(Starting from the correct space, number 15, Diamond Ring)
I rolled another 9 and landed on the Water Works Space (23)
I am sure I am thinking of the correct space this time. ;)
Read a book with water on the cover, or where someone turns on the waterworks (i.e., cries) because of an emotional event.
I will choose a book tomorrow since it is getting late.
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1576245/booklikes-opoly-7-2-roll
Okay, so I just realized that last time I rolled, I thought I landed on the Electric Company space when I really landed on the diamond ring space. That's what I get for not really paying attention.
I think the best thing to do is not count the book I read for the Electric Company space and just roll again and move on. :)
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1576243/blopoly-ooops
Review:
The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels.
- first sentence
Well, this was a bit quirky. I liked it, but I didn't love it.
Steve is a worrier, and what he worries about most nowadays is his baby brother. His parents are worried too. The baby has things wrong with him, and he isn't strong enough for the operation yet. The wasp queen visits Steve in his dreams and says she can make things better. All Steve has to say is "yes." But, things aren't always what they seem, and the queen may not have the baby's best interests at heart after all.
This book asks us to question what is normal and decide if an imperfect life is still worth living.
This book is nominated for a Sunshine State award, grades 6-8 (2017-18). It might be a bit creepy for kids though. The wasps are scary and there are some life or death situations. Steve doesn't know who to trust or how to protect his brother. He wants to do the right thing and readers will certainly root for him. Steve is scared at times, but he shows true bravery to protect his baby brother.
Just keep in mind, this is a horror story, a fairy tale horror story, but still...
This is my second Free Read Friday book. It has 272 and is worth $6.00
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1576242/beware-of-wasps
Review:
People do what they want. They love who they love. No one else can change that.
The only thing you can control is you.
- Chapter 5
That was the last straw. I breathed too hard, then I broke. All the pieces inside snapped apart and fell away, tinkling to the floor of my life and leaving a yawning hole where my heart should have been.
- Chapter 28
It might not get better tomorrow, but it will get better.
- Author's note
This book is heartbreaking, and yet hopeful. Teenage main character Ashley is in love with her best friend Matt, but he thinks of her as just a friend. He is popular at school and Ashley is constantly teased and bullied. In the first chapter, we find Ashley speaking to her psychiatrist and hoping to be released from the institution she resides in. He is asking her to recount the events leading up to "the incident" which resulted in her stay at the institution. We find out that Ashley sees an older version of herself in the mirror. Older Ashley gives her advice and tries to help her change her life. Older Ashley wants Ashley to have a better life than she does. But, she leaves out details in the hopes of protecting her younger self.
That might seem a bit confusing, but the book is not. We see Ashely's attempts to be strong and we worry about what will happen to her. Ashley's mother is almost as bad, if not worse than the kids at school. Her mom treats her as if she is the one doing something wrong. If she could just be more normal, then she wouldn't get bullied or if she could just fly under the radar and not do things to aggravate the other kids. Seriously?? Bullying is never the fault of the victim. Ashley's mother should have been her protector, not someone who makes her feel worse.
I liked this book. I felt bad for Ashley, and yet hopeful that she would find the strength to survive, despite everything and everyone who hurt her. At the end of the book, the author talks about how bullying is a form of torture and that she was a victim herself for many years. She talks about how she wants readers to know that they deserve help and gives them phone numbers and websites to use for help.
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1576235/what-would-you-do-to-save-yourself
Review:
This story is set in a future society where speed and efficiency are the most important things. Every sentence spoken must be ended with the word go. Adverbs are considered unnecessary and a waste of time. Movies are only 15 minutes long and beds are designed so you can sleep standing up. All citizens have a tracking chip that monitors their movements and speed. As people get older and start to slow down, they are placed in reduction colonies.
The main character, Angela is a typically rebellious teenager. She is tired of everything moving so quickly, and she wants to slow down. One day, she stumbles onto a group of rebels who live underground. Their main goal is to slow down. They avoid contractions and delight in unnecessary adverbs. There Angela meets Gladys, a young girl who helps her acclimate to the underground environment. Angela and Gladys develop a relationship and fall in love. But the rebel group is constantly in danger and fighting against the hyper above-ground world.
This is a graphic novel and uses mostly black & white illustrations. Towards the end, color is used to emphasize strong emotions.
I read this novel for my graphic novel class. The story is ok but lacks strong background. Details are missing that support Angela's actions. We don't really understand why she wants to slow down when everyone around her is worried about being faster. Maybe she was just born different, or maybe it comes from her relationship with her grandfather. We aren't really sure. And the motivations of the rebellion are confusing too. Bottom line: it's hard to be invested in characters without a strong backstory.
I also read this novel for my first Free Read Friday. It has 200 pages, so it is worth $4.00
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1576221/a-hyper-fast-society
