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Synopsis and CritiquesThe House on Mango Street:
The novella, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros focuses on the growth of a girl named Esperanza. It takes place in Chicago, Illinois in the late 1960's and early 1970's where Esperanza has to face many challenges to escape Mango Street. I would have to give this book an 7 out of 10 because it was an amazing tale of resilience and growth through struggle. ___________________________________________
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood:
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, written by Benjamin Alire Sanez tell the story about a teenager named Sammy who lives in Hollywood, New Mexico. Like The House on Mango Street, it's a story of resilience, struggle and escape. The main difference is that Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood has much more intense drama, story plot, and is more graphic in they way the main character (Sammy) sees, hears, and experiences the things around him. I would give this book a 5 out of 10 because even though it pulls me into the story, the explicit dialogue the is sometimes exchanged between characters sometimes gets in the way of the story. I also didn't understand some of it at some points and was hard for others to read/understand as well. ----------------------------------------------------------
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My Sister's Keeper:
In the book, My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult , a 13 year old girl named Anna sues her parents for the right to her body. She has been a doner to her sister Kate since birth. Kate has leukemia and needs an in order to live. The book focuses on Anna's journey through this struggle with her parents. I thought that this book was awesome. It sucked me into the story and the characters and has an unexpected twist. I give this book a solid 8.8. out of 10. A must read. |
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In Antigone, two bothers kill each other in battle. One gets a heroes burial, and the other(the one who was attacking the city, is left out in the field to rot. The sister of that brother wants to give him a proper burial but the ruler of the city won't allow it. He declares that anyone that touches the brothers body will be sentenced to death. Over all, I thought that this greek play was interesting and taught a lesson. However, I will say that I'm not a huge fan of old plays, and that it was a little outside my taste. I give it a 6 out of 10.
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Of Mice and Men By: John Steinbeck
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In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Two men named Lenny and George work on a ranch and interact with the other men who work their. They see and deal with social issues and discrimination, as well as work while trying not to get kicked out like at the last ranch they were at. I liked this book because Steinbeck tries to get people who read his book to realize what discrimination looks like and to try to get them to think about their actions. I will say though that the end was okay but at the same time I thought it could've expanded a little more. I also didn't like it as much as some of the other books I have read. I give this book a 6.6 out of 10.
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The Art of Racing in the Rain By: Garth Stein |
In The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, we see the story through the eyes of a dog named Enzo. Enzo tells the story of him and his owner Denny who is a race car driver. Together they face and overcome many struggles, start a family, win and lose, and talk about racing. Enzo also tell the readers advice about life through his thought process and through what he sees. I really liked this book. The characters were awesome, and the storyline was good. I really found myself getting pulled into the story of the book as I hoped for the best, and got angry when something went wrong when nothing really happened. I give this book a 10 out of 10. A must read.
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Romeo and Juliet By: William Shakespeare
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In the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two young people on different sides of a long confrontation fall in love. Romeo and Juliet is a story of "love at first sight" told through old language, and beautiful, complicated writing. They find ways to be together even though cannot because of their families feud, and their love for each other leads to a tragic ending. I will say that at first i didn't think I'd like this play. However, as I began to understand the language it was written in as well as the references, I became more in tune and interested in the characters. Even though I'm not a huge fan of plays, I did like this one because as love stores go, this one is very well played out and intriguing. Although, this is mainly because of the contrast in age between the two protagonists and the morals of that time and i think they "fall in love" a little too quickly. I give this play/book a 5 out of 10.
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Dear Zoe By: Philip Beard
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Dear Zoe by Philip Beard, is a series of letters written by a teenage girl named Tess to her dead sister Zoe who was killed on 9/11 but not in the terrorist attacks. The letters recall Tess's life after her sister dies. She tells Zoe about how their family begins to crumble and drift away from each other , and the other struggles she faces. I liked how this book explained a different side of that tragic day. A side that revolves around the death that took place somewhere other than where the planes struck. It was sad, exciting, and sad again, but in the end, well I can't tell you the end can I? Overall, this book was unique in the storyline. I haven't read a book with one like it, unless you count the fact it was written like a series of letters like The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I give this book a 9 out of 10. A must read.
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