Indecision

A few months ago, in early April, I gave my dad a short speech about how what I really wanted to read was a book in which the protagonist (who, in the majority of the books I read these days, is a girl) had to choose between two boys and I couldn't choose who my favorite was. In all the books I've ever read that feature love triangles, I've always known who I want the girl to end up with from the very beginning. For Bella, I chose Edward over Jacob; for Katniss, I chose Peeta over Gale; for Clary, I chose Jace over Simon; for Tessa, I chose Will over Jem; for Ellie, I chose Will over Gavin (and I think over Kamil, too, but I still haven't finished those and I never really got to know him); for Jacky, I chose Jamie over... well, everyone else, haha; etc. This is not to say I got them all right; maybe I did, maybe I didn't (not telling). The point is, I always knew my choice, even when the girl didn't know hers. I always knew who I wanted her to be with. After so many books in which I was never uncertain, I wanted one in which I was. I wanted a book with a love triangle, where the girl couldn't choose between two boys and I couldn't either. Less than a week later, I found one. I give you The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary has grown up listening to her mother's stories. Stories of a time, before the Return, when the Unconsecrated were not a constant danger, when the village was not an island of life in a sea of death, when there was a world outside the fences. Stories of a place called the ocean, where there is only water as far as you can see, and where the water is always moving, and where the water is filled with salt. And Mary feels restless. But the Sisterhood knows best, and it is not good to ask questions. Mary knows this, and she knows that soon her friend Harry will ask her to the Harvest Celebration, and next spring they will be married. Even though she wishes his brother Travis would ask her instead. But before she can accept her future with Harry, her mother is bitten by an Unconsecrated and released to the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Her brother Jed blames her, and he turns her out of their house. And since Harry fails to claim her, Mary's only choice is to join the Sisterhood, and relinquish what little freedom she has. But the unprecedented arrival of an Outsider from somewhere past the fences sets off a chain of events that leaves Mary and her loved ones without a home and with no choice but to venture beyond the fences and into the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

This book is a "postapocalyptic romance." Yes, it is about zombies. No, it is not a zombie massacre book. I think the Unconsecrated (aka the zombies) are just a vessel for the story, and they are dealt with sophisticatedly and sans cliches. The threat of the Unconsecrated is only the primary adversity the characters face; they are in a truly life-and-death situation. This is a story about the variable resilience of faith in personal beliefs, and it is a story about the bonds that hold people together, their mercurial strength in the face of hardship, and how they are broken. These are two beautiful themes, in my opinion. And it is a captivating book in all areas: the themes, the writing, the romance, the impossible journey, the secrets, the Unconsecrated. The writing is a curious combination of formal and informal, both beautifully simple and fascinatingly complex. The characterization is thorough and compelling; all the main characters have personal strengths and weaknesses, and they are all believable. Mary is a truly inspiring protagonist; she is strong and determined and stays true to herself. And Sister Tabitha is a very intriguing quasi-antagonist.
But, as I hinted in my introduction above, I think my favorite part of this novel is the love triangle. Travis or Harry? Harry or Travis? Mary is smitten with Travis at the outset, but her feelings fluctuated, and so did mine. In fact, I believe mine fluctuated more than hers! It was unprecedented. First I favored Harry, and then Travis, and then Harry again, and then Travis again, and then, and then, etc, etc. It was such an invigorating feeling, not being able to choose. And, as an added positive, it caused me to be very attached to both of them, as people and as love interests. I truly believe this is the first book I have read that has fostered such romantic indecision in me, and for this, I commend it to no end.

There's a movie page for The Forest of Hands and Teeth on IMDb, but the information is limited to writers (screenplay and novel), producer, and production attorney (...what?). It says 2011, but I can't imagine that's the truth, if they don't even have a director yet, let alone primary cast. According to Carrie Ryan's blog and the Seven Star Pictures site, it is a current project, though they say it is expected to come out in 2012 (makes a lot more sense to me). For this kind of book, the movie could go either way, but I would definitely see it. I feel like even if they don't get all the details right, and even if I don't agree with their casting choices, it will still be an amazing movie to watch, especially in theaters. Ha. I'm gonna cry so much. I forgot to say, this book made me cry more than just about every other book I've ever read. Second only to Deathly Hallows. I cried a lot. Anyways, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

There is a sequel - three, actually - though I'd say they're more of companions. I believe there are some of the same characters, but the stories belong to new and different protagonists. There is no cliff hanger at the end of The Forest of Hands and Teeth; you do not have to read the others. I'm going to, though. I already have the second book, The Dead-Tossed Waves. The third book is called The Dark and Hollow Places. And the third companion, which is really a prequel to the first, is called Hare Moon. It is about Sister Tabitha. I intend to read it. I like Carrie Ryan's writing, and I like the stories, so I'm gonna read all of them.

Thanks to... huh. I don't think I have anyone to thank for this. That's... unfortunate. Oh, I suppose I could thank Madeleine, my wonderful friend, who you will definitely hear a lot more about in the future, for reading this book after me, even though I sprung it on her at a really random time. And for finishing it really fast, so we could talk about it at that special sleepover when she finished reading the Hunger Games series to me and I started reading the Mortal Instruments series to her. She's pretty cool. So thanks, Maddie.

Recommendation: This is for sure YA, not that other people won't like it, but just be aware. If you like postapocalyptic romances, this is the book for you. If you like a little mystery mixed in, this has it. If you enjoy reading about zombies but are sick of all the usual stuff, check this out. And if, like me, you just want a book with a love triangle that you can't make up your mind about, this is the answer to your prayers. It was the answer to mine. I still can't get over how soon after I ranted to my dad I found exactly what I was looking for. I loved it.

Ten Percent

Earlier this summer I went to a week-long writing workshop at the home of a local YA author. It was awesome. See, because I want to be a writer. And I feel like the workshop really helped cement that decision in me. And it helped me become a better writer and a more critical reader, which is an incredibly important aspect to writing. Anyway, before the workshop, in order to have a common medium for talking about things, we all read The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. It's very thought-provoking, both in the story and the writing. At one point I was going to use it in one of my college essays, if that says anything, but that didn't end up working out. Anyway, tadaaaa!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just woken up from a year-long coma that resulted from a car accident. She cannot remember the accident, and she cannot remember anything from before it. She doesn't recognize her mom, or her dad, or her grandma; she doesn't even recognize herself. They have given her family videos documenting her whole life, some of which begin to spark too-vivid memories, but there is something wrong. There is something wrong with the her parents' story, and there is something wrong with her. All Jenna wants is to live a normal life, to live her own life. And maybe to know the truth. What really happened the night of the accident? Are all these memories really hers? Whose voices scream for her help when no one is around? And who is Jenna Fox, really?

This is the kind of book that gets in your head and eats your brain for snack, and then you're just like ...Wait, what? I kid you not. It's blow-your-mind twisty (means it has twists, people; use your noggins). It's slightly futuristic, as in, it's not at all, but there are borderline sci-fi elements that can't be ignored. Very mysterious. Also, the idea that this book surrounds is just crazy. How on earth did Mary E. Pearson come up with it? I'm still getting little "aha!" moments from it, and I read it like... weeks ago. Anyways, like I said, this book is super thought-provoking and will leave your mind spinning for days. And, the characters are so interesting! Lily and Dane especially, if you ask me, though I was expecting more of a storyline for one of them (no, I won't tell you whom). And Jenna, of course. Watching her struggle with her conflicting needs to know the truth, protect herself, and save her loved ones is familiar, and seeing the choices she makes is inspiring. Also, I feel like this book is secretly about every teenager's uncertainty about who they are and if they're normal.
Another really interesting thing about this book is the writing style. Little chaptered scenes divided by (usually) single-paged, poetically-flowing snippets of thought, on slightly darker paper. And it's the kind of writing that is wonderfully easy to read, that just streams through your head like you're drinking it. A bit of a page-turner, too, but it just glides so easily, on and on and on like you're not even turning pages. The kind of book you could curl up in a chair and read in a day, without lifting your eyes to look out the window or getting up for a snack even once. You wouldn't notice the time passing, because it flows just as smoothly as the words.

As far as I know there is no movie, which is kind of good cause I really don't know how they would do that. Actually, scratch that. That would be incredibly easy for them to do. Obviously everyone should ignore me because I have no idea what I am talking about.

ThereisgonnabeasequelandIamsuperjuiced. It's coming out this August on the 30th!!!!!!!!! And it's called The Fox Inheritance. It's gonna be awwwwesommmmme.

Thanks to Deborah, for having the writing workshop, because it was an amazing week. And thanks to all the wonderful friends I made there. I don't want to name everyone, though I will say that one of the best non-writing activities I took part in was hot-actor-obsessing with Riley, Courtney, and Amy. Which was so much fun.

Recommendation: Technically, this is a YA book, but I know adults would like it, too. Let's say, anyone who likes some good thought-provoking sci-fi. Anyone who wants to be left with something to continue turning over in their mind for days afterwards. Moral dilemmas abound, so if you like those, go for it. And anyone who wants a book that they can just sink into and flow through, as easy as gliding down one of those lazy inner-tube rivers at a water park.

Heartthrob Numero Uno del Mundo

Here's something fun: At the beginning of the summer, I made it my goal to read as many of the literary classics as I could. Here's something not so fun: Due to an inordinate amount of summer homework and college shopping, I have only had time to read one. And summer's almost over. I am going to continue on this little venture, though, because used copies are fairly cheap at Pegasus, so when I went, I ended up getting about twenty million and spending all my money. Basically, I have muchos libros classicos (I am such a pro at Spanglish), and I am very excited to read them, summer or school year. Anywho, the one book I have read is none other than Pride and Prejudice by none other than Jane Austen. I really don't think I need to summarize this book, but whatever. Here goes.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Bennet family lives a good life in their home at Longbourn, but this will end as soon as Mr. Bennet dies. When he passes, Longbourn will be entailed to Mr. Collins (a cousin), and his family will be without a home. Because of this, Mrs. Bennet is anxious to get her five daughters married off to respectable young men as soon as possible. The daughters are as follows: Jane, the beautiful eldest, is idealistic and optimistic, and can only think the best of people; Elizabeth is headstrong, practical, and her father's favorite; Mary is antisocial and focused on her studies, and is wholly unconcerned with men and marriage; Catherine, or Kitty, is shy, naïve, and frivolous; and Lydia, the youngest, who is even more naïve and frivolous, but not at all shy, is boy-crazy and extremely foolish. When the wealthy Mr. Bingley moves in to Netherfield, bringing his two sisters, one brother-in-law, and one friend, Mrs. Bennet is sure that he will make a wonderful husband for one of her girls. He takes an immediate liking to Jane, who takes an immediate liking to him as well, so that seems like a done deal. And maybe his friend, Mr. Darcy, could marry another one of her girls? But no, that is not to be; Darcy's arrogance and standoffishness make him quite despised by everyone in town, especially Elizabeth. She takes an immediate dislike to him, and he returns the sentiment. Meanwhile, a militia regiment has arrived to nearby Meryton, and is staying the whole winter. Kitty and Lydia become quite smitten with all the men, while Elizabeth strikes up a flirtatious acquaintance with the favorite, Mr. Wickham. But there is more to Wickham than meets the eye, and it seems that he and Darcy, who is paying Elizabeth a bit more attention than either of them expected (though the attention is antagonistic), have had a very rocky past relationship. To make matters even more complicated, Mr. Collins, the cousin who will inherit Longbourn when Mr. Bennet passes, comes to visit - and to choose a bride among the sisters? Mild scandal ensues on all fronts, especially when it appears Bingley did not fancy Jane as much as everyone had thought - and when Darcy appears to have unwillingly developed feelings for the least likely Bennet daughter.

This book is long! Really long! It took me (exactly) two weeks to read! Wait, that doesn't sound like a very long time. But it is! And it felt long! (Ooh... Nope. Don't say it. I see what I wrote, now let's just forget that happened.) Three hundred and seventy-three pages of the smallest type you have ever seen in a real-life novel! I am not kidding! The chapters were short, though, so I often ended up reading for a lot longer than I planned. (You know, the "I'll just read one more chapter, it won't take long" deal.)
Also, the language is true to the time period, ergo very decorous. Big words + formal syntax + early nineteenth century England = sometimes I would read a whole paragraph without any inkling of what it meant = I did a lot of rereading of passages. But after a while, I kind of got into a rhythm with it, so I understood it better and sometimes found myself thinking in that style of language even when I wasn't reading, which was fun and exciting and made me feel highly cultured. So although it is a slow read, it is also an enjoyable read. At least, it was for me.
Anyway, this book is great. I mean, I can for sure understand why it's considered a classic. I'm pretty sure we all know how it ends, or at least who the poster couple of this book is, but if you don't know and don't want to know, skip the rest of this paragraph because it is about to be fraught with SPOILERS. Watching the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy shift and grow is a delicious treat and extremely satisfying. I mean really, who doesn't love sexual tension? (Although, if Jane Austen or any of her characters heard me say that, I would be completely shunned by their entire society.) And Jane and Bingley are incredibly cute. Mr. Bennet is hilarious, Mrs. Bennet is infuriating, Kitty is adorably silly, Lydia is appallingly frustrating, and Mr. Collins is all four of those things. Mary is dismissible, awkward, and, though I feel bad saying this, a bit pathetic. Bingley's sisters drive me nuts, and his brother-in-law is even more dismissible than Mary. Wickham is more or less despicable and extremely good at throwing away my respect, though he starts off disarmingly charming; however, I couldn't help loving him, and I fully blame the TV miniseries Lost in Austen, which I stupidly watched before reading the book. There are loads of other distinctive characters whose names I could never keep straight. And their society seems so shallow and frivolous - I found myself simultaneously looking down on and laughing at the general population. Despite this, it's incredibly interesting to get a peek at the culture of the time.
Also, Mr. Darcy is Heartthrob Number One of the world.
I think what I found most interesting about Jane Austen's writing is that there are next to no physical descriptions of the characters. I mean sure, we get handsome or beautiful, and we get some general ideas of height, weight, and build, but nothing concrete that can be used to form a picture in your head. Nothing about hair or eye color, nothing about facial features, nothing about anything like that. Oh, I think she does refer to some of the characters as "fair," but still, that's pretty much nothing. It's kind of cool, because then the picture you form in your head is completely yours and defined by what you find attractive, but I don't know if everyone would like that much freedom. Of course, you don't really notice. I didn't notice until after I had already finished the book. It's really interesting that she gave the reader so much freedom, though, in my opinion.


Now, we all know that there is no sequel to Pride and Prejudice, unless you count the numerous ones by other authors, and I don't. But, as we all also know, Jane Austen wrote many other novels, and I bet they are just as good. I am super duper juiced to read them, although none of them are at the top of my summer-of-classics list, mostly because I haven't bought any of them yet. But I do intend to read them at some point.


We all just happen to also know that Pride and Prejudice has been adapted many, many times, most notably in the 1995 BBC television miniseries starring the fantabulous Colin Firth, and the 2005 film starring Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley. I am currently feeling a desperate need to watch the series, which I have never seen before, and to rewatch the movie, which I have. However, neither is streamable on Netflix, which is lame. I will have to get the series from the library, but at least I can borrow the movie from Melinda or Lily, who are both Pride and Prejudice fanatics. I will do that soon.

Thanks to Pegasus for having a gorgeous new copy for only five bucks, and pre-thanks to Melinda and/or Lily, for letting me borrow the movie. You guys are swell and I heart Pegasus!

Recommendation: Anyone who is interested in the classics, and/or is interested in the society and style of early nineteenth-century England. Anyone who appreciates a good romance and SPOILER a happy ending END SPOILER. It's all very appropriate, but, due to the highly decorous language, I'd wait for high school, or at least middle school. (I know middle schoolers can do it if they really want to and put their minds to it.) Really, though, I'm sure pretty much everyone knows enough about this book to know if they can and want to handle it.

"It's All Exactly True."

This past year in English 3 Honors we read a well-known but understated book called The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien. Earlier this week, in preparation of possibly writing a college essay about it, I reread it, and took substantial notes in the margins. Personally, I see writing in books as a minor form of sacrilege, but sometimes I need my notes right there, and anyways, I only write in used books. The point is, this book actually means a lot to me.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This is kind of a hard book to summarize. It's a series of metafictional, semi-autobiographical short stories that take place during (or in connection with) the Vietnam War. The narrator is a young soldier named Tim O'Brien who shares many significant characteristics with the author (most obviously being that they both fought in the Vietnam War). However, even if it matters to you, it's very hard to tell what is real and what is fiction (for example, he very convincingly speaks of his daughter Kathleen, who is absolutely no more than a character in the book). Although, there are times when he explicitly says that a certain thing is made up - not that you can believe him when he says that. It's all about the art of storytelling; he really shows how sometimes in order to make the reader really understand the story, it can't be all true. Sometimes it can't be true at all. Anyways, these short stories, though able to stand alone, are meant to be read together, and in the order they are in. There are things that just click when you read the book the way it's supposed to be read. Like how as you move through the book, it seems like it's just about this guy's time in the war, but it's really about the bond between all the men in the Alpha Company, but it's really about the effect the war had on all of them, but it's really about how to tell a true war story, but it's really about how true the truth actually is. Really, it's about stories, how they arrive, how they affect people, their importance, all of that. And at first you think he's writing all of this because the war really damaged him, and this is how he is dealing with that, but in the last chapter, he introduces a new aspect of his life that affected him deeply, and you realize that this, this, is the real reason for everything. Which completely changes your view of the entire book.
So when you read it again, you get a whole lot more out of it.

I think it's safe to say that this is the only book I have ever read for school that I have actually liked (excluding Shakespeare). I mean, for me, school really ruins books. You are forced to read certain books, and in a certain amount of time, which I find really takes the enjoyment out of reading. Also, English teachers these days go way overboard with the analyzing. I mean really, I would rather not know why the blue house in Beloved has the address 124. (Besides, I kind of feel like they were finding meaning in that number where there wasn't supposed to be any.) In my experience, school turns reading into a chore.
But reading this was not a chore. I fell behind in reading many of the past year's school-assigned books, and usually just skimmed the endings, but for this, I read ahead. Which never happens for me with school books. But I was more or less enthralled by both Tim O'Brien's writing style and his many interweaving stories. I mean, I feel like I did a lot of reviewing in my summary (oops...), but I don't know; this book is really hard to explain. His characters, all of them, are incredibly real and distinct, and it's easy to imagine that they're all as real as Tim himself (because even if the narrator is not the same as the author, thinking of them - him - as two different people is not even an option), and that they all have lived real, human lives. Every single character has a history and a future, though not all of them are told. The stories, though separate, flow spectacularly. And the way he writes, where he emphasizes his own twisting of the truth in an effort to give the story the impact it deserves, is thoroughly fascinating. As the story and its themes evolve, so did my ideas about both it and the art of storytelling. And, being a writer myself, this was invaluable; I see my own style as being similar in a number of ways to that of Tim O'Brien, so this book really gave me a kind of stylistic goal to emulate. This book is really a role model for me.
And I definitely can't wait to read more of his writing.

I don't know if there's a movie, and I don't really care. I don't. There is no way they could satisfactorily capture the writing style, because that's what it is. It's not in ANY way a style, it's a writing style. The beauty in it comes from the reading of it. What? What? Fine. You know what? Fine. I'll look it up.
Okay, so in an NPR interview from March 2010, Tim O'Brien said it has been optioned many times, but it hasn't yet reached the big screen.
However, according to Wikipedia, one of the stories, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," was adapted in 1998, into a film starring Kiefer Sutherland, titled A Soldier's Sweetheart.
Happy?
Oh, thanks. Now I kinda want to watch that... AND it's got Georgina Cates! She was in An Awfully Big Adventure, which was really good despite the title. I watched that when I was home alone after the SAT. It's got Alan Rickman in it (which is, of course, why I watched it). And I can totally see her as Mary Anne! Geez...
Ooh, good, it's not streamable on Netflix. Now I won't be tempted.
Except I still am.
I blame this on you guys.

I suppose I should thank the English 3 Honors teachers for making me read this, but I really don't want to. Hey, thanks to Sarah, my college essay coach, for helping me choose to write an essay about The Things They Carried, so leading me to read it again. I got a lot out of it the first time, but I definitely got even more out of it the second time.

Anyways, splendid book.

Recommendation: Oooh. Umm, let's see. I'd say this is a good read for anyone who just wants to read a book about the Vietnam War, or any war, really, because the effect of war on those involved does not differ between wars. It's a better read for someone interested in alternative writing styles, or who wants to read an engaging manual on storytelling (though it's so much more than that). And anyone who just wants to read a really good book. However, it is about war, so there is death, and there is also a fair amount of foul language. If you find this offensive, or are young (high school is definitely fine, and I know I at least could have managed it in middle school - well, maybe not sixth grade, cause that was my stab-people-with-pencils-whenever-they-swear-in-hearing-range phase). Also, and this is a BIG also, there is some animal cruelty. Enough in the second instance (there are two) that I both wanted to cry and felt sick. For some people, this will be a huge problem - I told my mom that even though she'd like the rest of it, I thought she should absolutely NOT read it. I flat out told her not to, because I know that that stuff really gets to her, and I didn't want her to just skip those bits, because you have to read all of the book, in the sequence it was meant to be read, in order to get everything out of it that you can. I beg you, if you do decide to read The Things They Carried, to please follow this one bolded statement.