Teen

22
Nov
2021
Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl

by Ji-Li Jiang

In the book Red Scarf Girl, a Chinese girl named Ji-Li is growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China. Chairman Mao, the leader of China, orders everyone to remove any signs of the four olds. Ji-Li has always supported him, so she enthusiastically helps take everything down. One day, everyone finds out that Ji-Li’s grandpa was a landlord so people come to search her home and arrest her dad for no apparent reason.

Later, she is asked to create a presentation about Mao at a big exhibition, and she is thrilled. She works very hard, and nails the rehearsal. But, the government asks for her to testify against her father and she refuses, knowing that even though she believes in the revolution, she can’t lie about her dad. That gets her into big trouble. The guards search her home again, and send her to work in the rice fields. When she gets back home, she has to sweep the streets because the government has found a letter from her mom about how much she hates it. 

Thirty years later, Ji-Li is finally happy. She moved to America after her father got released from jail, which was quite a while.

This story was actually a real life story about the author’s childhood during the mid-1960’s. This book was definitely interesting, and very educational. It let me into the life of a girl during the Cultural Revolution, letting me experience it with much detail. 

I really liked this book because there were many surprises. I never really knew that much about the Cultural Revolution in China, but now I know a whole lot more. It was a very exciting book to read, and the details were very well described. The author uses many similes, and metaphors that you don’t usually see in other books. 

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 0 comments
02
Nov
2021
Dune (movie starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya)

Dune (movie starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya)

Dune, a new movie about a futuristic earth, has just been released, and it’s definitely very cool. Paul, a teenager, is heir to the Duke of Caladan. Leto, his father, moves the family to Arrakis, a desert planet with valuable “spice” in the sand because he thinks they can become very rich and happy. They arrive, and the native Fremen people there are skeptical of whether or not Paul is the one that will save them according to a religious myth. After a few weeks, Baron Harkonnen mounts a stealth attack to wipe out the Atrides, and becomes the greatest power in the universe.

Eventually Paul’s side wins the war, and Paul becomes the new Emperor – although the movie ends right as Paul and his mother are chased into exile among the Fremen before his hero’s journey to regain power and defeat Harkonnen. 

I thought that this movie was a bit like Star Wars, with its ships, planets, and music. The flying ships had similar wings like the ones in Star Wars, and Star Trek. Star Wars also had a desert planet named Tatooine. The music was also very strange and ominous, making me think something bad was always going to happen. 

I thought the graphics were very good. It looked very realistic and believable. There were also some very gruesome and disturbing scenes, but most of it was calm, and relaxed. The blue eyes of the Fremen were a surprise to me, because I thought it looked strange for dark skinned people  to have eyes as blue as the ocean.

The story was very well thought out. You would never know what was going to happen next, but the film gives you subtle hints you have to piece together. The way they timed the plot was cool too. The movie showed us flashbacks of the dreams Paul has of this girl, whose identity we don’t know until the end.

Overall, I really liked this movie, because it was very mysterious, making me feel like a detective.

Posted by Hellen in Movies, Reviews, 0 comments
31
Jul
2021
The Queen’s Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit

by Walter Tevis

The Queen’s Gambit is a book about a young chess prodigy’s journey as a growing teenager. In this book, Beth Harmon is 8 years old when she loses her parents and moves into an orphanage. She learns chess from the janitor, Mr. Shaibel, who noticed her talent and potential to become a chess champion. She gets adopted by Mrs. Wheatley and they travel all over the USA for chess tournaments. Mrs. Wheatley dies suddenly. Beth is then chosen to compete in Russia, the chess country. She wins the tournament against powerful Russian players and becomes the world champion.

One thing I liked about this book is how the author described Beth’s emotions in detail, often using analogies. For example, when Beth was in her first competition in Kentucky, she was described as experiencing “the feeling you get when you go up in an elevator.” It helped the reader understand more vividly the emotions and relate to the visceral sensations of the character.

Another thing I liked was how the author informed the reader of almost every chess move in each game. This helped the reader picture what is happening. It was very informative. Although many people may not understand it, we are thankful that the author took his time to write out the steps.

A challenge I had with this book was the vocabulary which was confusing. There were many words I didn’t understand or comprehend and I had to search them in a dictionary. This took time off my reading and interrupted the flow of the story. It would be very beneficial to me and other young adults if there were a children’s version of this book, especially since the protagonist was a child, then a teen.

Overall I really liked this book and I look forward to watching the TV series.

 

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 0 comments
31
Jul
2021
The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a book about a futuristic dystopian society. In what was once North America stands a nation called Panem, consisting of 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year, the Capitol hots an annual murder game, called The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen, the main character, volunteers to be a tribute in place of her sister at the reapings, which is a ceremony where fighters are chosen for the Games. Katniss and her partner Peeta must find a way to kill off the other 22 tributes in the Games and later, one of themselves to win.

One part I liked in the book was how much detail the author put into each moment. Collins would use many types of figurative language and lots of references to the mockingjay, a fictional bird. Whenever Katniss had an injury, major or minor, the author connects her injuries with the bird by saying it was an act of rebellion or it was a sign that the rebels will win. 

Another part I liked about the book was how the story was told and presented. It was told in first person by Katniss and I really liked the idea of the story being told from a character’s perspective. I enjoy it more when it’s told from a first person point of view because you get to understand the character’s actions more clearly. You know why they did what they did and you also know how they feel and why they feel that way, an advantage of listening to a story told by a certain person in a book from their point of view. You can tell if a book is told from first person if you hear the words I and me, when describing something not in a dialogue.

One part I did not like was how the author did not reveal secrets or the why in the actions of other characters. Collins decided to choose ignorance as a trait for Katniss which made her mad much of the time and closed the doors to everyone she loves. Little does she know that they are trying to help her. When I was reading, I knew why the other characters did what they did which made the wait for Katniss to know become agonizing.

Overall, I think that this book was extraordinary. Every time I discover a secret, it makes me want to keep on reading to discover the next. I also liked the plot of the story, with the Hunger Games, an idea no one would have thought of if it were not for Collins.

See my review of the second Hunger Games book Catching Fire here.

See my review of the third book Mocking Jay here.

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 2 comments
24
Jul
2021
Catching Fire

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is a great book about the continuing adventure of Katniss Everdeen. After the first Hunger Games, President Snow tells Katniss to pretend that she and Peeta are very madly in love or else a revolution will start. Since they both attempted to commit suicide in the last hunger games, they are seen as a sign of rebellion and bravery. Snow decides that since the next hunger games is the 75th quarrel, he would choose two victors from each district and allow them to compete. But in the end of the book, the remaining victors fly into District 13.

When the president announced that the remaining victors would be playing, I was surprised and happy at the same time. I was hoping for Katniss to become a mentor, but instead, she got chosen to compete again. I wanted her to not have to relive the horror, but at the same time, I wanted to see what they would do this time around, now that only one person is allowed to win. Thankfully, Katniss and Peeta survived, which I was joyful to know.

Also, after the games, when Katniss is in the plane, Haymitch says that there is no District 12 which got me thinking a lot. Was District 12 actually District 13? Later, you find out that District 12 got bombed but that line made me wonder and think more deeply than I usually do. The author wants you to keep on reading, to uncover the unknown within the characters by revealing the secrets later in the book, which is also a reason I enjoyed it.

But, as always, in every book, there is a part people dislike. Personally, I didn’t enjoy the part where Katniss planned to keep  Peeta alive and do everything she can for him. I think that Katniss is way better than Peeta and that Peeta should care for Katniss. I don’t like when the boy is weak and can’t protect the girl even though it shows a bit more of something different. It’s always Katniss who has to save and fulfill the quests Peeta fails to do. And that right there just proves that this is not your average fairy tale story.

Overall, I think that this book was amazing, and I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a surprise or adventure. But, be sure to read the first book before the second or else you won’t know what’s happening.

See my review of the first Hunger Games book here.

See my review of the third book Mocking Jay here. 

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 4 comments
18
Jul
2021
Mocking Jay

Mocking Jay

by Suzanne Colins

In the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss finds a way to lead the desperate, solemn people of District 13, to find a path to freedom. When Peeta is taken away by the Capitol, to use as bait, Katniss struggles to decide who to love. Peeta or Gale? After what happened in the last hunger games, Katniss yearns for a life where none of this was ever possible, a life where she won’t have to worry about her future kids becoming a tribute.

The plot had a lot of twists and reversals from the previous two books. Several characters broke the images I had formed in my mind. Peeta, previously described as caring, selfless, and courageous, is now presented as a selfish, scared, and traumatized adult. Even though injecting poison into someone’s body was illegal, the Capitol still tried to do this with Peeta. That’s why he’s so disoriented when District 13 finally retrieves him. Because of this change, Katniss was hurt, for someone she actually cared about thought she was a monster. I was very disappointed since I was expecting that if Katniss was rescued in the Games, so would Peeta. But, that’s not what happened and it broke my heart to see someone’s love hate them. 

I don’t think Katniss was supposed to be seen as a woman, or with super heavy makeup, which is why I think no one really saw her as she is, therefore no one really believed in what she was saying. I didn’t like how the author made Gale such an antagonist, for I had thought Katniss would actually spend the rest of her life with him, but after all he did in the third book, I changed my mind. The change in their relationship tells me that not every girl and boy relationship ends peacefully with love. Obviously, Katniss and Gale had different ways of ending the war, and that’s what separated them even further, after the fake dramatic relationship with Peeta

I thought when Peeta started remembering, he would return to himself fully. Sadly, that’s not what happened, though I would have enjoyed it more if it did happen. This shows that hope may not ever match up with reality because when you hope, you are optimistic and think of every possible way for someone to survive. But when you face the harsh reality, the “hope” of what is possible becomes very small and unlikely. In the end, Peeta ends up staying with Katniss, and they have two beautiful children. Even though he did not remember everything, he remembered his love for her, and that she was the one he wanted to spend eternity with.

Overall, this book was amazing. The plot had many twists and turns, along with some cliffhangers, but that’s what makes it fun to read.

See my review of the first book The Hunger Games here. 

See my review of the second book Catching Fire here. 

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 3 comments
07
Jul
2021
Life of Pi

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

Life of Pi book cover Yann Martel
Find it in a library near you

Life of Pi is about a boy names Piscine Molitor Patel, who became stranded in a lifeboat with three dead animals and a tiger named Richard Parker. His family were planning on moving to Canada on a cargo ship put sadly, the ship sank, killing his parents and brother. The crew threw him off the ship to the lifeboat before being swept into the ocean themselves. On the boat Pi saw a zebra with a broken leg, an orangutan, and a hyena. The hyena killed the zebra and orangutan but then the tiger jumped out and killed the hyena. Pi learned to fish and tame Richard Parker while drifting for seven months.

I liked how quickly Pi adapted to life on a lifeboat with Richard Parker. He cared for Richard by hunting and feeding the tiger. Pi was a strict vegetarian before the ship wreck but now he eats raw fish and meerkats. This is very brave of him. Since he could’ve died, he knew he would have to eat meat to survive.

I also liked Pi’s comparison of animal world and humanity. Near the end of the book, people from the Japanese company who owned the ship came to ask Pi questions about his journey. They thought his story was unrealistic because it’s impossible for anyone to survive at sea for that long. So, Pi retold the story but replacing the animals with people. Pi outsmarted their skepticism and asked which story feels more interesting and natural. They replied the one with the animals and that’s how the story made it to the press.

One thing I didn’t like about the book is the excessive detail about gory or gruesome events. It’s violent and I felt that the author was magnifying the violence with sentences like “his blood oozed out all over me and Richard Parker”, and many vivid descriptions of killing. The cannibalism told in the people-version of the story is especially disturbing.

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 0 comments
05
Jun
2021
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

by Heidi W. Durrow

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow is about a girl who has survived from an attempted suicide and starts a new life. Rachel is starting 6th grade at her new school, in a new town with her grandma. The book’s narrator switches between the main characters, Brick and Rachel. Rachel is a very light skinned brown person who is very smart but people still make fun of her because they are jealous of her beauty and her intelligence.

I liked how in the end of the book, Rachel tells us what her mother’s last words were, and it solves the mystery that was lingering throughout the book. I felt satisfied when they revealed the answer so I wouldn’t have to keep on worrying about why something happened. When Rachel was eleven years old her mother, Nella, killed herself by jumping from the roof of their apartment building. Nella pushed her son, Robbie, to his death and held her baby, Ariel, in her arms as she jumped. 

The book was a bit confusing since they kept on switching between characters, and sometimes you forget the narrator changed which changes how you read it. If you sometimes keep on reading, thinking it’s the same character, and the plot doesn’t make sense. It’s confusing because if this character was just in Texas, how did they end up in Australia? I wish there was more differentiation between the characters’ voice and style of narration to make the transition more obvious. 

The plot of the story was very exciting. The story was very original, and there were many mysteries waiting to be solved. As I was writing about this book, I found out that the story of the suicide was based on a true story, of a mom who couldn’t bear seeing her children suffer. It made me feel sad, because the baby who died was less than a year old, and I felt that they should’ve lived longer to experience the wonders of the world.

Posted by Hellen in Books, Reviews, 0 comments