanting to read. He writes in such a way to keep suspense but keep it kid friendly.

Earth? Harmless. The Ever-Increasing Galaxy? A Journey To Be Had, Of Course!

Brandon Zuniga

Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy
By Douglas Adams

Imagine yourself, being threatened by a contractor who wants to tear down your house to make way for a new road. The only thing between your house and the bulldozer is you. Then, a friend of yours tells you to go to a bar with him for a drink because the world is about to end rendering his standoff between the bulldozer useless. You would think he’s crazy right? Well, that is how Arthur Dent’s day starts off in Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy.

Everything happens very fast; The skies start to open up, and voices descend, warning them of their impending doom. Luckily, Dent’s crazy friend who is actually an alien, Ford Prefect, saves Dent by numbing him with alcohol who then wakes up in a spaceship. This begins their adventures as hitchhikers going around the galaxy.

While I am only halfway through the book, Douglas Adams successfully grabs your attention, while also seeing how an ignorant Dent is handling all that is happening at once. This might dissuade you from reading, but throughout the novel, we are aided by the Hitchhiker’s Guide itself informing us of the unknown. The multi-million selling book is a classic to be read with its comedic style, interesting characters, and unique writing style. In fact, the first scene with the aliens coming down to earth hooked me as Adams displays the hypocrisy of the contractors.

In the very first chapter the contractors, ready to tear down Arthur’s house, inform Arthur that he was informed of the plans ahead of time: “Mr. Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months”(8). However when the Aliens are prepping for the destruction of earth, they announce, “no point in acting surprise... demolition orders have been on display... in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your earth years”(35). The science fiction novel introduces us to the many species, planets, and more of the universe in a few chapters, leaving us perplexed, just like Dent.

This book is great for lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and comedy. The book is also a light read, at about 200 pages. The characters are something to pay attention to, from the mysterious Ford Prefect to the depressed robot, Marvin, you will find entertainment with each character introduced. So when you’re ready, pick up your hitchhiker’s guide, grab your Babel Fish-or don’t because, “Vogon poetry is of course the third worst in the universe” (64)-and get ready to go on a journey around the galaxy!

How to End the Zombie Apocalypse? Love.

Nora Haggerty

Warm Bodies

By Isaac Marion

Would you be able to find a will to live if the world you knew was plagued with a disease that allowed the dead to thrive? In Warm Bodies, the zombie apocalypse has taken over society and it is the job of the last surviving people to continue civilization. The story is told from the perspective of a younger zombie, named R. He lives a monotonous life in what used to be an airport but is now zombie central. Zombie activities include grunting, walking around aimlessly, and hunting through cities to find people to eat. On one of these expeditions, R and some fellow zombies stumble upon a group of living teenagers that are out on an organized trip to kill zombies. When zombies eat brains, they are put into their victim’s memories where they get to experience life for several fleeting moments. While most of the zombies quickly ravage through the living people, killing them and eating them, without a second thought, R has some hesitations. He enjoys the feeling of having memories, but does not exactly enjoy the killing part. On this trip, R meets a girl named Julie, whom he feels the need to protect. Despite her immense confusion, Julie goes back to the airport with R so she doesn’t get killed. Julie finds a way to trust R and the pair become very close over the course of several days. Their interesting connection inspires a change in R that has further impacts in the zombie community.

Unless you enjoy cliche zombie romances, I wouldn’t recommend this book to you. Though Isaac Marion’s writing is not terrible, I did not find the story particularly engaging, especially the second half. The book was like a watered down, apocalyptic spin on the classic Romeo and Juliet - two separated worlds where members of each have intense hatred for members of the other. When I picked the book off of the shelf, I was expecting less romance and more thrilling zombie narrative. Marion insinuates that the love between R and Julie is what brings the two worlds together, and is essentially the cure to to the zombie plague.

The relationship between the two main characters is at some points uncomfortable to read, after the reader is reminded that R is actually dead. For example, as the pair heads back to the stadium where the people who have survived the apocalypse stay, they had to stay a night in Julie’s old house. Julie invites R to sleep in the same bed as her saying “I was just thinking. The bed’s a king-size. So I guess, if you wanted to... I wouldn't care if you joined me in there…” (90). The two are clearly starting to fall for each other but their romance seems out of place as Julie’s boyfriend was (spoiler alert) eaten a few days earlier, and R is not alive.  R and Julie even find that they have the same taste in music which brings them closer together. Though realistic is not a word that can be used to describe any book revolving around zombies, even in the Warm Bodies world, their predictable romance alone did not seem to fit in with everything going on around them.

Another part of the story that I felt took away from some of the overarching themes is R’s sudden character development. In the beginning, though there were some hints of discontent, he seemed to accept the way the world was, getting a wife and adopting zombie children as most other male zombies did in the book. He grunted and walked around like all the others. As soon as he met Julie, his thoughts were more coherent and he had an epiphany saying, “I don't want to die. I don't want to disappear. I want to stay” (64). I feel as though if he had evolved more over time instead of so suddenly, his development could have been more significant and it could have shown that other zombies could do the same, even without meeting a girl and falling in love. Julie’s immediate forgiveness toward R after she realized he was the one who ate her boyfriend, did not help in developing R’s character smoothly either.

Something I found interesting about Warm Bodies was how applicable some of the ideas were to modern day society despite being published five years ago. There are messages about how society should be more accepting of everyone and understand that people change. Julie wholeheartedly defends R when he is confronted by her dad, who is in charge of the efforts to rid the world of zombies. She says, “R is different. He’s changing.” (198) and even stabs her father when he tries to shoot R in the brain - an act that would kill him for good. Julie saw the good in R and realized that he wanted to be better, and also saw how the change could spread through the zombie world. They both had the mutual goal of making the world a better place and influencing others to bring the two sides together.

The concept of Warm Bodies is what pushed me to read it, however, after getting through about half of it, I stopped enjoying reading it and just wanted to get it over with. If you like cliche fantasy romances then you may enjoy this book, but I felt that there was nothing that stood out as powerful to me, which I usually look for in books.

The Wilting Flowers

Nina Cristofori

The Cellar

By Natasha Preston

One night, one place, one moment, Summer Robinson’s life would change. Wandering outside a club by herself, looking for her friend Rachel, Summer got kidnapped by a stocky man who repeatedly called her Lily. Thrown into a white van, and brought to a house in the middle of nowhere, Summer was thrown down the stairs into the cellar. To Summer’s dismay, the cellar was well furnished and there were three other women there. Their names were Violet, Poppy, and Rose, and Summer learned her new name would be Lily. The kidnapper was known as Clover and he made it clear to the girls that, “ We are a family” (19). The women prepared meals and the five of them ate together everyday. Being the sick individual he is, Clover would rape the girls, although he had not yet touched Lily. Clover left the women with no sharp items, so they would not be able to hurt him. All the women had become content with their lives in the cellar, except Violet and Lily. Secretly plotting an attack and escape, Violet planned to stab Clover with scissors she had from sewing clothes, and Lily would swoop in and grab the keys out of his pocket to open the cellar door. When the moment came, Violet tried stabbing Clover and it didn’t work at all. This angered Clover and he pulled a knife out of his pocket and, “There was no hesitation when he shoved the knife into her stomach” (82). Violet was now dead, and Lily was traumatized from seeing it happen right before her eyes, and she felt hopeless that she would ever escape. All Lily wanted to do was be in the arms of her loving boyfriend Lewis, under the safe confinement of her home, with her family.

For those of you who seek thrill and suspense, this book will be the perfect match for you. It is demented but intriguing, and I am thoroughly enjoying the book so far. Natasha Preston does a fantastic job in writing this book, and she uses multiple character perspectives to allow readers to better understand that character and see the story in that character’s eyes. Along with perspectives, Preston implements flashbacks in the book which grab the reader’s attention. I cannot connect to this book personally, but in our society we see kidnapping and sexual assault occur all the time. It is horrific and saddening, but we must not be content with being a victim, and we must speak up and fight back. Although Violet got killed, she could not handle being imprisoned in the cellar and raped anymore, and she was courageous enough to try to free herself and the other women.

Looking at Clover, it is evident that he is psychologically impaired. He has no morale and finds satisfaction in creating the “perfect family” through kidnapping girls, thinking he’s making his deceased mother proud. When speaking about how many girls had been killed, Rose declared, “ Eight since I’ve been here, including Violet”(85). Clover will take whatever means necessary to create his flower family, and he will eliminate any girl if she’s disrupting his family. He has no remorse for eliminating people from his life, but conveys that “loneliness is a terminal disease” (87). I find it ironic how he would say this because although he may physically have girls in his life, it is all an act to try to fill the empty void he has for losing the one person he cared about in his life, his mother.

Everytime I pick up this book and read it, I never want to put it down. You should read this book because the suspense Preston creates leaves you craving for more. As I continue to read the book, I will share my thoughts with you!

Climbing Mighty Mount New York

Brett DiStasio October 30, 2017

     Climbing Mighty Mount New York

Do you have an older sibling who always seems to be bigger, stronger and faster than you are? Everyone knows the feeling of being the little guy who can’t seem to overcome an obstacle no matter how hard they try or how close they get. Dan Shaughnessy truly captures this feeling in the novel Reversing The Curse a story of the 2004 Boston Red Sox. The novel starts on October 27, 2004 the fateful night in Boston in which generations of fans celebrated and cried together as an 86 year curse had been broken. Shaughnessy talks about the struggles that each fan has overcome while being loyal to the Red Sox and goes into perspective of fans around the world who were watching the final out of the World Series. The author quickly switches focus as he goes back to the 1920’s and begins to talk about “the dreaded curse of the bambino”, Shaughnessy begins to retell the missteps of the Red Sox franchise and seems to intertwine the New York Yankees with every misstep we make. Shaughnessy summarizes the past 80 years in the next four chapters such as the trade of the greatest Baseball Player of all time to New York for a measly $125,000, this trade kicks off the what was the longest championship drought in Boston Sports history.  Every time the fans regained hope as the Red Sox would have a surging summer, there would be a collapse such as in the summer of 1978, the Red Sox were up 14 games on the Yankees and ended up having the greatest collapse in baseball history and lost the AL East pennant. Shaughnessy states, “More than a quarter of a century later, those ‘78 Sox are still taking abuse.”(26) The author eventually moves on the the 2003 ALCS and the Sox historic collapse at Yankees stadium losing the last 2 games of the playoff series. “If that series wasn’t enough of a slap in the face, the Yankees traded for the best player in baseball, who many believed was going to the Red Sox, and the hearts of Red Sox nation simultaneously broke.” (46)

The Author does a great job of embodying the dark cloud that had been over Boston and the Red Sox franchise for decades, by showcasing the emotions of the fans and the players after years of disappointment. Shaughnessy uses vivid imagery and other literary devices to give the reader the image that the Yankees have always been towering over the Sox and the mountain becomes more and more insurmountable each year. A clear cut example of this is when Shaughnessy says, “Our stomachs dropped” and , “our hearts were ripped out” , using the repetition of the word our to present the reader with the idea that all of Boston had felt the pain of the Red Sox over the years. One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the fact that this novel goes in depth of everything happened in Boston during 2003 and 2004, not just the Red Sox. I would not only recommend this book to Red Sox fans such as myself, but I would encourage anyone who lives in New England to read this book, as it embodies the blue collar attitude and resiliency of the region. This book is also a unique read as it provides fresh and unseen perspectives of fans around the world, and Red Sox players and officials. This style gives the reader a good idea of how the people were feeling and how the city longed for another Championship. The author also uses a shift in tone to convey his message. In the early chapters the tone is very negative as he talks about “curses” and “disappointments” , but in the later chapters when things seem to be looking up and the Red Sox bring in a new manager and president of baseball operations he uses words such as “hope”, “a new start” and “a breath of fresh air”. I may have only been 3 or 4 years old, but what I like the most about this book is that Shaughnessy makes me feel like I was in Boston and felt the pain, anguish and the eventual relief of the “curse” being broken.

Investing Curiosity

Jaison Patel

A Random Walk Down Wall Street

By Burton Malkiel

“The stock market has little, if any, memory” (141).

Numbers rise and fall.  Lives are heightened and ruined in the blink of an eye.  In Malkiel’s first person novel, he reveals secrets about the stock market and the potential threats that must be avoided at all costs.  He pervades the genre of finance with his ideas that spontaneous chartists, people who buy stocks based on the general opinion of crowds, are unsuccessful; he instead praises fundamentalists, the investors who buy stocks based on the intrinsic value of the company.  Malkiel advocates for the method of holding stocks over long periods of time while berating the day-by-day method of investing.

Through his writing, Malkiel introduces ideas that make sense in theory.  Suggesting that, “the key to investing is… its (an industry’s) ability to make and sustain profits” (97), Malkiel directly states that people need to be aware of the industry they are buying into.  I agree that one can receive fruits of their investment if they are aware of the stability, not growth, of the industry.  Alongside his praise of this “firm-foundation theory of value” (31), Malkiel expresses how it is self-defeating to tell everybody about one’s special strategies to investing, as the strategies will no longer be special if everyone uses them.  His rationale solidifies Malkiel’s reasoning as to why technical analysis is ineffective - the individual loses once the crowd knows too much.  He interests me with his concepts about investors in the stock market.

“The stock price may not converge to its value estimate” (133).

Admitting that fundamental analysis may fail, Malkiel characterizes the stock market as a living entity; the market ultimately dictates how much prices will rise and fall for each company.  Understanding that all strategies may prosper or fail at times, Malkiel stays aware of chartists’ strategies, thus, attracting me to his book.  As my dad is a successful chartist, I am pleased to find Malkiel including the “Why does Charting Work?” section (117).  It intrigues me to learn the three main reasons why my dad earns lucrative gains from his daily stocks.  Even though I live with a counterexample of Malkiel’s ideal investor, I am fascinated by Malkiel’s understanding of all the different methods of investing.  He continues with his “Elaborate Technical Systems” section to further describe the specific patterns which chartists use to invest (145).  

For anybody interested in the stock market, A Random Walk Down Wall Street is an exceptional choice.  One does not need to be a potential investor to enjoy this book, as it offers more than tested-strategies of investing.  Malkiel initially attracts his audience by offering his commentary of historic events, including the Tulip Bulb Craze (38-41), the South Sea Bubble (41-47), and the Stock Market Crash (53).  His analysis of numerous events and all types of strategies, regardless of his bias towards fundamentalists, makes this book tempting to anyone with a burning curiosity about the stock market.

A family named Bouvier

A Family Named Bouvier
Riley Buchanan
A Woman Named Jackie
by C.David Heymann
          The first 5 chapters of this book could absolutely be enough to turn you away if you aren't already familiar with and interested in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This entire chunk of the book focuses more on her parents and grandparents and all their wealth, prestige, and success than it does on Jackie.
          To give you the quick rundown, Jackies mother and father both came from extremely wealthy families, her father's family had old-money and her mother’s parents had new-money. They met from both being high-society in New York City and Jackie’s father especially being an older and quite promiscuous socialite. Her parents had a rocky marriage because of her father's cheating, which her mother more or else allowed for years because “she had too much pride. Yet she didn't have enough pride to ditch her husband”(35),(foreshadowing?).  They finally divorced when Jackie was 11, which obviously took a toll on her, considering she now had to travel from one jealous parent to another. All of Jackie’s paternal aunts, uncles, and grandparents also had viscous divorces that negatively affected her (foreshadowing again?) and “played a role in the chopping down of the family tree”(46). Then we learn that her mother married an insanely rich man older than herself (for the second time), (foreshadowing again?) who was “a big, toddling teddy-bear of a man with smiling eyes and a pleasant disposition”(51).
          I'm someone who already knew and loved a lot about Jackie, which is why I chose this book, so learning about her family dynamics growing up gives me interesting insight into her character/personality as a woman. On the other hand, for someone who hasn't studied her before, they can't make the connections from childhood to adulthood or see her personality development, so this part of the book is going to be quite boring.
          I’m sure that the parts of this book focusing on her life during her husband John F. Kennedy’s campaign, presidency, and assassination will be as fascinating as you'd imagine but for the time being, I haven't gotten to that part of the book yet. I’ll update my review in the future when I've read at least more of- if not the entire- biography, and hopefully it will be a little bit better.
          At this point in the text, I’d suggest that only people who've studied Jackie, want to study her more, and favor biographies read this book. Not only is there a big chunk of background information that isn't super fun to read, but the book is also basically just a fact-provider. It doesn’t involve a lot of pictures or quotes or interviews and that's quite possibly due to the fact that it's, at this point, only about her life in the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Most of the people she was close to at that time are probably dead, but that doesn't change the fact that a lack of those more intimate details in a biography make it a tad boring. For these reasons, I again only recommend this book to those of you that are fans of biographies and believe you know enough about Jackie’s adult life that you would find her upbringing interesting.

Ice Brawls and Bar Fights

Hockey Night Fever

By: Stephen Cole

When a sports team is struggling, not only should they work on their play, but they should also recruit a new player. The Boston Bruins needed a pickmeup in the early 1970s, due to poor play and lack of dedication by their players. Derek Sanderson brought a new type of mentality to this organization; a winning one. He also brought the spirit of hockey back not only for the players, but for the entire state of Massachusetts. He changed the game for the Bruins and brought the team together like nobody had before. The city of Boston loved him and he even was brought on the radio, “Radio station WBZ 1030… held a ‘Win a Date with Derek’ contest…”(13).

Sanderson was not the only young stud the Bruins brought in; Bobby Orr an 18 year old from Canada also brought a lot of flash to the dull Boston organization. Along with Sanderson, Orr helped bring the Bruins together as a family, a family of winning hockey players. After one of their teammates had ended up in the hospital, they had to have some fun with it, “Acting on Dr. Orr’s orders, teammates wheeled Espo out the door and into the elevator… (They) peeled off exit railings to ram their fallen comrade’s gurney out of the hospital”(44). This shows how far they have come, from fighting each other in the locker room, to risking arrest for a little bit of fun with the boys.

As a hockey entrepreneur and a lover of Boston, I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love to see how the players acted and were as a family, and it reminds me of the great times I have spent causing trouble in hotels with past teams. This book really helps with getting to know the upbringing of the great sport that I have loved, and will always love. It shows how different the National Hockey League used to be and how there is still room for change.

If you love hockey, or even Boston, I feel you would enjoy this book. It has many descriptions about the city of Boston and how it became a sports mecca. Not only does it talk about Boston sports, but also bars that the players could have been seen drinking at after their home games. The author also gives an in depth background about the rise of many hockey greats that some people otherwise would not have known, like Derek Sanderson, and the reasoning behind Gerry Cheevers’ famous scarred mask.

Sibling Conflicts and Understanding Introverts

Sibling Conflict and Understanding Introverts

Mary DiMaggio

I’ll Give You the Sun

By Jandy Nelson

Siblings often experience clashes and conflicts, and twins Noah and Jude are no exception. Noah, an aspiring artist, dreams of going to the California School of Art, and is crushed when Jude gets in and he doesn’t. The book offers a perspective on this situation from both Noah’s and Jude’s points of view. Jude feels that she didn’t deserve to get into CSA and Noah deserved her spot more, which makes her feel guilty. Noah becomes jealous of Jude, and out of desperation, he observes one of the art classes while standing outside the classroom. This jealousy causes tension between Noah and Jude, and Jude becomes mad at Noah because she is embarrassed of who he is, which causes them to fight. Jude asks Noah “Do you have to be so, so you all the time?” (75). The first hundred pages of the book mainly focus on Noah and his thoughts. Noah is quiet and very closed up, and we see that he has a lot going on in his head. He has an extremely vivid imagination, and throughout the text, he has daydreams that interject the events of the book, where he takes things that happen to him and picture them in head happening in a different place, while exaggerating what’s happening and what people are doing and saying.

I enjoyed reading I’ll Give You The Sun because one of the main goals of the text was to help the reader understand more about introverted people. Being an introvert myself, I feel that introverts are often misunderstood. In my experience, people assume that introverted people are just shy, and don’t have a lot to say, which is not true. Nelson writes about how introverted people are more quiet and may not talk a lot, but still have a lot going on in their head. Introverts are usually portrayed inaccurately, but this book shines light on what is really going on in an introvert’s head. It gives an accurate representation of introverted people and helps people gain a better understanding of introverted people. For example, when Noah is walking to CSA to spy on the class, one of his colorful daydreams begins with “I start to run, start to turn into air, the blue careening off the sky, careening over me, as I sink into green, shades and shades of it” (60).

I found Noah’s character interesting to read about. He dreams of going to CSA, and continues to pursue his dream after he doesn’t get in, which shows how desperately he wants to go to this school, and shows his perseverance. Because he didn’t give up his dream, I wanted to keep reading to find out if he will get into art school eventually. He “takes” an art class by observing outside the school, and thinks to himself “What could stop me from taking this class? Covertly, you know, from outside the open window” (61). I thought that he was admirable as a person because he is kind of quirky and not afraid to be himself, regardless of what other people think of him. Although I liked the book, I found it hard to follow what was going on at times. Noah’s expressive daydreams give the reader a clear view of what’s going on in his head, but the way they are introduced in the text makes the story confusing. The daydreams interject the story, and the text jumps back and forth from reality to daydream frequently and suddenly and blur the line between daydream and reality, which makes it difficult to know if Noah is imagining the situation or if it’s real.

I’ll Give You the Sun tackles some topics that many people experience in their own lives. I would recommend this book to anyone who experiences tension with a sibling, as they would find it relatable. Jude and Noah’s relationship grows extremely tense throughout the beginning of the book, mimicking what many people experience with their siblings. The book reflects specific conflicts commonly experienced among siblings, one where one sibling gets something the other sibling wants, and another where siblings are compared to each other. Both of these conflicts result with tension and jealousy between the siblings that they have to work to resolve. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is introverted, because they would appreciate how the book represents introverts accurately. A major idea in the book is that Noah is very quiet and has trouble opening up to people, but throughout the book, we get to see inside his head and what he has going on. In his head, he is constantly painting pictures of what is going on in his life. Introverted people will like this book because they can relate to how Noah finds it difficult to open up to people. People who are introverted will like how this book is an accurate representation of how introverts think, and will be able to relate to Noah’s life.

A Nightmare

Julia Poulakos

When you envision yourself being kidnapped, your mind will portray frightful images. Imagine being alone in the dark, tied up in a confined space by someone who was known for acting out this way, and they were undoubtedly not in their right mind. Now imagine the opposite. The Cellar by Natasha Preston has a few main characters whom are all victims of Clover’s (officially known as Colin) sick psychotic break. Clover portrays himself as a perfect man. His hair is always done right, his clothing is always neat and he has a normal job. He never shows signs of who he really is until he enters the dark part of his mind. When he enters this troubled and clustered area, he is quick to control it when he needs to. Clover feels that prostitutes are the worst women in the world and feels as though it is his duty to his deceased mother to dispose of them. His thoughts that tend to ramble through his mind are, “I wanted her but Mother wanted me to kill her” (165). Though when he goes against his mother’s voice that echoes as a whisper in his head, then he keeps the women for his so called “perfect family”.

A young girl named Summer whom is later named Lily is the first character we first handedly witness get kidnapped. Then we are introduced to Violet, Poppy and Rose. These three woman are also Clover’s victims and we learn about their lives later on. Summer happened to be walking alone in an empty park at the wrong time. He snuck up behind her, “You are Lily,” he repeated. Before I could blink, her threw his arms forward and grabbed me” (7). Clover mistakes Summer for the type of women he targets. As he kidnaps Summer he throws her down into a basement. Though it was more like an apartment. The smell of lemons overpowered the space. As Summer tried to understand where she is, she sees a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room and four beds. Then appear the three other women, Rose, Violet and Poppy. Lily felt that it was too “perfect” in order for it to be an imprisonment. Summer's new name is Lily. There was once a Lily who came before Summer. Clover killed her.

The girls are named after flowers. Clover expects them to dress nice, be clean and eat twice a day with him. They need to treat him as if they are all family. “We have to make sure the house is clean and tidy at all times, and we have to shower twice a day” (16). Rose said this as she explains to Lily what she’s in for. Lily automatically sets a plot to escape yet Rose discourages the plan. Rose was once a women whom Clover was in love with. They were best friends; she never suspected that he would do this to her. Clover didn’t want to hurt Rose and he resisted his urges to kill her when he was in the process of kidnapping her. He saw how she was weak and scared, he realized this and almost had reached for his knife. “I knew what mother would do, and I could almost hear her barking the order, Kill her. “Please, please no” I didn’t like begging. Mother didn’t like begging. It was for the weak.” (164). Instead Clover added Rose to his family of Violet, Lily (The first one) and Poppy. Rose doesn’t have faith in escaping or that anyone would ever find them since she knows Clover is deceiving and she is well-aware of what he is capable of.

This book draws you in, throughout various ways. Natasha Preston makes sure to cover every wandering detail you could be thinking of, while also allowing the mystery of the characters fate to remain undetermined. I admire how every chapter is from a different character’s perspective. This not only allows us to learn more about the characters interactions with each other but also lets us see through the eyes of the character. We view their perspective first hand. Also, what interests me is how the author has every chapter outlined by a different date through the character’s perspective. For example, there are many parts of the book where we see through Clovers eyes. At one time, he is in the past focused on how he first took Rose. Then there are parts that are current, such as when he kidnapped Summer.

I highly recommend this book because you are able to get a reality check. There are many times when we are vulnerable and we can be mislead and taken advantage of. Whether it be a relationship such as a complete stranger, like Summer with Clover or even a best friend like Rose with Clover. We must learn question people’s intentions at valuable times. While we also need to think twice about ignoring our parents or guardians guidance. The one time you decide to walk alone at night can become the biggest mistake of your life. Towards this particular situation taking place, I’ve learned from this book while also being undoubtedly intrigued.