THE GIRLS: BY LORI LANSENS

     Usually when twins are born they either come from the same egg and split into two, or the came from two separate eggs. But when the twins come from the same egg and start to split but don't complete, this is called conjoined twin. This what happened to Rose and Ruby Darlen. They were raised by their Aunt Lovey, a nurse who adopted them after their mother abandoned them. They have lived their whole life in Leafors in a farmhouse. This story is a fictional autobiography about their relationships and their situation. They have recently just become the world's oldest conjoined twin. This story so interesting. It's so nice to hear about other people's experiences in the world. I haven't even finished the book yet the author does such a good job putting different characteristics into the separate twins that I hardly know that they are conjoined. 

      Rose Darlen was the twin who originally started to write the book about their experiences and life. In a way I see her as more of the.... braver of the sisters, sort of the rock in which the foundation is built a upon. She is very feisty and is the stronger of the sisters. All her life she has carried her twin on her hip, like a infant. She loves sports, but Rose is sort of bookish, while Ruby is more girlie and prefers television. Rose is also the one who had to give up the most. Her daughter, Taylor, that she had; her dream of becoming something big, because she knows that her having to carry Ruby around is slowly killing her. She is also the less naive of the twin. She has experienced things (both mentally and physically) that would just about crush her sisters soul. 

      Ruby is prettier of the two. She is also the dreamier one. The girlier one. In a way she is also the more naive one. While Rose would opt that the glass most definitely half empty, Ruby would be the one to convince Rose that if Rose looks again she will see that she was mistaken and the glass is with out a doubt half full. Ruby believes in reincarnation, and fiction. She is the softer of the two, sort of the sugar added to the tea. She knows that she and her twin are dyeing. She know that Rose would be the first to die, and she also know that she would want to go with Rose.

      In reality, Ruby and Rose are different people, even if they are conjoined.                                           

THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET: BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

 "Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, 

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. "

(Prologue, Lines 1-4)      

      From the very first lines of his play "Romeo and Juliet," William Shakespeare brings up one very important theme, hate. The Capulet household and Montague household have been sworn enemies. No one knows why they detest each other, but it has always been that way, and both households seem to want to keep it that way. So when Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague fall in love, the hostility between both families kept them part. This hate that both households have created have caused all sort of afflictions, including rebellion, death, and uncertainty. 

      From the beginning of the play, Romeo and Juliet both know that their love is forbidden. But they decide that their love for each other is greater that their loyalty towards their families and decide to elope. By doing so, Romeo and Juliet are rebelling, not just against their parent, but against society.  Juliet knows that her cousin, Tybalt, profoundly hates all Montages. From the very first act of the play we know that. "What, drawn and talk of peace? But I hate the word. As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee." (Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 71-73.) She knows that her father has intended for her to marry the Count Paris, and would never let her even go near a Montague. She know that Paris believes that she loves him; and she lies saying that she does. "Do not deny to him [Friar Lawrence] that you love me." "I will confess to you that I love him." (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 25-26.) Romeo makes everyone believe that he loves another girl, Rosaline. Perhaps if the two households didn't hate each other so much, Romeo wouldn't feel the need to lie and rebel as much. 

      The Prologue also tells us that these pair of star-crossed lovers also are going to die. And the hate caused it. "Where be these enemies?-Capulet, Motague, See what a scourge is lad upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love, And I for winking at your discords too, Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished." (Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 301-305.) Mercutio, Romeo's best friend, and the Prince's relative end up getting killed because of this. He got killed for his love for Romeo and his hate for the Capulets. The readers know that Mercutio is in favor of the Montagues because he insult and embarrass Tybalt. "O calm, dishonorable vile submission! Alla stoccato carries it away. tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?" Although Romeo, nor Juliet did hate each others families, they ended up getting killed because of the hate that their relatives had for each other. 

      During this whole process of secrecy, Romeo and Juliet never had the chance to ponder on getting into an argument. (Probably because they are to worried about having a forbidden love affair.) But they did have the chance to have doubt and uncertainty not just about their relationship, but of the whole situation. After Romeo killed Tybalt, someone that Juliet loved dearly, she began to think more of what Romeo's character might really be like. " Shall I speak ill of him thai is my husband? ... But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband." (Act 3, Scene 2, 106. 110-111.) Juliet is confused and doesn't know wether she should be relieved that Tybalt was killed instead of Romeo or if she should hate Romeo's soul for killing her cousin and friend.  Meanwhile, Romeo has given up hope of living because he has been banished from Verona and beyond Verona's walls there is nothing to survive on. He is uncertain of what to do next, he also doesn't know his current situation with Juliet.  He is afraid that she will be mad at him for killing her favorite cousin. 

     It would be very interesting to find out what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet didn't have to worry about the hate between their two families. Would their relationship be easier? Probably, they wouldn't have to worry about secretly dating, and rebelling behind their parents back. They wouldn't have to worry about their friends and relatives getting killed because of some feud. And they wouldn't have to worry about wether betraying their friend and families was worth the risk of this relationship. Finally, they wouldn't have to worry about dieing because of the hate their families have with each other. 

CARRIER OF THE MARK: BY LEIGH FALLON

     Water, earth, and fire. These are three elements that earth carries. But there is one that is missing, Air. Megan Rosenberg moved from the United States to Ireland she never expected her self to fit in so well with this new school. She was instantly drawn to dark and handsome Adam DeRis. But she soon realizes that having a relationship with him (as much as they both want it) can be hard and be tied to a certain fate.

    Megan never expected herself to  even go out with Adam. But she soon realized that he is part of something supernatural and real. Adam DeRis can control water. He has the power to create downpours, and arcs of water. His sister Aine, can control the earth. She can make animals do thing at her will, she can talk to them. She can make a wilting flower into a new and healthy plant. She can revive a dog who just his guts spilled out by a bus. And finally there is Rian. He can control fire, the most dangerous and difficult element.  And Megan. Well she's just an ordinary girl.... not. In fact, she's probably the least ordinary girl ever. Ever since her mother died, her destiny changed.... forever. Because when you can control the wind, then you defiantly are going to change. Plus when your boyfriend is the controller of the sea, its not something you call normal, right. Anyway as soon as Megan became Adam's girlfriend, things started to get difficult. When she went to meet his guardian, she did not expect him to yell at her, or to start blabbing about some Order. Finally things began to unravel, and that how she found out that she can control wind.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN:BY BETTY SMITH

SPOILER ALERT:      

     I stopped when absolutely nothing was happening in the book, now absolutely everything is happening. Francie gets a new dose of real life as time goes by. She experiences death and birth into the family. She experiences love and terror, too. Francie is now discovering that life isn't always fair. But fairness happens to the people who are good. 

     When we last stopped, we saw that drunken man walking with his children and that burned out woman. Well, lets just say that the drunken man isn't walking with his children anymore, in fact, he isn't doing anything with his children, he's dead. His death really did effect the family. Francie perhaps was the one who was effected the most. At first, she couldn't wrap around the concept that her father, her gay happily dancing and singing father was dead. He died because he technically killed himself by drinking himself silly with alcohol. When she did realize that he was gone, she was very inferiated. How could he leave her with a her brother who is also learning to adjust to the world and mother who is just about to have a new born baby.

     Katie Noland, did not expect to have her new born baby without her husband being at her side. She loved Johnny more than anything in the world, but she had to face the truth, he was useless. He only donated what wanted to to the families money "bank," and saved his tips to buy booze. SHE has to do all the work. And her ruined hands are proof. She is the one who has to wash four houses a day and go home to clean her own. Then she has to cook dinner for the whole family.

     I feel as though the Noland family will never quite be complete now. I mean there will be some one who comes along, but he will never be able to be the exact missing to the heart. Even though Jonny Noland was a worthless bum, he brought life to everything he knew

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN: BY BETTY SMITH

     Many people would ask you the normal question about the book... what's the book about? Well to tell you the truth, it isn't about anything. Let me be more specific. There is a story, but the plot isn't that clear. The story is about a little girl. And unlike most protagonists, she doesn't do something noble or heroic. She doesn't live a good life, or have many friends. It's a book about living in Brooklyn, it's about learning new things. Its about discovering.

     As you walk down the streets of Brooklyn in 1912, you see dirty boys dressed in rags, their faces covered in soot, dirt, and grit playing with a tin can on the sidewalks. A little farther you see women in corsets and long dresses with multiple layers discussing, and men talking politics. Farther on, you see a man with hunched shoulder, walking sideways, as you get closer to him, you see his face, a man about the age of their late twenties early thirties, drunk. He would have been handsome, with his wavy blond hair and blue eyes.... In disgust, you continue walking, wondering what could have gone wrong in HIS life. You see two people walking towards you, a girl and a boy walking shoulder to shoulder with their head bent low. They pick up their head when they walk by you and you see their faces. Both would have been every bit as handsome if they could wash their faces. As they look past you, they spot the man. "Daddy," they shout running toward the man. Together they help the man on to the steps of a three story apartment. When you look up you see a women the same age as the man poke her head out the window and holler for the girl to help her. Her face looks young, but her eyes are tired and her mouth seems set in a straight permanent line. You have just met the Nolan family. Their life is a lot different then ours. With a father who is a drunk and mother who loves the boy better than her girl, you wonder how Francie, the protagonist, copes with her life in Brooklyn. 

   I have read 220 pages and Francie hasn't done anything heroic yet. She hasn't saved a dieing person, shown any nobility, or pride. She hasn't done anything. Perhaps its because she's living a normal life, perhaps it's because this book is about living a normal life. One that you and I live in. It might be in a different time period but Franice is one of the very few people in a book who live like us. Maybe that's why it's so interesting

   

  

WASTED: BY MARYA HORNBACHER

   Wasted is a book of memories about a girl named Marya Hornbacher and how she overcame her sickness of being bulimic. Last time I did a blog post a wrote it in poem form. I found this very fun, quick, and easy to do, so I will do it again. One big poem about topics that have affect Marya's life into becoming bulimic. 

Marya
Close
    Family is supposed to be close
    You breath the same air as them
    But sometimes you have to fight
    For fresh air
    Family is supposed to close
    You share the same space as them
    But sometimes you fight
    Because you want your own
Love
    Your family is supposed to love
    You no matter what
    Your family is not supposed
    To judge you no mater what
    Marya, she didn't have a
    Family like mine
    There was no love
Happiness
    Is when the sunshine dances in your 
    Hair
    Is when snow falls on you eylashes
    Is when you feel loved
    And cared for
    Is when you have a moment
    Where you don't care about
    Anything
    You just are peaceful
    You are happy
    Marya used to be happy
    But she not any more
Image
    Is what people see with their eyes
    Not with their hearts
    Image is pretty
    Image is everything to Marya
    Her imagination image
    Can destroy you 
    Can hurt you
    Image can be nice
    But to much image 
    Can kill you 

-Alana Brennan
        

IMPULSE: BY ELLEN HOPKINS

     Three messed up teens, three messed up stories, but in one fabulous book. I always loved the books that Ellen Hopkins wrote Impulse included. She usually writes books that are about 600 pages long, but in poems so to describe my book I will write three separate poems for each of my characters.

TONY

Confused
                    He doesn't know if he's gay
                    Doesn't know if he has ever been loved
                    Doesn't know who to trust
                    Hes confused, and falling
                    He's taking the H train
                    To hell
Hidden
                    Tony, has hidden his story
                    with lies
                    he has never opened up
                    or told a soul
                    about his past
                    except for Phillip
                    but Phillip is dead now.


CONNER

Dirty
     He played a dirty game with Emily
     He played a dirty game with his mom
     He even played a dirty game with Dr.B
     Will he ever learn?
     I guess not.
Love
    He never loved, he only had lust
    What he had with Emily was not love
    it was lust
    What he did love was the excitement
    of being bad.


VANESSA

                    She cut her self so, so  many times
                until she bled. She watched the blood
            ooze out of her arm. She could have died
           if her brother didn't           barge in. Imagine
           an eight year old               boy, seeing his
           older sister cut
           her self to death.
            She is selfish
           scaring her bro.
          She had a good
         life, she could
        have had a good
         life. But with a
          crazy mother                and Hitler for
         a father, there              was no way she
          could have survived, and she almost didn't.
           What she doesn't realize, is there are people
              who do love her, and care for her, but
                  she hasn't realized that yet, and
                      maybe she will, soon. Tony