Checking In

Outside Reading Blog #2

It's Kind of a Funny Story

By: Ned Vizzini

(p.75-151)

During this part of the book, Craig goes through the toughest time so far. After drinking and smoking at one of Aaron's party him and Aaron walk over to the Brooklyn Bridge which is the midway point between their houses. There Craig really plans to come back that night and commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, he finds himself worthless. As he gets home he sleeps with his mom in her bed and says goodnight to his whole family, thinking that it will be the last goodbye, but as Craig is walking out the door he sees one of his moms therapy books. He opens it up and flips to the anxiety management section and calls the suicide hotline. Instead of going to the Brooklyn Bridge he finds himself checking himself into Argenon Hospital, only a few blocks away. He arrives and is relived to be alive, calls his mom and then finds out that the hospital is checking him into a mental ward. Craig's therapist comes to see him and Craig assures her that this is the decision he wants to make, he wants to get better. The part when Craig is standing at the Brooklyn Bridge portrays the life of a lot of depressed teens. Craig didn't tell Aaron that he was depressed, neither his plan, so there was nothing that Aaron could to do help him. The fact that many young adults keep this to themselves is really universal now. Craig is now being submitted into the world of a mental ward, for 5 days. I am really excited to read this part of the book and see how this shift is going to help him.

Getting In

Outside Reading Blog #1

It's Kind of a Funny Story

By: Ned Vizzini

(p.1-74)

In the book It's Kind of a Funny Story, Craig is first introduced as the main character. At first he is spending all him time preparing to get into the perfect school (Executive Pre Professional in Manhattan) to go to the perfect school to have the perfect job and a perfect life. Craig finally makes it in and thinks that now that he finally go in, there will be no more stress. But he is wrong, very wrong. With all the pressure that Craig has staying caught up in school, he becomes depressed. Instead of doing all the work he is suppose to be doing to he goes to his friend Aaron's house to "chill" with him and Nia, Aarons girlfriend who Craig secretly has a crush on. He can't eat without throwing up, he can't sleep, he can't focus. The thing's he goes through he calls the "Cycling". The pressure to have a perfect life and be perfect in school is really relatable to as a teenager. Craig faces the challenges that many teens face this generation and deals with in in a way that some teens do too. So far this book is really a real life book and I am looking forward to seeing where Craig goes with all this chaos.

The "Online Flings"

In Anatomy of a Boyfriend, the main character Dominique and the boy she has a crush on, Wes, have been sending many emails back and forth now. Wes invited Dom to a New Years party that his friend is hosting and Dom gladly accepts the invitation. Up until this Amy, Dom's best friend, had been hinting at her that she and Wes could totally have a thing and that Amy knows Wes is single since they run on the same track team and Amy scopes out his relationship status a lot. Dom and Wes barley talk at the party but afterwards have tons of e-mail and IM conversations. I can really relate to this because in out generation most communication is online, and not only that but Dom also gets really excited when her and Wes have these online conversations. Many teenagers these days socialize a lot with people online and can even have exciting conversations that turn into the highlights of their days. The same thing that happens with Dominique and Wes, is a really typical high school fling communication and I really enjoy reading about it.

A Fresh Start

I recently finished the book that I last blogged about (Lime Ricky), so I will do my further blogs on a book I just began this weekend. The book Anatomy of a Boyfriend is a really good book so far and is a great teen read. The author, Daria Snadowsky, introduces us to Dominique who is a high scholar that loves to study the anatomy in a scientific way, but finds herself exploring things physically that she'd read about only in her Grey's Anatomy book. She meets the track star, Wes who falls in love with Dom, and together they have many firsts and experience the typical high school drama, relationship, and good and bad times. In the beginning Dominique replays back to her childhood "The truth is, I've wanted to be a doctor ever since I played my first game of Operation when I was six, and I'm constantly amazed by how strong and complex our bodies are, especially considering we all start off as single cells and are composed of mostly water" (Snadowsky 11).

Hallie and Codi

Hallie and Codi not only differ in many character traits, but also compare and have ever since they were little girls. Both girls are very sympathetic, but in different ways. Hallie shows sympathy by not only helping the less fortunate since she could contribute, but also going to Nicaragua to help the families in need. Although Codi also travels to someone in need, her reasoning is much different from Hallie's. She comes back to Grace to take care of her father who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. They are both also very intelligent and grow to become smarter and smarter. Codi went to medical school and almost pursued her dreams of becoming a successful doctor. On the other hand,  Hallie knows a lot about gardening and about whats going on in the world. Unlike Hallie, Codi is very lost and somewhat confused about where she stands in her life as an adult. She finds certain different places to try and call home, instead of carrying her spirit of home with her wherever she goes. Hallie is very selfless as well. All the good deeds she does allow her to appeal as a god to Codi. Her life is very balanced as well, unlike all the uncertainty Codi carries in her life.  Hallie and Codi clearly illustrate how different two sisters, and best friends, can have so many things alike, but in the end be so different from each other in they're paths they follow throughout life. 

My Recent Reading

I am recently reading the book Lime Ricky by Jill Winters. I really like this book so far, it really keeps me constantly reading and it's so hard to put down. This book is about two stangers who meet in a bad situation, expecting to never meet again but eventually fall in love and commit the perfect crime. Gretchen, the main character, at first thinks she will never see Ricky again, but then finds out his brother has a cooking show on she same network as her. Ever since the fire in Gretchen's apartment that Ricky saved her from, their random meetings had been very rocky. Though as they grow closer they find out that Ricky's brother is getting death threats and they join together undercover to identify the villain, but still enjoy romance with each other. Where I am in the book, Rick is beginning to doubt that Gretchen actually is in love with him as much as she claims, but is actually using him to get to his famous brother. I love this book, so far it's one of my favorites and I really look forward to finishing it and revealing the breath taking end of the plot.

Becoming Balanced (Adjective Paragraph)

As one door shuts you may find that many more open, and the choice to become balanced in which doors you decide to walk through is a tough decision. I am proud to say I have wisely chosen the doors to walk through and the activities I participate in. Being balanced doesn’t consist of having a variety of just academic activities, but having interest in activities outside of the school too. Through the school I am on the debate team and hip hop dance club. Both things are very different from each other so I create variety for myself, giving my mind different things to toy with each day. Outside of school I teach a gymnastics class, am involved with my church, run, and take yoga. Since I have such a wide selection of things I do each week, it all balances me out. If I was involved in activities that were all roughly the same, nothing would keep me on my feet. Some personality qualities I have also balance me as a person, kind of like ying and yang. At times I am very loud and outgoing, letting all my thoughts go, but I also become very focused and quiet, holding back my feelings. Mixing it up every once in a while is great because if everyone was the same, it would be a bore. All in all, I believe you can’t have the good without the bad, the exciting without the boring and the loud without the quiet to find an inner balance.