keeping the moon

I am one hundred and some pages away from finishing my first book this semester, “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. I went to the school library a few days ago to get “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins, which is the book I am most excited to read. “Crank” is the first book I wanted to read, but the librarian told me that “Burned” was the first and “Crank” was second. When I got more into “Burned” I realized that the book had nothing to do with “Crank.” After I finish “Burned” I am going to read “Crank.” When I went to the section where I found the books by Ellen Hopkins, I noticed that there were no books.  I asked the librarian, and she said that they were all checked out. L So, I decided was just going to ask a friend to borrow “Crank” one day soon. I went home after school, and my mom had bought me books. Which is how I got into “Keeping the Moon” by Sarah Dessen. I read the back and I thought it would be a good book. I like normal teenage books. I feel like I can relate to them more. Also, the book was not thick; it has only two hundred and twenty-eight pages. I thought it would be an easy, fun read. In the beginning it was kind of a slow boring start, but I kept reading it because I need the pages to finish the assignment. The beginning of the story began with Colie and her mother. They were at a train station to say their goodbyes to each other. The mother wanted Colie to go to her Aunt Mira’s for the summer, because her mother did not want Colie to be alone during the summer time. A long time ago Colie use to be on the fat side, but then her mom became a famous work out trainer. Her mother was known as Kiki Sparks, for her amazing work out videos. After her mother’s fame, Colie became skinny, but apparently she still had a hard time fitting in, according to her mother. Colie is sent away to her eccentric Aunt Mira and Uncle Norman. This book is similar to “Burned,” because both characters, Colie and Pattyn, were sent away to live with a relative. In “Burned” Pattyn was sent away in the summer for being troubled, because apparently to her religious family, she was out of control. In “Keeping the Moon” Colie is sent away because her mother wants her to make the most of her summer. The reasons for sending away the daughters were totally different. Anyways, the book turned around somewhere in chapter four, where Colie meets Morgan and Isabel.

burned

I am currently reading “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. So far I have read 460 pages out of 530 pages. I was in the Bahamas a few weeks ago, and my friend was reading “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins. I read the back of the book and wanted to read it. I figured when she was done reading it I would read it, because I had the time to. I was not able to read it before we left to go back to the states, so I just forgot about it. If it were not for this class, I probably would not have picked it up to read. I am very surprised that I actually like it, and I want to read more. The pages have a few sentences spread out on the page. I love the simple, poetic style of writing. As I started I could not relate to the main character, Pattyn. She was a Mormon who lived in a religious house full of brothers and sister. Pattyn’s father was an angry, drunken alcoholic. Her mother was in the shadow of her husband. Her life is the total opposite of mine. As I kept reading about her life, I thought how terrible that would be to grow up in her shoes. Pattyn never got to experience anything because of her religious, over dramatic parents. After sometime, she got into some trouble. Her parents sent her away to live in the middle of a desert, in Nevada with her aunt. I have a friend who had the same thing happen to her. Except my friend’s parents sent her away to an all girls boarding school in a desert in Arizona. I can kind of relate to how Pattyn must have felt, because I was going through the situation with my best friend. There was no way I could contact my friend, just how Pattyn could not reach her family and friends back at home easily. I love how the author created Pattyn’s Aunt. I wish I had an Aunt like her’s. Aunt J was so wise and full of life. Her Aunt taught her so much about the life, I felt like I learned a little bit too. Aunt J was just so positive with everything that has happened to her. Even though Pattyn’s was sent away, it was the best thing for her. She found herself, learned life lessons, and fell in love. I love the boy who Pattyn fell in love with. His personality was what a true boy friend should be. This is one of my favorite lines, because I thought it was so funny. “He was chateaubriand. I was hamburger.” Pattyn said that when she met her first boy friend, Derek. He was just an average boy she met while practice shooting, when he showed up with his friends on his quad. She was comparing herself as not being good enough for him. When forreal it should have been the other way around. Another quote I liked was “You shine brighter than the milky way.” Aunt J said that to Pattyn when she did not think was worth anything. I thought what Aunt J said was so sweet. I really like this book and I cannot wait until I finish it, I probably will finish it later tonight. Also, I cannot wait until I read the other books by Ellen Hopkins, especially the series starting with “Crank.” I have wanted to read “Crank” awhile ago, but I just never had the time. Know that I know I like her writing, I am definitely going to read the rest of her books.

favorite quotes:

“He was chateaubriand. I was hamburger.”

“You shine brighter than the milky way.”

first friday

this is cool :)