Numbers: Inequity or Social Compensation?

If everyone you passed, every person you ever looked eyes into, you saw their "number."What would you do? Would be scared, or just feel special? Would you want that power? Not if you're 15 year old Jem in the ever so empowering, action packed book called Numbers.

I would've never imagined myself picking up a fantasy book. Yuck, but to my surprise, I actually like it. Numbers is a captivating young adult book about a girl named Jem, who resides in England's foster care, and she knew it was coming because of her "gift." Jem has the gift to see numbers, no not 1, 2, 3...well, actually yes, but she can see your death date. Yep, YOUR death date, just by a glance at the eye, it's appeared. "Wow, that's so cool." Uh no. Y'know why? Would you want to know the day your Mum died? I wouldn't think so, and that's how she found out her "special ability."

I crossed my fingers that there wasn't going to be any lovey dovey stuff, but *sigh* it happens. The stuff that the characters in the book have to go through is just really heart-breaking, and sometimes even disturbing. Especially what happens to Jem shows complete injustice, a person should not have to ever go through what she went through. She had to face; the fact that she knows when people die, whether it's today, tomorrow or a week from now, it's true, her Mum's heroin addiction went too far onto death, and a foster care agency really? On top of all the bullying she gets at school, is that fair? Honestly, is it? No, not to me.

If I were to compare the things in the book vs. the world, it would definitely not be the same. The girl has no family, she has the ability to know more than one should, she only has one person she can trust. Some people are relatable, but are most? Not likely. I get a deep sorrow inside when I read what goes on, at least there's him. Him, is Spider. Her only, trustworthy friend, and honestly, I love that. I love that she has one person she can trust, it makes the story even more interesting than it's getting. What I adore even more is (SPOILER ALERT!) that Jem tries to save him, yes save him. His date is 12/15/10, and what's it today 12/8/10...and he's on the verge of dying and she saved him. But the question that i'm dying to know the answer of is, will she be able to save him on the day of his death? What do you think, would you be able to handle the hardcore stuff that Jem goes through, with knowing a little too much?

Now, i'm roughly half way through the novel, and I want to keep reading not, unfortunately like my last reading experience. You need to read it right now, so that you too, can get into the mind of Jem, and experience what this talented yet so strong girl has to go through.

Yours truly,

Zarrin 813 (:. 

Just Listen

I just finished reading a wonderful, yet- uh, no. Actually, I just finished reading a some-what interesting, yet pretty boring book called, Just Listen by the incredible author, Sarah Dessen. Now, I absolutely love, ADORE Sarah Dessen. All her books were just beautifully-written, but I actually didn't enjoy this one. Just Listen was about a girl named Annabel Greene, "the girl who had everything", the girl who was a model, was popular and had a perfect family. But, that all changed when she was accused by her best friend, Sophie for sleeping with her boyfriend, when Clarke her first best friend left her and when her sister, Whitney almost dies with an eating disorder, anorexia. And, so when school returns, all the worst happens; she eats alone, she's an outcast, and obviously Sophie, the biggest b*tch alive torments her everyday. But, that all changed when she met Owen, another outcast who connected with her, made her laugh, and it all started with an offering of a ride to go home.

Even though this story might just sound like such an, "awe!" story, to me it was down right boring. So boring that I didn't even bother to finish the book. If it was so boring, you might ask then,  why are you writing about it?  Well I'm writing about it, because it has such sincere theme that I had to write about. Just Listen showed the importance of facing the truth, facing reality. I thought that was the theme, because that's what basically what Owen and Anabel talked about. One part really did represent a theme in the book, 

"So you're always honest," I said.

"Aren't you?"

"No," I told him. "I'm not."

"Well, that's good to know, I guess."

"I'm not saying I'm a liar," I told him. He raised his eyebrows. "That's not how I meant it, anyways."

"How'd you mean it, then?"

"I just...I don't always say what I feel."

"Why not?"

"Because the truth sometimes hurts," I said.

"Yeah," he said. "So do lies, though."

This part showed how that to face the truth it takes a lot of hurt and courage, because Anabel was a little surprised when Owen told her this, even a little hurt because she wasn't expecting it. It was just facing the truth. Anabel also, had to face the truth about her sister, her family and what her life has become. Anotherquote I really did actually loved from the book was, "Silence is so freaking loud." Owen had said that, and why I loved it so much was because of the fact, I felt the same way. I even "tried" it out, at home I tried to be without noise, without music and I was just disturbed, to me noise is so freaking quiet. 

The reason why I didn't even bother to finish this book was, because it was just so cheesy teen realistic-fiction, and i'm trying to grow out of those kinds of book but I always end up looking at them, especially Sarah Dessen books. Not only that, but it was really boring to me, it was boring because I didn't even understand what they were saying, or really what was going on. Wait, there is actually one reason why I thought this book way okay and that was Anabel's sister, Whitney. Whitney's not those like television characters who obsess over their weight and keep eating, she was really serious and quiet. And that's why she was my favorite character, that's why I admired her, especially for the effort of actually trying to help herself. I don't recommend to anyone who doesn't like romance, or teen fiction, which I don't think they'd ever pick up this book. But, I do recommend to anyone who's out there that wants an up-n-down adventure of love and conflict. I wonder though, what happens at the end of the book? Do they even stick together? What happens to Whitney? I guess I'll just read another time and find out :/...

Yours truly, 

Zarrin Class 813. (:

Teen Angst? Naaah. . .

I picked up this book and thought, Ned Vizzini? This is all mines. I loved almost every Ned Vizzini book ever, whether it was It Was Kind of a Funny Story or Be More Chill. I knew I would love this too. When I picked up this book, I read it and thought "Quasi-Autobiography" what? Even before I read it, I obviously HAD to Google it, and found this: Quasi-seeming, or virtual. The definition really didn't make any sense to me, could a autobiography even be 'quasi' or um, virtual? No. But what did I do? I read it, because you never know what Ned Vizzini could write about.

Teen Angst? Naaah. . .  is by an innovative, phenomenal, and particularly one of my favorite authors ever, Ned Vizzini. This wasn't just some regular story, it was an autobiography, by Ned Vizzini himself. Vizzini tells his readers about his crazy, hysterical, and easy-to-relate-to adolescence years. He tells about his experience with love, high school, camp, colleges, parents, and what not?! He wrote about everything-really. He narrarated his whole, well actually part of his life in a entertaining approach. 

Obviously there were 'ROTFL' ("roll on the floor laughing") moments, where I did actually laugh out loud, and had to deal with the dirty looks that my sister gave, but then there were some serious, relatable moments. Being the eldest of them all, like Ned I did get it when he had to cope with his annoying siblings, and my parents yelling to be the best. On top of that, there are more things we have in common like we both grew up in NYC, and he did study for the SHSAT, like i'm doing now. Moreover, since those were my most relatable moments, they were also my favorite. At this point, I really understood what he meant by 'quasi', because it did seem virtual to me. I felt like I was in his stories, I wish I was.

I am thankful to have finished this wonderful book, by the talented Ned Vizzini, and would like to commend him for writing a beautiful biography, that really does let his natural gift shine through the whole piece. It felt so good to read an autobiography that was so rich, and full of it. Something I didn't like was and I question is; Why didn't he finish the book? I mean like he finished it, it's published, but I felt and pretty sure, others did too that the story's not completely done. Was the adolescence years, the best years of his life? It was just left there, I really wish he did finish it, though. 

I recommend this great piece of work to anyone, really. Especially if you are in need of a good laugh or interesting story once in a while. It does teach some good morals that everyone should read about. But seriously, just read it for the hell of it. I'm positive you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Yours truly, 

Zarrin Class 813. (;

Willow

Just finished reading a intense, emotional, and amazing book called Willow by Julia Hoban. When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be one of those teen books that goes over the same story over, and over again. And, I was surprised to see how much I was proved wrong. I finished this captivating yet devastating novel in 2 days, 3 hours per night, with my Dad yelling at me for being up 'till 2 AM every night just to read it.

This novel is about a girl named Willow, a cutter who lost her parents through an accident and now lives with her brother, David, his wife, Cathy and their child, Isabelle. She believes they hate her, everyone hates her, but that all changed when she met the interesting, Guy. In the story, she cuts BECAUSE of what happened, she believes she killed them. She narrated the story in such a way that made me feel for her, made me feel different about cutters, it made me want to help her release her pain in a different way. I thought they were weird, cutters, but I once again, proved myself wrong.

When she met Guy, I immediately thought about a romance book. And that bored me, I wanted to put the book down that instant, but thank gosh I kept reading on. Guy is this well, interesting guy who she met at the library, her job. You thought since she met him, she would stop cutting and fall into his spell? You're wrong. It took a very long time for her to trust him, for to become friends and for to develop what they became at the end of the book. He didn't make her stop, because as smart of a girl she is, she did herself. He just led the way, and that's why I think he's the one of the most important characters in this book, he was the mentor to Willow.

There were so many important moments in the book and "OMG!" moments, but what I thought that was one of the top 3 was when; Willow and Guy went to Willow's old home, her old house with all the memories of her parents. Over there, she cried and cried, even though she said she didn't even since they died, Guy held on tight to her at the moment and I absolutely loved that moment, because it did show real friendship. It showed how two people, who barely knew each other until the last couple of weeks can have a such a prodigious relationship, I am actually really jealous. A theme that was led throughout the whole book, from the first line to the last was, really friendship can make you overcome the hardest thing you're going through. Because this what basically the book is about, not in a crappy teen love way. Something I adored about this book, and will obsess about forever is the last line, "And that if this is not a happy ending, it perhaps a happy beginning." I love it, i love it in ways word cannot describe. It's just so deep.

Is this behavior of self-harm okay? Is there no way to fight the way of a teen's life? These questions are answered in the story, please read. This author, Julia Hoban wrote this beautiful book in such a thought-provoking way that makes me want to read it over again. This book out of the many books I read, made me cry so much, as embarrassing as it is to write it down here. I praise you, Julia Hoban, I honestly do. And I would like to thank her for writing this enlightening yet sad book. I recommend it to anyone, teen or young adult. It teaches the most important life lessons you'll ever learn.

[If you're hurting yourself, you shouldn't. Get help and call the 1800-DONTCUT hotline today.]

Yours truly,

Zarrin Class 813.